Cape Breton's Magazine

dividual and he takes over as government-- he operates, builds a new stone wharf on the north side at Sydney Mines for ship? ping. He does a lot of this. The market for coal turns around. The War of 1812 brings in capital, and indirectly this comes to Sydney. But the other thing, immigration began in 1802--the first Scots begin to come into the colony, so your population begins to grow. The Scots are hardly here and you check the shipping records and they are building ships and are fishing. There were no land grants but they were given land leases, and to these people from the High? lands, thrown off their lands--I doubt they made a distinction between a land lease and a land grant. Many of them just simply squatted. And I might add that the leases were never taken from them anyway; in the end they were all accepted as land grants. Another key thing happens--when Murray is dismissed, a new Governor is ap? pointed, Despard. He is the best adminis? trator of the lot. Fate and personality come together. After a false start--inter- nal fighting and all--he gets going and does a number of important things. 1802, he went over all previous land grants, and anybody who had left their land--for in? stance, there was a tract of land at the Mira River, 100,000 square acres--granted, but the people never came. He escheated that. That means the government just took it over because no improvements had been made. So this wasn't land forbidden to give out--it already had been granted le? gally. He got this and a lot of other land, and he let it be known that land is avail? able in Cape Breton. That's extremely im? portant . CONTINUED NEXT PAGE People Helping People in Cape Breton The Cape Breton Development Corporation will assist craftspersons' in Cape Breton who wish to increase production and sales of existing products or begin producing for commercial sale. It's a CRAFTS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. The Cape Breton Development Corporation Craft Program includes assistance with Mar? keting (through ISLAND CRAFTS)), Production Coordination, Production Advances (loans for raw materials), Equipment Loans, Design Seminars and Workshops. We helped a lot of people in the 1970s and we want to help even more in the 1980s. Call on us. We're here for you. At 539-6300 or Zenith 07763. Ask for CRAFT DEVELOPMENT. THE CAPE BRETON DEVELOPMENT COFPORATION YOUR INPUT IS OUR OUTPUT CAPE BRETONERS ARE ACHIEVING TOGETHER (38)