Cape Breton's Magazine

Father Nicholson, was for Clarence because Clarence had worked for him. He was willing to marry us. Clarence told him, if you don't marry us we'll live together. So hah. And we're married 48 years, you know. Clarence: And we were happy as that. Mary: After we were married a few years, my family got to love him as much as their son. Clarence: All that was against me came back to me because they saw I was a different person than they thought. Mary: Some down Cheticamp, around Margaree, they had never seen a black man. He went down and the children used to get under the table when they'd see him coming in, but before he'd leave they were all climbing all over him. He said, everywhere you'd look you could see a pair of eyes. (When you decided to marry Mary, what was the reaction in lk Yard?) Clarence: There was no discrimination at all in lk Yard. People got along fine. Marys That time your neighbours would run. Say a fire catch you, they'd run and take your clothes out and if you're sick they'd come and bring things. In lk Yard everybody had a big garden. Veg? etables and potatoes. Oh, lovely gardens a- round there, and what you didn't have in your garden the other had • and they would trade. We had two goats smd pigs and chick? ens and ducks. We were allowed with that then. You're not allowed today. And pretty near all the houses had their own. And we had little house parties each weekend. Clarence: In lk Yard we lived like one fam? ily. Mary: Of course, if there were any jobs, it seemed the white had it first. I looked at it this way. I believe there was prejudice. See, lk Yard was mostly coloured and Ital? ians and what you would call foreigners. The Novo Scotio There was only a few of us Canadians. In 1928 when I came there to meet my husband • I found people prejudiced. If we went up town and we had a complaint, say about your taxes or the roads • we were all right till we mentioned we lived in lk Yard • then we were the last ones to get taken care of. (It wasn't just because some of the people there were black?) Oh no. They were for? eigners. They weren't Scotch. It was not colour, it was foreigners. Clarence: But in the pit we all worked together. The same you get I could get, the same place you worked I could work. No discrimination in the pit. There was in the line of one district people didn't like the other district people, but in lk Yard we were all like one family. The Italians, the Germans, everybody used to live together. Didn't care black, white, yellow or green. Each would go to the other's house. Everybody would join to? gether. Then we'd all go to the hall • Italiaji, Jewish, everybody. It was the capital of enjoyment. Ik is the best district in Waterford when it comes to friendly. If you're an outsider and inter? fere with anybody up there, the whole crowd'11 jump you. You look after one an? other like brother and sister. If you be? longed to lk Yard you were as safe as in God's pocket. You white or black • it's the same thing, makes no difference. But if you were a stranger coming here looking for trouble, you'd get it. Mary: Police used to say, I hate to come up to the Yard to ask questions. I never get any answers. I don't know. I don't know • that's all I hear. Clar? ence: Everybody • even the chief of police • used to come to my place. I used to sell a little drop at that time too. Everybody used to come to my place • I don't care what society you're in. I always use everybody right, as I can. One tell the other • one AGRKULTURAL COLLEGE Serving Atlantic Canada offers: TECHNICAL COURSES: Farming Technology Ornamental Horticulture Technology • Agricultural Business Technician • Agricultural Engineering Technician • Animal Science Technician leaDINGTO: • Farm Equipment Technician • Plant Science Technician • Biology Laboratory Technology • Chemistry Laboratory Technology At the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, we help people prepare for a wide range of highly significant occupations associated with food production and managing our living environment. For more information contact: The Registrar N.S. Agriculturar College Trur?>,N.S.B2N5E3 Phone No. Area Code (902) 895-1571 UNIVERSITY COURSES • Bachelor of Science In Agriculture (16 options) • Bachelor of Engineering In Agricultural Engineering • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine