Page 20 - Stories from the Clyburn Valley

ISSUE : Issue 49

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1988/8/1

up. And then he got after the government. And finally they gave him a grant of $75 to build a bridge. And he built a 20-foot-long bridge, 10 feet wide, with all the pilings and everything. On the south side of the river. Leona; Do you know where the picnic area is? Well, it's up behind there, and it goes right up--the golfers use that road now as a footpath. Tom; But it's still called Doucette Bridge--that's what I was going to tell you. And it's still referred to on a lot of the maps, because my father built that bridge. 1934. That's the only thing that ever shows. (When you moved to New Waterford, was the Clyburn still a topic of conversation in your home?) Leona; We came back every sum? mer. Tom; Yes, yes. My mother and father.... Thanks to Pam Doyle. Glenn King. Delores Neal. and James Bridg- land. from the Cape Breton Highlands Na? tional Park, for their help in preparing this article, providing us with park interviews, photographs and maps regarding the Clyburn Valley. It is to the credit of Parks Canada that, having recog? nized the trauma asso? ciated with the estab? lishment of the na? tional park, they have both reformulated park policy, and worked to collect the htiman his? tory of the park re? gion. Thanks also to Earl Donovan of Ingon? ish for his initial guidance in preparing this article. (Your mother--did she talk about the Cly? burn?) Leona; M-hm. (Did she miss it, do you think?) I think she talked about it right up until the time she took sick and died. Tom; My mother said it was the happiest thing to get out of there. And then every summer she had to come down here, and I guess--while I was overseas, they bought this property (in Ingonish). And I thought they'd never come back here, the way she used to talk. And the funny thing; my moth? er came from London--right in the heart of London in England. And she said she was never happier than when she was at the Clyburn. Leona; Yeah, she always said that, that that was where she was happiest, was up the Clyburn. On the 10th green, looking up the Clyburn Valley towards Mount Franey. 20

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