Page 70 - Alex Poirier, Fisherman from Plateau

ISSUE : Issue 59

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1992/1/1

buying fish not by the pound but by the count. One hundred fish, one dollar. That was a lot of fish then, for one dollar. Cent a fish, big or small. The last time, that I gave it up (gave up fishing for the Jersey)--there were three boats of us. He told me, "Alex, if I have to give you $500 this year, I'll have to give (the same) to those boats, those fel? lows there--I can't do that." I said, "Give me half of it, I'll be satisfied. I'll stay with you. But if you don't give me any I'm going to give it up. I've got to go for my? self now. I know you gave me the money to buy my boat, but it's paid now, it's mine. But you keep too much from me. I'm going to go to the Co-op." So I did. I gave it up. I didn't fish any more for them. (Let me be sure I have this right. You wanted $500, felt you had earned $500.) Oh, yeah. (They didn't want to give it to you.) No. See, if he had to give it to me, he had to give it to all 3 fellows. That money belonged to them. That was $1500. He said to me, "If you're going away, stay at the shop, buy your stuff at the shop." I said, "If I go away I'll buy where I go fishing. You won't see me any more here." So I went to the Co-op and I stayed at the Co-op. It was Hellier Merry at the time-- that was the man. There's no more Jersey shop now--the shed is all burned up now, everything is gone. Used to be next to the 1 There's no better wa-y to enjoy a scenic winter experience in northern Cape Breton than cross-country skiing through the protected wilderness of Cape Breton Highlands National Park.l Ski by the seal Take in the spectacular mountains and ocean vistas of the park's ski trails. Follow the path of the picturesque Clybum river valley. Spend crisp winter days in the company of deer, moose, snow- shoe hare and fox. Or downhill ski ' at Cape Smokey Ski Hill, just a few strides away. Accommodations are available all winter long in the local commu? nities adjacent the park. Or inquire about the park's winter camping sites. For more information, call Cape Breton Highlands National Park at (902) 285-2691. A kautiful sight for all seasons! I#l Canada 1992 Ski LoDpets in Northern Cape Breton: February 1 - Gold Rush Loppet • Ingonish Beach • February 2 - North Highlands Loppet • Cape North Co-op. Burned last year. That's what they wanted (from) me: stop fishing but don't stop the store. Used to buy a lot in the store. My goodness, big family in here. They could have done more for the ' fishermen, but they were keeping that for themselves, you know? I couldn't blame them, you know. But we didn't know what they were making till we started the Co-op. When we started the Co-op--she damn near pretty near failed one time--the Co? op. The people were giving it up--the Co? op didn't have much fish, didn't sell much, there weren't many people go around --we used to go to the Robin Jones (shop? ping), the most of it. They had all kinds of stuff, big store. They were giving the people a lot of stuff, you know. They didn't give a damn to go in the hole, as long as they could get the people with them. But at last, people took notice that if they were going to do that, they were going to lose the Co-op, so they turned back, came back to the Co-op. For further discussion of Fr. Fiset's role as both priest and busi? nessman, plus the coming of the Co-op movement to Cheti? camp, see "With Alex John Boudreau, Cheticamp Island" in Is? sue 32 of Cape Breton's Magazine. There Is an interesting comment on Fr. Fiset as well In Anselme Boudreau's "La Mine de Pidtre d Cheticamp," Issue 24. Finally, we recommend Fr. An? selme Chiasson's history of Cheticamp, published in both French and English. For more from Alex Poirier, see "Fragments from Mining at Gold Brook" in Issue 30 of Cape Breton's Magazine. The photograph of Cheticamp Harbour is taken from Owen Fitzgerald's book Cape Breton: A Changing Scene, available from the University College of Cape Breton Press. The original of the photo is in the Notman Archives at McGill University. Alex d Magloire d Alexandre (called Piquine) was born Septem? ber 2,1889, and died January 28,1986. His mother's name was Elizabeth LeBlanc. Our thanks to Charles D. Roach for this information. Suppliers of Commercial Recreational Fencing p. O. Box 98, King St., North Sydney, N. S. B2A 3M1 794-4773 HAVE OUR AUGER TRUCK DIG YOUR HOLES."

Cape Breton's Magazine