Page 65 - Visit with Will Pringle, Richmond County

ISSUE : Issue 63

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1993/6/1

(This would be the route, too, be? tween Port Hawkesbury and Sydney, this would be the main route.) Yes, West Bay was built on--the road was-- the Indians came through from back of Dartmouth and through to--up the Ste- wiacke. Then they swung off for down east, Musquodoboit, and--Antigonish is an Indian name meaning "the bent twig." Twigs would be bent pointing eastward for Hawkesbury. Well, there was no Hawkesbury there then--just the strait. And when they got to this strait, they paddled across, the In? dians. And then they had a path to West Bay. And from there they paddled down with canoes, to East Bay. To a road there that they crossed, called the Old French Road, to Louisbourg. So that was their way back and forth from what's Dartmouth now, to Louisbourg. When I was writing the novel The North Star, I did quite a bit of researching, and this is what I found out--how they travelled. Will Pringle (back row, centre) with his Grade 10 class at Riverport. That year, he taught Grades 9,10, and 11 (47 pupils) all subjects. was this crooked winding one that.... So West Bay declined and West Bay Road built up. (Wasn't there also the stagecoach from Port Hawkesbury to Sydney?) Yes. My Well then, after the Indi? ans, the stagecoach--the roads got good enough for a stagecoach. The sailing vessels came into Port Haw? kesbury- -it was a port, you see. And stagecoach came down to West Bay. And there were 2 or 3 inns there to lodge the travellers. And they stayed overnight. And next day a sailing vessel or early steamboat came and took them right straight through to Sydney. Through the Lakes. Down through by lona and Big Bras d'Or. So West Bay prospered. There were 2 or 3 stores, I heard my father saying. There were a couple of tanneries, and 2 or 3 sawmills, and 2 or 3 forges. And inns--places to stay. School, church. But the decline started when the railroad came through. The railroad came through to West Bay Road and down Big Brook. And the road to West Bay--like one fellow said, "Don't take the road to West Bay Road, take the road to West Bay." When one of my nephews was coming home from the States the first time, they got to Cleveland, and turned off. He stopped--he didn't know where to go. He asked directions. And this fellow said, "Don't take the road to West Bay Road, take the road to West Bay." That Some Things In Life Are Perfect. "Lady of Dundee" sailing to Dundee Resort Marina. Your Perfect Cape Breton Vacation Is At Dundee Resort. NATIONAL PARK /' Picture yourself having a perfect Nova Scotia vacation tliis year in Cape Breton at Dundee Resort. Perfect surroundings are combined witli the perfect highlands selection of activities for you. Featuring a championship 18-hole golf course, • Dundee Resort is located right on the che'camp beautiful Bras d'Or Lakes where you / enjoy sailing, tennis, canoeing, or y swimming in om indoor and '--''A /:,- outdoor pools. Plus, supervised kids I-V activities like soccer, volley-ball, i -> arts .?< • featuring local seafood dishes. '''' • ' call now for your SSS'b'Iurg perfect vacation.

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