Page 9 - Wilfred Creighton & the Expropriations: Clearing Land for the National Park, 1936

ISSUE : Issue 69

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1995/8/1

fellow) kept muttering in Gaelic. Scolding. And I said, "That old man was unreasonable expecting to get half what we're paying you." I said, "You don't owe him anything, do you? You paid him in full for the proper? ty." "Ah, yes. Every cent. $150." Well, I looked at the lawyer and the lawyer looked at me. That was about what property was worth there. There was no market for it. I minded seeing people put out of their homes. That bothered me terri? bly. There were cases, particularly in (Cap Rouge). Most of the people were there. A woman, as a bride, had gone to that house. Had raised her family. And here's an old woman, she was being put out. And, they were as friendly and nice with me, and I reached the settlement, and I went and took the cheque and handed it over and the husband would show it to his wife and she'd burst into tears. I pleaded with them (with the government), "Give them life tenancy." I mean, a lot of them were older people who'd only have lived five or ten years. And then the younger ones moved away, and when they started moving away.... It's one thing to be put out of your house, and another to go willingly. I mean, I'm a Pictou County person. I'm mostly Highland blood. My grandparents were Murray, Sullivan and Campbell, and my first cousins were Grants, and MacKays, and MacLeods, and Erasers, and so on. And that Highland atmosphere was just the same. I was a Pictou County Presbyterian, but I could relate to them. I was half country boy. I'd lived on farms and if I was put out of my house I'd have been mad. Oh, I hated.... I was in favour of the park, the park was good. But I thought it was cruel to put them out. A few people were lucky. When we would pay for a house. We didn't want the house. The man could have it. A few at (Cap Rouge) moved their houses off the park. Once we started buying land, those prices were more than the going price had been. So if they wanted to buy a property (in This house was also a post office. the area), then the price went up. Well, we bought 300 acres in Cheticamp Island of really better land than they were living on and subdivided it so we would have properties (to) trade. But Father LeBlanc at Cheticamp got hostile and he discou? raged them from going there.... (But) one of the fellows that lived in Rigwash (Valley), he had a house. And he Cape Breton's Mayfkiweri Over 70 Stores & Services ?? Great... Service • Great... Selection • Great... Prices Watch for our Exciting Back-to-School, Hallowe'en and Christmas Events! Mayflower Mall ... Where Winners Shop! 800 grand lake rd. sydney b1p6s9 v'- We want you to go away. 181 Charlotte Street 5394800 MavflowerMaU 5640600 1' Maritime Mariin Travel We Know Travel Best.

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