Five Islands, Nova Scotia - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Five Islands is a rural community in Colchester County

Colchester County, Nova Scotia

Colchester County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:The appellation Colchester was applied in 1780 to the district previously called "Cobequid," and was derived from the town of Colchester in Essex...

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

with a population of 300 located on the north shore of the Minas Basin

Minas Basin

The Minas Basin is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and a sub-basin of the Fundy Basin located in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is known for its extremely high tides.- Geography :- Boundary :...

, home of the highest tides in the world. The islands form an exposed part of the North Mountain Basalt.

It is named, logically, after five small islands - Moose, Diamond, Long, Egg, and Pinnacle - located just off the coast.

Native Mi'kmaq legend has it that the Five Islands were created when their god Glooscap

Glooscap

Glooscap is a mythical culture hero, and "transformer" of the Wabanaki peoples...

threw the mud, sticks and stones at the giant beaver who dammed his medicine garden in Advocate. The mud, sticks and stones that formed the islands are said to have trapped the beaver in one of the islands and turned it into gold.

Five Islands had a lighthouse

Lighthouse

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....

in operation from 1914 to 1999. It was moved several times due to erosion. The lighthouse has been preserved by a community group and may be visited at any time by going down Brodrick's Lane. And home to three campgrounds "Bay Gardens", "Sandpoint" and "Five Islands Provincial Park".

Seniors living in the community recall youthful memories of Moose Island deriving its name from stories of the island having supported a moose herd until shortly after settlers inhabited the surrounding areas. There are other legends relating to this island as well but this seems to be the most laudable to many who have lived there many years ago.

Jobs

The main sources of income in Five Islands are blueberies, clams, the Clam Factory, fishing and working for the CCRSB School Board.

Moose Island

Moose Island was the only one of the five ever to be inhabited and carries with it the most tangible tale of intrigue. Early in the 1800’s John Ruff, a Scotsman, settled this outpost with his family. He cleared much of the forest and established a modest mixed farm, supplying the coastal village with produce, wood and charcoal. He was reputed to be a hard, cruel person, and rumors circulated that he abused his wife and children. When he died a violent death, suspicions arose that he have been murdered by his son. A controversial trial led to their acquittal and afterwards the family moved to the mainland, carrying the unresolved mystery with them. Legend has John Ruff’s spirit stalking the long overgrown fields during misty, moon less nights in search of vengeance. On a dark night on the beach some people can say that they can see a light that walks the shore of the island.

Long Island

In 2003 Long Island was purchased by Dick Lemon who wanted to build on its top, 200 feet (61 m) above the sea bed, a retreat for artists, writers, musicians and academics. The cliffs prohibited access except by a rope assisted scramble up a muddy draw. The sea, being in the Bay of Fundy’s tide reach, is 30 to 50 ft (9.1 to 15.2 m) deep at high tide and empty at low tide, so access to the island is limited each day to a four hour window, namely the high tide during daylight. When the tide is low, people on Long Island can walk or run on the sea bed for miles. Taking advantage of the extreme tides, Lemon in 2007 began a charity event called Not Since Moses, a 5K and 10K run from Long and Moose Islands through the sea bed to shore. Meanwhile beginning in 2004, local workers began creating a retreat on Long Island.A helicopter carried heavy equipment including a tent for workers to live in during the construction (since they could not practically travel daily to and from the island). Then, to begin, locals hung from the cliffs and pounded in supports for 194 steps rising from the sea to the island’s top. A lift was designed by Dennis Ross, the project manager, who had retired as a corrections officer at the nearby prison in Springhill. The locally built lift ultimately hauled 25 tons of gravel, about 40000 board feet (94.4 m³) of lumber, and another 20 tons of furniture and furnishings and all else needed for a three bedroom two bath main house plus four sleeping cabins. These include a miniature lighthouse, a cabin built in the shape of a river boat edged over a cliff, a perch cabin on a promontory and a caretakers cabin. Ross oversaw the construction, the drilling with a specialty rig of two wells and the installation of a solar and generator power system for the main house which enjoys all the comforts of a modern home including full kitchen. The retreat is used May through October by users such as the Nova Scotia College of Arts and Design, Ships Company Theatre, St. Mary’s University and various groups which have included private tourists.

External links

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