Work Through Time: Cape Breton Stories of Land & Sea

Between 1753 and 1773, fishermen from newly-founded Louisbourg began moving their families to a tiny island a mile off Main-a-Dieu's shore, called Scatarie (also seen: Scaterie). Its location proved ideal, for a time. Being a mile offshore meant the fishermen would barely need to step into the water to get their catch.

The lighthouse keepers relied for supplies on fishermen who knew the rugged current between the smaller and bigger island well. In 1950, the power lines made it to Main-à-Dieu. More and more community infrastructure and businesses of all sizes were being built in Main-à-Dieu, meaning the people on Scatarie more and more wanted - or needed - to come to the mainland to buy and sell goods, and to purchase supplies like rope and twine for boat building.

When the Western lighthouse beacon was automated in 1965, and its keeper Mrs. Eliza Campbell left, she had been the only inhabitant on the West side of the island for almost ten years; her nearest neighbours, the lighthouse keepers on the East side, were six miles away.

Until the second half of the last century, when the mass exodus left Scatarie the wilderness reserve it is today, there were as many houses on the island as there are in many of the area communities today.

These photos of Scaterie Island were kindly provided to us by The Main-à-Dieu Coastal Discovery Centre. To view more pictures of Main-à-Dieu & Area, please visit their Virtual Museum, The Boats of Main-à-Dieu & Area.