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7193 East Bay Hwy
AED (automated external defibrillator) On-Site
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The community of Big Pond, with all its attractions and in all its splendour, can now be visited by tens of millions of individuals. How to get here? http://highlander.cbnet.ns.ca/cbnet/tourism/bigpond/bigpond.html That address, pecked into an appropriate machine, will give you a guided tour of the area, attractions, people (the two are not mutually exclusive), history and festival updates. Please note that much of it is still under construction. The official home page of the Big Pond Community Council was designed by George Salmaniw, with input from a number of local worthies. Bernadette MacPherson kept the pressure on. Check it out. If you see any mistakes drop an e-mail message to George. salmaniw@fox.nstn.ca Compliments can be forwarded to Donnie MacNeil, president of the community council. The server is Cape Breton Community Network, Box 1191, Sydney, B1P 6J9 (567-3842). THE COMING OF THE GAELS
A number of people came into the area recently; doubtless it will be of some interest to them to know who they are linking up with. Jack MacNeil's introduction is a good place to start. It can also be found on the Web. -ed. In the late 1700s and early 1800s thousands of Scots left the Western Isles and Highlands of Scotland for North America. Between 1800 and 1810-exactly when we do not know-some of these immigrants settled in the area now known as Big Pond. A strong local tradition supported by some documentary evidence in land petitions holds that the first settler in the area was Roderick MacNeil, who received his land grant in 1809. It seems, by and large, that the first comers to the area already had a foothold in the New World on the mainland of Nova Scotia or in Prince Edward Island before removing to this area. Later they were joined by the others who came directly from the Old Country when the immigrant ships began making landfall in Cape Breton. Two settlements developed side by side here on the south shore of the east bay of the Bras d'Or, one forming around a brook to the east, the other alongside a big pond in the west, and they in time would grow together to form the community now known as Big Pond. The first settlers around the brook were MacNeils, Roderick MacNeil and his family. Roderick was known as Ruaridh Breac (anglicized to Rory Breck or Rory Brack)-"breac" in this instance meaning "freckled"-and the brook which flowed through the MacNeil grants and the community which formed around it became known as Brack's Brook. The western community became known as Big Pond, and in time as Big Pond Centre, and was named after the pond which lies along the lakeshore and extends eastward from a point directly down from Rita's Tearoom to a point just beyond the Big Pond Centre stage on the MacIntyre Farm. Various forces, mainly social and political, caused a gradual breakdown of boundaries between the communities. The building of the present parish church in the 1890s and its location near the boundary line no doubt helped. The disappearance of the local post offices with the arrival of the rural route mail delivery; the realignment of the municipal government districts, giving common representation; the amalgamation of the two school sections and the building of a consolidated school; and the birth of community wide organizations such as the Community Council and the Fire Department have virtually completed the unification process-but, as one would expect in Cape Breton-there is still a bit of the Brook in some of us and a bit of the Pond in others.
Jack MacNeil FIRE DEPARTMENT NOTES Fire Chief Frank Sampson attended the 82nd annual Maritime Fire Chiefs' Convention in Sydney in July. The four day convention was co-sponsored by the Cape Breton Firefighters Association and the Cape Breton Fire Chiefs Association. * Big Pond firefighters Kenny MacLellan and Michael White successfully completed the demanding certificate course to Firefighter— Level I. Their newly- ____________________________________ BIG POND TIMES: Founded in 1994. "It is a newspaper's duty to print the news and raise hell." - Chicago Times, 1861. Circulation : 250 Published by Big Pond Community Council Mailing Address: c/o Don MacGillivray Big Pond, Cape Breton B0A 1H0
E-mail: dmacgill@sparc.uccb.ns.ca Subscriptions for non-residents are $6.00 for twelve issues ($7.50 for non-Canadian addresses). Contact Josephine McCarron, Big Pond, Cape Breton, Canada, B0A 1H0. This issue was brought to you by Josephine McCarron, Ron McCarron, Don MacGillivray, Sharise McKeigan, Marge MacLean, Jack MacNeil. Deadline for submissions to the September issue is 21 August. The editor for September is Bernadette MacPherson: 539-0036. E-mail: salmaniw@fox.nstn.ca __________________________________ acquired training is a welcome addition to our first response capabilities. Congratulations. The training program is now completely carried out in Cape Breton and, hopefully, we will be able to send a few more members off to qualify this fall. * The department recently compiled a modest backward glance at itself. Copies of The Big Pond Volunteer Fire Department: A Brief History, 1968-1996 are still available for present, retired and former members. Contact Don MacGillivray. * There has been some preliminary discussion about establishing a "Safety first" official for the department. The scuttlebutt is that Firefighter Blair "ask questions later" McDonald is a shoo-in for the post. * The department has just put six historical photographs of the area in the hall. Kenny MacLellan, the matre d' of that social oasis for this summer, invites people to drop in any afternoon or evening to experience this new ambience. He has a favourite photo; just ask him. MAVERICK MARINER SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT! I wish to provide incontrovert-ible evidence that the McCarron Factor (Times, September 1995) is a myth. Early this spring Joe Donovan and Frank Sampson were out digging clams with the Irish Mist and spotted myself and my son Keith on the beach. Off we went for a spin; nothing untoward happened. We did spot an eagle harassing a large cod. We returned to shore safely and Joe and his vessel are still around. So far so good. Stan MacLean, even more of a gambler than Joe, sought my expertise again this year to help launch the Caritas. I jumped in the truck with Cyril as he was pulling out with the vessel in tow and his brother M.A., aware of my undeserved reputation, followed us to the beach, doubtless expecting a catastrophe. There was nothing of the sort. The launching went off without a hitch and Captain Stan even made it to homeport without going aground. Two for two—not bad. The third, perhaps ironic, story involved noted sailor and entrepreneur Pat Nelder. Pat recently turned forty and during the party I gave her a gift certificate for one free boat launching courtesy of your's truly. Pat had earlier said that she was keeping her launch date secret so as to avoid any involvement by myself. Well, she did not use the certificate and I heard reports later that several things went wrong including the boat going off of the rails. My source also reported that my name was mentioned frequently whenever there was a problem. I guess they really could have used my help after all. I should also note that Charlie Locke launched his boat after checking that I was away. When I went to ask him about this I was told he had left on vacation and wouldn't be back for awhile. I think I'll do him a favour and take his boat for a spin every once in awhile to make sure it's working good when he gets home. Watch out for the McCarron Factor you say? I think the evidence clearly demonstrates that it was only a myth after all. Ron McCarron Editor's note: It is clear from the above that seaman McCarron, who in the past has sent crusty captains into apoplexy, has a level of sensitivity not traditionally associated with bunco bluenose mates.
LOCAL AWARD WINNERS The following 1996 high school graduates received awards at convocation at Riverview. Lindsay MacPhee—Cecila Sampson Memorial Award. Lindsay is entering the BACS program in Hospitality at UCCB this fall. Laura Lee MacPhee—Father John Hector MacGregor Scholarship. Laura Lee is opting for the Co-op program (Tourism & Hospitality) at UCCB. Bobbi Jean Murphy—Francis MacNeil Award from the Fire Department. She will be starting her BA at UCCB this fall. Roddie MacNeil—Father Stanley MacDonald Award. Congratulations. COMMUNITY NOTES There is no community council meeting in August. Now that's an indication of a finely tuned organization. The next meeting is Wednesday, 3 September at 7:30 pm at the school. Doubtless President MacNeil will then give us another succinct update of the physical state of the building. * Details on the obvious activities around the parish hall and the surrounding land will be carried in the next issue, hopefully. Contractual obligations preclude such information at this time. Stay tuned. * BOOKMOBILE SCHEDULE: Tuesday, 27 August—Big Pond, 11:30 am; Irish Vale, 1:30; Irish Cove, 2:00. * Liam Alexander Lively arrived in Cape Breton on 5 July, all 6 pounds, 5 ounces of him. His mother and father (Cheryl and Sandy) are doing fine. Liam is especially blessed; his grandfather is one of Big Pond's dearest souls—Joe Donovan. Liam's grandmother Anne Marie is also doing fine. * The TIMES would like to congratulate all of the workers associated with the Big Pond Festival this year. Special thanks to those involved in the mundane but essential garbage cleanup on Saturday morning and Sunday and Monday evenings. They include Norma, Melvin, Dennis, Carole, Brother, Greg, Sharise, Teddi, Jean and Marlene
AUGUST SCHEDULE
August 17—7th ANNUAL MONTE CARLO NIGHT & AUCTION, Fire Hall, 8:00 PM $5.00 August 31—STEAK SOCIAL, Fire Hall, 6:30-8:30 PM. $7.00
TARABISH every Tuesday at the Fire Hall at 8:00PM.
STEAK DARTS every Thursday at the Fire Hall at 8:00 PM September 21—25th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY, Roy & Cora MacNeil. Fire Hall COMPUTER TROUBLES? Software & Hardware problems; Want to learn DOS, Windows, etc.
THANK YOU A very special thank you is extended to the Big Pond community. Your support proved again what a great community it is. We will certainly miss living in the community but circumstances changed and we had to make some tough choices. Thank you everyone for all the support you have shown us. Thank you to everyone who organized the benefit social on 29 June. Thank you for your prayers, good wishes and financial support. Thank you to all the musicians who made the evening enjoyable. Friends like you make being sick a lot easier. We know we will always have a place to stop for tea in Big Pond. Like Rita, we also invite you to 93 Sprucehaven Drive, Apt. 3, for tea. Just don't all come at once. We know you will make Ian and Linda MacDonald welcome in our community. It's great to have new and younger blood in Big Pond. Again thank you from the bottom of our hearts; your kindness will never be forgotten. Joe & Mary MacInnis. This space was reserved for Terry "Talk a good column" MacPherson and his sister, TIMES co-editor Bernadette MacPherson. Guess we'll have to get George on their case. BIG POND BUSINESS DIRECTORY LODGINGS
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