7193 East Bay Hwy
Big Pond, NS
B1J 1V2
(902) 828-3138
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COMMUNITY COUNCIL
 
Big  Pond Community Council  Meeting was held 3 February 1998. The meeting was chaired by Vice- President Stan MacLean;  Kenny MacLellan, Treasurer, was also present for the Executive. Minutes were taken by Sharise McKeigan.

A representative from the East Bay School Advisory  Council, Ron MacLean, spoke to the Community Council to provide information about the computer lab set-up in East Bay School.  The Advisory Council hopes to have 2 computers, one in East Bay and one in Big Pond and a server in East Bay School.  He talked about membership fees, web pages and computer courses. Mr. MacLean also spoke of the need for a Big Pond community representative for the school advisory committee (Sue Currie will be assuming this position).

Raymond Duprey signed the lease of Parish Hall February 4, l998, which now must be signed by Community Council.  After disbursements, legal fees and taxes -  The Tartan Eagle gave a cheque in the amount of $4476.18 to the Community  Council.  Legal fees to Sampson and MacDougall were $450.00. A complete financial audit of The Tartan Eagle Restaurant will be completed by Ron McCarron. Insurance was purchased on restaurant equipment for liability ($1,000,000.) and replacement equipment through  MacLeod Lorway Insurers. The equipment is valued at $50,000.00 while the building is insured by diocese.

The last power bill for Big Pond School was $190.00. It was decided that Kenny MacLellan would investigate this seemingly high bill. The school was a hot topic and so it was decided that the lease for this building should also be investigated. A motion was passed to the effect that Big Pond Community Council has no interest in utilizing the school.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

There are many occasions at the EDITORIAL desk of The Big Pond Times when we need interesting, funny, exciting, unusual, Big Pondish NEWS! Please call Don, Bernadette, or Dennis with any tidbits you may have under your mattress. We can stockpile info for future editions but if we don’t get the goods, we won’t be out of the woods! We need your help to make The Big Pond Times a fun and enjoyable publication. Remember as well, all the work that goes into the BPT is strictly volunteer and putting an edition to press can easily consume 10 hours so thanks a million, once again, to all our volunteers!

FIRE DEPARTMENT NOTES
 
The annual meeting of the Big Pond Volunteer Fire Department was held on 11 February. Frank Sampson, Chief; Bill MacPhee, Deputy Chief; and Captains Greg MacMillian and Ed macIntyre continue in their present positions. Two new Lieutenants are Ron McCarron and Michael White. Ron McCarron and Kenny MacLellan join Stan MacLean, Blair McDonald and Bill MacPhee on the executive. Stan MacLean graciously offered to serve another year as Secretary (local firefighters wait expectantly for his new, improved system of scheduling). Dave MacKillop takes over as Bar Manager and Ron McCarron replaces Fred Myatt as Treasurer. A special note of appreciation was accorded to Fred for his role as Treasurer for the past five years. Stay tuned for the 30th Anniversary of the department.

COMMUNITY NOTES
 

 The competition was fierce at Big Pond’s Winterfest Tarabish tournament on 17 February. John Currie and Mel Currie walked away with first prize. Nine teams fought it out for second place; after the dust settled and smoke cleared old time Big Pond ‘blow-ins’ Gerald Thomas and Don MacGillivray were victorious. Third place was captured by A.A. MacNeil and Andy Dugandzic in spite of Andy’s temporary disability due to a sudden change in altitude the previous evening. Especially strong contingents from East bay and Ashby went home empty handed this year.

Jamie MacDonald from Big Pond came 2nd in the ‘B’ division of Moe’s New Age Snow Show Snow-boarding Championship held at Ski Ben Eoin on 1 February. The ‘B’ division category includes those individuals who have been snow-boarding for two years or less. Congratulations Jamie!
 

THE BORNISH STONES - PART TWO

As I’ve heard it, 210 immigrants came on the Alexander; about half were from Moidart and the rest from South Uist. In time some came over to Cape Breton – or their descendants came over. You’ll find their tracks in Big Pond and Ben Eoin and down along the East Bay and up the Northside. All over. One of these immigrants was a Donald MacDonald from Bornish in South Uist. South Uist is close to Barra. Judging by the map, I’d say you could almost skip a stone from one of those islands to the other – not quite, but you know what I mean. The MacDonald’s who are buried in this plot are descendants of that Donald from Uist. The Angus mentioned there – Angus Martin – that’s Red Ranny MacDonald’s father. You know the property at the foot of Middle Cape Hill, what we call Red Ranny’s. That’s the land Angus and Donald’s father granted. His name was Donald too. A son of the first Donald I mentioned? I’m not sure. Anyway he was a descendant. And he called his grant Bornish after the ancestral home in Uist. Red Ranny and his family were the last of those MacDonald’s on that land. They’re all gone from the area. Ranny’s sister Margaret married Dan MacLellan, Alf’s uncle. Their family are all gone too. Rita bought that property. Rita’s farmhouse was Dan and Margaret’s home. By the way, I see where one of Dan’s nieces had her 87th birthday not long ago. Mary John S. – Hugh Maclellan’s daughter. Best darn 45s player from here to Hogamah. You know her – Mary John S up in Irish Cove.

Anyway, Ranny’s people are gone from the area and Dan Maclellan’s also. But some other MacDonalds traced to the Moidart immigrants on the Alexander have moved in lately. What are the names of those MacDonald boys – Mayor Dan Alex’s boys from Glace Bay? One bought Annie on the Hill’s place. Dennis, yes. And the other bought the property once owned by Joe Iain Peigi. Has his law office there. Down in Ben Eoin. Blaise. Yes,  Dennis and Blaise. Well, they go back to the Alexander. And the MacDonlads from out the Rear, Dan MacDonald’s – Whites bought their place – they’re the same MacDonald’s. You must know Big Mike. Lives in Boston but gets home as often as he can. And you know his sister Effie. She’s married to Malcie MacKinnon on the Northside.

And speaking of those MacDonalds – you know the MacIntyre farm down the road here? Yes, where we have the Big Pond Concert. You know, I just realized there’s only one of those MacIntyre’s still there. Dia, Dia, where have they all gone? I guess they’re with the rest of the young Cape Bretoners – everywhere but in Cape Breton. Anyway, there’s one of them left. Eddy, I think his name is. Bad little devil when he was growing up! Watched him for a half hour one morning trying to chop the tires of his father’s tractor with a hatchet. Turned out all right though, they tell me. Married a Campbell girl from around Chapel Hill in the Bay – Danny Flat’s grandniece, I think. Guess she straightened him out. Well, that property was first granted by Moidart MacDonalds who came up from the Island, and, again they were the same MacDonalds as Big Mike and Dennis and Blaise. They called the property Scotchfort, after the place the Alexander landed in the Island. They moved elsewhere and the MacIntyres came and took over the land. Someone told me the other day that he heard a well known runner in the United States can be traced back to that farm through those MacDonalds. He didn’t have any details. Must ask M.A. MacPherson when I see him. You never know who can be traced back to this area. Ever hear of the Sea Wolf? Wolf Larsen – the sea captain in the Jack London novel. In real life, Larsen was Captain Alex McLean from East Bay. Remember the old checkerboard sign in East bay? No, of course you couldn’t. Anyway, you know the turn just before you come to John MacLeod’s store? There’s a little brook there – sometimes you see people fishing in it and you wonder if they’re not wasting their time. Well, when you come to that brook on your way to Sydney, look off to your right. Alex McLean was born a distance in from the road at that point. Sometime you see Donald MacGillivray – yes, Donald at the corner of the Loch Lomond Road - ask him about the Sea Wolf. He can tell you more than anyone else in the world about Alex McLean. And Babyface Nelson, the Chicago gangster? He too has an East Bay connection, I think. Baptized with a more highland name though. At least I’ve been told that on pretty good authority. As Joe Hector Campbell used to say, “Mister, if it’s a lie from me, it was a lie to me.”

Anyway, I call these two tombstones the Bornish Stones because the MacDonalds buried under them were traced back to Bornish in South Uist. Touch these stones and you touch a lot of our history: big landowners, tenants, dissatisfaction, emigration. There’s a lot of other history in this graveyard too. Next year when they have the yearly cleanup, perhaps you can be here to help out, to help preserve it. And if anyone finds the skeleton of a big snake, tell him it’s an eel. Or maybe you shouldn’t tell him it’s an eel; in a few years it’ll be the biggest snake heard of around here since the log Micheil Iain Bhan was eating his lunch on began to move. (Thanks to Jim MacDonald and Blaise MacDonald “Alasdair Iain”)

Jack MacNeil
 

40th ANNIVERSARY - THANK YOU

We would like to thank our family and friends who came to help us celebrate our anniversary. The Big Pond Fire Dept., the Ladies Auxiliary, those who brought food or helped in any way and for the gifts, monetary and otherwise. Also to those who traveled long distances. It was a wonderful happy celebration, even the weatherman cooperated. We are lucky to have such caring family and friends. To you all we say Thank You.

The Whites (Lloyd & Christie)
 

 MONEY MATTERS
 
 The deadline for Registered Retirement Savings contributions has been extended to March 31, 1998 due to severe weather conditions in Eastern Canada. The reason one would be motivated to contribute to an RSP is twofold. One, you are provided with tax relief and two, you have comfort that you are providing for your future. A common mistake is not maximizing your contribution. By forgoing this privilege you forgo tax savings and you forgo tax-deferred growth within your RSP. This, even over a period of 5 years, can be significant. Finally, by not maximizing your contribution you accumulate ‘rrsp carry forward’ and subsequently it may be difficult to use this in future years. Premature withdrawals from your RRSP cannot be repaid (unless you have availed yourself of the Homebuyer Withdrawal Plan). When you withdraw from your RRSP this money becomes fully taxable in the year received. It is highly recommended that you investigate all other options, including borrowing, before you withdraw from your RRSP. Another thing that should be avoided is making your RRSP contribution at the end of February or Beginning of March. By doing so one essentially gives up tax deferred growth for the previous 14 months – if possible contribute to your RRSP early in the year. There are two schools of thought on borrowing for an RRSP. The first is to borrow if you have the financial resources to repay within a reasonable period of time. The second pertains to unused excess contribution room and borrowing to take advantage of this. Under these circumstances you may wish to pay this over a 5 year period. Tax savings and growth within your RRSP may conceivably outweigh interest costs of this endeavor.

Whatever you decide, contributing to an RRSP makes a great deal of sense.
 

Bev MacPherson
Financial Advisor

This issue was brought to you by by Bernadette MacPherson, Josephine McCarron,  Don MacGillivray, Sharise McKeigan, Jack MacNeil, Dennis MacDonald, Carol MacDonald, Cora MacNeil, Bev MacPherson.  Deadline for submissions to the April issue is March 20th.

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