Excerpts from Capt. Walter Bruce, Masters Home Trade, who has fished out of North Lake Harbour, Prince Edward Island, from 1960 to present time (2002) as told to his granddaughter, Alicia Rae Bruce.

There were approximately 45 fishermen fishing out of North Lake Harbour in the 1960's. There were two big cookhouses -- one Johnston's run by Nellie Young on the east side of the run. Another was Albert Griffin's which was on the west side of the harbour. There were also two or three smaller cookhouses. They fed the fishermen their three meals plus full lunch pails. The first bridge at this time was right across the run as opposed to the new one which is further into the harbour. Griffin's had two buying stations at this time with one on each side of the run. Johnston's shut down in the mid 60's. Earl Johnston, the owner, died and his wife ran it for a couple of years. Alonzo Babineau began buying along with Paul Gallant. Babineau’s is still in its former place but is now called Polar Seafoods. There was a man-made wharf from Babineau’s up the lake. A government wharf went from Babineau’s towards the run. On the east side the wharf ended where the present entrance of the boat pen is situated. The lake flowed into the area where the first North Lake Fishermen’s Co-op was (the east side). There was no land until the government had fill brought in. Albert Griffin in the late 60s had a new buying station and later a processing plant on this new land. In 1973 he was also the first to buy tuna at North Lake and exported it to Japan in its fresh state. He later sold his business to United Maritime Fishermen which went out of business in the mid-80s.

UMF processed lobster. Fishermen from North Lake, Naufrage and Souris bought UMF’s assets and operated the plant for 12-13 years under the name North Lake Fish Co-op. They have recently constructed a new processing facility close by. The remains of the old plant serves as a buying station and for processing tuna.

When the size of the fleet increased and more wharf space was needed, the boat pen was constructed in the mid to late 60s. As well, at this time, more wharf was added on the west side from Babineau’s side westwards. With North Lake becoming a haven for sport fishing, ie Tuna Capital of the World, and boats becoming bigger in the 70s, the bridge was too low; thus it was removed and a new one constructed further up the run where it presently sits. Around this same period the old Johnston’s factory was torn down and Garth Jenkins had a new building built for processing tuna. It flourished for a few years, stood empty for a decade and now is a lobster buying stand.

The Griffin cookhouse ceased business in the 70's as fishermen had more mobility. With the onslaught of the charters for tuna fishing (30+ boats) Buddy Hubert MacDonald constructed a restaurant called the Rod & Reel on the west side of the harbour. John Winsloe, an American, built the Bluefin Motel. They were both very busy and successful in the 70's. The restaurant had many owners and is not in operation. The motel at this date is under renovations and has new owners. In the 60's there was a lot of moss and seaweed coming ashore. There was a great demand for this product. Bill Stewart bought dry moss at the lake and then a Danish company built a major drying plant. It was successful until the mid-80's. It ceased operations due to market conditions. The families up and down the shoreline would sell their moss to this plant. The building has just recently been demolished. A North Lake tourist booth was built by North Lake Tuna Charters Inc. It is still in operation today and run by the C.I.C. with local people operating it.

A monument was erected by the Cheverie families commemorating the place where they first came ashore on P.E.I. It is on the east side of the harbour. There is also an old pioneer cemetery situated on the Red Bank at the west end of North Lake bridge.

Women also joined the fishing fleet as paid workers or corks in the early 80s. Some of these first fisherwomen were Ann McPhee, Loma MacPhee, Mary MacDonald, Fern Keus and Irene MacDonald.

Today lobster, cod, mackerel, tuna, scallop, herring, and snow, spider and rock crabs are fished out of North Lake as seasons permit. There are approximately 100 licensed fishermen fishing out of North Lake as their home port.

Without prejudice,
Capt. Walter Bruce