Skating The Rivers As A Road

Back in the 1930’s and 40’s, a lot of island travel was done by train, especially in winter. Cars were not plentiful, the roads were poorly maintained, and a train station was always relatively close by. My uncle worked for CNR and married a Lavers gal from Georgetown. They settled into a house in her town but there was work to be done to it to bring it up to their standards, simple as that may have been in their day. My father was a handyman that could turn his talents to most things: he built his first home with a handsaw, hammer, ruler, etc – no power tools in those days! (This home is still standing down the Robertson Road.) Anyway, Uncle Abbie asked Dad for help with the plumbing.

It was wintertime. Dad probably travelled to Georgetown from Montague on the train though he did own a car of sorts. Plumbing work started but alas! a plumbing part was needed and the closest place to get the part was Montague. No trains were handy for a quick round trip back and forth between the two towns. Dad being an avid speed skater, donned his skates, skated the frozen Georgetown Harbour, up the Montague River, purchased the part, and skated back to Georgetown to complete the plumbing job.

Skating was a popular past time back then. Dad once travelled for an evening skate in Murray Harbour, missed his ride, and walked back to his home in Victoria Cross, just in time to get ready for his teaching job at the local one-room school.

~Submitted by Debra MacIntyre