The print version of this article incorrectly names the artist as Laurie Swim. The artist is Laurie Fisher.
Founder of Lunenburg Walking Tours Hoping to Restore Iconic Fish Public Art
After a conversation with local artist Laurie Fisher about her metal fish art that hangs from utility poles around downtown Lunenburg, Eric Croft found out they’ve been hanging for 20 years. Swim shared that the protective coating on the metal is supposed to last around the same amount of time.
Croft made a passionate presentation to Lunenburg Town Council on April 22, asking for permission to continue determining the process for restoring the public art installation. Croft spends nearly everyday with tourists in the summer, as he takes them on walking tours through town. The fish are always a big hit.
After 20 years, however, the brackets are rusted, the fish are losing their shine, and the labels are broken or missing. Croft wants to take down the brackets and sandblast them, touch up the fish, reapply a protective coating, update the signage and even paint parts of the poles a dory buff yellow.
All of this will need to happen with the permission and cooperation of the original artist and town council. Council passed a motion for staff to report on how the town can work with and support Croft’s work.
Croft holds a strong dedication to preserving and sharing Lunenburg’s past. Should his efforts pay off, tourists will get to admire the fish for decades to come.
Council Discusses Lunenburg Academy Washrooms Ahead of Budget Talks
At the April 15 Town Council Meeting, town staff presented three options for additional washrooms at the Lunenburg Academy. This report was requested following comments presented by the Lunenburg Library and Lunenburg Academy Foundation at the March 4 Committee of the Whole Meeting about the significant increase of visitors, including tour groups, using the bathrooms inside the library.
The three options include portable toilets, vault washrooms and a new washroom facility. Staff used options from Grand-Pré National Historic Site and the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg to consider feasibility and cost.
Deputy Mayor Rachel Bailey put forward a motion for staff to investigate the use of the washrooms in the basement of the Academy. The two current single unit washrooms are on the main floor of the building and are only available during library hours.
With the town budget likely to be approved by the end of May, it is unlikely any solution will be in place ahead of this tourism season.
Anonymous Lunenburg County Residents Erects Signs Supporting Newcomers, Sparks Community Movement
A series of hand drawn signs popped up around Lunenburg County in April next to federal election signage. These signs aren’t encouraging you to vote for a certain party or candidate but rather are displaying slogans such as “NEWCOMERS WELCOME” and “WELCOME IMMIGRANTS”.
An anonymous local resident shared that they made these signs as a direct response to the People’s Party of Canada’s candidates remarks during the candidates debate at the Bridgewater Best Western and the party’s election signage that contains the slogan “End mass immigration”.
In a statement shared with the Barnacle, the signer maker wrote, “This angered me, that someone would use their political platform to legally put up slogans with undertones of hatred to make people in my neighborhood feel un-welcomed and othered. I felt like I had to do something, so I made some signs from materials I had at home to let newcomers know that they were indeed welcomed!”
Naturally, over the coming days, other signs began popping up, made by other local residents.
“The community was responding, there was something empowering about how individuals can make that difference, we are not alone.”
New Parking Limits Coming to Mahone Bay This June
Beginning June 1, new time-limited parking rules will take effect in Mahone Bay’s commercial core. Parking on Main Street will be limited to two hours during peak season, while parking along Clearway Street’s sidewalk will be capped at 15 minutes to accommodate school drop-offs. The changes aim to improve traffic flow and accessibility downtown.
Edgewater Street Upgrades Starting in Mahone Bay
Edgewater Street is getting a major glow-up — with a new multi-use coastal trail connecting the iconic Three Churches to Kedy’s Landing, upgrades to the power grid, and removal of the last straight pipes to the harbour. This revitalization will also serve as a measure of protection against storm surge and coastal flooding.
Thank you for making a note about the print issue that incorrectly identified the artist of the metal fish hanging from Lunenburg power poles as Laurie Swim when the artist is correctly Laurie Fisher. Is it difficult to make that connection to the names within the web-version of article?
Laurie Fisher is a metalsmith who now lives in the southern United States. Laurie Swim is a textile artist who lives, works, and creates in the Town of Lunenburg. Both have names that are easily identified with the sea!
Incidentally, international artists Laurie Swim, Ingrid Larssen, and Jane Whitten’s exhibition, “Blue Ribbon” opens at the Fisheries Museum in June. Their work “expose[s] the beauty and vulnerability of the Gulf Stream [Blue Ribbon] and what each of us can do to make a positive difference. Something more to look forward to!
– Alison Strachan