A Period of Transition 149 
     
    
   
   
    
     Many of these packing plants were built in the Acadian parishes, 
     
     in particular along the coast between Mont Carmel and Egmont Bay 
     
     where previously fishing had not constituted an important part of 
     
     the economy. In 1884 there were ten factories in operation'*®. As the 
     
     fisheries inspector, J. Hunter Duvar, noted, this proliferation gave rise 
     
     to disputes between the factory owners: 
     
    
   
   
    
     Factories, especially along Egmont Bay have been erected in clusters at intervals 
     
     of a mile, or even much less, so that it would be impossible now to lease 
     
     effective areas, seeing that it takes a shore frontage of about three miles to 
     
     work a lobster factory satisfactorily. From this cause continual disputes arise 
     
     among the factories as to the overlooking of traps.'*° 
     
    
   
   
    
     Given these circumstances, some of the lobster canneries did not 
     
     survive for long. 
     
    

    
     There were several Acadians who were owners or joint owners 
     
     of canneries, including Captain Francis Gallant in Nail Pond, Moise 
     
     Chiasson in Tignish, the Honourable Joseph-Octave Arsenault in Eg- 
     
     mont Bay'*’, and Jean-J. Gallant in Mont Carmel'>®. Several Acadian 
     
     businessmen from south-eastern New Brunswick were among the first 
     
     to build factories in Mont Carmel and Egmont Bay'*? since they already 
     
     had a certain amount of experience in this industry which had started 
     
     up earlier in their province than on the Island. 
     
    

    
     The increase in the number of lobster canneries inevitably re- 
     
     sulted in over-fishing. After a few years of intensive fishing, the quantity 
     
     and the size of lobsters decreased to such an extent that it was even 
     
     thought that the lobster season would have to remain closed for 
     
     several years in order to allow the stocks to replenish'®. 
     
    

    
     During this period, each lobster cannery would hire about twenty 
     
     men and ten women for two or three months. Most of the men 
     
     worked as fishermen on the company boats while the remainder, 
     
     along with all the women, worked in the factory. The employees would 
     
     usually be housed on the premises in quarters provided by the factory 
     
     owner. 
     
    

    
     The impact of these numerous canneries on the economy of the 
     
     region was considerable; with the creation of seasonal jobs young 
     
     people were able to stay on the Island rather than having to look for 
     
     work in the United States'*'. These jobs also gave women the rare 
     
     opportunity of working for a salary close to home. They were mainly