exposed, to dig an inlet farther west at or near a place called Gull Island which would connect the waters of the Gulf with a deep portion of the bay, thus forming an excellent harbour.” In 1906, the situation was, none- theless, no better, and it was reported that people living on either side of the harbour could cross dry shod, during low tide, “somewhat after the fashion of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea.”

In 1922, government help still not forthcoming, a group of fisher- men literally took matters into their own hands and dug a channel near the west coast of the harbour. Two days later, due to the action of a heavy wind, they were able to walk where their channel had been. In 1925, long—delayed action on the part of the Department of Public Works resulted in a 9,200 foot channel being dredged near the eastern side of the harbour. This outlet, completed in August of 1927, fared no better, as, by October of the same year, a storm had partially filled it in, and a new one had broken out farther west. In 1946 the Department made an attempt to build up the eastern beach of the harbour with brush fences, hoping that this method of adding to the shoreline would help make the passage more permanent. The improvement was minimal, however, as in 1952, fishermen were complaining that they were unable to get in or out of the harbour at low tide. The drama of the Red Sea was being repeated.

Finally, in April of 1952 a contract for the construction of a re— taining wall was awarded to the firm of Morrison & MacRae Ltd. of Sum- merside and, by October of the following year, bulldozers were moving sand away from this, so-called, “black wall” prior to making the cut- through for the new harbour. In the spring of 1954, towed by five motor- boats, Dredge No. 235 of the Department of Public Works arrived to open a channel to and through the newly constructed waterway. The regular tug that attended the dredge had fallen victim to Hurricane “Edna”, as had part of the Savage Harbour wharf. The dredge slowly but surely dug her way out to sea, and, by September 1955, the long-dreamed of day had arrived when the Savage Harbour residents had a harbour with a suf- ficiency of water at all tides which led directly to the fishing grounds. The long, meandering passage that had hitherto offered exit and entrance was no more and, for some, travelling time to the grounds had been cut by as much as 15 minutes. The honour of being first to navigate the new route went to Oliver Smith of Mount Stewart. In that memorable year of 1955, the following were fishing out of Savage Harbour:

(1) Temple Murphy, aided by Charles Murphy & Lorne MacMillan ; (2) John D. MacInnis, aided by J. D. MacInnis and Ollie Jarvis; (3) Joseph MacKay, aided by Charles MacLellan;

(4) James MacKay, aided by E. MacQuillan;

(5) Richard Doyle, aided by James Campbell;

(6) Robert Pigot, aided by Robert Johnson;

(7) Sterling Pigot, aided by Allen Doyle;

(8) Ralph Pigot, aided by Peter Doyle;

(9) Desmond Doyle, aided by Leonard Doyle and George Feehan; (10) Luther Coffin and Frank Kelly, aided by Layton Trainer; (11) Thomas Smith, aided by M. MacKenna and L. Laybolt;

(12) Oliver Smith, aided by Ruell MacCormack;

(13) Hugh John MacPhee, aided by Angus MacPhee;

(14) Alex MacEachern, aided by Emmett Smith and Jack Laybolt, Jr. (15) Dee MacDonald, aided by A. MacIntyre;

(16) Frank Jay, aided by Miles Cheverie;

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