being a Justice of the Peace at Christoper Cross , Prince Edward Island . Genealogy being a branch of learning in most educational institutions and my grandchildren seeking information, it was important that the facts are correctly given to them. Grandmother Dawson's interesting life on the farm, and the many stories passed down, helped make the book easier to write. It was impossible to include all of the stories and deciding what to leave out was not an easy task. Attempting to write the book in earlier years, as planned, was impossible to carry out. Reg and I had a home to build, following the war years, and a family to raise. Then came many years of volunteer community work, with a First Aid Post set up in our home. This kept our home a busy and active place for the next 43 years. With the opening of Fisheries Co-operative, "Royal Star Foods Plant" at Jude's Point, on April 22, 1996, the need to write the book increased. Invited to tell something of the early days of the Fishermen Union, I knew by the response of the fishermen that they wanted to hear more. Being approached by my brother Roy, requesting print outs, I knew it was time to "launch out into the deeps," as my father would often say, and start writing. With my trusting pen and God as my guide, I opened my hidden treasures of stories and began my book. It is my hope that the long journey back in "Pioneer Days & Shanty Ways" will be enjoyable reading. Hopefully, through some of the stories, there will be reminders of family relatives and friends who helped in some way to make the road easier for us to travel. Their footprints have left a lasting imprint on many of us. The determination and courage of the early pioneers to "stand fast" and work together, has left behind a great legacy for us to follow.