The Hantsport & Area Historical Society has, over the years, produced or acquired a large number of audio and video recordings, mostly of Hantsport residents.
An inventory created in 2015 is listed below with a few notable additions.
A complete set of audio cassette tapes, together with transcripts and log books from a 1975 Federal Opportunities for Youth Summer Grant program sponsored by the town was recently donated by the family of Joseph McGinn, former Hantsport town clerk. Copies of some of the tapes and transcripts were already in the Historical Society collection but many were new or in better condition.
The audio tapes have now been digitized as MP3 files and the typewritten transcripts are in the process of being converted to electronic format.
The Project title was “Audio Visual Historical Insight” (AVHI). It ran from May to August 1975 and was led by Leah Clark, Julie Comstock, and Patty Fraser. The scope of the project included a portable display and plans for an exhibition of historical artifacts.
16 May interviewed Miss Jessie Borden
20 May interviews with Miss Margarette Lawrence and Eric Smith
22 May interviewed Mrs. Zella Harvie
23 May interview with the Greggs
26 May interview with Moss Smith
28 May interview with George Burns
29 May interview with Jim Sherwood
12 Jun interviewed Moss Smith at cemetery
18 Jun interviewed George Burns, Gladys Marsters and Bicco Davison
19 Jun interviewed Raymond Morris
Dates not given or unclear; interviews with Margaret Hazelton, St. Clair Patterson, John Davison, Paul Graham, Bill Tracey, Wilfred Terfry, Nellie Fox, Charlie Trefry, Walter Comstock and Dr. G. K. Smith.
Bicco Jessie Davison was born on 25 February, 1892 and died 25 August, 1981 the daughter of Charles Davison (Master Mariner) of Hantsport and Sarah Auld of Piedmont Valley, Pictou Co., Nova Scotia. They were married in the Hantsport Baptist Church on 8 October, 1885.
Listen to a sample and follow along using a portion of the transcript from the 1975 interview with Miss Bicco Davison.
“We used to go down to a place called Happy Hunting Ground down there. You walked along the railway tracks tracks and on the left hand side there was a beautiful little place with a brook running through it and lots of trees.
We used to go down there and awful lot and it was not spoiled at all. We used to walk back. Then we’d play tennis an awful lot, then we’d jump off the wharf and swim from the wharf right over to the next wharf and one time I remember Hugh rughrlgh-well his brother, Harry we’d decided to take a swim down the river quite a piece from the government wharf. We got right out in the middle and swam down just about to here or a little lower and it was a little hard to come in because there was a very strong current right out there. The last time we saw him, he was way in a distance but he got him ashore of it. We wondered if he ever would well I don’t think we were ever frightened. My father and the rowboat would just go all over the river. Perhaps this seems awfully dull to you but it was lovely to us. One night we went out in this boat and there were 3 or 4 girls there and there came up a big storm and we were late, late, late getting back because we had a hard time against the waves and the wind I didn’t get home until after 12:00, and you know that was terrible so my mother scolded me a little bit before I went to bed. In the morning my younger brother had told my mother a great story that he had made up that we had walked through miles in the mud and I did have some mud on my dress underline on the slip, you know. She believed it, and when I went down-stairs to get my breakfast, the story hit me there and she was waiting to see what happened to me. He was a great guy the telling stories you know to make then sound very plausible. Anyway, my mother heard the truth from me and forgave me for coming so late because we wouldn’t get in I wasn’t but I should have been very scared because my mother shipwrecked when she was a bride, you never heard of that. A long time ago it was about a man Mat went to sea with my father. My mother didn’t know anything about the sea, because she was brought up in pictou county on a farm. So they were going over to Europe on his vessel. It was called the glory and here came a terrible storm and it broke the mast off and they took my mother and tied her right to the mast. They didn’t know if she would ever get to shore because everything was gone, they had no sails so they couldn’t steer it Anyway there was a German steamer-steam, then was just a little thing. She got married she was twenty-one, anyway she lost everything she had and so my dad my father- ship was lost too. But they come along this German steamer, and they put a rowboat out and it came over to the ship. The waves were very high and lined up sailors along the edge there were certain names, I don’t know anyway, they lined them all up on the edge of the boat and when the rowboat came up to the crest of the of the wave they were supposed to each one jump in until they filled that boat and then they took them back came over A lot of the sailors then never learned to swim it’s funny isn’t it? But they didn’t, a lot of them never swam at all. And some them, they had to push them they were so freighted. But the man who wrote up the episode he was a young man in his teens about 18 and the remembrance it so he wrote this piece.
And he said my mother jumped just as if it was an everyday occasion she didn’t make a fuss about it at all. Anyway they were taken to a place called Brenmen Haven. It’s on the coast of Germany-isn’t it anyway they were landed there.”
Hantsport & Area Historical Society – Master Digital Audio Recordings
Taping Number Subject as of 8 Sept ’15
140806_0056 1959 Jamboree at the York Theatre in Hantsport – Side A – 45 mins.MP3
140806_0057 1959 Jamboree at the York Theatre in Hantsport – Side B – 45 mins.MP3
140807_0062 1964 Hants County Music Festival – Elementary & Junior Sections – Side A – 45 mins. (best sound).MP3
140807_0058 1964 Hants County Music Festival – Elementary & . Junior Sections – Side A – 45 mins.MP3
140807_0059 1964 Hants County Music Festival – Elementary & Junior Sections – Side B – 36+ mins. MP3
140806_0055 A Tour of the HMCC House read by Lois Burgess et al – circa 1984.MP3
140722_0038 Al Clark – Rum Running – 26 Nov ‘26 – Side 2.MP3
140722_0037 Al Clark – Rum Running -26 Nov ‘86-Side1.MP3
140809_0074 Alan Grant – Windsor – Solo – Grasshopper Green.MP3
140809_0080 Allen Robertson – Historical Society talk, Halfway – 23 Sept ‘87 -Side A (Side B blank).MP3
140809_0076 Andrea Porter – Solo – Come Let Us Sing Around De’lay. MP3
140721_0014 Ben Alexander interviewed by Lois Burgess & Joanne Smith in HMCC House 1984 – Side 1.MP3
140721_0015 Ben Alexander interviewed by Lois Burgess & Joanne Smith in HMCC House 1984 – Side 2.MP3
140805_0045 Ben Alexander interviewed by Lois Burgess & Joanne Smith in HMCC House 1984 cont’d – Side 1 (Side 2 blank).MP3
150103_0140 Bishop Arnold – 1066 & All That – 27 Mar ’91
140809_0069 Blair Pearson – Solo – Night Balloon.MP3
141126_0119 Carl Salter- Churchill Cottages – 26 Nov ’14
141126_0117 Carl Salter – Outdoor Rinks – 26 Nov ’14
141126_0118 Carl Salter – Outdoor Rinks cont’d – 26 Nov ’14
140809_0077 Don Porter – Solo – The Hunt is Up.MP3
150103_0139 Dr. Garth Vaughan – Windsor – Birthplace of Hockey
140805_0049 Earl Blackburn Remembers Hantsport – Historical Society Meeting 27 May ‘87 – Cont’d.MP3
140806_0054 Earl Blackburn Remembers Hantsport – Historical Society Meeting 27 May ‘87.MP3
150102_0137 Elizabeth Snell – Research on Churchill Family – 25 Nov ’92
140809_0075 Frank VanBlarcome – Windsor – The Three Hunters.MP3
141126_0120 Garth Scott – HHS Speaker – 26 Nov ’14
140707_0005 George Burns -cip MP3
140812_0088 George Burns – Trip to CCS Acadia – 11 Oct 88 – Side B – 9 min.MP3
140812_0087 George Burns – Trip to HMCS Sackville – 11 Oct 88 – Side B – 11 min.MP3
140810_0085 George Burns – Trip to HMCS Sackville -11 Oct 88 – Side A- 45 min.MP3
140812_0091 George Burns – Trip to Parrsboro & KIPAWO – circa 87 – Side B – 41 min.MP3
140812_0090 George Burns – Trip to Parrsboro & KIPAWO – circa 87 – Side A – 46 min.MP3
141229_0133 George Burns interviewed by Lois Burgess – at home (Side 1)
141229_0134 George Burns interviewed by Lois Burgess – at home (Side2)
141229_0135 George Burns interviewed by Lois Burgess – at home (Side 3) tape twisted
Page 1
140805_0047 George Burns interviewed by Lois Burgess & Joanne Smith in HMCC Marine Room 1984 – Side 1.MP3
140805_0048 George Burns interviewed by Lois Burgess & Joanne Smith in HMCC Marine Room 1984 – Side 2.MP3
140809_0081 Gordon Haliburton – Historical Society talk, Acacia Villa School – circa 1987 – Side A – 45 min.MP3
140809_0082 Gordon Haliburton – Historical Society talk, Acacia Villa School – circa 1987 – Side B – 26 min.MP3
140809_0083 Harold Woodman – Historical Society talk DAR – 27 Apr “88 – Side A – 45 min.MP3
140809_0066 Jennifer & Jane Holmes – Piano Duet.MP3
140707_0008 Jessie Borden – clip.MP3
140804_0043 Jessie Borden interviewed by John Harvie – SideA.MP3
140804_0044 Jessie Borden interviewed by John Harvie – Side B.MP3
140722_0035 Jessie Borden interviewed by Lois Burgess – Churchill Photo Discussion – Side 1 (Side 2 blank).MP3
141223_0131 Jessie Borden interviewed Lois Burgess – at home
141222_0130 Jim – HHS Speaker – Pony Express
140809_0078 Joan Stevens – Solo – Good Morning Lords & Ladies. MP3
141027_0025 Joey Patterson – House in Hantsport – Blank
141027_0022 Joey Patterson – House in Hantsport – MainStreet
141027_0023 Joey Patterson – House in Hantsport – Prince Street
141027_0024 Joey Patterson – House in Hantsport – William Street
141027_0026 Joey Patterson – House in Hantspart – Willow Street
140724_0041 Joey Patterson – Wooden Ship & Iron Men talk at Tourist Bureau – 24 Jul ’14
140917_0113 John Harvie – AJAX Program – 17 Sept ’14
140917_0112 John Harvie – Hantsport Rink – 17 Sept ’14
140917_0114 John Harvie – Harvie Family Store – 17 Sept ’14
140809_0084 Kay Anslow – Historical Society talk Enjoy the Past – 23 Nov ‘88 – Side B – 45 min.MP3
140809_0070 Kevin Mack – Piano Solo – The Spooks.MP3
140809_0073 Kevin Mack – Solo – The Mechanic.MP3
140805_0050 Laurie (John) Davison interviewed by Joanne Smith 1984.MP3
140707_0007 Laurie Davison – clip.MP3
140806_0052 Laurie Davison interviewed by John Harvie – Side 1.MP3
140806_0053 Laurie Davison interviewed by John Harvie – Side 2,MP3
150102_0138 Leland Harvie – How To Do Your Family History – 24 Oct ’90
140809_0072 Linda Boume – Piano Solo – Come Along Sam.MP3
141022_0116 Marie Doucette – HHS Speaker – 22 Oct ’14
Page 2
140724_0042 Moss Smith interviewed by Don’t Know – Side 2 (Side 1 blank).MP3
141222_0128 Norm Creighton Night – 28 Feb “96 (Side 1)
141222_0129 Norm Creighton Night – 28 Feb ’96 (Side 2)
140723_0039 Panel – George Burns, Jessie Borden, Eleanor Oldershaw – 26 Feb ‘86 – Side A (Side B blank).MP3
140915_0111 Radio interview Jud – Winter Carnival
140703_0003 Ray Riley – 50 Years With Fundy Gypsum – 3 Jul 14.MP3
140707_0006 Rhoda Frizzle – clip.MP3
140805_0051 Rhoda Frizzle interviewed by Joanne Smith 1984.MP3
140722_0036 Rhoda Frizzle interviewed by John Harvie.MP3
140721_0016 Roy Starratt – full clip – taped direct – not good quality.MP3
140721_0010 Roy Starratt – Side 1 (Side 2 Rhoda F).MP3
140809_0079 Sharon Karis – Solo – The King of Song.MP3
140809_0068 Sharon Wellwood – Solo – Butterflies.MP3
140711_0034 The Saints – A Boy Without A Girl.MP3
140722_0033 The Saints – A Dream for Two.MP3
140722_0028 The Saints – In the Still of the Night.MP3
140711_0030 The Saints – Over and Over Again.MP3
140711_0031 The Saints – Please Love Me Forever.MP3
140722_0026 The Saints – The End.MP3
140711_0029 The Saints – The Wonder of You.MP3
140711_0032 The Saints – You Don’t Know Me.MP3
140722_0027 The Saints – You’re a Thousand Miles Away.MP3
140722_0019 The Saints – You’re an Angel.MP3
141223_0132 Thom Aylward interviewed by Karen Wilcox – The Great Windsor Fire
140809_0071 Trudy Cuvilier – Solo – A Song of June.MP3
141215_0121 Zella Harvie – AJAX Club, CBC Radio interview
141215_0122 Zella Harvie interviewed by John Harvie (Side1)
141216_0123 Zella Harvie interviewed by John Harvie (Side 2)
141216_0125 Zella Harvie interviewed by John Harvie (Side 3)
141221 0127 ‘Zella Harvie interviewed by John Harvie (Side 4)
Page 3
Video Additions:
CBC Land & Sea story on Hantsport featuring Jessie Borden and George Burns, October 1980
CBC Telescope production “The Most Unlikely Millionaire” featuring R. A. Jodrey, May 1971