Big Tancook Island
2017 - Present
Big Tancook Island is an ongoing collection of photographs that explore both the natural environment and unique lifestyle on Big Tancook, an island six miles off the coast of Chester in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. These photographs were made over several years during various trips to the island.
"Tancook" is an anglicized Mi'kmaq term that means "facing the open sea." The island was regularly used by the Mi’Kmaq for fishing until it was taken over by German and French settlers in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Many of the current residents can trace their ancestry back to German and French settlers. The community survived off fishing, whaling, boat building and cabbage farming and was once a leading producer of sauerkraut.
Now, the community of Big Tancook is made up of approximately 150 permanent residents, but the population doubles in the summer months.
Current residents make their living from lobster fishing, the cottage industry, and producing and selling arts and crafts. A daily ferry service operates year-round from Chester to Big Tancook and Little Tancook Islands and provides employment for some residents. The passenger-only ferry also carries cargo from the mainland to the island in small shipping containers and residents pick up supplies in their vehicles.
Although there is no real infrastructure for tourism on the island, residents have managed to keep a small tourism industry going. A modest information booth operates out of a recreation centre to service tourists that come during the summer months to experience the island’s charm.
