Theatre of Life - Past, Present and Future…

Perhaps our future is in our past. From the late 1700’s onward, it was the vast forest and the dedicated industrious development from our to-be Bear River community that water and steam-power mills became common. Timber was sawed to supply the need of the thriving and growing ship-building industry, along with the construction of homes and community structures. 

The first vessel built was ‘The Hornet’ in 1832; the last was ‘The Castano’ in 1901.

In our Bear River valley we are so blessed with a great variety of trees. Of all the species of oak trees in Canada, only the red oak is native to Nova Scotia. We also have white oak here in Southwest Nova Scotia. 

In 1783, there was no mention of our oak, until a military surveyor reported finding “many groves of oak on the ground to the east of the river.”  He reported, “…ten fathoms long, and a girth of a fathom round and more, and equal in worth to any oak I have seen in Asham.”

(Asham is south of Sherwood Forest in England and quoted excerpt is from Heritage Remembered by Foster Hall).

Perhaps our beloved red oak of Oakdene School is one of that mentioned grove. It is documented as being 294 inches in circumference and approximately 60 feet tall, and being rated as one of the largest in Nova Scotia. In any case, our school oak memories could possibly be more lasting than our hours in the classroom.

Our oak logs, because of their strength were used in our shipbuilding industry up until the turn of the 20th century. Oak from Bear River was still being used during the Second World War in boat yards in nearby Clare.

Our other noted tree, never to be forgotten in Bear River, is the cherry tree that was brought here from England by William Sutherland in the 1780s. It was planted on the flat above Clarke Marsh.

Seventy-five years ago there was an abundance of cherry trees of several varieties. There were Whitehearts, Oxhearts and Black cherries, to name a few. 

Before 1900, our Cherry Carnival came in to being, and has been one of the longest time running festivals in Nova Scotia, with the exception of the interval during the Second World War.

In 1902, the first Provincial Department of Agriculture set up a model cherry orchard to encourage the interest and the fame of Bear River cherries.

Before discussing individual types of trees, it needs to be said that trees, along with industrious hardworking people, determined the establishment and growth of our community.

Another tree listed in history is the poplar tree, brought here by German Mercenary soldiers. Varying shades of yellow add to our fall foliage. Poplar is used in the manufacturing of furniture, wooden toys and plywood, and is considered the least expensive of hardwoods.

Tamarack-Hackmatack trees are native to our area as having a long life when used as poles, posts, and exterior deck material. The high density wood is rot-resistant and thrives in our climate.

In the shipbuilding age, the Hackmatack knees were in high demand- the root at right angle to the trunk.

Stepping to the past ten years ago, while on the deck of the Charles W. Morgan, a local guide asked where I was from. I told him I was from Nova Scotia. He told me that his family was from Yarmouth and continued visiting annually.

The Charles W. Morgan that was originally built in 1841, in Mystic, Connecticut was in the process of being refurbished. He indicated that they were unable to find large Tamarack knees required for completion. I told him to try looking in Nova Scotia.

Black Locust trees presently can be seen in downtown Bear River and are known for the density of the wood and the resistance to rot. The BTU rating is among the highest. In Hungary, Black locust is the basis of commercial honey production. It is currently being planted in Halifax as their street tree because of its durability.

Locust trees are common in the Caribbean where, in the past, we had trading partners, resulting in the most likely way they were established here.

We can also find Locust trees by our lighthouse at the mouth of the river.

White Ash is considered the prime species of North American Ash. It is prized for being hard, strong, high in shock-resistance with excellent bending qualities.

There are so many varieties of trees that grow readily in our community. To name a few, we should note first that the Red Spruce is the tree of Nova Scotia. There are Sugar Maple, Birch, Beech, Sumac, Pine, Chestnut, Hemlock.

There are many of those in our area that have had a lifetime experience in the harvesting of trees and the use of the wood. We must remember that the First Nation peoples certainly gained and utilized their knowledge of our forests long before our presence.

There are those that have a passion to work with wood in capacities of construction or crafts, thus gaining that satisfaction of completion.

Also to be considered is the extensive use of our trees in the lumber and pulpwood businesses

This tree article is just a highlight, and although we now have less forest to cut, there are still abundant opportunities. For example, in the Business section of the February 5 Edition of Nova Scotia’s The Chronicle Herald, Burning Desire of Niche Market, an entrepreneur is creating board games on wood with a special technique. This is just one of many possible initiatives.

This tree article suggests three possible action:

1. Call upon the Department of Agriculture to set up a model Cherry Tree Orchard as they did 120 years ago, to initiate cherry  tree planting in our back yards.

2. Investigate the opportunity in small communities to be part of Crown land development. They are now accepting requests for proposals.

3. Planting locust trees to utilize for specialty projects.