Ainslie Mount Uniacke, Nova Scotia
Fair address: Annapolis Valley Regional School Board
Project: The Wreck of the Melmerby
The wreck of the Melmerby was a disastrous shipwreck that happened in 1890. 15 people lost their lives.
What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?
That this wreck brought a bit of fame to Melmerby Beach, and now it is a provincial park with cottages lining the beach. The cottages began to appear in the years immediately after the people gathered on the beach to participate in the rescue. Without the Melmerby, the beach might not have gained as much popularity as it did.
What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?
Seafaring can be a very dangerous pastime, even for the people who make a living of it, and yet it still remains a very important piece of our history, culture and economy.
How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?
My life is very much different to the people in this tale, it was 1890, so publicity was not as immediate as it would have been today. As well, most of their working life was probably out at sea, and now I only spend time out on the ocean for pleasure.