Craftsmanship of Canal stone masons can still be seen today.
It is important to be aware that the people we are identifying in these brief articles were involved in the first version of the Canal (1826-1831) and while much of their work was made use of in the second and successful construction period (1856-1861) it is not likely many, if any, of these craftsmen took part. However, features of their work were included in the second version and thus their craftsmanship can still be seen. For example Lock 1 (as seen in the photo above) at the South end of Lake Banook made use of the granite stones which, we believe, were used in the first lock and the same is true of the east wall of Lock 2 in the Cut just beyond Lake Micmac.
When Canal construction ceased in 1831 some of the workers then got involved in other projects in the area. For example a few were hired to build what is now known as Henry House on Barrington St. in Halifax as well as a number of other stone buildings of the time. We don’t know if these specific people were among them but you may recognize the names of one of the stone masons: Timothy Common, James Conly, John Flavy and Phil Martin. If these do ring a bell, please contact us as we would very much like to find out more about them.
-Bernie Hart
Do you recognize these Canal worker names?
While it is obvious why the Canal would require Stone Masons, Blacksmiths and Laborers, it is not so clear why there would be a need for carpenters. However, in Daniel Hoard’s work crew assigned to the Deep Cut area between Lakes Micmac and Charles in the community we now know as Port Wallace, there were no fewer than ten carpenters. Three of whom were named John – John Beggs, John Whelan and John Wolfe. Might one of these be a relative of yours? When the first canal attempt failed in 1831 it is very likely these folks found work in the community and may have had a hand in the construction of some of the houses we still see standing on both sides of our harbour.
-Bernie Hart
canal worker_kennedy Is your last name Kennedy? If so, you may have been related to one of the Canal workers.
One of the tragedies we read about in the Canal village at Port Wallace had to do with a lightning strike on one of the cottages. In this case the victim was Mr. Kennedy, a carpenter. It was late at night when the lightning occurred, apparently striking Kennedy and throwing him from his bunk. The others in the home were unable to revive him. When you next visit the park you can see the stone walls on the site where we believe this occurred. There is a sign marking the location on the west side of the Canal between Locks 2 and 3. Once again we are hoping someone will be able to identify this man as a relative. If you do, please let us know.
-Bernie Hart