Hello, I'm Trixie Boutilliers. I grew up on Sable. My father was superintendent of the lifesaving station from 1885 to 1912. I was only 5 years old when we came. I'd like to tell you what it was like to live there.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
People thought it was terrible to live on Sable, that we were savages But Sable was special to all of us. Once you left the island, your greatest desire was to go back again.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
My family - I 'm holding my brother Jim's hand.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
Our home at the main lifesaving station.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
The rescued sailors stayed next door in the Sailor's Home until the steamer came and took them to Halifax.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
The crew salvaged as much of the cargo and wrecked ships as they could. The Government sold the salvage in Halifax to help pay for the lifesaving station.
The crew salvaged as much of the cargo and wrecked ships as they could. The Government sold the salvage in Halifax to help pay for the lifesaving station.
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
William Henry Horne was the lighthouse keeper on Sable Island.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
Sometimes we made things out of wood from the wrecks. William Henry Horne, the lighthouse keeper, made this doll's cradle.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
Wind and sand were hard on everything, especially the buildings. The men spent a lot of time replacing shingles and whitewashing.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
We were pretty healthy, until the steamer came. If someone on the ship had a cold or flu, we’d all get It. "Steamer cold", we called it. Father kept some opium pills and other medicines for emergencies.
We were pretty healthy, until the steamer came. If someone on the ship had a cold or flu, we’d all get It. "Steamer cold", we called it. Father kept some opium pills and other medicines for emergencies.
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
All the staff would ride up and get their provisions. They'd travel when the tide was falling, on a nice hard beach. If they missed the tide they'd have to wait for the next.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
We made wild hay and we put 5 acres of Timothy beside the house for the cattle. Everybody pitched in.
The men hunted ducks in autumn for fresh meat, and seals in winter for oil. We would raise a litter of pigs so everyone had a pig to put down for winter meat.
We made wild hay and we put 5 acres of Timothy beside the house for the cattle. Everybody pitched in.
The men hunted ducks in autumn for fresh meat, and seals in winter for oil. We would raise a litter of pigs so everyone had a pig to put down for winter meat.
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
Vegetables grew very well with horse manure in the sand.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
We made wild hay.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
The men hunted ducks.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
Scoops were faster than hand-picking, but it was still hard work.
The Government sold them for $5 a barrel. The money helped pay to run the lifesaving station.
Scoops were faster than hand-picking, but it was still hard work.
The Government sold them for $5 a barrel. The money helped pay to run the lifesaving station.
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
Scoops were faster than hand-picking, but it was still hard work.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
A musical evening in the Blue Room. I played piano and we'd all sing. Getting that piano out of the surfboat and up the beach was hard, but it was worth it.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved. d.
We sailed the dinghy on Lake Wallace. The men salvaged it from a wreck and named it "Trixie''.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
In very cold winters we could skate.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
We all had our own horses and we rode a lot.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
We had school sometimes, with Miss Ancient.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
Sable Island Preservation Trust, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic,
© Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History 2001 All Rights Reserved.
Learning Objectives
The learner will:- Describe what life was like on Sable Island for Trixie Boutillier
- Describe the activities Trixie Boutillier took part in while she lived on Sable Island
- Describe the job of a lifesaver on Sable Island
