Flint Island Cape Breton

In the mid-19th century, Flint Island was home to several homes.

October 02, 2017 at 11:03 AM Flint Island, the small country six leagues from Port Morien, still fascinates me.

Mrs. Dennis came to Flint Island in 1937 when my father Johnny Martell and his big wife and daughter were there. A further image is a remote image of the island. First and foremost, what strikes me is the land mass of 1937, which today is greatly diminished by soil degradation. Nowadays, the sandstones surrounding the solitary lookout are more striking, making the island even more insidious.

My grandson Willie and his former bride Edna (Blakeney) Martell, former friends and just got remarried, also keep their little one. Born in Jeddore Island, N.S. Today, Flint Island is about as long as a large oiltank. My missus and I went by the Donkin Mine one sommer to see the seabirds, the seal and the island.

What about Flint Island in the 1930' s? Under Clara Dennis' paper was a note from Edna Martell of August 24, 1942.

There we get an insight into island living. She thanks Clara for three mags, although she doesn't say what they were. By 1942, Willie and Adna had two kids, Wilma and William Jr. She says, "My two little ones had pertussis last winters, but now they're really fine.

" A disease like that would have been frightening on an island. We' re also learning about the ingenuity of those on an island. "and asked for a copy of Clara's Cape Breton Over traveller's work."

There is only the light house and the sea birds and seal have the place for themselves.