Transhumance in Bradore - Seasonal Human Migration
By Jake Letto
What is Transhumance?
Transhumance on the coast is the seasonal migration of the people. They often had two homes, one for the summer and the other for the winter. It is an old way of life that is no longer practiced by the current generation.
Let's take a look at what it was like back in the day. I have interviewed my grandfather Chesley Etheridge, a fisherman from Bradore Bay.
An image of my grandfather looking out to the water with Bassin Island in the background.
Why did they move seasonally?
There is a reason for almost everything. So why did they move twice a year? Why couldn't they just stay on the island all of the time?
Why did you move with the seasons?
Why didn't you just stay on the island?
Did you prefer your summer or winter home?
So where are these places?
The map below should help you understand where these areas are geographically.
Here is a map of Bradore and its surroundings.
The green marker is Bassin Island, the island of their summer home.
The red marker is the old location of Bradore where the winter homes used to be.
The blue marker is the current location of the village of Bradore which now only has a population of roughly 60 people.
Views of Bassin Island
How did they move?
An image of a house being towed by a boat
Now that we have discovered where they go, we need to figure out how they got there. So how could they get there and back? They couldn't go both ways by boat because there was ice in the spring. They couldn't go both ways with dog teams because there was no ice in the fall!
How did you get to and from the island?
Speaking of dog teams, who had the fastest one?
Who had the best dog team?
No proof huh? That is kind of sketchy... Oh wait! He has remembered a story to prove it!
His proof
An image of the lead dog of my grandfather's dog team: Spark.
How would you prepare for a move?
Ouch! What if someone gets injured or sick and needs a doctor or a nurse?
How did the doctor's and nurses travel?
If someone gave birth on the island?
What about the minister or the priest?
(Fun Fact: the church in Bradore wasn't built until 1969!)
How the minister or priest gave their services
When did you practice transhumance?
We know that this is an old tradition from our ancestors on the coast but where are its beginnings and when did it end. Well my grandfather Chesley said that it started long before him. So when did it end?
When did you stop moving?
Life today and reflections on the "good days"
In this day and age, life is very different, not just for the youth but especially for the older generation on the coast who have seen many changes in their lifetime, from living without electricity to communication on the internet. But some things stay the same such as...
What of this lifestyle has continued for you?
Here is a map that shows the location of Cormack and Bradore
