He stands in the harbour at North Rustico, Prince Edward Island. The fisherman statue represents the Acadian fishers of the 1920s who used handlines to catch fish, an environmentally friendly method which was labour intensive. His right hand holds the handline and in his left, a fish.
The Indigenous people, the Mi’kmaq, had camps in this area 6000 years ago. White men sailed along this shore in the 1500s. In the 1700s they began fishing this area and by 1800, Acadians had settled here. Their descendants still live here today.
The statue illustrates the importance of the fishing industry to the area. Fishers can trace their ancestry back through many generations. The sea and their quest to feed their families and make a living have shaped who they are.
As the sun goes down, the bronze fisherman stands in the dimming light, the water lapping at the base which supports him.
He becomes a shadow now, but is as real to his progeny as he ever was. He is part of them, a gene in their make-up, a link in the family chain. Day or night, wind or rain, water or ice cannot affect him any more. He lives in their hearts.