A memorial service to remember fallen fishermen will be held in Lunenburg next Sunday.
The town will be holding its annual Fishermen’s Memorial Service to pay respect to those lost in fishing incidents dating back to the 1920’s.
Town mayor Rachel Bailey will be reading Roll of Honour, and will list off the names of fishermen lost over the last century in the years ending in nine.
Bailey says this year’s service will be a thanksgiving service, celebrating a year without a known loss of life to any Lunenburg fishermen while out to sea.
“Fishing continues to be a very dangerous profession despite all the changes being made to ensuring the safety of those people who continue to make their living from the sea,” she said, “So it’s very significant that its a thanksgiving service.”
The service will see friends, family members and the general public pay their respects to the communities fallen fishermen through wreath hanging and music at the Fishermen’s Memorial by the Fisheries Museum.
Following the service, wreaths will be hung at the Fishermen’s Memorial, or aboard a working fishing boat to be taken out to sea.
Bailey says the service remains a huge part of Lunenburg’s heritage and has been gone on each year since the 1920’s,
“It started during a time known as the August Gales locally, when there was significant loss of life and multiple ships lost during the fishing seasons of 1926 and 1927,” she said.
“It’s basically gone on ever since then.”
Originally, the service was to be held Sunday, Sept. 8, but due to Hurricane Dorian, it was pushed to Sept. 15. The service will start that Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Fishermen’s Memorial in Lunenburg.
