Nova ScotiaAround 200 Nova Scotians gathered on Sunday in Lunenburg to mark the 100th year of the Fishers’ Memorial Service, an annual tribute to the men and women in the province who lost their lives at sea. Annual Lunenburg ceremony held for the first time in 1925CBC News · Posted: Sep 08, 2025 11:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours agoPeople gathered on Sunday in Lunenburg to mark the 100th year of the Fishers’ Memorial Service. (Josh Hoffman/CBC)Around 200 people gathered on Sunday in Lunenburg to mark the 100th year of the Fishers’ Memorial Service, an annual tribute to those who have lost their lives at sea in Nova Scotia. Many in attendance Sunday had a connection to someone who died on the water, from relatives who were lost decades ago, to loved ones who died at sea more recently. Those include the two crew members of the Fortune Pride who died in February after the boat capsized near Sambro, N.S. “I think for this community, the hardships of the sea are really … part of our coastal cultural fabric,” said Hilda Russell, curator of interpretation for the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic in Lunenburg. “It’s entwined in who we are … we have to always remember where we came from and the struggles and hardships that were involved for us to get to where we are today.”Lunenburg Mayor Jamie Myra says the fishery has played a huge role in the town’s history. (Josh Hoffman/CBC) Lunenburg Mayor Jamie Myra says the fact that the first official ceremony was held 100 years ago is a testament to the role of the fishery in the town’s history. “We were at one time in the early 1990s one of the richest communities in Eastern Canada and it was mainly on the backs of fishermen,” he said. “It was hard, hard, work. It was dangerous work, but they made the community we have today.” Fewer people may be lost at sea these days, Myra said, but the sea can still be a dangerous place to make a living. A shirt commemorating the 100th year of the Fishers’ Memorial Service. (Josh Hoffman/CBC) He hopes the annual service can inspire people to learn about the history of the industry and appreciate the sacrifices of those who came before them. “I don’t know if today’s generation, even my generation to be honest, understand what generations before us have gone through to give us the life we have to live, especially in this lovely town,” said Myra “People were lost at sea annually years ago, and fortunately with technology and lifesaving measures now it doesn’t happen as often, but as we saw this year … it’s still a possibility.”With files from Josh Hoffman
Fishers’ memorial service marks 100 years of honouring those lost at sea
