Description Pictou Parade 8-8-78

Roland Sherwood’s

Pictou Parade

P.A.- 8-8-78

Recreation

One year ago, in August 1977, Gerard MacIssac, a local boy was appointed the town’s recreation director. During his first year he has done a great deal to advance and co-ordinate the town’s recreation facilities.  While new to the job, he did have some training in previous years under a former, and the town’s first Recreational Director.

One of the features of Gerard’s first year was his eager desire to bring together all the various recreational activities possible under the jurisdiction of the Recreation Committee, with the consideration for those who were active in the various groups.  Another good trait, Gerard showed was, that while he was head of the recreation set- up, he wasn’t afraid to move from his desk and take an active and physical part in getting various jobs done. 

While all his decisions weren’t popular with some, as in any public office, on the whole, he had brought to the local recreation sense of co-operation which has established a good number of activities that heretofore were not available or were unable to get off the ground.  I found him an easy person to work with, and one open to suggestions.  This is one cause where, “Local boys makes good.”

 

Tobacco

                Only the older men of the town will remember, I feel sure, when a certain pipe-tobacco came in a colorful tin.  This was the famous, “Field and Stream” smoking tobacco. 

                In one of their ads the tobacco company broke tradition of being just “old staids” in their message to the public to buy Field and Stream tobacco.  They added a bit of humor such as this excerpt from an early advertisement; “If your wife says she doesn’t go for the great Autumn Day aroma of Field and Stream- send her home to mother.”

 

BANKS

                There was a time a few years ago when all position in banks were filled by men.  But not so today.  Look at the local Scotia Bank.  You can count at least 13 fems at work with only two or three men. 

                At the Royal, there are at very least ten girls, and only a couple of males… the few men few men at the two banks must feel like the Isle of Man completely surrounded by girls. 

                There has been quite a change in banking procedure in the past few years.  Electronics has taken over in processing much of the people work.  In days gone by, banks were places where one went fearfully to try and secure a loan.  And, it seemed that one had to have a personal letter from the People to get in to see the bank manager.  He sat in his office with the door to the public tightly closed.  Those who did manage to get in to his office, to timidly inquire about a loan, found that the only way the bank would sanction one was for the would-be borrower to prove that he didn’t need it. 

                Today, the bank manager’s door is always open, even to the great unwashed, and their posters say, “Don’t use your money.  Use ours.”

                In Pictou, in the earlier days, it was the late Leslie Cummings, then the manager of the Bank of Nova Scotia, who was the first to throw open the door of the manager’s office, allowing the public to become aware that it wasn’t a tin god who sat as manager but a real human being. 

 

Jobs

                With the women entering into just about every business, and doing jobs hat once were done by men, it seems that at long loast “Come out of the Kitchen, Mary Ann,” has come to pass.  Even the Armed Forces are taking in the girls. 

                As far as I can determine there is only one job left for the women, a job that has been done for logn years exclusively by men.  That is the exlted position of the county’s public executioner.

                Whiule certain persons are still retained under the title of “Hangman Ellis”, there hasn’t been uch work for him, and the future doesn’t look too promising.  So, with little work, and a retained fee, maybe the girls will get into that work too.

PARTING THOUGHT

                “And they’re Hangin’ Danny Deever in the morning….”

By Roland H. Sherwood, (D. Litt.)

Historical writer