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Ruth and Vivian Slaunwhite

To View Vivian's Family Tree CLICK HERE
To View Mary Ruth's Family Tree CLICK HERE
To View Charles Cecil Slaunwhite(Mary Ruth's husband) Family Tree CLICK HERE
To View Kenneth Aston Slaunwhite(Vivian's husband) Family Tree CLICK HERE

Vivian and Ruth Slaunwhite were both born in the big white house located just before St. Paul's church on the Sandy Cove Road in Terence Bay. Vivian was born in 1918. Ruth (Mary Ruth) in 1921 and their brother Kevin in 1937, to Hattie Elizabeth Drew & George Hilton Slaunwhite.

Both sisters remember the old house, which is now divided into two separate homes. When Viv, Ruth and Kevin grew up the house was all one dwelling, but they shared it with George Drew, his wife Laura and their many children.

Growing up Viv and Ruth remember that most of their neighbours were part of their extended family. People like Anne Slaunwhite, who knew everyone and kept meticulous records, would always remember birthdays and special occasions fostered a real sense of community. The close family bonds are still strong between the sisters and their offspring, all of who have remained in Terence Bay.

There were not as many houses in the village years ago and most families relied on Fishing to provide a living. At one time their Uncle Jim had a fish factory, the sisters remember the big bins of ice. There was a busy cannery that employed local people to boil lobster on the wharf for processing in the cannery.

As time passed several fish processing plants opened and closed providing employment to many in times of plenty and more recently standing empty and derelict with the decline in the fisheries.

The largest of the fishplants in Terence Bay is located along the river, or gut. This establishment became a major employee in its heyday and had fishermen coming from many neighbouring communities to have their catch processed.

Viv and Ruth both attended school at the crossroads in the village. Ruth was a sickly child and missed a lot of school due to illness.

In the winter the family often packed up and moved into town, where their father would work as a Stevedore on the waterfront until the spring when they would return to set the nets.

The sisters remember bad snowstorms when the roads were closed for up to 4 days. Local men would have to clear the roads with shovels. The village became totally isolated.

There were a variety of small stores around the village. Aunt Mary Little had a busy general store and Ruth worked there for a while.

Meg Umlahs store was always busy, the sisters remember her selling nails and bolts from barrels. Alice Brophey's store used to carry hardware, items like mops, brooms, stoves and cleaning supplies.

The post office has moved around the village over the years, at times it was hosted in different stores before finding it's present location on Sandy Cove Road.

Most shopping was done locally, but their Mother, Hattie used to go to town to buy clothing. Ruth's daughters, Faye Walker and Ada Power recall their mother sewing most of their clothing as they grew up.

Delivery men by the name of Daddy Wheels and Flash Crowe are remembered for providing essentials such as milk and mail.

Electricity first came to the village in 1937 or 38; the sisters remember one snowstorm soon after that when the Power workers had to come into Sandy Cove on snowshoes to restore service.

Viv married Kenneth Aston Slaunwhite from Terence Bay in 1947 and had a daughter, Joan. Kenneth was in the Air Force before turning to fishing for a living. Ruth married Cecil Slaunwhite from Terence Bay in 1946 and had two daughters Faye & Ada. Cecil was a Civil Servant for a few years; he later became a fisherman and eventually ended up working as a carpenter. Their younger brother Kevin, married Mary Mitchell from Newfoundland in 1959 , they had two children Kevin and Ruth. Kevin was a truck driver until the mid 80's when he too became a full-time fisherman his family's livelihood from fishing.

The Nuns, the Sisters of Charity were very active in the village. They taught girls nursing skills and how to weave and they taught the men woodworking.

Ruth and Viv's nephew Kevin clearly remembers looking through the windows of the building that housed the looms. He would watch in fascination as rows of women, including his Aunts, worked at the looms. Over time many of the women took the looms home to work. Ruth's daughters Faye and Ada both recall their Mom bringing her loom home when their father fell ill.

Although the women did not fish as a rule, Viv like many local fishingwives would help her husband by repairing the nets.

The sisters remember boating up the river to picnic on the river bridge in the summer or going berry picking on Strawberry Head and the islands. There were large community picnics hosted by the church.

The summers were happy times for their children, made more special by the annual arrival of visiting kids. Faye, Kevin and Ada all remember beachcombing along the shore, rowing across the harbour and swimming in the lakes with city kids, down for their holidays. As they got older the Terence Bay passion for baseball and hockey took many of the youngster to other communities to play or watch ball in the summer or skate on the lakes in winter.

Faye's husband Terry (Darrell) used to spend his summers in Terence Bay staying with his Grandparents in the village. He remembers well hanging out at Buddies Canteen, with a bottle of coke and an order of fries, for a dollar.

Dances were held regularly in Harold hall at the bottom of back hill and at the crossroads. Nephew Kevin jokes that the dances were commonly known as "Hug & Slugs" because of the ruckus caused by visiting boys coming to check out the Terence Bay girls.

Ruth and Viv have witnessed a number of fires in the village. In 1942 they watched as St. Paul's Church burned to the ground after being struck by lightening. In 1964 the government wharf burnt in a huge blaze, the heat from the fire could be felt in the big White family house across the cove.

Firefighters were local men, armed with few tools. They would use wet potato bags in an attempt to battle fires. In the 1950's a community garage, large enough to house one truck was the site of the first official Fire Department. The first truck was an old Dodge Fargo. Local men rallied to join the volunteer Fire Department. In the late 60's a new purpose built structure was erected to serve the area. The Fire Department in Terence Bay was the first and for a long-time the only one in the area. For many years the Terence Bay Fire Department had enormous volunteer support, both from Fire Fighters and from the Women's Auxiliary.

Over time Viv and Ruth have seen many changes in the village, some for the better, some for the worse. They would both like to see more stores in the village, but with today's lifestyles and everyone having a car you have to go to Halifax for most of your needs. Even though their nephew Kevin and his son still have an active fishing license the decline in the fish stocks has had the most dramatic effect on the village of Terence Bay. Life here has slowed down, people don't get together as a community as often, but with family all around them there is no place Viv or Ruth would rather be.

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