Grand Manan’s Dark Harbour Hermits
An Illustrated Article by Brandon Hicks
Grand Manan, marketed as the “Queen of the Fundy Isles,” is the largest of the three islands that lie at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy, N.B. Accessible from the mainland via a 90-minute ferry ride, those travelling by car can drive the length of the island in under half an hour. It’s small, isolated and — when visible through an almost-omnipresent fog — extraordinarily beautiful.
According to oral tradition, the island was mostly used as a safe harbour and burial spot for Wolastoqiyik, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot peoples before French explorer Samuel de Champlain landed in 1606. After nearly two centuries of contentious land disputes between French, English and American interests, ownership was ultimately ceded to the British in 1794. The area attracted a number of wayward travellers; pirates came and went, and shipwrecks were remarkably frequent.
By the turn of the 20th century, the island had established itself as a major Canadian tourist destination, with its unique escarpments and aquaculture attracting explorers around the world. A carousel of wealthy visitors, travel writers and scientists helped bolster the island’s reputation, and as Grand Manan’s travel industry continued to grow, two enterprising brothers were there to take advantage of it.
This photo essay is an excerpt, available in full in the Fall/Winter 2024-2025 issue of Studio Magazine.
