Film documents tiny coastal N.S. village’s relentless battle with Ottawa
HALIFAX — They feared being swallowed by ocean, but the 78 residents of Gabarus, N.S., never waved a white flag before the federal government.
For decades, a seawall made of timber and rock protected the tiny 300-year-old fishing village in Cape Breton from the punishing waves of the Atlantic.
But as the 70-year-old structure started to crumble, the very existence of Gabarus was under threat — and governments were not helping, each level claiming the wall was not its problem.
The plight of Gabarus sparked a years-long battle with Ottawa and kindled a community spirit that has banded together life-long residents with newcomers who settled in the scenic town for its beauty and simplistic way of life.