16 million dollars.  That is what the provincial government will have spent to rebuild the Bluenose II.  It is a schooner which it seems started out as an advertising gimmick for some brewery but has somehow through history has been elevated to the symbol of the fishing trades of Nova Scotia.  A pretty marvelous story for what is now a beloved icon.  She will re-launch later this summer.  It’s just a ship, right!?  Oh, the power of symbols.

Lunenburg is home of the shipyard completing the Bluenose reconstruction.  The town lies along a great drive that traces this rugged coast with it’s New Englandish churches and countless shops filled with local crafts and art.  Every cove floats sailboats large and small with working fishing and lobster boats mixed among them.  A picture perfect view appears around every corner with glimpses into the lives of those who still make their living from the sea.  A cluster of men repairing nets.  Piles of traps and nets lining the docks.  Trails of ice along the wharf where they had moved this morning’s catch.