By Ryan Myson
A s the entire 2024 Pictou Lobster Carnival Leadership Team was busy planning and gearing up for the upcoming events and festivals, we were able to trap Carnival Chair, Glen Jackson, for a few moments to talk about this celebration that has been 90 years in the making. We learn that this carnival is more than just a three-day festival in early July that celebrates the end of the lobster fishing season. It is a signature Nova Scotia event celebrating Maritime culture, music, and East Coast Lifestyle. Twenty years ago, Glen Jackson left Ontario for Nova Scotia. He looked and visited many towns, but when he came across Pictou, he called it “a Goldilocks situation”— the town was just right for him. After years of enjoying the Pictou Lobster Carnival as a spectator, in true East Coast fashion, Glen decided to volunteer and use his love of music to help build upon the already well-established profile of the live music showcased at the carnival, and last year Glen was elected to be chair. The Pictou Lobster Carnival was originally called Lobster Fishermen’s Day. The first carnival came about when a group of local men—J.E. McKenna, William (Bill) A. Broidy, J.F. MacDonald, J.A. Fisher, and T.A. MacKay—requested support from the council for the celebration. Bill Broidy was President of the Maritime Packers and was a major contributor to Pictou and its local groups. He and the other men wanted a way to celebrate the lobster industry and to grow the bond with the community. Permission was granted and the first carnival took place on July 11, 1934. In 1936 the Pictou Lobster Carnival had a very special guest, as
68 SPOTLIGHT MAGAZINE ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 24 ISSUE 3
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