Life at a Coastal Guesthouse on Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia’s Quiet Southern Shore

Long, deserted beaches interrupted only by seabirds.

Some are migrants, some rarities - blown here by Atlantic storms.

Seals crest the waves. Seagulls screech above the beach.

Mink scamper the shore rocks.

The tides bring kelp, driftwood and shells.

Salt air - clear and clean for miles.

This is my island.

The place where I put down roots and decided to make a life.

My home is in a small village on the island, set at the most southerly point of Nova Scotia

Cape Sable Island sits at the southernmost edge of Nova Scotia,

where land gives way to open Atlantic.

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Cape Sable Lighthouse

A sentinel at the edge of the Atlantic

The tallest lighthouse in Nova Scotia, "The Cape Light", was erected after the wreck of the SS Hungarian in 1860. The lighthouse sits offshore on a small islet, home to one resident — and a surprising number of sheep. History suggests sheep were placed on the island grounds as a food supply for shipwrecked sailors, but local farmers had used the islet for summer grazing for generations.

Boat access has become limited in recent years but the view from shore at sunrise or sunset is unforgettable.

Clark's Harbour

A working harbour with salt in its bones

My home town is centred around a harbour of working lobster boats, processing plants and wharves. Home of the "Cape Islander" dory. One of the most productive fishery districts in Nova Scotia. Part of the Barrington area called "The Lobster Capital of Canada".

But that all came after I moved here.

Before I started my guesthouse on Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia.

My first memory is of the wonderful United Baptist Stone Church. A hand chiseled granite foundation 3 feet thick with an exterior covered in smooth beach rock.

Inside, glorious stained glass windows and a massive wood vault - styled as the underside of the Cape Island Dory. It quietly gleams over the congregation with affecting simplicity.

The church sits on main street and overlooks one well provisioned market. Further up is the library elementary school, post office and municipal offices. There is a mechanic and the legion - interspersed with shingle sided homes

Behind the offices sits a softball field with an adjacent park and boardwalk. There are a few small salt ponds and some feeder streams. Ducks paddle up the little creeks and under the bridge that faces the ocean. It's a perfect place to watch the sunset slide down the long west coast of the island and is usually quiet - unless the Foggies are playing.

Islanders are friendly, helpful and generous with their time - small town charm and long conversations.

The Hawk Beach

Caribbean North

My initial visit was in August. I had come to buy a home, but was exploring the island first.

It was warm and sunny with an impossibly blue sky and fresh salty air.

I had just arrived to my B&B after a 3 hour drive from the airport and wanted to stretch my legs. My hostess suggested a nearby beach and kindly gave me directions to The Hawk.

My first glimpse of the Hawk Beach left me overcome and gaping. A perfect stretch of packed sand gently sloping to a long waterline. Above the beach were dunes topped with sea grasses gently moving in the light breeze. Blue, clear water and a lapping surf at low tide slid over scattered groups of weed-covered rock.

Totally deserted during the height of summer - a time anywhere else it would be packed with tourists.

I made my mind up to move here immediately.

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This is the rhythm of life at The East Wind —

mornings by the water, afternoons exploring, evenings gathered at the table.

Mornings here begin quietly on Cape Sable Island—

light stretching across the water before the world fully wakes.