Backwoods Cabins of Nova Scotia

Donavon L. Porter is an elementary-school teacher in Haileybury,
Ontario.

This book describes various fishing, hunting, and trapping cabins
scattered through some of the more-remote areas of Nova Scotia. Although
the cabins themselves are site-specific, the author gives the book
general appeal by going beyond physical descriptions. The author gives a
history of each cabin, and tries to develop a sense of continuity that
ties even the oldest example to the newest.

These cabins range from simple hunting camps to quite elaborate fishing
lodges, and they span almost 100 years. Due to the remoteness of the
locations, the original builders often had to haul the construction
materials in by hand; as a result, economy of size and an emphasis on
function are very apparent.

The author shows real appreciation for the efforts that went into
building these camps, and sadly notes that modern attitudes and
governmental regulation are making it more and more difficult to
establish wilderness camps in Nova Scotia.

This book will interest those who enjoy the outdoors, and those who
wish to develop a sense of “people history,” which is often
overlooked in explaining the great political and economic forces that
have shaped this country.