Fish Out of Water: How I Got Hooked on Lunenburg.

Randall White is the author of Voice of Region: On the Long Journey to
Senate Reform in Canada, Too Good to Be True: Toronto in the 1920s, and
Global Spin: Probing the Globalization Debate.

It is quite a challenge to shift from working as a Bay Street investment dealer to a weekly columnist for the once-bustling fishing centre of Lunenburg, but John Payzant seems to have made the shift with the minimum of fuss.

His collection of 48 stories of varying length begin shortly after he and his partner took up residence in 2004 and go to the fall of 2006, and describe with gentle humour but without a sign of big-city condescension what one might expect. The fact that the author was able to accomplish this feat not only reflects a sensitivity toward local townsfolk and their ways but also stems from the facts that he is a native of Halifax and that for six previous summers he and Carolyn vacationed at nearby Mahone Bay. The articles suggest that he probably kept a daily account of their introduction to his new Lunenburg neighbours, but he also mined the pages of the local newspaper, the Progress Enterprise. In any case, his observations and experiences clearly establish why these former Toronto residents found the slower and more intimate pace so much more to their liking and why, as the subtitle puts it, they “got hooked on Lunenburg.” This point was reinforced by a marginal sketch on the right side of the first page showing a man with a briefcase at the bottom and a hook at the top. By flipping the pages, you can see the progression as the figure moves closer to the hook, and by the final story on page 105 all you can see is his legs.

The author’s selections include Lunenburg’s present image as primarily a tourist town as well as some stories about its more robust past as Nova Scotia’s busiest fishing centre. Other stories describe the couple’s personal affairs, including their marriage and house purchase, but uppermost are his observations about their new neighbours—views couched in witty and now and then pungent phrases that would enhance his image as one who has embraced Lunenburg’s homey atmosphere. A delightful read.