Residents of West Ironbound

AUGUST 20, 2024
Just offshore from Hirtle's Beach and the tip of Gaff Point is West Ironbound Island. Now protected by the province and the Kingsburg Coastal Conservancy, West Ironbound has been home to a flock of hardy sheep for over 60 years. Living on the island year round, the sheep, together with the flora and other fauna of the island, create a unique ecology and balance of nature. The sheep naturally maintain hectares of pasture and grassland, and their presence is a testament to the history of this type of farming in Nova Scotia, which has largely disappeared.

Third generation shepherd Jake Wentzel presented his family story to a sold out crowd at the Fort Point Museum. Audience members were treated to coffee, tea, and blueberry grunt while being captivated by Jake's tales of family, sheep, the sea, and his own efforts at carving out a livelihood as a farmer and entrepreneur.

For over 100 years, islands off the coast of Nova Scotia have been used as grazing areas for flocks of sheep. The sheep are protected against any predators by the protective barrier of the sea. Jake's grandfather first grazed his sheep on West Ironbound in the 1970's, and the family has been involved ever since in managing the flock. Jake's colourful descriptions of rounding up the sheep for shearing in the spring, and the adventure of taking a breeding ram out to the island by small boat every Christmas to "do his duty" kept audience members spellbound. — Alexander MacDonald