Come Hell or High Water—A HISTORY OF THE VICTORIA CO-OP FISHERIES

by Fred Williams
DEFYING THE ODDS!
Born in 1956 as the fishing industry transitioned from salt fish and canned lobster to fresh product destined for the Boston market, the Victoria Co-operative Fisheries had to compete with Nickerson’s, Leonard Brothers, and F.W. Leslie’s—the Goliaths of the North of Smokey fishing industry—as well as suitcase buyers during the lobster season.
After sixty years of leadership initiatives, member solidarity, and an enlightened response to industry crises, the Victoria Co-operative Fisheries can claim its place as a major force in northern Cape Breton’s fishery—alive and thriving today!
This is its story.