Description

The Victoria Co-operative Fisheries has a way of defying the odds. It was born in 1956 as the fishing industry transitioned from salt fish and canned lobster to fresh product destined for the Boston market. It 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. In the early years the small co-operative did not meet the expectations of many of its fishermen but stayed the course. After sixty years, 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.