Senator Fabian Manning shares the story of Reuben and Albert John Crew with fellow senators Salma Ataullahjan of Toronto, Ontario, and Senator Brian Francis of Epekwitk/Prince Edward Island. - Barb Dean-SimmonsSaltWire's Atlantic regional weather forecast for September 12, 2023 | SaltWireFabian Manning felt it was important for his colleagues to learn more about the history of the sealing industry on Canada’s East Coast.
Especially powerful was the bronze sculpture at Porter’s Point, the work of sculptor Morgan MacDonald, who captured the image of father and son–Albert John and Reuben Crew—who died in each other’s arms on the ice in 1914 and are forever remembered locked in that icy embrace. “It’s different than when you’re sitting in a committee room… or people are on zoom, and you’re taking meeting notes. There’s nothing like being on the ground, seeing the landscape and seeing what it means to people.”He said he can relate to sealing because his dad was a sealer.Francis can also relate to the dangers that sealers faced in those days.
On Sept. 13, the committee will hold formal hearings in St. John’s, with testimony from several people involved in the business of sealing. From an Indigenous perspective, he added, seals have been part of the diet and culture and “there is something useful from every part of the seal.The senate standing committee is not the only government organization that’s been studying seals.