by Charles Phelps writing in A History of Blackwell Church & Community, 1880-1980
(1980) The Purdy family has been fishing commercially in Lake Huron for more than 75 years. The 1911 Sarnia and Port Huron Directory lists the name, “Purdy, Milton B., fisherman, lives 310 Nelson.” Later, his son, William J. Purdy, his wife Leah and their family lived in the same large lot on the northeast corner of Nelson and St. Vincent Streets in Sarnia. Needing more space, in 1925, Mr. Purdy bought property on Blackwell Road east of Modeland Sideroad. His home and a wooden fish house were located on the south side of the road, now known as 1535 Blackwell Road. Later, a large cement block “twine house” was built on the north side of the road, where it is today. Here the huge nets are repaired and tarred. Passers-by have often seen the nets spread outdoors drying in the sun.
William J. Purdy died in 1944 and the fishery was carried on by his son, Ronald. His sister Leah, who has continued to reside at 1535 Blackwell Road has been associated in the business with him. Recently, Ronald’s son Milford has assumed direction of the enterprise. Milton is the fourth generation in this family business.
Over the years many men have fished the water of Lake Huron between Modeland Road and Bright’s Grove. Some of these were Herman Bunning, Aaron West, Edgerton Wilson, Charlie Wilson, Bill Hamilton, Bill Gibbs, Colin Berdan, William Brown; Isaac, Ollie, Gordon, Ken, William and James Gallie. From time to time, Blackwell men worked for the fishermen.
In the early years, William Purdy fished off the shore of Lake Huron at the foot of Modeland Sideroad. A large open wooden boat was used in setting and lifting the nets. When not in use it could be hauled on shore. A row of fish stakes would be laid on the sand starting at the water’s edge and the boat would be rolled up the incline, over the stakes by means of rollers, the boat being hauled up by a heavy line and hand-operated winch. A wooden scow fitted with a piledriver was an essential item of equipment.
In the Spring maple stakes and gear such as anchors, marker floats and lines would be hauled to the lake shore and piled on shore high enough from the water’s edge to avoid being washed away in a storm.
In the early days pond nets were used, whereas gill nets are more common nowadays. As the name implies, the fish were impounded in the net. When the site was chosen, a line of stakes would be driven in the lake bottom, starting at a water depth of about fifteen feet and extending out into the lake to deeper water. Lead nets would be fastened to the stakes, in effect forming a vertical fence suspended under the surface of the water. At the end, far from shore, was the tunnel net and the crib. The fish entered the tunnel from either side of the lead. At the end of the tunnel, the fish entered the crib through the open door. When the pond net was to be lifted, the crib entrance would be closed by letting off the line that held it open. The steel bar sank and the net door closed. The smaller fish could swim through the opening in the net but the larger fish would be unable to escape. A good catch would be two or three tons of fish.
Taken to shore in the boats, the fish would be put in 100 lb. boxes and then transported by horse and wagon to the fish house where the fish would be packed in chipped ice, about one half fish and one half ice. Most of the catch was taken to the G.T.R. station in Sarnia to be shipped by refrigerated rail car to New York City which was the major market. Lloyd Sitter, who worked for William Purdy at times, said that one or two carloads of fish were shipped every day, made up from the catches of all the fishermen along the lakefront.
At the end of the fishing season around Christmas, the nets would be removed and the stakes pulled. Nets would be taken to the twine house for eventual mending and stakes would be stored for safe keeping. Of course, in the late winter, it would be time to cut and haul ice to the ice houses to replenish the supply for the warm weather season ahead. The life of the fisherman was one of arduous labour.
In those years sturgeon were considered unfit for human consumption and were left on the beach for the farmers who could gather them up for fertilizer. Some of the fish caught were lake trout, white fish, perch, pickerel, speckled trout, rainbow trout, bass and herring. There was a time when fresh water herring were plentiful.
In 1942, Purdy Fisheries set up the main base from which to carry on their fishing operation at Point Edward on the waterfront. One great advantage was a safe mooring, removed from the vagaries of Lake Huron. Also, much heavier steel-hulled fishing boats were developed with more powerful engines, which could not be readily hauled up on the beach. Over the years, the shore facilities have been improved for fish handling and refrigeration.
Another facet has been the pilot boat service provided by Purdy Fisheries. A foreign vessel sailing the Great Lakes is required to have aboard a licensed pilot to guide it safely through the waterways. Up-bound river pilots are taken off ship by the pilot boat in Lake Huron north of the Bluewater Bridge and the up-bound lake pilots are put aboard. This may occur at any time of the day or night, in all kinds of weather and sea conditions. It is a routine but essential service, little noticed by the public.
Providing a different service is scuba diving, required from time to time in connection with such things as water intake pipes, water discharge pipes, docks, dams, underwater structures and ship maintenance.
As smaller commercial fisheries along the lake shore have ceased operations, Purdy Fisheries have acquired the rights to fish their waters. In 1980, Purdy Fisheries operated in the lake from Point Edward to Grand Bend, Ontario.