In the spring of 1977 I had been an unemployed librarian for over a year. I was just back from a winter spent living with friends in England was visiting my parents in Hampton, New Brunswick, when I heard they were looking for tree planters just outside Sussex. I signed on, and spent one long, brutal day planting trees. Every muscle in my body ached and I had only made twenty bucks. The next morning I could hardly move, but I dragged myself out to my car and drove over to Sussex anyway. Parked outside the dirt road to the planting site, I considered how sore I was and how much twenty dollars was worth. No, I thought to myself. I turned around and drove up to Fredericton for the day instead. I was listening to CBC Radio on the drive and they played some Stan Rogers. I had never heard of him but I loved the songs. They were “Make and Break Harbour” and “Fogarty's Cove” I think, songs I still love thirty years later. Back home in Halifax I was lucky enough to see Stan live several times at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. This year I finally made it to Canso for Stanfest, and it was fabulous.

-Michael Colborne