Peg Hasted, Victoria, BC
"Fishing for Stories"

"When I was growing up on the West Coast, my father earned his living from the sea. He trolled the Pacific waters outside our sheltered bay, swinging the fish aboard his boat one by one. And if I learned anything back then, it would be this: men and women who live and work on the ocean have stories to tell. I used to hear those tales - the small and the tall of them - all up and down along the dock and around the kitchen table." (from Growing up on the West Coast by Peg Hasted)

A project close to my heart at this time involves interviewing fishermen from along the west coast of Vancouver Island, collecting their memories and anecdotes. Receiving the Alice Kane award in 2005 has helped me to move forward with this goal. The fishing industry is changing, and I feel strongly that these tales should not be lost.

The fish in the quilt block is swimming upward, jumping, or ready to jump. In this case, the catch is not the fish - but the story!

The eye of the fish comes from my mother's button tin, which is now mine. It represents a link between past and present, which is what StorySave means to me.