Gaultois residents voting on town’s future

Some of those opposed to moving don’t want to start over at their age

GAULTOIS — As the residents of Gaultois cast their votes on the question of resettlement, Douglas Skinner and Ronald Simms are among those who hope it is rejected.

Located on Long Island on the south coast, Gaultois is accessible only by a ferry that travels from Hermitage. That ferry also services Mccallum and Francois.

The town’s population once numbered more than 700, but now sits at 77. The local school has five students.

Skinner, 75, has already sent in his ballot.

“I don’t want to leave here,” he told Saltwire Network.

Skinner has roots in the town. He’s lived there most of his life and worked in the fish plant. His wife died a couple of years ago and he wants to remain close to where she is buried and be buried next to her.

He said it would be hard to pick up and leave. He doesn’t have a vehicle or a licence, and figures he’d end up stuck in a house somewhere.

He hasn’t really thought where he’ll go if resettlement goes ahead, but would like to stay somewhere close, maybe Hermitage or Bay d’ Espoir.

At his age, though, buying a new home is not something he wants to do, but he can still live independently.

“I’m not going in a home nowhere yet,” he said.

“Some people say it’s not going to happen. I guess we’ll wait and see. That’s all you can do. If you got to go, you got to go,” said Skinner.

Simms owns Ronnie’s Groceries. He’s operated the store for 38 years and it’s the only one still open in the town.

He came to Gaultois in 1963 to work at the fish plant.

“Fish plant was booming then,” he said.

Along with the boom time, he’s seen the town decline, the loss of the plant and people leaving.

For him Gaultois is the perfect place to live.

“Right now, we’ve got a peaceful community. No crime whatsoever. Everybody knows everybody. This is what life should be about.”

To think of having to leave is sad, he said.

“Where am I going to go now at 76 years old?”

To go somewhere else and take on another home is not something he wants to do, and he’s not ready to go into a retirement home.

“Both me and my wife, we got our health is good and we got our own home here and we own it,” said Simms.

He’s got a daughter in St. John’s and a son on the west coast, but hasn’t really considered going to either place.

“I don’t want the idea of going and living with my youngsters. They’ve got their life to live. I’ve lived mine,” said Simms.

“I’m just hoping that we may have enough to counteract it,” he said of the vote. “It mightn’t get enough. That’s what I’m hoping for.”

He knows there are a few residents who have voted against it.

“I’m just hoping somewhere along the line something will come through for us.”

This is not the first time the town has voted on resettlement, and Simms says

the town’s council is behind the current vote. In the past, enough residents were against it. This time around, 75 per cent need to say yes before it can proceed.

But he doesn’t think there’s any benefit to the province if it happens.

“They’re not going to get rid of the ferry because Mccallum is not leaving and Francois is not giving up, so I can’t see where they’re going to gain anywhere.

“They can’t keep somebody tied up in a community and not give them a ferry to get out of it. The service is going to be needed,” said Simms.

Skinner and Simms are hopeful they are in the majority when it comes to the vote, but they are in a minority when it comes to offering an opinion on it.

Saltwire Network called some of the numbers for residents living in Gaultois listed on Canada411.

Five people said they had no comment, two said they were too busy to talk and one said he had a lot of questions that he’d like answers to before commenting.

Gaultois Mayor Gordon Hunt said there are some people who are upset that resettlement is being considered, mostly the town’s senior residents. He said the ones who are for it don’t say much and as mayor he’s trying to stay neutral on the issue.

“Whatever plays out, that’s it,” said Hunt.

He’s on his third term as mayor and hasn’t considered where he’ll go if the town is resettled.

Hunt said there is still a lot that isn’t known if the vote does go through.

Residents have until April 6 to return their votes.