A listening session focused around the sardine industry was hosted by the Penobscot Marine Museum on November 12 at the Lubec Community Outreach Center. Those invited were any who had participated in the Lubec sardine industry and any who were interested in hearing what they said. Museum curator Cipperly Good introduced the session, which was then facilitated by Tora Johnson, director of the Sustainable Prosperity Initiative of the Sunrise County Economic Council. Nearly 20 participants, ranging from former packers and plant laborers to family members of former owners, crowded into the room. All were asked to recall the days when the canning industry was profitable to the days when it closed.
      Participants were advised that the discussion would be recorded; they did not have to identify themselves. Promotional material invited community members to bring in photographs and clippings that could be scanned for the museum collection, and many did so.
      Johnson started the memories flowing when she asked, "How and when did you know your cannery was closing?" One pointed out that the fish were getting larger, and therefore less desirable to the consumer. This was a consequence, stated another, of the growing lobster industry, which was increasing in both volume and price and calling for larger quantities of herring as bait. Davis Pike noted that nearly all of the product had been shipped to Europe during World War II, and that the "returning soldiers were looking for something other than sardines."
      "You just knew it was coming," one said to a chorus of agreement. The growth of home refrigeration after the war altered the market, said one, as it promoted the marketing of fresh fish. The Canadian sardine packers lasted longer, said several, observing that they got better government support: "A lot of the business went there."
      Neither Johnson nor Good interrupted speakers, but members of the group often added details to the narrative of others.
      "So what was the immediate consequence?" Johnson asked. Several pointed out that the packers were highly skilled at what they did and "made good money," but were not well equipped to take on other kinds of work. "Many started when they were 12 and that was all they did," said one, "but when they're 60, what else could they do?" Most of the packers were women, several stated; men maintained the machinery and prepared the finished product for shipment.
      When the payroll vanished, so did the business opportunities for stores like Unobsky and the Rexall pharmacy, known for its pole that many Lubec children swung around on. Many of the vacant stores were taken over by other businesses; some went into decay and were demolished, such as the pharmacy and the Donald Dodge building. "People had no money."
      "A Japanese gentleman came in," one observed, "and started working with sea urchins in the Peacock building."
      "And sea cucumbers," added another. For many years workers in the auto industry packed cans of sardines into their lunch boxes, driving demand into Michigan; when the canned tuna industry burst onto the scene the market shifted.
      Once the reality of the closures sunk in, "many walked around with blank stares. We were all connected, it was really something." One participant noted that during the heyday, "By the time they were 12 they could run a household. Now they're just getting by."
      How did the town evolve after the canneries were gone? Several commented on the seasonality of businesses today, with one pointing out, "You've got three months to make your nut." Another stated that "during COVID, DownEast magazine invited us to come here, do what you want," prompting several to respond, "We don't want to be another Bar Harbor."
      Crystal Hitchings of the Sunrise County Economic Council posed the question: "People are going to come here. How do you tell them who we are?" Several replied, speaking disparagingly of what they called the "PFA attitude" of disregarding local customs, limitations and restrictions. In closing, Jeanne Peacock observed, "We are in the driver's seat. We will never be another Bar Harbor."