Q&A: Message in a bottle from 1983 found on Sable Island
A fascinating discovery was made by a Parks Canada archaeology technician on Sable Island, located about 300 kilometers southeast of Halifax. In mid-May, a message in a bottle was found that contained a note and an old Canadian $2 bill. This type of discovery is not uncommon on the island, with a message in a bottle being found approximately once a year.
Sarah Medill, an operations co-ordinator for Parks Canada on Sable Island, shared the story of this intriguing find in an interview with CBC’s Information Morning Cape Breton. The bottle was discovered by archaeologist Mark Doucette, who was working on another project on the island. He brought the bottle back to the parks team, where it was carefully opened in the presence of the team members.
The bottle, identified as a Gordon’s gin bottle, was still intact but had been weathered by the elements on the island. Inside the bottle, along with the lingering scent of gin, was a rolled-up note and a Canadian $2 bill. The note, written by the crew of the Wimpy Seahunter supply ship, was dated January 14, 1983, and congratulated the finder on receiving the two dollars.
The origin of the message in the bottle was traced back to a supply ship that likely serviced offshore oil and gas platforms near Sable Island in the early ’80s. The bottle had been adrift for an impressive 42 years before being discovered on the north side of the island. The sand on Sable Island continuously shifts, burying and exposing objects like the message in a bottle over time.
This discovery is not the only one of its kind on Sable Island. In the past decade, similar messages have been found, including one from the 1930s originating from a vessel traveling from the U.K. to North America. Another message came from Grade 6 students in Massachusetts, demonstrating how messages in bottles can be a fun and educational project.
As for the fate of the note and the $2 Canadian bill, they have been taken by the archaeologists for further examination and will likely be archived for preservation. The story of the message in a bottle serves as a reminder of the mysteries that can be uncovered on remote islands like Sable Island, where history and nature intersect in unexpected ways.
