At 95 years of age , Sheldon “ Chevy ” Symonds of Cape Sable Island has lots of life experiences to share with willing listeners . Growing up on Seal Island , Nova Scotia , with brothers Charles and Sandy , Sheldon attended school up to grade six in a classroom with 42 children and one teacher !
AT THE AGE OF 14 , HE JOINED HIS FATHER AND BECAME A FISHERMAN , STARTING A CAREER SPANNING OVER 70 YEARS ON THE WATER !
Sheldon ’ s three sons are all fishermen as well , and he has grandsons who are also heading out on the water to do the same !
Fishing in his early days was not very good at all , he says , as the boats weren ’ t rigged like they are today . He and his brothers all became fishermen like their father , fishing lobster , swordfish , and halibut . Chevy ’ s first boat , the Norma Lee , was given to him by his father , and he had it for a year or two before opting for a larger boat named Lena & Darlette . Over the years , he had four boats , each one a little larger that the previous one , and each of the last three being named Lena & Darlette . The last of those four boats is now owned by one of his sons .
One of the most impactful experiences that Sheldon lived through involved a day and night lost on Georges Bank while out
swordfishing . “ I was put in a dory at 9 a . m . and I stuck a swordfish , and it towed me off in the opposite direction than I planned ,” Sheldon remembers as he explained how he remained on his own until 4 a . m . the next morning . “ When you stick a swordfish , you bleed it and it attracts the sharks . So , I had to fight sharks off my fish all night !”
At one point during the night , a steamship passed by him and nearly ran him down and put water in his dory . Fearful and alone , he was thinking of his family and his three boys at home . “ That ’ s when God came to me !” he says . “ God told me that if I ’ d live for him , I ’ d see my sons again .” After finally being rescued , Sheldon was mighty happy to see his family , but admits that at first , he didn ’ t listen to God or live for Him .
Years later , when reminded of his swordfishing experience after church by a church pastor , and reminded that God was following him , Sheldon realized that living for God is the best way . And he will tell you that when Christ is speaking to your head and your heart , you need to listen . “ He spoke to me in that dory ,” said Sheldon , “ and He never left me ! I left Him , but He never left me !”
Chevy is a wonderful example of a life well-lived , and he has the stories , the sense of humour , and the friends to prove it . His visitors will often drive him where he wants to go now that he no longer has a license to drive . When asked if he wishes that he was still fishing , Chevy quietly answers , “ Yeah .” But we know he has family following in the tradition !
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