Labrador, land of plenty

The fishery is also moving forward. The Labrador Fisherman’s Union Shrimp Company, a co-operative that manages a shrimp plant in Charlottetown and five crab plants on the southern Labrador coast, announced a new $4.5-million crab plant for Mary’s Harbour earlier this year.

Hopes are also high for the future of 5 Wing Goose, the Canadian Air Force base in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, which Hickey sees as a future centre of excellence for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology.

Hickey says the story of Labrador has yet to be told. “There are so many good things happening.” There are challenges — the remote coastline, small population, and distance between communities among them — but those challenges are being overcome.

Hickey speaks with excitement about a new summer home he purchased recently in St. Lewis, the most easterly permanent community on the North American mainland and one of the best locations on the Labrador coast to see icebergs.

“It’s a little piece of heaven,” says Hickey, before quickly finding yet more potential. “Maybe we could build an iceberg water plant there someday.”