Several years ago, dawn revealed a bleak and cold morning that would make most folks snuggle deeper under the warm bed covers and go back to sleep. Less than a dozen people were out at the Alma Village wharf, paper cups of lukewarm coffee in hand, huddled under the pavilion at a worn picnic table. Just a few feet away, the fishing crews bustled around on the wharf and on and off the boats, among the colourful traps and buoys, making final preparations for taking off. As the tide waters and the sun continued to rise, the early risers under the pavilion felt the anticipation and wonder of something very special.
That’s when Alma resident Jane Chrysostom decided that this experience should be shared, appreciated, and celebrated, and the idea of creating an annual Village of Alma Fishing Fleet Launch was introduced! With the help of more volunteers, the first Fleet Launch event took place in 2013 with steaming pots of chowder, home-baked rolls, and china mugs of hot coffee, serving about 100 people who made their way to the October lobster season kickoff on a 9:30 morning high tide.