It is still in operation today with the fourth generation working there. Herbert Hezikiah Hopkins
Herb was born in 1905 at Bear Point, Shelburne County, N.S. His father operated a
fish business here and had the first lobster canning operation. In 1927, he bought a lobster
cannery in Mabou, Cape Breton and operated this into the 1940’s. During these
years, he also operated a fish business at
home in Woods Harbour. In 1941, he
purchased a lobster cannery called Acadia Products in Port Morien, N.S. from
David Thomas Leslie. For the first year Herb was in Morien, he and two of
his friends from Woods Harbour lived aboard the lobster boat they used
to run the operation. The story goes that when the boat had to sail to other
ports to pick up lobster, the men who did not go but stayed to buy lobster were left
homeless. This was a seasonal operation so they worked here in the
summer months and returned home to work in the winter. A few of the men met &
married local women and raised their families in Morien. Herb, being the family
man that he was, would often buy homes for these men and let them pay the home
from the wages they earned. He also helped the fishermen by lending them money
to purchase boats and supplies. Again the fishermen would pay Herb as they could. Over the next few years Herb built “the cookhouse” for himself and his out of town
workers to live. As many as ten men lived here as well as a lady named Mrs. Butts
who cleaned and cooked. Most of the salesmen would make sure that they showed
up at lunchtime so they could be treated to Mrs. Butts’ fine cooking. The
building is still in existence and serves as the office for the operation in Port Morien. My uncles office today is the former office of my great grandfather. My
father’s office is the bedroom of the resident cook . Over the years, numerous
buildings have been built to help the operation grow with the changing industry. In 1943, Herb purchased land and a building in Louisbourg where the present fish
plant stands today. In 1944, a piece of land was purchased in Glace Bay and in 1965; the Lipkus Fish
Plant was bought where the present operation is today. In 1974, Herb passed away but the three locations are still operated by his sons
Clifford, Glenn and Bill. Brad, another son, worked here all his life until his death
in1996. Edward the youngest son is a fisherman and fishes out of Port Morien. Over the years, Hopkins has bought and processed ground fish (cod, haddock,
Pollack, hake, halibut, and flounder) mackerel, herring, lobster and crab. Ground fish and lobster were all processed. Herb had extensive experience as a seafood buyer which he passed on to all of his
sons. Kenneth MacDonald wrote in his book Port Morien: Pages from the Past
“Probably no other business since the days of the coal mines has had such a
profound impact on the people of Port Morien as the Hopkins Fish Plant. Three
generations of fishermen have sold their catch to the Hopkins Company and as
many have raised their families on salaries earned at the Hopkins plant”
Over the years
hundreds of men and women have been employed by H. Hopkins Ltd. A local
fisherman named Thomas Bray has written a book on Herb.
