People of the Passage
August 2025

Photo: Bruce Scott poses with The Beacon Managing Editor Gail Haarsma at a book signing event held at the Heritage Centre at Fisherman’s Cove in Eastern Passage on July 5.


by Gail Haarsma—On July 5, 2025, Bruce Scott launched his debut novel, The Last Farm on McNabs, at a book signing held at the Heritage Centre at Fisherman’s Cove in Eastern Passage.

When you think of the local history of Eastern Passage—and particularly McNabs Island—names like Henneberry, Naugle, Howe, Lynch, Davis, Hugonian, Conrad, Perrin, Findlay, and Farrant come to mind. Scott isn’t a name that usually appears on that list.

So, what gives Bruce Scott the authority to write a book about McNabs Island?

His connection runs deep. Scott’s grandparents, Ernest and Annie Farrant, arrived on McNabs in early April 1923. For much of the 52 years they lived there, they sold produce, dairy, furs, and eggs in Eastern Passage. Ernest passed away suddenly in October 1970 at age 81, after being airlifted from the Island to Halifax.

After his death, Annie tried to stay on and maintain her gardens, but McNabs had changed. Vandals and scavengers had begun to destroy the buildings. Concerned for her safety, the family persuaded her to move in with Scott’s mother, Jean, in Amherst.

The farmhouse was soon vandalized—windows smashed, structure damaged, and contents looted.

“If my grandparents hadn’t lost the house, I would be living on McNabs Island,” affirms Scott.

The Island’s connection also runs through Scott’s mother, Jean Farrant, who was born in a boat on February 4, 1923, en route from McNabs to Halifax. Her twin sister, Joyce, arrived shortly after at the Dartmouth Hospital.

“My mother was born in a boat and raised on the island, and perhaps that contributed to her almost childlike positivity, caring nature, and honesty that she never lost throughout her life. She was the best mom a son could ever have!”

Scott spoke fondly of his childhood summers spent on McNabs Island and the influence his grandfather had on his life.

“It was my favourite place in the world, and I spent every summer there for 15 years growing up. It was the joy of my life, and being there affected me a lot. I am thankful for the unwavering efforts of the Friends of McNabs Island Society to keep the Island cleaned up and in good repair.”

Publishing your first novel at age 77 is no small feat. So why now?

“Every time I would go back to Nova Scotia to visit my mom, I would ask her what her life was like on the farm (on McNabs). She told stories, and I took notes. I did that for years until I had a big box of notes.”

Scott has outlived his parents and siblings and survived two heart attacks himself.

“I believe I survived because I needed to do this book. My sister got sick, and I took her a few of the early chapters to read. She immediately asked her husband to be sure to buy the book for her nurse when it was finished. 

Scott worked in property management for years—he handled maintenance while his wife, Sandra, managed the administration.

“I don’t type, so I hand-wrote everything. Sandra typed it, organized the content, and edited my grammar. I self-published it as a Christmas gift for my family in 2023. It had 90 pictures in it, which was reduced to 40 for the published book.”

Writing unearthed a new side of himself.

“I’ve discovered that I have a talent for writing. I’m creative!”

Does Scott have another book in him? He thinks so—possibly historical fiction.

Sandra notes that their sunroom in Alberta, in a lakeside cottage, has become his writing retreat. “In some ways, I’ve lost him to the solitary life of a writer.”

Bruce Scott’s The Last Farm on McNabs is now available at major booksellers, including Amazon, Indigo and Nimbus Publishing. More than a novel, it’s a tribute to the family who lived, loved, and farmed on McNabs Island for over 50 years.

“I want young readers to see the sacrifices the older generation made in order to raise a family.”