Pictou County Postcards
Vintage Postcards from Pictou County, Nova Scotia

Melmerby is a very popular local beach with fine sand and easy public access and parking. Our Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Kaye had a lovely summer house on Melmerby Beach. Most of the year, Jim & Kaye lived in Florida and the Bahamas, but they came home every year for the summer. Their place at Melmerby had a tennis court in the back yard, and they brought the most gorgeous seashells up from Florida that we kids spent hours arranging on every available surface. I don't remember ever making it down to the beach, although we knew there it was there. We were simply having too much fun right where we were up at the house.

I remember the house as yellow (although the colour may be wrong) and it was always nice and cool on the very hot days. I also remember looking at the steep steps going down to the beach with big pine or fir trees near the steps and I believe the place might have been a small hotel at one time. I wonder if it was the property shown in the postcards below as I do not remember any other houses on the public beach side of their house. I could be way off base on that one, but maybe one day someone will be able to fill me in on this.

Our Uncle Jimmy and our Uncle Don McKay, were my grandmother's brothers. They owned Tidewater Construction and built many roads, bridges and highways in Nova Scotia. They later moved to the Bahamas and were involved in the development of Scotland Cay and the Marsh Harbour area of the Abacos. (Don McKay Blvd in Marsh Harbour is named after our Uncle Don). I am not sure what happened to the house at Melmerby, but I do hope it is still there.