AN exhibition which looks at the lives of the Jersey people who crossed the Atlantic to make a living from the cod fishery was opened last night at the Jersey Museum by Eileen Le Sueur, whose family were closely associated with the once vital trade.

The significance of cod, the salting process which turned it into a product that could be shipped around the world, and the Island’s long and lasting association with the Gaspé area of Newfoundland were emphasised by Marian Kirkbride, who also spoke at the opening ceremony. Mrs Kirkbride, who has made a study of the lives of Jersey expatriates, the work they undertook in Canada, and their often harsh lives, has bought a house in Gaspé with the intention of turning it into a museum. She paid tribute to the many people who have helped to put the Jersey Museum exhibition together, singling out conservator Neil Mahrer for special mention because of his achievements in transforming artefacts rescued from homes in the Gaspé into objects fit for public exhibition.