About Us
The Friends of Sable Island Society originated in 1997 as a grass-roots response to Environment Canada’s announcement that it was closing the main station on Sable Island. The Sable Island Preservation Trust was incorporated as a non-profit organization in December 1998 by founding members who believed that a continuous human presence was essential for the long-term preservation of Sable Island.
As Sable Trust, we managed the island’s main station and continued the weather and other research and monitoring programs while exploring various long-term solutions and options for sustainable funding. More information on this time in our history is available at Sable Island Preservation Trust – The Story. This stage ended in 2010 with the welcome announcement that Sable Island would become a National Park, securing sustainable funding for the long-term human presence and management by a willing and able arm of the Canadian government.
Now as the Friends of Sable Island Society we continue to protect this special place. We encourage learning and education about what makes Sable Island significant through our annual scholarship, public presentations, and partnerships with other like-minded organizations. We promote research primarily by hosting a Sable Island conference every two years where researchers can present their work and build collaborations with others across disciplines. We preserve its history by collecting untold stories from people who have been there, and by digitizing the archived records of the superintendents of Sable Island from 1801-1960. We maintain a world-wide community of those who are passionate about this special place through regular updates, giving them a voice and means of action to help protect and preserve Sable Island for generations to come. And we work closely with Parks Canada to champion the Sable Island National Park Reserve and advocate for Sable Island and all its mysteries and mystique.
Membership
The Friends of Sable Island Society invites you to act on your interest in the island and join us as a member to help protect and preserve Sable Island for generations to come. As a valued member you will:
- be supporting the Friend’s programs such as our annual scholarship, website, and conferences;
- have opportunities to contribute to Sable Island as a volunteer or participant in activities;
- receive notice of special events and an annual newsletter; and,
- have voting privileges at our Annual General Meeting and be eligible to be nominated and elected to serve on the Board of Directors.
There are two membership options available: an annual membership for $20 and a lifetime membership for $100. Please also consider a gift membership for your friends and family or a one-time donation. Charitable tax receipts are issued for any donation (membership fees are not eligible for a tax receipt).
Your support for Sable Island is greatly appreciated, and we hope that you’ll join us as a ‘Friend’ to help shape its future.
To join you can print and complete the Membership Form and mail it in with your membership payment or sign up online on our Eventbrite page.
Contact us at membership@sableislandfriends.ca if you have any questions.
Charity Registration Number: 868365396RR0001 (Canada)
Sable Island Conference
Sable Island is a unique place that captures the hearts and imaginations of people who have heard of this sandbar in the Atlantic Ocean with its wild horses and so many shipwrecks that it’s earned the nickname “Graveyard of the Atlantic”. Some have turned their interest into research on the many species of animals, birds, insects and plants found on the island. Others have focused on its physical attributes or the rich history of human presence on the Island. Still others have been inspired to share their personal experiences of it through art and story-telling.
Our semi-annual conference welcomes everyone who wishes to share their research and stories about this fascinating place, and those who want to learn more about it. We hope that by promoting the sharing of experiences and knowledge about the Island we will create links among people and ideas that will be useful for the conservation and sustainable management of our treasured island. Many of the presentations are made available online so that those unable to attend in person can also learn more about Sable Island.
Annual Scholarship
Our primary mandate is to protect Sable Island through education. One of the ways we promote learning about the Island is through our scholarship program.
Every year since 2013 students finishing grade 12 in Nova Scotia have been given the opportunity to apply for a post-secondary entrance scholarship by submitting a project based on something specific they’ve learned about Sable Island. Past submissions have ranged from original works of art to science-based stop-motion videos.
In 2021, in partnership with Parks Canada, we started offering an “Inspired by Sable Island” award to a student who has completed at least one year at a post-secondary education and who submits a proposal for a day-trip to Sable Island.
Check out our past winners and get information on current awards.
Sable Island Post-Secondary Award 2024
Apply for “Inspired by Sable Island” – a scholarship award for post-secondary students – by Friday October 18, 2024 for a chance to visit Sable Island National Park Reserve for a day in early November 2024
Sable Island Scholarship 2024
Friends of Sable Island Society is again offering $2,000 in scholarships to Nova Scotia students completing Grade 12 in 2024 and pursuing post-secondary education in the fall. Our scholarship is
Sable Island Post-Secondary Award 2023
We were delighted to present our third annual “Inspired by Sable Island” award to Jillian Ramsay for her proposal “Wish You Were Here/Wish You Weren’t”
Meet the Board
Legal Stuff
Sable Island Preservation Trust
We were originally incorporated under the Societies Act in Nova Scotia, Canada in December 1998 as the Sable Island Preservation Trust.
Friends of Sable Island Society
We changed our name to Friends of Sable Island Society to reflect our new mandate after the announcement in 2010 that Sable Island would become a National Park.
