This week, we finish looking at the two sardine factories that existed in South Portland in the 1900s. The two canneries were both on the waterfront in Ferry Village. The E.W. Brown cannery was located farthest east, at the end of a dirt driveway that led from Front Street to the start of the breakwater […]

Last week, we talked about cutting out your convenient plastics: coffee cups, takeout containers, plastic bags, (more coffee cups). As we move forward, however, it is important to mention that reducing single-use plastic consumption is not solely an individual’s responsibility. While it is extremely important to be mindful of our consumption and learn to shift […]

In previous columns, we’ve discussed a number of sardine canneries including two from Portland with ties to South Portland – the Brawn Company on Deake’s Wharf, owned by the Brawn family of Cushing’s Point, and the R.J. Peacock Company on Brown’s Wharf, run by John Toft who also owned a home at Cushing’s Point. We’ve […]

Anyone familiar with the maritime history of greater Portland may have heard of the Brawn family from Cushing’s Point. Let’s take a deeper look at the life of George Albert “Bert” Brawn. Bert Brawn was born in Lubec in 1860, the son of John and Jane Brawn. Although his father was a sparmaker, given the […]

Last Thursday, on the final morning of June, I indulged one final time and bought an iced latte on my way to work. As it sat on my desk, sweating in its single-use plastic vessel, I mourned the absence of these little treats in my month to come. Here in the Sustainability Office, we have […]