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DanielMacKay's friend Chloe grew up in the area and her mother was friends with Jane; Chloe said, "Growing up on West Branch, there were so many lesbian couples that as a kid she assumed that in the world there were equal numbers of straight couples and lesbian couples!"
In October, 2026, DanielMacKay and partner PaulPitre? spent a day and a half with Jane, doing an oral history and collecting archival materials which are documented on the page, JaneMorrigan fonds.
Here are Paul's notes; this is a work in progress and the oral history will be more accurately indexed at a later time.
Jane Campbell Robertsone Morrigan (last – chosen name)
Since 1978…
Morrigan – Celtic roots
Name chosen for the cattle and the farm.
In 1972, married Paul, an Italian diamond merchant from new York -- I was in love with him. It was a quick romance that led to marriage, we had a justice of the peace for the wedding (but in my head I was saying, don’t do this.) I did not want to marry, I was pressured into it, but I chose to.
(how she met Paul)
She was able to say no to wrong doings.
Married in 1972, embraced the love of everyone she knew. (NY, USA)
Getting married was the normal thing to do. 2 years later, she fell in love with her best friend, then experienced the rejection, the hatred.
She was 23 when she realised she was attracted to women.
1974 – walked out of a café hand in hand, confidently... but within seconds, the spitting, the yelling, fuckin cunt, etc.
Awareness of feminism with partner.
Brought up watching her language, and now was able to say Fuck and Jesus Christ. She dreaded telling her husband because he was unpredictable.
When she told him she was in love with Dorothy, the latter didn’t know about her feelings.
When she told him, he admitted he had relationships with other men in the past. He encouraged Jane to go with Dorothy. And that’s when she had her first orgasm. But then, that was the start of the end of the marriage, because of the volatility of the situation.
She decided to break it off with Dorothy. She felt she had to stay with her husband because of the marriage vows.
1975 IWY – first International Women’s year – first political participation. Her husband Paul became more and more uncomfortable with her interests. New lover during these activities. Paul was selfish with his sexuality.
Ambition – to be a good wife and a good mother (high school days). – Social conditioning.
Jamaica (Caribbean) – becomes aware of racism.
“Women’s” liberation does not necessarily mean lesbian.
Communes – women tended to be open with women’s movement, some came out as lesbians, but many were not. Communes were mixed.
When she was 16, she got to know rural children, that’s where she got interested in farming. She wanted to help a farmer’s wife who was pregnant with her 5th child. She got the job (1967) even though her dad and the woman’s husband didn’t want her to. For the summer. She learns how to work with equipment and animals. One element of her life rally opened up.
Presbyterians – learned new views…
When she left Paul, within 2 weeks, she had decided to go to agriculture school, graduated in 1977, came back to Canada.
Campground – not really a money maker – labour of love. She wanted to have a milk plant – Jersey milk, she peddled her milk – NS licensing refused her application. A lawyer if she could’ve afforded it would’ve helped her get one. She wanted accommodate the other farms who had Jersey cows. Second option was to get a bigger farm, but was refused when she asked to borrow money.
She wanted to sell the cows at the peak of their production, went back to study her masters at Truro Agricultural College. Objective – stress of the cows going to the slaughter. Bovine behaviour.
Beef cattle for 22 years after masters, she was also working at the college – teaching in the diploma program. 9 years, farm animal welfare, beef production, a lot of courses, website coordinator for organic aspect. Consulting business for 10 years, working with livestock producers, humane handling of animals, she did presentations for that organisation, presented in NB.
Dorothy was a schoolteacher – Paul attempted to do damage to her by telling on her. Jane beat Paul to go tell her parents in Montréal. At the age of 24 coming – her father says they still love her, her mom said she kind of knew.
Her father was from England – came through the RAF to fly planes from the states to Dorval, billeted/were entertained by families in Montréal– that’s where he met her mom. Because of wartime, Jane says that is where her dad’s open-mindedness came from.
Her dad’s general perspective of life was influenced by the war, what he gained about his own mortality – his plane was shot down – ferry service – planes picked up that needed to be repaired, brought to North America.
Her grandfather was well-off, but after 4th child went bankrupt – grandmother took over business. Grandmother was colonial in views. One of her grandfather’s sisters was a lesbian. 1960 – 2 women arrived on motorcycles – made an impression on Jane. Inspired her, awe inspiring, lucky to have a role models. Aunt Sheila was lesbian. Father did use the word lesbian for her sister around the end of his life. Before gains about LGBTQ Jane had to keep closeted for 10 years. Still considered a come from away, people have still been supportive. People around here want to keep status quo – this is how we do it here… She did have bad experiences where she is living now, but was mostly accepted.
Back to the lander… as opposed to living in the city. Was involved in many farm organisations. She wanted to be a technician – AI – she wanted a job on a farm. Kelly Newton – she had 2 children Jane had 2 horses – determined to get a job on a dairy farm. Crossed the country for 6 months to find agricultural offices to see what the land was like, etc. When they reached BC, decided NS was the place to settle.
Rebuilt a Volkswagen van engine, crossed the country with the 2 kids – NY state to get the 2 horses from her ex-husband. Ended up in Tatamagouche, at "Maggie’s Farm" which operated in the 1970s: lesbian feminists. Involved in the Canada Day parade… Rented a place outside Tatamagouche, $100 a month – for 6 months.
Maggie’s farm had a family cow- Jersey cow. Rod McDonald was the Artificial Insemination tech and was glad could relieve him in breeding cows. Within 6 months had the job in Pictou County. She had 65 clients in one county, average of 11 farms a week to visit.
Late 1970s – pure bred bulls – collected semen from the bulls. Jane hired by the co-ops. Semen kept in nitrogen – in Truro. Not very well-paying job until you become a consultant, which Jane became eventually. She had the campground. Debra Tupper (partner at the time) helped with the campground.
With the AI job, she got to know the farmers – now everybody breeds their own cows. Only 9 dairy farms, down from 65. She works with small farms – 3 or 4 cows. Cow has to be in heat – hazards – could get kicked, one incident a cow attacked an AI technician with broken leg and ribs, escaped for his life.
Jane was the first woman in Canada who was an AI technician, was not very accepted – you’re a very nice girl, but it doesn’t seem to be a girl’s job – well, Joe, by your reasoning, are you saying that the women should be jerking off the bulls instead – and he backed off. Farmers had to be shown it worked, were very skeptical. Once the calves started coming – 9 months 10 days, she started being accepted, 1980s. She was full-time in 1978.
When Jane’s mom passed, she left an inheritance – so wanted to do something good.
1994 – going back, to Jersey cows – went to Stonewall 25 in NYC with CatherineHughes?, she paid someone to take care of the cows.
Returning from NYC, they were energized by the Pride parade in NYC. At the time their Member of Parliament -- who we had voted for -- was against LGBTQ people, RosanneSkoke?.
Jane identifies as a queer feminist.
Involved in the NSRAP – wanted the rural areas involved. Motivated to protest against the MP.
It was a video camera on a tripod; but spontaneous in a way, we had voted for this person, to vote against the liberal. We had voted for a woman who spoke against us. WillMurray?, [[RonnieRoach?|Roach]], keen Don MacKay? from Scotsburn Alex Kerr, Tupper – formed a group, strategy – press releases, the usual things, would be helpful to see how our straight friends felt about this, to come here in front of the camera – 10 or 12 people in the video – sent to the Prime Minister’s office, attention from the CBC, milking cows and talking politics. October 3, 1994 – protest people from the Valley, Cape Breton, PEI, at least 100 people. Police officers on the other side of the street in front of MP’s office – with opposite crowd yelling at the LGBTQ community. MP had recruited high school kids to sign up to the Liberal party, was a lawyer. People in the community – a minister – spoke passionately about civil rights, was very articulate. Black Nova Scotian spoke about her community’s racism – I think she was a Morgan, KimVance was active as a teenager and spoke that it was no place for bigotry. That event triggered a group with a name – we have to form a group, inspired by Égale – something bigger than our little group here. Political action group that would cover the whole province.
John Fischer and Jane went to communities – Jane got the be director of Égale. NSRAP was the beginning because of these events. Travelled out of their own pockets – Sydney, etc. Port Hawkesbury – had a meeting with Comeau (Bob Fougère) and his partner – NSRAP: the name born in Yarmouth.
Was inspired to share the beautiful space of the farm with city folk, that’s how the idea for the campground came. Catherine and Jane went to the beach, on the boardwalk close to here – the straight couple with children gave a very homophobic vibe. Jane resents the way we are made to feel like pedophiles – Jane was stained by this myth. Power of the beauty of nature and the animals. These connections can be calming, etc. Basically, the inheritance was used to start The Mermaid and The Cow Campground. The name comes from a love story, about a mermaid and a cow, one a sea creature and one a land creature -- about this different, an odd couple, a non-traditional couple.
The cow in the stained glass was modeled after Jane’s main cow, Clara.
July, 2001: the campground opened.
Joanne Cohoot – had run for NDP – staunch feminist – day that she died,
SvendRobinson got in trouble – lifted off his feet, he was so great – we’re lucky to have had him in the organisation. October 3, 1994, in the streets in New Glasgow.