The Molly Kool Heritage Centre
Molly Kool: North America’s First Female Licensed Ship Captain
Molly (Myrtle) Kool was born in the small fishing village of Alma, New Brunswick in 1916. She grew up on the shores and waters of the Bay of Fundy, helping her father on his ship, the Jean K. She joined the Merchant Marines when she was 21 and received her Master Mariner’s designation at the age of 23. Molly Kool captained the ship she grew up on until her retirement, navigating the highest tides in the world with skill.
Early Alma
At a time when most women lived and worked in their homes while raising children, Molly Kool was breaking gender barriers and doing what she loved most – seafaring. She was the first woman in North America to captain a commercial shipping vessel and had a successful career sailing the waters of the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of St. Lawrence – two bodies of water that were challenging and sometimes dangerous to navigate. She was skilled and respected in her field.
Molly and her family sledding
Molly Kool didn’t just break ground and garner success in the male-dominated sea-faring world. She inspired generations of women and girls to follow their dreams, no matter what the social boundaries of the time may have been. Many more women went on to pursue careers at sea because of her example and Maritime history would not be quite the same without the legacy of Molly Kool.
Molly Kool’s childhood home, now the Molly Kool Heritage Centre, is located at the entrance to Fundy National Park at the edge of Alma Village and is stewarded by Friends of Fundy, a community non-profit charitable organization dedicated to providing public awareness and enjoyment of the natural and cultural heritage of Fundy National Park and surrounding communities.
Molly Kool Museum, Alma, NB
The Molly Kool Award
In honour of the contributions that Molly Kool made to both Maritime history and women’s history, Friends of Fundy created the Molly Kool Award to recognize women in Southeastern New Brunswick for their outstanding contributions to the community at large in such areas as arts, culture, conservation, and environmental stewardship.
Nominations for the Molly Kool Award open each year in May and are presented in October during the annual Alma Fleet Launch Celebration.
Award Nomination
Do you know a woman in Southeastern NB, who through the execution of their job, volunteering, or personal endeavours – enriches the community fabric in a significant way - in the arts, with the environment and natural world, alongside neighbours and others with whom they connect? A person who would not normally seek recognition for their contributions?
If so, you can nomination them for the Molly Kool Award. Simply complete the form below to enter the nominee for award selection.
BEFORE YOU START, PLEASE NOTE:
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To complete the nomination form, you will need 2 letters supporting your nomination. Please have them ready to upload.
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Fields with * are required to complete the form.