History
Hubert started Spectacle Lake Pork Farm in his teens with his father Ira, and later brothers Gerald and Cedric joined the firm. The farm expanded to become one of the biggest pork farms in the province, producing high quality pork from high-health breeding stock originally derived from England.
Hubert then opened Spectacle Lake Supplies Ltd, to sell farm equipment and supplies for the rapidly expanding pork industry, as pork farm equipment at the time came mostly from Quebec. The retail store also supplies construction materials and has a rental section with concrete tools and power equipment.
In 2008 the North American Pork Industry collapsed and with the lost revenue, opted to
close the pork farm.
In the 80’s Hubert started Spectacle Lake Concrete & Excavation to service the residential and small commercial markets in Digby County. This rapidly expanded in the years to follow with the purchase of many properties to access rocks, gravel and sand, a 3-deck gravel screen, a rotary trommel screen, excavators, dozers, compactors, wheel loaders, dump trucks and all kinds of support equipment.
In 1993 a Ready-Mix Concrete Plant with 5 concrete delivery trucks was added to the business, but in 2016 with declining sales, the ready-mix concrete plant and trucks were sold.
In early 2000, Hubert and son Robert formed Spec Environmental Solution Inc to dispose of by-products from the rapidly increasing mink farming and pelting industry. Over 2 million dollars was invested to build a large compost facility to handle the amounts of by-products coming in. Around 2010 the world mink industry started to collapse, and with such low prices the local production dropped by approximately 90%. Fortunately, at that time lobster processing
plants and aquaculture firms were expanding in the area, so they were able to start processing fish, lobster, and aquaculture by-product.
University Sainte-Anne in Church Point wanted to install a biomass boiler to reduce their usage of fossil fuel and to reduce heating costs. In 2009 Spec Resources Inc was awarded the contract to supply the university a turn-key biomass heating facility, which included a complete metal building to house the boiler and all equipment. They have been supplying the wood chips fuel since the boiler started in 2009. Some of the empty farm buildings were converted to store dry wood chips to be delivered to the University during the winter. Other buildings were converted to store construction supplies and winter storage for RV’s, campers, boats, cars and motorcycles etc…
In 2009 the remaining companies were amalgamated to Spec Resources Inc to streamline the operation.
As you can see, they had to adapt and make changes to the operation as the industries and markets changed.
