What is a wishing stone?

A wishing stone is a magical stone or pebble that is found near the water

and has a white quartz ring on it somewhere.

The ring must be complete with no breaks or pauses in the circle it forms.

The ring can be crossed by other rings, but must have no beginning and no end in order for the magic to work.

When you find a wishing stone, stand by the water's edge, hold the stone in your hands,

close your eyes and make a silent wish.

Some like to trace the quartz ring with a finger while thinking of their wish, or hold the stone close to their heart.

Once you've made a wish, throw the stone as far into the water as you can.

The Photographer, the Gallery and

the Community

Photo taken by Hillary's son,

Zachary Dionne

"To grow up and have a creative space of my own had been my wishing stone wish since childhood. In 2009, when I opened the gallery, I knew that 'Wishing Stones' would be the perfect name for my endeavor. I still see and feel the magic of this small island, and it is

strong within the walls of

this old building.

~Hillary

Nature in focus. Ocean in form. Art shaped by the wild.

Hillary Dionne is a Big Tancook Island–based nature photographer and sea glass artist whose work is rooted in quiet observation, coastal wanderings, and a deep respect for the natural world. Her creative practice blends two complementary mediums: the lens, which captures fleeting moments of wild beauty, and sea glass, which transforms the ocean’s castoffs into luminous, tactile artworks.

Artistic Approach

Hillary’s photography is defined by an intimate, patient way of seeing. She gravitates toward small details; shifting light on water, the textures of moss and bark, the craggy contours of weathered shorelines. Each image reflects her belief that nature reveals its most meaningful stories in subtle, often overlooked places.

Her sea glass work extends this philosophy. Every piece begins with a shoreline walk, where she collects naturally tumbled glass shaped by decades of tides. These fragments become jewelry and mixed‑media pieces that celebrate renewal, resilience, and the poetry of the coast.

Island life allows one to experience how the natural world ebbs and flows throughout the seasons. The ever-changing mood and atmosphere of this small, rugged Atlantic island nurtures creativity and Hillary tries to convey what she sees and feels in every photograph or inspired creation.

The Gallery Building

In the early 1920s, near the shoreline of Southeast Cove on Big Tancook Island, Nova Scotia, a small building was constructed by a prolific boat builder and entrepreneur named Stanley G. Mason.

This building was his general store.

Over the course of 50 years, as the business grew, so did the building. Everything, including food, fishing gear, hardware and other various dry goods was available at Mason’s shop.

Eventually, Stanley Mason’s grandson, Elmer Cross, became owner of the general store, and he operated the business until 1978 when it was sold to David & Martha Farrar from Massachusetts (Hillary’s parents). They ran the general store for the next 26 years.

In 2004 the Farrars retired and the general store closed its doors, as there were not enough island residents left

to support the business.

Mid-summer in 2009, the old building started to come back to life after five years being used mainly for storage.

A few repairs were done, some fresh, colourful paint was applied and Hillary opened

Wishing Stones Studio & Gallery; a photographic display of landscapes, seascapes

and glimpses of island flora and fauna.

Over the next few years a gift shop, lending library and games room evolved and the Tancook Island Museum collection was brought into the building from the little shed next door.

The Gift Shop

Wishing Stones started out as a photo gallery, but soon evolved into an artisan’s shop with all kinds of beautiful, hand made art and gifts. All items that are available in the gift shop at Wishing Stones were made by people residing on, or with connections to, Big and Little Tancook.

Examples of what you may find available to purchase at Wishing Stones include photography, beach glass treasures and jewelry, hooked rugs, preserves, homemade soaps, resin art, paintings and painted stones, stitchery and fabric art, woodwork, leatherwork, and so much more.

The Tancook Island Museum

In the 1990s Hillary’s mother, Martha Farrar, unintentionally started to collect artifacts for what would become the Tancook Island Museum.

Driving down the island’s roads one day, she noticed an old ice chest at the end of a driveway that someone had put out for trash collection. Martha stopped her car and knocked on the door of the homeowner,

asking if she could have the ice chest, rather than it be thrown out.

She took it home and put it in her shed and pretty soon she found herself collecting all manner of vintage household items, farming tools and fishing gear that island residents were getting rid of.

Martha brought all these items home and put them in the shed,

alongside her first acquisition.

One day, she opened the shed door and thought,

“My gosh, it’s like looking into a museum!”

So she cleared out the old fishing gear building beside the general store,

took her collection of discarded island artifacts and arranged them

so they could be seen by all.

That was the birth of the Tancook Island Museum.

In 2010, Martha’s museum pieces were moved into the gallery building

where there were rooms available for the bedroom, kitchen

and tool collections.

The Lending Library

There is a lending library in the gallery that consists of thousands of books and movies, as well as a games room with lots of games and puzzles. Islanders and cottagers can borrow and return books,

movies and games, year-round.

The gallery is closed for business between September 30th and June 1st, but the door gets unlocked for anyone who needs a handful of books and a few more movies to get them through the colder months.

The Community

The continued success of Wishing Stones is largely due to the incredible support of the island community

and visitors from far and wide. Over the years, fundraising events and donations from family, friends

and visiting tourists have allowed necessary repairs to be done to the old building.

Spongy, damaged floors have been lifted and repaired or even replaced. Deteriorated walls have been torn down and rebuilt. A new metal roof was installed, ending years of leaks with drip-catching buckets below.

The monetary donations that allowed the purchase of lumber and materials has been a blessing.

The hard work of amazing friends and family who volunteer their time and skills to do

the necessary renovations and repairs has been immeasurable.

Because of all this, Stanley Mason’s 100+ year old building is still an integral part of this island community.

It’s still a place where people gather and celebrate and share.

It's a place that is near and dear to to the hearts of many people and it will always be a place where

everyone is welcome.

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