East Coast Living Fall 2022 by Metro Guide Publishing

east coast Inspiring home life in Atlantic Canada LIVING OYSTERS: AN EAST COAST APPLE-INFUSEDDREAMCAMPOBELLODELICACYISLANDCOTTAGECOCKTAILS A SPINNEWON A CLASSICLOOK Themodernfarmhouse

The Art of Living 5431 Doyle Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia www.studio21.ca | fineart@studio21.ca | @studio21fineart Contemporary Art & Ceramics Artists depicted: John Macnab (sculpture) Gerald Ferguson, Jean-François Provost (paintings) Joël Brodovsky-Adams (ceramic) All furniture courtesy of Project 9 Furniture

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FALL 2022 ··· eastcoast living .ca 3 contents Afternoon and high teas are making a comeback 32 FALL 2022 46 LAST LOOK THE LIST 12 Décor: From rustic grunge to coastal chic Discover the simple — and economical — joys of upcycling furniture 14 Trends: Planning a much-needed girls' weekend? From yoga to guided hikes, it’s time to think outside the box 28 People: Teens pour hearts into candle making Noël & Co. grows from fundraiser to booming business 30 People: Curiouser and curiouser Artist Adam McNamara finds inspiration in the Acadian forest FEATURES 16 New spin on a classic look Modern farmhouse graces Fredericton’s West Hills neighbourhood 22 Combining history and home Campobello cottage renovation celebrates island’s past 32 In depth: Time for tea Afternoon and high teas are making a comeback DEPARTMENTS 5 Editor's message I hope the East Coast staycation is here to stay 36 Eating in: Briny bivalves! Oysters: An East Coast delicacy 40 Eating in: Yes, you can Canning is back 42 Libations: 'Tis apple season Forget pumpkins. In Nova Scotia, it's all about the apples 45 Buying Guide 46 Last look: Cute stuff for cute people Artist combines a love of animals and art to create whimsical pieces

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The man laughs. “I always like to try local beer when I go anywhere.” My husband does the same thing. I prefer a beer I know I’ll like. We strike up a conversation with the couple and they tell us they’re from Florida and have been travelling around the Maritimes for the past few weeks. This is their last stop.

“Campobello is our favourite place we visited,” the woman tells us. “It’s just so peaceful here.” I’m not surprised. It’s an easy place to love. Before our trip in July, I knew next to nothing about Campobello Island. It’s sometimes referred to as “Canada’s forgotten island,” and now that I’ve seen it, I think that’s a fitting description. I can’t believe I hadn’t been there before.

Located on the southwest corner of New Brunswick, close to the Maine border, Campobello isn’t easy to get to from Halifax. It took many hours of driving and two ferry rides. (But that too felt like an adventure!) Once there, the scenery is lovely: high cliffs and small islands dot the coast, as do pictur esque lighthouses, fishing weirs and passing whale-watching boats. The island is also home to the Roosevelt Campobello International Park, which pays homage to the island’s unique Canadian/American relationship. I toured former U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt’s summer home (now a museum) and attended the daily “Tea with Eleanor,” where I learned about the former First Lady’s fascinating life. Throughout the first two years of the pandemic, there was a noticeable shift in people vacationing close to home. Although many are now travelling beyond our borders, the idea of the staycation hasn’t gone away. People are still exploring Atlantic Canada. They are staying in domes, yurts, campgrounds and Airbnbs. Trying new restaurants, hiking trails and having other outdoor adventures. This kind of travel often leads to off-the-beaten-path shops and opportunities to support local artisans and businesses. It’s a wonderful trend.

I hope the East Coast staycation is here to stay

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In this issue of East Coast Living, we move from the laidback leisure days of summer to my favourite season, fall. Check out writer Colleen Thompson’s wonderful apple-infused cocktail recipes (page 42), plus her feature celebrating the East Coast oyster industry (page 36). We also look at several talented local makers: teenage twins who turned candle-making into a booming business (page 28), an artist who finds inspiration in the forest for making wood creations (page 30), and a former veterinarian who combines her love of animals with her handmade ceramic figurines (page 46). Also in this issue is the article that brought me to Campobello: a fabulous cottage reno that celebrates the island’s charm and history. I had the opportunity to spend time with the owners, the lovely Dennis and Margaret Haire from Indiana, and found out why they have made it their mission to promote the island they’ve visited every summer for the past 34 years. And finally, our cover story featuring Laurie Cole’s beautiful new home in Fredericton, N.B. Visit our website to see even more photos from this amazing property.

EditorLoriEnjoy!McKay,ecl@metroguide.caEastCoastLivingEastCoastLivingMagazine

M y husband and I take a seat on the porch of a restaurant called The Porch on Campobello Island, N.B., and look out over the water. From our table, we see a busy fishing wharf and beyond that, Passamaquoddy Bay and Eastport, Maine. When the server comes by, my husband points to the guy at the table beside us — more specifically, the man’s beer. “I’ll have what he’s having.”

FALL 2022 ··· eastcoast living .ca 5

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FALL 2022 ··· eastcoast living .ca 7 On our cover: Laurie Cole of New View Designs at her home in Fredericton’s West Hills. Photo: Bang-On Photography PRODUCED BY METRO GUIDE PUBLISHING For editorial and advertising inquiries: 2882 Gottingen St., Halifax, N.S. B3K 3E2 Tel. 902-420-9943 Fax 902-422-4728 Email: publishers@metroguide.ca metroguide.ca · eastcoastliving.ca To subscribe, call: 1-877-885-6344 email: circulation@metroguide.ca or subscribe online: eastcoastliving.ca Canada: one year (four issues), $17.99+HST; U.S.A.: one year, $25.00 (Canadian funds). Subscriptions are non-refundable. If a subscription needs to be cancelled, where applicable, credits can be applied to other Metro Guide Publishing titles (Saltscapes,Unravel Halifax, or At Home). Please note that each circumstance is unique and election to make an offer in one instance does not create obligation to do so in another. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions that may occur. All uncredited photography is either supplied or sourced from a stock image bank. Return undeliverable addresses to Metro Guide Publishing at the address above. Volume 25, Number 3, Fall 2022 ISSN 1714-1834 Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064799 East Coast Living is a Metro Guide publication. MORE MARITIME MURDER Deadly Crimes of the Buried Past Steve Vernon TWENTY NEW SPINE-TINGLING TALES OF COLD-BLOODED P.E.I.Cavendish,BeautifulView:The METRO 25 Riverside Drive Charlottetown, P.E.I. C1A 9R9 (902) 894-5536 www.MetroPEI.com Viewed to be the best PUBLISHER Fred Fiander · fredfiander@metroguide.ca EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Crystal Murray · crystalmurray@metroguide.ca SENIOR EDITORS Trevor J. Adams · trevoradams@metroguide.ca Lori McKay · lorimckay@metroguide.ca CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jodi DeLong · jodidelong@metroguide.ca Janet Whitman · janetwhitman@metroguide.ca VICE-PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Linda Gourlay · lindagourlay@metroguide.ca ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Stephanie Balcom · stephaniebalcom@metroguide.ca Connie Cogan · conniecogan@metroguide.ca Susan Griffin · susangriffin@metroguide.ca Pam Hancock · pamhancock@metroguide.ca SENIOR DIRECTOR CREATIVE DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Shawn Dalton · shawndalton@metroguide.ca GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Andrezza Nascimento · andrezzanascimento@metroguide.ca Roxanna Boers · roxannaboers@metroguide.ca PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Nicole McNeil · nicolemcneil@metroguide.ca PRODUCTION & DESIGN ASSISTANT Kathleen Hoang · kathleenhoang@metroguide.ca PRINTING Advocate Printing & Publishing

Online eastcoastliving.ca Find additional images from our stories and more on Missedeastcoastliving.caanissue?Discover back issues of on our website, plus recipes, stories and sneak peeks into upcoming issues of our magazine. WHITEPOINT.COM 1.800.565.5068 Stare at the stars, listen to the sea, or re ect by the lake. Wake up to stunning panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean in our Oceanfront Treehouses. Soak in your own private hot tub, tucked under the forest canopy, in our Lakeside Glomes. Fall in sync with the ebb and ow of the tides as the rest of the world falls away in our Oceanfront Cottages. Plan your Fall getaway with us, and immerse yourself in nature, without leaving any comforts behind. Visit our website, or scan with your camera app, to learn more. Escape the ordinary this Fall. SCAN ME 9 02- 49 9 -132 3 Jarrett@reddoorrealty.ca reddoorrealty.ca

STEVE SMITH “Time for tea” Steve Smith is a photographercommercial at VisionFire Studios located in Pictou, N.S., shooting for a wide range of clientele throughout Atlantic Canada. visionfire.ca @VisionFire classic“PHOTOGRAPHYBANG-ONNewspinonalook”

Chris Griffiths is a New spendsphotographerbasedBrunswick-commercialandalotof his working hours on the road shooting for companies throughout Atlantic Canada. His work can be seen at bangonphoto.com

JOAN ALLABY “New spin on a classic look” Joan Allaby is hasinstructor.part-timefreelanceFredericton-basedawriterandPilatesHerworkappearedinYour Teen and Rural Delivery magazines. An avid gardener, she’s always trying to squeeze one more plant into an already overflowing garden.

BRUCE MURRAY

“Planning a muchneeded into“weekend?”andgirls'Teenspourheartscandlemaking”

Meet our contributors

LINDSEY BUNIN “Teens pour hearts into candle making” Lindsey Bunin is a marketer by day and a writer by choice. She’s lived in Nova Scotia for more than half her life and is yet to run out of unique people, places and small businesses to discover. Lindsey lives in a house full of men — her teacher husband and two tween sons — which means she’s perpetually making snacks and watching sports.

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Bruce has been creating food and lifestyle photography for more than 20 years in the Maritimes and in his original studio in Vancouver. visionfire.ca @VisionFire

JANET WHITMAN

ALEC BRUCE “ Yes, you can” Alec Bruce is AmericanCanadianappearbylinesjournalistaward-winninganwhoseregularlyinmajorand publications. He recently completed a master of fine arts in creative nonfiction at the University of King’s College in Halifax.

WE DRONE “Combining history and home” Christine virtualaerialspecializesphotographerMacTavishPoley-isa360°whoin360°imagesandtours.She is the owner of WeDrone NB and holds an Advanced Operations drone pilot licence through Transport Canada. She focuses on real estate, vacation home photography as well as website development in the South Western part of New Brunswick. Some of her work can be seen on the WeDrone NB Facebook page as well as at kenmactavish.com

“From rustic grunge to coastal chic” Janet Whitman is a andbetweendivideslovingcity-and-nature-journalistwhohertimeHalifaxhercottageon the Northumberland Shore. She's happiest digging in the dirt, picking up a hammer or messing around in the kitchen.

AMEETA VOHRA “Cute stuff for cute people” and “Time for tea” Ameeta Vohra is a journalist with work throughoutpublished North America and internationally. Her Halifax Magazine story "Thunderstruck" was a 2020 Atlantic Journalism Awards silver medallist. REBECCA DINGWELL “Curiouser and curiouser” Rebecca Dingwell is a freelance writer, editor and columnist in writehopesN.S.K'jipuktuk/Halifax,Oneday,shetogetpaidtoabouthorses.

“THOMPSONCOLLEENBrinybivalves!” and “ʼTis apple season” Colleen Thompson is an winningaward-writer and Shephotographer.favours writing about food and drink, which often involves wild edibles and foraging. She loves the art of a crafted cocktail and the storytelling that accompanies it. A qualified wine sommelier, she loves wine without pomp and ceremony. If there’s a wild beach she’s in her happy place and she’s always in search of new ones.

KAREN KERR “Planning a muchneeded weekend?”girls' Karen Kerr is an RHN, RYT and freelance writer. She loves sharing her healthy living tips on her Instagram Vivaciousliving. Karen lives between a place in Halifax and a beautiful lake house with her husband and daughter. When she isn’t hiking in the woods with her dog, Bella, you can find her hosting corporate and yoga retreats at The Oaks Seaside Retreat in Chester Basin.

get inspired eastcoastliving.caSubscribe|877.885.6344OFFERCODE:ECLAD2022-ECL with a uniquely Atlantic Canadian twist VisionFireSmith,Steve

BY JANET WHITMAN

“I stripped the top and then I used oil paint and a multitude of colours,” she recalls. “It was an advanced job. It took me three months. I painted the body, and it wasn’t great, but everyone went gaga over it, and it sold in three days.”

ith a bit of sandpaper, a few coats of paint and some grit, a Kijiji or yard-sale bargain can become a timeless treasure.

Piece by Melisa Yale

From rustic grunge coastal chicto

And it’s a trend that more and more people are getting into these days.

Known as upcycling, the increasingly popular trend can make an interior feel more lived in, personal and special, not to mention“That’seco-friendly.mygo-tonow — reusing what you have to make it fresh and new,” says Melisa Yale, whose ReFresh Home and Design shop in Wolfville, N.S. specializes in such pieces.

COASTAL CHIC

Janice Bureau of Halifax has upcycled more than 150 pieces of furniture since she first started dabbling four years ago. Her first project was a huge dresser, which she’d never recom mend for a beginner.

“A lot of stuff you buy from Wayfair or furniture shops is either from China or Indonesia and it’s full of gases and chemicals,” says Yale. “The East Coast has a tradition of hand-me-downs. Maybe your aunt has an old dresser kind of thing. Let’s keep that tradition up. It’s authentic … We should be doing more thrifting.”

Create a coastal chic look by sanding down an old, orange-tinged pine dresser and bleaching the wood out with a special kit. Then, you marry the piece with a new couch or chairs, which are much more difficult and costly to have reupholstered, says Yale.

A better starting point would be picking something smaller that’s in decent shape and 100-per-cent wood, says Bureau, who goes by the handle “theColourBureau” on Instagram.

STUDIOSVISIONFIREMURRAY,BRUCEPHOTO:

Discover the simple — and economical — joys of upcycling furniture

“It’s the hardest colour to paint with,” she says. “Typically, your furniture will bleed through. You’ll need a primer and to prep it. Then you’ll need maybe three or four coats. Once you get it painted, you’ll need to make sure your clear coat is impeccable, so it doesn’t stain the white. I love the look, but I don’t like to paint in it.” Pieces typically take anywhere from a day to a week to complete. “It all depends on what you want to do,” she says. “With grunge or rustic, where you have a lot of colours coming through, that takes a few days because you have to let each layer dry, or you get smudging and a swampy look.”

Melisa Yale, owner of ReFresh Home and Design shop in Wolfville, N.S. Piece by Janice Bureau

SUBMITTEDPHOTO: 2022 eastcoast living

“Pure wood has its own issues, but the paint will stick to it, and you can sand it. When you get into other things like laminate, that’s a whole different beast. If it starts peeling on you, you’ve got to make the decision to pull it all back, which can take weeks. And it’s not regarded as well as wood. If you say you have 100-per-cent wood, people will be drawn to that.”

“After you prep the piece and you’re ready to paint it, you start with a base coat in whatever colour you want,” she says. “Typically, it’s a grey, black or brown, sometimes red. After that, you start layering. You might put another coat on, and you might sand it back, and another and water it down, or another and use a sponge or scraper to make it look as authentic as possible.”

ANYBODY CAN DO IT Bureau is self-taught with the help of YouTube videos. “I had no idea how many products there would be, how many applications and embel lishments. It’s astronomical. It can be very intimidating,” she says. “For me, I just love taking a piece of furniture and changing it from a regular brown to something that looks artistic. It’s something anybody can do if they love it.”

FARMHOUSE STYLE In Atlantic Canada, anything slugged “farm house” gets attention, says Bureau. Coffee bars, consoles and side tables are popular. Greens and blues are in, especially on the coast, but white might be the most popular.

Upcycling is not always a financial thing, says Yale, who worked in nursing before shift ing gears a few years ago to pursue her love of home décor. “I have people coming to my store with these sentimental items and they’re say ing, ‘Can you redo it? I still love it, but I want it to look fresh.’”

Furniture upcycled by Janice Bureau of Halifax. She finds pieces on Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji, and also gets many of her items for free.

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.ca 13 DÉCOR

RUSTIC STYLE Bureau’s niche is anything rustic. “There’s rustic farmhouse. There’s rustic grunge. The only style I don’t like to do is modern,” she says. “I like to do the pieces that, if you went to Newfoundland and there was an old house and they had a piece of furniture tucked away on the deck and exposed to all the elements, that’s the look I love to achieve. You can’t capture that in a big-boxClientsstore.”have commissioned her to do several pieces in that style, which involves applying layer after layer with various techniques to create a distressed look.

Yale strives to keep her services affordable. “I don’t charge an arm and a leg. It’s a lot of work, what I do. But I love doing it. And if people say, ‘I think I can do it myself,’ I’m like ‘right on.’” She plans to add products to her store, such as environmentally friendly wood bleach kits, for“IDIYers.thinkthis is the way of the future,” says

···

Working from home, Bureau finds pieces on Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji and gets many of her items for free. “People who buy stuff will contact me and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got this old buffet. Would you like to come get it?’” After four years in business, she has a good sense of what sells and what doesn’t. “I’m care ful about what I buy,” she says. “I say to myself, ‘Would I put that in my home?’ I’ve never had anything not sell.”

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s I placed the last linen napkin on my outdoor table, I smiled. In just a few short hours I would be surrounded by my girlfriends, in what felt like a long overdue reunion.

It had been pre-pandemic since I’d seen a few of them, and my girlfriends are some of my favourite people. Many I’ve known since childhood. They hold secrets, memories and witnessed a thousand firsts. Others are friends I made as an adult, through shared life stages. They are my soft place to land and the shoulders I lean on when life’s weight feels crushing.

When I organized my recent weekend getaway, my goal was to maximize the time together and minimize the work.

Take-home treats and personal touches always add something memorable to a girls' weekend.

From yoga to guided hikes, it’s time to think outside the box a

much-needed

If it’s been a while since someone in your friend group hosted a gathering, perhaps this article will inspire you to start making plans!

LOCATION & FOOD

girls’ weekend?BYKARENKERRPHOTOSBYBRUCEMURRAY,VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

When planning location and food, I suggest everyone pool their money and hire/buy/outsource as much as possible. Consider renting a nearby cottage or venue, that way no one has to frantically clean their home before and after. Hire a chef to come in and make a delicious meal, pre-order charcuterie boards, or try out a new recipe a day or two before, so you have easy “made ahead” meals.

Planning

Remember to ease into your weekend. We are often so busy getting ready that we can’t really relax for the first few hours. Allow for the transition by lighting some candles, encourage comfy loungewear, set out some snacks and then have everyone sink into the couches for the catch-up and laughter that will ensue.

TRENDS

WHAT TO DO As for activities, I like to have a few planned, but with plenty of downtime. In the morning, after a nature walk or yoga, I like to do something creative. Perhaps bring in a local artist to teach an art project and laugh over everyone’s attempts to draw or paint. In the afternoon, I like to have some flexibility. A few people might want to head out and poke around a local vintage shop, while others want to enjoy the fresh air with a hike. Giving options allows each guest to choose. I also like to find unique activities. Consider hiring or asking a friend to teach you something new, such as a local forager who can take you on a nature walk and then explain how to brew an edible tea from the findings. We are overly blessed in the Maritimes with outdoor fall activities — from corn mazes and apple picking to long walks on the beach. Between the ocean and the forests, the options really are endless.

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER On social media, we often see girls’ weekends involving women drowning their sorrows with massive amounts of wine, and I caution against it. The point of having time away from our daily lives is to truly feel rested and restored. I’m not saying don’t drink, I’m just suggesting you ask yourself beforehand how much focus you want to give it.

Specializing in custom designed homes & buildings that use our signature, hand crafted, panelization system Learn more at www interhabs ca I N T E R H A B S info@interhabs ca 902.857.1616 Hubbards, NS Karen Kerr recommends a few planned activities, such as yoga, and plenty of downtime. For the Hibiscus Grapefruit Fizz recipe, visit our website eastcoastliving.ca

If you typically drink a lot during your ladies’ trips, you might also have a great time drinking less, or not at all. It’s an experiment that has paid off for me. I find I sleep better, feel better during the day and truly enjoy my precious me-time. I hope you find some time this fall for the respite and laughter that only your friends can give you.

I spoke with Wendy McCallum who hosts the popular podcast Bite-Sized Balance, and she encourages women to consider their options and be curious about new experiences.

Fredericton’s West neighbourhoodHills

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Modern farmhouse graces BY JOAN ALLABY PHOTOS BY BANG-ON PHOTOGRAPHY

spinNew on a

Llookclassic

aurie Cole had just started her home staging business when Tim Kelly, a Fredericton police officer and part-time builder, hired her. They worked so well together they decided to join forces. In 2010, they launched New View Designs, a onestop-shop design and building service. They’ve since completed projects for dozens of clients, winning multiple awards for design and workmanship.

Laurie and Tim’s relationship later progressed from business partners to marriage partners. In 2019, they had begun plans to build their own home in Fredericton’s West Hills neighbourhood when Tim was diagnosed with cancer.

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Laurie Cole prefers a “less is more” approach to design. Her minimal style is reflected throughout the two-storey, modern farmhouse.

Laurie prefers a “less is more” approach to design. Her minimal style is reflected throughout the twostorey, modern farmhouse she and Tim designed together. “With this house,” says Laurie, “we’ve put a modern spin on a very traditional design, adding some rustic touches and interesting details.”

Sadly, Tim passed away in May 2019.

Despite the diagnosis, Laurie wanted to move forward with the build because, she explains, she was looking for ways to motivate Tim. “He loved building houses. If there was anything that was going to keep him going, it would be that.”

With COVID-19, labour shortages and supply chain issues, the build has taken longer than expected but Laurie and Tim’s home is almost finished.

The main floor features an open floorplan. White walls contrast with black on the window trim, doors, and ceilings (yes, black ceilings), creating a clean, modern feel. Ten-foot ceilings and an abundance of windows give the home an airy brightness. Within the open floor plan, Laurie has created distinct spaces by using different materials and structures, tying the spaces together by repeating key design elements. The foyer, for example, visually divides the house into kitchen on one side and living space on the other. A wide strip of dark grey ceramic tile in a herringbone pattern leads directly from the front door to the back door, forming an open hallway.

Since her husband’s death, Laurie has assumed responsibility for the building side of the business as well as the design side. Despite the added responsibility, she decided to continue with the build. “It was going to be our home,” she says.

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Laurie also used black on the living room ceiling. Here, her team has built an impressive 20’ ceiling covered in shiplap boards. White walls, white oak flooring and lots of windows create a bright, light-filled space despite the dark ceiling. The light wood tones of a mid-century style sideboard and drum-shaped coffee table add warmth to the room.

COVER FEATURE

“I tend to keep furnishings neutral, so I can switch things up easily. I like to add interest with texture or a unique pattern on an accent piece,” Laurie explains, indicating the room’s pale grey sofas and mix of throw pillows.

Ten-foot ceilings and an abundance of windows give the home an airy brightness.

A coffered ceiling with white beams between black ceiling further defines the area.

An elegant double-sided gas fireplace divides the living room from the dining room. Friends and family can enjoy intimate dinners around a custom dining table with a beautiful three-inch thick walnut top supported by an iron base. Laurie had a dry bar built in at one end of the room and finished the wall above in stone. “We handpicked the stones and grout-washed them white to create a French farmhouse feel.”

On the other side of the open hallway is a galley-style kitchen with a large island on one side and stainlesssteel appliances and sleek white cabinets on the other.

Laurie has repeated the grout-washed stone seen in the dining room on the kitchen’s back wall. She’s especially proud of the glass cabinets installed on this wall on either side of the range hood.

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A short hallway off the living room leads to the master bedroom where large windows look onto the backyard. Here, Laurie has added a subtle touch of colour with Sherwin Williams “Livable Green” for a restful feel. An ensuite bathroom and walk-in closet complete the suite.

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“They were a must-have,” she says of the cabinets designed and built by the New View team. “I envisioned being able to see the stone through the cabinet. The black framing ties in with the black elsewhere in the house, again for that modern look with the rustic farmhouse details.”

Outside, you’ll find an outdoor cooking, dining and gathering space.

“It’s an amazing house,” Laurie says with a smile. “My husband would love it.”

At the other end of the room, a breakfast nook with built-in benches provides a cozy setting for casual dining. An outdoor kitchen taking shape under the covered porch just outside the back door extends the cooking, dining and gathering space.

A walk-in pantry, powder room, laundry room and small office complete the main floor. Because the house is built on a slab, Laurie has included lots of storage: large closets, built-ins, cupboards in the laundry room and so on. An open staircase with black railings and three-inch treads, stained to match the downstairs oak flooring, leads to the second floor. “The first floor has everything you might need for one-floor living. The second floor has three more bedrooms, including a master suite and spa bathroom with a steam shower, so it provides a comfortable, private space for guests. This house would be great for a family, too. Kids could hang out in the upstairs seating area, watch TV or play games while mom and dad relax downstairs.”

COVER FEATURE

Campobello reno celebrates island’s past BY LORI Mc

cottage

CombiningKAYhistory and home DRONEWEPHOTO:

22 eastcoast living .ca ··· FALL 2022

The idea of building was overwhelming, so they bought a small cottage. It was about 500 square feet and could sleep six. It had a it wouldn’t be as good.”

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“We spent a couple days going all over the island looking at magnificent pieces of land perched on cliffs with these unbelievable, bold ocean views,” says Dennis.

classifieds, the Campobello Company was advertising oceanfront lots. He called the tollfree number and was offered a free night’s stay.

In the mid 1980s, Margaret and Dennis began renting a cottage on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts and fell in love with the Atlantic coast. They began looking for an affordable oceanfront cottage that would give them a place to spend their summers with their young children. While on their way home from vacation one year, a fellow traveller left a Boston Globe on their seat at the airport and Dennis picked it up. Under the Maine real estate

“If it were easier to get to, T wo flags fly proudly on Dennis and Margaret Haire’s cottage property. One is Canadian, the other American. They symbolize both the story of their summer home on New Brunswick’s Campobello Island, and the couple themselves.

When the Haire’s, who are from Evansville, Indiana, first visited the Canadian island back in 1988, they had no idea the impact it would have on their lives. Known for its breathtaking views, whale watching and unique Roosevelt Campobello International Park, the couple promotes their small piece of paradise whenever they can. It was a stroke of luck that first brought the Haires to Campobello.

MLORIPHOTO: c KAY

Dennis is forever on the hunt for local arti facts. “When I see something interesting that I know is no longer being used, I ask ‘Before you throw this out, can I have it?’” he says.

“I thought it should stay on the island,” says Dennis. So he bought it.

There are many other nods to local history throughout the cottage. Even the kitchen island has a story. “It’s an old store counter,” says Margaret. “It still has a place for the cash register, and we added drawers where the chair would have sat.”

SEA URCHIN COTTAGE

The wooden countertops were made from 1780s attic board from Maine and a panel of antique ceiling tile for the backsplash above the stovetop is from St. Andrews, N.B. Hanging high on the far wall is a giant sign with gold leaf lettering, and a hand-painted fish, for H. Jackson Fish Market, which burned in the winter of 2021. The sign dates back to 1880. “It was a big, two-sided company sign,” says Dennis. “It was meant to be seen from the sea.” Until the early 1900s, it hung on an iron pole for all to see. Then, after countless years in someone’s attic, it was going to be sold to a Boston antique dealer.

DRONEWEPHOTO: Although it's now spacious and modern, many hints of the original 1959 cottage remain. And not only does it hold countless family memories, it’s also full of island artifacts.

Well-known Campobello boat builders Varn and Morris Fletcher built the cottage in 1959 for a retired FBI agent. “Because they were boat builders, it’s built like a boat with very high windows,” says Dennis. In 2015, they completed their first major renovation with the addition of a master bed room, office, screened-in porch and open decks. In 2019, they began a second reno, this time adding a mud room, expanded their living room, including a nautical-themed loft, plus more open decks and a new kitchen. The original kitchen, which was at the back of the cottage, became a spare bedroom, and they built a new kitchen on the side. With a marble topped island (with marble from Nova Scotia), white walls and backsplash comple menting lots of natural light, the space is bright and modern, but contains many hints of the past throughout.

The set of ship’s lights that hang in their porch originally used whale oil and kerosene, but he converted them to electricity. The porch columns are from the old Jackson home, which was next to the fish market. Many of the doors are from other old houses on the island. They bought a mantel at a yard sale for $50. (They even have

24 eastcoast living .ca ··· FALL 2022 breathtaking view of the bay, small islands, and off in the distance the far hills of mainland New Brunswick. And a bonus: its own private beach. They named it Sea Urchin Cottage, and 34 years later, they still return every summer.

A dresser came from one of the original luxury hotels on the island. And the living room clock is from an old Campobello ship.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

The door to the ensuite bathroom was a particularly interesting find. Margaret was look ing in the shed that stored the local church’s annual rummage sale items and looked down to see everything stacked on an arched shaped door. She asked if she could have the door if she made a donation. They said yes and she promptly took it home and had the contractor install it during the remodel.

FALL 2022 ··· eastcoast living .ca 25

The bay in front of the Haire’s cottage is part of the Bay of Fundy and is as deep as 76 metres in parts — deep enough for cargo ships to pass by. The private beach — only accessible from their property by 54 very steep steps down — is known as Bulldog Beach, because when the tide is low, there’s a rock formation that resembles a bulldog. Over the centuries, several ships sunk nearby, which likely adds to the abundance of unique finds that wash up.

DRONEWEPHOTO:

MLORIPHOTO: c KAY

a picture of where it hung in its original home).

Dennis and Margaret Haire at Sea Urchin Cottage on Campobello Island, N.B.

Throughout the cottage, you’ll find table surfaces, shelves and window ledges lined with 34 years of beachcombing treasures: a seem ingly endless collection of colourful beach glass, pottery pieces, teacup handles, starfish, crab shells, sand dollars and even whale bones.

“This was a beautiful place to introduce our kids to marine life,” he says. “Finback and minke whales, and the very rare right whale,

FEATURE

Top: A selection of jewelry that Dennis designed with beach glass and pottery found on their beach.

“We rebuilt our kids’ treehouse from 1992,” says Dennis. “We made it larger with five beds and added windows, instead of just screens, as well as a small deck.” They also built a new barn/garage, with an attic for sleeping and a play area for the grand kids, who they welcomed back this summer after two years of COVID-19 restrictions. The pandemic was a difficult time for everyone when it came to travel. Luckily, the Haires’ were able to return to Canada in the summer of 2020 to complete their cottage renovations, as the couple also own tourist rental properties on the island and housing is considered an essential service. In the 2020 cottage renovation, the Haires rebuilt their original kids’ treehouse from 1992, making it larger and adding windows instead of screens, more beds and an open deck.

Dennis and Margaret now get to share this experience with their seven grandchildren, ages three to 10, when they visit in the summers. In addition to the interior updates to the cottage, the latest reno also included a few changes outside.

Left: The door to the couple's ensuite bathroom is from a local church.

26 eastcoast living .ca ··· FALL 2022

MLORIPHOTOS: c KAY can be seen right in front of the cottage. Plus, the seals and sea birds.”

The Haires agree. “Campobello Island is a very special place,” says Dennis.

A set of binoculars that once belonged to former U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt.

FEATURE HOW TO GET THERE

“Visitors to our cottage say it takes them back in time,” says Dennis.

Dennis still has the classified ad that first brought him to the island in 1988, among many others. One advertisement for Campobello reads, “this part of the Maine and Atlantic Canadian coast is hard to reach-beyond the interstates, beyond the chain restaurants and chain hotels. If it were easier to get to it, wouldn’t be as good.” Another claims, “This place is too beautiful for its own good.”

MLORIPHOTOS: c KAY

The newspaper1988 ad that first brought Dennis and Margaret Haire to Campobello Island.

FALL 2022 ··· eastcoast living .ca 27 Before the pandemic, about 85-to-90 per cent of the renters were American tourists, but that all changed with COVID.

THE CANADA/U.S. CONNECTION A bridge connects Campobello to Lubec, Maine, but to get there from Canada you have to take two ferries. One from LeTete, N.B. to Deer Island, and then a second to Campobello.

PRESERVING HISTORY Dennis and Margaret are collectors by nature and the cottage is filled with 34 years of artifacts they gathered to preserve the local history of Campobello Island and its people.

“The first year of the pandemic we were 100-per-cent Canadian,” says Margaret. “Last year was probably 50-50. This year we’re back up to 60-per-cent Americans.” Permanent residency on the island is around 860, but that number increases in the summer with its many seasonal residents. “The people of the island are extremely self-sufficient,” says Margaret. And they have to be. There are only two small grocery stores, a pharmacy with limited hours, a few mechanics and a marine supply store. There’s no bank or gas station.

To reach Campobello Island from Canada, take the ferry from LeTete, N.B. to Deer Island and then a second ferry to Campobello. The islands are close to the mainland and each other, so the crossings are short. You can also drive through the U.S. and take the bridge from Lubec, Maine.

The walls of his office, for example, are filled with paintings of ships, old post cards and news paper clippings, including one entire issue of the Evansville Courier from 1945 — preserved in plastic — with the headline “Roosevelt Dies at 63.”

The island’s history is rife with stories of wealthy American families spending summers on the island. In the 1880s, a group of U.S. businessmen built three luxury hotels that offered resort-style living to escape the hot city life. It was a highly popular destination for a few decades. Former president Franklin D. Roosevelt’s family liked the island so much, they built a home there. Notably the island’s most famous resident, Roosevelt summered there from 1881 to 1921 and visited three more times after that, and twice as president of the U.S. Today, his former family home is part of the Roosevelt Campobello International Park, which is run by both Canada and U.S. staff. The 32-room cottage, plus hiking and carriage trails, are open as a museum on the island, as well as a few other homes owned by wealthy Americans. Given its proximity to the U.S., and its close American ties, you might wonder why it’s a Canadian island at all. The legend Margaret knows claims that when the boundary was being drawn between the two countries, the sailors on the ship got the U.S. and Canadian agents drunk, making it easier to convince them to go between Maine and Campobello because a storm was brewing off Campobello’s eastern coast. Then, they just gave everything on the other side of Maine to Canada to avoid the storm.

“Inspiration normally strikes when we’re brainstorming together — drinking coffee and listening to music,” says Lauren, who has a passion for writing, while her sister Janie enjoys painting. “One of our favourite activities is what we call our scent parties. We gather around the coffee table, often with friends and family, and bring out our scent finalists for everyone to sample and vote on.”

“Our packaging is 100-per-cent recyclable and all of our product labels are made with tree-free material,” Lauren says. “We’re continuing to take steps to eliminate, reduce, reuse and recycle where possible. We offer a jarreturn program and reward our customers for bringing their used candle jars back to us.”

Janie’s favourite scent changes with each new release, her latest obsession being the saffron and tobacco candle. Lauren loves lemon and thyme.

Whether it’s designing labels, inventing new scents, coming up with scent names, staging photography shoots, or even writing social media posts, they revel in the endless opportunities to stretch their creative muscles.

Noël & Co. grows from fundraiser to booming business BY LINDSEY BUNIN

PHOTOS BY BRUCE MURRAY, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

Teens pour hearts into candle making

“Small-batch gifts and goodness” is not just the business’s tagline, it’s a clear set of internal values at Noël & Co. to help guide the sisters’ decisions. They structure their business on three core principles: community, health and planet.

n August 2021, Annapolis Valley, N.S. teenage twins Lauren and Janie Noël poured 250 candles to raise money for a school trip to Greece. In two weeks, they sold out. This year, they intend to pour 15,000 candles as part of their Noël & Co. shop inventory.

28 eastcoast living .ca ··· FALL 2022

The business also donates two per cent of all proceeds to the Atlantic Kidney Foundation of Canada. As a two-time kidney transplant survivor, Lauren notes it’s a cause dear to their hearts.

“We play to our strengths,” says Lauren. “We may be twins, as close as can be, but Janie and I are different in many ways too, including our skill sets. Janie pours the candles, Twin sister Lauren and Janie Noël started their own companycandle-makinglastsummer.

“We bring in our mom and nana to help with finishing the candles, and with the four of us working together, we’re comfortably able to keep on top of things, and feel like even with our school schedule, we have room to grow,”

“These girls are pouring their hearts and souls into this business, and as a parent, it’s amazing to watch the growth and confidence that comes with that,” she says. “Their success has truly been exciting to witness.”

The teens’ mom, Raina Noël, runs a website design company, as well as a home organiza tion and staging business. Despite the growing pains, Raina couldn’t be prouder of what her girls have created.

With plans to grow their business over the coming year, the pair will have their hands full as they finish high school.

FALL 2022 ··· eastcoast living .ca 29 because out of the two of us, she’s the one with a steady hand. When candle-making, you have to be precise with everything, from heating to measurements, and even pace. There is a science behind it, a science Janie is good at.

PEOPLE

Lauren says. “The great thing about being your own boss, and working with your family, is that we have flexibility too. It’s great knowing we have each other’s backs.”

Despite all of this, Lauren says one of their biggest struggles was overcoming their shyness and insecurity. Both she and her sister are natu rally quiet and private introverts, so the business really pushed them out of their comfort zone. When it comes to inspiration, the sisters don’t have to look far.

Others have noticed their hard work too.

“How naïve were we?” Lauren jokes. “Candle making is at once a science and an art form, so learning the craft was certainly the biggest challenge at first. At 16, we had zero idea how to run a business. We thought candle making would be the hard part. We were wrong. We’ve had to learn everything from marketing, book keeping and purchasing to selling, inventory and production, and more.”

“Hands down, our mom is our greatest role model,” says Lauren. “She works two jobs and is a businesswoman herself. The woman has crazy dedication and work ethic, and she truly inspires us to achieve our goals. We’ve discovered though, that our nana is like that as well, so it possibly runs in the family.”

“Inspirationnormallystrikeswhenwe’rebrainstormingtogether—drinkingcoffeeandlisteningtomusic.”—LaurenNöel

Janette Pearson and Colin Duncan lead the O2 program at Northeast Kings Education Centre where the girls attend high school. O2 is a career exploration program that includes co-op courses where students can test career pathways. “The girls were investing so much time and effort into it, and it met the outcomes for the co-op program, that they asked if they could invest their co-op hours into developing the product line, branding and social media,” says Pearson. While it wasn’t a typical co-op placement, Pearson says the sisters have exceeded all expectations for the program. “I was a little skeptical at first as I have never had students embark on a co-op of this nature, where they are guiding the process and learning,” says Duncan. “Once Janie and Lauren had some of the completed,product packaged and ready market,forthey invited me over to their home with their mom to show me what they had and how it may look once the business opened at local Duncanmarkets.”saysthat from the moment they greeted him at the door, he knew there was something very different about these two students. While it’s been an exciting ride, the entre preneurship journey hasn’t been without its challenges. When they started the venture, neither sister had ever poured a candle.

“I, on the other hand, have mild cerebral palsy, which affects my coordination, making both pouring and labelling challenging tasks for me. So, while my sister pours, I am either restocking inventory, preparing online orders, or planning our social media posts.” In addition to being a money-making venture to save for education and travel, the twins also negotiated their business into an opportunity for school credit.

Support and accolades have overwhelmed them, with invitations to take part in many interviews. Their candles were featured in the QEII Home Lottery show home and they recently won the Best New Business award from the Annapolis Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Artist Adam McNamara finds inspiration in the Acadian forest and curiouser

Woodworing artist Adam McNamara at his workshop in Upper LaHave, N.S.

30 eastcoast living .ca ··· FALL 2022

Curiouser

BY REBECCA DINGWELL

STUDIOSVISIONFIREMURRAY,BRUCEPHOTO: STUDIOSVISIONFIREMURRAY,BRUCEPHOTO:

FALL 2022 ··· eastcoast living .ca 31 PEOPLE

Just a few months after he first started carving, McNamara began sharing photos of his pieces online. A couple of local people expressed interest in buying his work, and one of the patrons sug gested McNamara start an Instagram account. Although McNamara didn’t even know what a hashtag was at the time, he took the advice and started an account using the name “Acadian Mushrooms.” He then started making pieces with the intention of selling them, instead of simply carving “for fun.” These days, McNamara has more than 11,000 Instagram followers. More valuable than that, “That really kind of motivates you,” he says. McNamara started his woodworking journey by carving unwanted scraps, and that method has stayed with him. His materials are “just like my subject matter: things that are underappreciated,” he says. “Whether it’s thrown into a woodstove or left in a box in a closet somewhere, it’s forgotten about. That’s where I come in.” Despite being leftovers, the pieces of wood still have plenty to offer. McNamara explains he gets a variety of exotic wood and aims to let its natural colour and texture shine through in his work. He also uses real lichens and moss, but doesn’t disrupt living organisms. He often goes out after a storm and picks up fallen pieces from the forestThefloor.results range from book ends to stand ing sculptures and wall art. Taking inspiration directly from nature means McNamara’s pieces are imperfect, because “nature is not perfect,” he says. “If I just carved a mushroom that was perfect on every side, it could be made by a machine, but it would not look real.” At the same time, the work requires precision. “They still have to look beautiful. A lot of times, I try to make my pieces look good from every angle,” says McNamara. “You’re basically captur ing a moment in time.” McNamara strikes a balance between realistic and whimsical. Even if he’s basing a sculpture of a specific species of mushroom, for example, he doesn’t try to mimic the exact shape from a photo or physical plant. “It’s almost like impressionism. If you look at a scenery and then you close your eyes and try to paint it just from your memory — that’s basically how I create my art.” Other times, McNamara is drawn to a specific piece of wood, and lets the material guide him. Even with his larger works, McNamara does little planning. This helps him bring his impressions of nature alive in a “perfectly imperfect” way. “They’re literally just a piece of the forest. They do look real, but they’re also pretty. And they’re a conversation piece.”

“I wanted to bring those organisms to the fore front, because they’re not really appreciated.”

STUDIOSVISIONFIREMURRAY,BRUCEPHOTO:

A dam McNamara describes his artistic style as “halfway between reality and Alice in Wonderland.” McNamara is a self-taught woodworker with a love for nature. Based in Upper LaHave, N.S., he came upon the craft by chance when a neighbour was moving out of his own woodworking shop. He had a bunch of wood scraps that were no longer of use to him, so he offered them to McNamara.

Over the winter of 2019, he began experimenting with carving. Then, when the COVID-19 pan demic hit, McNamara needed an outlet. His work evolved from there.

Taking inspiration directly from nature means Adam McNamara’s pieces are imperfect, because “nature is not perfect.”

“I said, ‘Well, yeah. I’ll take it all,’ not knowing what I was going to do with it,” says McNamara.

“I’ve always had that love and appreciation for how every organism within a certain ecosystem contributes to the whole,” he says. He believes that while the Acadian forest ecology is unique, it doesn’t often get the admiration it deserves.

McNamara’s art is largely inspired by the nature of the Acadian forest region, which covers the Maritimes. He has an educational background in plant science, including mycology: the study of fungi. Many of McNamara’s pieces are mush rooms or insects.

SUBMITTEDPHOTO:

Time fortea

PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

nce a cherished way to spend time with friends and family, afternoon and high teas are back in fashion.

Afternoon tea began in the 19th century and is credited to Duchess Anna of Bedford.

“She would have her friends over in the after noon to walk the estate’s grounds, and then they would get a bit peckish around 4 p.m.,” says Barclay. “They wouldn’t eat supper until about 8 p.m., so they needed a little some thing to carry themselves over. That’s how it is thought to have started.” Finger sandwiches were — and still are — typically on the menu during afternoon tea. They are made with white bread, with the crusts sliced off. Cucumber, cheese and pickles are the traditional fillings.

Afternoon and high teas are making a comeback BY AMEETA VOHRA

“I think it feels traditional or nostalgic,” says Angela Barclay, general manager of Red Oak Catering, which runs the Rooms Café in St. John’s, Nfld. “It’s a throwback to gentler times.”

Barclay says Red Oak has elevated their sandwich game with options such as sesame chicken, cornbread with pulled pork and curried egg. In addition to sandwiches, Red Oak also has an array of sweets and scones with home made preserves and clotted cream.

“Clotted cream is a traditional thing from Cornwall,” says Barclay. “You take your full-fat cream, bake it in the oven and it cooks from the top down in a very slow process. We typically leave it in the oven overnight to a very low tem perature… It becomes thick, almost like butter.”

TIME TO PAR-TEA!

For an Indian-themed event, you could incor porate curry into sandwiches, samosas, little pots with cardamom rice pudding and gulab jamuns (a sweet Indian confectionary). Other ways to add an international flair are Thaiinspired golden baskets and green and white tea with Korean food.

Of course, tea is the most crucial part of the“Whenexperience.people first come in, we ask them to choose the tea they’d like so everyone can have their flavour of potted tea,” says Rybinski. “We go over the history of tea, how it used to be packaged in blocks and the tea road through China, and how it was introduced to England andRybinskiEurope.”says

Angela Barclay, general manager of Red Oak Catering, which runs the Rooms Café in St. John’s, Nfld., recommends the following steps for making the perfect cup of tea:

BOW DOWN TO ROYAL-TEA

4. Pour the tea from the pot that’s using tea bags into a nice serving tea pot

1. Use one tea bag for two cups 2. After boiling the water, let it sit for a minute before you pour over the teabag, so you don’t burn the bag

Occasion-themed teas can also elevate the experience, such as adding truffles and roseshaped foods for Mother’s Day. For Father’s Day, Red Oak adds scotch eggs, sausage rolls, English beer and more meat-based foods. On a birthday, you can add a cupcake and champagne.

Carol Rybinski of P.E.I.’s Tyne Valley Teas Café says there’s a misconception among people in North America that high tea is fancy. “High tea would have been for labourers or blue-collar workers and it would be a more substantive meal,” she says. “You’d have meat pie, potted meat, cheese on toast. You might even have tea, cake, pies and pickled eggs, and it would be served on a high table like a kitchen table. That’s why it’s called ‘high tea’ — because it’s served up high.”

eastcoast living .ca 33

Tyne Valley has a three-course menu for its afternoon tea, starting with scones, then sandwiches followed by sweets. The sandwiches are cucumber with dill cream

IN DEPTH

How to make

For families, there are also options to cater some of the food items for children so they can partake in the fun.

1. Use 1 tsp per cup 2. For black tea, steep three to five minutes

“They tend to like little mini cupcakes,” says Rybinski. “For platters, children might not like smoked salmon, so we’ll do little cheese sand wiches with a little cut-out in the shapes of flowers or hearts, little peanut butter and jam sandwiches, blueberries and fruit.” They also give kids their own special little mini teacups and platters. “We don’t take it too seriously,” says Rybinski. “It’s fancy, but light and folks can sit back, be a little bit more mindful and enjoy the small luxuries of life.” Another idea is to add an international flair to the food items of your tea party.

3. Since herbal teas are lighter, steep for only one to two minutes

Carol Rybinski of P.E.I.’s Tyne Valley Teas Café says that for fresher and better flavour, consider using loose tea leaves.

3. Let the tea steep for five to 10 minutes

the perfect cup

SIP, SIP, HOORAY!

water

“You can break out all the stuff you rarely get out of your china cabinet,” says Barclay. “Everybody’s got their linens; I certainly have my grandmother’s napkins and tablecloths. People can put their personal touch on it with the stuff they probably have packed away in their basement and some old, mismatched china they’ve had for 20 years.” Tea etiquette is common and diverse, depend ing on what part of the world you enjoy the event. For example, it’s often advised that people not raise their pinky finger up when drinking tea, as it indicated that’re trying too hard.

ball. When you

“Warm the cup in advance, turn off your cell phone ringtone to avoid disturbing the quiet teatime, don’t sip your tea and quietly put down your teacup,” she says. “I think teatime is not only for drinking tea, but also time for curing and emphasizing each other’s hearts with conversation.”

it, it opens into a lovely flower. Sisters Lola and Nora Bonaparte host a backyard tea party in Pictou, N.S.

If you’re hosting your own high tea, Barclay says decorating the table is the first important step.

Kim notes other etiquette and tips for high or afternoon tea.

34 eastcoast living .ca ··· FALL 2022

a green

A tea set-up can also be a semi-formal event, with mismatched teacups and saucers, cloth napkins, and fancy spoons and forks. A tea tier stand is typically used for presentation and has a station with lovely teapots and an array of different teas. “One of the reasons I opened my shop is to share my antique teacups and my favourite tea,” says Jassy Kim, owner of Moncton’s Jassy Boutique and Tea Room. “I displayed my favourite teas in the store and opened my china cabinet. We want to share with our customers the experience of hundreds of antique china teacups we have collected so far, so I give them a chance to choose their teacup in my cabinet and drink their tea in them.”

Jassy Boutique and Tea Room offers a high tea in addition to its afternoon tea. Its menu includes the traditional scones with clotted cream and fruit jam, plus items such as a seafood salad with French Earl Grey infused dressings. For dessert, it’s macarons and either raspberry or chocolate mousse.

Popular teas • Orange pekoe and Earl Grey with finger sandwiches • Darjeeling or Assam tea with curried sandwiches and samosas • Chai tea with cardamom rice pudding and gulab jamuns • English breakfast or Irish tea with savouries • Dewy cherry or peach oolong tea with sweets • Green or white tea with Korean food • Orange pekoe (black) • English breakfast (black) • Chai • Masala • Irish (black) • Silver moon (green) • Darjeeling with rose scent • Bain de roses • Honeybush banana nut (herbal) * At Tyne Valley, Rybinski offers blooming tea as a calming alternative to the other teas. It starts

Tea and food pairings as tea tied up into little put hot in

For dress attire, women have been known to wear dresses, skirts and fancy hats to tea. However, in these times, there are more relaxed rules on dressing up or down, as long as people are neat, tidy and comfortable.

all

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Coast Living

“I know it well,” I smile proudly.

As a result, Noye and his team hold the Guinness World Record for the most oysters shucked in an hour, which is 8,840.

A speck of a place on the western side of P.E.I., Tyne Valley — with its population of 249 and its pristine estuaries — produces some of the finest oysters. Jeff Noye, along with partner Damien Enman, started Pearl Valley Oysters in 2017.

Legend has it, Emperor Vitellius feasted on a thousand of them in one sitting and Casanova ate 50 each morning to boost his libido. They are a delicacy of kings and vagabonds, given exotic names like Hama Hama, Kusshi and Moon Shoal. We are, of course, talking about oysters.

“The culture and the people in the oyster world are the best there are, and I wanted it to become what I did every day,” says Noye. Tyne Valley is also the home of the Oyster Festival, which hosts the Canadian oyster shucking championship. In pre-COVID years, the event drew crowds of 20,000. “When I was 19, I was asked to join the committee and organize the festival. I loved oyster shucking and became the competition’s host and a competitor.”

It’s settled then. I’ll have six, with a squirt of lemon and a drop of hot sauce, and slurp ’em down like the seafaring folks I live beside. And, following the advice of author Rowan Jacobsen that all an oyster needs is a good chaser, I order a glass of Malpequeprosecco.oysters are Prince Edward Island’s most famous variety, making a name for themselves worldwide. Judges at the Exposition Universelle, a world fair held in Paris in 1900, named it the best oyster on earth. Today, P.E.I. is the leading oyster producer in Eastern Canada, accounting for more than 80 per cent of the total production, and lands about 2,950 tonnes at $10.5 million in value.

MERROIR (LIKE TERROIR, BUT FOR OYSTERS)

“I fell in love with oysters because of my hometown,” says Noye, who is also the mayor. And while Noye didn’t grow up in the oyster business, it was simply a part of everyday life on the island and a staple of get-togethers and celebrations.

36 eastcoast living .ca ··· 2022 B ased on their teardrop-shaped shells, the Romans once called them calliblepharis, meaning “beautiful eyelids.”

It’s a busy Sunday evening at the Chelsea Market in New York City. I’m standing at the raw bar counter of Lobster Place, a unique seafood hall renowned for the very best in all things from the sea. I’m trying to pick the best oysters from a dizzy ing list of bivalves: Meresheen Bay, Widow’s Hole, Mere Point, Katama and Sugar Shack. “Malpeque’s,” points the smiling oyster shucker. “Malpeque’s from P.E.I. A tiny, pristine island — produces the best oysters.”

delicacyAnOysters:EastCoast BY COLLEEN THOMPSON

Brinybivalves!

Like wine and terroir — where grapes are influenced by the soil, sunlight and climate — oysters have their own merroir. Each crustacean is affected by the water it lives in, the tides and currents, the algae it feeds on, the mineral content of the ocean, rainfall and overall temperature.

There are more than 300 unique oyster species in North America. Each has a particular taste: meaty, briny or sweet.

FALL

EATING IN

The market has also spawned entrepreneurs and innova tors to invest in oyster aquaculture, particularly mariculture. Rising to the challenge is owner Stephen Macintosh from Pristine Oysters, a commercial fisherman for 30 years.

“Nova Scotia is a textbook example of where you’d want to grow oysters,” explains Colton DEon, operations manager of DEon Oyster Company. “Our coastlines stretch just over 13,000 km, and with the Bay of Fundy, an enormous amount of water flows through our bays each day, bringing in vast amounts of nutrients, which translates into unique flavours.”

“As time went on, I saw the need to pay attention to oysters because you can’t always count on wild stock,” saysTodayMacintosh.hehas three leases in the Northumberland Strait in Pictou County, in Merigomish and Little Harbour, where he harvests oysters and bay quahog.

“Part of what makes oysters so fun is the unique merroir they express based on grow out location or season, and our raw bars continue to be the most popular areas of our store and restaurant,” says Heron.

With its brackish water environment, Eel Lake has a perfectly balanced mix of fresh river water and cold ocean water. The result is a clean, sustainable and sheltered location that offers a sought-after Nova Scotia oyster. Salt Bay gets an enormous amount of new ocean water with each flood tide. As the tide barrels into the bay, it forms rapids that supersaturate oxygen levels and bring in vast amounts of nutrition, which crafts each Salt Bay oyster.

According to DEon, their two growing areas are less than 1 km apart, as the crow flies, but offer two completely different flavour profiles. One is brackish water in Eel Lake, and the other is full ocean salinity in Salt Bay. DEon has always lived close to the water and followed in the footsteps of his lobster fisherman father, Nolan DEon, who founded the DEon Oyster Company in the early ‘90s.

FALL 2022 ··· eastcoast living .ca 37 Salt Bay, N.S., sees a large amount of new ocean water with each flood tide. As the tide barrels into the bay, it forms rapids that supersaturate oxygen levels and bring in vast amounts of nutrition, crafting each Salt Bay oyster.

Herron has also seen a surge in demand for oysters as diners seek out their unique expressions.

Left: Collecting oysters near the Salt Bay wharf, N.S.

All of their oysters are grown on the surface of the water column, which allows the natural wave action to gently tumble the oysters. This action, over three years, produces the sym metrical and sought-after “cup shape.” As a result, Eel Lake oysters are firm and meaty with a unique celery finish. “The Salt Bay oyster has more of a crunchy texture and buttery flavour,” explains DEon. The oyster trend has been growing for a few years now, and the demand for maritime oysters is growing more robust locally and further afield, thanks to a surge in raw bars and restau rants focusing on seafood. Lobster Place in New York sells about 20,000 to 30,000 oysters per week and features 12 oysters daily at both of its raw bars. It typically carries at least one maritime oyster and as many as three-tofour depending on availability and season. “There’s no doubting the quality of a Canadian maritime oyster,” says Davis Herron, vice-president and chief operating officer. “Their long grow-out time produces excellent shell strength, and their high salinity makes them bracingly fresh.”

However, the oysters we find along the Nova Scotia coast are all from the same species. The Atlantic oyster is also known as the American or Eastern oyster.

“As a commercial lobster fisherman, he didn’t like being away from his family,” said DEon. “When he saw wild oysters growing in Eel Lake, he thought to himself, ‘One day, I’m going to make a living out of farming these waters.’”

“Pristine bay is not a place but rather reflects the quality of the water — the waters of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence are classified as ‘pristine,’ so the name came easy.”

Below: Jeff Noye of Pearl Valley Oysters, P.E.I.

SUBMITTEDPHOTOS:

Dwayne MacLeod, executive chef of Cut Steakhouse and Shuck Seafood + Raw Bar, has seen people’s tastes shift.

“I have noticed a major demand for oysters, education and even selection,” says MacLeod. “When I moved to Halifax, there wasn’t much interest in oysters, but oyster bars are growing as a concept, and now Halifax even has a festival dedicated to oysters.”

SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD

“As a company, we looked at what oysters do for an envi ronment, and we felt like we could do a better job at lowering our carbon footprint,” says DEon. “In 2016, we acted upon that and added our completely solar-powered processing barge to the farm. The barge cut out nearly 25 per cent of wasteful steps within our day-to-day processing.”

The area where Macintosh harvests his oysters has particularly warm waters in the summer, which allows for a longer growing season. A combi nation of daily, full tide flushing, and surrounding freshwater from rivers that bring in nutrients, creates oysters with a smooth briny taste and a deep cup.

“I love oysters because they will taste different wherever you grow them,” says MacLeod. “It’s always exciting getting a new farmer from a new location to see what the oysters will taste like.”

“Our processes are very eco-friendly and sustainable,” says DEon. “We wash, size and grade all our oysters on a completely off-grid, solar-powered processing barge.”

Because adult oysters filter so much water, it decreases turbidity in the water, which lets sunlight penetrate deeper depths, creates more oxygen and allows for more aquatic plants to thrive in these environments. It’s the big circle of life.

The biggest push for change amongst farmers and chefs has been working toward abolishing the notion that oysters are only edible in “R” months (September to April). It’s a belief that hasn’t been valid since the invention of modern refrig eration in the 1940s, but somehow persists. Instead, oysters can be eaten year-round, and because of that, local chefs are getting behind producers and offering diners a variety of salty bivalves from different locations.

“Raw with a little mignonette and a squeeze of lemon goes a long way,” says MacLeod.

A single oyster can filter about 190 litres of water per day, providing cleaner water and better fish habitat. When choos ing sustainable seafood, the oyster is hard to beat because it has no negative impact on its surrounding environment. Well-managed family operations like Pearl Valley, DEon and Pristine contribute to sustainable seafood practices.

DEon likes his oysters broiled until bubbling and golden and topped with a bit of bacon and brie, or freshly shucked oysters with grated cucumber mixed with lemon juice and sea salt (frozen and served in slivers) on top. And Noye likes his oysters baked with bacon jam and goat cheese. Or, grilled with lime chipotle butter, smoked on a crostini with brie. “Or, probably my favourite, fried with a light coating of seasoned flour.”

APPLE AND MIGNONETTESHALLOT 1/3Ingredientscupfinely chopped Honey Crisp apples 2 tbsp minced shallot 1/2 cup rice vinegar 1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice 1 tsp Pinchsugarofkosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1.Instructions Stir together first five ingredients. 2. Add salt and pepper to taste. 3. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving. RECIPES PROVIDED BY DEON OYSTER COMPANY LTD. PHOTOS BY COLLEEN THOMPSON

As for how oyster farmers and chefs best enjoy their bivalves, that would tipically be raw — slurped right off the shell.

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38 eastcoast living 2022

And while oysters are sustainable, Herron does point out that we need to be aware of the threats facing them: “Farmed and wild oysters face existential climate threats related to increased storm intensity, sea-level rise and ocean acidification.”

EATING

FALL

5. Add white wine while scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon (this is where all the flavour is), then immediately add reserved oyster brine and cooking liquid. Let these liquids reduce slightly (approximately five minutes).

7. Pour half the soup into a bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork. Return soup to the pan and add liquid smoke.

8. Add shucked oysters. Simmer for five to eight minutes until edges of oysters curl a bit. Taste and season if needed. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and/or basil to serve.

SMOKED COCONUT, OYSTER AND BACON CHOWDER

1.Instructions

JAPANESE STYLE

1/2 tbsp mirin (Japanese cooking wine. You may substitute with half honey, half sake if needed)

4. Broil on low for four to eight minutes (watch closely) until cheese is bubbling.

eastcoast living .ca 39

2. Cook bacon on medium heat in a deep saucepan until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, and discard most of the bacon fat, while keeping about 2 tbsp in your pan.

Put the fish in a deep frying pan with the bay leaf and 2 cups of boiling water. Cover and simmer for two minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to stand, covered, for a further five minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid, then flake the fish.

1 tbsp miso paste (try dashi style)

6. Add coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes (covered) until the vegetables have softened and potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.

5Ingredients

12Ingredients

3. Turn your pan to med-high heat. Add 2 tbsp butter, onions, leeks and celery, cook until softened/slightly browned (about five minutes).

3. Spoon 1/2 tbsp of sauce onto each oyster, top with cheese, and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp sesame.

slices bacon, cooked until crispy, then chopped small 1-2 filets fresh haddock, depending on size 12 oysters, shucked, brine saved 2 bay leaves 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp butter 1 onion, finely chopped 2 leeks (white parts only), finely chopped 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp sea salt 2 tsp cracked pepper Pinch of cayenne 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried 1/2 cup dry white wine 4 cans coconut milk 1-2 drops liquid smoke Chopped fresh parsley or basil chiffonade for garnish

1.Instructions

BAKED OYSTERS

4. Add garlic, potatoes, thyme, cracked pepper, salt, pinch of cayenne and bay leaf. Cook for 30 seconds, until garlic and herbs smell fragrant.

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese and Lemonmozzarellawedges for serving Rock salt for plating

1/3 cup Japanese style mayo (kewpie) or regular mayo

oysters

5. Prepare a serving plate with rock salt. Place cooked oysters on rock salt and serve with lemon wedges. 2022 ···

2. Next, mix all sauce ingredients except for sesame seeds, cheese and lemon wedges until smooth. Taste. Add a pinch of salt or white pepper if desired.

Turn oven broiler on low. Prepare a cookie sheet with crumpled aluminum foil (so that your oysters stay upright). Shuck all of your oysters and ensure to loosen them from the bottom of the shell. Discard top of shell and place bottom shell with oyster onto your prepared cookie sheet. (You may substitute aluminum foil for rock salt if you wish, or you may place oysters directly onto 400ºF preheated grill).

1 tbsp lime juice 3 tsp black or white sesame seeds

Chef tip If the chowder is too thick for your liking, add a can of evaporated milk for extra richness (assuming you’re making this recipe for the dairy tolerant). IN

The store clerk looked dumbfounded. “I dunno … maybe?” “Well, I’ve got lobster to bottle, and it’s not going to cap itself.” GrabLobster?about 30 canners (little critters about a half pound each) off the nearest wharf, cook them, crack them and soak their meat in a bucket of brine for an hour. Then, break them into bite-sized pieces and pack to an inch below the lips of 12 sterilized jars. Freeze overnight. Next morning, top up with salty water, cap and freeze again. That’s it.

You may think jarring jellies, jams, onions, cukes and even lobster is a weirdly out-of-date tradition, but thanks to the pandemic and the rising cost of everything, canning is back

.ca ··· FALL Yes,2022you can

Not only have you guaranteed yourself a year’s worth of chowder fixings; you’ve also protected your bank account until the next pandemic plays havoc with the global supply chain, and the price of this delicious marine bug goes through the roof again. But only (repeat: only) if you have the right lids. Nowadays, that seems more important than ever.

could see by the way she parked her shop ping cart — blocking access to the shelf that contained the last box of rubber-sealed mason jar lids — that she was not to be trifled with. Young and fit, she wore a high-end track suit and a pair of couture sneakers that are supposed to make their owners think they walk through life on a cloud. But not this one; this one understood the gravity of her situation.

“Canning — a method of preserving food in jars at high temperatures, which dates back to the early 1800s and waned in popularity for some time — has seen a rapid 40 eastcoast living

“Is this all you have? Is this it … really?”

BY ALEC BRUCE

Rule No. 3: Keep it simple. For ease, you’ll want a canning pot, tongs and 12 half-pint jars, all of which you can buy online from Amazon or from your grocery store for under $75. That’s it. Rest assured, it’ll be the best jam you’ll get yourself into all year. Enjoy! resurgence with the onset of (COVID),” writes Kristi R. Garabrandt in a recent edition of the Cleveland, Ohio-based Daily Jeffersonian. She goes on to say that while many saw home food preservation as a dying art, it’s now a means of self-preservation for some. “The shortages of food on grocery store shelves has led some to look for other means to feed themselves and their families.” And not for the first time. Remember the Great Recession of 2009? “Preserving food at home has become modish of late,” wrote Sara Dickerman for Slate magazine in 2010. “The Wall Street Journal, NPR and the New York Times have all noted the intense popularity of canning: overflowing classes, new cookbooks, obsessive blogs and Twitter-publicized can-ins …There’s a revivalist fervor bottled up in those jars — enthusiasts tout the thriftiness, healthfulness and environmental virtues of marmalades and dilly beans — that seems overwrought.” Maybe, but I get it. Back in the early 1980s — when the interest rate on a government-backed student loan in Canada was 28 per cent and unemployment was, across the Maritimes, about the same — my wife and I picked rose hips in the ditches that lined Halifax’s burgeoning highways. Somebody told us we needed more Vitamin C in our diets, so we made jam. It would have been dumb not to. When was life ever so commodious on the Canadian East Coast that homemade food preservation didn’t make sense? Almost everything that can be canned in this part of the world, has been.

Strawberry jam, forever!

Rule No. 2: Although you can prepare most common jams and jellies without using a pressure cooker (their high acid content naturally prevents botulism), to inhibit the growth of other contaminants the water that baths your jars must come to a rolling boil. In fact, sterilize all your tools: jars, lids, caps, funnels and tongs.

“I find that I’ve had mistakes when I’ve tried to cut corners with the jars,” my brother says. “I’ve always tended to use mason jars. If the tops are not in perfect condition, I’ll buy new tops. They come in standard sizes and they’re easy to steril ize. That seal is critical to keeping out the mould.” And, maybe, the panic of the times. The woman in the workout gear was beginning to lose it. She hadn’t grabbed the remaining lids before the other preservation maniacs had begun to circle. I shrugged and reached into my cart. “I like my toast plain, anyway,” I said, handing her the two boxes I’d snagged earlier. She grinned and walked away as if a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders. I noticed she was wearing a pair of Cloud 5s shoes. Retail value: $179.99.

EATING IN

Thanks to Google, you can get free recipes for just about anything. But start with something simple: strawberries, for example. You can pick them or buy them, and if you wreck the prep, you can still eat them. (Try doing that with an over-garlicky jar of zucchini salad!)

Theresa Mazerolle of New Brunswick, for one, hosts the YouTube channel “LivingOffTheLand,” where she shows viewers how to jar lobsters, bar clams, quahogs, beef in red wine sauce, pork and beans, chick peas, corn and the usual assortment of jams, jellies, onions, zukes and cukes. “I am very passionate about food preservation, gardening, being outdoors,” she says in the intro. So is my brother-in-law. He’s from Yorkshire, England, but he’s been a Nova Scotian since the early 1990s, just around the time he taught me how to make a perfectly decent pumpkin soup from discarded jack-o-lanterns. His daughter, who grew up on the South Shore, has figured out how to can the figs she miraculously gets from the tree she tends in the allotment near her home in Sheffield, England. Canning, to both of them, is like life: good, bad or ugly, it’s what you make of it. And, yes, lids are important.

At Chez Bruce, we just made the following: 5 lbs fresh, hulled berries; ¼ cup lemon juice, 7 cups sugar and a 3-oz package of pectin. It makes four pints. You will need eight standard mason jars with rubber-seal lids and caps. You can find easy strawberry jam recipes online.

Messy, time-consuming and daunting?

Or, intricate, absorbing and fun? Canning can be either or both, depending on how you approach it. All good eats, though, begin with planning (and sometimes sugar, but we’ll get to that).

Rule No. 1: Follow the recipe you’ve chosen. When, for example, it calls for 7 cups of sugar for 5 lbs of strawberries, don’t skimp. Alternatively, choose an explicitly sugarless recipe that uses artificial sweeteners to produce the same result. Don’t mix and match.

FALL 2022 ··· eastcoast living .ca 41

42 eastcoast living .ca ··· FALL 2022

4Ingredientsoz chai tea 1 oz rum 1.5 oz Pomme d’Or Cream 1 tsp

Grated

Make

STORY AND PHOTOS

'Tis apple season Forget pumpkins. In Nova Scotia, it's all about apples in the fall. And what better way to celebrate than with a locally-made, apple-infused cocktail?

Marrying

APPLE OF MY CHAI six varieties of apples — all grown and handpicked in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley — together with cream and Grand Pré's Pomme d’Or Cream liqueur, combines flavours of vanilla and hints of caramel with a soft, smooth palette. It can be sipped on its own, poured over ice or mixed in a chai tea cocktail. maple syrup nutmeg the chai tea by steeping a tea bag in hot water for five minutes. Remove the tea bag and add rum and Pomme d’Or Cream to a glass or mug. Stir in maple syrup. Sprinkle with grated nutmeg and garnish with an apple slice. BY COLLEEN THOMPSON

Still Fired Distillery in Annapolis Royal, N.S. bases its Granny Apple Pie Moonshine recipe on co-owner Owen Ritchie’s grandma’s signature apple pie recipe. A blend of unaged corn, whiskey, local fresh pressed apple cider (from Boates Farm) and spices are blended to create a smooth, easy-drinking moonshine.

Cinnamonslices

Cloves Heat up apple cider, and add brandy and honey to a mug. Fill with cider and stir. Garnish with apple slices, cinnamon and cloves.

Caldera whiskey 1 oz Granny’s Apple Pie Moonshine 1 oz lemon juice (or lime) 1 oz simple syrup Egg white 4 dabs of bitters Add all ingredients (except bitters) to a shaker and shake. Add the ice and wet shake. Double strain into a coupe or rocks glass and add bitters on top.

1Ingredientstsp

Raging Crow Distillery make their Apple Spiced Rum by first simmering Macintosh apple peels with cinnamon sticks and vanilla before straining and mixing it into rum. The rum is distilled from Crosby’s Fancy Molasses and cane sugar. The taste is apple pie in a glass with the apple flavour and cinnamon complementing the smoothness of the rum. Ingredients A few drops of Angostura bitters 1 sugar cube Orange peel 1.5 oz Raging Crow Apple Spiced Rum Ice In a rocks glass, add two-to-three drops of Angostura bitters onto the sugar cube. Add a 3-inch thin slice of orange peel. Muddle to combine and crush the sugar cube and extract the flavour from the orange peel. Pour in 1.5 oz of Apple Spiced Rum. Add three ice cubes and stir.

FALL 2022 ··· eastcoast living .ca 43

1.5Ingredientsoz

HOT APPLE TODDY

APPLE SPICED RUM OLD FASHIONED

LIBATIONS

Ironworks Distillery in Lunenburg, N.S., uses Annapolis Valley apples to create apple brandy. The apples are fermented, distilled on-site, and then aged in lightly toasted Hungarian Oak barrels for three years. The apples provide a rich, spicy flavour balanced with the barrel’s subtle vanilla and toffee notes. honey 2 oz Ironworks Apple Brandy 5 oz sweet apple cider Apple

APPLE PIE AND RYE

Harvest Greetsthe Holidays For more information, contact lsampson@saltscapes.comLisa:902.464.7258ext.1803 HALIFAXOctobersaltscapes.com28-30EXHIBITIONCENTRE If you think handmade and homespun are the key ingredients for a magical holiday season, then you won't want to miss Saltscapes Expo this fall. Festive farm-to-table inspiration, crafters and artisan retailers will inspire holiday gift giving and entertaining over three jam-packed days. Keeping your money where your heart is has never been easier! Meet the makers and business owners face-to-face, all while enjoying great East Coast music, sampling delicious food and drink and more. This coupon entitles YOU to save $1.50 o EACH ticket purchased at the door. This coupon must be presented at the door to receive the discount (one coupon/couple; cannot be combined with any other o er). SPECIAL DISCOUNT COUPON Save $3.00 per couple or $1.50 o adult admission

45 Buying guide BUYING GUIDE G e t t h e f r e s h e s t p r o d u c e R e d u c e f o o d m i l e s S u p p o r t y o u r l o c a l e c o n o m y g e t t h e b e s t l o c a l p r o d u c e , a l l y e a r l o n g J o i n t h o u s a n d s o f c u s t o m e r s w h o c h o o s e t o s h o p l o c a l F I N D A F A R M E R S ' M A R K E T N E A R Y O U A T : W W W . F A R M E R S M A R K E T S N O V A S C O T I A . C A

Artist combines a love of animals and art to create whimsical pieces BY AMEETA VOHRA

Clarke wanted to create other tourist-friendly pieces representing iconic Newfoundland imagery and made some unique pieces, such as orcas or narwhals with golden horns, unicorns and pigeons carrying doughnuts on their backs. She also encourages custom orders as she enjoys bringing people’s ideas to life. Earlier in the season, she made a customer a special engagement gift. It was a ring holder made to look like the couple’s dog, with its tail up to hold the engagement ring. On the dog’s belly is an inscription of their engagement date in gold.

One of her popular items is the iceberg and dory sets. Clarke wanted something in her studio that was interactive for people and inexpensive.

A fter working as a veterinarian in Newfoundland for many years, Kimberly Clarke decided to pursue her love of art. She enrolled in an art-and-craftbased textiles program at the College of the North Atlantic in 2016. “I’ve always made art, mostly illustrations,” says Clarke. “I studied pattern making and I was interested in making soft toys.” After completing the program, Clarke returned to her veterinarian work. But when COVID-19 hit, she decided to take some time to learn another craft. This time: ceramics. “I taught myself by following different artists on Instagram, joining Facebook groups, asking questions and watching YouTube videos,” she says. “It took an entire year because there is so much trial and error with ceramics. If you make a mistake early on in your process, you’re going to doom your piece to have flaws. It was frus trating at some points and discouraging, but I stayed with it.” From there, she merged her love for nature and animals into her art. “There’s such a variety of different shapes and colours — it’s endless,” she says. “Even when I worked with animals, I always sketched and drew them. Animals and nature inspire me, and I think that will always be what I focus on. When I was a child, you could get these little porcelain animal figurines in boxes of Tetley Tea. For some reason, they’ve always stuck with me.” Clarke now makes art full time and started her own business, Soft Pony, which promises “cut stuff for cute people.” Her pieces include plush toys, ceramics and jewelry.

“I knew it would be easy to make icebergs because they’re just a lump of clay, and they’re abstract,” she says. “There are two separate pieces, and I love the idea that people come into my studio, and they’re lined up on the shelves. I like to watch people mix and match the boat with whatever iceberg they’re drawn to. I get a lot of tourists who have seen icebergs here. Some have photographs and try to match one of my sculptures with an actual iceberg they’ve seen.”

“My art makes me happy, and that’s my main motivator. I do it for myself, and I’m happy other people enjoy it.”

46 eastcoast living .ca ··· FALL 2022 LAST LOOK

ICONIC NEWFOUNDLAND IMAGERY

Find Clarke at her public studio at Quidi Vidi Village Artisan Studios and on Instagram @soft.pony

Cute stuff for cute people

SUBMITTEDPHOTOS:

A ROYAL VISIT After being accepted in April at the Quidi Vidi Village Artisan Studios — an incubator for craftspeople — Clarke’s work has been growing in popularity.WhenPrince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, visited Newfoundland in May, they came to her studio. The duchess bought a puffin and two chickadees from the artist. While Clarke is still getting over the shock of having her work in a royal residence in Britain, she hopes everyone is happy when they see her creations.

HOME CONTROL AUTOMATICALLY Control4 premium automation solutions make you the true master of your domain. Easily and intelligently control every aspect of your house—from lights, security, climate control, home theater, music and more—even if you are miles away. Or let things happen automatically. Music can stream throughout the house from any source. When it’s game time, have the lights dim, the shades lower and the TV tune to the right input, with one tap. Your security system arms automatically as the lights go out the minute everyone’s safe in bed. It’s that simple and fully customizable for any home, big or small. Control4. Copyright ©2016, Control4 Corporation. All rights reserved. Control4, the Control4 logo, the 4-ball logo, 4Store, 4Sight, Control4 My Home, and Mockupancy are registered trademarks or trademarks of Control4 Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other names and brands may be claimed as the property of their respective owners. All speciﬁcations subject to change without notice. CONTROL4.COM

find your fresh NOVA SCOTIA WWW.KENTVILLE.CA #WeAreKentville

East Coast Living Fall 2022

Articles inside

Time for tea

New spin on a classic look

Trends: Planning a much-needed girls' weekend?

People: Teens pour hearts into candle making

Eating in: Briny bivalves

People: Curiouser and curiouser

Last look: Cute stuff for cute people

Eating in: Yes, you can