At Home on the North Shore FALL 2021

Giving Thanks

CULTIVATING GRATITUDE AT SMALL HOLDINGS FARM

CAREY ALLAN IS FEELING GROOVY Fall 2021 Vol. 6 Edition 4 / $4.95

SOUL COLLECTIVE WHAT TUC IS TALKING ABOUT

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GIVING THANKS Keltie Butler and her partner Michael Coolican grow veggies and flowers, but also cultivate gratitude at their farm near Scotsburn, N.S. Seated at the table are Kimberly Dymond, Baillie Lynds, Xander Martin and Matthew Connor PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

athomeonthenorthshore.ca PUBLISHER: Fred Fiander EDITOR: Crystal Murray CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Janet Whitman VP SALES AND MARKETING: Linda Gourlay ART DIRECTOR: Jamie Playfair GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Barbara Raymont PHOTO EDITOR: Steve Smith FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Stephanie Balcom, Marketing Advisor office: 902 420-9943 • cell: 902 292-9584 sbalcom@metroguide.ca Connie Cogan, Marketing Advisor office: 902 420-9943 • cell: 902 499-7467 ccogan@metroguide.ca Nicole Fawcett, Sales, Strait Area 902 625-3300, ext. 1509 nicolefawcett@porthawkesburyreporter.com Brendan Nichol, Sales, Pictou County 902 396-8136 brendannichol@advocatemediainc.com Michele White, Sales, Tatamagouche/Colchester County 902 818-2904 mwhite@metroguide.ca FOR EDITORIAL INQUIRES CONTACT: Crystal Murray 902 485-1990 crystalmurray@advocateprinting.com At Home on the North Shore Published four times per year by: Advocate Media Inc., 2882 Gottingen St., Halifax, N.S. B3K 3E2 Subscriptions: 833-600-2870 Effective January 1, 2021: Subscriptions are nonrefundable. If a subscription needs to be cancelled, where applicable, credits can be applied to other Metro Guide Publishing titles (East Coast Living, Halifax Magazine or Saltscapes). 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.

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Vol. 6 Edition 4

Inside this issue

Fall 2021

Cover Story

The Inside Story

Healthy At Home

10 She-Shed

Giving 22 Thanks

43 Great Walks of the North Shore

A little backyard haven for the gals

20 Soul Collective

Growing and gathering at Small Holdings Farm

TUC Talks invite conversation

34 As Luck Would Have It

Robin and Wayne Roy find it all in New Glasgow

The Stream 12 Groovy Market

The goods on Carey Allan’s downtown market

At Home With...

30 Laura Lavender

On calligraphy and writing a new script for life on the east coast

On the Table 40 Pickles, Preserves, and Pleasant Surprises

16

Add the Cape George Trail to your fall hikes

46 Medalling with My Food A cookie inspired by Monet

Departments 7 Editor’s Letter 18 Off the Wall

Antigonish artist Grace Lane-Smith

16 Thresholds

Fall, it’s in the bag

48 The Library

The Power of Song and the legacy of Stanfest

50 DIY—Get crafty with Nicole

Cool coasters

A jarring experiece

46 22

The North Shore

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telling halifax stories unravelhalifax.ca

editor’s

I

was running a little late for the photoshoot in Antigonish with artist Grace Lane-Smith, but I put my signal on and eased onto the exit that would take me down the northeastern section of the Sunrise Trail passing through Merigomish, Arisag, and around the head of Cape George. It might take a few minutes longer but certain that it would be a better choice, having been delayed by highway construction a few days before.

It was one of those hot and sticky days we had in midAugust. I turned my AC down and I opened the windows of the car to let the warm air waft in carrying with it the smells of fresh-cut hay fields, goldenrod, and seashore.

Despite being so humid mid-day, I passed several walkers and cyclists. Maybe they were like me and hoped that they could thermally download the heat and draw on the stores when days are cold and dark this winter.

Not far down the trail, I spied a sign for flowers for sale and a farm stand. I decided that I would drive home the same route later in the day on the chance that they would still be open.

Grace’s house was easy to find, only a few doors down from my sons’ apartment in the university town.

Photographer Steve Smith was already inside. I knocked on the door and let myself in. I could hear the chatter of both photographer and painter.

Grace was excited to be able to share a little bit of her story with us, but she was more excited to meet new people, a luxury we had mostly taken for granted before the experience of the pandemic. Both Steve and I laughed when she called us interesting. I can’t speak for Steve, but I have certainly never thought of myself that way, but I accepted the compliment and replied that the only thing that might make me interesting is the people that I meet.

A little camera shy, Grace eased when we just chatted about her painting and Steve did his work. You’ll meet Grace in the story “Capturing Comfort” on page 18. It was interesting to learn about her process of creating a painting, her book of sketches and notes, how she chooses her colour palettes, the artists that inspire her, and what music or podcast she listens to when she paints.

Saying our goodbyes, my thoughts wandered to the idea of what makes a person interesting. The scope of what can be interesting is infinite but also subjective. The videos on TicTok and the social media influencers that capture my teenage daughter’s interest have little interest for me and my Malcom Gladwell podcasts do little to captivate her.

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PHOTO BY NORTHOVER PHOTOGRAPHY

LETTER

As I meandered my way back to Pictou County along the Sunrise Trail, keeping an eye out for that farm stand from the morning, I thought about the interesting people whose stories we share in this issue. As you are soon to learn many of the people are new to the area. They chose a life in Northern Nova Scotia before the pandemic sweetened the allure. They were drawn here for the many reasons many of us would never think about leaving.

Thinking I was back in the farm stand territory in Merigomish, I slowed so I wouldn’t miss it. A woman driving a small tractor had just replenished the bags of potatoes and started to drive away. I waved as I pulled over and parked my car thinking she would see me as an eager customer, but she and her tractor disappeared down the dusty driveway. I walked up to the stand and saw the cash box. I had a å$10 bill in my purse and popped it in, then picked up a bag of potatoes and a zucchini. When I reached for a bulb of garlic a slight breeze lifted the Nova Scotian flag that was mounted on the side of the stand and for a moment it wrapped around my shoulders and gave me a soft embrace. The flag didn’t know if I had lived here all my life or if I was new. But that doesn’t matter in Nova Scotia, whether you have come from far away or from a few minutes down a winding shore road, you are always welcome here.

Perhaps that is a very good reason why people from across the country find Nova Scotia a most interesting place to be.

The North Shore

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CONTRIBUTORS

TRACY STUART is reminded of her Monet-inspired moments in her own garden. As an Olympian, Tracy travelled extensively and took the time to admire the beauty of the varying landscapes. Tracy takes her culinary inspiration from her surroundings and says that there is no better place to be than her cottage in River John, Nova Scotia.

SARAH BUTLAND says she was taken higher and further this season while staying at home. She travelled to Canso where the legend of Stan Rogers is still bringing tunes and smiles through Troy Greencorn’s book The Power of Music, back to New Glasgow for a look at a Wisteria bush, and was uplifted by TUC Talks—Transformative Uplifting Conversations. Butland hopes you’ll be transported, too!

PHOTO: STEVE SMITH,VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

DEBBI HARVIE Says “Fall is my favourite season, the crunching of the leaves, the colours in the foliage, and of course, the pumpkin spice. There’s nothing better than a quiet moment with a warm blanket, and a pumpkinspice latte.” And what better place to do that than in a She-Shed? I had the pleasure of chatting with Kora Hanrahan about her She-Shed; read about it in this issue!

MELANIE MOSHER is the author of three books for young readers. This season finds her soaking up the last of the hot sunny days and enjoying the sweet, tangy smells of pickling. When she’s not writing, she likes to walk along the beach enjoying the scenery. In her article “Making Waves”, artist Grace Lane-Smith shows how she captures these stunning views on canvas.

Learn more about Melanie at melaniemosher.com

TRISH JOUDREY, an ardent world adventurer, has uncovered some of her top hiking trails right here on Nova Scotia’s North Shore. Her latest hike, the Cape George Heritage Trail, was a real adventure, exposing one of the best views in all of Nova Scotia.

When her hiking boots are away, she writes, plays the piano, or plans for her next adventure from her home in Halifax.

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NICOLE LEBLANC is a communications professional, a passionate community volunteer, and current town councillor who loves DIY. She lives in Trenton with her husband and beloved dog—and when she’s not getting crafty, she can be found exploring Nova Scotia, meeting new people, and being involved in projects that make our communities better.

STEVE SMITH Fall 2021!

How did summer become a memory so fast! But changing seasons mean a new At Home on the North Shore is upon us, and Fall 2021 does not disappoint. I can’t say it enough, but our region is rich with natural beauty, and just as rich with lovely and talented people, and it’s a pleasure to spend time with them and help share their stories. Be well and continue to protect each other!

The North Shore

INSIDE STORY

BY DEBBI HARVIE

PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

If you’ve been on Pinterest lately, you’ve more than likely come across stunning images of what people are calling She-Sheds.

Little havens in their own backyard that provide peace, quiet, and solace when they need to step away and regroup or take some time for themselves.

The SHE-SHED says it all LEFT: Kora Hanrhan has a She-Shed for all seasons.

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A HAVEN in your own back yard

M

uch like the Man-Cave, the SheShed is a place where one can escape the stresses of the day and enjoy the little things in life that bring them happiness.

It’s no secret that much of the pandemic burden was bore on the backs of women, who not only had to work from home but also take care of their children and families.

And while the She-Shed existed prior to the pandemic, it has grown significantly in popularity over the last year as a place for a little escape... just a few steps from the back door.

Last August, Kora Hanrahan of Pictou got a big surprise when she was gifted a She-Shed for her birthday.

“I had been admiring them for a while and liked the idea of having that rustic hideaway on my own property,” says Hanrahan. But she never expected to have one built for her.

Hanrahan’s husband Ed Hawkins had planned the gift well in advance and acquired pieces of an old barn board from a barn that was being disassembled. The barn board provided the rustic feel that Hanrahan loves. He even ran electricity to the She-Shed to allow for use any time of the day or year.

“I was so impressed because he built it all himself,” she says. “He put in all the things that I love.”

The barn board and tin roof provide that old-time atmosphere while the tree line and placement allow for privacy and an incredible view of the sunset.

Hanrahan admits she couldn’t wait to deck it out with more of the décor she adores, with a little help from Hawkins.

“I tend to gravitate toward that casual, rustic feel, so I got some old window frames and little lanterns and hung some macramé and banners.”

Hawkins even installed a large wooden beam with bistro lights wrapped around it and found an old wooden cable spool to use as a table and built a cupboard to store small items.

And while the She-Shed trend leans toward a quiet place to relax, Hanrahan also enjoys using the space to entertain her closest friends.

“I’ve been able to use it all year-round.

We can prop the wall open and enjoy the evening breeze, or sit inside in the winter with a warm drink.” Hanrahan even welcomed a few deer into her She-Shed.

But Hanrahan says fall is her absolute favourite time of year to spend in her She-Shed. The foliage in the yard mingling with the crisp air and the perfect place to soak up a sunset provides the most serentity to her fall season.

Kora gave the shed a little more of her own personal style with the addition of marcramé, candles and lanterns.

A little privacy please. A fence made from left over materials from constructing the She-shed and array of old window frames provide a little privacy from the busy street.

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Grilled BBQ Lobster Tails in Garlic Butter Thaw the tails in the refrigerator overnight. Using scissors,

A perfect plan for creative spirit Carey Allan

cut a V-notch on the top of the lobster tail then insert your finger underneath the meat to lift the tail in the V. Place 1 tsp (5 ml) garlic butter in the cavity between the spine and the tail meat, and place a bit of garlic butter on the top of the tail. Grill on the top rack of your barbecue and keep basting (indirect heat assuming 450 °F (230 °C) for 5 to 6 minutes). Flip it meat-side down for a few minutes to get grill marks, and finish it flipped back.

Oven-Baked Lobster Tails in Garlic Butter

Carey Allan has always lived her life in an environmentally conscious way. Whether at home or through her artistic endeavours, Allan makes every effort to reuse or recycle items, intent not to create waste.

Thaw the tails in the refrigerator overnight. Using scissors, cut a V-notch on the top of the lobster tail then insert your finger underneath the meat to lift the tail in the V. Place 1 tsp (5 ml) garlic butter in the cavity between the spine and the tail meat, and place a bit of garlic butter on the top of the tail. Bake in a 450 °F (230 °C) oven for approximately 5 to 6 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

2578 Westville Rd., New Glasgow

902-759-1620

The North Shore

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Groovy Market Goods

BY DEBBI HARVIE PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

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THE STREAM

A “

s a family, we have always been very environmentally conscious. It’s so important,” she says. “It’s something so small that you can do in your own home that can make such a huge impact.”

Allan does everything she can to avoid throwing things out, so she is always coming up with ideas to repurpose or upcycle items she no longer has a use for in her home.

It’s a philosophy that is also critical to her business plan.

Allan owns and operates Groovy Market Goods in New Glasgow, a retail store that sells a variety of upcycled items from various vendors far and wide.

Groovy Market Goods opened in October 2019 and has been an outlet for Allan’s repurposed creativity.

“It was mostly my own crafts in the beginning, but it has grown and is more like a Farmer’s Market where I sell items for vendors on consignment,” Allan explains.

The items range from clothing made from repurposed sari silks in India, pottery with driftwood, hula hoops decorated with scrap material, journals made from recycled paper, t-shirts made with homemade stencils, and vintage hoodies repurposed with scrap materials.

The list of items gets larger around the holidays when more vendors bring their items into the store.

“It’s really amazing to see what people can do,” says Allan.

Allan used to live and work in India, so she has contacts there that she purchases the silk sari items from. She says saris are typically five metres in

The North Shore

Allan does everything she can to avoid throwing things out, so she is always coming up with ideas to repurpose or upcycle items she no longer has a use for in her home.

It’s a philosophy that is also critical to her business plan.

length but through wear and tear they will get holes or rips in them, so her friend will use two or more complimenting saris to create skirts, dresses, and even pants.

And Allan herself uses her pottery skills combined with repurposed driftwood for selves or hanging pieces.

“This time of year, I like to use items I’ve found on the beach and combine the shells and glass with the driftwood.”

One of Allan’s vendors will bring items in that he has found while cleaning the local beaches for her to use.

“He also takes the rope that he finds on the beaches and cleans it to make dog leashes and toys.”

But the items Allan repurposes aren’t strictly ornamental; in fact, some of them can even be used as a means of physical activity.

“I make a weighted hula hoop that I decorate by wrapping scrap pieces of

The North Shore

old clothing or sheets to make different coloured bands.”

Upcycling has become a bit of a theme for Groovy Market Goods.

“It feels good knowing you can reuse and save these items from going to the landfill.”

Groovy Market Goods is Allan’s second business on Provost Street in New Glasgow. A few years ago she operated Perfect Diversity, a clay café where customers could paint the pottery objects she had created.

And while Perfect Diversity is no longer an operating business, its essence and sense of community have taken on a new form in Allan’s Groovy Market.

When the busy downtown street went quiet during the height of the pandemic, Allan turned to her passion for pottery, filling her time making cups, each one a unique design and pattern.

The practice was more than just a way for Allan to keep busy and use her talents; it was a means of getting something back that she had lost over time.

“When Perfect Diversity was open, I had this friend that would come in every day and paint. He was going through some struggles in his life, and he would come in to paint. It helped him work through what he was dealing with in his personal life, and for that moment in time, he was happy,” explained Allan.

“I’d watch him paint and see the calm and happiness come over him and it made me feel like I was missing that in life.”

That was Allan’s inspiration for Cups for Community.

Allan set out to make 365 unique cups, one each day for an entire year. Some of them are made with interesting, repurposed objects or decorated using items she would

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THE STREAM

find around her home, making sure to keep them all a different theme or pattern.

Once each cup was finished, Allan would write a page in her journal about that piece and her feelings and emotions while working on the cup.

However, like most of us, life can often get in the way and we lose sight of the track we started on, so to prevent herself from straying from her path, Allan created Cups for Community.

Now that each cup has been made, Allan is posting a photo of one cup per day, for 365 days on her business Facebook page, Groovy Market Goods. The photo is accompanied by the journal entry for that cup, and it is then auctioned off to raise funds for local non-profit organizations.

“I wanted to make sure that I would stick to it, so I thought if I was raising money for a cause that I care deeply about, and

getting the community involved, I would have to follow through.”

The project will be complete at the end of December with hopes that $10,000 can be raised to be divvied up between Viola’s Place, Tearmann Society, and Roots for Youth.

“I’ve already been able to raise $8,000 so I am hoping that I can reach that $10,000 goal,” she says. “And if there’s any leftover, I would like to donate some to the Community Garden in New Glasgow.”

Allan says that not only did the process of making the cups allow her to experience that happiness and sense of purpose but being able to bring the community together while also helping organizations that are dear to her felt amazing.

By the end of December 2021, this project will have encompassed three years of Allan’s life from start to finish.

“My family has been so patient with me, allowing me to spend my time on the mugs and dealing with mugs all over the house,” she laughs.

You can follow along with Cups for Community or bid on a cup on Allan’s business Facebook page, Groovy Market Goods.

“A goddess cup in honour of all the amazing, loving, supportive women in my life. We are all different, and special so let’s celebrate that.”

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The North Shore

THRESHOLDS

BY CRYSTAL MURRAY PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

One of my favourite ways to transition between seasons is with a new bag.

With a joyful return to our workplaces, theatres, and restaurants, a new bag is just the thing for a wardrobe lift. Here are four great bags to get you back to work, play, and travel this fall.

Get your greens Give your fall looks a splash of colour with this vegan cross-body bag. Two interior flat pockets.

Roomie enough for a tablet or toss in a couple of snack containers for on-the-go. angelashomedecor.com

Get your fill Made in Antigonish, this bag is constructed of cotton canvas and finished with beeswax for waterproofing and leather straps are perfect for the gym, light overnight packing, or just for a day when you have lots to tote around.

Antigonishbag.com

FALL, The North Shore

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Get back to work Go from the office to home in high style and eco-conscious flair with this Messenger Bag from Tabitha+Co. Roomie inside compartments for laptops and files, and inside slots and tabs to keep pens and keys organized.

Tabithaco.ca

PHOTO BY VALÉRIE LEDUC PHOTOGRAPHY

Get out on the town Sometimes all you need is room for your phone and a lipstick. These little clutch bags found at the New Glasgow Market handmade by Debbilee Designs are perfect for a night out to local theatre favourite north shore watering hole. Keep your eye out at your local markets for great fashion finds.

IT’S IN THE BAG 17 -

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The North Shore

OFF the WALL

BY MELANIE MOSHER PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

Capturing Comfort

T

here’s no need to convince North Shore residents of the lure of the ocean. The therapeutic sounds of waves crashing across the sand and the melodic tunes of water drawing back over rocks. The dancing light, like diamonds bouncing along with the tide. The peacefulness and calm in the many blues and greens. The inhalation of fresh sea air takes away your worries and replaces them with a relaxed feeling of serenity. Not everyone has such easy access to ocean views. What if you could capture all of these feelings on canvas and create something for others to take home and enjoy anytime they felt the need for a breath of fresh salt air?

Grace Lane-Smith does just that with her ocean paintings. “I hadn’t realized when I moved to live landlocked in a city how much I was missing open water,” she says. “The sea had been a source of comfort when I felt sad, calm when I felt anxious, inspiration for colour combinations and joy when creating memories with family pointing out the prettiest sail boats.”

She surprised her family and friends when she moved with her husband, Ben, from Toronto to Antigonish almost six years ago. “The natural world beckons here. It is a place to build a home, a place of peace and quiet, a feeling of safety, adventure, and ultimately a haven,” she says.

The artist welcomes me into her home with a bright smile and eagerly shows me the two rooms

Antigonish artist Grace Lane-Smith creates calm on her canvas

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she uses as a studio and office space. They’re on opposite sides of the house giving her the opportunity to take advantage of the best light regardless of the season. During the summer one room is best for painting and the other is used for the administrative side of things such as marketing, blogging, and updating her website. In the winter, she switches. The walls are clean and white, big windows fill the space with natural light, and everything is mobile. A small cabinet on wheels holds her brushes, paints, and other supplies while providing a glass-top palette for blending colours.

We sit to chat, observing her works-in-progress, from miniatures to larger pieces, hanging on wooden pegs along one wall. Lane-Smith explains that she likes to work through each stage with all the pieces in her collection before moving on to the next step.

She takes ample time in every phase of production ensuring the quality of her work is worthy of becoming part of a family’s heritage. She builds her own supports, stretches the canvas, prepares it for paint, gathers inspiration, takes photographs, and carefully plans the composition of a collection, all before picking up a brush. She sketches and makes notes, referring to her favourite art books, setting parameters for a series and jotting them down, keeping them close by as she paints.

Her mindfulness of each detail continues, adding carefully selected colours through under painting, middle layers, and final layers. Each builds contrast, creates flow, and inspires emotion.

“Oil paintings consist of paint layers that are softly brushed to allow for very subtle shifts in colour so no two areas are the same,” explains Lane-Smith.

Antigonish artist Grace Lane-Smith explains her approach to each painting in her most recent collection, still in early stages of creation.

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“They take longer to dry, sometimes days between layers, and it takes a week after the final layer before a special varnish can be applied.” She plans to spend about three months completing this set.

Lane-Smith has enjoyed public showings and exhibitions, but the last 18 months have been different due to the pandemic.

“We’ve all felt a loss of connection,” says Lane-Smith. “I started sharing more openly [on social media] and regularly. I think that has been one of the biggest changes.”

“I also reconnected with an old artist group I was a part of a few years ago as well as connecting with a new group, a mentorship group to help me move forward in a more structured way. The community has made the biggest difference both to my work and to my mental health.”

There has also been a shift in those purchasing art. “When the pandemic hit more people started staying at home longer 19 -

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than they thought they would,” she explains. “I heard a lot of comments about how people wanted to travel or were tired of staring at blank walls. More people started talking about how their spaces were affecting how they felt and wanted their spaces to better reflect who they are.” This added opportunity for her work to adorn those walls.

“I really want to paint big,” says Lane-Smith about future endeavours. “The struggle with big is shipping—shipping becomes much more challenging the bigger you go. I’d love to do some collaborations next year, perhaps partnering with local designers, or creating work for hospitals as well as homes.

I really love the process, so there’s this desire to keep pushing the limits and painting, getting better, honing my voice.”

Regardless of size, one goal remains constant. “I hope my paintings capture feelings of calm, comfort, inspiration and joy because the colours and movement of the waves really have been a haven for me,” says Lane-Smith.

The North Shore

INSIDE STORY

BY SARAH BUTLAND

T

Soul Coll

ransforming is a constant in life; more so, it seems, in these past months as we face changes on a more frequent and impactful basis. It’s important to focus on the uplifting ways we can come together. Transformative Upbeat Conversations (or TUC Talks), inspired by the everpopular TED Talks, are bringing together local talents in our community and creating some pretty cool conversations.

Neil Stephen, the founder of This Is Marketing, says “TUC Talks are for the thoughtful, open-minded, and intellectually curious person who enjoys learning about and considering perspectives other than their own. TUC Talks are for everyone but those who approach them with a desire to be surprised and enlightened tend to get the best experience.”

Trinity United Church reached out to Stephen to develop a marketing plan for the church. This marketing initiative led to the development of Trinity’s new slogan “Have a Little Faith” and has evolved into a website address for the church www.havealittlefaith. ca. This statement makes two promises: faith is a part of what we do here and faith isn’t all we do here.

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Lynne Sheridan, the recent chair of the committee, says this slogan fits as the events are “a liberal interpretation of all things biblical.” She explains that their mission goes well beyond an organized religion many attribute to a church, and reaches the community to deliver many programs to support groups or individuals in need.

Both Sheridan and Stephen are part of the team that contributes to the growing success within the building, the community of New Glasgow, and beyond.

“I was very humbled to be asked to speak. Pictou County is such a complex community of passionate advocates who are engaged and vocal. To be involved in TUC Talks is a treat because of the group of organizers and their passion,” Stephen says. “On a professional level, it means a lot to have the chance to explore in detail an area that I believe is very important to everyone’s future. To be part of TUC Talk is to have a hand in opening new ways of thinking and perspectives that can further the conversation around how to build a stronger and more resilient Pictou County.”

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llective

Trinity United Church believes a community that talks together stays together

Sheridan, typically a non-church goer, has been a part of the Trinity United Church for about three years and attributes not only Donna Tourneur, the minister, but everyone involved. It became obvious to her that the value the collective was adding and the difference they were making in their variety of outreach programs was more about improving the community and spreading kindness than sitting in a pew every week.

In the past, TUC Talks enlisted Danny Graham of Engage Nova Scotia to talk about his work to create a more vibrant, inclusive, and resilient province; Doctor Aaron Smith, Medical Executive Director Northern Zone; and Nicole LeBlanc, Project Navigator Healthy Pictou County spoke about the realities of delivering health care; and the new Executive Director of Music Nova Scotia shared her perspective on supporting musical artists during COVID. Future talks will invite members of the Coady Institute to discuss affordable housing; a representative from Divert Nova Scotia will speak to the myths and progress in the recycling industry; and two clients from Summer Street Industries, who will speak on living with intellectual disabilities within our community. The discussion about health care drew approximately 250 community members to the talk, highlighting the appeal of education and change for our health as a collective.

These upbeat conversations intend to create awareness, educate, and modify attitudes with the hope of changing behaviours not only with the people who attend the talks, or listen to them later,

but to create solutions and unite those contributing to them. TUC Talks has proven that great things come out of great conversations and, with more than 20 outreach programs affiliated with Trinity United Church, this one hopes to welcome all ages and interests to its doors.

If you are looking to speak, or have an idea of something our community will value, the group is always looking to hear from the community. Stephen says, “My tip would be to focus on the general public as your audience and explore your topic in a way that makes sense to everyone, not those ‘in the know’ about it.

For my TUC Talk, I kept things at a very high level so that anyone watching would have the space and comfort level to learn and be intrigued without (hopefully) being overwhelmed.”

While not always having a weighty topic, the group does not shy away from any subject that is important to one or many.

The TUC Talks are not just a discussion about a problem: rather they are a discussion between members of the community in a safe setting with leaders who can consider and enable solutions.

This is the upbeat aspect of the talks; the influence of anyone interested in attending, online or in person. At each session there is ample time for questions, always keeping in mind that it’s not just a presentation, it’s a conversation.

Now, more than ever, our community and the world beyond us need uplifting and upbeat conversations on things that matter to all of us.

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The North Shore

COVER STORY

Cultivating gratitude at Small Holdings Farm

GIVING THANK The North Shore

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LEFT: Keltie Butler and Michael Coolican celebrating their fifth harvest at their farm on the Millsville road near Scotsburn.

BELOW: A simple sprig of Queen Anne’s lace dresses up the tablesetting using mismatched pieces of china.

BY CRYSTAL MURRAY PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

I

n mid-May, a thunderstorm pelted hail and heavy rains along the North Shore. When the storm started, Keltie Butler and Michael Collican were in the fields at Small Holdings Farms in Scotsburn.

At first, they were excited by the weather phenomenon; then the intensity of the storm picked up and the gravity of the situation became very real. Hail and heavy rain created a flash flood in the fields.

Water channelled in the pathways of their freshly planted field beds, washing out row upon row of carrots, beets, spinach, kale, and arugula and flattened their early crop of spring flowers. The marbles of ice that fell from the sky wiped out much of their early-season work. But just as any farmer knows that your livelihood is reliant on what mother nature dishes out, they went to their fields after the storm moved on. They didn’t just look for what was lost, they surveyed for what survived.

Despite the setback to the start of the season, Keltie and Michael are celebrating their biggest harvest at Small Holdings.

At Home went to the farm to ask Keltie and Michael about what it is that gets them growing, how they continue to cultivate gratitude at the farm, and for a few favourite recipes to share when setting our own tables and giving thanks this fall.

AH: Tell us a little about Keltie and Michael and where you found your passion for farming.

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: I came to farming as a consequence of falling in love with food or more specifically, with the ability of food, to gather people together. It was a roundabout path. In my early 20s, I had the great fortune of living in several different places from South Korea to Toronto. I worked with youth, with new Canadians, and with families seeking refuge. As you can imagine, there were cultural and language barriers for us all. Sharing meals and cooking was how we came together, how we cared for one another, and how we celebrated.

Learning to grow food, and becoming a farmer, seemed the next step for me. : When Keltie and I first met, she had already aimed herself towards becoming a farmer, working on other farms for the previous few summers. I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be lovely to have a partner who was a farmer, particularly as I had just begun setting myself towards growing some of my own food. Keltie was soon looking for a plot of land to grow on, an opportunity to lead her own small operation and I found her a piece of land that hadn’t seen a plough in more than a decade. After going to see that land, Keltie got serious about finding a more suitable option—ha! Ironwood Farm in West Hants was willing to barter for the use of some of their land, and so Keltie set out to do a small CSA into Halifax. The plan was just for me to help set up the camp area where we would stay for the summer, but it turns out farming is an ‘all hands-on deck’ type situation. It was exhausting work, but by the end of the season I was all the way on board, and we were looking for a place to land long-term.

The North Shore

COVER STORY

AH: Why was the philosophy of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) important to you.

: At some point, early in the life of our farm, we coined a motto, “Step one, grow vegetables. Step two, sell said vegetables.

Step three, how are you doing with steps one and two.” This was both to keep us from getting too carried away with the prospect of goats (or other wild ideas), but also to remind us that it isn’t enough to grow the vegetables, people need to be willing to buy them. We had found the traditional CSA model (a pre-packed weekly box for each CSA member) we had run in Halifax to be unnecessarily stressful.

Filling a food box with delicious vegetables is very doable in August but doing the same thing in June has its challenges.

Once we heard about a CSA model from Waldegrave Farm (Tatamagouche) that offered free choice, we were on board. Having CSA members sign up in February and March is an amazing shot of confidence, and funds, heading into what always seems to be a rollercoaster spring.

And with our CSA model, folks who are excited by a bumper crop of radishes and spring greens can start in late spring, while others can wait for the summer vegetables to start filling up our harvest tables. Over time we have seen how the CSA both lets us better get to know our customers,

just as they get to know the farm and the seasons that provide. Having folks out to the farm helps to narrow the gap between the foods we eat, and the stories that carry them.

AH: How do you bring gratitude into your every day?

: Sometimes the every day brings rise to gratitude, but more often than not, gratitude falls on the heels of the thankfully not-every-day. What I mean is, the day after a hailstorm, our gratitude grows tremendously for a simple cloudy day. We have yet to learn how to be grateful for a hailstorm that washes out freshly seeded beds, but that hailstorm unfailingly reminds us to be grateful for everything else that has conspired such that there is anything that might be lost.

We remind ourselves often that our labours have played only a minor role in both the successes and the failures of the farm. We work hard to tend to the soil, disturbing it as little as possible, feeding it only good things that it can recognize, but all of that pale in comparison to the centuries and millennia that have come before, the rain that has fallen, the winds that have blown, and all of those who have tended this land in some fashion long before us. It certainly seems that if we’re not careful we could really mess things up, but we are much more the beneficiaries

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LEFT: A posy of farm-fresh flowers for the table.

ABOVE: It’s Thanksgiving every week at Small Holdings Farm. Once the gardens starts to produce, Keltie and Michael serve up a weekly lunch for staff, family, and friends. Seated at the table are friends Kimberly Dymond, Matthew Connor, Xander Connor, staff 2021, and Baillie Lynds, staff 2020.

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COVER STORY

Farm-to-table at the farm It doesn’t get any more farm-to-table than having your table at the farm.

Each week during the growing season Keltie and Michael prepare lunch for their summer staff to give thanks for the energy and care that they bring to the farm every day. Because they have different crops throughout the season, we asked Keltie and Michael to share a few recipes that celebrate what they currently had growing in their garden when we went to visit.

Keltie’s greatest joy is bringing people together to enjoy what they grow at the farm. Late summer crops still flourish after lots of August sunshine.

of the soil’s abundance than its providers. So long as we’re willing to pay attention, the farm regularly offers as many reminders to be grateful as we can bear.

AH: I know you had a hard start to our season with a big hail storm. How do you find gratitude when faced with the challenges of farming?

: So often, when something has gone wrong, our support network appears. When a hail storm comes through, your community cannot “fix” that damage but they can—and they do— seize that opportunity to show they care about you. Following the hail storm this spring, we were the beneficiaries of many acts of kindness. Farming, with so many factors being out of your control, invites many such opportunities.

AH: How do you cultivate a culture of gratitude with the people you work with, and do you feel gratitude returned to our from your community?

: We do our best to share both the bounty and the challenges of the farm. People will sometimes remark on how beautiful the vegetables we bring to market look, and compliment us on what good growers we must be. I often respond by pointing out that we’ve only brought the crops that turned out! They should see what was fed to the pigs! : I remember one Friday this spring, just after the aforementioned hail storm, as well as lock down in Nova Scotia. It was early in the season for us, harvests were spring greens and perhaps radishes and green onions. I was setting up for a small number of our CSA members to come by for no-contact pickup in our driveway. There was a lot on my mind and quite a weight on my shoulders. I rushed The North Shore

to get things set up and to step away. But, I wasn’t quite out of sight when the first CSA member arrived, followed by another and another. So, with masks on and standing at a distance, we greeted one another. Each CSA member asked how we were and shared condolences for the hardship of the hail storm. I asked about their lives—how their winter was, their children, and what they were looking forward to this spring. Soon, when asked “how are you”, I didn’t respond with a sigh but rather found myself smiling beneath my mask and saying, “Good! Good, we are good.” This is what happens each Friday afternoon at CSA pickup—and at the farmers’ market on Saturday—the worries of the week fade away as the enjoyment of greeting familiar faces and sharing our harvest fills the space. : Our new staff are often unfamiliar with the approach to farming we follow, and so the learning curve is steep as they are quickly introduced to the wide variety of vegetables and the many ways each of them needs to be tended to. We make a farm lunch for our staff once a week, where we do our best to feature as many foods from the farm as we can. In our earlier years, we often found ourselves missing out on some of the most popular vegetables, as we prioritized selling them to customers over saving some for our plates. We’ve learned though that something is missing if we can’t share our own delight in the fresh new cherry tomato recipe or the fennel that we added to last night’s salad.

It’s the farm that reminds us to be grateful, sharing its bounties and its challenges engenders gratitude from our staff and our customers, and they, in turn, share their own ups and downs, stories of celebration and hardships. It is wonderfully fulfilling to be able to play a small part in so many people’s lives.

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Roasted Root Vegetables Roasting these fall vegetables brings out their sweetness — and the rainbow of colour can’t be beat.

INGREDIENTS beets carrots salad turnips parsnip sweet potato onion garlic olive oil salt

LEFT: Roasted root vegetables give a burst of colour and flavour.

This is really less of a recipe and more of a method of cooking.

Any combination of fall veggies will do. We focused on root vegetables in this case, but broccoli and cauliflower are great in the mix as well.

METHOD 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare your veggies by cutting them into similar-sized pieces such that they cook at the same time. I like about 1.5-inch pieces and find they take about 45 minutes to cook. I don’t peel anything for this but that’s up to you and your household tastes. I love the skin of sweet potato in the mix. For the onion, I tend to chop in larger chunks as it cooks more quickly, and I don’t want it to burn. For the garlic, simply crush a clove or two for each baking sheet of veggies.

3. Once chopped, toss the veggies with olive oil and salt—and then lay them out on a baking sheet or multiple baking sheets. The key is that you want just one layer of vegetables—don’t overcrowd the baking sheet.

4. When your oven is up to temperature, slide the baking sheet(s) into the oven and set a timer for 20 minutes. At 20 minutes, toss the veggies around on the baking sheet and then bake another 25 minutes or so.

Enjoy hot from the oven.

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The North Shore

Fennel Salad INGREDIENTS for DRESSING 3 Tbsp lemon juice ½ tsp sea salt black pepper ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil INGREDIENTS for SALAD 2 large fennel bulbs, thinly sliced on a mandoline 2 local apples, thinly sliced on a mandoline ¼ cup fennel fronds If you are nervous about the fennel flavour, cut back on the fronds as they are a much stronger flavour than the bulb 1 cup chopped walnuts 2-3 Tbsp local honey DIRECTIONS 1. In a mason jar, combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Top with a lid and shake to emulsify.

2. Thinly slice the fennel bulbs and stalks as well as the apples.

Chop up the fennel fronds. Combine in a large serving bowl.

3. In a hot pan, toss the chopped walnuts to toast. Once toasted, turn off the heat but leave the pan on the burner.

Now add a big spoonful of honey and allow it to melt, coating the nuts. Add a dash of salt.

4. Add the dressing to the serving bowl and toss. Top with the warm nuts.

5. Taste and add more lemon juice and/or salt if needed.

Small Holdings Farm Salad Dressing Great with any and all seasonal salad greens, here is our go-to salad dressing...

COMBINE IN A MASON JAR THE FOLLOWING: 3 parts olive oil 1 part apple cider vinegar (balsamic works also) 1 squeeze of mustard *optional local maple syrup -- in Michael’s words, “more than you think” pinch of salt and pepper Put the lid on the jar and give it a good shaking to emulsify. Taste, add more vinegar—or some lemon juice—if it needs a bit more tang. We often make half of a 500mL jar and use it over a week or more, storing it on the counter.

This next recipe for Cherry Tomato Confit comes from a lovely New Glasgow Farmers’ Market customer of ours. She is a regular for our cherry tomatoes, often buying four boxes a week. Last fall, Michael asked her how she liked to eat/prepare them. She told him of “cherry tomato confit” and shared the basics on how to make it -- cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs like basil or thyme if you have them, and a dash of salt, all in the oven at 350° F for 30 minutes. Michael recounted the recipe to me on the way as he remembered it--which was a bit foggy.

The following week, Michael asked for a refresher on the recipe, and she gave him the basics once again. This next week, she arrived at the market with a copy of her recipe for us--and the recommendation of doing a double batch at a time (4 pints) as it is simply so delicious, and tomato season will only last so long.

So, here it is, the recipe for cherry tomato confit ...

Fresh garden greens dressed up with nastursiums and Keltie’s go-to salad dressing.

The North Shore

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Cherry Tomato Confit

COVER STORY

INGREDIENTS 2 pints cherry tomatoes 1.5-2 cups olive oil 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed ½ cup basil leaves and/or 3 fresh thyme sprigs (optional) 1 tsp coarse salt DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the tomatoes in a single layer on a baking dish or roasting pan, preferably one in which the tomatoes fit snugly such as an 8x11-inch baking dish for 2 pints of tomatoes.

3. Pour the olive oil -- as much as is needed to completely submerge the tomatoes -- over the tomatoes. Add the garlic, basil, and/or thyme as well as the salt. Cover with tightly fitting aluminum foil (or the lid of the baking dish) and bake for 30 minutes.

4. When the tomatoes are done, the oil will be hot. Uncover and let the tomatoes cool completely in the oil.

5. Gently transfer the cherry tomato confit, including the olive oil, garlic, and herbs into a 1-quart jar or other airtight container. Cover and stash in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Each time you scoop some out to serve, be sure the remaining tomatoes are still submerged in oil, adding fresh olive oil if necessary.

Cherry tomato confit is delicious alongside cheese and crackers or scooped up with crusty bread. It is also delicious tossed with pasta, or piled atop grilled fish, chicken, pork, or veggies. The infused oil is delicious itself and can be used in a vinaigrette or as a “finishing oil” atop fish, vegetables or soup.

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The North Shore

Title script by Laura Lavender

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The North Shore

BY CRYSTAL MURRAY PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

aura Lavender dips the nib of her fountain pen into a vintage porcelain ink well sitting on her desk next to a piece of milky-smooth paper. As she presses down ever so slightly on the nib and flexing the tines, the ink fills the space at the tip, and she begins to make her first strokes of beautiful writing that defines the art of calligraphy.

Calligraphy comes from the Greek words kallos meaning beauty and graphein, meaning to write. Long before the printing press, the first documents and books were written with calligraphy.

Today it is considered a form of art, nearly-lost style of wondrous handwriting that has been evaporating into the ether, but is now gaining a new appreciation in a world where expediency rules the day.

As Laura demonstrates her art from the study of her new home on George Street in New Glasgow, two little girls, Julia Rose

and Celeste, bounce in the anticipation of a family camping trip they will be leaving for later in the day. It’s a living oxymoron of stillness and movement. The desk jiggles a bit and Laura in a voice as gentle as her hold on her pen asks the girls to be careful while she does her lettering. Julia Rose, who is six years old with a joyful open smile accentuated by a few missing baby teeth, tells me she is going to be a famous artist someday. Celeste, four, nods her head smiling with approval, as if saying it will be so.

While Laura continues her lettering, I chat with her partner Aaron and 11-yearold Oliver and learn a little more about the family’s journey to the east coast.

Today’s camping trip will be the first one since they travelled across Canada from Vancouver Island to Nova Scotia, popping their tent up most nights and experiencing many of the country’s national parks along the way.

ah! Fall 2021 - 30

AT HOME WITH...

I’m certain that as long as people have been communicating visually, there has been both a need and a desire to do it beautifullly.

—Laura Lavender Creative Lettering and Beyond: Timeless Calligraphy

Aaron, a musician and writer, has found time for his own creative pursuits. His most recent book Reality and the Positive Power of Perspective was published in 2020.

The move east was for a change of lifestyle and perhaps a chance for a farm property. They almost had such a property in Malagash shortly after they arrived. The sale fell through, and they found themselves in New Glasgow, on the corner of George and Temperance Street in a century home that was given many years of love from the families who made their life there before.

They painted it a sunny yellow and have been busy putting their own touches on a home that will shine with their own uniqueness; a house where creativity, imagination, curiosity, and love abide.

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Julia Rose and Celeste in the garden making fairies.

On our first meeting, Laura had shared how Nova Scotia had always been a fascination. She grew up in Nanaimo, and Aaron, who came of age in Spain, has East Coast roots. His father’s people are from the southwest region of the province.

The couple dreamed of owning a farm, something that is largely unattainable on the other coast. While they love their big yellow house, there is still a niggling for a bigger property where they can extend their gardens, another one of their shared passions. Not adverse to change, the couple packed up the accoutrements of

Oliver looking dapper in one of his dad’s hats.

their West Coast life and set their course for the east—just a few months before the welcome mat to Nova Scotia was rolled up and put on a back shelf, only to be dusted off again this summer.

The couple had to hit pause on making new connections. Like everyone else, the pandemic gave way to more time in their home. They worked on their renovation plans, although found it tough to make progress with little access to the trades.

They home-schooled their children, something that had been part of their original plan, and worked on their own The North Shore

AT HOME WITH...

projects. Aaron, a musician, and writer, wrapped up a book and published it in 2020. He owns his own book publishing company, but that’s a story for another day. Aaron also busied himself making a composting fence that borders the property. Apparently, Aaron is crafty too.

On my first meeting with Laura the week before when we chatted in her garden, she told me that she fell in love with calligraphy when she was 12, whiling away hours practicing the technique. Saying that you don’t need a divine gift to be an artist it appears to come naturally for Laura. On meeting her for the first time there is something about her presence that emanates an artistic spirit, and you know it is something she was born with. She holds a fine arts degree in painting from the University of Montreal and studied astronomy in Alberta—she is not the first artist to be fascinated with the night sky.

While it seems that art is part of who she is, Laura has made a good living as both an illustrator and calligrapher. Her specialty is copperplate, using flexible metal nibs and a looser modern pointed pen style that is now seen popping up in home décor. She has made quite a name for herself. You can find her as an instructor on the website Craftsy, a huge U.S.-owned platform with more than 1,500 classes with instructions for almost anything handmade you can get your hands on. Laura teaches fundamentals to the calligraphy-curious through the steps of selecting the right pen, ink, and paper to making their own elegant, lettered works of art. She has published her own book, Creative Lettering and Beyond: Timeless Calligraphy. On the introduction page Laura writes “I’m certain that as long as people have been communicating visually, there has been both a need and a desire to do it beautifully.”

Before the move and pandemic, Laura was often kept busy with lettering fancy invitations for weddings and other celebrations. She has been featured in several wedding publications and has an impressive client list including American Greetings, Vogue, Guess, Artizia, and many other brands that have become household names.

Some of her most gratifying work has been teaching young people the skills of lettering.

“Most children are not taught handwriting these days,” says Lavender. “There is a whole generation that is losing this very basic skill.”

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She believes that by age eight most children have the developmental skills to begin the practice of calligraphy. Back in BC, she worked with school children.

“I think children are all so busy these days that when they have the chance to slow down, they really enjoy it. I think that is why calligraphy is so appealing, even for tough teenage boys.

After the move and the onset of the pandemic, Laura saw her well of commercial work start to dry up. Thinking about the need for people to stay connected and for beautiful things in their lives she started a new aspect of her business, Need a Letter.

“In this very digital world, it’s nice to make a connection with the people we care about with something that is made by hand.

It’s so lovely to get a letter, a real letter in the mail,” she says.

By simply entering the address of the person you wish to send a letter to, Lavender will write a simple note that lets the recipient know they are special to the sender. You can find the link to Need at Letter on her website lauralavender.com.

As the little girls’ excitement for the end-of-summer camping trip, the promise of S’mores, and perhaps the novelty of a photoshoot happening in their home continues to escalate, Laura stays composed at her desk. I have asked her to write the title for this story.

“You know calligraphy is very good for your brain,” says Laura.

“It actually works both sides.”

She had told me earlier that when she is writing for someone else there is no time to daydream, she is completely engaged and she needs to remove her “self” from the process.

I can’t help but think that the process also takes a lot of patience—something most of us need to practice more often and something that both Laura and her partner Aaron had to embrace moving across the country and creating a new home for their family during these unusual times.

Laura finishes the lettering. At Home with Laura Lavender. I don’t think we have ever had a story headline that looked as pretty.

Wrapping up our visit to the happy yellow house on George Street. I learn that the family is headed to Parrsboro, a little drive west on the North Shore where you can dig in the mud and sift through the shells hunting for fossils and evidence of what the world used to be like at another time.

Home cooking starts here.

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The North Shore

INSIDE STORY

AS LUCK WOULD

White panelled walls and soft yellow tones in the wallpaper keeps Robin’s project room bright and cheerful. Three of her photographs hang on the wall behind her desk.

The North Shore

An outdoor feature in the Roys’ previous home, the taller ceiling height on Alexander Street created the space to install a salvaged metal fabricated map of the world.

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HAVE IT

BY CRYSTAL MURRAY PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

Robin and Wayne Roy say the number five is their lucky number. There is a five in all of the family birthdays. It was the civic number of their home in Stouffville, Ontario. They love the number so much they gave it as the middle name to their son Mackenzie and Robin has a number five tattooed on the back of her right calf. It’s no wonder that during their search for a new house in New Glasgow that the couple stumbled on 55 Alexander Street, or that it took no more than five minutes for them to know that the house they found themselves standing in was exactly what they were looking for.

When I met Robin and Wayne together for the first time on the verandah of their classic white and black trimmed century home on a AN ONTARIO hill on the east side of New Glasgow, I knew in less than five minutes that I was in the company of really good folks. Robin poured me a COUPLE FOUND tumbler of ice-cold water she had collected from the Greenhill spring.

EVERYTHING Their pooch Simon, a rescue from Israel, sits under the big shade tree in the front yard and keeps a watchful eye on a doe that emerges out THEY WANTED of the wooded lot across from their property. “It doesn’t get better than this,” says Robin as she grabs a seat to begin our chat.

AND MORE BY Three years ago—I know, not five—Robin and Wayne came to MOVING TO Pictou County to visit their eldest son, his wife, and grandchildren not long after they had made the move east.

NEW GLA5GOW “We instantly fell in love with Nova Scotia,” says Robin as she begins to share the tale of how their life at this moment came to be. “We went back to Ontario and immediately started to entertain moving here. We were both at the point where we could work from anywhere, and we wanted to be closer to our grandchildren.

Robin had wrapped up a career in retail. While her most recent employment before moving to Nova Scotia was front-of-store manager of a pharmacy, she spent 15 years with IKEA and another handful of years with the clothing chain Thrifty’s doing visual merchandising and styling for photoshoots.

While Robin’s only responsibility today is keeping her husband’s job jar and kayaking schedule full, Wayne is working remotely on a job that, until the pandemic, kept him going back to Ontario at regular intervals.

For the last 15 years, Wayne has made a career as a Construction Co-Ordinator for Proper Television, the company producing shows like Master Chef Canada, Canada’s Worst Driver, and the Great Canadian Baking Show. Wayne is behind the design, building, and breaking down of different TV sets. “I am the first one on the job and the last one on the job,” adds Wayne.

Going back to Ontario after their holiday, the couple quickly made up their mind to head to Nova Scotia. While their grandkids were in New Glasgow, they thought that pretty much anywhere in Nova Scotia would work for them. But they couldn’t get the little town with a river running through it out of their system.

“When I came for my holiday that summer, I went to a few classes at the Y in the Wellness Centre. I had so much fun and met a few people instantly. Part of my retirement dream was to live in a place where I could go to a gym almost every day. The Y, and the people at the Y, really cinched it for me. It’s amazing to live A star burst of light from a crystal chandelier in a community with such an incredible facility,” says Robin, who makes an active illuminates a guest bedroom. lifestyle a priority.

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INSIDE STORY

Fast friends. Robin met her neighbour Shelley Ballantyne on move in day.

Now that the reno to Alexander Street is finished, Robin and Wayne are excited to welcome their youngest son and his partner to the neighbourhood.

The couple hired a local real estate agent to start the search for properties.

Their son and daughter-in-law would Zoom with them and walk them through the houses. When they flew back to Nova Scotia a few months later they had eight houses to see. While they were all lovely, Robin and Wayne were just not feeling like they hit the mark.

While driving up Alexander Street on their way to look at another home in the neighbourhood, they saw a sign on the lawn of a white house with black trim on a corner lot.

“I said, what about that one,” says Robin, and with a few quick phone calls, their agent had them inside the house.

“We walked in and we could feel this beautiful calm vibe. Immediately, it started to feel like home. When Wayne and I walked into the kitchen and dining area

and Wayne said let’s flip this floor plan around and open the kitchen, I was sold,” explains Robin.

They bought the house in September of 2019. The couple made it into Nova Scotia the day before the province announced it would be closing the borders to travel. Wayne was still working on an episode of Master Chef when they made the move. He continues to work remotely with a solid crew still in Ontario.

The hiatus from travel and the temporary work shut down during the height of the pandemic meant that Robin and Wayne could give their new home complete focus.

“I have three trade tickets,” says Wayne.

“We didn’t need to hire anyone.“ In 18 months of pandemic restrictions, the couple completed extensive renovations to most of the house. They

started the upstairs renos first. Having no idea the pandemic was going to last as long as it has, and they wanted guest rooms for friends and family to visit.

Still sitting on the front verandah sipping our Greenhill spring water, Robin asks, “Do you want to go for a tour?”

We start with the second storey to see where their work began.

The main staircase in the front foyer bends to a landing where a wall of stainedglass windows casts a prism of light across the floor. I step into the first room designed for guests; a gallery of birdhouses festoons the wall behind the bed. There are no feathered friends to be seen, but I think if I was an overnight guest I would love to nest in this little room.

Across the hall is Robin’s project room.

Robin is a collector of found things. On her hikes and beach walks that happen

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Wayne has been working remotely since the spring of 2020. The reno include a study for him where he does most of his communication with his team in Ontario. A collection of vintage Tonkas, a guitar, and memorabila from various TV shows he has worked with find a place in his space.

every week, if not daily, she picks up stones, shells, pieces of driftwood, and even lobster bands. She sorts her objects and makes pretty things in a pretty room with yellow wallpaper and a sparkling chandelier. An old cabinet in the attic was given a fresh coat of white paint and installed in her room. The shelves filled with the odds and sods of her roamings, and all meticulously sorted. Robin and Wayne are very tidy.

Another guest room tucks in on an angle at the crux of the hall. A chandelier gives the room its own sparkle. Their bedroom is painted in tranquil blues, a little more serenity in their private space.

“So, I have to explain this,” says Robin pointing down the hallway to Wayne’s study and bathroom to what looks like the inside components of an old piano hanging on the wall.

Not able to find a home for the home’s antique piano, Wayne dismantled the instrument and used several of the components as art installations.

“When we bought the house it came with an old upright piano. We don’t play and we could not find a home for it anywhere. Wayne decided to pull it apart,” says Robin.

“I spent hours on this thing and saw how it could make an interesting art piece,” says Wayne with a chuckle.

Making a career out of building things and then taking them apart made the deconstruction of the piano a bit of a fascination for Wayne. He was able to keep the piano harp and board intact.

“You have no idea how heavy these pieces were. I did need help getting them installed on the wall.”

Wayne cut the front face off of the piano and installed it on the centre of the wall in his study. A room full of curiosities from his work in TV production, and shelves of antique Tonka trucks, a collection he

started with his Mum. In the corner, he has a bike on a trainer, a flat-screen TV on the wall above a mantle that was once a working fireplace, and an electric guitar that sometimes gets used rests in a stand next to the door. Wayne does a lot of his work from this room, and he says he likes to watch his own shows in his study, taste in TV is just about the only thing that couple doesn’t agree on.

Back downstairs we walk through the front living room. A large metal globe makes a statement in the room. Like the birdhouses in the guest room, the round flat panel, eight feet in diameter and salvaged from a set, was once outside in their garden but now they have the space to bring it inside. It’s a great conversation piece. Figures of animals are hidden in the design of the continents.

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The dining room, relocated from the kitchen reno that is still to be revealed, is a welcoming space where Robin displays more of her collections. A photo of a jumble of antique silverware hangs over the fireplace and a cabinet filled with jars of beach glass, smooth heart-shaped pebbles, and pieces of fishing rope. There is a tiny birdhouse made from pieces of driftwood. Robin says it was her prototype and she intends to make a few more this winter.

Robin and Wayne lead me into the kitchen. While they love every nook and cranny, it’s the kitchen that was started as a blank canvas and creates the new in the old house that they really enjoy.

Following through on that initial inkling of inspiration on their first visit, Wayne redesigned the space. The kitchen had been located at the very back of the house, and was small for such a big home. They opened the wall between what was the kitchen and the dining room and started from scratch with new plumbing and wiring.

They were able to maintain the original hardwood flooring. With Wayne’s set design experience and Robin’s flair for staging in retail, the kitchen concept came together quickly.

“We know what we want, and we can make decisions very quickly,” says Robin. “And we never argue.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Wayne confirms. “We don’t fight. Never have.”

The couple chose a crispy white palette infused with traces of soft grays in the hexagon backsplash.

Cabinets were planned so that everything has a place. Because this home is almost twice the size of their home in Stouffville, Robin once wondered how they were going to fill all of the cabinets. A bay window with tall blue wing back chairs is a favourite spot for coffee and a chit-chat.

The mudroom, now in the space where the kitchen once resided for a hundred years, took a little more time to complete, but is now finished and includes a little condo for Simon. He also has a second residence upstairs in the closet in Robin’s project room.

As we wind up our conversation, I hear again how grateful the couple are for their new life.

Every morning, Robin begins her day with a gratitude walk through her neighbourhood.

She tells me about the day their moving truck arrived and how, now very good friend, Shelley Ballantyne landed on her doorstep.

With three trade tickets, Wayne was able to manage almost all aspects of the renovation, including the relocation and expansion of the kitchen into the former dining room.

Robin’s collection of birdhouses make the perfect bedroom for a guest to nest.

A vintage sign displaying Robin’s lucky number in the TV room. In numerology the number five is said to bestow good fortune on one and all.

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ah! Fall 2021 - 38

“Shelley saw all of the guys moving things in and she came up to me and said, ‘Hey, looks like you could use a girlfriend,’ and we have been the greatest friends ever since,” says Robin with an enthusiastic and contagious smile that has no doubt helped garner her new collection of friends.

Wayne tells me that there are still a few things left on the to-do list.

However, the couple is now busy renovating the house next door that they purchased this summer and will be the new home for their other son and his partner who think that they will give East Coast life a try. Wayne extended their back deck and built stairs to connect the two properties.

Keeping their days full of reno projects, hikes, gym time, and work, Robin describes the vibe here as “Jamaica-Scotia.”

“We are busy, but everything is just so chill here,” says Robin.

Soon, Wayne will start making his trips back to Ontario for work.

Saying he is not as much of an extrovert as his wife, he is loving their home and experiences just as much as Robin.

Robin walks me back out to the front door where I came in. We pass through the last room on the tour. A TV room pulled together with some funky antique elements, is the place where Robin will put her weary feet up after a long day of doing what she loves. Her armchair, under a fading number five painted on a worn wooden sign, another salvaged item for an old TV set, is perched behind her as a reminder of her how lucky she and Wayne have been in finding their new life in New Glasgow.

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The North Shore

Pickles, Preserves, and Pleasant Surprises ON THE TABLE

BY MELANIE MOSHER

F

all harvest is the reward of a summer’s work in the garden. But what do you do with all this beautiful bounty? Pickling, canning, and freezing seem labour intensive but are worth the effort. On a cold wintery day in February, the taste of carefully preserved fruits and veggies will please the palate, and warm the heart.

For Tracey Wilmot of Ponds Country Kitchen and Gardens in Merigomish, preserving begins as soon as Mother Nature begins providing treasures. Along with her niece, Lynn Christie, who lives next door, they began taking their bottled delights to the local market in 2018.

Customers enjoy traditional favourites like strawberry jam, bread and butter pickles, and apple jelly. Wilmot provides these and strives to come up with things that are a little bit different.

After some research, Wilmot discovered dandelion jelly. She set to work making her first batch. “The petals have a lemon flavour,” she says.

“You have to pluck the petals and be careful not to get any of the green as that’s bitter.” After three long hours one evening separating the tiny yellow pieces from the rest of the flower, Wilmot declared, “We’re not doing that again.” The petals are infused into a tea-like liquid and later made into jelly. “Once we tasted the jelly, we both said ‘Wow!’ and immediately went out the next day to pick more,” says Wilmot.

Lilac syrup is made in a similar fashion, plucking the tiny florets from the stems, infusing them, and then creating the syrup. It’s used on salads, in flavoured lemonades and cocktails, or baked goods, lending fragrant floral tones to a dish.

Pickled spruce tips are another delightful surprise. These tiny light green bits appear at the end of the branches each spring. They are tender and citrusy. “They can be used like capers or olives, great on a cheese board, and I’ve used mine in a frittata,” Wilmot says. “They’re great in gin and tonic,” she adds.

Cowboy candy (candied jalapeños), mustard pickles, and million-dollar relish are always popular. “We also try to add other things like brown sugar beans, sugar-and-spice beans.” Using 14 varieties of tomatoes planted this year they will be making salsas, chutneys, and sauces.

Mark Gabrieau, chef/owner of Gabrieau’s Bistro in Antigonish, strives to keep locally sourced ingredients on his menu. He grows many items himself and buys from several farms in the area. Pickling is a great way to extend the life of vegetables. “We pickle asparagus and zucchini. You pour the hot vinegar, sugar, herb mixture over them and seal them,” says Gabrieau. Don’t steam them afterward, or they will become too soft. The heat of the brine is enough to cook them and maintain a little crunch.

“The zucchini comes out wonderful,” says Gabrieau.

“Another thing we have had a lot of luck with and is totally different, is pickling chanterelle mushrooms,” says Gabrieau. These earthy delights

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Tracy Wilmot of Ponds Country Kitchen begins

can also be partially dried and frozen or completely dried and ground into “autumn dust.” This is a powder that can be added to breadcrumbs and other herbs for a crust on fish or added to steak spice to give a hint of mushroom flavour without being overwhelming.

“We also make a lot of chow,” says Gabrieau. “We use it with our homemade crab cakes. We probably harvest more than 200 pounds of green tomatoes.” They also make pastes from herbs such as basil and cilantro which freeze well, keeping them available all year.

Plant-based riches are not the only bounty from the farm worth storing.

Mike and Tricia Ward from Crossroads Valley Farm in Antigonish supply fresh-frozen, pasture-raised poultry and forest-raised pork to their customers. They also grow a huge garden to provide healthy food for their family. Proper storage is essential. “[Tricia] cooks almost everything from scratch and the ingredients are mostly from our farm or the Farmer’s Market,” explains Ward. “We have two large chest freezers for our meats, veggies, and fruits. Plus, we have cold storage for our potatoes, carrots, onions, beets, parsnips, and garlic.”

Likewise, Jason McCrimmon and Tarsila Stoeckicht of Way to Grow! Gardens in Ardness depend on hearty vegetables. “We grow lots of storage crops that keep through the winter.

We store these in our

perserving as soon as things start to grow until the last cucumber of

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ON THE TABLE

cold storage room, and we put a small heater in there once the temperature drops to keep it just above freezing. We also grow quite late into the season in the field and in the greenhouse by protecting the plants with row cover,” explains Tarsila.

Sharing garden space with neighbours can extend the variety of fruits and vegetables you harvest. Potatoes from one garden can be traded for zucchini from another. Foraging can also lead to great finds. Blackberries, fiddleheads, mushrooms, and spruce tips are among them. Once discovered or grown, choosing a method to preserve your crop comes next. Don’t be afraid to try new things. “We experiment a little bit,” says Wilmot. “And we have fun with it.”

Twenty-one ways to SAVOUR THE FLAVOUR long after harvest 1 Jam

8 Sauce

15 Relish

2 Jelly

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HEALTHY AT HOME

The Splendour of

Cape George Heritage Trail STORY AND PHOTOS BY TRISH JOUDREY

I

’m always on the lookout for a lightly trafficked trail with exceptional beauty. So, when three phrases kept popping up to describe one particular trail—spectacular views, wilderness, and old-growth forest—my interest was piqued.

The Cape George Heritage Trail proved true on every point and provided an unexpected adventure.

“We call it a wilderness trail because of the isolated nature of the forest paths,” says Velma MacEachern, a member of the Cape George Trail Committee. “It’s special: the only spot in Nova Scotia where there’s a panoramic view of the Northumberland Strait and St. George’s Bay together.”

The Cape George Trail, sometimes known as the Mini Cabot Trail, is a three-section system of 33-kilometre looped trails of various difficulty on an isolated headland jutting out on the North Eastern coastline about 15 kilometres north of Antigonish. It’s part of the Cape-to-Cape trail system linking two exceptional lookoffs, Cape George and Cape Chignecto.

Armed with a map designed by local trail builder Peter Jackson, water, tick spray, and snacks, I set out to walk the northern loop from Trail Head #2 to Trail Head #3, ending close to the dramatic Cape George Lighthouse. My goal was to sit at the first look-off bench, about halfway around the loop, have a picnic, and admire the views.

“There’s a splendid view at the top,” says John Cornell, a local resident who stopped to chat. “You can see Livingston Cove and P.E.I. Haven’t been up there for a few years, but it’s a view I always love.” Gesturing with his hand he cautions, “Take a left up ahead. The right’s a dead end. Just want to save you time.”

“Thanks for the tip, John,” I replied. He was the last person we saw for the next six hours.

Local resident and hiker, John Cornell.

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Thinking we were following John’s directions correctly, my walking partner and I turned left at the first signpost M, taking us unknowingly south to TH#1 instead of north to TH#3. We were to find out later, we should have gone right at M and then a left. Consequently, what should have been a 10km jaunt around the headland ended up being 16.5km.

But no matter, it was a beautiful walk, well-marked with orange ribbons The North Shore

through a grassy meadow to a boardwalk crossing a flowing brook, and then to a single path through the forest. The shade from stands of tall coniferous trees provided relief from the sun.

Ducking under low lying branches, I remembered Velma’s words, “The trail won’t be groomed until the end of June.

It’s a bit overgrown before then. By summer, people come from all over just to listen to the sound of birds, savour the tranquillity and hear the brooks running. That’s what it’s known for, natural wilderness.”

We realized when we started to descend, we were on the wrong trail.

“Better check the Alltrails App and the map,” I said. Sure enough, we had strayed over 3km on the wrong side of Marsh Road. “Let’s assess what to do,” echoed my partner.

We both felt strong. We had enough water and food to last the day, even if we got lost again, a possibility we had to consider. We decided to return to signpost M where we reasoned we had made the wrong turn. is not easy for an avid hiker to do, but is nevertheless, sensible. It was a lesson well learned:

always consult the map, even when following someone’s directions.

Returning to M signpost junction, we rewarded ourselves with a good rest, snacks, and water on a wellpositioned shady bench, marked with a plaque: Honouring the Memory of Ella and Alex Adams.

“Benches have been positioned along the trail by families in memory of their loved ones,” says Velma. “They stand on the spot where they once lived many years ago.”

More orange ribbons directed us to the first lookoff without incident.

John Cornell was right about the view.

The clear day brought P.E.I, some 50 kilometres away, into focus. We congratulated ourselves for reaching the goal, and for eating our snacks at the bottom of the hill because the ticks loved the grassy crest just as much as we did.

Luckily, we had prepared ourselves earlier by tucking our pants into our socks, sealing them with Duct tape, and then wrapping a layer of double-sided tape to catch any critter that dared venture up our legs. After a dose of tick spray and a few photos, we headed for TH#3.

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The panoramic views Velma had described soon came into view at subsequent lookout spots: Ballantyne’s Cove, the western cliffs of Cape Breton and the PEI shoreline surfaced in concert over St. George’s Bay and the Northumberland Strait. It was a photographer’s paradise.

I told myself: I must return here in autumn to witness this view amid the colourful splendour of the changing leaves.

An easy descent along Hwy 337 brought us back to Ballantyne’s Cove where we picked up the car for the short drive to the Lighthouse. Heralding safe harbour to vessels since 1861, this stately red and white octagonal structure was a timely reminder that even wellmarked routes require necessary precautions and safeguards… just in case you make a wrong turn.

Doug Baker on the forest path.

Important Precautions to Take Before Setting Out on a Wilderness Hike

1. Give the exact location of your walk and estimated time of return to a reliable person who can be reached that day.

2. Carry more water and food than you think you will need on your walk.

3. Find a hiking partner of equal or better ability than you to accompany you.

4. Pack a map of the trail area, matches, compass, first aid kit, whistle and a battery charger in your backpack.

5. Bring an extra pair of socks. Keeping feet dry prevents blisters.

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HEALTHY AT HOME

moments

MONET-INSPIRED

BY TRACY STUART

PHOTOS BY CRYSTAL MURRAY

MEDALLING WITH MY FOOD Tracy is an Olympic medallist and has a Chef’s Diploma from the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts.

G

ood things come to those who wait”, so the old adage goes.

During the summer months, while racing on the world rowing scene, we spent most of our time in and around Europe. During our travels, there were so many moments where I found myself in awe of the natural beauty of my surroundings. I have a real appreciation for landscapes, in particular, views from mountain tops, wavy sea grass and sand dunes, fields of sunflowers. All are equally spectacular to me, but there are a few stand outs that I will never forget.

Over the past several years I’ve been trying to cultivate my appreciation of beauty in our garden. I started this garden

The North Shore

journey as a complete novice, with the goal to create a garden that is always in bloom. Planting the right mix of annuals and perennials helps attract hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, while delighting our own senses throughout the seasons.

Each year, I’ve been planting and learning and planting some more. As if by magic, this past summer, I feel like the fruits of my labours have finally paid off.

This realization came to me as I sat quietly on my Adirondack chair simply observing my surroundings. The whiz and whirl of the birds and the bees, the pops of colour with the wildflowers, and the heavenly smell of luscious lavender wafting through the air left me with the feeling like I was

having my own Monet moment.

I closed my eyes, and I was transported back in time to one of my stand out moments of awe. Lavender. In the south of France, I remember the first time I saw rows upon rows of those beautiful purple blossoms, and the air was drenched with the sweet fragrance that makers have been capturing for centuries. As I opened my eyes and came back to the present, I was inspired to use the lavender that had finally come into its own in our little cottage garden.

Lavender has many culinary uses, and the internet is a neverending source of inspiration, but at our house with two little girls, I knew it would take a family favourite to ensure that lavender could make its way into a recipe

that they would actually try. So, we landed on chocolate chip cookies. We started with our tried, tested, and true chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe from From Chef Michael Smith’s Kitchen: 100 of my favourite easy recipes and we made it our own by adding Maldon sea salt flakes and lavender buds. The result was a beautiful soft cookie, with subtle citrus flavours, and a delightful salty pop (which I must say took the recipe to a whole new level). The cookies were a hit. The batch was gone in less than six hours. It is an absolute must to try these goodies while they are warm, either with a cold glass of milk or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

enjoy!

ah! Fall 2021 - 46

Chewy Sea Salt and Lavender Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes 18 cookies)

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

½ cup (125 ml) butter, at room temperature 2 cups (500 ml) brown sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla 1 ½ cup (375 ml) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking powder ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) fine salt 2 cups (500ml) dark chocolate chips 2 teaspoons (10 ml) dried lavender buds ½ teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes (to garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Beat butter with sugar until smooth and creamy, ideally, you’d use an electric mixer, but can be done by hand. Whisk in the egg and vanilla until everything is well combined.

3. Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, fine salt) and gradually add this to the butter bowl, beating until just combined.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips and lavender buds with your hands or a spoon.

5. Scoop out a ball of dough, roll briefly with your hands into an even ball, place on the cookie sheet and flatten the ball slightly. Repeat, leaving 3 or 4 inches (8-10 cm) between the balls. Sprinkle the tops with sea salt before baking. Bake for exactly 12 minutes. Cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet until they are firm enough to transfer to a wire rack to cool.

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The North Shore

THE LIBRARY

I

n true Stan Rogers spirit, Troy Greencorn celebrates the spirit of fellowship, the joy of music, and the wonder that the world of creation can inspire. To mark Stanfest’s 25th anniversary, he created a photo book aptly titled The Power of Song.

As Greencorn states early in the book, “The festival is a true testament to what is possible when individuals, passionate about their community work, collectively for change.”

Greencorn, created his own passion project with the help of a collective.

The group wanted to see Canso, Guysborough County, succeed, as the community had taken a turn from being a fishing village for generations to a village where people struggled to find a reason to stay.

In 1992, a Canso Seafood Festival helped shine a light on the community, its people, and its culture, but interest dwindled in its third year, and momentum was lost once again.

In 1996, a delegate from the county met with a representative from the East Coast Music Awards to pitch ideas and the legacy of Stan Rogers was one of them. While he grew up in Ontario, Rogers had roots in Guysborough County and spent many summers jamming with anyone who could play and singing to anyone who would listen. In time, through song writing, Rogers deepened his roots and his legend blossomed.

A REVIEW BY SARAH BUTLAND

Greencorn, alongside a community of photographers, sheds light on the effort it has taken to keep Canso in the spotlight and the ease in which it highlights local talent including musicians, volunteers, and how it enabled former fish plant workers to be employed again.

“There’s no question this is a Herculean community effort,” writes Greencorn explaining their intentions have made it feel like you live in the area and don’t volunteer, you’re missing out on something grand, and it becomes obvious that he’s right.

The festival created the opportunity to involve any one who wanted to contribute. Volunteers were needed for everything from concessions to medical aid and Greencorn celebrates the story about how really working together made a difference.

Greencorn’s attention to detail as well as people is evident to participants like local talent Dave Gunning, who says, “I’ve observed and worked with Troy enough times now to more than

appreciate his instincts as a presenter.

We are lucky to have him in this part of the world.”

In the early years, with the festival getting musical acts lined up, some media attention, and the possibility of large crowds of people visiting the community, made housing the acts a major hurdle. Greencorn describes how quickly the entire community and province were eager to problem solve.

With names like JP Cormier, Bruce Guthro, Hunter Hayes, Cindy Church, Footworks, and so many more, the Stan Rogers Festival, known affectionately to many as Stanfest, grew into much more than a celebration of music but a celebration of pride of place. Greencorn tells the story of how the group of volunteers created a unique programming model, grouping performer line-ups that never happened before and are unlikely to happen again.

Just as you might miss out if you don’t volunteer, Greencorn has made it perfectly clear that you will miss

IMAGE OF BOOK NEEDED

Bruce Die

nes Pho

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to

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LEARN FROM HOME out if you are not in the audience.

It has become a family reunion that has been growing, developing, and bringing people closer every year.

While Stan Rogers was a music man and his legend lives on through instruments and lyrics, his legacy is clearly much more about family, community, and Nova Scotia. The laughter and music are heard long after the fiddle cases are closed; the magic thrives through the blades of grass that spring back to life to dance again and wait for bare feet and dancing toes.

The book introduces you to Nathan Rogers, Stan’s son who has graced the stages of Stanfest. He was only four when Stan passed away.

Through constant growth, Stanfest is a celebration of artistry, families, couples, and music. Hula hoops abound and clearly show the cycle of love, peace, and 25 years of family circling the lands of Canso. While capturing the spirit of such moments seems impossible to capture in a book, Greencorn and his team of photographers did it beautifully with The Power of Song.

Greencorn highlights the postive people behind the festival with pages dedicated to past visiting artists, board members, and its many volunteers. He takes the reader front-row-centre to relive the special moments of this festival if they once attended, and make readers who never went to Stanfest feel like they were there.

With as many names as there are faces, this photo book tells the story of how a once-struggling fishing community cast the net for a new legacy.

French opens up doors!

Visit www.afhalifax.ca for more information on online group classes, tutoring, exam preparations and events.

Welcome to the Traegerhood Timberline 850 Pellet Grill

Timberline 1300 Pellet Grill

Ironwood Series 650 Pellet Grill

Ironwood Series 885 Pellet Grill

Tailgater Pellet Grill

Ranger Pellet Grill

Come see us to stock up on all your favorite spices, sauces and rubs and other Traeger accessories!

INTAGE VSTOVE & FIREPLACE SALES - INSTALLATION - SERVICE

WOOD - PELLET - PROPANE

49 -

ah! Fall 2021

TRURO: 902.843.4490 1234 HWY #2 HILDEN vintagestove.ca

The North Shore

ENCASED IN LOVE

WEDDING BOUQUET COASTERS

DIY GET CRAFTY WITH NICOLE

Hi! I’m Nicole and delighted to be joining the AH team to share my DIY projects and hopefully inspire you to try some new crafts, home décor, and explore your creativity, all while sourcing items and materials available to us in rural Nova Scotia.

I love a project that not only has meaning but also produces something functional. As an admirer of resin art, I wanted to try my hand at a new-to-me medium.

After COVID disrupted our original wedding plans, my partner and I decided to do a small pop-up wedding in February.

While we still focused on what mattered to us, it meant we gave up some of the touches a large, traditional ceremony may have. This prompted a desire to get crafty with a few unique ideas to make our day special and truly ours. When the wedding celebration was over, I looked at ways that I could capture and preserve this wonderful moment—so I got crafty with my wedding bouquet.

If you’re looking for a clean and quick craft, this is not the project for you. The process was done over many days as you need to mix and prepare the resin, allowing it to set for a full day. I’ll leave the details to science, but essentially you

mix two compounds from a kit, giving you a thick liquid that takes about 24 hours to set—and once it is set it’s solid.

The medium gives you the opportunity to encase special items. For flowers, there are a few options: you can press them so they’re flat, or, as I did, hang the flowers to dry, then use full or crushed petals and leaves. I saw some neat ideas of people encasing things like Polaroid photos (how cool would old film strips be?), pet tags, and other meaningful items.

MATERIALS: • Resin kit—uses an A and B mixing ratio (full instructions included), gloves, mixing cups and sticks • Silicone mould (shape of the item you’re setting in resin, I used a coaster mould) • Item you’re encasing (flowers, photos etc.)

This was a new style of crafting for me, and I loved exploring this process, and learned a few tips as well: you can use a hairdryer to remove any air bubbles, and if you want to lay things in a certain pattern it’s best to do a small base layer, arrange your items and let it harden before adding the second layer to fully encase it.

We look forward to cheering many anniversaries for years to come on these special additions to our home.

happy crafting!

PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS The North Shore

ah! Fall 2021 - 50

RMS is about more than energy,

We’re about community.

SPCA - Providing annual funding for special programs for animal welfare by raising over $130,000.00 annually over the last 6 years and will continue these donations to raise over 2 million dollars!

Colchester Community Workshops They are building a new facility and our target is to raise $30,000.00 to help this amazing team achieve their goals.

United Way annual campaigns We raised over $50,000.00 and will continue donations to this organization who help many under-represented groups with their needs.

Pictou Arena - Capital projects for the buildings and the local 4-H. For many horse shows and events we have donated over $30,000.00 and continue to find ways for activities that promote family fun.

We want to show our appreciation to the many hard-working volunteers and workers by contributing over $200,000.00 in donations each year to make a difference!

1383 Mt. Thom Rd., Salt Springs, Nova Scotia | Tel: 902-925-9463 | Email: info@rmsenergy.ca | www.rmsenergy.ca

REALTORS®: Dave Jardine, Lisa Swain, Chris Sharpe, Sherry Blinkhorn, Fred El Haddad, Laurel MacLeod (administrator).

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PROFESSIONALLY WE SERVE..

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State-of-the-Art Technology Multi-Faceted Approach Award-Winning Office & REALTORS Global Reach with Local Knowledge!

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Sherry Blinkhorn says, “When I opened Blinkhorn Real Estate Ltd. 16 years ago, I made a conscious decision not to join a national franchise so that, instead of having to send a percentage of dollars of commissions made out of this community, I would be able to donate at least 1% back to our county in some way, and I have done that every year.

Supporting local is so important to us as a team, we hope that consumers always consider that as well when choosing a real estate company.”

Broker/Owner Sherry Blinkhorn 2021 Featured

SUPPORT YOUR LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE

REPUTATION FOR RESULTS! “BLINK” AND IT COULD BE SOLD! | 902-755-7653 blinkhornrealestate.com