PLUS: MAUD LEWIS SAW THE SUBLIME IN EVERYDAY NOVA SCOTIAN LIFE P. 18 KICKING OFF SUMMER—YOUR GUIDE TO BEDFORD DAYS P. 20 BUD THE SPUD: THE STORY BEHIND HALIFAX’S FAVOURITE FRIES P. 26
The Spark Natasha Prest serves her city and changes girls’ lives
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CONTENTS
Vol. 19 No. 5 | June 2019
PHOTO: JAC DE VILLIERS
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20
11
$100
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
14 | IT ONLY TAKES A SPARK Firefighter Natasha Prest gives back to her community
7 | EDITOR’S MESSAGE Tribal Boxing Club builds champions and changes lives
18 | WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD Maud Lewis saw, and shared, the sublime in everyday life in rural Nova Scotia 20 | THE HALIFAX MAGAZINE GUIDE TO BEDFORD DAYS The family-friendly summer kick-off returns
PHOTO: BRUCE MURRAY/VISIONFIRE STUDIOS
____________________
30 | OPINION: IN SEARCH OF CANADA An immigrant visits Pier 21 and reflects on journeys past and present
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READERSHIP SURVEY
13 | ENTERTAINMENT Father’s Day Antique Car Show, Blue Nose Marathon, professional soccer, live music, plus more
28 | BEER: DRINK SMARTER, NOT HARDER It’s beer-festival time: have fun and get your fill responsibly
General Contest Rules: Entries sent to any address other than the one given below will be ineligible. Entries must be postmarked no later than August 14. Each entry must be submitted with a completed entry form. No responsibility will be taken for entries lost, misdirected or delayed in the mail, and no entries will be returned. Winner will be notified by telephone or email. Prize must be accepted as awarded, is not redeemable for cash and is not transferable.
onment q Education ____________________
10 | CITYSCAPE Cari Dugan’s happy life on the edge, the amazing career of Provo Wallis, and more
26 | DINING: HALIFAX’S FAVOURITE FRIES The city’s longestrunning food truck welcomes regulars back for another season
By simply answering the questions below, you will be eligible to win $100 in product or service from the Halifax Magazine advertiser of your choice. All cards must be completed fully to qualify for the contest. Closing date: August 14, 2015.
stories?
9 | CONTRIBUTORS Meet the writers and photographers who work on Halifax Magazine
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EDITOR’S MESSAGE
Keep your head up One of the best things about my job is getting to meet inspiring people like Bridget Stevens. Boxing was life for her. After growing up in Eskasoni, she found herself in the ring. Fighting and training, she learned values like dedication, commitment, and accountability. And then suddenly, she lost the ability to box forever. In the ring, she received a catastrophic jaw injury. It would be some 27 months before she’d eat solid food again. “In that amount of time I was still delusional, in a state pretending I could go back to it,” she recalls. “I knew I would go into a wicked depression. Everybody struggles with depression when they can’t box.” So she didn’t let herself ponder what she’d do next. She kept training and not thinking too much about the idea of never fighting again. She worked with Dickie Ecklund (a renowned trainer and brother of fighter Mickey Ward; see the excellent Mark Wahlberg movie The Fighter). “I was still in my zone, needing my junk: to get tired and exhausted to get through my day with my mental issues,” she says. After a few years of that, a new boxing path emerged. “There was an Aboriginal guy
named Nathan Millier from Big Cove, New Brunswick,” she says. “He was brought over to me … He was fighting pro with absolutely zero amateur fights and that’s dangerous when you have no experience at all and you’re just fighting with your heart with no skills.” They talked and she realized he had no trainer, and not much idea why he’d need one. “So I took him in and I trained him and five years later made him into a Canadian champion as a professional fighter,” she says. “That’s how I started, and switched channels without getting discouraged … There was still a role for me. I’m excited. This is just the beginning.” Now she’s head coach at Tribal Boxing Club in Dartmouth. Upstairs in an HRM recreation building on Windmill Road, the boxing club looks exactly like you’d expect: a sparring ring dominates the room. Weights, speed and heavy bags, and all manner of training equipment surround it. Papering the walls are vintage boxing posters, featuring names like George Foreman, Butterbean, George Chuvalo, Mike Tyson, and local heroes like Kirk Johnson. Dozens of people train every day. It’s a mix of pros, rising-star amateurs, and newcomers.
When a severe injury ended her career as a fighter, Bridget Stevens found a new future fostering young talents at Tribal Boxing Club.
PHOTO: TAMMY FANCY
BY TREVOR J. ADAMS
tadams@metroguide.ca Halifax Magazine @HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine
The training regimen is pretty much what you see in movies like Rocky (with fewer musical montages and less drama). A typical boxer is there at least three hours per day. In addition to the endless jogging, they spar, do defensive drills, work the punching bags, and do calisthenics. Many people coming into the sport have tough backgrounds. They’re often angry, bitter, mistrustful. “You’ll see a transformation coming to this gym,” Bridget says. “Positive reinforcement … They all end up leaving feeling really good about themselves, even if they’ve had a bad day because they’ve accomplished something.” It’s not what many people expect from boxing. “People say boxing is a lonely sport, but at this gym it’s not,” she explains. “It’s very friendly. The majority of the gyms you go into you get the scowls, people look at you and size you up. Here, you come in and you make friends instantly. You’re coming into a family.” That kind of environment takes work. “I’m a really strict trainer,” Bridget says. “If they cross me—disrespect, not wanting to listen— if I see them start acting up with one another, I’m on them like a schoolteacher. They’ve got to be friends. And if they don’t, they get grounded … They’re not allowed to go out or go to other gyms. So they’re all scared, they don’t want to do nothing wrong. I have them in tight whip and they’re really good kids.” It’s not just a place to train, it’s a community. “It’s Tribal gym,” she says. “They come to sweat lodge with me. One [Muslim] kid, when it’s Ramadan he can’t eat or drink [during daylight], and when he’s training and he
JUNE 2019 halifaxmag.com | 7
EDITOR’S MESSAGE (continued) can’t, the rest of the class won’t either to support him.” Five fighters from Tribal Boxing represented Nova Scotia at the Canadian National Boxing Championships. They won two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze, which is a heck of a tally for one small club from a relatively small city. And while the in-ring success is exciting, that’s not what really counts. “The fighting, the tournaments, the titles: all that stuff is really not that important to me,” Bridget says. “When they bring their marks and show me they’re making 90s and 100s and following a good path, not drinking, not doing drugs … it feels 100 times more rewarding than them being champions.”
tadams@metroguide.ca Halifax Magazine @HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine
Hot New Fiction for Summer “With its near-forensic attention to detail, this suspense-filled tale rubs away the blush of romanticism which often tints views of our past.”
“Making It Home finds the intersection between cultures in our human need for more than just shelter, but acceptance too.”
– Carol Bruneau, author of A Circle on the Surface
–Nicola Davison, author of In the Wake
FOUND DROWNED By Laurie Glenn Norris 978-1-77108-750-6 | $22.95 | June
MAKING IT HOME By Alison DeLory 978-1-77108-725-4 | $24.95 | June
Follow us online:
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“These narratives draw readers in, making them emotionally complicit in the events and their responses to them. It’s a unique and often devastating approach.”
@nimbuspub or nimbus.ca
-Quill & Quire
USE YOUR IMAGINATION! By Kris Bertin 978-1-77108-752-0 | $19.95 | May
CONTRIBUTORS CYNTHIA d’ENTREMONT “The Halifax Magazine Guide to Bedford Days” Cynthia completed a journalism degree in 2019, after many years of teaching elementary school. She holds a masters of education and has authored two young-adult novels. When facilitating writing workshops, she’s found the bravest stories often begin with a whisper.
KIM HART MACNEILL “It only takes a spark,” “Drink smarter, not harder” Kim is a freelance journalist and editor of East Coast Living. Read her beer column on HalifaxMag.com. @kimhartmacneill
ALEC BRUCE Cityscape Alec is a prize-winning scribbler who lives near one of Halifax’s two bridges. Sometimes for money, he writes for newspapers, magazines, and online publications. His other interests include greasy spoons and crappy yard sales.
MARIANNE SIMON “In search of Canada” Marianne is a writer and subeditor and has published many children’s stories, articles and poems in magazines and newspapers. Her interests include teaching and conducting Englishconversation classes. mariannesimon777@gmail.com
WILL GORDON “Halifax’s favourite fries” A freelance journalist born and raised in Saskatoon, Will is finishing a master’s degree in journalism at the University of King’s College.
TAMMY FANCY Cityscape, photo for Editor’s Message A freelance photojournalist, Tammy has shot for East Coast Living, Bedford Magazine, Profiles for Success, and Our Children magazines, plus two cookbooks. fancyfreefoto.com
CAITLIN LEONARD “What a wonderful world” A freelance writer from Fredericton, Caitlin is a graduate of the University of King’s College journalism program. Spending time in Nova Scotia introduced her to Maud Lewis, inspiring her to explore the artists’ long-lasting popularity.
BRUCE MURRAY Photography for cover, cover story Bruce has been creating food and lifestyle photography for more than 20 years in the Maritimes and in his original studio in Vancouver. visionfire.ca
BOB GORDON Cityscape Bob is a journalist and popular historian specializing in Canadian military and social history. His work has been published in The Beaver, Air Power Review, Parents Magazine, and various Canadian titles. He contributes regularly to Espirit de Corps.
JUNE 2019 halifaxmag.com | 9
CITYSCAPE PEOPLE
Cari Duggan’s happy life on the edge BY ALEC BRUCE
Sometimes it takes only a few seconds to change your mind forever. Just ask Halifax’s Cari Duggan, the president of a hockey-training academy whose plane crashed returning from Florida in 2015. “Suddenly, you realize this isn’t going to go well,” she almost understates. Still, broken-backed and bedridden for six months, she had plenty of time to think about her life. To be sure, it was a good one. “I was a labour negotiator for Canadian Blood Services,” says the MBA graduate from Saint Mary’s and former senior manager at Bell Aliant. “It really was my dream job. But I had also been involved as a team manager in minor hockey. My son James played. As I lay there, I kept wondering, ‘Why am I missing the kids so much?’” That’s when Halifax hockey coach Chris Pierce, with whom she had formed an
informal training partnership years earlier, suggested they establish a real school. With that, Outside Edge Hockey Development was born. In three years, the enterprise has grown from hosting fewer than 10 kids to accommodating the children of more than 100 families in the metropolitan area. It also maintains training contracts with Dalhousie University and the Halifax Mooseheads. Most recently, Duggan became the first woman admitted to a prestigious MBA (Certified Professional Hockey) program offered by the Business Hockey Institute (BHI). “We’re delighted that we have scored an extremely qualified student in Cari,” BHI co-founder Ritch Winter told Saint Mary’s alumni magazine last year. “She’s shown the determination to succeed.” That, too, may be an understatement.
THE PITCH
Doctors Against Tragedies in Nova Scotia In this space, Halifax Magazine shares the story of non-profit organizations and community groups working to build a better city. If you’d like to suggest an organization to feature, email tadams@metroguide.ca. Doctors Against Tragedies is a team of medical students, physicians, and residents working to teach the public about the risks of recreational drug use. The initiative began in Alberta with a group of surgeons and
10 | halifaxmag.com JUNE 2019
anaesthesiologists in responding to the growing opioid crisis. Doctors Against Tragedies relies on dark humour, created by playing cards games similar to the party game Cards Against Humanity. Creating an interactive format makes it is possible to start a conversation about a difficult topic. The cards are free to download and print: michikomaruyama.ca/ DAT/free-downloads. As opioid misuse and opioid-related harms are on the rise in Nova Scotia, the group thought the game could also play a role in our province. Under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Szerb, the Doctors Against Tragedies social awareness campaign was brought to Nova Scotia in 2018, featuring events including the card game, education about opioid use and stigma, and an introduction to naloxone training. This initiative runs thanks to the contributions of Dalhousie medical students and residents and has been funded by Doctors Nova Scotia, the Department of Anesthesia at Dalhousie and private donors.
THE OPIOID CRISIS • There were more than 10,300 opioidrelated deaths in Canada from January 2016 to September 2018 in Canada. • Some 63 Nova Scotians died due to an opioid overdose in 2017. • The majority of opioids misused in Nova Scotia are diverted prescription opioids; the presence of synthetic opioids (such as fentanyl) in our province is low but increasing. • Officials have distributed 5,000+ naloxone kits since the beginning of 2016.
tadams@metroguide.ca Halifax Magazine @HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine
CITYSCAPE HISTORY
The Amazing Career of Provo Wallis BY BOB GORDON
Having nominally entered the Royal Navy shortly after his fourth birthday and, always politely, refusing to retire, choosing to serve until the day he died, Haligonian Sir Provo William Parry Wallis, Grand Admiral of the Fleet, still holds the record for length of service in the Royal Navy: 96 years and nine months. A mere 22 when he captained HMS Shannon in the wake of its historic scrap with USS Chesapeake, his career began in the age of sail and ended in that of steam and steel less than a decade before the first dreadnought left the slipway. He was born on April 12, 1791 while his father Provo Featherstone Wallis was stationed at Halifax, serving as chief clerk of the naval commissioner’s office, a civilian appointment. However, in that role he had significant influence over scheduling of repairs, provisioning, and other important logistical and administrative issues. In a manner then common, he had his son, nary more than a toddler, added to the rolls of HMS L’Oiseau on May 1, 1795. Young Provo appears on the muster rolls of multiple ships over the next decade, although he concedes in his memoir he was being schooled in England, and, “my real career commenced from the time I joined Cleopatra, in October 1804.” On paper, in terms of seniority, he already had over nine years of service, amply more than the minimum six years at the mast required for a commission as a lieutenant. Six months later, the 40-gun French frigate Ville de Milan Cleopatra defeated the Cleopatra. One-third of its crew was dead and 13-year-old Provo spent a week as a prisoner of the French until HMS Leander captured the Ville de Milan and freed him. Barely a teen, he had already tasted both combat and captivity. Posted to the Curieux, a brig, his career ran aground when she did. Bearing no responsibility for the disaster Wallis was held ashore along with all of the officers, while a court martial dragged on. Grounded until D ecember 1811, his eventual appointment was fortuitous, well worth the wait. He was ordered to the 38-gun frigate, HMS Shannon, as second lieutenant under Captain Philip Bowes Vere Broke.
Captain Broke, something of an academic, kept a library of the classics in his cabin and was devoted to studying and improving gunnery. His crews, on his dime, practised gunnery far more frequently and intensely than usual in the navy. Broke’s plans and practice were proven true when the Shannon dispatched the USS Chesapeake in June, 1813 in mere minutes. Fighting among the boarders on the decks of the Chesapeake, Broke had his skull crushed and, although he survived (for a few days), was incapacitated. Carronade fire from the Shannon killed first lieutenant George Thomas L. Watt while he fought on the deck of the Chesapeake. This left 22-year-old Provo Wallis, the second lieutenant, in command of the Shannon, duty bound to bring the prize home to Halifax. Praise for the city’s native son was unstinting. The Halifax Journal noted, he had “conducted himself in a very brave manner” and the Acadian Recorder opined that “in an arduous and trying situation, [his] conduct merits every praise...” Not surprisingly, the navy promoted him to commander. With the final defeat of Napoleon the Royal Navy quickly downsized. Provo, promoted to post rank in 1819, alternated assignments at sea, with longer periods ashore at half pay. From June 1824 until November 1826, he was again stationed in Halifax. Aboard the sixth-rate frigate HMS Niemen he was in command of a squadron of experimental sloops detailed to analyze and report on their performance. As his biographer notes, his assessments, were both concise and insightful: “I do not consider the fore reaching of the Pylades to make amends for her very leewardly properties and unless she can be made a more weatherly Vessel of, Champion is very superior to her.” In the summer of 1847 he was appointed a naval aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria. He left that position four years later when he was promoted to rear-admiral. His final service afloat was in HMS Cumberland as commander-in-chief, south-east coast of America, in 1857. He had been at sea for more than half a century. In 1860 he was knighted, in 1863 he was promoted to full admiral and
With a career spanning nine decades, Haligonian Provo Wallis is the longest-serving officer in Royal Navy history.
in 1877, based on seniority, he became Admiral of the Fleet. In 1870 a grateful Admiralty decreed that all officers of the flag during the Napoleonic wars were entitled to remain on the active service list for their lifetime. Provo’s week in command of the Shannon entitled him to this perk. He remained on the active service list on February 13, 1892, 10 weeks shy of 97 years after his name first appeared on a ship’s muster roll, when he passed away at Funtington, his estate near Portsmouth. Six admirals served as pallbearers and Queen Victoria was represented by the captain of the royal yacht. Today few Haligonians know his name, despite a plaque to his honour in the naval dockyard, another to the Shannon’s capture of the Chesapeake in Point Pleasant Park and an eponymous thoroughfare. tadams@metroguide.ca Halifax Magazine @HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine
JUNE 2019 halifaxmag.com | 11
COMMON
BAHAMAS
MS. LISA FISCHER
MYLES GOODWYN
SHAD
PEDRITO MARTINEZ
L I E BMAN/MURLEY THE BARR BROTHERS QUARTE T
& GRAND BATON
GROUP
TIM BAKER
ENTERTAINMENT The hottest things to see and do in Halifax this month
JUNE 6–9
Blue Nose Marathon Some 13,000 people will take part in a weekend of running events, including a youth run, 5K, 10K, half marathon, team relay, and more. The full marathon on June 9 is a Boston Marathon qualifier. The full route is a double loop through peninsular Halifax, beginning at the Old Town Clock and heading around Halifax Common, winding through the North End and down Barrington Street to Point Pleasant Park and then back to Sackville Street to repeat the circuit. bluenosemarathon.com
JUNE 15
Garrison Backlot Bash Nova Scotia craft-beer granddaddy Garrison Brewing marks its birthday with a rollicking party. The lineup includes performances by Broken Social Scene, Dave Sampson, and Natalie Lynn. Enjoy beer from Garrison plus special releases, seasonal brews, and ciders. Food from the Gecko Bus, Cheese Curds, and Asado. garrisonbrewing.com
JUNE 19, 26
HFX Wanderers FC Halifax’s new pro-soccer team competes in the Canadian Premier League. See them in action at their pop-up stadium at the Wanderers Grounds on Sackville Street as they take on Cavalry FC (June 19) from Calgary and Winnipeg’s Valour FC (June 26). hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca
Broken Social Scene
JUNE 22–23
JUNE 16
Matt Andersen
(RAIN DATE JUNE 23)
Return to the Dalhousie Arts Centre to see one of the East Coast’s hottest blues talents. Andersen is a blazingly good guitarist who never disappoints. artscentre.dal.ca
Antique Car Show The annual Antique Car Show is a Father’s Day tradition at Memory Lane Heritage Village in Lake Charlotte. The living-history museum, which re-creates life in a 1940s-era Nova Scotian village, hosts dozens of restored antique vehicles, live entertainment, and Kub Kar races for the kids. heritagevillage.ca
JUNE 17
Lonestar The American country legends Lonestar, still going strong after 25 years atop the music charts, make a rare visit to Halifax. See them at the Dalhousie Arts Centre on University Avenue as they perform a selection of greatest hits and new material. artscentre.dal.ca
tadams@metroguide.ca Halifax Magazine @HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine JUNE 2019 halifaxmag.com | 13
| COVER STORY |
IT ONLY TAKES
A SPARK
HALIFAX’S FIRST BLACK FEMALE PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTER GIVES BACK TO HER COMMUNITY BY KIM HART MACNEILL
It’s 2 a.m. You’ve been asleep for a few hours when a loud tone goes off. Someone yells an address. You have 90 seconds to get out of bed, don 20 kilograms of gear, and jump on the truck. Adrenaline surges. You pilot a 40-tonne firetruck through narrow city streets. The safety of your crew, pedestrians, and other
At the West Street station, Prest and her fellow firefighters dine together like family.
14 | halifaxmag.com JUNE 2019
drivers is on you. If there’s a fire, you’ll work harder tonight than most people do in a week. You arrive at the address. It’s 2:06 a.m. “Most of our calls are false alarms,” says Assistant Chief Chuck Bezanson of Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Services (HRFE). “But how we get there is the exact same alarm for a false alarm or a real fire. You’re constantly dealing with spikes and lulls in your adrenaline level. Just being able to manage that takes a toll on your mental health and Natasha handles that really well.” Natasha Prest is HRFE’s only black female professional firefighter. She works out of West Street station, which lets her work in the community where she grew up. She likes to say she was an only child until she joined the service. Her mother raised her alone (though her father has other children). “It’s like a second family,” she says. “I have brothers now, which is amazing.” West Street is a 24-hour station. Shifts start and end at 8 a.m. The day starts with check-ins, sharing personal news and coffee in the kitchen. Station officers tell the firefighters what’s on their schedule, training sessions, meetings, and building inspections. There are always trucks to clean and check before the next call. “We really enjoy cooking at my station,” says Prest. “We try recipes and taste test them among the whole group. You don’t have to have meals as a crew, but we chip in our own money to be able to have family dinners.” In addition to trying new recipes, mealtimes give the crew a chance to catch up on station news and discuss issues. It’s like a family dinner, with one exception: when the tone sounds, everyone switches to go-mode instantly.
“We enjoy firefighting, so we enjoy fire, but we know that it can come at an expense for somebody else,” says Prest. “Our excitement is really about putting our skills to work. You see a lot of photos of firefighters frowning but it’s not that they’re mad. It’s a mask that goes on. You keep thinking, ‘Don’t smile’ because it could be taken out of context.” Prest discovered her calling 15 years ago, when a friend who was a firefighter urged her to attend a recruitment session. She laughed him off at first. “He hounded and harassed me for about a year to just sit in for a session and learn what it’s all about,” says Prest. “It was packed that night with a whole bunch of women. I sat there and said, ‘Oh yeah… I want to do this.’ They made it sound fantastic.” Prest was a single mother working two jobs to support her daughter. Her mother and her daughter’s father helped, but money was tight. “I could pay the rent and buy the groceries, but what about the birthday parties or the movies on a Saturday?” says Prest. “I wanted to make sure I could give that to my daughter and not have to work two or three jobs to do it.” Once she decided on her new path, getting there took five years. She failed the physical test during the female recruitment drive. “I was extremely pissed off because I knew this was my career path, but I wasn’t going to let it stop me.” If you saw Prest in line at a coffee shop, you wouldn’t assume she’s a firefighter. The 44-year-old stands only 5’4”. She hired a personal trainer to build up her strength and endurance. “That cost me a lot of money, but that was what I needed to do,” she says. “My focus became firefighting.”
| COVER STORY |
“YOU’RE ABLE TO SOCIALLY, ECONOMICALLY RAISE UP YOUR FAMILY, YOUR COMMUNITY. IF I CAN DO THIS, ANYBODY CAN.” —NATASHA PREST
JUNE 2019 halifaxmag.com | 15
| COVER STORY |
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Shared supper at West Street station; Camp Courage campers on their final day; For most MEGA girls, the first basketball overnight trip is their first time away from home.
The next recruitment would be in three years; firefighting jobs become available through attrition. Over 2,000 candidates applied, which is typical. Of those, the department considers 40–60 for hire, and then only as needed. “The large part of that group was white males,” Prest remembers. “[Firefighting] is a reality for them. Their uncles, fathers, brothers are in the fire service so for them to be familiar with what it’s all about is easy. It’s not easy for minority groups. It wasn’t when I came on.” Prest says a prime example is an exercise Sherry Dean, Prest’s friend and fellow female firefighter, did on elementary school visits. “She would say, ‘Alright children, I want you to close your eyes. Picture a firefighter. What do they look like? What’s their hair colour, eye colour? Do they look like me?’ No, it’s a boy or a man, big and buff, blond and blue-eyed. It’s the Hollywood version of the firefighter.” That image is slowly changing. HRFE has one of the highest percentages of female firefighters in the country according to the department. Seven per cent of HRFE firefighters are female. By comparison, about 30% of all HRM employees are female, according to the city’s Annual Workforce Report for 2017–18. Like most firefighters, Prest volunteers in the community. For her, it’s all about mentoring young girls, especially young black girls. MEGA (Maritime Elite Girls Basketball Academy) is a summer basketball league for girls 13 and under. While basketball brings the coaches and players together, the 16 | halifaxmag.com JUNE 2019
ultimate goal is to develop the whole girl t h ro ug h i n c re as e d s e l f- est e e m a n d commitment with an emphasis on education and social interaction. This summer, the MEGA elite team will visit Atlanta, Ga. Prest is excited to see what the girls will think about going to a city where Black people aren’t a minority. “Even for me,” she says. “I haven’t been to Atlanta yet, but I have experienced this once before in New York.” Prest first got involved when founder Lezlie States invited her to participate in a women’s empowerment evening. The roundtable discussion featured women from various professions talking about their careers. Now she’s an assistant coach. “Natasha is doing a non-traditional job for women and especially women from our community,” says States. “We try to reach out to kids in all of the African-Nova Scotian communities. With Natasha coming from the inner city and having some struggles, she has the know-how on how to talk to these girls.” MEGA’s season runs April 1–July 31, when school programs end for the year. Teams practise twice a week and attend outdoor fitness sessions with Prest. Over the season they play four or five tournaments. During the school year, MEGA athletes submit their report cards to the coaches to verify they’re keeping their grades up. For those who need help, States has relationships with the Black Educators Association and tutors at the North Branch Public Library. Athletes also journal about what they learn
in school and life, their relationships with peers and coaches, and States says “any thoughts you want to get out of your head and on to paper. We realized over the last few years that there are a lot of outside issues in [the girls’] lives. The reality is a lot of girls don’t talk to their parents. We want to be their safe space.” Prest’s time with MEGA also lets her expose the girls to her other volunteer outlet, Camp Courage. Started in 2006 by firefighter Andréa Speranza, the free, week-long day camp encourages high-school-age girls to consider careers as first responders. “You’re able to socially, economically raise up your family, your community,” says Prest of a firefighting career. “If I can do this, anybody can. It takes determination, dedication and a lot of hard work. We need to get to these girls young to show them what they can do.” This month, Prest leaves West Street for a promotion to fire-investigation officer. She’ll investigate what causes major fires and how to prevent them. “I said to her in the past, I always thought you’d look good in stripes,” says Bezanson, who worked with Prest for the last seven years. Stripes are the insignia of a fire officer. “She sort of chuckled at that, but she is one of those people who will be a leader here. That’s very impressive.”
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| FEATURE |
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD MAUD LEWIS SAW, AND SHARED, THE SUBLIME IN EVERYDAY LIFE IN RURAL NOVA SCOTIA BY CAITLIN LEONARD
18 | halifaxmag.com JUNE 2019
| FEATURE |
Maud Lewis immortalized the world around her in colourful paintings despite having severe juvenile arthritis. Her subjects ranged from horses travelling dirt roads to a wide-eyed stray cat. She also turned her one-room home where she lived in with her husband in Digby into artwork, painting on the door, walls, chairs, pots and pans, and most everything else. Nearly 50 years after her death in 1970, the quiet and small-statured woman has grown in recognition and become more popular than when she was living and producing her work. Today, Maud Lewis paintings are rare and valuable. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia has a large permanent exhibition of her work (and her restored home). She was the 2019 Nova Scotia Heritage Day honouree, lauded for helping shape the province’s identity and culture. Even Hollywood noticed her with the release of the film Maudie in 2017, starring Ethan Hawke and Sally Hawkins. It won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Motion Picture. Lance Woolaver, a Haligonian author who has written several books and plays about the artist’s life, grew up a 15-minute walk from the Lewis home. His family often bought her artwork, back when it was sold just outside her door. He says she sold one painting for $2–$6, or swapped for a few tins of sardines. “You could say Maud Lewis repaid [my] family many times over,” he says. His family sold the collection of paintings to buy a retirement home for his parents. To Woolaver, a great deal of Lewis’s appeal is her perseverance. He recalls children teasing her with the name, “Lobster Lady,” due to her physical malformations. Despite difficulties in life and health, she kept creating new works. A Lewis painting doesn’t last long on the walls of Halifax’s Zwicker’s Gallery, says owner Ian Muncaster. The paintings arrive from collectors wishing to sell and usually go for more than $20,000. “She was quite well known,” Muncaster says, reflecting on the beginning of Lewis’s recognition and fame in the 1960s. That decade saw Lewis gaining national attention through an article in Star Weekly and an interview with the CBC. “And of course a good number of people felt very sorry for her because of her condition,” says Muncaster. But Lewis never received the sums of money people pay for her paintings today. Many didn’t appreciate the value of the work they were buying. “A lot of people didn’t think anything of it and threw them in the furnace,” Muncaster says. The artist’s fame rose over time, making her work more valuable. “Maud’s popularity is a combination of the charm of the paintings, but also her work was lucky that it got promoted well,” says Muncaster. “In art, promotion is very important.” Mollie Cronin, the manager of a corporate art collection in Halifax, says long-time AGNS director Bernard Riordan helped spotlight Lewis. “Every director kind of has their thing,” she says, “and his thing was folk art. He was someone who really helped shape that story.” Riordan’s passion resulted in the Lewis home being physically moved to the AGNS in 1996 and restored. It’s now a visible presence within an exhibit of Lewis’s paintings, and gallery visitors can peer through the doorway into a combined living room and kitchen. Cronin muses that Lewis’s unique style fuels her broad appeal. “People love her kind of spirit. How much she’s able to articulate and communicate with such simple images,” she says. Brian MacLeod, the owner of several Lewis paintings in Antigonish, admires her folk-art technique. “People refer to it as childlike, but it’s not childlike. No child could do what she did and bring the kind of emotion to it that she did. It’s very simple,” he says.
MacLeod also believes the work epitomizes Nova Scotia. “It didn’t matter how bad things were. She just put her head down and kept on doing what she did,“ he says. “Somehow she saw beauty in the trees and the things that most of us walk by every day.” In his 2016 book, The Heart on the Door, Woolaver mined 30 years of research to share the sad reality of Lewis’s background and life. He says she married her husband Everett out of necessity to avoid the poor farm (government-run housing for paupers, often with severe conditions and a lot of social stigma). She would have been headed there because in her younger days she had a child while unmarried. “She was struggling. She was in deep difficulties,” he says. “Every decision that she made was under the pressure and disapproval of the culture in which she lived. To me, a lady who was disabled in the 1950s in Nova Scotia, to have a child out of wedlock, to be poor. She had all these things against her.” Cronin sheds light on how this makes Lewis’s work stand out. “I think everybody likes the idea that people can create beauty in the most unlikely of circumstances. Like living with a disability, living in poverty,” she says. “That someone was able to create such clear and beautiful images, it’s inspiring for all ages.” MacLeod began assembling his collection of Lewis paintings when he got into business 30 years ago. The highest amount he’s paid for one painting is $18,000. He says the price was reasonable for a Lewis work. That began with a phone call from Jeff Parker, the owner of an art gallery in Antigonish. “[He’s] a very knowledgeable guy,” MacLeod says, “and he called me up one day, and of course I was familiar with the story of Maud Lewis. I’d seen the play, and all that long before there was a movie.” Six months later, Parker called again and MacLeod couldn’t resist: “He said, ‘I have two others.’ Again, reasonably priced. So I purchased them.” He says only with the blessing of his family would he consider parting with any of his Lewis works. If ever he did, he says it would only be by someday donating them to a university art gallery. “I’m very pleased to have them, and I do enjoy them,” he says of the paintings kept safely in his office and attached to the walls by a locking system. Woolaver, who has extensively researched the artist’s life, says he thinks Lewis would like people to remember that she had brighter days, too. “At one time she was a pretty, happy little girl in her parents’ house in Yarmouth,” he says. “She was bright, she played the piano, she did well in school, and she was very smart.” “I think she remembered that happiness,” he adds, referencing the bright colours. Bob Brooks, a photographer who worked with Woolaver on his books, developed a friendship with Lewis. Woolaver says Brooks told him a story about how she was pleased but humble when she garnered national attention with the Star Weekly article. “Bob mailed a copy, and she sent him a lovely little thank-you letter,” he says. “Maud cut out the pictures and pasted them with glue on the wall. ‘Thank you for the snaps,’ she wrote back” he says. Woolaver compares Lewis to Vincent Van Gogh, who was similarly underappreciated during his lifetime. “I think it’s wonderful that we’re starting to understand that Maud Lewis was an artist. The great challenge is to ask: What did she stand for? I think she stood for kindness. In all of her pictures something kind is happening.”
tadams@metroguide.ca
Halifax Magazine
@HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine
JUNE 2019 halifaxmag.com | 19
THE HALIFAX MAGAZINE GUIDE TO
20 | halifaxmag.com JUNE 2019
MLA, BEDFORD
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BEDFORD DAYS IS AN ANNUAL FAMILY FAVOURITE, CELEBRATING THE COMMUNITY AND MARKING THE START OF SUMMER BY CYNTHIA d’ENTREMONT
Music, fireworks, and bouncy castles are highlights of Bedford Days for John Smith’s family. For 13 years, he’s lived in Bedford, not far from the DeWolf Park where many events happen during the five-day celebration. “It definitely brings the community together,” he says. Smith is in his third year of volunteering year-round on the Bedford Days working group. “It’s kind of a natural,” he says. “We have a young daughter now, and we take her every year. They didn’t have to convince me it was a worthwhile event. I already knew the value.” Before helping behind the scenes, Smith didn’t realize the effort needed to make the annual event happen. “There’s another whole level of community support and sponsorship that we wouldn’t be able to do it without those businesses and those people stepping up as well.” This year’s celebration (June 27–July 1) will be the 42nd anniversary. Donna Lugar helped organize Bedford Days as a Town of Bedford employee before amalgamation in 1996. Now she is retired and a long-time volunteer working with HRM senior event coordinator Mike Gillett, Councillor Tim Outhit, volunteers like Smith, and sponsoring businesses. “We have a lot of returning sponsors year, after year, after year that helps make this event happen,” Lugar says. Events planned for opening night include a dinner and bingo for seniors at the Lions Club and the Kids Extravaganza including face painting, mermaids, and fireworks at DeWolf Park. Lugar says organizers aim to provide activities for everyone. “The majority of Bedford Days is for families,” Lugar says. “Every year we try to incorporate some new things. It might be something little, but it’s always slightly tweaked, so it’s not the same old, same old, every year.” Karen Muldowney-Doran lives within view of Scott Manor House, which hosts a free Georgian Tea during Bedford Days. “Bedford has grown significantly since I was a kid and it amazes me that there are things going on that are bringing people together that I don’t necessarily even know about anymore,” Muldowney-Doran says. She remembers the early years of Bedford Days when, as a high-school student in 1982–83, she participated in canoe races down the Sackville River, portaging over the Bedford Highway, and back in the river again to paddle out to Lions Park. “I think we come second, right? Like, just a hair behind the boys,” Muldowney-Doran says. “It was really a
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With all-ages events aplenty, Bedford Days marks the start of summer for many local families.
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22 | halifaxmag.com JUNE 2019
tough race, but really a big deal during those summers and really fun.” Muldowney-Doran’s adult sons are the fourth generation in her family to grow up in Bedford. When her boys were younger, Bedford Days was the summer kick-off for the swim team. Just as the range of Bedford Days events has shifted over the years, the family now enjoys the 19+ events like the Bedford Volunteer Fire Department Beer Fest and Rouge et Blanc at Sunnyside Mall. “It’s been fantastic for the community for sure,” Muldowney-Doran says. “It’s nice for us old peeps to be able to see each other, but it’s really nice for new families to get to know the community and the people in the community in such a positive way.” Musician Ed Grant joins Paul Tupper for the Ed and Paul Show at Rouge et Blanc. “We’ve been playing the Rouge et Blanc since the very first year they did it,” Grant says. “I always joke, Paul and I make a very good couple. He is a classically educated musician and can play any instrument, and I know how to entertain a crowd.” Grant and Tupper “walk around like singing troubadours” from one end of Sunnyside Mall to the other. Grant says the most popular requested songs are East Coast-inspired, with “Farwell to Nova Scotia” being one of the most popular. “Wandering around, playing a guitar, and odds are I probably know some of the people that we’re playing for,” Grant says. The 20-year resident of Bedford helps promote Rouge et Blanc. “I still find people every year that I’m telling about this,” Grant says. “The numbers have definitely grown over the years, and certainly since they moved it to Sunnyside Mall. It’s been a huge plus.” Live entertainment is only part of the draw to this popular event that outgrew its original location at Basinview School. Restaurants and businesses donate food and wine, and organizers urge guests to wear red and white attire for the elegant evening. “Any time you give people a chance to sample some wine for free, you know, with some nice sample food from local vendors, it puts people in a good mood,” says Grant.
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Colleen Acker attends Rouge et Blanc each year with a group of friends. “It’s amazing. You get to taste some wine and some nibblies from the different participants.” Acker moved to Bedford in 1992 and says it’s a great community. Other events she’s enjoyed over the years at Bedford Days include Beer Fest, a pancake breakfast, a movie night, and fireworks. “It’s great for the entire family, and there’s even adult time. So, it’s the best of both worlds, and it’s really greatly organized.” This year, Bedford Days ends on July 1, Canada Day. DeWolf Park is chockablock with events for the country’s birthday, beginning with a free pancake breakfast and ending with music and fireworks. John Smith says volunteering on the working group and helping to organize the celebrations has given him a greater appreciation of Bedford’s strong community spirit. As “one of the newer members of the committee,” he sees how local businesses, HRM support, additional volunteers, and residents join in to make everything a success. “A couple of years ago, the pancake breakfast on the first of July, it was absolutely pouring. Like just, you couldn’t ask for worse weather. And people showed up. They came anyways in the pouring rain,” Smith says. “And everyone was having a great time.” tadams@metroguide.ca Halifax Magazine @HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine
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schedule
JUNE 27 • Summer Reading Club Kick-Off Party Bedford Public Library 10 a.m.–12 p.m. • Lions Club Seniors Dinner & Bingo 6–9 p.m. • Bouncy Castles 6–9:45 p.m. DeWolf Park. • Kids Extravaganza 7–9 p.m. DeWolf Park Free. Face painting, mermaids, fireworks.
JUNE 28 • Bedford Volunteer Fire Department Beer Fest 6 p.m.–12 a.m. DeWolf Park Free (age 19+ only). Live music, DJ. Cash bar.
JUNE 29 • Bedford Kids Triathlon 2019 7:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Bedford Lions Pool. • Tai Chi with Mirella Veras 9:30 a.m.–10:15 a.m. DeWolf Park • Zumba in the Park 10:30–11:30 a.m. DeWolf Park Free. • Georgian Tea 2–4 p.m. Scott Manor House Free. • Rouge et Blanc 7:30–9:30 p.m. Sunnyside Mall Free (age 19+ only). Live music. Hors d’oeuvres and wine tasting. Red and white attire encouraged. JUNE 30 • Modo Yoga 10:30–11:30 a.m.
DeWolf Park. Free. Fitness for your mind, body, and soul. • Movie Night 9:30–11 p.m. DeWolf Park Free. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair for a family friendly movie. Rain location: Sunnyside Mall. JULY 1 • Pancake Breakfast 9–11 a.m. DeWolf Park Free. Pancakes. Singalong with the Grafton St. Dinner Theatre band. • Bouncy Castles 9 a.m.–3 p.m., 6–9:45 p.m. DeWolf Park Tickets sold on site. • Music on Main Stage 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. DeWolf Park Free. Live music.
• Kids’ Canada Day Party 1–3 p.m. DeWolf Park Free. Puppet shows, mermaids, face painting. Wear red and white to celebrate Canada’s birthday. • Canada Day at Scott Manor House 1–4 p.m. Scott Manor House Free. At 1 p.m., join a guided walk through the property. Enjoy banjo tunes with Keith Fillmore and an art show by Graham “Buz” Baker. • Ice Cream Social 2:30–4 p.m. Chicken Little (1531 Bedford Hwy.) Free. Ice cream. Live music. • Bedford Days Canada Day Celebrations 8 –10 p.m. DeWolf Park Free. Live music by Donair Supply and a children’s act. Fireworks at 10 p.m.
sponsors
Times and events subject to change. For updates, search “Bedford Days” on Twitter and Facebook, or visit halifax.ca/bedforddays.
DIAMOND SPONSORS
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Fraserway RV Provident Development Inc. Nustadia Recreation Bedford Place Mall The Berkeley Bedford Pressé Mason Universal Realty/Lord Nelson
Resto Urban Dining Chicken Little Best Version Media Vetcetera Animal Hospital Strum Environmental Twin City Management
JUNE 2019 halifaxmag.com | 25
DINING
HALIFAX’S FAVOURITE FRIES THE CITY’S LONGEST-RUNNING FOOD TRUCK WELCOMES REGULARS BACK FOR ANOTHER SEASON BY WILL GORDON
It’s noon and the lunch crowd heads over. Tourists and construction workers, passersby, and old regulars go to Bud the Spud’s big white food truck in front of the old Spring Garden library. The sidewalk fills up: hungry customers waiting and content ones sitting on the low stone wall with their meals. Owner Jody LeBlanc works the fryer, steel tongs in hand. Regulars belly up and chat with his assistant, but LeBlanc stays focused. There’s fish to batter and fry, hot dogs to cook, and when there’s a moment, more potatoes into the slicer. On a warm summer day, the ambient temperature in the truck can hit 42 degrees, and that’s not next to the fryer. On the busiest days LeBlanc can work 17 hours. Running a food truck means nonstop work weekday and weekend until winter’s arrival. LeBlanc jokes that buying Bud the Spud was his late midlife crisis. “I didn’t get a convertible, I got a food truck.” For 42 years, Bud the Spud has fed Haligonians in this spot, right in front of the Winston Churchill statue on Spring Garden Road. In 1977, Bud and Nancy True took a risk. They quit respectable positions in Ottawa, moved east and bought a food truck. “It hits the heart of what people want: an affordable, greasy, fresh french fry,” Lindsay Nelson says. Nelson is a Halifax food blogger running Eat This Town. For her, Bud the Spud arrived at a pivotal moment in Halifax food culture: “It opened in 1977, which puts it in the ballpark of the donair and a lot of other foods that have become iconic.” It’s the hand-cut fries Nelson remembers best. A Dartmouth native, she’d visit Bud the
26 | halifaxmag.com JUNE 2019
Spud on Halifax excursions. “I remember being a kid, having hand-cut fries was so special, and the only two places I could remember having them was Bud the Spud and New York Fries.” For 32 years, Bud and Nancy True served up those hand-cut fries with fish. But in 2010, age caught up. Nancy’s back couldn’t last the hours of standing. Bud had a new hip and needed a new knee and shoulder. They’d earned their retirement. “Funny,” LeBlanc says, “I never thought I’d end up on the other end of the serving window.”
When the Trues arrived, LeBlanc was in high school. On weekends, as a treat, he’d go downtown and get himself an order of fish and chips. In 2015, he took a chance. A private careercollege instructor, his workplace was shaken up with the arrival of the college’s new owners. LeBlanc decided he needed to consider his options. At that time, he learned the second owners of Bud the Spud were looking to sell. In a matter of days, LeBlanc was in the food truck business. He’d never run a business before. Never worked in the food industry.
“I DIDN’T GET A CONVERTIBLE, I GOT A FOOD TRUCK.” —JODY LEBLANC Five seasons in, LeBlanc is experienced now. What he wasn’t prepared for was all the other extra work involved. There’s maintenance to do. He’s got a 1989 Grumman step van to keep alive. Can’t afford to bring someone in every time an appliance fails. Lots and lots of cleaning. Suppliers to call. Then there’s the paperwork of running a business. He had his moments of doubts in the start, but stubbornness kept him going. A typical day starts at 6:30 a.m. There’s gravy to make, a truck to stock. There’s no electricity in the truck, so LeBlanc relies on bags upon bags of ice to keep supplies cool. By 9:30, he’s at the Spring Garden spot, in prep mode, time ticking down to lunch. Location matters. His spot is on Spring Garden close to Barrington, within striking distance of Pizza Corner. Bud the Spud is
known for being here. Mention Bud the Spud and it conjures images its iconic spot with Winston Churchill, benches, and pigeons. The association was earned in fierce competition. Back in ’77, it was first come first served. Get there and keep the parking meter going. These days, bureaucracy governs the spots. It’s all about tenders now. There’s risk still. In 2006, after being outbid, Bud the Spud was exiled to the corner of Spring Garden and Tower Road (now Cathedral Lane). On site, LeBlanc cooks until the afternoon dwindles. Back home: more work. LeBlanc has potatoes to peel. He keeps to tradition, spending hours cutting paper to make bags for fries. LeBlanc is aware of his food truck’s legacy. He doesn’t mess with expectations. When Bud the Spud first started, fish and chips were a bigger deal. They are an Atlantic
Canada staple but few branded their livelihoods on them. Camille’s Fish and Chips. People’s Fish and Chips. Joe’s Fish and Chips. Joey’s too. All gone. There are third-generation customers coming to the truck now. Interacting with customers, especially the regulars, is LeBlanc’s favourite part of the job. It shows, again and again. Lowering down an order of fish and chips to a regular back from Toronto for a visit and their annual Bud the Spud meal, LeBlanc is beaming. Each chance he has to deliver food, his face lights up. “When [my regulars] don’t show up for a while,” LeBlanc said, “I start to worry about them.”
tadams@metroguide.ca Halifax Magazine @HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine
JUNE 2019 halifaxmag.com | 27
DRINK
DRINK SMARTER, NOT HARDER IT’S BEER-FESTIVAL TIME: HAVE FUN AND GET YOUR FILL RESPONSIBLY BY KIM HART MACNEILL
Our city boasts some 20 breweries and beer bars, offering lots of choice when it’s time to whet your whistle. But when you’re craving a change, look for a beer festival. Whether you’ve got a cupboard full of commemorative glasses, or look forward to your first fest, a plan will help you get the most out of every one.
in a festival. Many also offer regular and VIP tickets. A VIP ticket generally buys you an extra hour at the start of the festival for a premium price. Some attendees love the exclusivity and smaller crowds, while others (like me) take it as an invitation to tap out early. Know your limits and ticket accordingly.
BE PREPARED DON’T DELAY Craft beer is serious business in this region, which means tickets to the most popular events sell out fast. Buy a ticket and book the weekend off the day sales open. Most festivals offer more than one session, usually afternoon and evening. Afternoon sessions can feature a better selection of beers, as small-batch ones sometimes run out early
Download the festival map or at least peruse the list of breweries attending. Make a list of beer you want to try or will only see at festivals. For example, Seaport Beerfest features the Maine Beer Box this year. This 40-foot shipping container features taps galore highlighting 78 beers over the weekend. Eat beforehand. You want to protect your stomach from the deluge of beer styles you’re
about to sample and have something in there to soak up the alcohol. Avoid greasy or bloaty meals, and spicy foods, which can mask the taste of beer later. Do not “go for one” with your fellow attendees before the festival. Every pint is three to four sample-size beers you won’t have room or tolerance for later.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME Show up early. Beer starts flowing at the ticketed time, but most venues open the entrance early, so you can line-up, scan tickets, and check coats. The line will only be longer closer to go-time. Festival sessions range from three to five hours long. That’s a lot of beer, even in oneounce samples. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Try new styles and breweries. Take your time to taste the beer and think about why you enjoy it. Drink water and take snack breaks. Most festivals offer snacks for an additional fee. I usually have a granola bar in my bag just in case.
PHOTOS: STEVE JESS
BE A GOOD HUMAN
Remember: a festival is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself and make a list of must-try beers. 28 | halifaxmag.com JUNE 2019
As the session wears on, the room will slowly fill with drunk people. They will bump into you. Someone will spill beer on you. Shrug it off and smile. Remember, we all love beer here. Thank everyone who pours you a beer. Compliment the beers you enjoy. Don’t drink beer you don’t like just because it’s in your glass. Instead, find one you love. Dump beer you don’t love discretely, away from the view of those who poured it. (Festivals have dump stations throughout for this purpose). Drink water at every opportunity. Check in your beers on Untappd, text your friends, and take photos, but move out of the
way. Don’t stand in the middle of the thoroughfare or in front of a brewery’s table glued to your phone.
MEET BREWERS One of the highlights of a festival is the opportunity to meet the people behind your favourite beer. Say hello and ask questions about the style or the process, but don’t monopolize the table. If there’s a line for the table, hit up another sample or two and watch for your window.
PLAN WISELY Have a plan to get home that doesn’t involve you or someone else drunk behind the wheel. Some festivals offer shuttle services and taxi chits. Most festivals offer designated-driver tickets and free or cheap non-alcoholic beverages for DDs. Offer to buy a ticket for a fun-loving, non-beer loving friend, and drive them to the next wine festival.
Beer festival tickets sell quickly; if there’s one you want to attend, get on it.
4 EVENTS FOR BEER LOVERS 0.5-km Donut Dash or 6-km Fredericton Beer Run scheduled before the festival.
Maine Brewers’ Guild Summer Beer Festival July 27 South Portland, Me. mainebrewersguild.org
Halifax Seaport Cider & BeerFest
Maine has one of North America’s best craft-beer scenes and the state’s largest beer festival sells out yearly. This is a mandatory road-trip for beer aficionados. Tickets went on sale in late April, so get on it. This year the festival focuses 100% on the Guild’s 60-some breweries. Not all of Maine’s about seven-dozen breweries are guild members, so plan your road trip to maximize the number you can visit.
Cunard Centre, Halifax Aug. 9–10 seaportbeerfest.com Last year vendors poured 300+ varieties of beer, mead, and cider over two days. One of the best things about this festival is the variety of European and Maine beers that aren’t available locally.
PEI Beer Festival Down East Brew Festival
Charlottetown Sept. 27–29 beerfestpei.com
Aug. 3 Carleton Street, Fredericton facebook.com/events/1819677238118631 This outdoor festival pours beer, cider, mead, spirits, and wine with a street party vibe. Feeling guilty about all that beer? Sign-up for the
Last year this festival poured 120+ beers and ciders from 35 breweries and cideries across Eastern Canada and beyond. Live music, snacks, and good vibes will be on tap. Tickets sales generally start in June.
Propeller Brewing Co. A North End neighbour since 1997. Stop by for a pint or a flight in our Tasting Room at our Gottingen Street Brewery, with special cask releases every Friday. Plus, check out our new basement arcade! Full cold beer stores on Gottingen and on Windmill Road in Dartmouth.
2015 Gottingen Street, Halifax NS drinkpropeller.ca @PropellerBeer
JUNE 2019 halifaxmag.com | 29
OPINION
IN SEARCH OF
CANADA AN IMMIGRANT VISITS PIER 21 AND REFLECTS ON JOURNEYS PAST AND PRESENT BY MARIANNE SIMON
With the advent of good weather, I decided to explore some of the sights and sounds of my new hometown. The first name that came to my mind was the Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. As an immigrant myself, recently relocating to Halifax from India, this place holds a special significance for me. I stood in front of the historic building for a few moments wondering what revelations awaited me. Then I took a deep breath and went in. I was impressed by the spacious, well organized halls with exhibits pertaining to the history of immigrants from different countries to Canada since 1865. It was both a pleasure and an eye-opener to walk through the museum. About a million immigrants from Europe and Asia came to Halifax between 1928 and 1971. Russian immigrants were fleeing from the oppression of czars and the communists, British and Germans came to escape poverty and war, and French came to find jobs and economic stability. Japanese arrived in late 1800s and early 1900s to find land and ended up settling on the West Coast. People came by immigrant ships to Halifax because the port was open year-round; Pier 21 was the portal through which they entered Canada. Some of them settled in Halifax, but most continued their journey by railroad to other provinces. The Sisters of Service, the Red Cross, and the Salvation Army were at hand to assist the immigrants. It was fascinating to go into the replica of the train they travelled in. As one of the tour guides led me and the other visitors through The Pier 21 Story exhibition, I was transported in time. In my mind’s eye, I could see the thousands of immigrants leaving their ships and walking in through Pier 21, tired and worn out by the long, harrowing journey. But they had hope. They were looking for a better place to live. They were looking for a country where they would be safe and find shelter and work. I could see them coming through the entrance dragging their luggage. The picture of children carrying small suitcases containing their favourite toys and a few pieces of clothing stood out in my mind. Despite the fact that an immigrant could bring $100 into the country, a lot of them came without a cent. Often the immigration officers lent them money to buy train tickets.
30 | halifaxmag.com JUNE 2019
I could also see the many immigrants who had no medical stamp on their documents and therefore had to wait in the detention centres. They were to undergo a medical examination because tuberculosis was a big problem at that time. Historians estimate that officials refused entry to about 10,000 immigrants because of health problems. I could imagine their sadness and frustration as they boarded the ship to be sent away from their dream land. The Wheel of Conscience, an exhibit on the ground floor, depicted the unfortunate story of 937 Jewish immigrants from Germany who travelled by MS St. Louis. As the gears in the wheels turned, forming and breaking up the picture of the immigrant ship, the words hatred, racism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism caught my eye. Cuba, the U.S., and Canada refused to admit the Jewish passengers. They finally found refuge in Britain, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium. During the Holocaust, the Nazis killed 254 St. Louis passengers. I stood there for a long time allowing their struggle and misery wash over me. There was anger in my heart, and disappointment. The exhibition Family Bonds & Belonging at the Ralph & Rose Chiodo Gallery was fascinating. A special section in that gallery was thought provoking. It detailed the atrocities the Asian and African immigrants faced. I enjoyed watching the 20-minute movie, In Canada, in which immigrants of different nationalities talked about their experiences. All of them said they were happy to be in Canada, although I thought they glossed over the difficulties of finding jobs and building lives here. The Library and Archives Canada, and the Scotiabank Family History Centre are treasure houses of information. The Museum Gift Shop has wonderful mementos to suit everyone’s pocket and taste. I realized I had spent more than half a day in the museum and it was time to leave. I hope to get back there again soon as there is a lot more to see, and a lot more to learn about the immigrants to Canada. tadams@metroguide.ca Halifax Magazine @HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine
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