Globe hopping
24 / Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
on a roll Fabulous seafood, scenic coastal drives, a rich maritime history and First Nations culture are among the many reasons why Stuart Forster loves returning to Nova Scotia
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stuart forster
obster used to be so inexpensive in Nova Scotia that it was once served in the province’s prisons. I am back in one of my favourite destinations and, if I am not careful, restaurateurs here may feel robbed. As one of four judges in the Nova Scotia Lobster Crawl Festivals’ Lobster Roll Challenge, I’m tasked with sampling and scoring lobster rolls during a blind tasting. Alain Bossé, a personality here with the moniker ‘The Kilted Chef’, has coached us in
how to score the rolls – flavour, presentation and their ‘wow factor’ are key criteria. Lobster rolls are nothing if not versatile: they are served with soup, crisps, salad and chips. Some zing with spices while others allow the lobster flavours to dominate. Participants pace nervously as the scores are totted. Captain Kat’s Lobster Shack, located in a community in the southwest part of the province that is the self-acclaimed Lobster Capital of Canada, is declared the winner – cue an eruption of joyful shouts. More than just a sandwich, a lobster roll can be everything from a chef’s signature dish to a long-used family recipe – and it’s a must-have treat when in Nova Scotia.
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LOBSTER ROLL– more than just a sandwich
Nova Scotia is two-thirds of the size of Scotland but home to less than a million people. Consequently, locals joke that they were social distancing long before it was fashionable. Self-drive tours offer numerous opportunities to visit points of interest while minimising interactions with others. Pausing along the 103-mile coastal route
between Debert and Apple River is a way of enjoying circular hikes, beaches and other points of interest in the Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark (fundygeopark. ca). It tells the story of the prehistoric supercontinent Pangea and was designated Nova Scotia’s sixth UNESCO site in 2020. Along with another UNESCO site, Joggins Fossils Cliffs (jogginsfossilcliffs.net), it attracts geology enthusiasts and photographers. “I used to not talk about my favourite hidden gem, Summerville Beach Provincial Park, just outside of Port Mouton. “It’s an incredible white-sand landscape, with a storied First Nation and European history, in an area known for its hospitality; it’s my favourite area in Canada,” says Geordie Mott, owner-operator of Picture Perfect Tours (pictureperfecttours.ca), who is keen to highlight one of Nova Scotia’s 20 provincial parks. Georges Island National Historic Site in Halifax Harbour (discoverhalifaxns. com) opened last year. Once a prison and internment camp, the fortress is the sixth property in the Halifax Defence
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