Local Connections Halifax - Summer 2013

Community Builders

Meet the dynamic duos from Obladee Wine Bar and Pavia Gallery & CafĂŠ

Food & Drink

Delicious features on Saege Bistro, Sweet Hereafter, and Local Tasting Tours

Local Hotspots

Wine Country Entrepreneurs investing in the future of our great Province

Summer 2013

Ten halifamous folks share their favorite places to chill in the summertime

July 31st - August 5th - Natal Day August 5th - Natal Day on Lake Bankook

August 3rd - Joel Plaskett and Fireworks at Alderney Landing Every Sunday - Concerts at Sullivans Pond at 2pm

plus concerts every noon hour on wednesday - friday, and thursday evenings at ferry terminal park for more info, visit downtowndartmouth.ca

Contents Issue Number 6, Volume 2 - Summer Edition 2013

6 Local Discoveries

We find cool stuff around town and share it.

16 Community Builders

This issue we feature Pavia Gallery and Obladee Wine Bar.

20 Wine Country

20

Entrepreneurs investing in the future of our great Province.

28 Local Food & Drink

Showcases on Local Tasting Tours, Saege Bistro, and Sweet Hereafter.

34 Local Hotspots

Find out where the Halifamous like to chill during summer.

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32

38

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36 The 'S' Word

Some insights into urban sprawl from columnist Andy Filmore.

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Explore the Abundance.

Da Sausage Hustla' Alexander Henden

Hot Diggity Dawg

Brenden Sommerhalder

Contributing Editors

Lia Rinaldo, Laura Oakley, Jessie Harold, RenĂŠe Hartleib, Brenden Sommerhalder, Bethany Horne, Lindsay Best, Emily Forrest, Phil Otto, Gordon Stevens, Andy Fillmore, Jeff Barrett, Anisa Awad

Chief Photographer Riley Smith

Photography

Meghan Tansey Whitton, Kumi Henden

Illustration

Scott MacDonald, Lola Landekic

Design & Layout

Alexander Henden

The Rooster on the Cover Gaspereau Valley Fibres

"Blue Steel" Costume Plan B Halifax

Magazine Printing

Transcontinental Dartmouth

Distribution

Le vrai Henri Sausage

At one point it seemed like it would never arrive, and then one day it was summer! We deserved nothing less of course, but now that it's here, what do we do with the time and good weather that's been given to us? If you may recall, these seasons come and go fairly quickly, too quickly, so how do we make sure to get the most out of Summer 2013?

For some of us, we already have a head start with family plans or travel vacations in the works, but what about all the rest of the summer? Surely there's got to be other things worth doing. Of course there is. It's Nova Scotia, after all!

Let's think about this opportunity for a minute. What are some of the places you always meant to check out but never did? Last edition, we did our first-ever Halifax Bucket List where we asked ten Halifamous folks to share five places they always meant to check out, but never got around to. How about writing down your own bucket list? What are some places that haven't made their way off your own to-do list? Now is the time, my friends!

On my end, I've already been doing a decent job checking stuff off my list.

So far this summer, I have cooked pizza at the Park Avenue Community Oven, driven to Dee Dee's Ice Cream at Peggy's Cove (on opening day), visited Musquodoboit Harbour, had lunch at the Armview, and had lunch on the patio at Luckett Vineyard. I've also discovered some new spots and found some time to re-visit some spots that I've been neglecting lately.

I guess if you really think about it, I'm still a tourist. I'm still in love with the idea that I can walk, bike, or hop in the car, and go out to explore the abundance of what Nova Scotia has to offer. Having had the experience of living in great cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Edmonton, I can't help but think we have it better than anyone. So for the rest of my summer, I will stay the course and see what else I can discover. How about you?

Alexander Henden Da Sausage Hustla'

The Shack Oyster Bar Earlier this summer, local seafood lovers were given cause for celebration when Feisty Chef RenĂŠe LavalĂŠe opened the doors to The Shack Oyster Bar down on the Halifax Waterfront. Obviously they serve oysters, but as the menu in the picture above suggests, they serve much more, including Mussels, Clams, Bay Scallops, Snow Crab & Lobster Rolls, and Clam Chowder. Yum!

theshackoysterbar.com

Kuckoo for Coconut!

Wild Leek Food & Juice Bar on Windsor St. Vegan spots seem to be popping up everywhere lately, and that's just what happened on Windsor St. in the location where the Gracious Indian used to be. The Wild Leek is a charming little restaurant, and the lunch menu has a lot to offer, including Bahn Mi and Five' Oh (sandwiches), tofu quiches, salads, soups, cookies, cakes, and of course juice. What may also be of interest is that they do vegan cooking classes as well, so you can learn to make the stuff for yourself at home.

This summer, our Editior-in-Cheif developed an obsession for ice cream.

Not that he wasn't already crazy for Dee Dee's Ice Cream (he was), but one day he discovered that Ditta had made a new flavour called Toasted Coconut, using real coconut, of course. That day everything changed. "I can't stop thinking about it actuallly," he reported.

"I've even forgotton what the other flavours taste like". With the housemade waffle cone, it's a knock-out punch.

Three scoops, nothing less, but should coconut not be your thing, Dee Dee's has many other flavours, including some delicious dairy-free sorbets.

deedees.ca

wildleek.ca 6

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Infused Maple Syrup If maple syrup is your thing, and you're ready to go to the next level, Hutchinson Acres takes sugar from the maple bushes of Nova Scotia and blends it with a wide range of gourmet ingredients. The products are great for cooking, in salad dressing, or as garnish. There are five flavours to choose from and all are super delicious.

pureinfusedmaple.ca

New Flavour at Bridge Looking back at our 12 Beers of Christmas event from December 17, 2012, we remember speaking with Peter Burbridge of Bridge Brewing about what he had planned for his opening.

At our event, we knew about the two flavours that would be available, but we also knew that a third one was in the works. Fast forward to today, and the Strong Belgian Dark is here! As described, the beer has notes of dark chocolate, dark fruit, tart cherry, with a little spice on the finish.

bridgebeer.ca

Canadian Bacon The chances are, you love bacon. And if you love bacon, why not have a bacon sandwich, or two? On the same strip as The Shack, the Canadian Bacon Cookhouse opened up, serving five different bacon sandwiches (Abe's Bacon Butty, The Bacon Club, Gourmet Porkabella, Simply "Dill"icious, and the Hangover), as well as chocolate cover 'bacon-pops'. Serious bacon for the serious bacon lover.

canadianbaconcookhouse.com

Morris East in Bedford If you are a Morris East fan and live in Bedford, the restaurant gods are smiling on you. Set to open this August, Morris East will be opening its much larger second location off Larry Uteck Boulevard.

morriseast.com

Got Some Local Discoveries to Share?

Send us an email at:

magazine@locaconnetions.ca

Propeller in Dartmouth We knew that Propeller was expanding its operations to Dartmouth, but we were pleasantly surprised when we discovered that they were also opening a Prop Shoppe there as well. The doors are now open at their new Windmill Road location, so it's simply a matter of popping in for a 6-pack or growler fill.

drinkpropeller.ca

Pete's Jams & Preserves On a recent trip to Luckett Vineyards, we discovered that Pete is into the jams and jarred preserves game now as well.

Produced by Luckett Farm, there's over a dozen tasty choices, all beautifully packaged, making them the perfect gift to take home.

Making a Statement at FRED. A lot of things are changing on Agricola Street right now. Lots of new stuff opening and some stuff moving to new locations while still remaining in the same neighbourhood. One such move happened at the beginning of July, when Statement Modern Furniture moved two blocks down, right into the same building as FRED. Style. It's an interesting combo which brings the best of both worlds (or is it three?) under one roof. So you still have FRED Style (salon) which underwent the least amount of change, but a good portion of the north end of the building is now occupied by Statement. The cafĂŠ, which has THE BEST muffins/cupcakes in HRM is still there, albeit a little smaller in size. It's actually more cozy now.

10 Years of Great Wine 2003 was a very good vintage for the wine drinker. That year, four new wine shops opened in HRM, giving consumers more choice when it comes to the wines they drink. That year, Cristall Wine Merchants in Sunnyside Mall in Bedford, Bishops Cellar in Bishops Landing down by the Waterfront, Premier Wines off Dresden Row in the same building as Pete's, and Harvest Wines on the Bedford Highway, all opened for business, giving us cause for a toast. Happy 10th Anniversary guys!

Renovations aside, it's great to see three icons in the community (we can't forget Joel right?), come together in such a creatively collaborative way.

statement.ca

Cool Mural on Gottingen Back in late June, the city was given a wonderful gift when the collaborative work of world-famous artists Saddo and Troy Lovegates was painted on the side of Alteregos on Gottingen. The painting is a sight to behold and fairly difficult to miss (it's two stories tall).

It also takes the North End one step further in becoming a cultural centre for the city. On behalf of the magazine, we would like to thank everyone who stepped up to make this happen.

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Pizza Paradise - The Park Avenue Community Oven It was back in our Autumn Edition 2012 that we openly stated that we hoped we'd get invited to the Park Avenue Community Oven (PACO) every once in a while, and on a weekday in July, we did. It started with an email from Jeff Overmars, which led to us saying "heck yes" and then inviting our cover boy from last issue, Rodney Habib, out for an afternoon pizza. We ended up having a terrific time and of course some delicious pizzas, and that setting in the park made for one of the most relaxing afternoons we can remember. It's a perfect spot!

ort p a e S e h t t a Now

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Backtracking a little, PACO is now well into its first season and some pieces have been added since our coverage last edition. Local chef Brady Muller—a committed and enthusiastic PACO volunteer—is now hosting bi-weekly workshops where local chefs teach attendees how to make local food meals in the oven to demonstrate its versatility (PACO can cook more than just pizza!). Alderney Market vendor Pie R Squared has begun selling pre-made, ready-to-bake pizzas (gluten-free options available) so people can take the ferry to Dartmouth (we recommend this), stop at the market en route to the oven, and cook their pizza in Nova Scotia's first outdoor community wood-fired oven.

The group is currently seeking dedicated volunteers interested in learning how to fire the oven and support PACO by helping to host community events and accommodate requests from groups who want to use the oven throughout the week.

Interested parties can pop by on a Saturday at around noon to meet the crew, or contact the group through their Facebook page.

Events Catering Available!

facebook.com/ParkAvenueCommunityOven

refreshing summer ale 2576 Agricola

Named One of the Top 20 New Restaurants in Canada (Huffington Post)

W E E K LY L U N C H S P E C I A L

! s u n i jo

Neapolitan Wood-Fired Pizza We have something just as authentic and closer to home. Come by and check out our new patio and enjoy one of our famous lunch specials—a mini pie (made just the way they have in Napoli for over 200 years) and a small salad.

It’s all for an incredible price of $12.99 and it’s a relaxed and casual way to enjoy the summer (and still be home for dinner).

Mobile handy?

Check out more events!

Corner of Hollis + Morris T +1 902 406 0909

Named Best Pizza in Halifax (Chronicle Herald)

Meet in Italy for Lunch?

First VPN-Certified Pizzeria in Halifax & the Maritimes

www.piattopizzeria.com/events

LOCAL CONNECTIONS

LOVING

The Local Movement E m i l y Fo r r e s t linkedin.com/in/localtastetrs l @LocalTasteTrs

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his for the first time since I was a kid, I sat at a picnic table and ate steamed clams.

I was on the Halifax waterfront. The last time, my brother and I spent hours down on the sandbars in front of the family cottage digging for those speedy little guys, checking in on our catch all afternoon as they sat in the enameled kitchen sink gobbling up cornmeal my Nana had scattered over the water. We would poke their backs to make them stick their tongues out at us. The best part was gathering around the huge pot billowing with steam and digging in, pulling the pale morsels from their shells, and dunking them in hot butter before popping them in our mouths.

The clams I got this summer were from The Shack, local chef Renee Lavallee’s latest venture at Queen’s Landing. They were just as plump and juicy as I remembered, and eating them outside in the salt air was more than half the fun. The crew at The Shack shuck fresh oysters at breakneck speed, and offer up Lavallee’s famous chowder and biscuits, too. I have had some wickedly good fried clams over the years at local spots like Willman’s Fish and Chips and John’s Lunch, but this experience with fresh clams prepared so simply really took me back.

I moved to the North End this year and I adore my neighbourhood.

I worked for years in the Hydrostone area, but to live here is to love it in a completely new way.

There’s a

wonderful, quiet friendliness to these stomping grounds. I watch dozens of cyclists whiz off to work each morning, and there are always dog walkers out early, enjoying the grassy parks between each street. Everything I need is here!

From yoga classes, to art galleries, to hair salons, to market greens, to imported Italian goods—the North End has it all, and then some. Taking part in SWITCH this spring (when various streets were closed to traffic for a day) was yet another fun way to experience the area. A local merchant offered me a free ‘I HEART North End’ sticker and reminded me, “We gotta represent!” I’m starting to feel like I belong. Sometimes in the morning, I’ll put on the coffee and then just ‘run down to the bakery’ for some fresh bread. How great is that?

This summer I also discovered the coolest new gathering place— The Park Avenue Community Oven.

I heard about the oven from talented chef Brady Muller at Ciboulette Café who organizes classes and workshops for the outdoor oven. Situated next to the lush community gardens on the Dartmouth Commons, the oven looks like a crazy, clay-topped R2D2 in a little hut, and is a wonder to behold. Early Saturdays and other scheduled mornings throughout the season, one of the passionately dedicated volunteers will tell you all you need to know about building your fire, preparing your coals, mopping your cooking surface, using your pizza peel, and a dozen other things that come in handy for cooking breads, roasts, biryani, pastries, and anything else you want in a 900 degree oven. Get this: on any given hot summer Saturday, you can just show up, bring your dough, and join in the fun, cooling off in the shade instead of sweating over your kitchen stove. The foodie chat is bonus. █

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nice moves juleschamberlain.ca

chantallevesque.ca

速

速

9028176007 agentimmobilier/realtor

9024496991 agentimmobilier/realtor

LOCAL CONNECTIONS

MISSION Statement Phil Otto

ca.linkedin.com/in/philotto

E

ating local isn’t about committing to never eat another banana or orange and promising life-long loyalty to Annapolis Valley apples. It’s about a gentle shift in habits. According to a York University food policy expert, if 10,000 families in Halifax shifted $10 per week to local food purchases, it would have the environmental impact of taking 487 vehicles off the road for a year, and an economic impact of an additional $5.2 million circulating in the local economy. This is because while 45 cents from every dollar spent with a locally-owned business stays in the local economy, only 15 cents sticks when you buy from a multinational.

But the intrinsic benefits of buying

l @brandguy

locally caught, raised, and grown fish, meat, vegetables and fruit go far beyond the economy and environment.

It brings the peace of mind of knowing where your food is coming from, the conditions in which it was grown or raised, and whether its nutritional value is diminished due to forced ripeness, colour, or size. While the industrial food system relies on anonymous relationships that are both dependent and exploitive, buying from a farmers’ market brings a level of trust that you absolutely will not get from the food section at Walmart.

There’s a romanticism as much as there is practical benefit: The robust flavour of a freshly picked strawberry; the aroma of Maritime Hodge-Podge

(fresh potatoes, beans and carrots simmering in a broth of milk, butter and freshly cut herbs); the distinct, earthy flavor and texture of Nova Scotia raised, grass fed beef; the wonderful smell when you break the seal of a bottle of home made pickles on a cold Sunday in January. This is field to fork at its finest.

Supporting local is also about relationships among family members, community members, farmers, fishers, producers, and consumers. The shopping experience and social benefits of a farmers’ market are much different than a supermarket, facilitating community engagement and social interaction that is vital to the vibrancy of a community. Research shows that 75 percent of shoppers at farmers’ markets arrive in groups, while only 16 percent of shoppers at supermarkets arrive in groups. Just 9 percent of customers in supermarkets have a social interaction with another customer, but at farmers’ markets, 63 percent have an interaction with a fellow shopper. Local food builds community vibrancy, retains local tradition, and establishes a unique sense of local culture.

Minimal transportation, storage, and processing ensures maximum nutrition, flavour, and nutrient retention. The short term gain of (maybe) saving a few cents per pound on factory-farmed produce shipped from another country does not outweigh the benefits to our health and wellbeing of a gentle shift in spending. █

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ND

CT

OB

ER

O

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IFAX L A H

E R 1 0TH

I . P

SILENT ART AUCTION. VOLUNTEER MATCHING. .. WITH A TWIST. BID YOUR TIME - NOT YOUR MONEY AND SUPPORT GREAT CAUSES.

INFO + TICKETS: timeraiser.ca/halifax Artists, Sell your Work!

Nonprofits, Recruit volunteers!

We pay up to $1000 (framing + HST inclusive) per successful submission.

Connect with potencial volunteers commited to 20 - 100 hours over 12 months

Apply: timeraiser.slideroom.com

Apply: timeraiser.ca/agency-application

Calls Close: August 23rd, 2013 NATIONAL PARTNERS

FOUNDING PARTNER

LOCAL CONNECTIONS

ON Business Lindsay Best ca.linkedin.com/in/lindsaybest

l @lindsaybestbiz

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s business people and consumers, we are constantly making decisions. Whether purchasing a product, choosing a service provider, or partnering with another firm, there are a number of criteria that are considered before ultimately maknig a choice.

Some factors that influence decision making are convenience, price, reputation, quality, and brand recognition. One piece that is often overlooked is the influence relationships have on the decision making process.

Most people, subconsciously or not, choose to work with people they already know, like, and trust. The relationships you build ensure you have champions in the local community referring business to you and positively reinforcing your brand.

Many business people can justify investing in marketing, branding, and pricing strategies, but the impact relationships can have on a business is sometimes discounted. Only so much can be accomplished from behind a desk, so I encourage people to leave the office and build a presence in their community. For many small businesses, their local involvement (and the relationships born from it) are their competitive edge. The businesses in our community that are doing this right often find it less necessary to compete on price or rely on marketing dollars to develop new business.

Nurturing these relationships is

important. If you know you have truly connected with the “guy who owns the shop down the street”, then I encourage you to continue to find common ground with this person on a semi-regular basis. Find an event to attend where you will both be present or invite them to have a chat over coffee to strengthen that relationship.

Use this opportunity to celebrate your businesses and community in a meaningful way. This experience will be remembered fondly when it comes time to make a purchasing decision. It will also be a positive referral when the

opportunity arises in the future.

Now, some of you might be thinking, “that all sounds well and good, but I’m too busy.” I can respect the fact that many small businesses are so occupied with their daily operations that it can be difficult to find the time to celebrate with like-minded people. Like every business building activity, networking and relationship building requires a time commitment to see its true value. If you plan for this time, and strategically choose the “right” people to connect with, the rewards will be more than worth the time invested. █

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Obladee Wine Bar

Article: Bethany Horne Photo: Riley Smith

Fashion fades.

Style doesn’t.

We offer a wide range of unique eyewear and quality sunglasses.

453-6100. New Patients Welcome.

Complete eye exams in a comfortable setting.

Appointments Monday to Saturday.

5550 KAYE STREET (across from Hydrostone Mkt.)

For Heather and Christian Rankin, creating Obladee Wine Bar was about giving Halifax something new: a drinking destination—but for grown-ups.

Though the first (unverified) fact many newcomers learn about Halifax may still be that it has “the most bars per capita” in Canada, the Rankin siblings recognized that many of the pubs were courting the student crowd. There was an opportunity surrounding people who wanted “a place where there was some dignity in going for a drink,” as Heather puts it.

“There were lots of nice restaurants, but they had limited by-the-glass lists, and there was also an expectation that you were getting food.”

Enter Obladee. The pair considered every detail when they opened on Barrington Street. They still curate the wine and food lists constantly.

“We recognize that wine is for many people, for many reasons, an intimidating thing,” says Christian. “So we wanted to create a place that was special and intimate but also very social and comfortable.”

As the designated sommelier, it’s Heather’s job to make sure their wine list always has something for everyone. Since Obladee opened its doors almost three years ago, she says their wine list has benefitted from a Nova Scotia wine industry that is coming into its own.

“I think that a large part in the increase in quality is just about a new industry getting better at what they’re doing,” she says. This includes understanding what types of grapes grow here, which don't, and which styles of wine suit the grapes that grow well.

The “crisp, aromatic style” of white and sparkling whites in particular are worth noting, she says.

At any time, Obladee has over 30 wines available by-the-glass. About half of the list of whites is usually local. “We try to keep the list balanced on geography, style, and price point,” she says.

The food portion of the menu can vary as often as the wine list does. Christian says that although they knew when they started they’d never have trouble finding good local wine to serve, they’ve been pleasantly surprised with the also-expanding local production of cheeses, charcuterie, and preserves.

And the two seem to have hit a good stride.

“I was always one of those people that was better as a party planner than as a party goer,” says Heather. She reflects that seeing Obladee turn into a neighbourhood hangout, with regular and returning customers, has been fulfilling.

Barrington Street’s natural advantages have benefited Obladee. The place stays pretty busy (although an extra 5,000 or 10,000 people moving downtown wouldn’t be amiss), and Obladee involves itself in the activities of the surrounding community.

This year, they participated as a venue in the Halifax Jazz Fest for the second time in a row.

“I always like being part of the different festivals that are going on,” says Christian.

“The first night we opened for the public was Nocturne. We had three soft openings and the last one was on the Saturday,” he recalls. “We said: ‘Ok, let's just see what happens.’ What happened was, the entire place was shoulder to shoulder, for several hours. That was one of the most clear and intense memories I have of Obladee.” And hopefully, with many more to come. █

You can visit Obladee Wine Bar for a glass of wine, cheese board, or a nice craft beer at 1600 Barrington Street, online at obladee.ca

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Pavia Gallery

Article: Bethany Horne Photo: Riley Smith

Savour the Possibilities.

Named after an Italian grandmother, Pavia Gallery Espresso Bar & Café would be special wherever it was, but in the tiny village of Herring Cove it's definitely unique.

This part-café, part-gallery is in a category all its own in Nova Scotia.

“We didn't want to be a coffee shop that just had really great art on the walls. We wanted to be an art gallery that had a really fantastic espresso bar and café,” says Christopher Webb, one half of the partnership that started the Pavia Gallery two years ago.

Inspired by European archetypes, Webb and Victoria Foulger envisioned a cross between a contemporary fine art gallery and a café that was “sophisticated, but inclusive. We want a place everyone feels welcome for whatever reason they're coming in.”

They jumped when one of Herring Cove’s only three commercially zoned buildings came up for sale.

Fougler says although it took neighbours some time to take to the new place, it’s now not unusual to see university professors marking papers at a table, dump-truck drivers ordering coffee, junior high students peering at art over their hot chocolates, and even Franciscan nuns in grey habits sipping cappuccinos. Cyclists and hikers stop by on their way out to the Sambro loop.

Pavia’s imported micro-roasted Florentine espresso may draw in the nuns—and coffee fiends from the far corners of the municipality—but it’s the humble, mediumroast, drip coffee that has earned Pavia Gallery local fame. The blend, selected by the pair and roasted in Sackville, N.S, is called “Pilot Boat,” Foulger explains: “The pilot boats have a dock right here in Herring Cove. It's a big part of this community. Whenever big ships come into Halifax, they're brought in by a local guy.”

Local marine pilots zip out to the large ships in their pilot boats, board it, and steer the visiting ship into port.

When one of those pilot boats rescued the couple’s dog after he swam into the ocean chasing a deer, they took the captain a bag of their coffee as a thank you. The story made it onto CBC, and next thing they knew the Marine Pilots Association was ordering 50 bags of the Pilot Boat blend for an event.

Respecting and integrating with the community is important to them, they say.

Webb, who has twenty years experience in the art and design world, sees Pavia’s role as a gallery as somewhere in between a commercial gallery and a public one.

“The main point of a commercial gallery is to put red dots on paintings ... In a public gallery, the main point is to educate, challenge and reach out into the community.”

(A red dot on an art piece indicates that the piece has been sold).

This fall, two of the artists they represent, Mitchell Weibe and Ian Gilson, will participate in a public lecture series Pavia will be hosting. An artist-in-residence program is in the works, also.

They bake everything in-house with local eggs and butter. Fougler is always creating new vegan, gluten-free homemade soups to pair with their panini. And there are homemade waffles with maple syrup on the weekends.

So let a pilot boat guide you into port at Pavia: if Christopher and Victoria have it their way, you’ll fit right in. █

You can visiy Pavia Gallery ~ Espresso Bar & Café at 995 Herring Cove Road in Herring Cove or online at paviagallery.com

Wolfville, NS • 902.542.0588 frontandcentral.com

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COVER FEATURE

Article: Brenden Sommerhalder Photos: Riley Smith

Entrepreneurs Investing in the Future of Our Great Province

"

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'm a fresh guy," says Pete Luckett, the entrepreneur behind the now-iconic Luckett Vineyards, Pete's (formerly Pete’s Frootique), and Pete's ToGoGo. He's referring to the kind of food he's built his businesses on, but it would be a fitting description of him all by himself.

Using words like excitement, showmanship, and vibrancy when he describes his philosophy toward business, freshness is embodied in everything that the food and wine master does.

Luckett made his start in Nova Scotia in 1992 when he opened his first store in the province at Sunnyside Mall in Bedford.

He came armed with ten years of experience opening and running three food retail shops in Saint John, New Brunswick with his brother and sister. The Saint John operations were a huge success, and Luckett wanted to tackle the challenge of transplanting that success to a new market. The allure of Nova Scotia was too great for him to ignore.

"Nova Scotia intrigued me because it was certainly, even in 1992, more cosmopolitan than Saint John, and it was that which intrigued me,” recalls Luckett. “A new province, new people, a new place to live. So I did a deal with my brother and sister where I headed east, and in 1992, I finished setting up our first shop in Bedford, buying a new house, and doing it all in one go.”

Luckett’s success in Saint John wasn’t as quick to catch in Nova Scotia as he might have hoped. Despite the strong support from his customer base in New Brunswick, great media coverage, and his status as a national spokesperson for the fruits and vegetables industry, there would be much blood, sweat, and tears that would go into turning his new venture into a success. “I was dealt a grounding shock of reality when I got going down here,” says Luckett. “It didn't take off as fast as I needed it to. You've got to earn your customers and their trust, and build relationships. It's not just going to happen

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from excitement that you've created in another market."

His would seem to be a winning formula, because once he had his customers, he had them for good. “I’d changed their shopping habits,” says Luckett. And as he explains it, that’s a must in the food industry. “You've got to be front of mind,” he explains. “Consumers can't think about going to the supermarket for this to work. I have to get to the place where Pete's is where people buy their food and not think of anywhere else. There's nothing you can do with price or presentation alone, you've got to build it and earn it. That's a two year deal, at least."

The challenges involved with opening a food retailer in Nova Scotia don’t stop with attracting customers, however. Even getting the shelves stocked requires an entrepreneurial spirit.

"One of the crazy things about being in the food business in Nova Scotia, there really is no wholesale infrastructure to support a retail shop,” explains Luckett.

“All the infrastructure had been taken out of the province when the supermarkets took control of the east coast. When they came, we lost all of the little wholesalers that were the supply chain for smaller food shops. And that's why even today, it's very hard for an independent food retailer to open in the Maritimes. There's nobody to call up and say, 'send me my inventory' in the morning and then you have a shop.”

After over a decade of Luckett brokering deals and building supply relationships to keep stocking product to sell in Nova Scotia, the industry has begun to reshape again. "I'd probably say we're one of the biggest supporters of local food, and we have our own incredible network now that acts as a local supply chain,” he says. “Everything from little bakers to little jam makers, all these little pockets of people that we provide a retail outlet for. A lot of these small operators have built a business around supplying Pete's.

They've managed to build a little wholesale supply business, and have us as a major customer."

It was Luckett’s background in the food industry and his zeal for a business challenge that gave him the thought to open a winery, but also a maturing of the wine industry and the good business sense to recognize it. "The Nova Scotia wine industry is a rocket right now. Maybe it's a freight train.

It's building momentum,” says Luckett.

But Luckett Vineyards, and wineries across Nova Scotia, still had and continue to have their work cut out for them.

“Ten years ago a lot of the wines in Nova Scotia that were out there were, well, a little brutal,” Luckett admits. “One of the challenges for the Nova Scotia wine industry was to come out from under that.” Luckett pays respect to the work the early pioneers put into the industry, “but unfortunately,” he says, “they were making bad wine at the same time."

"Everybody who enters the industry today is still faced with the challenge of people saying, 'Oh, no, I'm not going to buy Nova Scotia wine. It sucks.’ But that's changing, and I've seen that in the last few years. There's been a new acceptance and excitement over Nova Scotia wines.”

The maturation of the Nova Scotia wine industry has come from a better understanding of growing techniques for our climate and a commitment among wineries to grow together.

The Annapolis Valley is rich with exceptional wineries, including the likes of Gaspereau, Grand Pré, Avondale Sky,

and L’Acadie.

“There’s a lot of synergy and harmony happening in the industry,” explains Luckett. “We do a lot of learning and sharing together. For example, the first Tuesday of every month, all the wine makers, along with staff from each vineyard, move around and arrive at one of the wineries, and they have a theme. The last one we had was white blends. All the wineries brought a representation of their white blend. They all taste it together, share notes, and it's an incredible thing. It's a lot of magic in terms of the kind of sharing that's going on now."

As much as the wineries have to stick together, they also have to work hard to differentiate. With tight margins and small marketing budgets, innovation is key. “It's very hard for small businesses to engage in a paid marketing program when the profitability coming through the door is not there. It's a real catch-22. So we've got to be a little bit innovative to attract attention to their business on a low budget.”

For Luckett, his differentiator is his fresh, friendly, and vibrant take on business. “Starting in the wine or food business is not for the faint of heart,” he cautions. “It is a crazy and lean business, and if you don't get a handle on all of the small details and moving parts, it can go backwards very quickly.”

But Luckett isn’t looking for sympathy. “It’s a push every day.

But if our customers think it's easy for us, then we've done a good job in building the image we want to build and creating the experience we want to create,” he beams. “You've got to live it." █ L O C A L C O N N E C T I O N S H A L I FA X | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3

21

COVER FEATURE

Counter clockwise from top: Lorraine Vassalo and Stewart Creaser of Avondale Sky, Hanspeter Stutz of Domaine de Grand PrĂŠ, and Colleen O'Reilly and Breanna Hall

Specials Guide

Ace Burger Co.

Canadian Bacon Cookhouse

Durty dogs. Local tubes, local meats, all week long! brooklynwarehouse.ca/aceburger

Pig sweet pig. Pig-cellent features during the week. canadianbaconcookhouse.com

Alderney Landing

Cucina Moderna

Specials on sausage at Meadowbrook Meat Market. alderneylanding.com

Special discounts on the KitchenAid Food Grinder attachment (20% off) and the Sausage Stuffer attachment (15% off). 40% off on BBQ equipment. cucinamoderna.ca

2605 Agricola Street, Halifax

2 Ochterloney Street, Dartmouth

Boneheads BBQ

3625 Dutch Village Road, Halifax

Boneheads BBQ will be doing an extra special popup take-out area called "Fear the Wurst", featuring their take on locally made sausages. lickthebone.com

1751 Lower Water St.

All three locations.

Dee Dee's Ice Cream 5668 Cornwallis Street, Halifax

Ratinaud Toulouse sausage on a bun with homemade sauerkraut. The best ice cream in the city for dessert. deedees.ca

FOR INFO ON ALL EVENTS, VISIT: Domaine de Grand Pré

Front & Central

All week long, Domaine de Grand Pré will be featuring Swiss and St. Gall style bratwurst, along with cervelats, and a sausage salad. grandprewines.ns.ca

Chef Dave Smart will be making some deliciously innovative platters featuring sausages from Ratinaud French Cuisine. frontandcentral.com

Durty Nelly's

Garrison Brewing

Menu special: Seared Irish white pudding, sweet pea puree, pancetta crisp, and red potato salad. durtynellys.ca

Be a BBQ hero! Pick up some local craft brew for your BBQ during Sausage Fest! garrisonbrewing.com

Freeman's Little New York

Gaspereau Vineyards

Menu special: Pint of garrison & sausage with sauerkraut dinner. freemanspizza.ca

Chef Stef Levac of Frais Catering will be showcasing sausages from Reid's Meats, along with his own housemade sausages and condiments. gaspereauwine.com

11611 Highway 1, Grand Pré

Corner of Argyle and Sackville Street, Halifax

All three locations.

Fireside Café

9819 Main Street, Canning

In-store specials on Al's Homestyle Sausages, plus daily menu specials in the restaurant. alshomestylefiresidecafe.com

FRED.

2606 Agricola Street, Halifax

FRED. will be hosting a community BBQ on Saturday, August 17. fredstyle.ca

117 Front Street, Wolfville

1149 Marginal Road, Halifax

2239 White Rock Road, Gaspereau

Getaway Farm

1209 Marginal Road, Halifax

Flavour of the Day, all week long plus some in-store specials as well. getawayfarm.ca

Halifax Seaport Market 1209 Marginal Road, Halifax

Incredible Picnic and Sausage BBQ on Sunday, August 18. A full day of sausage fun! halifaxfarmersmarket.com

: localconnections.ca/meetyourlocal L'Acadie Vineyards

Nomad Gourmet

Special pairing on Saturday at the vineyard. Greek sausage on a skewer using sausages from Al's. lacadievineyards.ca

Nomad Gourmet will be rockin' Outlon's doublesmoked bologna sandwiches. nomadgourmet.ca

Local Source Market

Obladee Wine Bar

Take-home 4 pack of Wild Mountain sausages, shopmade buns, sauerkraut, and Bridge Brew Belgium honey mustard. localsourcemarket.com

"Fire In the Belly!" Build a board with any 3 local spicy sausages (comes with olives, pickles, baguette & 2 accompaniments) and pair with a pint of any local craft brew on tap - $20. obladee.ca

310 Slayter Road, Gaspereau RR#1, Wolfville

5783 Charles Street, Halifax

Local Tasting Tours 1209 Marginal Road, Halifax

Local Tasting tours will be doing an event-exclusive tour on Saturday, August 18 called the Full Sausage Food Tour. localtastingtours.com

Luckett Vineyards

1293 Grand Pre Road, Wolfville

LV will be featuring Artisan Duck Sausage in a 24 carrot roll with pickled veg for $9. luckettvineyards.com

Meadowbrook Farm

2 Ochterloney Street, Dartmouth 318 Pleasant Valley Road, RR#2 Berwick

In-store specials all week, both locations. meadowbrookmeatmarket.com

Various locations.

1600 Barrington Street, Halifax

Pete's

All three locations.

In-store specials during the week, including a feature flavour just for Sausage Fest. Lunch specials all week, and "Chop & Chat" demos at the Halifax and Bedford locations. petes.ca

Propeller Brewing

2015 Gottingen Street, Halifax 617Windmill Road, Dartmouth

Be a BBQ hero! Pick up some local craft brew for your BBQ during Sausage Fest! drinkpropeller.ca

Ratinaud French Cuisine

2 Doors Down

Package deal: 1Â Toulouse, Herb, Fennel & Bail, Chorizo, Merguez and Blood Pudding for $15

ratinaud.ca

Bangers and Mash, 2 Doors Down style, all week long. go2doorsdown.com

Relish! Gourmet Burgers

Wolfville Farmer's Market

2082 Gottingen Street, Halifax

6024 Quinpool Road, Halifax

Feature burger: Local sausage patty w/ Propeller Pilsner thai chili sauce, sauteed mushrooms, aged cheddar, and pickled red onion. Plus caesar salad with chorizo and a sausage poutine for sides. relishyou.ca/halifax

1533 Barrington Street, Halifax

24 Elm Avenue, Wolfville

10% off ALL packages of sausages from Al's Homestyle Sausage, Jordan's Natural Acres, Longspell Point Farm, Naturally Nerida, Peasant's Pantry, and Wild Mountain Farm. Plus Market chefs feature their fellow vendors sausage in their main dishes. wolfvillefarmersmarket.ca

Saege Bistro

5883 Spring Garden Road, Halifax

Pølse Med Lompe, European-style wiener on a flat potato bread, rolled like a tortilla and then pan fried.

Garnished with pickled cabbage and served with a warm potato salad. Garrison Tall Ship Amber will be on special as well. saege.ca

Wolfville Magic Winery Bus 359 Main Street, Wolfville

Enjoy Sausage Fest from the comforts of a big, pink double-decker bus! wolfville.ca

Sausage Plates

*Non-Ticketed Event Venue

Take-Home Sausages

*Ticketed Event Venue

Local Craft Beer

*Family Event Venue

Local Wine

Equipment Sale

*For info on all events, visit: localconnections.ca/meetyourlocal

Wines of Summer A Few Selections from Five Local Vineyards

2012 Summer Bliss

2012 Tidal Bay

Clean, fresh, and crisp ripe pear and apple leading to a long chalky mineral finish.

Aromatic wine made from a unique blend of Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Muscat with an off-dry finish.

2012 Lady Slipper Honeycrisp apple and raspberry, with a touch of cinnamon. The palate is fresh and crisp, with red fruit and spice.

2011 Rosé

2010 Vintage Cuvée Rosé

2012 Muscat

Aged on its lees using traditional champagne methods. Displays fine bubbles from natural fermentation in this bottle.

Delicate notes of citrus and lychee create a gentle, slightly herbaceous flavour.

2012 Rosé

Perfectly dialed in to summer flavours, Rosetta is off-dry and refreshing with notes of strawberry, rhubarb, watermelon and citrus fruits.

A dry, crisp and fruity blend of organic L'Acadie Blanc and Marechal Foch grapes.

Semi-dry with a smooth mouthfeel, a hint of tannin, and a balance between sweetness and acidity.

2012 Rosetta

More choices available from: 2010 Seyval Blanc Notes of green apple, honeydew melon and grapefruit, all balanced with a fresh acidity and a long finish.

2009 Léon Millot Light-bodied, dry red wine is all brought together with a round mint chocolate finish.

Avondale Sky - avondalesky.com Gaspereau Vineyards - gaspereauwine.com L'Acadie Vineyards - lacadievineyards.ca Luckett Vineyards - luckettvineyards.com Domaine de Grand Pré - grandprewines.com Jost Vineyards - jostwine.com Petite Rivière - petiterivièrevineyards.ca Blomidon Estate - blomidonwine.ca Benjamin Bridge - benjaminbridge.com Annapolis Highland Vineyards - novascotiawines.com Sainte Famille Wines - st-famille.com

LOCAL FOOD & DRINK

TELLING THE STORIES BEHIND HALIFAX’S FOOD SCENE Article: Jessie Harold Photo: Meghan Tansey Whitton

Q

uinpool road is loud tonight—the first hot Wednesday in weeks—as motorcycles growl past cars with the windows rolled down and music grows louder and fades away when vehicles drive by. Shaded from the early evening sun by the Oxford Theatre’s wide marquee, I’m crunching on Maritime Gourmet Nut Company candied almonds, sprinkled generously into my palm by Emily Forrest while she prepares me for the culinary calisthenics to come.

I probably didn’t need the almonds. Perhaps I would have pocketed a few of them for the next day if I had known that my appetite’s eager gait would become more of a satiated amble by the end of the evening. Over the course of the next two hours, Forrest, owner of Local Tasting Tours, guided me and two others on a walking tour of five restaurants that too often get overlooked by the 30,000 cars that travel down Quinpool every day (I learned that fun fact on the tour. And, did you know that 10 global cuisines are represented on Quinpool Road? I learned that too).

Our first stop was Mezza Lebanese Restaurant, where we scooped olive oil-drizzled hummus onto pitas, topped them with pickled red peppers, and licked our fingers after popping them into our mouths. We sipped wine and crunched bright, citrusy tabbouleh, and listened to Forrest tell us the story of Mezza, part of a family-run chain of landmark local restaurants for decades.

Forrest knows all the stories behind the restaurants we

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visit, including the names of the owners, where they source their ingredients, and handfuls of quirky little facts about how each establishment came to be. At Bramoso Gourmet Pizzeria we munch on spinach, artichoke, and feta slices, pausing to close our eyes and enjoy a bubbling sip of Nova 7 (if you don’t know about this wine, definitely look it up). We learn that many of the restaurant’s ingredients are sourced from vendors at the Seaport Farmer’s Market in a symbiosis that is hallmark to a thriving local food scene.

At Heartwood Café there’s a sweet and earthy quinoa red pepper slider, and a story of its owners’ quest to elevate vegetarian dining to new heights, winning the hearts and minds of both vegans and carnivores along the way. Next, we slide forks through triple chocolate cheesecake at The Sweet Hereafter Cheesecakery, the dessert spot whose proprietors sparked their romance at a Tim Horton’s over a hot drink and an impossibly cheesy pick-up line.

Slurping cilantro-laced hot and sour soup at Thai Ivory, I realized that the lovely feeling of warmth and fullness that embraced me was not just about the food, or Forrest’s beguiling narrative, but a sense of being truly entrenched in local cuisine. Knowing the stories behind the food—who hand-shapes the kibbeh or where the tomatoes came from— somehow made the experience of eating it that much richer.

I felt a sense of belonging to my local food scene that years of restaurant patronage and self-professed foodie-ism in this city had yet to match.

Maybe it was the undeniable appeal of working off my dinner calories as I ate them, but I took the first opportunity I could to participate in Local Tasting Tours’ Downtown Halifax food tour, as well. On this tour I had the rare experience of being able to see the city I’ve lived in for 14 years with fresh eyes.

Along with a group of folks visiting Halifax from out of town, Forrest encouraged me to do something many locals often forget to do: look up on Barrington Street. I could still taste the warmth of Chives’ smoked tomato soup on my tongue as I raised my eyes above the storefronts to appreciate the historic buildings that I walk blindly past, latté in hand, most days of the week. Post-tour, I think I can now count myself among the few fortunate locals who know how many burritos the owners of Burrito Jax sampled on a North American quest for the perfect flavour profile, where the St. Mary’s Young Men’s Total Abstinence and Benevolence Society was once housed, and how the chicken in Mezza Kitchen’s shawarma gets on that rotisserie.

Without question, the opportunity Local Tasting Tours provides to sample from the menus of some of Halifax’s finest eateries is one that is unparalleled in the city. For visiting gourmands, it’s the perfect way to explore the local food culture and how it intersects with Halifax’s history. Local culinary aficionados haven’t truly experienced all that the Halifax food scene has to offer until they’ve joined Emily Forrest on some sunny afternoon on the waterfront with a fistful of Sugah’s chili pistachio white chocolate, or met up with friends to dip spring rolls and savour cheesecake on Quinpool. I’m so glad I’ve added Local Tasting Tours to my repertoire of local eating experiences, and I know it won’t be long before I do it again, with foodie friends in tow. █

Vegetarian & Gluten Free Options

2 STYLES ON TAP

C AT E R ING NO W A V A ILA BLE! 6024 Quinpool Road, Halifax • 474- 4152 •

L RelishHRM

Meadowbrook Meat Market Home of Jimmie Lamb Ham

Deciding to go on a Local Tasting Tour is just the first step. Next, you need to choose from three amazing tours. You can check out all three at localtastingtours.com/all-tours/

Available at:

COUPON

For Sausage Fest 2013, Emily will be doing "The Full Sausage" tour (August 18). This is an exclusive one time tour, and space is limited, so grab those tickets quickly!

SAVE $2.00 OFF PURCHASES OF MEADOWBROOK MEAT PRODUCTS ($20.00 OR MORE) at Meadowbrook Meat Market locations, North of Berwick and at Alderney Landing Valid August 12-31, 2013 No cash value, one coupon per purchase

Meadowbrook Meat Market 318 Pleasant Valley Road, Berwick (902) 538-1106 www.meadowbrookmarket.com

SE1

LOCAL FOOD & DRINK

Article: Lia Rinaldo Photo: Riley Smith

A NEIGHBOURHOOD BISTRO SERVING UP FRESH, LOCAL FARE

Y

ou can measure a brunch spot by the way they serve up their breakfast potatoes. I’m seated across from Saege’s Executive Chef, Geir (pronounced “Guy”) Simensen, aka the Gentle Viking (a nickname referencing his Norwegian stature, coined by someone half his size. He’s starting to embrace it, he admits with a grin, as he’s certainly been called way worse.) What a start. We’re here to chat and sample dishes from one of his favourite times at the restaurant: brunch. I bite into my first Saege rösti and instantly understand his enthusiasm.

A rösti is a traditional Swiss dish made up of coarsely grated potato formed into a patty and pan-fried. In Canada, these were infamous at Toronto’s Mövenpick, and Simensen cut his teeth on them during an apprenticeship there at nineteen. His potatoes remain strongly influenced by that experience.

“We hit the mark for brunch,” Simensen says with assurance. Light pours into a glassed-in front room full of families, couples, and a cast of regulars, some of whom eat here up to four or five times a week. Everything is made from scratch or sourced locally. There are no processed meats. No deep fryers. Chickens are roasted whole with every part used down to the stocks.

First up, we are served a lobster frittata, light, puffy, and overfilling the plate: a customer favourite made with eggs, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, tomatoes, arugula, parsley, aged cheddar, and chunks of lobster. As we dig in, Simensen shares some of his philosophy around keeping food simple. “It should be fresh, look and taste like what it is.Ffor instance, this is a lobster dish,” he says as he makes his point.

No question, I’m getting the lobster. He continues on about his

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desire for classic, well-executed dishes with the best available ingredients. Or as he puts it, “show the food some respect.”

Saege opened seven years ago, a slight reprieve from the busy section of Spring Garden. Positioned as a neighbourhood bistro serving up fresh, local fare, the opening of Saege marked the first official joint project between mother and son.

Simensen feels it’s a true reflection of the two of them; with food sitting in his court and the front of house being more of an extension of his mother, Unni. She has been doting over generations of customers, and Simensen is drawn to the bustle of the kitchen.

The restaurant has an understated elegance and remains true to sourcing locally, but Simensen feels it’s still got that double-edged “little-known” aspect to it. He has since come to realize that it’s not just about the food, but also about getting that local message out, citing Chef Dennis Johnson (Fid Resto) and Chef Craig Flinn (Chives Canadian Bistro and Two Doors Down) as true leaders in this arena.

Next, the Avocado Bennie hits the table with smashed fresh avocado, a hint of lime, aged cheddar, soft-poached eggs, and creamy hollandaise. Halifax is an eggs bennie town, no doubt about it. What’s not to love about eggs smothered in buttery egg sauce? “It’s sinfully good,” Simensen laughs, explaining how he would choose real butter and eggs any day. Everything in moderation, of course.

Outside of large-scale breakfast chains, it’s not certain you could find a more extensive brunch menu with five weekly variations on eggs bennie alone. The weekly rotating brunch menu is the part that makes Simensen particularly excited, as the menu changes depending on what’s in season. The

opportunity to mix it up, keep it fresh, and utilize the market is all part of the good food equation for him. Here we see frittatas, omelettes, breakfast pizzas, and Norwegian waffles, to name a few.

You can’t talk about Saege without referencing the original, now 33-year-old family business, Scanway Pastry & Catering, a true Halifax institution imported from Norway. Simensen grew up in the kitchens and started his culinary career at 14.

He’s worked all over, including Mövenpick Toronto, Four Seasons Vancouver, Regent Taiwan, Hyatt Regency Cayman Islands, and more.

Today, Simensen pulls inspiration from many places, including his travels, mentors from all over, and quality time spent with his family and partner, Laura Oakley. The two of them take their food seriously both at work and in play.

He waxes poetic about restaurants and markets worldwide, and picnics and deluxe camping set-ups that leave no wine or cheese spared. His favourite meals are often the simplest ones, and he takes great pride in trying to create dishes with the least amount of ingredients in unconventional locations.

And finally, a Croque Madame with havarti, smoked pork tenderloin, béchamel with a perfectly fried egg on top, accompanied by poutine–thick cut, roasted potato wedges sopping up a demi-glaze in a cast iron skillet topped with cheese curds. This is Simensen’s favourite hangover brunch.

Soon, Simensen will launch the Stubborn Goat Gastropub.

This will mark another subtle shift, and one that sees him moving slightly away from the family business. The Goat will feature small plates, good wines, and craft beers. Most importantly, he hopes to drive home that local theme, unapologetically selling out of fresh menu items nightly.

Judging from the 4000+ followers on Facebook before the doors of the Goat are even open, it’s safe to say Halifax is ready to embrace his concept. And he appears more than ready to sell it. █

You can experience Saege Bistro for yourself at 5883 Spring Garden Road, or visit their website at saege.ca

Jost Coastal Vineyards Wines

Artistry from vine to wine We are proud to introduce Jost Coastal Vineyards — two extraordinary wines crafted in honour of our local grape growers and their passion for coaxing succulent grapes from our cool Nova Scotia soil.

Discover these iconic wines that capture the complexity and brilliance of our coastal terroir.

Find our stories at

JostGrows.ca

Jost_Coastal_Halifax_LocalConnections_05_13.indd 1

13-07-17 4:22 P

LOCAL FOOD & DRINK

Article: Laura Oakley Photo: Riley Smith

MAKING CHEESECAKES FROM FRESH INGREDIENTS, EVERY DAY

T

he first time Colin MacDougall made a cheesecake from scratch was the day after his wife, Joanne, told him he couldn't do it. She said it was too hard; he wouldn't be able to pull it off. Less than a year later, in September, 2011, Colin and Joanne MacDougall opened Sweet Hereafter Cheescakery on Quinpool Road.

Colin makes all of the cheesecakes himself from fresh ingredients, every day.

"He has a knack for it," now says Joanne of her husband's cheesecake skills. "They turn out every time."

Lucky for Colin and Joanne, his cheesecakes are still turning out, every day, and customers are turning up to taste them. Flavours like peanut butter chocolate, salted caramel, and s'mores are bringing people back again and again. The couple is having no trouble connecting with the clientele through their house-made desserts.

"We have one couple that comes in every Saturday morning. When they're not here, I wonder what's wrong," says Colin. He describes the number of birthdays, holidays, and family events Sweet Hereafter has provided cheesecake for, specifically one young lady who has used them to celebrate her engagement, her wedding, and now her baby shower. "We're becoming part of their traditions, and their lives," Colin beams.

Joanne agrees: the most rewarding part of running Sweet Hereafter is the people and making meaningful connections with the customers. "We're very lucky. People are happy.

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They're coming in for dessert. They're always happy," says Joanne.

Don't just credit the cheesecakes for Colin and Joanne's success. The couple has experience both in the restaurant industry, and working together. They thought long and hard about what sort of experience they wanted to bring to Halifax and what the city needed. What they came up with was a comfortable yet classy space to relax and enjoy only cheesecake. This was to be unique to Halifax.

Aside from Colin's "knack" for baking the cakes, the couple's work ethic and personality continue to bring people to the shop. "We're just a hard-working couple. People buy into that local thing," explains Colin.

Colin and Joanne's insight into customer needs also deserves recognition. Listening to patrons is what prompted them to start offering daily vegan and gluten-free options, which has had a tremendous impact on their business. "We have the opportunity to service an under-serviced market," explains Colin. With limited options for both quality gluten-free and vegan desserts in the city, Sweet Hereafter is building relationships with the people who have these dietary restrictions. "What it brings to our business, by offering that, is huge."

Their favourite communication tool, aside from chatting in-person with customers, is social media. Via the Sweet Hereafter Facebook page, clients can place orders, or please requests for what will be in the case for a certain day. They

are allowing followers to become part of the business.

"We get flavour suggestions on there all the time," says Colin. A contest to name The Curious George (chocolatecoconut crust with banana-Nutella cheesecake) had over 150 comments. Both salted caramel and candied bacon were flavours suggested to Colin via social media, and are now very popular.

Colin uses other sources of inspiration for new cheesecake flavours, as well. Ideas come from everywhere; the farmers' market, what's in season, a chocolate bar he's eating. Since opening Sweet Hereafter he's made 113 different flavours and over 7,500 cheesecakes.

Once we're done chatting, I get to taste three of these flavours. My inner seven-year-old chooses the Beep cheesecake to try first. The Beep-infused filling is subtle, on top of a shortbread crust, and topped with beep sauce. It's very sweet and nostalgic. Second is the Snickers cheesecake.

It has a chocolate crust and a filling spotted with chunks of peanuts and Snickers bar. There is a chocolate layer and caramel sauce on top; it is decadent, for the true cheesecake lover. Last, I try the vegan chocolate raspberry on a chocolate crust. The vibrant raspberry coulis has an extremely pure flavour; it's excellent. The filling is silky with the consistency of a heavy, creamy mousse. It is less sweet.

My favourite is the vegan cake, although all three of them are fantastic in that homestyle way. Colin ensures that every day in the case there is one vegan offering, and two or three gluten-free cakes. There's something for everyone; from Colin's version of classic cherry (he does a shortbread crust), to creamy lemon, to mango-strawberry. He says it's usually the chocolatey flavours that sell the best.

Cheesecake makes people happy, and selling cheesecake has made Colin and Joanne happy. Or as Joanne puts it, "thankful. That's our biggest feeling. We come in every day, and we're thankful." █

You can experience Sweet Hereafter at 6148 Quinpool Road, Halifax, or online at sweethereafter.ca

Peggy’s Cove Location Open Until September!

Deliciously Handcrafted Ice Cream Made Using Real Ingredients

5668 Cornwallis St, Halifax • deedees.ca • 407-6614

Summer is a time about beaches and relaxation, BBQs and family gatherings. It's also a time for road trips and exploring the community. This edition, we find out what some of the locals like to do with their summer.

Tim Rissesco

Michele Gerard

Jule Chamberlain

1. A day hike at Delaps Cove Wilderness Trail 2. Blueberry picking at Blueberry Acres in Centreville 3. Lunch at any patio in Dartmouth 4. A train ride at the Trecothic & Windsor Railway 5. A return trip on the Dartmouth Ferry

1. Ice cream from Blowers Street Paperchase 2. Good Food Emporium for tea and an oatcake 3. Fish & chips from Pelhams f&c truck on Prospect Road 4. Fries from Bud the Spud 5. Cold beer on the sidewalk patio at the Foggy Goggle

1. Any evening at Obladee Wine Bar 2. A nice beer on the patio at Henry House 3. Duck and quail eggs at Edna’s 4. Fridays and Saturdays at Press Gang 5. Sumo burger on the patio at Hamachi waterfront

Laurel Bray

Bob Chaisson

Mike Kennedy

1. Citadel Hill with a loaded veggie sandwich from Pete's To-Go-Go 2. Dee Dee's Ice Cream for a cone of Mexican Chocolate 3. Searching for something special at Plan B on a rainy day 4. FRED. for a cool glass of housemade ice tea (plus it's air conditioned) 5. A glass of Alambrado Torrontes on da Maurizio's patio

1. All-u-can-eat sushi at Happy Sushi in Clayton park 2. Pizza nights at Piatto Pizzeria on Morris Street 3. Pork belly sandwiches from Indochine 4. Anything with meat from Hali Deli with a milkshake to drink 5. Pajeon from the Food Wolf

1. Local food and drinks with friends at Brooklyn Warehouse 2. Morning coffee at Two If By Sea Cafe Halifax 3. Hop Yard Ale on the patio at Garrison Brewing 4. Chilling and having a bite at Alter Egos on Gottigen St. 5. Playing instruments at the Halifax Folkore Centre

Downtown Dartmouth

FRED. Style

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Atlantic News

Plan B Halifax

L O C A L C O N N E C T I O N S H A L I FA X | S u m m e r 2 0 1 3

Royal LePage Atlantic

Canadian Bacon, Awesome Halifax

Ludo Eveno

Missy Searl

1. Ratinaud French Cuisine for a little shopping on the way home 2. Dinner at Edna on Gottingen 3. Belgian-style beer at Bridge Brewing 4. Jincheng delivery for a night at home 5. A night out at Tom's Little Havana

1. Dinner at Le Caveau Restaurant in Grand PrĂŠ 2. Union Street CafĂŠ in Berwick 3. Wharf Wraps in Eastern Passage 4. The BBQ Sampler at Q in Halifax 5. Kababji in Burnside for Hummus, Warakennab, Shish Taouk and Shawarma

Drew Voegeli

Alexander Henden

1. Breakfast at the Maritime Pasty Co in the Seaport Farmer's Market 2. Satisfying a 'meat-lust' at Boneheads BBQ 3. Hero meatball, pizza, or canolli at Salvatore's in Hydrostone 4. Saint Lou's barbershop for a hairdo and TIBS coffee 5. Cheesecakes at Sweet Hereafter on Quinpool Road

1. Dee Dee's Ice Cream for that triple scoop of Toasted Coconut 2. Walking my dog Makita through Shubie Park in Dartmouth 3. Rooftop ferry ride 4. Lunch on the patio at Luckett Vineyards (amazing view) 5. Pizza nights at Piatto Pizzeria

Agricola Street Brasserie

Relish Gourmet Burgers

CEED

Local Connections Halifax

CITY & BUSINESS

THE "S" WORD

Article: Andy Fillmore Photo: Condor 36

A L O O K I N T O T H E I M PA C T S O F U R B A N S P R A W L

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he diversity of lifestyle choice in Halifax, from urban to suburban to rural, is one of our greatest strengths as a region. And yet perversely, is also one of our greatest challenges. For despite the uniqueness of each community in HRM, and even in all of Canada, there is something they have in common. It’s just a word, but it is so ticklish and laden with baggage that it can create rancour in the hearts and minds of citizens everywhere.

It is “the S word.” It is…sprawl.

Sometimes the word sprawl is hurled indignantly as an insult. Sometimes it is decried as an unjust slight. Often it is carefully whispered behind a raised hand, like cancer.

No other word in the lexicon of community gathers such unpredictable energy around it. And in Halifax, with the five year review of our regional growth plan underway (RP+5), it is a word that carries the very real potential to shut down the discussion about shifting to a sustainable growth model that Halifax so critically needs right now.

There was a time in the recent history of our community building, just a few generations ago, when the pursuit of efficiency, functionality, and beauty mattered above all else.

We were cleverer then, doing much more with much less. It was not a conscious act or a source of pride—it was simply the right way of doing things. We built public works projects like water works, parks, and streetscapes like they mattered.

Our homes were spaced congenially close together, ensuring efficient use of land and easy walkability to nearby shops and schools. They reflected the best of local materials and design traditions, and they were just as big as they needed to be.

However at some point after World War Two, like many other

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North American communities, Halifax forgot this tried and true method of community building and began to grow in a dramatically different way.

This collective loss of memory grew from a perfect storm of four major conditions that would profoundly change the appearance and function of our cities and towns, in some cases irreparably. First, private car ownership became an affordable reality for a ballooning middle class. Second, rampant oil discovery and extraction the world-over made energy astonishingly cheap for everyone. Third, federal governments made available huge numbers of low cost mortgages to soldiers returning from the War through initiatives like the G.I. Bill. And finally, the right of municipal governments to establish single-use land-use zones was upheld in the 1926 landmark U.S. Supreme Court case of Town of Euclid, Ohio v Ambler Realty Co. The alternate reality created by these conditions has been ingeniously positioned by the great consumer marketing machines of North America as the American Dream, and as the hallmark of success for a progressive, new, confederated Canada. Over time, however, low-cost cars, energy, and mortgages and the widespread adoption of single-use zoning, led to poorly-designed low-density, dispersed, single-use, automobile-dependent regions.

The definitive explanation for the persistence of sprawl comes from Pamela Blais in her 2011 book, Perverse Cities: Hidden Subsidies, Wonky Policy, and Urban Sprawl. In it she examines the city planner’s view that sprawl is an expensive and unsustainable form of development, as well as the view that sprawl is the natural expression of the market

neutrally responding to consumer demand. But the truth, she argues, is more complex: "…both views fail to recognize market distortions and flawed policy that drive sprawl. As a result of crude public policies, a wide range of urban goods and services are subject to inaccurate price signals, including housing, non-residential properties, transportation and utilities. Mis-pricing creates hidden, 'perverse' subsidies and incentives that promote sprawl while discouraging more efficient and sustainable urban forms."

Here in Halifax we deal with the impact of this kind of growth every day in numerous ways: many families need to operate two cars to get where they need to be in their geographically dispersed lives; commuter traffic jams drive demands on our elected representatives to build ever more road capacity; healthcare costs sky-rocket coincident with more driving and less walking, and; relentless upward pressure on the municipal tax rate to pay for the ongoing expansion of inefficient suburban infrastructure, even while much of the existing urban infrastructure languishes, undersubscribed. Whether we know it or not, sprawl is one of the things that the provincial and municipal governments wrestle with in their budget processes every year, and the trade-offs are usually the same: pay for more and more roads, road repair, and health care, while paying less and less and for education, culture and public realm improvements. These are tough and unenviable choices, but we have the power to change all of it.

In support of RP+5, HRM recently commissioned Stantec to conduct a study called "Quantifying the Costs and Benefits to HRM, Residents and the Environment of Alternate Growth Scenarios," and its findings are profound. The major take-away is this: Over the last 7 years 17% of our new growth has been in the urban core, and 60% has been in the suburbs.

Continuing that profoundly inefficient model for the next 18 years will create about $1 billion in new costs that we will all have to bear. (That’s about the size of HRM’s annual budget.)

But if we make the simple switch to 50% of new growth in the urban core and 30% in the suburbs, we can avoid $3 billion in new costs. There is $4billion in the difference, or $10,000 for every human in HRM. And staggeringly, that doesn’t even include health care costs, the costs of maintaining and replacing inefficient infrastructure we’ve already built, or the cost to environment, which collectively could easily double that figure to $8 billion.

There is no judgment here about existing communities, be they urban, suburban or rural. Rather the dialogue that HRM needs to be having right now is about future growth. We can do better. From this point forward we must think and plan with our hearts and our minds. RP+5 is our moment to make major change of which we can all be proud, and for which our children and grandchildren will be grateful. Let’s set aside the distracting baggage of the S-word and be clever again. Let’s remember how to do much more with much less. And in sodoing let’s create beautiful, complete, walkable communities that uplift each of us. █

SOCIAL PROFIT FEATURE

CAMP BRIGADOON

Article: Renée Hartleib Photos Courtesy of Camp Brigadoon

I D Y L L I C H O M E A W AY F R O M H O M E

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magine you are a child living with a chronic illness or disease. You may be the only other kid you know who needs a breathing tube or has had a heart transplant or has cancer. Now imagine that there is a place you can go for one week of every year and when you’re there, you don’t feel different because you meet a whole bunch of other kids who are just like you. There is such a place. And it’s right here in Nova Scotia.

Camp Brigadoon sits on the shores of the beautiful Aylesford Lake in the Annapolis Valley. A little over an hour away from Halifax, the $8.5 million facility is the most modern camp in all of Canada, offering programming for the Atlantic region, specific to many different chronic illnesses, conditions, and special needs.

Children swim, canoe, kayak, play games, sing, make art, and discover nature. “A lot of these children’s lives are entwined with hospital visits and limited access to natural environments, so we want them to be able to get in touch with nature and learn about the natural world,” says Executive Director Dave Graham, who has been running camp programs now for over two decades. Originally from Ontario, Graham has moved his entire family to Nova Scotia to be a

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part of the dream that is Brigadoon.

For children who feel different every day of their lives, coming to camp and feeling ‘normal’ is a breath of fresh air.

“The type of experience Brigadoon offers is transformational for children and their families. The combination of participating in activities they have never done before, and doing it without their families being present, is very empowering,” says Graham. “Children leave camp with a greater sense of self and a lot more independence.”

Brigadoon partners with many different organizations to deliver nine week-long summer camps. There is Camp Braveheart, the only cardiac camp in all of Canada; Camp Guts & Glory for youth living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD); Camp Silly Yak for those who live with Celiac Disease; and of course, Camp Goodtime, for children diagnosed with cancer.

Actually, the birth of Brigadoon is directly linked to a camper at this well-known Canadian Cancer Society summer camp a couple of decades ago. David McKeage attended Camp Goodtime as a child and later became Camp Director.

He recognized the need for more resources and a dedicated site, and also became aware that children with other chronic

For more information on Camp Brigadoon, visit brigadoonvillage.org

illnesses or special needs needed a camp too.

McKeage pulled together a team, a volunteer Board, and created a plan to fundraise for Camp Brigadoon. This intiative was highly successful and drew in funding from all levels of government, corporate sponsors, and individual donors.

“There was tremendous support all across Atlantic Canada for the Camp Brigadoon campaign,” says Graham. “It was absolutely amazing to see how many people and organizations value this kind of camp and want to ensure that children get a chance to have a life-changing experience.”

In addition to hiring an Executive Director, a Program Coordinator, and an array of individuals specializing in health care, science, and art, Camp Brigadoon is also benefitting from scores of volunteer counsellors who want to give a week of their time to experience the magic of this type of camp.

When children leave Brigadoon, they do so with sandy shoes, wonderful memories, and confidence. “Brigadoon offers a place where children learn they don’t have to define themselves by their illness,” says Graham. “They learn they are individuals who can contribute and take on leadership roles in their home communities.” █

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

S

ometimes a soda bottle is just a soda bottle. And sometimes it can start a voyage of discovery about a family's history and a province’s legacy, and lead you to places you never would have expected.

In January of this year, Nova Scotia citizen Geoff Brown dug up an old “Hi Cap” soda bottle in his backyard. He knew nothing about its history or when it was bottled, and curiosity sent him online to look into it. A quick Google search of Hi Cap or the bottling company, Capitol Hi Grade Beverages, didn’t get him very far. So he posted a photo of it on his Twitter account.

Nearly a month after that initial posting, a veritable lifetime relative to Twitter's instant updates, a response was received "that was my grandfather's pop company" - this time from Chris Organ, a displaced Haligonian now living in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

After a few 140 character exchanges, Organ introduced Brown to his sister, Jennifer Organ, who still lived in Halifax. As chance would have it, Jennifer was in the midst of researching her grandfather's old company with the thought of one day following in his footsteps and becoming an entrepreneur herself. Over coffee, emails, and some further research, they were able to piece together over 150 years of history about one of Nova Scotia's early industries, the soda bottling industry. It turns out that Nova Scotia once had dozens of local bottling and glassworks companies and home grown brands; an industry now dominated by multinational companies. This is a story of two of those local soda companies that weave together and reveal some classic Nova Scotia history.

In the 1800's, European immigrants brought with them a taste for ginger beer, which could be carried in beautiful earthenware bottles. But products and tastes evolve, and the once-dominant ginger beer started to give way to carbonated soda. Soda fountains were popping up in the general stores and pharmacies, and soon enough, bottling lines and glass makers were dotting the Nova Scotia landscape. One family – the Roué family – became one of the first companies to start producing ginger ale – a sweeter, carbonated version of the ginger beer that had been so popular.

In 1879, William J. Roué was born in Halifax. At the age of 17 he went to work in the family soda business on the

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Article: Gordon Stevens . Illustration: Lola Landekic

Halifax waterfront. At night he studied ships and enrolled in mechanical drafting at the Victoria School of Art & Design, today's NSCAD. While still working in the soda factory, Roué designed the pride of Nova Scotia, our iconic tall ship, the Bluenose.

Soon after launching the Bluenose, accolades started to pile up, and fishing records, racing championships, and Bluenose fever started to take over Nova Scotia. Recognizing an opportunity, Roué filed a trademark application for Bluenose Ginger Ale, rebranding the family soda to take advantage of his newfound fame.

At some point in the 1940’s, Paul Abraham (Chris and Jennifer's grandfather and owner of Capital Hi-Grade Beverage Company) bought the Bluenose Ginger Ale brand from the Roué family and began producing this Nova Scotian original under the Capitol Hi-Grade name out of their bottling plant in Halifax's north end. It turned out being a sought after name, indeed.

In the 1950’s, Sidney Oland and his brewery wanted to launch an iconic Nova Scotian beer. He attempted to purchase the Bluenose Ginger Ale brand so that he could create Bluenose Beer. Abraham refused to sell the Bluenose brand, and Oland had to change his plans. He called his new beer “Schooner”.

Determined to associate his brew with the Bluenose, in 1963, Oland built and launched a replica of the famous schooner. Christened the Bluenose II, it was a sailing ambassador for Oland’s brew until 1971, when it became the sailing ambassador of Nova Scotia.

The 1970’s saw the consolidation of many small soda makers and the beginning of the global domination of the big brands. Paul Abraham sold Hi-Cap in 1973, and in his last act of respect for his employees, made their continued employment a condition of sale.

Today, Bluenose Ginger Ale is but a fading memory, but the ship that inspired it continues to be an icon of Nova Scotia and a point of pride that Nova Scotia could, and still can, produce things that are the best in the world. Curiosity led to a Twitter post, which led to the rediscovery of some great history of our province, the likes of which we can only hope will inspire the next generation to be innovative, to be proud Nova Scotians, and to strive to be the best in the world. █

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THE JOYS OF READING Article: Anisa Awad . Illustration: Lola Landekic

qra’a.” One word moved generations of men and women to explore worlds beyond their reach. One word empowered ideas and movements to spell beyond geographic limitations. According to the Quran, “Iqra’a” is the first word to be revealed to Prophet Mohammad. You’re probably itching to know what this one word means and why it has such a powerful impact. “Iqra’a” is the Arabic word for “read”.

I’m a believer in and an advocate for this timeless action verb. Reading is the reason I acquired solid English writing and speaking skills even though I attended Arabiclanguage schools, where I was taught English as a second language. Those gained skills eased my admission and adaptation to the curriculum taught entirely in English at the American University in the United Arab Emirates where I completed my undergrad degree.

In the season of heat, beaches, blockbusters, and patios, distractions are abundant.

For students, it’s understandably more tempting to watch the latest Superman movie than spend the same amount of time reading a book. Bombarded with obligatory textbooks throughout the year, summer is the escape time from the sights of books and readings. For the rest who aren’t in school, being caught up with work hours and countless responsibilities, reading can be a less pressing priority in today’s busy and increasingly wired lifestyle.

I challenge you to let this summer be an opportunity to celebrate and discover the joys and rewards of reading. The escapism from physical realities to mythical lands, ancient dynasties, or long-lost empires can only be experienced with each page turn.

With endless subject matters and genres, you can find the perfect summer read. If you are already a bookworm, you might want to step out of your comfort genres and read something different. Perhaps your next inspirational reading could a Haruki Murakami novel or a Mahmoud Darwish poem.

George R.R. Martin, the brain behind the highly acclaimed Game of Thrones, puts it eloquently: “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… The man who never reads lives only one.” █ "

ask me

about our focused approach 492-6500 cua.com

Mick

Fine furniture maker and antique furniture restorer with over 3 decades of woodworking experience. phone: (902) 431-0629 cel: (902) 473-9967 email: mickjanice@yahoo.co.uk website: mickjanice.com

HALIFAX

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Got an idea that will make Halifax even more awesome?

We fund the absurd, artistic, altruistic and everything in between.

Submit your idea at awesomehalifax.com

A PATH OF ILLUSIONS Article: Jeff Barrett . Illustration: Lola Landekic

ooking hours into the future, I strain my eyes to see what appears to be a shadow of this submission. I am conscious only of shape, its form appears obscured. It looks like it could be real but it is distant and undefined. It appears only as a boundary of regular motion projected on a distant wall.

The light appears to be coming from the middle; diffused and flickering. If I look around I see more of the same in all directions. I cannot pinpoint any clarifying source of light, only this central ember. The limits of my universe are rough and low above; there is an obscurity that I don’t question. It feels natural; not frustrating. I neither question my close environment nor its dimmed accuracy. I proceed along a path towards the centre, content in my ignorance. After all, I have no frame of reference to assume any form behind those shadows. I merely exist and define my world with the same obscurity as I have always witnessed: without details, variations, and alternatives.

The flickering seems closer now, but still somehow distant. There is nothing to aid in clarity. The continual moving of shadows disrupts my attention. I define them as a completed reality, if only instinctively. In this environment I am unable to consider a deeper definition. Years of opacity have no cause to question brightness. I am left to toil obscurely like all these moving shapes around me. Like them, I am bereft of definition.

I am doomed to a loss of individual description and texture. In my present state I produce similarly veiled and indefinable results.

In this place I have not considered walking confidently in another direction. I have merely accepted the shadows and the circumstances of this environment as my true and complete universe. I do not assume defined results nor can I anticipate them. I have had no cause to consider a paradigm of uniqueness and alternative conclusions. How can I? I have, so far, endeavoured in a dimensionless existence towards ends undefined.

I have never considered the possibility of another path- an exit to the cave as it were.

Why would I? The cave was my universe. Nothing existed outside of it. Everything I believed was confined to representations of reality. I had been ignorant to the beautiful sophistication that appears on the other side of the light. I have had no cause to anticipate a clarifying light. I had not considered walking away from my dimmed sensual explanations. I had considered neither hope nor reason in my conclusion.

I simply existed and believed I would find nothing of substance on the other side. A unique end result was neither expected nor sought.

In a moment of choice, however, I spun out of the cave and have learned to witness endless definition in all forms of life. Now that I see the light, the shadows no longer intrigue me. I now have detail to guide my understanding of the universe. I no longer move blindly and unquestioning towards a dying light. I exist now in the bright light of the world. I have become my own form and I have my own uniqueness. I must now go back and tell the others. â–ˆ

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CLOSING NOTE

Pat the Undertaker

W

hen you think about it, the maintenance of our beloved parks is something we all benefit from, but often take for granted. There's a lot of hard work that takes place behind the scenes, which often it goes unrecognized. That said, when it comes to Shubie Park in Dartmouth, it's pretty hard not to notice Pat 'the Undertaker' Ferguson. For starters, he's a pretty big guy, very big actually, but it's his love for the park and all the people who use it, including the little critters, that really makes him stand out. He's a gentle giant with a very big heart, and he is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to building and maintaining parks.

Last edition of the magazine we did our cover feature on Rodney Habib and his social enterprise Planet Paws, which was a terrific story, but it was during our many visits with Rodney at Shubie Park that we came to realize that we'd stumbled upon another. Rodney took us through the park

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Article: Alexander Henden Photo: Riley Smith

many times, rarely speaking about himself, and always stopping to point out all the hard work that goes into making Shubie Park one of the province's greatest treasures. And the list is an impressive one.

For starters, there was all the excavation work, including the building of a dam, that was necessary due to the flooding that was caused by the construction at the nearby Dartmouth Crossing. You also have all the new bridges and gazebos, and this is all on top of the daily maintenance that takes place. And we shouldn't forget all the imaginative, and lovely ornamentary work, like the lost & found box designed as a replica of the old Finley House, and the many re-used stone pieces you see throughout the park. A lot of extra hours and a lot of extra love has gone into this park, and it shows.

Of course, there are other players who have contributed to the park as well, but we wanted to take the time to recognize one very special one. â–ˆ

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Plus cool stuff happening all week long!

1209 Marginal Road, Halifax (902) 492-4043 halifaxfarmersmarket.com

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