Local Connections Halifax - Summer 2014

LUCKETT VINEYARDS + SAUSAGE FEST GUIDE + GRAPE ESCAPES

page 46

Destination Lunenburg A three part, 8 page feature on one of Nova Scotia's greatest treasures.

Wine & Travel

A celebration of lifestyle and entrepreneurship in Nova Scotia.

Summer 2014

FARMERS' MARKETS OF NOVA SCOTIA MAP INSIDE

Make yourself at home at Harris East

Condos starting at $199,000 Visit our showroom at 2114 Gottingen Street.

902-404-3354 | sales@harriseast.ca | harriseast.ca

Contents Issue Number 10, Volume 3 - Summer 2014

8

Local Discoveries

A look at some amazing finds from last quarter.

18

Community Builders

Q & A with Keltie Butler and features on Jimmy Lefresne and David Hovell.

24

24

Cover Story

The story of Donna & Carl Sparkes and their passion for wine and business.

28

Nova Scotian Wine

Features on Luckett Vineyards, the Wolfville Magic Winery Bus, and Grape Escapes.

38

32

40

20 16

94

Destination Lunenburg

An 8 page, three part feature on one of Nova Scotia's greatest treasures.

53

Sausage Fest Guide

Our 24 page guide to a celebration of local food and people.

f LocalConnectionsHalifax l ConnectionsHFX

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3

The KiTchen Table season 3 EvEry Friday and Saturday Starting SEptEmbEr 2014

Reservations ratinaud.ca/thekitchentable

Editor's Message

It's That Time Again.

T

here's something so incredibly cool about being able to hop in the car and head off , in any direction, for a memorable day time road trip. All you need is a car (or someone with a car), some gas, and a few bucks for the day's activities. For me, this is one of the best perks of living in Halifax. Of course, for those with a greater sense of planning, there's more on tap than a simple day trip to the Annapolis Valley or Lunenburg. What awaits those willing to invest a little more of their time is a full weekend (or several weekdays) of fantastic Nova Scotian adventure.

So why not take advantage of this luxury?

Every year, people come from all over the world come to discover Nova Scotia, but as locals, we have the advantage. This is our home after all, and we each have an abundance of unfiltered access to information on what's going on in our bountiful province. To add to what's already available to you, we decided to dedicate an entire issue to Nova Scotia, furthering your available 'local travel' resources. This issue is not meant to be a tour guide per se, but instead what we're offering is some of the insights and story-telling which go beyond what the tourists have access to, and we think we've uncovered some of the best our region has to offer. In many cases, we've taken you behind the scenes and given you access to some of the best people and places we have here in Nova Scotia, but now it's up to you to continue the story.

In producing this ambitious 96 page issue, we actually did a fair bit of road-tripping ourselves. We travelled to a number of towns, all of which were an arm's throw away from Halifax, where we met the locals, tried their wines, tasted their food, shopped in their boutiques, and discovered a bit about their history and about what makes them tick. In many cases we visited these towns more than once, and now find ourselves with a greater understanding and appreciation for what we have, but we also find ourselves wanting more.

By the time this magazine hits the stands, we'll be just over three weeks away from Sausage Fest (August 14 - 24), which is an event series we started last year, and once again, it will be a showcase of the BEST our region has to offer. This year's program will be even bigger and better than last year, with 32 participants from Halifax, the Annapolis Valley, and Lunenburg. Our participating chefs and producers will once again amaze our palettes, and in some cases host pop-up events which deserve to be on everyone's to-do list this summer. We hope that you will be able to find some time to get away from your desks and join us for this grand celebration of local abundance.

Alexander Henden Editor in Chief

Contributors

LOLA AUGUSTINE BROWN

LIA RINALDO

RILEY SMITH

Our senior features writer. 19 years freelance experience including work for the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, Canadian Living, Canadian Family, Today's Parent, Fashion, and Flare.

Senior food writer, blogger, food enthusiast, and events veteran. One half of Devour! The Film Food Fest and our resident expert on all things delicious.

Chief photographer and world traveller.

Riley has photographed many a Coast cover, as well as all of ours. Our main man since day one.

SCOTT MACDONALD

KATHLEEN HIGGINS

PHIL OTTO

Toronto born, Nova Scotia raised.

Honours graduate from King's College, and freelancer for The Coast, Tidings, Visual Arts News, and Pink Noise. Our go-to A&E girl.

CEO and Senior Brand Strategist at Revolve Branding.

SIMON THIBAULT

LINDSAY BURNS

JORDAN WHITEHOUSE

Halifax-based journalist and writer. His work focuses on the culture and politics of food, as well as LGBTQ issues.

Small business consultant, marketing mind, travel enthusiast, local supporter, animal snuggler, food lover, optimist & proud Nova Scotian.

Freelance journalist and communications consultant who's work has been featured in such publications as Atlantic Business Magazine, Progress, Halifax Magazine and The Coast.

LAURA OAKLEY

TRACY PHILLIPPI

JESSIE HARROLD

Food and travel writer with a background in hospitality. Specializes in content marketing and social media management.

Craft beer writer, Certified Beer Judge, Ladies Beer League founder, Canadian Brewing Awards organizer, and home brewing dabbler. An all around crusader for local craft beer & lover of fine cheese!

Writer about all things food, birth, travel, parenting and adventure; blogger at www.purplehousecafe.com. Drinks an absurd amount of fancy coffee, rides a motorcycle, surfs, and attends births in her spare time.

Animation designer with over 12 years experience, full time animation designer at DHX Media Halifax, freelance illustrator, character designer, artist, animator, cartoonist, walker, cyclist and dog Owner.

RODNEY HABIB Award winning pet nutrition blogger, podcast/radio show host, magazine writer, local pet health shop owner, and more importantly, a pet parent and advocate.

CHRIS DEWAAL Entrepreneur, farmer, butcher, public speaker, and champion of not only “local food” but a “local mindset”.

EMILY FORREST Local enthusiast and owner of Local Tasting Tours. Playwright, performer, and producer of the Local Tasting Tours podcast on iTunes.

ALISON DELORY Alison Delory is author of Lunar Lifter, editor of Folia Montana magazine, freelance journalist, and writing instructor at Mount Saint Vincent University.

Local DISCOVERIES

THE

TAL E O F A

NOVA SCOTIA

The Tale of a Town

Hot, new local eatery in Wolfville

Back on May 18, 2014, a husband, wife, and toddler trio set out on a nationwide theatre and media initiative, visiting small towns and big cities across the country. The purpose of the three year tour is the preservation of main street culture across Canada, and the group is looking to achieve this through a mix live multimedia presentations, but also through collecting stories from people like you and me. The group has already visited Halifax twice, and if you'd like, you can connect with their collection of stories through their online storyportal.

thetaleofatown.com

Our friend, and winner of last year's Extreme Sausage Making Competition (Sausage Fest 2013), Steph Levac, recently opened a delightful cafĂŠ-style resto inside Gaspereau Valley Fibres on Main Street in Wolfville. While there's no shortage of great places to eat in town, Wool 'n Tart offers something much needed on the Wolfville food scene, and that's light fare at a reasonable price. On our last visit, we enjoyed a lovely bagel sandwich (Steph makes the bagels himself) with homemade soup, salad, and a can of blood orange San Pelligrino, all for around twelve bucks taxes in. Perfect portion for a nice afternoon lunch, and probably one of the best sandwiches we've ever had.

458 Main Street, Wolfville

Indochine downtown

Sweet spot opens on Grafton Street This July, our friends at Scanway Catering are opening the doors to their new storefront, artisinal bakery, patisserie, and cafĂŠ at 1567 Grafton Street.

scanwaycatering.com

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Shortly after the release of our "Halifax's BEST 25 Local Eateries" list (Spring 2014), one of 25 our winners, Indochine Banh Mi, opened its second location on Barrington Street downtown. This addition adds yet another layer to an emerging take-out scene downtown, with Mezza Lebanese Kitchen, Pete's To-Go-Go, Flip Burger, etc already in the mix. If you have yet to try Indochine, let this sentence be your cue.

indochine.ca

Cambodian flavours A new favourite of ours, which we recently discovered at the Alderney Landing Farmers' Market, is Saronn's Kitchen. If curry, coconuts, peanuts, fresh veggies, and rice wraps are your thing, may we suggest you make a visit.

The soups are delightful, while the wraps are probably the most refreshing thing to eat in all of Halifax. Of course, not being anchored down with heavy food, you are also left with room for some handmade donuts which are also available at the market in Alderney Landing. We recommend the chocolate Oreo ones.

L SaronnKitchen

The Return of FRED. After a brief hiatus, FRED. food has returned to full form, with some fresh updates of course. With the move of Statement Modern Furnishings (to Sunnyside Mall) earlier this summer, the old space is back, and we're just lovin' it!

fredstyle.ca

Local DISCOVERIES

PRESENTS

Brought to you by:

Saturday, August 16 Local food fun on the waterfront Alderney Landing Ferry Park from 9am to 6pm

On Saturday August 16, from 9am to 6pm, Local Connections Halifax is partnering with Select Nova Scotia, Alderney Landing, TELUS, Credit Union Atlantic, Pete's, Premium Nova Scotia Pork, O'Regan's Mini, and Downtown Dartmouth to bring you a free-to-attend family food event, right on the Halifax waterfront. Located at the recently renovated Alderney Landing Ferry Terminal, the day will feature a harbourside BBQ and local food feast, family picnic, a pop-up retail market, the Pete's Chef Cook-off (think Iron Chef), the Premium Nova Scotia Pork's Chef vs. Sausage (for sausage makers), live music, the TELUS kids' zone which includes a petting zoo, and much more. Being on a Saturday, the Alderney Landing Farmers' Market will also be open, so it's really set up to be a day-time experience of epic proportions.

Nova 7 goes west In a move to make its wine an official wine of summer from coast to coast, Benjamin Bridge began exporting the 2013 vintage of Nova 7 to liquor stores in most provinces. While it's nice to know we're sharing this gem with the rest of the country, it's also reassuring to know that you can still grab a bottle or two right here in Nova Scotia.

benjaminbridge.com

localconnections.ca/events

Fresh Meat at Highland Drive One of our favourite local butchers, Highland Drive Storehouse and Butchery in the Hydrostone, now has ownership. In a press release on July 7, our friends at Getaway Farm were announced as the new owners, and we're excited to watch them build on the solid foundation previous owner Jessi Gillis had built over the last two years. This move also extends Getaway's footprint, and we're excited by all the potential this move brings to the Hydrostone. In speaking with Chris DeWaal, who also writes for this magazine, they will be taking a slow, organic approach regarding any changes, respecting the talented staff, and valued customers who already frequent the place.

highlanddrive.ca

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Inside Lunenburg In late June, we did something we haven't done in a while, and signed ourselves up for the Lunenburg Walking Tour.

Normally dismissed as something 'for the tourists', we're super glad we made the time to go on the tour. The hour long excursion was full of amusing insights into the rich history of the town, and how our ancestors used to live, with a strong focus on Lunenburg's culture and architecture. There were even some things we found to be truly surprising, but we don't want to spoil if for you, so you'll just have to take the tour yourself.

In some ways it reminded us of Doors Open Halifax, and by the end of the tour we had burned off enough calories to justify having the Lunenburger with chips at the Grand Banker.

lunenburgwalkingtours.com

Free

MAINSTAGE PERFORMANCES FO R A L L AG E S

A Tribe Called Red, JP Cormier, Reeny Smith, Dinuk Wijeratne, The Sounds of Motown

AUG 21–24

ALDERNEY LANDING PrismaticFestival.com

Lunenburg Market If you happen to be going to Lunenburg on a Thursday, you won't want to miss visiting the Farmers' Market. It's also where most of the local chefs (like Martin Ruiz Salvador) do their shopping, and they shop there for good reason.

lunenburgfarmersmarket.ca

THE SPIRITS OF LUNENBURG HANDCRAFTED FROM NATURAL INGREDIENTS. ONE BATCH AT A TIME Ironworks is a micro-distillery located in the old port of Lunenburg on Nova Scotia’s historic South Shore.

We take our name from the 1893 heritage building we call home; a marine blacksmith’s shop that once produced high quality ironworks for the shipbuilding trade.

We cra our spirits today with the same love of traditional methods and a ention to detail.

Drop by to meet our amazing crew, admire our beautiful still & have a complimentary tasting.

LUNENBURG, NS 902.640.2424 IRONWORKSDISTILLERY.COM SPIRITS@IRONWORKSDISTILLERY.COM

The Pleasure ofCLocal Food hris DeWaal f getawayfarmbutchershops l meatmongers

H

ave you ever paused to consider just how lucky we are as eaters to be living in Nova Scotia? Consider the landscape before us. We are surrounded by fruit orchards, vegetable fields, berries of all kinds, pasture for livestock, wineries, maple trees, fantastic shellfish, enviable seafood, and of course our beloved lobster. Dig a little deeper and you will find a host of artisanal producers churning out the most amazing wines, beers, liquors, cheeses, breads, preserves, meats, and everything in between. We have at our fingertips a staggering array of incredible ingredients that would make any locally minded chef jealous. To be able to support our local economy, influence our food system, and encourage sustainable practices all the while eating such diverse, world-class food is a truly enviable position to be in.

All the more remarkable is the fact that this cornucopia of food is practically on our doorstep no matter where we live in the province. It is a simple thing to walk out our door and trace the path of our food right to its source. We can meet the people, see the places and watch the processes that are behind the food that end up on our plates. We have the incredible opportunity to engage our food like few can. Not only do we have the opportunity to eat like few can but we have the opportunity to know our food like few can. Wendell Berry has wisely said “The pleasure of eating should be an extensive pleasure, not that of the mere gourmet.” He is talking about the pleasure of truly knowing

our food, the joy and appreciation that comes from having a first-hand knowledge of all that is involved in the life of our food system. In Nova Scotia, farm-to-table isn’t simply a noble ideal but a reflection of the relationships we are able to develop.

This summer, as you plan your family day trips, your weekend getaways or your week-long staycation, consider taking a day or two to explore the incredible network of people and places that lie behind the amazing food that Nova Scotia produces. Plan a trip to a cheese house and experience the patience and craft

that is required to produce a fine cheese.

Take a tour of your favorite vegetable farm and gain a greater appreciation for the amount of time and labour required to get those spray-free carrots to your farmers’ market. Visit a U-Pick farm and spend some time getting to know the folks that have nurtured that soil before going home and making some of Grandma’s jam together. Knowing the people and places behind our food will open the door for us to enjoy the extensive pleasures of Nova Scotia’s cuisine, a pleasure that can elevate the enjoyment of a “mere gourmet” to something much deeper. █

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WHEN YOU ARE

READY

Houses

Condos

Urban

Flats

Rural

Recreational

JULESCHAMBERLAIN.CA

9028176007 AGENTIMMOBILIER/REALTOR 速

Traveling Close to Home Emily Forrest f localtastingtours l LocalTasteTrs

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love to travel. This spring I had a chance to visit Germany with my family, and it was an amazing trip, bursting with music, architecture and incredible dining experiences. Swiss roesti, seared pigeon breast, late-night currywurst: I was in heaven. I actually trace my ancestry back to early east coast German settlers (like many Maritimers), and it was neat making the connection between culinary traditions I grew up with (e.g., sour cream and cucumbers over potatoes) and German dishes I spotted on menus in the regions where they were first dreamed up.

Travelling is always a great adventure.

I think we’re particularly lucky here in Halifax because it’s fairly easy to get your wayfaring fix without having to venture far from home.

For instance, a quick way to step into a completely different landscape is to call up Laila North at Go North Tours and have her take you on a trip into lush Nova Scotia wine country. Sipping wine, tasting local food, drinking in the scenery and the history—what better way to spend a summer afternoon?

The added bonus is having someone else take care of the driving—and, of course, getting all the great inside local stories and buzz (rumour has it that if you happen to catch Pete Luckett onsite at Luckett Vineyards when you’re with Laila, you’ll get a raunchy rendition of the Eric Clapton song she’s named for, sung by the owner himself!).

Sometimes, for another quick change of scenery and a good, long, out-of-city breath, I’ll get Laila to speed me down to Peggy’s Cove and back for a morning

look at those crazy moonscape vistas and the volatile surf, which leave me breathless every time.

In Halifax, you can take a trip to another country while staying at home if you take in the incredible cultural festivals here every season. Greek, Lebanese, African, Italian, the Multicultural Festival— they’re a priceless chance to experience the food, music, dance, language and traditions of the myriad cultures which make up Halifax in 2014. I love talking with guests on our food tours about the sheer number of cuisines here in the city and how important each culture is to the Halifax food scene as a whole.

Checking out the festival food stands is like a tasting tour in itself. One of my very favourite things to do is stand and watch the ladies cooking the mana’ouch outside the tents at the Lebanese festivals.

Even the way they call the orders out to one another and work the line is like a dance: one sprinkling cheese, another, spices, another tossing the soft rounds of dough back and forth between her fingers, another rolling up the browned and crisped finished product at lightning

speed; it’s a beautiful thing to behold.

Just thinking of it now brings back the heady smell of olive oil and thyme.

I also had a chance to travel back in time a little bit during Doors Open Halifax this year. Looking down on the waterfront from the Dominion Building atrium, getting a mini organ recital at St. Paul’s church and examining the stained glass at City Hall were all firsts for me. A major highlight was a visit to the Africville Museum. The photos, history and even recorded voices of Africville residents in the exhibit were very moving, but most memorable was a spoken word performance by a young poet named El Jones. She brought her audience squarely back into the here and now with her words and her honest, clear vision of Halifax as she sees it today. That’s a trip I won’t forget for a while.

I guess I’ve learned that there’s more than one way to travel and have new adventures when you live in Halifax.

And it’s always nice to know you’re never too far away from everything you love about home. █

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Real Food for Real Pets Rodney Habib f PlanetPawsPetEssentials l PlanetPawsNS

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f you find yourself talking to other pet owners, whether at work, at a park or even online, one question usually comes up at some point: What do you feed your pet? In those same discussions you will hear at least one pet owner rave passionately about feeding their pet raw foods.

“Raw foods?” you may ask. “Like cutting up a dead cow and bagging it?”

Yes, as gross as that sounds, I get that question all the time.

Raw foods are live foods. No, it’s not live as in moving and breathing. It is live with the healthy enzymes and bioavailable nutrients that remain intact and are not destroyed by the cooking or rendering that canned or kibbled pet foods go through.

Raw pet foods are live or living fresh foods that have been uncooked.

They’re well researched by pet owners and made at home or purchased from retailers balanced and or bacteria-free for beginners.

Today's studies show that cooking not only destroys nutrients and enzymes, but also chemically changes these foods

into acid-forming toxins, free-radicals and poisons that can provoke long-term damage to our pets’ bodies.

According to Packaged Facts, the leading publisher of market research in the food division, the raw pet food market is growing so fast that it will double the growth of the “natural” pet food division (i.e. kibble, canned and dehydrated) in the next five years. Why is this happening?

Because raw food manufacturers are raising the bar on nutrition!

One of the main reasons most pet owners are making the switch (aside from health problems) is to take control of their pet’s diet. They want to be able to control each ingredient that goes into their pet’s body.

Now keep in mind this is a very short description as I have a word count restriction I have to meet!

Speaking of word count restrictions, my pal and editor-in-chief of this magazine, Alexander Henden, recently joined the raw pet food movement by switching his pet’s diet from processed foods to fresh foods.

Alex’s pride and joy is fur baby Makita

the dog! Anyone who knows Alex knows that his dog is his BFF. You can find Makita with him on all of his travels!

Not too long ago, Makita began experiencing problems that didn’t seem right to Alex. His dog didn’t have that bounce in his step and began soiling in the house. After several visits to the doctor, Alex came by to chat with me, and we talked about changing Makita’s diet by stepping it up nutritionally.

Within weeks, the dog, who might have been written off as old, turned back into his young self again. He became full of life, and there was no more soiling around the household!

You see, there is a reason why raw feeders are the most passionate pet owners on the planet. It is because they see firsthand the transformation in their pets when coming off of processed foods.

Talk to people who cut out processed foods from their diets and who started eating locally-sourced fresh foods, and they will tell you how much better they feel.

Thinking about changing your pet’s diet? Remember that if you want to make the switch, team up with a supporting veterinarian and raw food expert who can help you do it right.

Throwing a raw piece of liver in a pet’s bowl is not classified as feeding raw.

The most critical part of feeding raw correctly is balanced feeding! You can make a great thing go bad fast if you do it wrong.

In closing, you wonderful pet parents, you can never go wrong in life with exercising balance, variation and moderation! █

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Community BUILDERS

Q&A

by Alexander Henden

Keltie Butler - Farmers' Markets of NS As a recent impact study has highlighted, farmers' markets are important for our small rural communities, their economies, and for the revitalization of our agricultural sector, but for the average person, they're a way of reconnecting to the food we eat, and to have access to some of the freshest, most delicious food available.

How long have you been with Farmers' Markets of NS? I started at FMNS in the fall of 2011. I was hired to fill in for the Executive Director at the time during her six month maternity leave. One thing led to another .

What are some of the biggest things you've noticed during your time as Executive Director?

Growing up in Cape Breton, I have always had a strong sense of place. Having had the opportunity to explore many of Nova Scotia’s farmers’ markets, I now know that Cape Breton isn't exclusive in being a proud and unique region of our province. Nova Scotia is a province of communities and my favourite way to get to know a community is to explore its farmers’ market.

Where has all the new growth come from? Are we seeing a lot of young adults connecting with food?

Nova Scotian communities are hungry for greater access to locally grown food, for a meeting place and for communitybased commerce. We want to feel connected – connected to our food and to our neighbours. I think this is the driving force at the moment. As farmers’ markets grow and emerge, farmers, producers and other entrepreneurs continue to step up to the plate, the momentum will continue to build.

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In relation to how farmers' markets act as incubators for entrepreneurs, what are some of the most noteworthy success stories that come to mind?

It is the spectrum that simply knocks my sock off – the spectrum of individuals, businesses, products and stories within our farmers’ markets. Being from Cape Breton, I am sure to make the pilgrimage home a few times a year and on route I have a number of favourite spots including the Antigonish Farmers’ Market. I cannot resist stopping in for handmade chocolate truffles made

by Carly Mayhew-Gallant, a 15 year old local high school student. If you are from the Yarmouth area, or if you do your shopping at Pete's from time to time, you likely know Chef Gary Kent or, should I say, you likely know his product line, Vincent Dressings.

Two years ago, Gary began selling his dressings at the Yarmouth Farmers’ Market. They were, of course, a big hit and he was encouraged by his fans (aka customers) to expand to sell across the province. Vincent Dressings are now available at stores across Nova Scotia as well as the Yarmouth Farmers’ Market. While starting a business is never easy, launching a business at a farmers’ market drastically cuts down on overhead costs and needs while guaranteeing a captive audience.

Great Music, Warm Hospitality Sunday, 21 Sept 2014

2:00pm at Lillian Piercy Concert Hall

Suzanne Lemieux (oboe) and Carl Philippe Gionet (piano) Our Musician in Residence opens our season with a program of her favorite sonatas and arias for the oboe.

Sunday, 5 Oct 2014

2:00pm at Lillian Piercy Concert Hall

Andrew Pickett (counter-tenor) and Simon Docking (piano) Noted Halifax counter-tenor Andrew Pickett presents music for the high male voice from the Middle Ages to the 21st Century.

What are your 5 favourite things to eat from across all the farmers' markets?

Wow, talk about a hard question! Okay well be warned that you will be hungry after reading this... There are so many fantastic bakers based at farmers’ markets – Hilltop Cottage Farm scones at the Yarmouth Farmers’ Market, bread from Julien’s Bakery at the Hubbard’s Market (and many others), the glutenfree brownie from Slow Dough at the Wolfville Farmers’ Market. Okay, so that’s one. Fresh veggies tended with care from the fantastic farmers selling at markets across the province. (Local carrots, apples and eggs are three things I will never compromise on – the taste will convince you I promise!)

I like to treat myself to locally grown cut flowers as well from spots like the Humble Burdock Farm at the Historic Farmers’ Market (Keith’s Brewery Building, Halifax). I love unique jams and jellies – things are beyond my kitchen skills such as Ma Bell’s Country Condiments at the Lunenburg Farmers’ Market and Farm Girl Preserves at the Kentville Farmers’ Market. Last but not least, Roselane Farm’s (Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market) double smoked bacon – first recommended to me by Editor-inChief Alexander Henden in fact.

Check out page 46 for a full map of Certified Farmers' Markets.

Sunday, 2 Nov 2014

2:00pm at Lillian Piercy Concert Hall

Fandango Guitar Quartet Jeunesses Musicales presents this young and dynamic guitar quartet whose repertoire runs from Vivaldi to Paul Simon.

Saturday, 29 Nov 2014

3:00pm at Lillian Piercy Concert Hall

Donizetti’s Opera “Don Pasquale” The Jeunesses Musicales touring production of the popular 19th century comic opera.

Sunday, 14 Dec 2014 3:00pm at Bethany United

Seton Choir’s Seton’s Greetings One of Halifax’s most popular choirs joins Cecilia Concerts to present music of the Christmas season.

2014 - 2015 TICKET PRICES Regular : $25 Senior : $20 Student : $10

6199 Chebucto, Halifax, NS B3L 1K7 (902) 423-0143 · ceciliaconcerts.ca

L CeciliaConcerts f ceciliaconcerts

Community BUILDERS

James LeFresne Article: Lola Augustine Brown · Photo: Riley Smith

Charismatic inn-keeper who's been pushing Tatamagouche’s tourism industry forward for the past four decades.

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W

hen the passenger train stopped running through Tatamagouche in 1970, the lovely old station started to decay and was set to be demolished. James LeFresne, who spent his childhood playing in the boxcars and all around the station, couldn’t bear the thought of it being destroyed. So, at the tender age of 18, he bought the place for $500. It was a decade before he could start working on it, and in the years before he was able to open it as an inn, he started the Tatamagouche Farmers’ Market on the property. Finally, in 1989, he started welcoming guests. Since then, LeFresne has been involved in numerous

projects that have helped Tatamagouche become a viable tourist destination, and he’s gained a reputation as the man to go to if you want something done in the town. Not that he’d ever admit it.

“I guess I’ve always had a vision for the place, and I’m passionate about it, but there are more people here than just me,” he says. “I might be the one that is in the news, but there are other people that have such a passion and work the ropes behind the scenes to make things happen.” He does concede, however, that there always needs to be someone in the forefront, and he does enjoy that. If you’ve ever been to the Train Station Inn and seen LeFresne

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there in full station master garb, you’ll know that he is a bit of a showman who obviously gets a kick out of letting the entertainer inside shine through.

“There are people that do a far better job than I’ve been doing,” he says.

“They’re just not comfortable having their picture taken.”

In his time as a mover and a shaker, LeFresne has worn many hats besides the stationmaster one (which suits him very well, by the way). He has been president of the Chamber of Commerce, produced the local tourist guide and represented the area at tourism trade shows in the US, consulted on the Creamery Square development, and

been a municipal councilor. You could say that he loves a challenge and is always looking to help others in the area succeed the way that he has.

His work has really helped raise the profile of Tatamagouche as a tourism destination in many ways. LeFresne says that Tatamagouche was historically a tourism hotspot, with lots of cottages, several guest houses and campgrounds, but when the Trans-Canada Highway opened in 1958, the area suffered greatly. “The Balmoral Motel opened in 1967, which was the start of another era, and a new wave of visitors came, and all of a sudden there was a need for accommodations,” he says. He opened a bed and breakfast in his home, found out that he loved acting as host, and went on to renovate the station. This naturally led to him wanting to get the town more exposure.

In 2008, LeFresne was approached by a production company about the possibility of using Tatamagouche for the show The Week the Women Left. “I became the liaison between the community and the TV company,” he says. “And although some people thought it would be a terrible thing and could not see any benefit at all to us going down that road, in reality it was exactly what our community needed, and I just knew the economic impact that it would have.” The show had an immediate impact and led to the rather lovely Patterson Wharf being built during filming, but it’s had long-lasting effects on tourism and the profile of the area

as well. “It’s okay to laugh at yourself a little bit, and the show portrayed the area very positively,” he says.

This year, LeFresne celebrates the 25th anniversary of having guests stay at his beloved Train Station Inn, but he shows no signs of slowing down his efforts to keep raising Tatamagouche’s profile.

He is excited at the possibility of a road-train (a motorized buggy that looks like a train with carriages) coming to town that would take people from one tourist destination to the other.

“Tatamagouche really is ideal for that,” he says. “People would come here just

to ride the train, and when they do that, they’ll buy ice creams and pop and spend money in the area. It could also be wonderful for senior citizens in the area; they can get on it and do their shopping—it could double as a local transportation system, which we don’t have right now.” Not everyone in town is onboard (no pun intended). “A lot of people can’t get their head around that, but with the right planning, it could work great.”

LeFresne has been right so many times, you can’t help thinking he’s right on this one, too. █

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Community BUILDERS

David Hovell Article: Jordan Whitehouse · Photo: Riley Smith

Wolfville is bucking the population drain trend better than any other small community in Nova Scotia. The executive director of the Wolfville Business Development Commission tells us how they’re doing it.

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t’s no secret that small towns across Nova Scotia are struggling to attract more people and pay the bills these days. But if you head to where the Minas Basin meets the Cornwallis River, you’ll find one town that’s actually growing—and in a big way. From 2006 to 2013, Wolfville had a 14% increase in population, and according to David Hovell, the executive director of the Wolfville Business Development Commission (WBDC), for every business that leaves the town’s main streets right now, there are two waiting to take its place.

The reasons for Wolfville’s boom are many—Acadia University and a rich food and wine industry to name just two—but one reason that doesn’t usually get mentioned is Hovell himself.

After having a lengthy conversation with him recently, it’s clear he’d never actually credit himself directly with

any of the town’s success, yet what is clear after talking to him and seeing his work is that he and his team know how to get the word out about Wolfville.

“We like to be loud and proud in everything we do,” says Hovell, who became the WBDC’s first executive director in 2011, “and I don’t mean to be boastful when I say that, but Wolfville has a lot of wonderful things going for it. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished and we want to share our story.”

As a lifelong resident of Port Williams with ties to the local agricultural sector (he established a John Deere dealership that now has 12 locations across the Maritimes), government (he served as director of the government caucus under premiers Hamm and MacDonald) and the Wolfville community (he’s been actively involved with 4-H and many other community

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groups), Hovell knows that story well.

And in terms of why Wolfville continues to grow, that story has a lot to do with lifestyle, he says. “The amenities and services available here to those who are retiring or raising a young family are top notch. We have a community where education is a big part of everything we do, which is strongly influenced by Acadia, but we have a very engaged elementary and middle school community with active volunteers, too. And from now until September, there’s not a night a week without some cultural activity.”

And, of course, there’s the wine industry.

With seven wineries surrounding the town, Wolfville has become a hotbed for wine lovers around the world and a prime location for entrepreneurs looking to tap into the spin-off market. One big way the WBDC is trying to keep the wine

WOLFVILLE MILESTONES 2012 – 2014 WBDC becomes the recognized voice of enterprise in Wolfville and promotes Wolfville as an experiential destination

2011 – 2014 Wolfville experiences, year over year growth, in the number of new businesses opening in Wolfville

2014 Canadian Tourism Commission recognizes the Wolfville Magic Winery Bus as one of the top 10 Nova Scotia experiences

2013 WBDC develops new strategic plan to lead it to 2016

2012 WBDC launches the inaugural season of the Wolfville Magic Winery Bus

2012 flowing in the area is through its famous Wolfville Magic Winery Bus tours, a joint venture with the Town of Wolfville that takes visitors on tours of three or four nearby wineries in a pink double-decker bus. Last year, 3,900 people hopped onboard, and 20% of them stayed overnight. Hovell estimates that their economic impact is about a half million dollars per year.

As for the future, Hovell and the WBDC remain focussed on creating these types of connections between the business community, visitors and those looking to keep the population rising in Wolfville. “Moving forward, that’s one of the most valuable things the WBDC can be—a connector,” says Hovell. “We’re connecting people and ideas, we’re connecting entrepreneurs with opportunity. We’ve had some success recently and now we want to keep that going.” █

BDC and Town of Wolfville declare Wolfville as “the premier culinary and wine destination in Atlantic Canada”

5883 spring garden road | saege.ca

Local Connections Magazine Summer 2014 – 1/6 page (vertical) 2.25" × 4.875"

2012 WBDC partners with Town of Wolfville to research, create and launch a new brand for Wolfville

2011 WBDC hires its first full time Executive Director

2009 WBDC partners with Town, ACOA and Main Street property owners with Merchant Façade Improvement Program

1982 WBDC Incorporated to serve the business interests of Wolfville

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Cover STORY

Donna & Carl Sparkes Article: Lola Augustine Brown · Photo: Riley Smith

From grapes to world domination - pushing Nova Scotia wines higher

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ova Scotia wineries produce incredibly good wines. You may not know this the first time you order a glass when sitting on a sun-soaked patio downtown or when you pick up a bottle on a whim at the NSLC, but from those first few sips you realize that we are, happily, producing world-class wines right here in our home province. Jost Vineyards is our fine province’s largest and oldest wine producer, and owners Donna and Carl Sparkes believe that our amazing wines deserve more room on the world stage. And they are working hard to make that happen.

You can already buy Nova Scotian wines in other provinces, and there’s a trickle that goes abroad, but that isn’t enough.

“There’s great wine across Canada, and the government needs to do more to ensure that Canada is recognized as a wine country and bring that into our brand,” says Carl. “There’s a lot of progress to be made.” We have a product that is on par with that produced in other new world wine countries such as New Zealand, and really we should be capitalizing on that. “We always hear about how Nova Scotia needs to attract more tech or other industries, but there is so much potential here already in the export of our existing natural resources, such as wine.”

What makes Nova Scotian wine different than wines across the rest of Canada are the common traits shared between products here. “The beauty of the industry where we are is that we have a very clear style as driven by our climate and capabilities,” says Carl, “whereas in places like Ontario there is no actual Ontario style of wine; they try to emulate Californian wines and other styles that don’t always work that well. In terms of improving and creating a style, we’re closer to that here than in any other place in Canada.”

The Tidal Bay Appellation is an initiative launched in June 2012 that encourages growers and winemakers to create a signature product with unique characteristics that make it stand out as a recognizable Nova Scotian white wine. Ten wineries across the province joined in to follow specific rules (Nova Scotian grapes only, specific varieties, blind taste testing) and create crisp whites that all carry the Tidal Bay name on the bottle. It is this kind of organized effort that will help push Nova Scotian wines higher and something the Sparkes are proud supporters of. Carl is the only Nova Scotian vineyard owner to sit on the board of the Canadian Vintners Association, and he says this is another way he is beating the drum for the industry here.

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Cover STORY

Newbies taking control Surprisingly, Carl and Donna Sparkes are new to all of this.

They set up Devonian Coast Wineries in 2011 and set out to acquire a portfolio of wineries in Nova Scotia. Their first purchase was Jost in 2012, which they bought from Hans Christian Jost, who set up the winery with his father more than 30 years ago. Jost came packaged with boutique winery Gaspereau, and they bought Muir Murray Estate Winery last September (it has since been renamed Mercator). The Sparkes’ desire to become vineyard owners comes from a deep passion for wine, and this just happened to mesh brilliantly with the kind of challenge that Carl was looking for in a business.

“In 1989 we toured France and visited many wineries, and we fell in love with the culture of the wineries and the vineyards,” says Donna. “When we left, Carl said, ‘We’re going to own a winery someday,’ and I loved the idea.” Carl was in the food industry for many years, running divisions of Canada Bread, Olivieri pasta and most recently Bento Sushi.

This meant they spent years living in Ontario, but their roots have always been in the Maritimes. Both Carl and Donna are from Newfoundland, and they’ve lived partly in Nova Scotia for 28 years (they have a house in St. Margaret’s Bay), but they were looking to be here permanently. “Carl started looking at businesses to buy and found this, and we love it,” says Donna.

She admits to loving the romance of the industry, but says it isn’t all as advertised in movies like Under the Tuscan Sun and A Good Year. “It’s a lot of work,” she says. “We hit the ground running and we haven’t stopped.”

Jost was already a very successful operation when the Sparkes bought it. “That was certainly part of the allure,” says Donna. “We didn’t just want a boutique winery, we wanted a successful business. We just knew that with Carl’s years of experience in business, we could take it to another level.” The winery is a major employer in the area, with up to 75 staff depending on the time of year, and more than 40 different wines are produced (many of which have won multiple awards).

Carl says that they are benefitting greatly from the groundwork done by the wine innovators in the province, which includes the former owners of Jost. “We’re really fortunate to be coming into an industry that already has some momentum,” says Carl. “I could not have done what those people have done, but I can take it from this point.”

The Nova Scotia wine industry appealed to Carl for a number of reasons. “In terms of being a food and consumer goods marketer, the wine industry here is the pinnacle for me,” he says. “I’ve never come across an opportunity that has so many dimensions and so many intrinsic rewards associated with it. To be able to take something like this is as good as it gets. To be creating this beautiful wine that is an emotional product with mass appeal, I can’t imagine any business venture in the world that comes close to this.”

Others in the industry, including those who were already working at Jost, are also a strong motivator for Carl. “I’ve worked with so many businesses where the hard part is finding a spark to reignite interest, but in this business there are no jaded people. The people that work here are as equally excited about the product as we owners are. That’s extremely rare in the business world, so I get inspiration from them.

The fact that they are so engaged and proud about what they are doing puts the challenge back on you not to disappoint them. That’s a very symbiotic relationship, and one you don’t naturally find everywhere.”

Stepping it up The Sparkes first step as new owners was to bring in talent from outside the province in order to breathe new life into their winemaking processes. “The learning curve had flattened out here in this region when it came to viticulture and winemaking,” explains Carl, “so in the first few months of buying Jost we brought in a Swiss winemaker, and he had fresh and more advanced winemaking techniques. He was here for a couple of vintages and really helped take our practices up a notch in the vineyard and the cellar.”

Their very popular new wine, Selkie, a crisp frizzante, was developed as a result of bringing in that winemaker. “He was going through the vineyards saying, ‘You know these grapes are so delicious, I could see them going in something else,’” says Donna. “Up until that point we’d been blending them in with our regular brands. We said sure, and it turned out fantastic.”

Launching the Selkie at The Carleton this year was a thrill, and the event was made extra special when the couple’s good friend Bruce Guthrow offered to sing a couple of songs; it turned out he’d written a song, “Selkie Girl,” to celebrate the occasion. The Selkie gets its name from Celtic mythology, where the selkie is a seal that comes onto land, sheds its skin and becomes a darkhaired seductress; or she can also get stuck in a fisherman’s net and become his slave. The names fits, explains Donna. “We love it so much because of the transformation from our poor little grapes that nobody realized what they could be, just like the seal turning into a seductress.”

Though good work was done in those first two years, the Sparkes realized that in order to push the profile of the wines in all three vineyards higher, they were going to need to bring in the big guns. That’s where newly arrived and very charming English import Jonathan Rodwell comes in. Rodwell studied at UC Davis in California and worked with Robert Mondavi, who was instrumental in bringing worldwide recognition to Napa as a wine region. He has been in Tuscany for 17 years and consulted with the Russian and Croatian governments on how to improve their wine industries. “He has a rare talent, and we are very lucky to have him here,” says Carl. “He is a great mentor, and people just respond to him so well. He brings the perfect balance of great management skills with that wealth of experience and

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Cover STORY great talent in viticulture and winemaking. Plus, Jonathan is here because he sees the potential in Nova Scotian wine.”

Donna and Carl’s plan to take Jost to another level isn’t just about the wine that they ship out of the vineyard, but also about operations on the premises. They are just finishing major renovations that have resulted in a huge and beautiful newly-designed tasting room and wine store, complete with gorgeous patio where you can sit looking out over the vines with a glass of wine and selection of locally sourced meats and cheeses from their brand new deli. There’s also a classy private dining and tasting room on the second level with a full kitchen.

The craftsman who oversaw renovations incorporated wood from a couple of 100-year-old barrels that had been sitting in pieces in a barn on premises, and the effect is just gorgeous.

At some point, Donna wants to add walking trails and picnic areas, further adding to the joyful experience when people take the time to drive out and visit the winery.

Renovations are also underway at Gaspereau, which got a liquor license last year so that visitors can enjoy a glass of wine with a charcuterie board on the patio there, too. At Mercator, they are letting the winery rest for now, working on getting the vines into the best state possible (because, of course, everything starts with the grapes).

Brighter futures

Moving forward, Donna and Carl are going to keep pushing Nova Scotian wines in front of every nose that they can. In the past year they’ve poured at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and were the first ever Canadians to have a booth at the Prowein, the International Trade Fair for Wines and Spirits, in Germany.

“People were coming by and looking at us and saying, ‘You have wine in Canada?” Let alone wine in Nova Scotia,” says Donna. After attending, there are now importers working to bring the wines into Germany and the UK. This November they’ll be heading to Prowein in China, and are looking forward to expanding their reach into the Asian market.

Though funnily enough, you likely have more luck securing a bottle of their wine in China than you would in say Manitoba.

This is because a Chinese couple who studied at St Mary’s fell in love with Jost wine and started a business shipping the wine to their home country. “We’ve even started creating a few custom blends for them, and last year they opened the 9000 square feet Jost Clubhouse, that only serves Jost wine, in Suzhou. We’re going to stop there before going to the expo,” says Donna.

The growth at Jost continues, and the only impediment that they have to moving more of their wine is that the supply of grapes cannot keep up with demand. “We have 70 acres, and we haven’t got enough grapes. We also have 70 acres in Gaspereau, and growers all across the province. There’s no limits to what we could use,” says Donna. “We’re planting more vines every year and recruiting growers across the province. We have a long way to go, but there’s so much potential. The conditions here are perfect for growing grapes, and for creating a world-class wine industry.” █

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Food + DRINK

Luckett Vineyards I

Article: Lia Rinaldo · Photos: Riley Smith

Fabulous wine, food, and view of the Annapolis Valley

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’m going to describe a feeling I get every time I drive to the valley. I am sure anyone who travels this route will understand what I am talking about, and there’s probably even a precious few who have only seen it once or twice and still experience this. You’re driving along Highway 101, aptly named the “Harvest Highway,” and just before Exit 9, you pass under the West Brooklyn Road overpass and all is revealed in one moment before you … the view. Behold the Gaspereau Valley, Annapolis Valley, Wolfville, the Minas Basin as it meets the Bay of Fundy and Cape Blomidon in the far distance. I draw in my breath every single time, but it’s more than that. I actually had to look it up; it’s what is referred to as a “stuttering inhalation,” when your breath is dropped and recovered in repeated excitement, kind of like that big gasp you take after sobbing.

So, why not take that very view, immortalize it and frame it in floor-to-ceiling angled glass? Then step back from those windows and build a long granite wine tasting bar where you can lean, sip and continue to sigh over that view?

“Everyone who looks out those slanted glass windows thinks they’re in an exotic part of the world, like Tuscany,” says Pete Luckett, “but they’re actually right here in Nova Scotia.” It is a spectacular view; I would dare say one of the

best in our province.

Pete Luckett is an iconic character. He makes stuff happen.

Everyone has an opinion, I’m sure, but you can’t deny how he changed the face of grocery retail and, more specifically, how we look at fresh produce at Pete’s Frootique. Pushing the boundaries all those years ago, he was instrumental in changing shopping legislation for Nova Scotia. Not afraid of hard work and always throwing himself into every aspect of his businesses, he was stocking the shelves in the beginning, and I’ll be damned if he still isn’t stocking the shelves every single time I see him, only this time it’s bottles of wine in the new tasting room and shop at Luckett Vineyards.

There’s a tide of change around here, rolling in like the Bay of Fundy. A significantly renovated space and a strong core team, which Pete says is made up of his business family and family family, have him surrounded in this special new place. New offices, new bathrooms, new kitchen, new chef, new tasting and retail space, and an amped up Crush Pad Bistro with the cutest peaked tents. Not to mention, a very happy winemaker with three shiny new floor-to-ceiling tank additions—Larry, Curly and Moe. “There’s two things about having family involved in the business,” Pete says. “Number one is a great level of trust

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and comfort. And number two, customers love dealing with family. It’s an image second to none.”

Pete goes on to fill in a bit of the family picture, explaining how people love booking events knowing they are talking to his daughter Geena Luckett. When his other daughter Sophia works the tasting bar, she has, as he puts it, “more BS than dad.” Everyone references his wife Sue as the backbone, keeping everyone on the straight and narrow, deftly navigating the fine line between business, family and home.

An avid gardener and cook in her own right, she wields her influence for good mostly in the private dining events realm.

At the height of summer season, other family members join in the fun; his sister Barb drops in for an extended stay, and Pete quips that she brings good looks and maturity to the whole equation. He also marvels at her ability to assess and engage a customer in less than 30 seconds. I suspect this is a Luckett family trait across the board; I’ve certainly witnessed as much. This goes for the core team as well—Office Manager Kim Hatcher, who’s been busting my balls for years over the internet, along with Restaurant Manager Nicole Greene, Vineyard Manager Marcel Kolb and one of the more recent additions to the winery staff, Events Manager Geena Luckett.

Don’t get the wrong idea here; Geena is by no means new to the family business. She’s been around it since she was legal, working every aspect of her father’s businesses through high school and university with her heart set squarely on the winery.

When she was completing her Bachelor of Management at Dalhousie University, she was quite taken with a course called “Managing the Family Enterprise” and particular advice that rang true for her: go work somewhere else before going home.

She did just that, managing a shop after graduation, and the moment the position became available she jumped right in.

With a passion and enthusiasm for the industry, she’s in the right place. It’s clear she’s ready to put her own mark on the wine experiences on offer.

Luckett Vineyards is entering its fourth official season under the direction of Executive Winemaker Mike Mainguy, who spent his formative years in the Niagara region before making Nova Scotia his home. There is a unique terroir here on this fertile hillside facing the ocean with all of that valley sunshine. There are over 20 wines on offer this year, from the classics—L’Acadie and their best vintage of Tidal Bay yet— to the limited edition Buried Red and the newer full-bodied Black Cab to ice wines and ciders to ports. They’ve upped their game in terms of quantities, have hit their stride with small lots and reserves, and can offer limited premium tastings.

And how about the food, you ask? Enter valley born-andraised Chef Richard Harmes. He recently took up the reins in the kitchen in mid-April, just in time for the season. Working his way through kitchens in Halifax, the south shore and all over the valley (Old Orchard Inn, King’s Arms) since he was about 16, his last job had him cooking at a 1200-man camp in northern Alberta. It’s been years since he worked in the area, but with his third kid on the way and itching to get back home, the job at Luckett’s was simply too good to pass up. He’s been LOCA L CO NNECTIO NS HA L IFAX | Su mm er 201 4

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Food + DRINK flexing his wings in the new kitchen digs, and with an arsenal of incredible ingredients at his fingertips through Pete’s resources, he has shuffled up lunches and has just introduced their first dinner menu.

“It’s gourmet dining in a bistro, patio setting,” says Pete. “The scene has changed dramatically here since Richard was last in it, but he’s adapting well to our unique environment at the winery.” The only other winery with a restaurant in the region is Le Caveau at Grand Pré Winery, headed up by Chef Jason Lynch. Ironically, he and Richard have worked on a number of restaurant projects together over the years, and Jason tipped him off about the job opening.

Working closely with the kitchen crew and collaborating with Pete and Sue, lunch is now offered from 11 am to 4 pm 7 days a week out in the open air on the Crush Pad Bistro from May to October. And as of this month, dinner will be served on Friday and Saturdays until 8 pm. For special occasions, they have the private Barrel Cellar for 12 to just over 20 people available with personalized 3-, 5- or 7-course tasting menus paired with their wines.

The bistro has already established itself as a much sought-

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after summer lunch spot serving up cheese, charcuterie boards, and a selection of salads and sandwiches, including the staff’s standing favourite, The Churchill with Atlantic beef and That Dutchman’s Dragon’s Breath dijonaise (though apparently there’s a contender on the new menu: a blackened chicken panini with brie and aioli). Expect to see even more seafood worked into the menu in the future as Chef Richard’s favourite thing to experiment with is fresh fish, especially halibut. I will certainly vouch for The Churchill, and I managed to try a few other delicious items, including their kale and quinoa salad, a lobster cake with roasted artichoke aioli and onion relish, and a bite of one of their seasonal tarts. And surprisingly this may be the only Nova Scotia winery where you can order a local beer, too. What?!

Hot tip: when you’re standing in the tasting room, you’ll notice bowls of distinctive green Bravo Spanish olives, or chupadedos. Do yourself a serious favour and try one. I promise you’ll become absolutely addicted to them. They are available in town at Pete’s locations, but what’s an olive without a view?

Still a very good olive. Just make the trip already.

Geena says that with the renovations done and everyone

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settling into the new space, their focus is now shifting to special events and rentals. There’s no shortage of things to look forward to in the next few months: Pete’s Paella Party, Tidal Bay Seafood Festival, Sausage Fest, Swing Under the Stars, Cheese Fest and their Harvest Corn Boil & BBQ. Honey, your grapes are calling. You just can’t be in this place and not reference the classic British red phone box situated in the vineyard facing the winery; it’s like a little welcoming beacon. Here in Nova Scotia, we’ve seen this image splashed across tourism campaigns, and rightly so; the thing just begs for a picture. What makes this even cooler is that you can call anywhere in North America for free. There are some regulars, staff included, who you can see trail down on breaks or on their way home. People have even been spotted early in the morning in the dead of winter making calls. There’s something sweet about removing yourself from the reliance of your own phone—and social media in general—and just chatting old school with that view.

Luckett Vineyards is officially a destination, and the destination is calling you. █

Our certified organic ROSÉ is dry, refreshing, with bright berry and tropical fruit flavours, hints of cherry, cranberry and raspberry with a creamy finish.

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We know what we will be drinking this summer.” Jimmy and Mia Rankin Available at select NSLC stores, Bishop’s Cellar and at our winery in the Gaspereau Valley.

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Wine & TRAVEL

Nova Scotia Wine Tours Article & Photos: Lia Rinaldo

A great way to spend the day in the Annapolis Valley

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am ashamed to say that it has taken me almost three seasons to get on the bus—a Grape Escapes Wine Tour bus, that is. It hasn’t been for a lack of trying. I always envisioned doing it with a pack of old girlfriends, but because of scheduling and distance issues, it just hasn’t come to pass yet. On the flip side, I’ve had the great pleasure to work with Grape Escapes owner Susan Downey through my event, Devour! The Food Film Fest, when we hired her to facilitate our tasting tours. But again, when you’re organizing an event, you’re certainly not attending your own tours; you’re the one driving to beat the bus, dropping off whatever the next location has run out of. True story.

On this particular Friday afternoon, it’s a mixed group for a five-hour “Afternoon Escape with Cheese” tour. I joined in on a party of two from Edmonton, which included the tenth strongest man in western Canada (and yes, we dared him to pick up stuff along the way). He and his wife were just finishing off a well-rounded beverage tour of Nova Scotia, hitting up spirits first, followed by craft beers and finishing with this very wine excursion to the valley. There was also a party of eight from Lower Sackville, a family celebrating the return of their freshly married son and his bride from Calgary. After an afternoon of watching them interact, I must say that a family who drinks wine together stays together.

There’s something kind of wonderful about the ebb and flow of a tour like this, from the quiet start to the boisterous finish.

The only thing I can liken it to is an airplane ride, where you start out with simple courtesies and a bit of casual conversation with the person in the seat beside you and end the flight with conversations erupting loudly all around you.

Susan prefaces the tour: “I like drinking wine, but I won’t be drinking any today as your guide.” Laughter abounds. As we

drive down the Harvest Highway, she brings us up to speed on the relatively short history of winemaking in Nova Scotia. From the failed start with the first French settlers in the 1600s who battled our tough, new-to-them climate with their European varietals to the first relative success in the eighties at the hands of the purported father of Nova Scotia wine, Roger Dial, the original vintner and owner of Grand Pré Winery. Ultimately, his experimentation led to our first signature grape, L’Acadie Blanc.

Today we have 17 wineries (depending on who you ask), with 650 acres of grapes, 40 to 50 grape growers and our first official appellation, Tidal Bay. We excel at whites and sparkling. Susan promises that by the end of the tour, each of us will find at least one wine that appeals to us. And that we did, as our crowd filled the back of the bus with cases.

We hit up three wineries: L’Acadie Vineyards (the first certified organic winery in Nova Scotia and the award-winning producers of traditional method sparkling wine), Gaspereau Vineyards (sister winery to Jost Vineyards and the 16th best winery in Canada according to Wine Access magazine) and Luckett Vineyards (with a massive new renovation and the best view). Wineries on these tours are scheduled based on their availability and timing. This is a particularly good cross-section and showcase for what’s happening in Nova Scotia. In each location, we are met by enthusiastic staff and guided through generous tastings, including our finish with the exuberant Pete Luckett himself, who took the piss out of every person on the tour within moments.

Gaspereau Vineyards turned into our longest tasting because we lingered outside in the sun over local cheese plates featuring fresh fruit (including the first blush of local strawberries) and cheeses from That Dutchman’s Cheese Farm, Fox Hill Cheese House, the new Blue Harbour Cheese and a guest appearance

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from PEI’s Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar. Cheese is coming into its own here in Nova Scotia, much like our wines.

These tours are yet another Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development (CEED) success story; some of Nova Scotia’s most exciting food, wine and tourism businesses have received training, support and funding from their programs. It might surprise you who’s on the list—from Brooklyn Warehouse to some of your favourite food trucks.

Susan worked at Premiere Wine & Spirits through university, organizing tastings and developing a healthy excitement for what was happening in our own backyard. After a fair amount of travel, she would often find herself seeking out small-scale wine tours in other parts of the world—Australia and New Zealand, and Niagara and Prince Edward County back in Canada. She started to see a gap, as these experiential tours appeared to be working everywhere else.

When Susan and her now-husband Mike started their seasonal business about three years ago, they stepped in at just the right time as they have been able to grow along with the industry. A teacher by trade with one foot still in the substitute teacher door in the off-season, Susan says this has become a large commitment complete with three part-time staff and their first full-time co-op student, Della, through the Nova Scotia Community College’s tourism program.

In the first season, they struck a deal to put no money in, so at least it would only be a waste of time if it didn’t all pan out. They operated a business without a storefront or a vehicle and a sole reliance on social media for marketing, not to mention continued support from CEED. They were pleasantly surprised to book 70 tours in year one, followed by a staggering 170 tours in year two.

They’ve seen a shift in visitors as well—from all locals to a 50/50 ratio of locals and tourists in just two seasons.

At the start of year three, business continues to thrive. They recently purchased a 22-seat bus and have just launched a second initiative, Taste Halifax, which offers tours of the best of beer, food and wine destinations in and around Halifax.

They’ve also increased from operating five days a week to seven between May and November, offering up to four different daily curated tours, including cheese tastings and meals around

the Annapolis Valley. Private tours are offered all year long to other parts of the province or are themed for bachelorettes, conferences or corporate team-building. You can build your own tour any time.

Nova Scotia isn’t known worldwide for its wine just yet.

Susan admits her favourite tours are about discovery and winning over any snob, especially one from Ontario. She’s down to earth, has strong pride in place and is clearly excited to show it to people. “There is just something so awesome about Nova Scotia,” she says.

If we already have a father of wine, she could very well take the title of Nova Scotia’s wine darling. █

1567 Grafton Street • 425-0683 scanwaycatering.com

Tara MacDonald, Halifax co-owner, two if by sea café

Here’s to starting a café that brought new life to a city.

Here’s to making it in Nova Scotia!

Introducing Selkie, a Nova Scotian frizzante.

Named for the alluring creatures of maritime myth that transform from seals to human form, Selkie is a combination of eight Nova Scotia grapes, blended in a playful effervescent frizzante style inspired by our ocean breezes and unique Atlantic terroir.

To celebrate the launch of this innovative new white wine, we’re raising a glass to women who are making great things, like Selkie, happen right here.

www.SelkieWine.com

Wine & TRAVEL

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here are many different ways to enjoy the Wolfville. You can take your car or motorcycle up for a drive to the valley and, once there, visit all the great stops along the way. You could also book a wine tour with Grape Escapes or Go North Tours, but if you're looking for something a little more novel and a little less curated, then perhaps the Wolfville Magic Winery Bus is your best bet.

Launched back in 2012, the Wolfville Magic Winery Bus, which is rated "Top 10" 2014 experiences, according to the Canadian Tourism Commission, is a truly unique, outstanding way to experience four of our most cherished Nova Scotian wineries.

It's also North America's only hop-on, hop-off wine tour aboard a traditional British double decker bus, and we think it's pretty cool.

This year's tour season began on July 18th, and will run every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, right through to October 19th. This season, the bus will make stops at Domaine de Grand Pré, Luckett Vineyards, L'Acadie Vineyards, and Gaspereau Vineyards, with each stop offering something a little different from the last one. The best part of this, is that while the Winery Bus is technically a tour, you're not married to having to get back on the bus at the same time as everyone else. The tour runs every hour, so if you'd like to stop and have a nice lunch at Le Caveau, or relax on the patio at Gaspereau Vineyards for a few hours, you can. You can also make your stops shorter and come back for a lovely sunset dinner too.

If you've taken the tour in previous years, you will notice a few things are different this year. First, the bus is no longer pink, it's red, which we think looks much better. The more important changes you will notice this year are the light food service (charcuterie boards) at Gaspereau Vineyards, and of course the big renovation work done at Luckett Vineyards. With this in mind, you may wish to plan for a longer outing.

There is of course an even better option, which we are happy to recommend. Our suggestion is to book a hotel for Friday night, stopping in for dinner at Front + Central or Privet House, and then wake up early to take in the Wolfville Farmers' Market, for locally roasted coffee or fresh baked goods. From there you would then begin your tour on the Magic Winery Bus, but not before strolling down Main Street to check out all of Wolfville's great little shops (the tours don't start until 10:30am anyways). Following your tour, however long you decide to make it, you could cap the evening off with a sunset dinner at Luckett Vineyards or the gorgeous patio at Le Caveau.

Regardless of how you choose to experience Wolfville, we think you will enjoy yourself. All you need to do is pick some dates on the calendar and go. █

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Article: Alexander Henden · Photo: Light and Lens

The Wolfville Magic Winery Bus A unique way to discover our local wineries

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Behind Foodthe + DRINK SCENES

Devour! The Film Food Fest Article: Simon Thibault · Photos: Devour!

It's time to start getting excited - Devour! is back for year two

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L

ia Rinaldo has a few secrets she wants to tell. But she can’t. Not yet. Not even to me, and I work with her.

Rinaldo is keeping her cards close to her chest for this year’s Devour! The Food Film Festival. There are people to confirm, films to view, logistics to be massaged and managed. But right now, Rinaldo is sitting in a cafe discussing what is going to be happening this November.

The Devour! team learned a lot in that first year: what works well, what can be tweaked, where to focus its attentions. But unlike some film festivals that tend to be a marathon experience in film and events, the inaugural year was more of a degustation menu spread out comfortably over five days. That’s not to say that Rinaldo, who used to be at the helm of the Atlantic Film Festival (AFF), didn’t learn a few things. “It was a big curve,” she says “It was interesting going back to doing festivals after AFF, going back to doing every single aspect of an event instead of having full departments of people. And yet, at the same time having a group of people and volunteers who rose up and met the challenge. It was a relief to show to everyone the idea that was in our heads and what it could be. I didn’t imagine it would have the success it had behind it.”

Gearing up for the second round of Devour! this year means tweaking a few things. “Opening night is going to be amped up,” says Rinaldo, who points out that this year’s opening event will hold 500 instead of last year’s 250, with a reception after the opening film. The workshops being held this year will bring in more talent and more speakers to discuss everything from DIY filmmaking to cooking classes and much more. There will still

be loads of dinners with invited chefs and guests, and culinary tours of the area. One of last year’s biggest hits, the food truck rally, will expand from its original Thursday night event to include Friday and Saturday offerings.

There will be other improvements to the event as well, especially when it comes to getting people from outside of Wolfville to the town for the events. “We realize a lot of our audience are from Halifax,” says Rinaldo, and so Devour! will be working with a company to provide access to and from Wolfville.

This will include packages for daily and overnight visitors who want to take in as much as they can of the festivities and screenings.

But for those who are hankering for food and film before the festival even begins, Devour! recently paired up with restaurants Lion & Bright in Halifax and Front & Central in Wolfville to provide screenings to help get people in the mood for the upcoming festivities. “We wanted to have events once a month and have a little fun,” says Rinaldo.

As for those secrets? You’ll have to wait until the program is released this September (date to be confirmed) to see what films will be playing, who will be cooking and who will be talking.

Wouldn’t want to spoil your appetite now would you?

Note from the author: My contributions to Local Connections have always been written objectively as a food writer and journalist.

Recently, LC’s editor-in-chief, Alex Henden, asked me to write about Devour, an organization that I work with, something I generally don’t do. But he wanted to hear about the behind-the-scenes work at the festival, and so I agreed to write this article.

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Samuel Bolivar, Ocean Liner, c 1967, Oil on paper, 41.7 x 68.1 cm. Purchase, 1977

This Summer

Recharge with Art Halifax | Yarmouth

artgalleryofnovascotia.ca 1723 Hollis St., Halifax | 341 Main St., Yarmouth

ArtGalleryNS

@ArtGalleryNS

Destination LUNENBURG

Introduction: Lola Augustine Brown · Photo: Riley Smith

Destination Lunenburg A NOVA SCOTIAN TREASURE IN EVERY SENSE of the word

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lways popular with tourists, the gorgeous fishing town of Lunenburg has grown remarkably cooler in the past few years. So, if it’s been a couple of years since you visited, you really should get there very soon and check it out. You’ll find a range of interesting artsy stores full of things you’ll covet, superb restaurants, a craft distillery, and more, all set in what has to be one of the prettiest settings in the province (only the truly special places are deemed

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worthy of UNESCO World Heritage Site status, after all).

Just an hour’s drive from Halifax, Lunenburg is a destination that offers the total package for visitors. Once you get there, everything in this small town is in walking distance, and every walk takes you along gorgeous streets lined with brightly painted heritage buildings. So why not book yourself into a hotel there, and settle in for a few days to explore Lunenburg properly and fall in love with this seaside town, just like we did.

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Destination LUNENBURG

THE CULINARY SCENE Article: Laura Oakley · Photos: Riley Smith

LUNENBURG MAKES BIG WAVES WITH MANY NEW OFFERINGS

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D

ine at the Grand Banker these days and you very well could be seated next to the owner’s family—, including his wife passing around their newborn daughter—, as I was on my last visit. Adam Bower took ownership just a few months ago. He has come full-circle at the restaurant in his involvement: it was the location of his first serving job (he was hired just a year after the Banker launched eighteen years ago). What’s happening there serves as a metaphor for the dining scene in Lunenburg: a contrast of tradition and evolution. Inside the restaurant you can feel deep roots and a sense of family, but at the same time excitement and anticipation about what is new.

“There’s a lot more creativity, a lot more talented chefs in the area,” says Bower of the emerging food scene. “The local community has a wider pallet range. They’re looking for more unique tastes and experiences.” Bower managed to entice former Delta colleague and Executive Chef Les Stevens to join him in Lunenburg. At the Banker, in particular, they’ve deservedly kept on several original, core menu items like creamy spinach and Atlantic rock crab dip, Blue Rocks fish cakes, and perfectly pan-seared Adams & Knickle scallops (for which they grab their own catch right off the boat down the street). With at he menu being confidently executed by a formidable chef like Stevens, the Banker is at the top of it’s game.

“When Les came in, I said these are what we need to keep; he tweaked presentations, and he put his spin on the rest of the menu,” says Bower. “I think we have a good balance.,” says Bower. Stevens’ “spin” brought in local meat like double smoked pork chops from The Pork Shop, served with a Baco Noir and Oxford blueberry reduction, as well as The Lunenburger, a burger made from Nova Scotia beef, topped

with smoked mozzarella, lobster, and a tarragon butter sauce.

It’s that’s then speared, with the iconic bacon-wrapped scallop teetering on top of an artisan bun. You couldn’t get that in 1996.

What the food and beverage scene in Lunenburg has become is an eclectic mix of innovators, come-from-aways and longstanding establishments who are willing to evolve. It started with the introduction of Fleur de Sel ten years ago, when chef-owner Martin Ruiz Salvador brought his experience cooking in a French, Michelin-starred restaurant to Lunenburg. Ruiz Salvador’s second operation in the village, Salt Shaker Deli, has been featured on the Food Network. It’s simple yet charming interior, open kitchen and delicious comfort food like thin-crust pizzas (spicy shrimp and arugula is a personal favourite, paired with an off-dry Nova Scotia white wine) consistently deliver a stellar casual dining experience. The tiny patio out back offers views of Lunenburg’s famous boat-filled harbour in the summer months. Salvador’s third business is now open as well: a simple takeout joint called “The South Shore Fish Shack,” a shout-out to the traditional fish ’n’ chip truck.

Newcomers Lincoln Street Food and Rime Restaurant, with their seasonally-charged menus, have greatly contributed to the diversity of Lunenburg’s food climate. Chef-owner Paolo Colbertraldo opened the forty-one Lincoln Street Food in May. “I do something completely different,” he says of his small, market-inspired menu. “It’s a lifestyle restaurant more than a profit-driven restaurant.” Fresh oysters and thoughtful vegetarian dishes are just a couple of examples of what’s offered, that for years, were missing in too many Lunenburg restaurants. Sustainably farmed Arctic char with mushroom ragout and local celeriac mash earns its place on a menu that

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Luvly in Lunenburg Independent Canadian Clothing luvly.ca has just five main courses. A small amount of well-showcased, local ingredients per dish, that are showcased well, is the style at Lincoln Street Food. The wines are organic, the beer is local, and the cocktail offering uses Lunenburg-made Ironworks Distillery craft spirits.

Down the road, and through the doors of the historic blacksmith’s shop, you’ll feel the warmth of Ironworks’ still, busy producing a single-batch creation. At the small wooden counter, complimentary tastings of their award-winning spirits, like Annapolis Valley pear eau de vie (where the fruit is grown inside the bottles), are available. “It was the cuisine that brought us here,” says owner-operator Lynne MacKay, of their the decision to open in Lunenburg in 2009. The fact that such a tiny community had a handful of excellent restaurants “helped us make our decision,” she adds. .” MacKay and partner Pierre Geuvremont now supply most of the restaurants that brought them here, those who have embraced the offering of hand-made single-batch spirits.

“There’s a different pace down here,” explains Bower of what draws people to his hometown. And that pace invites people to relax and consume more than the town’s absorbing history and maritime scenery. That pace is what’s needed for eating, drinking and really experiencing the matured food culture of Lunenburg. █

The Lunenburg Makery A place for learning, making & gathering. lunenburgmakery.ca

Altered Custom alterations & tailoring lunenburgmakery.ca/altered

BURNS BLOCK The historic Burns Block is located at 232 Lincoln St. in Old Town Lunenburg

Destination LUNENBURG

IRONWORKS DISTILLERY Article: Simon Thibault · Photo: Riley Smith

A DEVOTION OF CRAFTSMANSHIP

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I

n the summer months, Lynne MacKay at Ironworks Distillery likes to talk about how her workspace stays cool with what she calls the “Lunenburg air conditioning system.” The old building has a door in the ceiling that allows the hot air to escape, something that would’ve come in very handy when the distillery used to operate as a forge in the seaside town of Lunenburg.

But Ironworks Distillery is forging its own path—as an award-winning producer of rums, brandies and eau de vie. In February, their Bluenose Rum and their Apple Brandy won gold for Best Dark Rum and Best Apple Brandy, while their Aged Pear Eau De Vie won gold for Best Brandy and Best Fruit Brandy at the World Drink Awards in London, England. “We were gobsmacked,” says MacKay, joking that her partner, Pierre Geuvremont, “sat there with his chin on our keyboard. We were so thrilled. It’s a profound uptick in peoples’ interests.”

But MacKay and Geuvremont aren’t in this business of distilling for awards. Theirs is a devotion to the craftsmanship involved in making small batches of well-made spirits. It all started in the late 2000s, when Geuvremont read an article on micro-distilling in a magazine. “The idea of making it appealed to us, having a product that was created by us,” says MacKay. The

duo did copious amounts of research, as well as attended classes at Cornell University. They went to various micro-distilleries in British Columbia and New York. But Nova Scotia was where they wanted do this. “We knew that no one was doing something like this here. We knew that if it was interesting and appealing in a quirky way, that people would want to know more about it.”

And they did. Since their opening in June of 2010, the duo and their staff have been producing and selling vodkas, liqueurs, rums and eau de vie. In fact, it’s because of the fruit liqueurs they produce—including cranberry, Saskatoon berry and blueberry—that help them in producing their true love: eau de vie. “As a business model, it pays to have both,” says MacKay. “Eau de vie is a hard sell, a bit esoteric.” What at first glance may be understood as a simple fruit brandy is actually a painstakingly produced distillate that captures the essence of the fruit it is made from. Ironworks have gone on to bottle a strikingly beautiful pear eau de vie with an actual pear grown inside the bottle, an old custom from France. “To be a fruit and eau de vie distillery was our goal,” says MacKay, noting that they don’t plan on limiting the types of eau de vie in their production.

“We started wanting to make one thing and then we saw all these variations, and thought, ‘Let me try that.’” MacKay hints

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that more types of eau de vie are on the horizon, including an eau de vie de sapin, made from spruce tips.

If anything, experimentation is where it’s at for a small operation like this one. Recently, the crew at Ironworks has been experimenting with barrel-aging various products, including their eau de vie, and ageing some of their rums. “It’s a really neat part of our journey,” says MacKay. “We have only really just discovered it because we’re only getting old enough to get to taste barrel aging. We recently discovered what happens to our pear eau de vie when we aged it for a few months in a small Hungarian oak barrel. It became such a treat, and we never would have discovered it if we didn’t have the time.” That same barrel-aged eau de vie is the one that won awards in February of this year.

In the end, it’s experimentation and dedication to the craft of distillation that makes all of the work and effort worthwhile for Geuvremont and MacKay. “I don’t want it to be routine or a factory,” says MacKay. “I don’t want to get that big. I don’t want to be to the point where people expect that it would taste the same all the time.” █

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Destination LUNENBURG

THE SHOPPING SCENE Article: Lola Augustine Brown · Photo: Riley Smith

LUNENBURG IS A PLACE TO SETTLE IN FOR THE WHOLE DAY

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riving into Lunenburg, you’re greeted by a compact downtown core of hilly streets lined with stores, restaurants, galleries, and hotels. Once you start browsing, you realize that this isn’t just another coastal town serving up trinkets and nautical souvenirs, these are stores you actually want to shop in, and the restaurants serve up more than the ubiquitous chowder (though you can get that too, if you desire). Every street is a photo-opportunity, thanks to the mish-mash of heritage architecture and ways people have adorned the buildings over the years. There’s much to explore here, and you’ll have trouble leaving without purchasing a few fun things to take back with you.

Browse and buy cool stuff Start your Lunenburg adventure on Lincoln Street, where you’ll find neat stores to shop at, many of which offer a blend of locally made and unique items. Lesley Wright owns three gorgeous stores along Lincoln. She first opened Lovely, a women’s clothing store showcasing Canadian independent designers (many of whom focus on sustainable practices), three years ago. From there, Wright noticed that people were increasingly interested in learning how their clothing was made, so she went on to open the fantastic Lunenburg Makery, a craft store and workshop space where people learn the skills to make their own clothing (or build on the skills that they

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already have) through group and private courses. “What really defines us is the staff that are running all these businesses, as we are really focused on employing practicing artists, designers and makers,” says Wright. “So they really understand clothing and how it is constructed.” This led to the opening of her third business in town, Altered, a custom tailoring store.

Just across the street is Dots and Loops, a bright and airy store where you’ll find fun things like felt finger puppets depicting famous comedians (such as Louis CK) to original artwork and prints to clothing and all manner of covetable goodies in between. There are also nautical themed stores, Laughing Whale Coffee Roasters and plenty of other places you’ll want to explore.

Avoiding the tourist trap Like many other coastal towns in Nova Scotia, much of Lunenburg has historically closed through the winter, but that’s changing; there’s a real drive to keep the town open year-round by starting festivals and events that bring people in during the off-season.

Wright says that local businesses are getting together to expand the appeal of the town not only to keep their businesses viable all year, but to also help create good yearround jobs. They’ve been working together on some exciting projects, such as a cool map for tourists and getting free WiFi

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throughout the town, which is something everyone is very proud of and visitors are, of course, lapping up.

Lunenburg is experiencing growth and handling it very well indeed. Wright is thrilled that in the three years she has been operating in Lunenburg, she has seen an increased number of really interesting retail businesses open, existing restaurants expand and exciting new eateries open, like Lincoln Street Foods.

Going way, way back If Lunenburg’s history is something you want to immerse yourself in, there are some very interesting museums, but you can go deeper by taking a walking tour. Shelah Allen, coowner of Lunenburg Walking Tours says that on her tours she helps people really get a feel for the place. (Allen encourages people to take a walking tour at the start of their Lunenburg trip, as her guides are able to provide lots of insider info and recommendations on the best places to eat, drink and visit.)

Tempted yet? Maybe you want to think about staying the night or weekend so you can truly get to know the place. “You can absolutely do a daytrip to Lunenburg, but there is so much to do that you could spend three or four days here and spend your time well, plus we have fantastic accommodations here,” says Allen. Well, what are you waiting for? █

CELEBRATING

30 Years

LUNENBURG

FARMERS’ MARKET Thursdays from 8am to 12pm Lunenburg Arena · lunenburgfarmersmarket.ca

Your Oceanside Table Awaits

Rum Runner Inn & Restaurant SPECIALISING IN SEAFOOD / GERMAN CUISINE 66 Montague St, Lunenburg, NS · 1-888-778-6786

NOVA SCOTIA FA Buy blueberries down the road from an UNESCO world heritage site. Fill your picnic basket in the heart of the New World's Celtic culture. This summer, let your tastebuds be your tour guide.

Greenwood Mall 5 Farmers’ Market

1 Antigonish Farmers’ Market

963 Central Ave, Kingston Thursday, noon - 4 pm Year round

4-H Barn, James St Saturday, 8 am - 1 pm, May to Aug 9 am - 1 pm, Sept to Dec

Argyle Farmers’ & 2 Artisanal Market Hwy 308, Tusket (beside Archives) Thursday, 3 pm to 6 pm mid June to Thanksgiving

Bridgewater

3 Farmers’ Market

Pier 20, 1209 Marginal Rd Mon - Fri, 10 am - 5 pm Saturday, 7 am - 3 pm Sunday, 9 am - 3 pm Year round

Historic Farmers’ 7 Market (Halifax)

685 King St (between Empire & Dominion) Saturday, 9 am - 1 pm June to Oct

Nova Scotia’s 3rd Annual Farmers’ Market Week

Halifax Seaport 6 Farmers’ Market

1496 Lower Water St Saturday, 7 am - 1 pm Year round

Cape Breton 4 Farmers’ Market

340 Keltic Drive, Sydney River (By-Pass Exit 5A and Coxheath Rd) Saturday, 8:30 am - 1 pm Year round

Saturday, Aug. 2nd – Saturday, Aug. 9th, 2014 f FarmersMarketsNovaScotia L MarketFreshNS

Nova Scotia’s Certified Farmers’ Markets proudly adhere to a make it, bake it, grow it policy.

15 5

10 22

Bay of Fundy & Annapolis Valley

14

Yarmouth & Acadian Shores

23

12 South Shore

2

Yarmouth

17

21

Buy Local. Eat Fresh.

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21

3

11

8

18

Halifax Metro

7 6

ARMERS’ MARKETS 2014 Hubbards

8 Farmers’ Market

Mahone Bay 12 Farmers’ Market

Inverness Village 9 Market

New Glasgow 13 Farmers’ Market

Hubbards Barn and Community Park, 57 Hwy 3 Saturday, 8 am - 12 pm May to Oct

Blockhouse School Project, 63 School Rd Tuesday, 10 am - 2 pm late May to Thanksgiving

Cottage Workshop Building, 46 Lower Railway St Saturday, 10 am - 2 pm mid June to mid Oct

Kentville 10 Farmers’ Market

New Ross Country 14 Farmers’ Market

19 Tatamagouche Farmers’ Market

3201 Long Point Rd, Harbourville Saturday, 8:30 am - noon May to Oct

Port Hawkesbury 16 Community Market

Lunenburg Community Centre Thursdays 8 am - Noon, May to Oct (outside); 8:30 am - 12:30pm Nov - Apr (inside) Year round

Tantallon Village 18 Farmers’ Market

Riverfront Dome, 115 Jury St Saturday, 8:30 am - noon May to Oct & Winter Holidays

North Mountain 15 Market

Lunenburg

11 Farmers’ Market

Privateer Park, Liverpool Saturday 8 am - noon May 31 to mid Oct

Redmond’s Shopping Plaza, 5209 St Margaret’s Bay Rd Tuesday, 2 pm - 6 pm May to Oct

Ross Farm Museum, 4568 Route 12 Saturday, 9 am - 12:30 pm June to Thanksgiving

Centre Square (downtown) Wednesday, 10 am - 2 pm May to Oct Town Hall Rec Centre, 350 Main Street Wednesday, 10 am - 2 pm Oct to May

Privateers

17 Farmers’ Market

Civic Centre, 606 Reeves St Schedule TBA. Please visit phmarket.ca for details.

Creamery Square, 41 Creamery Rd Saturday, 8 am - noon Feb to May Saturday, 8 am - 1 pm June to Dec

Truro 20 Farmers’ Market

Old Fire Hall, corner of Prince and Young (downtown Truro) Saturday, 8 am - 1 pm April to Dec Wednesday, noon - 6 pm June to Oct

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19

20

Truro

Windsor 21 Farmers’ Market Waterside Coach House, 6 King Rd. Extension Saturdays, 9 am - 1 pm Late-May to mid-Dec

Wolfville 22 Farmers’ Market DeWolfe Building, 24 Elm St Saturday, 8:30 am - 1 pm Year round Wednesday, 4 pm - 7 pm June to Dec

Yarmouth Farmers’ 23 Community Market 15 Hawthorne St, groun level Saturday, 9 am - 1 pm & mid-week market late June to Aug Winter Holiday Market

Cape Breton Island

13 Northumberland Shore

4

1

Sydney

16 Eastern Shore

Information was accurate at the time of printing.

Please verify with individual markets for hours, locations and seasons.

For more market info visit:

farmersmarketsnovascotia.ca

Food + DRINK

Nova Scotia's Best 25 Local Eateries In Nova Scotia, we're incredibly lucky to have so many road trip destinations at our disposal. You can hop in the car, drive in almost any direction, and end up somewhere memorable. The icy on the cake to all this is that you can also eat very well in most towns, something Albertans know nothing about. There are a lot of quality chefs who truly display a passion for their craft, and every single one of them celebrates our local producers with their creativity in using local ingredients. This summer, we hope you will have the chance to try at least a few of them, and we're hoping that this list will guide you along your way.

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Bistro 22

Front + Central

Reasonably priced upscale dining with a focus on showcasing local ingredients.

16 Inglis Place, Truro · bistro22.ca

An epicurean oasis, right in the heart of Wolfville. You don't just go there for a meal, you go for a memorable experience.

117 Front Street, Wolfville · frontandcentral.com

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Le Caveau

Gabrieau’s

One of our province's best local eateries, where the wine is celebrated, and Jason Lynch is the star. The patio is a must.

11611 Highway 1, Grand Pré · grandprewines.ns.ca/restaurant/

We've honestly never been to Gabrieau's, but so many trusted food allies have insisted that we go. So we will.

350 Main Street, Antigonish · gabrieaus.com

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Chanterelle Inn

The Grand Banker

"Refined regional cuisine on the Cabot Trail". Great menu selection, with a strong local focus. Make reservations in advance.

48678 Cabot Trail, Baddeck · chanterelleinn.com

The first thing new owner Adam Bower did was hire Les Stevens and replace a schwack of beer taps with local brew. When the Lunenburger was conceived we don't know, but you need one.

82 Montague Street, Lunenburg · grandbanker.com

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Elliott’s Dining Room Go for White Point, but stay for lunch or dinner and eat well.

A little stroll on the beach afterwards is also a good idea.

White Point Beach, Queens County · whitepoint.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fleur de Sel Rated by many as one of the best places to eat in Canada. Let Chef Martin Ruiz Salvador show you why. No lunch service available. Reservations recommended too.

53 Montague Street, Lunenburg · fleurdesel.net --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Justamere Café and Bistro A local favourite in Antigonish. The menu is current and uncomplicated. Everyone will eat well.

137 Church Street, Antigonish · justamere.ca --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kiwi Café Café-style menu, but maybe a bit more. Open for breakfast and lunch, but a great place to have both.

19 Pleasant Street, Chester · kiwicafechester.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Lahave Bakery

Rime

If we didn't include Lahave Bakery, Chief Photographer Riley Smith would never have forgiven us. Terrific bakery and a must visit place for brunch or lunch.

Box 92, LaHave (use GPS) · lahavebakery.com

Located in the old Trattoria della Nonna spot, Rime adds yet another layer to Lunenburg's impressive dining scene.

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Lincoln Street Food The former chef of Jane's on the Common has flown the coop. The result being Lunenburg has just inherited another food artist.

Modern coastal. Open for dinner only. Make reservations.

200 lincoln street, Lunenburg · lincolnstreetfood.ca --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luckett Vineyards A brand new chef and the best patio in Nova Scotia. The perfect place for lunch, and you might event see Pete himself there when you visit. Top of the pops.

1293 Grand Pré Road, Wolfville · luckettvineyards.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mateus One of Mahone Bay's little treasures. A recent discovery of ours, and a must visit for lunch or dinner.

533 Main Street, Mahone Bay · mateusbistro.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Port Pub

9 King Street, Lunenburg · rimerestaurant.ca --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Salt Shaker Deli The place you go for a light, well made lunch or dinner. You get to enjoy the talents of Chef Martin Ruiz Salvador, but without the fuss of fine dining.

124 Montague Street, Lunenburg · saltshakerdeli.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Town House A local pub with a fun, creative menu, and a terrific craft beer selection which includes their own housemade brew.

26 College Street, Antigonish · antigonishtownhouse.wordpress.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Train Station Inn There's nothing like dining in an old railcar. Perfect spot for lunch or dinner, plus you can now get Tatamagouche Brewing on tap as well.

21 Station Road, Tatamagouche · trainstation.ca --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trellis Café

One of our original favourites. Simple, but excellent. Sea Level Brewing is there too, so there's a good beer selection obviously.

980 Terrys Creek Road, Port Williams · theportpub.com

Taste of Nova Scotia's "Restaurant of the Year" in 2012, and just 30 minutes from Halifax. Accessible, well-priced fine dining with a focus on local fare.

22 Highway 3, Hubbards · trelliscafe.ca

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Privet House

Wild Caraway

Another dining must in Wolfville. A broad range of locallyinspired selections for lunch, brunch, and dinner. Fine dining right on Main Street.

406 Main Street, Wolfville · privethouserestaurant.com

A favourite of Chef Mark Gray of Brooklyn Warehouse. A very creative menu, and as Chef Gray puts it, " Insane use of local and foraged goodies". Our kind of place.

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Quarterdeck

Wool n Tart

An oceanside view with appropriately seafood-focused menu. A colourfully memorable decor to match the vibrancy of the plates.

Summerville Beach, Port Mouton · quarterdeck.ca

3721 Highway 209, Advocate Harbour · wildcaraway.com

Our man, Steph Levac's new spot inside a wool shop. It's the perfect place for a light lunch and a new favourite of ours.

458 Main Street, Wolfville · gaspereauvalleyfibres.ca

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I FA

X ’ S BEST

2014

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★

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A well-priced seasonally-inspired and very accessible menu from a local eatery that couldn't be closer to Halifax. There's no excuse to not go.

8650 Peggy's Cove Road, Indian Harbour · rhubarbrestaurant.ca

H

Rhubarb at the Oceanstone

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CAL RET

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Help us decide Halifax's Best 50 retailers are! Nominate your favourite local retailers at: localconnections.ca/blog

You don’t have to travel very far to see what an amazingly diverse province we live in. Our picturesque landscapes are filled with family farms, fishing villages and other industries that when combined like singredients in a recipe create a flavour that is unmistakably ours.

It’s a reminder of what an important ingredient local producers are to our economy and way of life. These local producers and the thousands they employ, spend their money with local merchants, so the money stays in rural communities where it benefits everyone.

We traveled our beautiful province to showcase how accessible these amazing people and products are. The fact is, local food travels fewer kilometers, has less packaging and is fresher and tastier than food shipped long distances. It just makes sense to buy local.

With a dash of creativity and some of the freshest ingredients around, we’ve discovered some other uniquely Nova Scotian recipes that we like to share - Please enjoy.

Chef Dale Nichols -

Digby Pine’s Resort & Spa

FISH CAKES 1 LB. Cooked haddock (substitute fish of choice) 2 Eggs - slightly beaten 3 tbsp chopped green onions 1 tsp curry powder 4 tbsp mayonnaise 2 tbsp chopped parsley Juice from 1 lemon 1 ½ tsp Dijon ½ Cup bread crumbs Salt and pepper Mix well to combine. Divide into two ounce portions and shape into 2” x1” hockey pucks. ½ Cup corn meal Roll cakes in cornmeal and pan fry to golden brown.

APPLE RUM GASTRIQUE 1 ½ Cups apple juice 1 Cup dark rum ½ Cup packed brown sugar ½ Cup red wine vinegar Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow it to reduce until it reaches a thin syrup consistency.

DULCE MAYONNAISE

Off the Hook Freeport, NS

½ Cup dried dulse – dampened, chopped and pulverised 2 Cups mayonnaise 3 Tbsp mirin 1 tsp rice vinegar

COLESLAW 4 Cups shredded green cabbage 1 Large carrot – grated 2 tbsp minced cilantro ¼ Cup cashew butter ¼ cup mayonnaise 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 tsp sugar Salt and pepper Combine the cabbage, carrot and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Combine a ¼ cup of the cashew butter, mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar and sugar in a medium bowl.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to form a well-blended dressing. Pour over the vegetables and toss gently to coat. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

CRUNCHY CASHEW COLESLAW Cashew Butter 2 Cups roasted unsalted cashews 1 tbsp mild vegetable oil ¼ tsp salt Combine the nuts, oil, and salt in a food processor.

Process for 2 to 3 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of the work bowl. Continue to process for about 7 minutes, until the desired consistency is reached, for a total of 10 minutes.

Refrigerate until ready to use. If the oil rises to the top, stir before using.

Mix all ingredients. Note: Dulse is available already chopped. If using leafy dulse, dampen slightly with cold water and then chop with a knife.

Visit selectnovascotia. ca to find local producers and more recipes just like this one.

PRESENTS

Saturday, August 16

Brought to you by:

Alderney Landing Ferry Park from 9am to 6pm

Halifax,

Lunenburg,

& the Annapolis Valley

AU G U ST 1 4 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 4 路 H A L I FA X , LU N E N B U R G , & T H E A N N A P O L I S VA L L E Y

OFFICIAL GUIDE TO SAUSAGE FEST 2014

Welcome to Sausage Fest 2014

A

h, the sausage. The official meat of summertime. The piece of meat you take home for the weekend. The tubular delight you BBQ for friends, or if you're into the culinary arts, the versatile ingredient you cut open and use in a pasta sauce, or maybe in stir fry. Whatever your take on them may be, you have to concede that sausages are flippin' awesome, and in here Nova Scotia, we are blessed with an abundance of producers who know how to make them, and know how to make them right. So, this August, from the 14th to the 24th to be exact, we invite you to join us in celebrating the Nova Scotian sausage by welcoming YOU to Sausage Fest 2014.

While we certainly had some fun last year, we've really moved things forward this time around. For starters, we've added a number of participants (almost double), reaching a total of 32 this year, and we've done so without compromising our promise of "Showcasing the BEST Our Region Has to Offer". It's a good mix too, with some fantastic restaurants and bars, grocers and producers, and even a few wineries and breweries who are participating in varying capacities. With more participants comes more things for you to experience, and I implore you to get out and explore what's available. Make it an excuse to try something new! Discover what some of our region's best chefs and producers are doing, and enjoy Nova Scotia as the culinary destination it has become.

Along with all the restaurant and market specials that will be going on all 10 days, we will again be hosting a series of pop-up events with a number of our participants.

From events like les saucisses en folies (which is sold out) to Prop'r Cask Night ft. Ludo Eveno to a community BBQ in the Hydrostone to delightful a Sausage Brunch at the Harbourstone Sea Grill + Pourhouse. We'll fill a good chunk of your August with sausage fun if you will allow us. We're also hosting a huge Picnic by the Sea event at Alderney Landing Ferry Terminal Park on August 16th, followed by another family event at the Wolfville Farmers' Market on the 23rd. For these two events, we'll still celebrate the sausage, but also offer a wider variety of things for you to eat, just incase sausages aren't your thing (is that even possible?).

We also have confirmed a number of out-of-town guests who are actually flying in to join the fun this year, so don't be the guy/gal that sat on the sidelines and looks back thinking you wish you'd gone to something. This event is for YOU, and we hope that you will come out and enjoy all the effort we put into creating a little sausage magic for you this summer.

Sausage Fest 2014 is gonna be crazy!

Alexander Henden Da Sausage Hustla'

About This Guide To make this year's event even easier to access, we've improved on a number of things from last year. This year's guide is now a full 24 pages (up from 4 last year), and each spread showcases three to four participants, introducing you to who they are and what they do, followed by a brief description of what they are doing for Sausage Fest specifically. We've also included their address as well, but we'll leave it to you to connect with then online should you wish to. Google it!

1014 Barrington St, Halifax . lickthebone.com

You will also notice a set of icons on each listing. For an index on what each means, have a look below.

Pop-up Events This year we've also redesigned our website, which is where you will find all our pop-events. Some events will have tickets for sale, while others will not, but regardless, you will be able to find all our pop-up events at: localconnections.ca/ events There isn't a mobile friendly version this year, but the website works well on iPads or similar.

Social Media Before and during Sausage Fest, we will be using our Twitter profile and Facebook page to share information and updates, and to connect with you.

L ConnectionsHFX f LocalConnectionsHalifax

Icon Index Dining Destination

Craft Beer Available

Pop-up Event Host

Local Wine Available

Family Event Host

Sausage Maker

Ticketed Event

Halifax's Best Ice Cream

1014 Barrington St, Halifax . lickthebone.com

AU G U ST 1 4 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 4 · H A L I FA X , LU N E N B U R G , & T H E A N N A P O L I S VA L L E Y

OFFICIAL GUIDE TO SAUSAGE FEST 2014

L'Acadie Vineyards

Ace Burger Co.

L’Acadie Vineyards is celebrating their 10th year in operation this year. A small family-run vineyard, L’Acadie is a certified organic winery specializing in traditional method sparkling wine. Their 2011 Vintage Cuvée Rosé just recently won a gold medal and top scores for a sparkling wine at the Atlantic Canadian Wine Awards.

The result of a successful pop-up restaurant team-up, Ace Burger Co. started when the folks from Brooklyn Warehouse partnered with the north end favourite Gus’ Pub, taking over the pub’s kitchen during an Open City event. The match-up worked so well that now, Ace Burger Co. has proudly made its’ mark as a “business inside a business,” having established in the kitchens of both Gus’ and now Bearly’s House of Blues on Barrington Street. Specializing in classic, hand-crafted flatiron burgers, Ace Burger Co. has been dubbed “Best Burger” in Halifax for two years running. If you’re looking for something a little different than the classic ‘burg, you can order up an Asian-style pork burger, or the Jerk Chicken, and pair it with Ace’s awesome fries and a cold brew.

310 Slayter Rd, Gaspereau, RR1, Wolfville

L’Acadie Vineyards will be teaming up with Edible Sideshow, Wolfville’s first food truck, to offer great food and wine pairings every Saturday this summer. On Saturday, August 16th, Edible Sideshow will be delighting all who visit the winery with chorizo sliders piled with ginger, garlic and coriander slaw, all cozied up in a homemade brioche bun. Either of L’Acadie’s two famous rosé wines is light, summery pairing choice with this dish, or you could go big or go home with their Passito, a bold red that matches up brilliantly with BBQ.

2605 Agricola St, Halifax + 1269 Barrington St, Halifax

This Sausage Fest, Ace Burger Co. will be offering a currywurst sausage with curry ketchup and frizzled onions at both the north end and downtown locations. They will also both have outdoor grills working non-stop on the weekend services during the festival.

Agricola Street Brasserie 2540 Agricola St, Halifax · agricolastreet.ca

Agricola Street Brasserie is one of the new kids on the block in the area around Agricola and Charles, and along with their neighbours, EnVie and Lion and Bright, they are taking the north end food scene by storm. Bustling with patrons every night, the Brasserie has a casual atmosphere conducive to lively conversations with friends over excellent food and cool cocktails. The folks at Agricola Street Brasserie are committed to using quality, seasonal ingredients, and they make everything in-house.

The talented team at the Brasserie has been very involved in Sausage Fest since it started in 2013, and this year is no exception. On August 15th, the Brasserie will be teaming up with Propeller Brewing to do a cask night - they provide the food and the Propeller provides the beer pairing. Last year, they did couscous with a lamb sausage that knocked it out of the park, and this year promises to be no different. In addition to this event, Agricola Street Brasserie is working on a Thai-themed sausage to feature during the entire Sausage Fest event.

HAVE FUN WITH OUR MEAT! AWESOME SAUSAGE FEST SPECIALS AUGUST 14 -24!

NO FILLERS · NO MSG · MADE WITHOUT GLUTEN

318 Pleasant Valley Road, Berwick & Alderney Landing, Dartmouth (902) 538-1106 · f MeadowbrookMeatMarket · L MeadowbrookMeat

AU G U ST 1 4 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 4 · H A L I FA X , LU N E N B U R G , & T H E A N N A P O L I S VA L L E Y

OFFICIAL GUIDE TO SAUSAGE FEST 2014

The Auction House

Boneheads BBQ

The Auction House is bringing a completely new concept to the downtown dining scene. They hold daily auctions amongst the patrons of the lively restaurant, the proceeds from which go towards a different local charity each month. Community outreach is a part of The Auction House’s identity, and they are committed to giving back in meaningful ways. On top of all this, The Auction House is dishing up some pretty awesome food, like their deep fried cheese curds jazzed up with chili-lime dipping sauce.

Boneheads BBQ is satiating this fine city’s need for comfort food.

Their Barrington Street location serves up traditional southernstyle barbecue food, including, of course, fall-off-the-bone ribs, melt-in-your-mouth smoked meat, and crave-inducing mac n’ cheese, baked beans and cornbread. Boneheads, Halifax’s original BBQ smokehouse, makes everything in-house and fresh every day, right down to the barbecue sauces that will have you licking your fingers for one last taste.

Sausage Fest 2014 will see the folks at The Auction House serving up a few different options to weiner-lovers: they’ll be doing a three-sausage stew in tomato sauce with veggies and peppers, and a few different sausage-on-a-bun choices, including an andouille and a chorizo, topped with sauerkraut, swiss cheese and mustard. The House will garnish their Caesars, usually adorned with a slice of bacon, with some crispy fried sausage.

Finally, diners will have the option to add sausage to their nachos, if crunchy cheese-drizzled chips are their meal of choice.

Boneheads will be contributing Texas hot links, a spicy pork sausage which is really popular in - you guessed it - Texas, to Sausage Fest 2014. They’ll be offering the sausages in a bun and also as an appetizer paired up with pimento cheese. Toss in a rack of ribs, some sweet potato chips and a banana pudding, and you’ve got yourself….a meat coma? Worth every bite, we’d say.

1726 Argyle St, Halifax · auctionhousehalifax.com

1014 Barrington Street, Halifax · lickthebone.com

Bramoso Pizzeria

6169 Quinpool Road and Halifax Seaport Market, Halifax Bramoso Pizza is synonymous with high quality, real food sourced as sustainably as possible. Ingredients are simple and healthy, and care is taken to offer dairy-free and gluten-free menu options to please every pizza-lover.

For the entire Sausage Fest 2014 event, Bramoso will be offering four special pizzas at both their Quinpool and farmer’s market locations.

There will be The McAngelo, with a white zesty garlic sauce, Sweet William’s Polish sausage, fresh spinach, cremini mushrooms, diced tomatoes, local basil, mozza and fontina cheese. You could try The Picante, topped with extra spicy Sweet William’s Italian sausage.

The Bramoso Sausage Supreme includes a signature red sauce, Polish sausage, red onion slivers and a blend of three cheeses.

The folks at Bramoso are still in the process of conceptualizing their fourth offering, which, though a surprise as of yet, may include enticing ingredients like fennel sausage, caramelized onions and pecans. Finally, Bramoso will be hosting a Patio Sausage Party at their Quinpool location on August 19th, where they’ll serve up sausage pizza samplers and a selection of wine and beer.

THE

HOUSE

AU G U ST 1 4 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 4 · H A L I FA X , LU N E N B U R G , & T H E A N N A P O L I S VA L L E Y

OFFICIAL GUIDE TO SAUSAGE FEST 2014

The Brooklyn Warehouse

Le Caveau

Though it started modestly as a small cafe in the burgeoning north end Halifax food scene, Brooklyn Warehouse has since made its’ mark on the neighbourhood, garnering local and national acclaim for quality, creative food using local ingredients before local was even a thing. The menu is seasonal and ever-changing, and the folks at Brooklyn Warehouse strive to create an outstanding experience for every diner who eats there.

Le Caveau is an obvious stop for anyone visiting the Wolfville area, especially as the warm summer sun beats down on the Grand Pré vineyard. Named one of the twenty world’s best winery restaurants by Wine Access Magazine, Le Caveau is spearheaded by executive chef Jason Lynch. The restaurant is the perfect setting for an exquisite dinner for two, or for your next big event, where you can crack open a bottle of wine on Le Caveau’s outdoor terrace and enjoy a locally-sourced and carefully prepared meal.

2795 Windsor Street, Halifax · brooklynwarehouse.ca

This year, Brooklyn will be offering a three-course Prix-Fixe menu on August 15th and 16th, starting with a sausage of scallop mousse, lobster and mussels in a smoked heirloom tomato broth with ratatouille and garden herbs. The second course is a duck sausage with seared fois gras, chanterelles, creamy brown butter polenta and sage and blackcurrant gremolata. Diners will finish their meals with a dark chocolate and marshmallow roulade with milk chocolate icing, white chocolate ganache, candied raspberries and bacon crumble. So….see you there?

11611 Highway 1, Grand Pré · grandprewines.ns.ca/restaurant/

Sausage Fest 2014 will prove to be just one more opportunity for Le Caveau to shine, this year with a bratwurst sausage dished up with rosti, caramelized onions and demi.

Dee Dee's Ice Cream

Durty Nelly's Irish Pub

DeeDee’s, located in a beautiful, unassuming old house in the north end of Halifax, serves simple, nourishing food made using only real ingredients. Their ice creams are served in various locations around the city and are made with interesting flavour twists like Mexican chocolate and banana cardamom. For these icy concoctions and for their awesome burritos, DeeDee’s sources as many of their ingredients locally as possible, and they are committed to supporting sustainable agriculture.

Durty Nelly’s, one of the city’s fixture Irish pubs, is about as trueto-form as it gets, with classic pub food, great service and a good dose of foot stompin’, jig-and-reelin’ fun. With traditional Irish fare including Guiness-braised lamb shanks and shepherd’s pie as well as standards like fish n’ chips and burgers, Durty Nelly’s finds the easy way into people’s hearts: through their bellies, with quality, down-to-earth food.

5668 Cornwallis Street, Halifax · deedees.ca

During the days of Sausage Fest 2014, DeeDee’s will be sticking to the classics, dishing up a Ratinaud sausage and piling it with sauerkraut, mustard and mayo on a bun made freshly each day by their resident bread expert. Finish it all off with a couple scoops of ice cream and you’ve got yourself a real treat! You can cozy up inhouse at a comfy booth, or take your chow over to the Commons, the next block over, and snarf your sausage while sprawling in the sun.

1660 Argyle Street, Halifax · durtynellys.ca

For this year’s Sausage Fest, Durty Nelly’s will be offering an Irish twist on the classic brat: a house-made Irish Red Ale sausage using local pork from Oulton’s Farms, apple cider-braised Lunenburg sauerkraut, Guiness beer mustard, and hot onion relish, all heaped on a fresh Kaiser roll.

AU G U ST 1 4 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 4 · H A L I FA X , LU N E N B U R G , & T H E A N N A P O L I S VA L L E Y

OFFICIAL GUIDE TO SAUSAGE FEST 2014

enVie - A Vegan Kitchen

FRED.

EnVie is not only a godsend for Haligonian vegans, but the restaurant is surprising and delighting even the city’s most dedicated carnivores. EnVie is all about great food and incredible flavour first; the fact that the menu is entirely plant-sourced is just dairy-free icing on the carrot cake. With the goal of surpassing people’s expectations of vegan food, EnVie not only offers cutting edge, beautifully crafted appetizers, mains and desserts; they also offer cooking classes, juice cleanses and feature chefs from restaurants around the city who create a vegan dinner once a month.

FRED is your one stop north end shop for feelin’ gorgeous and eating wicked food. The folks at the cafe of the popular salon and eatery are committed to creating delicious flavour combinations using local ingredients. Making everything either from scratch or sourced from quality local producers, FRED is definitely worth stopping by, whether for just a coffee and a prosciutto, portobello and havarti croissant or a leisurely gluten-fee pizza lunch shared with friends.

5775 Charles Street, Halifax · enviehalifax.com

Chef Diandra Phipps is not one to turn down a challenge, and so of course she is stepping up to the plate to create a vegan sausage to feature during Sausage Fest 2014. Head down to EnVie on Agricola Street to chomp into a spicy Italian sausage made from setian, a vegetable protein often used as a meat substitute, and topped with red pepper relish, chiffonade spinach and tofu mozzarella. We guarantee you’ll be back for more.

2606 Agricola Street, Halifax · fredstyle.ca

FRED will be dishing up their famous macaroni and cheese, adding fresh sausage from Highland Drive Storehouse, for the entire Sausage Fest event. They will also be featuring a sausagetopped version of their gluten-free pizzas for link-lovers to enjoy.

T H E V I N E YA R D S

THE WINES

T H E F L AVO U R S

Gaspereau Vineyards

2239 White Rock Road, Wolfville 路 gaspereauwine.com Gaspereau Vineyards was the first winery to establish in the now vineyard-resplendent Valley. Just minutes from Wolfville, Gaspereau boasts a gorgeous landscape that produces outstanding Rieslings, among other spectacular wines. This year, Gaspereau has a new patio, and has started to offer local artisanal cheese and charcuterie boards to pair with their vino - a great way to spend a warm weekend afternoon in the Valley if ever we heard one.

This year, Gaspereau will be celebrating Sausage Fest with patio sipping and munching. Come and enjoy fabulous local wine paired with juicy links off the BBQ, all while tapping your foot to the tunes of Mark Bezanson and the Idle Threats from 3:00 - 5:00pm on Saturday, August 16th.

G RAND PRE WINE S.C O M

@G RAND PREWI N ES

AU G U ST 1 4 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 4 · H A L I FA X , LU N E N B U R G , & T H E A N N A P O L I S VA L L E Y

OFFICIAL GUIDE TO SAUSAGE FEST 2014

Getaway Farm

Grand Banker

Getaway Meat Mongers prides themselves on getting up close and personal with meat. The butcher shop, which is the storefront of the family-owned Getaway Farm, uses traditional methods to butcher their own grass-fed beef, and they work with other local producers to bring in pork, chicken, and other carnivorous selections. Getaway butchers use real knives - not band saws and perform their handiwork on whole animals in the open, so that patrons can see where there meat is coming from, and how it got from pasture to plate. Keeping it clean with no hormones or additives, all Getaway meat is grass-fed, not grain-fed.

Located on the waterfront in downtown Lunenburg, The Grand Banker is a great reason to take a little road trip out of the city this summer. In a casual and relaxed atmosphere, the restaurant dishes up creatively-prepared local fare paired with craft beer and wine along with stunning view of the small-town harbour.

The culinary masterminds at The Grand Banker are committed to making the most of the time and talent of local artisans, farmers and fishers, bringing diners the freshest seasonal food and drink.

1209 Marginal Road, Halifax · getawayfarm.ca

The Meat Mongers may have one of the coolest offerings for Sausage Fest this year: they will be featuring a different beast on each day of the ‘Fest, including beef, pork, lamb, and pastured grass-fed alpaca. Yeah, alpaca sausage. With a different flavour profile and some pretty adventurous types of meat to sample each day of the week, a visit to Getaway is imperative to your Sausage Fest 2014 experience.

82 Montague Street, Lunenburg · grandbanker.com

For Sausage Fest 2014, The Grand Banker will be serving Greek’s Famous Lunenburg Pudding, apple cranberry sausage and double smoked pork belly with Tancook sauerkraut, nugget potatoes, grilled Valley apples and a maple-bacon mustard sauce. Pair that with a drink from the restaurant’s extensive selection of wine, beer and cocktails, and finish with a mound of blueberry apple crisp, and you’ll have taken your Sausage Fest experience to new heights.

Harbourstone Sea Grill 1919 Upper Water Street, Halifax

Harbourstone Sea Grill and Pour House, located in the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel and a relatively new player in the city’s up-and-coming hotel restaurant scene, is all about simple, chef-crafted food. At Harbourstone, the focus is on having fun in the kitchen but with a serious focus on flavour and quality.

Priding themselves on their impeccable seafood, Harbourstone offers a variety of classic favourites with a fresh new twist, including shareable dishes such as fish tacos with coconut cream and pineapple jam, or chickpea-crusted calamari, that make the restaurant a place you’ll want to return to time and time again.

Sausage Fest 2014 will see the chef at Harbourstone Sea Grill and Pour House crafting a fresh duck sausage stuffed with wild dried blueberries, pomegranate and sage. This delectable tubesteak will be nestled in a brioche bun and smothered with threeonion marmalade and tomato soy jam. Sounds like a rich, mouthwatering reason to make your way down to the waterfront during Sausage Fest this year. And don't forget about their big Sausage Brunch on August 17!

2534 Agricola Street, Halifax · lionandbright.com

AU G U ST 1 4 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 4 · H A L I FA X , LU N E N B U R G , & T H E A N N A P O L I S VA L L E Y

OFFICIAL GUIDE TO SAUSAGE FEST 2014

Highland Drive Storehouse

Lion & Bright

Highland Drive Storehouse has recently changed ownership, and is now in the in capable hands of the folks from Getaway Meat Mongers. With vintage charm and a neighbourhood butcher-shop feel, Highland Drive will continue to offer quality meat and other fresh, local goods to its Hydrostone customers.

If you haven’t checked out Lion and Bright since they opened in early 2014, Sausage Fest would be as good a time as any. Lion and Bright is the Jekyll and Hyde of Agricola Street, keeping you ticking during the day with great coffee, simple but delicious food and plenty of workspace, and offering a place to let your inner lion roar with the help of local craft beer and fancy cocktails at night.

With an eye to keeping things fresh, homemade and local, Lion and Bright is a great hangout, by day or by night.

5544 Kaye Street, Halifax · highlanddrive.ca

Highland Drive Storehouse will be featuring some of their customers’ favourite sausages during the course of Sausage Fest 2014. They offer some traditional dry spiced links such as chorizo and English bangers, but also whip up some interesting and fun fresh flavours, like their maple orange rosemary sausage.

The butchers at Highland Drive love to use their creativity when creating new flavour combinations, and will likely do a boudin, a Cajun-style sausage, and highlight a French toast-flavoured breakfast sausage during the ‘Fest. In addition, Highland Drive will be holding a pop-up BBQ in the Hydrostone Park. Keen Sausagefesters should keep their eyes on Facebook and Twitter for more details.

2534 Agricola Street, Halifax · lionandbright.com

On August 17th, Lion and Bright will be hosting “Meat Up on Agricola,” a family-style meal. For $25, you’ll get sausage gnocchi made with garlic fennel sausage, ricotta gnocchi, tomato vodka sauce, fresh basil and romano cheese. That’s paired with Italian sausage skewers loaded with fresh veggies and a panzanella salad made with apple rosemary sausage, fresh bread, apple, arugula and spiced pumpkin seeds. Dessert is crepes stuffed with red-wine poached cherries, tarragon, honey, Fox Hill quark and candied sunflower seeds.

Lamb Sausage Farafelle w/Local Butternut Squash

HOUSE-MADE LAMB SAUSAGE & KILLER TOMATO SAUCE

Lincoln Street Food

200 Lincoln Street, Lunenburg · lincolnstreetfood.ca Lincoln Street Food is a newer establishment in Lunenburg, one of the most beautiful summer destinations in the province.

Occupying the former home of Large Marge’s Diner, Lincoln Street is all about serving local, bistro-style food in a relaxed and fun setting. With a small menu that changes frequently based on the availability of local seafood and fresh produce, Lincoln Street has options for carnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike. With a thoughtful wine list and several creative spins on dessert, Lincoln Street Food attends to every detail of diners’ experience.

Lincoln Street Food will be offering a creative, non-traditional sausage for this year’s Sausage Fest, and though the exact concoction will be chef-inspired based on the freshest ingredients available during the event, sausage-lovers can expect a tubesteak filled with locally-caught lobster. Team that up with a Nova Scotia craft beer and finish with the ever-changing chef’s choice dessert platter, and you won’t be disappointed.

THE OLD TRIANGLE 5136 Prince St, Halifax, NS oldtriangle.com ∙

L theoldtriangle

AU G U ST 1 4 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 4 · H A L I FA X , LU N E N B U R G , & T H E A N N A P O L I S VA L L E Y

OFFICIAL GUIDE TO SAUSAGE FEST 2014

Luckett Vineyards

Meadowbrook Meat Market

Luckett Vineyards was just a twinkle in Halifamous grocer Pete Luckett’s eye for many years as he cultivated vines and the fruit trees that would infuse the flavour into many of his wines. The Vineyard opened officially in 2010 to great acclaim, and this year expanded to include a retail and tasting bar, a second tented patio, and a larger kitchen from which to offer simple, quality fare that truly showcases the wines on offer. Looking down onto Wolfville and the Fundy beyond it, Luckett Vineyards offers, quite possibly, the best view in the province, and a chance to call your mom for free from their classic red phone booth nestled amongst the rows of grapes.

With an environmental footprint of about 40km, Meadowbrook Meat Market is one of the most eco-friendly ways to stuff your face with sausage this year at Sausage Fest. The folks at Meadowbrook grow all their own pork as well as the grain the pigs eat. Meadowbrook is one of only a few farms who sell Premium Nova Scotia pork, fulfilling strict guidelines about feeding, animal husbandry, and other key markers of quality.

1293 Grand Pre Road, Wolfville · luckettvineyards.com

Luckett Vineyards will be jumping into Sausage Fest with both feet this year, offering live music on the new patio on Saturday, August 16th, and sausage specials as well as a sausage picnic on both the 16th and the 17th.

314 Pleasant Valley, Berwick and Alderney Landing, Dartmouth

Meadowbrook Meat Market creates a number of fully cooked and fresh sausages, and will be an important supplier for many of the Sausage Fest 2014 participants. For the entire ‘Fest, Meadowbrook will have a special price for ten of any of their sausages, allowing patrons at their retail location in the valley to pick and choose from the variety of links they offer. You can also pick up a pack of their legendary Jimmy Dogs or the special custom sausage they will be creating for the festival which, though yet to be unveiled, is sure to be a hit.

Morris East

5212 Morris Street, Halifax and 620 Nine Mile Drive, Bedford Morris East has been one of the key eateries redefining pizza in Halifax. Starting out as a small resto in the south end of the city with a wicked hot wood-fired oven, some unique pizza toppings and awesome cocktails, Morris East has since expanded into a second location in Bedford West. With patios at each location, Morris East is the perfect spot to share a ‘za with friends and wash it down with a summery drink.

Morris East will be dishing up a few different sausage options for the ‘Fest this year, including a local sausage corn chowder, which will be served over the lunch hour, and their Sausage Fest Pizza topped with three types of local sausage, a honey mustard reduction, caramelized leeks, aged cheddar, apple chips and fried sage. If you’re heading out for a bite before the noon cannon, you can “brunchify” your pizza, topping it with a fried egg. All this delectable food pairs perfectly with a pint of Fire Tap, a Garrison brew created especially for and served exclusively at the restaurant.

902.428.7852 harbourstone sea grill & pour house

@harbourstonesg

1919 Upper Water Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3J5

from our garden to your kitchen—

100% real food.

2606 agricola st. halifax, ns

fredstyle.ca

AU G U ST 1 4 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 4 · H A L I FA X , LU N E N B U R G , & T H E A N N A P O L I S VA L L E Y

OFFICIAL GUIDE TO SAUSAGE FEST 2014

Obladee Wine Bar

Old Triangle

Obladee is a testament to what can happen when siblings work together: after a brainwave in 2009 catalyzed Heather and Christian Rankin into action, they opened the cozy, unpretentious downtown wine bar. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and the wine selection plentiful and beautifully curated, with something for every person and every occasion. Obladee also specializes in creating excellent charcuterie boards featuring a local and everchanging selection of meats, cheeses, and condiments. It’s a great place to kick-off a night out or wind down after work.

We’ve all had a pint or two at The Old Triangle, the quintessential and long-standing downtown Celtic pub. The pub’s motto, Food for the Body, Drink for the Spirit, and Music for the Soul, just about sums up the heart of the place. Live music every night of the week and classic Irish and pub fare such as curry and chips or traditional Irish boxty guarantees the Triangle will have a special place in the heart of Haligonians for years to come.

1600 Barrington Street, Halifax · obladee.ca

Sausage Fest 2014 will see the folks at Obladee cooking up a special sausage sourced from Sweet Williams on their outdoor patio overlooking the bustle of Barrington street. You can pair your wurst with a thoughtfully chosen feature glass of local red or white wine for a special price.

5136 Prince Street, Halifax · oldtriangle.com

The Old Triangle is bringing back a well-loved dish, their lamb sausage farafelle, for Sausage Fest 2014. Including house-made lamb sausage and killer tomato sauce tossed with bow tie pasta, local butternut squash and freshly grated Parmesan, the folks at the Triangle are so sure you’ll love this dish that they’re throwing in a hunk of garlic bread that you can use to more thoroughly clean your plate.

Vegetarian & Gluten Free Options

$2.50 -12oz Propeller Draft Mon-Wed 6024 Quinpool Road, Halifax •

Pete's

All Three Locations (Halifax, Bedford, and Wolfville) · petes.ca Pete’s is the go-to grocery store for the Haligonian gourmand.

With locations in downtown Halifax, Bedford, and Wolfville, Pete’s provides high quality, fresh, and unique products to satisfy foodies near and far. Founder and owner Pete Luckett is not just committed to helping folks source great food; he’s created a sense of community around the Pete's enterprise, which is actively involved in many aspects of the Halifax culinary scene.

Sausage Fest is no exception to this: Pete’s will be participating wholeheartedly this year with fresh made-in-house sausages that are locally sourced with the freshest ingredients. During the festival, shoppers can expect to find specials on everything from spicy pork brats and local lamb links to Pete’s tasty sundried tomato and basil sausages, as well as a few surprise offerings.

This year’s masterpiece is a maple blueberry sausage, which will be available at all locations for the duration of event. Pete’s also has all the ingredients to make your own sausages, for the most authentic Sausage Fest experience possible.

relishhrm •

LRelishHRM

AU G U ST 1 4 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 4 · H A L I FA X , LU N E N B U R G , & T H E A N N A P O L I S VA L L E Y

OFFICIAL GUIDE TO SAUSAGE FEST 2014

The Press Gang

Ratinaud French Cuisine

The Press Gang Restaurant and Oyster Bar offers up one of the most authentic Maritime fine dining experiences available in the city. Patrons can indulge in everything from tapas to oysters to the resto’s famous calamari. If you head down to the ‘Gang on a Friday or Saturday night, you’ll be able to sip your single malt whiskey to the jazzy tunes of the Mike Cowie Trio, who play inhouse every weekend.

As Halifax’s only genuine charcuterie, Ratinaud French Cuisine is a Sausage Fest destination you shouldn’t miss. Making everything by hand in the shop and sourcing as many local ingredients as possible, they use traditional French curing methods and offer a selection of dry cured meat, pâté, and fresh sausages. The folks at Ratinaud don’t stop there: they make their own bread in-house, and have 55 varieties of cheese to make your charcuterie board complete.

5218 Prince Street, Halifax · thepressgang.net

If this year’s Sausage Fest finds you wanting a truly exquisite dining experience - something a little special, and an excuse to check out one of the city’s oldest buildings - then you’ll need to make your way down to The Press Gang. They are still working on crafting their sausage-based specials for the event, but you can be sure that the result will be extraordinary. In the meantime, stay tuned to social media for updates on their Sausage Fest offerings.

2082 Gottingen Street, Halifax · ratinaud.ca

For Sausage Fest 2014, Ratinaud will create a wild boar sausage, available at the shop throughout the event. They will also be hosting Les Saucisses en Folie, where they’ll dish up platters of every sausage they make, heaps of cured meat, slabs of fresh bread, a variety of condiments and several traditional side dishes.

Boxing Rock Brewery will provide the beer for the evening, and have reserved a keg of special French beer especially for the occasion. Les Saucisses en Folie will happen on two nights, August 20 & 21, but seating is limited, so you’ll want to snap up tickets quickly.

Relish Gourmet Burgers

Saege Bistro

Relish, one of the city’s newest gourmet burger joints, has at its’ core a young team of food-loving folks who wield burger-flippers and funky flavour combinations with equal….relish. All the burgers and condiments at Relish are crafted in-house, using the freshest ingredients with a whole lot of fun and whimsy thrown in.

Saege Bistro has refreshed their menu, interior space, and inviting patio for summer 2014. Still serving as a friendly neighbourhood bistro on the quieter side of Spring Garden Road, their locallyinspired, seasonal menu has never been better. Stop by for happy hour 3:00 to 5:30pm, or a glass of sangria on the patio with their new snack menu.

6024 Quinpool Road, Halifax · relishyou.ca

Relish will be offering three sausage-based dishes for Sausage Fest 2014, and have partnered with local producer Getaway Farms, who are supplying the meat. The “Best of the Wurst” includes a fresh, local sausage, apple sauerkraut, raw onion, house-made mayo and Propeller honey dijon or spicy fennel mustard. The “Abe Froman,” a Chicago-style hot dog, includes an Angus beef dog, dill pickle, banana peppers, diced onion, yellow mustard, house relish and a dash of celery salt. Finally, for the somewhat more health conscious among us, a chorizo caesar salad with fresh romaine, Meadowbrook farms chorizo, Parm, croutons and creamy dressing will round out the menu. You can wash down any of these delectable dishes with $2.50 12oz. glass of Propeller ale.

5883 Spring Garden Road · saege.ca

Sausage Fest 2014 will find the chefs at Saege Bistro creating a mouth-watering lamb and pistachio sausage made in-house, accompanied by celeriac mash and a red currant gastrique.

Teamed up with a glass of local vino and a cool evening breeze, and Saege Bistro will prove a solid way to indulge in some seriously sophisticated sausage during this year’s festival.

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OFFICIAL GUIDE TO SAUSAGE FEST 2014

Scanway Catering

The Stubborn Goat

Scanway Catering is a Halifax culinary institution older than a good few of the city’s residents. Though known for years as “the wedding cake people,” Scanway has expanded significantly since the early days, and will be opening a new hybrid of storefront, artisanal bakery, patisserie and cafe at 1567 Grafton Street in July.

This growth has been led by Scanway’s co-owner-operators and extraordinary chefs, Geir Simensen and Ray Bear, who are taking the catering company to new heights, pleasing palates all around the city.

The Stubborn Goat is your new favourite place to eat. Haven’t been there yet? You might kick yourself a little for having missed out on the months of your life that have lacked the Goat’s housemade perogies, or their dozen-or-so gourmet mac n’ cheese dishes (including temptations like truffled mushroom, or braised short rib). Just try to get there as quickly as possible. While you’re at it, sidle up to the bar with a craft beer or cocktail, or just sit back and enjoy the live band.

1567 Grafton Street, Halifax · scanwaycatering.com

Scanway Catering will be serving up a Thai fermented sausage with loads of garlic for this year’s Sausage Fest. There are lots of ways to get this in your belly; call up Scanway for a run-down of their catering options for groups of any size.

1579 Grafton Street, Halifax · stubborngoat.ca

You’ll want to check out the Stubborn Goat’s take on Sausage Fest this year, for sure. In a complete diversion from the expected - not an unusual move for the food gurus behind the scenes at the Goat - they’ll be making a seafood sausage using Nova Scotia-sourced fish and shellfish, which will be wrapped up in a brioche bun and topped with house-made kimchi and aioli.

Now featuring new cheese & charcuterie boards on our licensed patio!

Join us Saturday, August 16, 3-5pm

Wolfville Farmers' Market

Delicious BBQ’d treats on the patio Music by jazz/folk trio Mark Bezanson & the Idle Threats Wine Tastings & Tours

24 Elm Avenue, Wolfville · wolfvillefarmersmarket.ca The Wolfville Farmers' Market takes place in a beautiful repurposed turn-of-the-century apple warehouse. Home to 60 vendors and live music at its year-round Saturday Market (8:30am - 1:00pm) as well as a seasonal Wednesday Market (4:00- 7:00pm), at the Wolfville Farmer’s Market everything is local and either grown, harvested or made by the vendors themselves.

GASPEREAU VINEYARDS OPEN 9am - 6pm. 2239 White Rock Rd., Gaspereau, NS (902) 542-1455 www.gaspereauwine.com

For this year's Sausage Fest, the Wolfville Farmers' Market will host two events. On Wednesday, August 20, it will be the Summer Gaspereau_Ad_Local_Connections_Halifax_07_14_FINAL.indd Sausage Celebration, where the market will feature "Farm to Sausage" plates as part of their community supper experience.

On Saturday, August 23, it's a full on BBQ and Devour! Kitchen Take-over, where local chefs will make unique plates using ingredients found from the market's vendors (chef names TBA).

"Farm to Sausage" plates will also be availble, as will "Sausage Maps" which will introduce you to a number of our talented local sausage producers. There will also be other activities as well, which will be announced later.

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Pop-up Events List

Special Tours

Aug. 14 - Ladies Beer League Roof-top Patio Party at Scanway Aug. 15 - Prop'r Cask Night ft. Ludo Eveno at Propeller Brewing Aug. 15 + 16 - Sausage Fest - Prix Fixe Menu at Brooklyn Warehouse Aug. 16 - Picnic by the Sea at Alderney Landing Ferry Park Aug. 16 - Sausage Sliders and Wine at L'Acadie Vineyards Aug. 16 - Sausage BBQ ft. Mark Bezanson at Gaspereau Vineyards Aug. 16 - Sausage Picnic on the Grass at Luckett Vineyards Aug. 16 - Patio Cook-out at Obladee Wine Bar Aug. 17 - Sausage Brunch at the Harbourstone Sea Grill Aug. 17 - Highland Drive Sausage BBQ in Hydrostone Aug. 17 - Meat Up on Agricola at Lion & Bright

HFX NORTH SAUSAGE FEST TOUR Aug. 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 Take a sausage-themed tour of Halifax's newest culinary district, the vibrant North End. Sample sausage-inspired dishes at a number of locally owned eateries, including hand-made sausages from famed charcuterie Ratinaud, and the unexpected and wholly delicious vegan sausages at En Vie. Tour also includes craft beer tastings, locally made ice cream as well as other treats - 9 food tastings included. $40 pp Celebrate the Sausage! Celebrate the North End!

localtastingtours.com

Aug. 19 - Sausage Patio Party at Bramoso Pizzeria Aug. 19 - Beer & Brats - Propeller Tap Takeover at Lion & Bright Aug. 20 + 21 - les saucisses en folie at Ratinaud French Cuisine Aug. 23 - The Summer Sizzler at the Wolfville Farmers' Market

For full event details, including access to ticket booths, please visit: localconnections.ca/events

SAUSAGE FEST TOUR Aug. 16 (10am - 5pm) Visit Luckett Vineyards where local sausage vendors will have booths set up at the winery sampling and selling their product! A wine tasting is also included. Tour stops at Blomidon Estate Winery, Fox Hill Cheese House and Gaspereau Vineyards as well! Tours departs from Halifax, Dartmouth or Sackville $69/person.

gonorthtours.com

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PRESENTS

Saturday August 23 from 8:30am - 1:00pm localconnections.ca/events

Craft BEER

Craft Beer Section: Tracy Phillippi

Farm + Brewery = Meander River Nova Scotia Brewers medal at the Canadian Brewing Awards What is the ultimate dream job? Judging Canada’s largest beer competition, of course! Between April 23rd and 25th, 43 certified beer judges from across the country sat down at Toronto’s iconic Steam Whistle Brewery with the difficult yet envious task of selecting Canada’s top beers from 950 entries!

Two well-deserving Nova Scotia producers walked away with top honours: • Greg Nash, brewmaster at Rockbottom Brewpub, took gold in the Russian Imperial Stout category with his Wreckoning RIS.

Nestled deep in the rolling hills of West Hants County, Meander River Farm and Brewery (MR) is brand new to Nova Scotia’s brewing scene. With over 30 years of home brewing experience and six seasons of hop growing under their belt, the Bailey family has been dreaming of starting a brewery since the rebirth of North American small-scale brewing in the late 1980s. The dream became a reality on May 17th when the brewery opened its doors and sold out of their flagship Lunch Box Pale Ale within hours.

Everything that happens at MR connects the brewery and farm full circle. The hop plants are irrigated by the brewing wastewater, the used (or “spent”) grain is fed to the pigs, and the pigs help till the land that grows the hops. Upcoming specialty beers will incorporate on-farm ingredients as well, including honey from their beehive and fresh hops from their hop yard.

Eastern Canadian beer judges also played a major role in this year’s competition. Garrison team member Tracy Phillippi was the competition organizer, and long-time beer judges Craig and Jeff Pinhey were head judges.

If you are interested in supporting the brewery beyond just enjoying the crafty goodness, you can purchase a Community Supported Brewery share at the beginning of the season and redeem your investment throughout the year with growler fills and special community events. MR beer can now be found in Halifax at Bar Stillwell, The Wooden Monkey and Maxwell’s Plum, and in growler format at the brewery (well worth the 60-minute drive from Halifax!).

canadianbrewingawards.com

meanderriverfarm.ca

• Shelbourne-based Boxing Rock Brewing took bronze in the coveted Imperial IPA category with their Vicar’s Cross Double IPA.

ED CLOS Y A D I MON TO FR S E U T - 6PM 10AM - 6PM AM SAT 9 M - 5PM 1A SUN 1

1.902.454.0094

local. sustainable. meat.

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www.highlanddrive.ca

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beef pork lamb chicken dairy produce

Tatamagouche Brewery: Keepin’ it in the family In 2013, Hans Christian Jost announced he was selling Nova Scotia’s largest winery to open a small-scale brewery in his home of Tatamagouche. The wine world’s loss was the beer world’s gain! Opened on June 17th with two stand-out beers— Hippie Dippie Pale Ale and Butcher Block Red—the brewery specializes in unfiltered, organic and seasonable beers that both locals and tourists will enjoy.

For the Jost family (who all share the brewing responsibilities) the community is the most important driving-force behind their grassroots business. The moment you walk into the brewery from the garage-door style entrance, you can peer downward into the open-concept brew house. “We really wanted to bring the brewery to the street and the street to the brewery,” says Hans Christian. “The smell of the grains and hops lure people in, like freshly baked bread.” The brewery is also looking to the community for guest brewers and suggestions on upcoming specialty beer styles; it’s enough to make the beer nerds salivate and the new recruits intrigued.

Tata Brew is available in Halifax at The Stubborn Goat, Brasserie, Fiasco, Maxwell’s Plum and Bar Stillwell; in 650 ml bottles at the Truro Farmers’ Market; and in growlers at the brewery in Tatamagouche.

Seaport Beerfest returns Atlantic Canada’s largest beer festival returns to Halifax for the 8th annual Bier on the Pier on August 8th and 9th at the Cunard Centre. Over 275 craft beers, premium imports and ciders will be featured from 110 breweries across 15 countries.

For the first time, the 2014 Seaport Beerfest will also offer unique, one-off cask-conditioned ales at the Cask Beer Pavilion run by local cask crusaders Bar Stillwell and the Halifax Ladies Beer League.

For those looking for the extra special treatment, both Saturday sessions will feature a VIP option with celebrated beer author Nicholas Pashley and Irish craft beer champion Stephen Clinch. VIP sessions include early access into the festival, a lively panel discussion and guided beer tastings.

Choose between three sessions: Friday evening from 7 pm to 9:30 pm, Saturday afternoon from 2 pm to 4:30 pm or Saturday evening from 7 pm to 9:30 pm. Tickets are $45 in advance and available at select NSLC locations or online at ticketatlantic.com.

seaportbeerfest.com

tatabrew.com

www.stubborngoat.ca 1579 Grafton St. | 902-405-4554

WINE

BEER

COCKTAILS

FOOD

LIVE MUSIC

City SPEAK

BE DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT Phil Otto

ca.linkedin.com/in/philotto

S

l brandguy

o many misunderstand the term “branding.” A lot of people believe it means logos or advertising, but these are the skin of a brand. Simply put, brand is the combination of expectation and reputation; this is the soul of a brand. And if your business isn’t a brand, it’s a commodity. The objective of a business caring about their brand is to lift what people will pay. Higher margins and demand for your product or service are vital to success and profit. This is the power of a strong brand.

But brand loyalty is hard to earn and harder to keep. What are the keys to building a brand? Making an emotional connection with customers, not just performing a transaction. Staying consistent with how your product or service performs, feels, tastes, costs or whatever is the trigger for the purchase. And being distinct from your competition.

A distinct brand starts with a distinct name. Great brand names are short and memorable. They are not descriptive, but connect at an emotional level. A great name is like the cover of a book—it sets up a great brand story but doesn't try to tell the story. A great name will stand the test of time. It does not draw on current trends or fads. Great names are ownable—they can be trademarked, registered with joint stocks and a Google search will not be cluttered with companies in the same space using the name. Great brand names are created by a very small group of stakeholders, not a committee. Names by committee result in names by consensus and mediocrity. Think about Apple, Starbucks, Google, Kijiji and Blackberry. These names would never have passed the approval of a committee because they don't describe what the businesses do. Which is exactly why they are memorable. And the number one rule of brand names: don't use initials. You simply can't build an emotional connection to two or three random letters. The exception is the billion dollar rule: if you're going to spend a billion dollars promoting your brand, you can build a brand based on two or three letters, like RBC, CBC and IBM have done.

While your brand needs to reflect value for money, don’t waste energy catering to the consumer who spends their entire life chasing the cheapest loaf of bread. Find your points of difference and build on them. Then keep it simple. Keep it focused.

And keep it distinct.

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City SPEAK

COLLABORATION IS THE NEW COMPETITION Lindsay Burns

ca.linkedin.com/in/lindsaybest

l lindsaybestbiz

A

few months back a friend and I went to a local restaurant for dinner. We ate a delicious meal while experiencing a great evening with a lovely atmosphere and vibrant staff. We got chatting with the owner and ended up having a great conversation about local food and local business.

Eventually, they suggested we visit another (competing) local restaurant. What a rare thing! After more thought, I realized that this is not as unusual as it first seems.

Restaurants in Halifax do a lot to support each other and share the belief that the efforts they collectively make benefit them all.

If you know me, you know I’m rather fond of the Annapolis Valley, where there’s another example of a group rallying together: the wine industry. I have had several opportunities to chat with a few of these establishments, and many seem feel the same way; when they work together, they gain much more attention. They attend the same events, do some group marketing and know each other’s products well. The interesting element here is that not only have they created a destination, but they are pushing each other to be the best they can be. It’s a beautiful thing.

Now, I recognize that not every industry is made stronger by collaborating with competition, but that doesn’t mean the formula for growth by community involvement can’t still make a big impact. An intimate, tight-knit community is exactly what many people search for when they travel to rural areas of Nova Scotia.

They yearn for the moment that a shop owner will recommend the restaurant down the street whose staff will then suggest a new, un-thought-of activity, creating an immersive local experience. What a way to explore a new area of our region. This community love will be remembered by a local, city folk or someone visiting our beautiful province from abroad.

Nova Scotians are notoriously proud of their home and are happy to brag about the great experiences our province has to offer. This pride can be incorporated into your business's marketing strategy. Your market is not just the people in the same postal code. Other Nova Scotians can be your biggest advocates and will recommend a visit to your corner of the world.

Explore someplace new and share it with your friends; word will spread quickly and a new gem will be discovered. On the flip-side, businesses need to work hard to be the gem. Rally your community, embrace the competing business down the street and tell anyone who will listen.

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Closing NOTE

HARRIS EAST Article: Lola Augustine Brown · Photo: Riley Smith

David Graham of Atlantic Developments: creative thinking to build impressive communities

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uilding the Theatre Lofts on Gottingen Street was a pretty big risk for Atlantic Developments. After all, when the development process started in 2008, the area was still decidedly sketchy, and when signs went up to advertise the development, they were quickly vandalized with claims for the yuppies to leave the area alone.

“There was resistance to doing anything on Gottingen Street, from both the bankers who would traditionally provide construction financing and from people in Halifax,” says David Graham, President of Atlantic Developments. The risk paid off, and Theatre Lofts was a success. And the fact that Atlantic Developments made a huge investment in the area no doubt helped pave the way for its rejuvenation into the kind of place that businesses want to move into (such as EDNA, Field Guide and Ratinaud French Cuisine to name but a few).

The fact that Gottingen was still pretty wild when Graham started the Theatre Lofts project was part of the appeal. “I like being a little bit out of the core and on the periphery, and I

think it provides an interesting opportunity,” he says, adding that those are the types of places he has historically chosen to live in himself.

The situation is decidedly different with Graham’s current development, Harris East. Locating it next to what has become the most vibrant part of Agricola Street, Graham doesn’t have to hope that the neighborhood will catch up this time. “When we purchased the land two years ago we had no idea that all these restaurants and shops would open on Agricola Street, and we are thrilled that it preceded the marketing of Harris East,” he says. Harris East is going to be similar to the kind of stunning urban developments that you see in Yaletown in Vancouver or the Meat Packing District in New York, and this is obviously something that Halifax is hungry for. At the time of writing, this development had already sold two-thirds of the available suites, and it was still a month away from actually breaking ground.

Denise MacDonnell, a realtor with Red Door Realty, says that

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Property SCENE the idea of buying something that hasn’t actually been built yet is a fairly new concept in Halifax, but something much more common in cities like Toronto and Vancouver. This means that it can be a concept that is difficult for buyers to get their heads around. “You need a certain tolerance to risk to be able to see past the fact that what you are buying isn’t actually there yet,” she says.

Harris East is seductive enough for people to see past that risk, and MacDonnell says that there are plenty of reasons why it’s a coveted development in this city. “It’s coming from a developer with a good reputation, it is close to everything in the city but still has a very North End vibe, the design is simple and clean with quality construction, and there has been a great sales effort,” she says. “It’s an awesome product.”

Being able to see the opportunities in areas that other developers have been afraid to take on requires a certain kind of vision and fearlessness. Graham credits this as coming from spending his formative years in Sydney, but also from a father who always taught him that there was no ceiling or limit to what you can do in life and a mother who always kept him grounded.

Graham has led a pretty exciting life, and one that has taken him

all over the world before coming home to Nova Scotia.

Born in Antigonish, Graham moved to Sydney when he was nine (where he says there are more great characters than at Disney Land) and lived in Ottawa for a few years, but came back to Antigonish to go to St. FX. Something of a free spirit, Graham drifted between academic and government jobs and went travelling, first around Europe for a year, and then around Asia for another year. “Then I came back to Toronto and got in with a brokerage firm,” he says, “spending ten years there before going on to do a Masters of Science in Real Estate Development at Cornell University.”

Armed with that degree, he started developing first in Toronto, then here. As well as his successful inner-city projects, he is also developing the 40-acre Long Lake Village, which offers a more rural setting close to everything in the city.

Talking to Graham, it is clear that he loves his line of work. “I like creating something that’s a little bit different, and I really enjoy real estate development,” he says.

Lucky for us, he chose to bring his expertise and vision here, and he is confident that our city’s economy will only grow, making it a great move for him, too. █

Property SCENE

THE VILLAGES OF SEVEN LAKES Article: Lola Augustine Brown · Photo: Riley Smith

The charm of the country, close to the city: Seven Lakes Community offers a beautifully different place to call home

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arlier this year, a new development launched in Porters Lake offering a set of unique features that turns the concept of planned communities on its head. The first phase of this development, Bell Lake West Village, is one of what will ultimately be six villages in the Seven Lakes Community, all of which will be connected by biking and walking trails through carefully preserved woodlands and along lakes and streams. There’s also a butterfly sanctuary in the development, and lake access for every resident - not features that usually come with homes in planned communities in Nova Scotia, that’s for sure.

The ideas behind Seven Lakes came from consultation with the public about what they really wanted in a development, and a desire to problem solve in order to meet those needs, which ultimately turned out to be wanting to live closer to nature without losing a sense of community. “We asked people what their visions and values were, and we heard what they were saying. We came to understand what they were looking for not only in housing choices, but also in terms of lifestyle and living choices. People want to feel connected to their community, be

able to have seniors and young people living together, and to be able to work in the community without having to commute,” says community developer Gail Penney, “They want all these things, and that’s where the idea of the villages came from.”

Porters Lake is a very pretty piece of Nova Scotia, and this development is very respectful of that, adopting conservation design methodology to create something quite special, which saves 60% of the land as green space. “We saved all the features that matter so that they would be protected forever as a natural reserve, and fit all of the homes into the remaining land,” says Penney, adding that all the homes and roads are fit around these preserved spaces. “What that style of design does is nestle the communities into distinct areas that are connected to the environment in ways that make sense. There’s no cookie-cutter gridlock development here.”

In effect, Seven Lakes is offering serviced lots in the country, which means that residents get the practical comforts of urban living while pursuing a more rural lifestyle. The community has its own state of the art waste water system, for example.

“We’ve taken the guesswork out of country living, removed

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some of the obstacles that stopped them from making a move to the country previously, and provided the sense of community that people are looking for, as well as the housing choices that people were looking for,” says Penney.

The response to this community has been positive, and Penney is happy to see that all the fieldwork and research has paid off. Seven Lakes is proving popular with young families, and also older people who are looking to downsize. The fact that homes in the development were designed with affordability as one of the most important factors is probably helping to drive those two demographics. “We’ve worked with the topography of the land to find walk-out lots that allow for a basement with full-sized windows on one side, which effectively offer the opportunity to create a two-story home for the price of a onestory home,” says Penney, “But we’re also getting the moveup community of people looking to move into a larger home.”

Although a lot of focus in this community is on what is outside the home, the homes are gorgeous too – Seven Lakes is about committing to a lifestyle but also living in a home that matches your needs and makes you happy every time you walk in your door.

Through community consultation, the developers realized that residents of Porters Lake did not want to lose access to the lakes because of development, so there are no traditional lake lots. “Porters Lake has a strong and vibrant community, which was a major reason we wanted to place this development here, and this area has been the residents playground for a long time,” says Penney, “So we decided to put in two public lake access points, as well as a community park for the general public. That’s in addition to the other private parks that are in the community. We wanted to ensure that the lake remains available for everyone to enjoy.”

Seven Lakes is the largest open-space community within Halifax (and likely within Atlantic Canada). “Doing something on this scale required a lot of collaboration, and that process was very fruitful. It opened doors for us, and partway through this process we realized that we aren’t developers, we are community builders,” says Penney, “And we are so excited about that.” █

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Arts + ENTERTAINMENT

Article: Alison Delory · Photos: One Light Theatre

PRISMATIC ARTS FESTIVAL Cultural diversity hits the main stage at Alderney Landing

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hen the Prismatic Festival opens at Alderney Landing in August, a diverse group of artists from across Canada will share the stage.

While it's not uncommon for professional and amateur actors, singers, musicians, dancers and spokenword performers from different cultural backgrounds to showcase their talents, it's less common to see them together at one event.

They may be well known in their own communities, but sharing a main stage is still rare, Shahin Sayadi explains. He is the artistic producer at Onelight Theatre, the company behind Prismatic, a festival and conference running from August 21 to 24 that celebrates the work of Canada’s leading Aboriginal and culturally-diverse artists, including those who are deaf and disabled. This year, Prismatic has attracted artists from Iqaluit, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and the Maritimes. "Coast to coast to coast," says Sayadi. The

conference workshops are also open to the public and give everyone a chance to network and collaborate. For example, a featured session this year has amateur musicians playing with folk singer/songwriter J.P. Cormier.

"Everyone can come to Prismatic. Everyone can feel comfortable here," Sayadi says. General admission to hear live music on the Alderney Landing grounds will be by donation, and the indoor, ticketed events are moderately priced at around $20. "It's not just for elites," Sayadi stresses, mentioning his need for volunteers and that each of the four days will end with an all-ages dance party. "Every aspect is inclusive," he says.

Sayadi is an Iranian-born Canadian whose firsthand experience with artistic segregation inspired him and his wife, Maggie Stewart, to open the Onelight Theatre Company in Halifax some 12 years ago. It's grown to offer several new productions each year, a theatre school and the now-annual Prismatic Festival. Plus, since last year Onelight Theatre has

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had a permanent home as the resident theatre company at Alderney Landing.

There are multiple indoor and outdoor performance spaces at Alderney Landing but the main stage is a 285-seat black box theatre—a simple, unadorned performance space with black walls, movable seating and a wood-sprung floor.

Beatrice MacGregor, executive director of the Alderney Landing Community Cultural Centre, is pleased to have an anchored theatre tenant, saying Onelight is professional theatre at its best.

Given its mandate to promote community and cultural programming, and grow as a venue for business, arts and entertainment in Nova Scotia, pairing with Onelight Theatre was a natural fit. "The challenge [at Alderney Landing] is to fill the facility, use the space in ways people aren't used to seeing it used, and to bring the work of artists alive," says MacGregor. Theatre rentals are now almost at capacity, and private sector events are becoming harder to book at Alderney Landing considering that arts, cultural and not-for-profit groups get priority and reduced rental fees. This has created a challenge in terms of finding new ways to generate revenue, says MacGregor, but Alderney's raison d'être remains firm.

"We support the arts. It's what we do."

Alderney Landing also stages many other shows in partnership with local dance, theatre and musical troupes such as Halifax Theatre for Young People, Coastal Dance and Maritime Marionettes. It recently served as a venue for the Halifax Jazz Festival and has offered special performances

by Symphony Nova Scotia. "Every year we want to outdo ourselves," says MacGregor.

For Onelight Theatre, being permanently located at Alderney Landing is a long way from the company's 2002 beginnings in a small theatre space on Gottingen Street that Sayadi and Stewart called The Crib. (At that time, their baby girl's crib was a fixture in the hallway.) After outgrowing that space, Onelight rented stages at local venues including the Sonic Temple, Dalhousie Arts Centre and Neptune Theatre. "Now we don't have to move from place to place," says Sayadi. Onelight has a box office at Alderney Landing for visibility, and the support of the local community there. "We have a home. We're a real theatre now." █

$2.50 includes all the reasons to come back. upcoming events: July 31st to August 4th - Bell Alliant Natal Day August 2nd - Kiwanis Mother Goose Festival August 16th - Picnic By The Sea August 21st to 24th - Prismatic Arts Festival August 24th - Switch Open Streets FOR SUMMER EVENT LISTINGS VISIT DOWNTOWNDARTMOUTH.CA AND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @DT_DARTMOUTH

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Arts + ENTERTAINMENT

CECILIA CONCERTS Article: Kathleen Higgins

St.Cecilia Concert Society is ready for its 26th season

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s Halifax's North End undergoes another exciting transformation, we are seeing new restaurants, venues and cultural hubs pop up seemingly overnight. Almost as suddenly as they open, they become an integral part of the fabric of our changing neighbourhoods. With these rapid and exciting developments, it can be easy to forget the long-standing cultural citizens and spaces that have been here all along. It is these institutions who have paved the way for their new peers, who have helped build and develop the cultural landscape that has become the home to so many new ventures. The St. Cecilia Concert Society, celebrating its 26th anniversary this year, is one such longstanding institution, and they could not be more excited to welcome their new neighbours.

Founded by Barbara Butler in 1989, the series spent much of its first decades housed in St. Andrew's Church, where Butler served as Music Director. The series relationship with the north of Halifax was solidified by their move into the Maritime Conservatory a few years back, and has proved a very fruitful one. “It is a natural fit” explains Larry Bent, Chair of St. Cecilia Concert Society “The Conservatory has been around for over 125 years and is an icon of cultural Halifax.

They have established an atmosphere that is supportive and collaborative”. Support and collaboration are central to the goals of the society, which aims to provide accessible chamber music for a diverse audience while fostering an environment where musicians can develop creatively and artistically. Bent explains with pride that there is a “tremendous community of musicians here in Nova Scotia, and in fact, all across Canada.

There are too few opportunities for them to share their passion and their craft. So a part of our function is to provide performance opportunities to artists. We also belong to the community of music lovers in Halifax. Our responsibility to them is to provide opportunities to listen to fine performances of live music within a comfortable social setting”.

This enthusiasm for sharing the joys of chamber music with everyday Haligonians is one emphasized by Suzanne Lemieux, Principal Oboe of Symphony Nova Scotia and St. Cecilia's Artist in Residence for the 2014-2015 series. Lemieux had played with a number of ensembles on the series in the past, and when she was invited to take part as the artist in residence, she knew it was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. Much like Bent and others involved with the organization, Lemieux can't help but emphasize the tremendous sense of community that St.

Cecilia's fosters. “Music is important because is a great place to send your mind. And live music makes you feel connected both to the players and to the other listeners. There's a sharing that happens and a buzz at intermission sometimes when everyone is wowed and wants to talk about what they just heard”. This buzz is one clearly shared by musicians and patrons alike, and extends to the series educational component as well. “In some ways, every concert is an educational experience” Bent tells me 'My own musical horizons are expanded every time I attend a Cecilia Concert”. Beyond their desire to expand the musical horizons of their increasingly diverse audience (a mandate underscored by ticket prices that have remained the same for the better part of the decade), St. Cecilia provides a number of more traditional educational opportunities, including tours to local schools by the cast of the Jeunesses Musicales' opera, master classes and workshops for aspiring musicians, and preconcert talks. They also present programs in accessible and unexpected community spaces around the province, including marketplaces, libraries and private homes.

The enthusiasm for sharing chamber music with their community is palpable among those involved with the society, and one that dominates many of the discussions about their role in the community. Bent insists that the group is “in a constant struggle to make ourselves accessible to everyone” which, combined with their fixed ticket prices has seen their audience grow to include “more students, more young professionals, more families and, because of a conscious policy of offering bilingual services, more Francophones”. Their Sunday afternoon schedule also makes the series a perfect pairing with their new neighbours. With restaurants like the Agricola Street Brasserie, EDNA, Lion & Bright and The Nook all within walking distance, more than one person I spoke with emphasized the way in which St. Cecilia can easily become part of a lovely lazy Sunday. After enjoying brunch at any one of these hot new spots, what could be better than sitting down to enjoy an intimate and enlightening afternoon of world-class chamber music, right in your own backyard? Lemieux sees an obvious connection between the two, sharing a deliciously appropriate metaphor at the end of our conversation.

“Someone once said that listening to a chamber group is a bit like eavesdropping on the table next to yours at a restaurant. You get to hear some of the conversation and see interaction but you make up your own story of what is going on...but this is better than eavesdropping, because the musicians are playing for you!”

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BE SMART: PLAN FOR WINTER Now is the time to start thinking about energy efficiency and how to save money on purchases.

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or a lot of people, summer may seem like an odd time to think about power bills. Summers are about beaches and BBQs, frolicking on the beach and drinking bottles of Nova 7, not outdated washers and dryers or inefficient insulation. So why would we do this? Why would we spoil the fun and talk about appliances and winter in the middle of summer? Well, hold on, we're not suggesting you abandon your lawn chair and pina colada, we're simply saying that right now, while there isn't the pressure of big power bills, is the best time to map out your energy saving strategy for the coming winter.

For starters, you could consult the experts by booking a home energy assessment with Efficiency Nova Scotia. It's an inexpensive ($200) and painless process, and you will end up with a clear idea on where all your energy dollars are being wasted. On top of this, you'll also get a clear picture on where your money should go in order to get more bang for your buck.

If you live in an older home, even 15 years old, this should be a big deal to you. Having recently moved from an older home to one that is only six years old, we actually found it staggering to see the difference in energy use between the two homes.

For people with less disposable income, Efficiency Nova Scotia also has its Low Income Homeowner Service. For qualifying low income home owners, Efficiency Nova Scotia will make upgrades to insulation, and seal holes and cracks, all at no charge.

If you happen to have some old appliances which are inefficient and ready for replacement, here's something to think about. On those trips you make throughout the summer for things like lawn fertilizer or deck paint, you could also begin looking at new, energy efficient appliances. There are models to compare and each has a sticker price which is set to change throughout the year. For the most part, these sale prices are planned for well in advance, so knowing your models and when the sales are happening, will result in you getting the right machine and with some decent savings too.

As a real-world example, we purchased a new washer and dryer last April. We didn't buy right way, but instead did our homework and waited for a few sale cycles to pass before making our move. We waited out the right sale, and in the end saved over $700 on the washer and dryer which we determined were the best we could buy. And the units weren't super expensive to begin with. On top of this, we saved an additional $75, because the sale cycle took place during Efficiency Nova Scotia's bi-annual rebate program (which returns October 1st by the way). So that's $775 on just two appliances. Plus, we also saved another $700 on a new fridge originally priced at $1899, taking it to a total of $1475 in savings. Now that's a lot of Dee Dee's ice cream.

Of course, energy and dollar savings weren't our only motivation. We were looking to improve our lifestyle as well, and we knew we could achieve this by purchasing newer appliances. We knew that by going with a high efficiency, large capacity washer and dryer, we would spend a lot less

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Article: Alexander Henden

Energy EFFICIENCY

time washing clothes (and who really gets pleasure from doing laundry?). Our new washer and dryer are both capable of washing or drying two king-size duvets at one time, which is actually more than double the capacity of our previous unit. Each load also takes less time to wash and dry as well, and overall we save around fours hours each week that was previously spent doing laundry. More time for family, and more time for ice cream.

Another energy upgrade we made during last year's rebate program was to install programmable thermostats throughout our condo. Once again, there was double motivation at play.

We were interested in not wasting money heating rooms that were not occupied, but we also wanted to control actual room temperatures in order to make our home more comfortable. In particular, I like to have it five degrees cooler at night, and this just takes place on its own now with the new thermostats.

As for the fridge we bought, we know it's more efficient. But because it's bottom mount unit, we can also now see our food better, and this has contributed to a lot less food waste.

In the end, in our real-world example, we found ways to become more energy efficient, which is both good for the planet and our pocket book. We also saved a bundle of money in the process, and even improved our quality of life. We achieved this through planning and patience, and feel comfortable in knowing we made the best choices possible. And we did it with a little help from Efficiency Nova Scotia.

For more information on Efficiency Nova Scotia's residential programs, or to book a home energy assessment, visit them online at: efficiencyns.ca

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Once Upon an AVONDALE

Article: Jordan Whitehouse · Photos: Avondale Sky

AVONDALE SKY WINERY Looking back at the rebirth of a community landmark

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rom the village of Walton to Newport Landing, St. Matthews Anglican Church takes a 40 kilometre ferry ride to its new home at Avondale Sky Winery.

A tough move is nothing new to St. Matthews Anglican Church. One hundred and fifty years ago, parishioners used oxen to move it three kilometres closer to the village of Walton’s waterfront in the middle of winter. But three years ago, when the move involved a forty-plus-kilometre ferry ride and some of the highest tides in the world, “tough” took on a whole new meaning.

It was totally worth it, however, says Lorraine Vassalo, who, along with her husband Stewart Creaser, had St. Matthews ferried to Newport Landing and then trucked to their winery, Avondale Sky, in May 2011. The church now acts as their retail space. “It was our neighbours who insisted we take a look at it back in October 2009,” says Vassalo, “and when we did and were actually inside, it just grabbed us. It was just such a warm, inviting space.”

After learning that the church would be destroyed if it wasn’t saved, Vassalo and Creaser jumped at the chance to buy it. They paid just $1.67 for St. Matthews (the same amount the Anglican Diocese paid in 1844) but when transportation and renovation costs were factored in, the whole project would cost

more than building a new retail space. But again, it was worth it, says Vassalo. “This building was so beautiful that we just needed to save it.”

They quickly enlisted the help of master mover Phil Leil who told them that to move it by road they’d have to cut it in three pieces, which would completely destroy the ceiling, but if they moved it by water, they’d be able to keep the church intact. They all knew a ferry move would be complicated, but it seemed liked the only choice they had.

Leil then brought in Stan Lord, a ferry operator from Deer Island, New Brunswick, who was confident he could get the church from Walton to Newport Landing without any problems. Before he made the move, though, Vassalo and Creaser had the shingles taken off and insulation sprayed in the ceiling—smart moves that took care of leaks and made the structure safer for transport.

On May 4th they were ready for the voyage, so the church was trucked to the ferry, waiting at high tide. Lord and St. Matthews eventually made it down the Minas Basin and the Avon River to Hantsport, where the water levels would be deep enough for the 30-tonne barge that night. The next day he set off for Newport Landing and arrived to about 200 spectators applauding the feat, a journey that had lasted just over 24

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hours and included tides that fell and rose over 43 feet.

“It went fabulously,” Vassalo told The Hants Journal that afternoon as she watched the moving truck take St. Matthews to its new home at Avondale Sky. “To have the church back on dry land is just absolutely euphoric.”

Once the church was in place, contractors kept the interior as close to the original as they could, replacing sections of lath, insulating walls, repairing the wainscoting and washing the ceiling. Outside, it got a new paint job and stairs, a strong foundation, and a few other touch-ups. Visitors were “absolutely amazed” when they saw it, says Vassalo.

Three years later, they still are, especially those who had a connection with St. Matthews in the past. “It’s really nice when people come to visit who went to Sunday school here or were baptized in the church,” says Vassalo. “We recently had a couple from New Zealand who had been married here and had come back for their wedding anniversary.”

In 2011, the church won a heritage build award from the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia, whose jury members recognized it for the painstaking renovation and that it could be restored to its original state if need be.

It was an important accolade to Vassalo and Creaser because it lined up with one of their guiding philosophies: sustainability. “I know that ‘sustainability’ is a word that people throw around a lot,” says Vassalo, “but we try to stick to it, always reusing instead of buying new if it’s a possibility.

We’re trying to get the farm back to as healthy of a property as possible for our staff, the farm itself, the wine and the visitors, so it’s just part of our underlining being.”

They don’t plan on reusing St. Matthews for any other purpose, however, let alone having it moved anywhere again.

“We think it’s pretty perfect the way it is,” says Vassalo. “We thought it was perfect when we originally saw it. Once a former sanctuary of the church with an altar, now a modern day sanctuary with comfy leather furniture.” █

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Closing NOTE

Article: JAlexander Henden 路 Photo: Riley Smith

MEET YOUR FARMER

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hen I first decided to produce this magazine, I really had no idea how much I would learn in a very short period of time, nor did I have any idea how much my life would change.

I've always loved eating tasty food dating all the way back to my childhood in Toronto, but my experiences these last couple of years have taken me to places I never expected.

If I were to look back, say 20 years ago, it wouldn't be uncommon to see me in a McDonald's, or buying a bag of Zesty Doritos and a can of Coke. To me, these were satisfying back then, like road salt is to caribou in a way, but as the years passed, I found myself moving away from eating these kinds of things. And thank goodness for that.

By 2010, the year I moved to Nova Scotia, I had already moved a fair distance away from fast or processed food, and was beginning my new journey of 'going local'. This was evident when you looked in my fridge and it was even more evident in the places I was choosing to eat out. What I didn't know however, was how much this magazine would speed up my transition to fresher, better quality food (and drink).

It all started with the chefs and restaurateurs I was meeting with behind the scenes. The food they were serving was inspired to say the least, but it was their passion for the ingredients that they were using which I found the most intriguing. In some cases, I even found myself locked into

half hour 'get me outta here' monolgues about local food, and while it wasn't so amusing at the time (I'm a busy guy you know?), I can look back with a laugh, but also with complete understanding and respect for that passion and commitment.

Local food has a way of changing your life. I now know this.

In 2013, I began connecting with producers a little more.

Having grown up in three big cities, I was curious. I never had a connection to farmers or producers, and didn't really understand what they do. Who were these people? What are they like? Are they any different than you and me? And what about the state of the food system here in Nova Scotia which I have been hearing so much about lately? I had a lot of questions, but they're all questions I'm glad I asked.

Today I find myself still on my journey. I've gotten to know a number of our amazing local farmers and producers, and I've gained a greater understanding of where we actually stand in terms of our ability to feed ourselves.

I've also come to understand that my relationship with local food producers is both important to the magazine, and to myself as a person who needs, but also enjoys food. So, this autumn, I'm going to expand my horizons further and visit some farms during Open Farm Day, and I'm going to bring my friends and family along for the ride. It's gonna be fun. We're going to meet some of our local producers, learn how things work, and maybe even eat delicious things in the process.

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WOLFVILLE

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NOVA SCOTIA

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Prepare yourself for a veritable feast on screen and on your plate.

Indulge in restaurant pop-ups, wine experiences, sensory screenings, food truck rallies, awesome foodie seminars, industry insider sessions and gala dinners featuring renowned international and local chefs celebrating the very best of food and wine.

DevourFest. #EatItUp

NOVEMBER 12 - 16, 2014