Local Connections Halifax - Winter 2015

ROUSSEAU CHOCOLATIER + MEZZA LEBANESE KITCHEN

Breaking Barriers

A developing Vision for a great city

I Love Local HFX Devour! The food film Fest eye candy signs Jym Line Glassware

The Architects Shaking the Foundations: A New Era of Architecture in Halifax

Winter 2015

I Love Local HFx's Gordon Stevens and the Shubenacadie Canal Commission

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Contents Issue Number 12, Volume 4 - Winter 2015

8

Local Discoveries

A look at some amazing finds from last quarter

18

Community Builders

Features on I Love Local HFX's Gordon Stevens and the Shubenacadie Canal Commission

22

22

The architects

Shaking the foundations: A new era of architecture in Halifax

28

The Future of halifax

A developing vision for a great city

40

devour! the food film fest

Coverage from last November's big event in Wolfville Nova Scotia

34

38

20 16

28

50

breaking barriers

A Q&A with Louis Gossett Jr.

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

3

Editor's Message

Time for the Mission.

I

t's now 2015, and so begins this magazine's 4th year of existence. It's been a challenging ride, but it's also been a great one. We've explored our province a little more each year, discovering many of its greatest treasures, and it's been our pleasure to share this journey with you.

In looking ahead to the coming year, we've found ourselves asking how we can be better.

Many think we've done a great job, and we do have much to be proud of—we've grown as a print publication at a time when many in our market have perished, and we've certainly appreciated all the encouragement and support we've received. But the truth is that we can do so much more.

With this in mind, we chose to look back at the past three years from an objective viewpoint and asked ourselves: Who are we? What is our purpose? What are our goals?

Are we acheiving what we've set out to do with a high level of consistency, and if not, why? Through this process of self-observation, we've discovered something. We're missing our Mission Statement! So this Autumn we began the process of developing one.

Today, we still don't have a written Mission Statement. We'll have a formal version early this year, but we now have four principles that we are now using to govern all our decisions and actions.

At the forefront of this is the consumer. For us, this is our readers (you), but also all the folks who come to our events, and even the folks who have yet to become our readers and event-goers. Moving forward, our commitment is to make the best magazine possible, and to host events of the same quality. Only the best for the consumer will do.

Secondly is our partners. Obviously this includes our advertisers and event partners, but also a large number of folks who support us in other ways. Our commitment to them is to deliver the best value possible.

The third piece is the protection of our own brand which, if we were to do a good job of putting the consumer first and focusing on delivering value, we're almost certain to succeed at this. This year we'll sharpen our knives a little and get this one right.

The last piece is profitability. What we've come to discover is that we're better enabled to do the quality of work and provide the level of value we want to when the bank account isn't dry. To date, profitability has not been a priority, and we've found this to be the number one reason when we've fallen short on the first three points over the last three years. So we're gonna change this.

So there you have it. Our new mandate as we move into 2015, which, if you don't mind me saying, will be one heck of a year.

Here's to a prosperous 2015, for ourselves, and our much-loved province!

Alexander Henden Owner, editor-in-chief, and ambassador of local

There is no other place in Canada that enjoys the potential we have right here. Our magazine is a celebration of those who are making good on the promise of a bright future, and the meaningful experiences they make available to all of us.

We publish five issues per year focused on a number of themes that make being and living in Nova Scotia so special.

Starting this issue, we’ll focus on the trajectory of urban Halifax, aiming to put our journey forward into context.

In spring we’ll celebrate the Nova Scotian road trip with wine and travel content. In early summer we’ll celebrate life in Halifax, and in late summer we’ll explore the vibrant communities that make Halifax what it is, along with a fun focus on our local craft beer scene. In fall it’s all about our eclectic mix of retailers and the joy that is Nova Scotia’s autumn harvest.

In all, our editorial program will cover a full spectrum of life in our great region curated to focus on those experiences that make our home shine.

Our mission to connect people with exceptional experiences doesn’t end at five issues per year. We also host events throughout the year where our readers have the opportunity to join in the celebration, providing an opportunity for them to meet our local entrepreneurs whose products they enjoy, and to build real relationships with these inspiring community leaders.

At Local Connections Halifax, we aim to cover the whole journey that is Nova Scotia. And we invite YOU to come along for the ride.

For all inquiries, email: magazine@localconnections.ca

f LocalConnectionsHalifax l ConnectionsHFX

Our contributors

Local Connections Halifax is a curated guide to Nova Scotia—the best things to do, eat, and drink; exceptional local makers and retailers; places to live and the communities they’re part of; and the people who are helping to take our region to new heights.

ALEXANDER HENDEN Founder, Creative Director, and frontman for Local Connections Halifax.

Came to Halifax in 2010, and isn't leaving anytime soon.

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

PHIL OTTO CEO and Senior Brand Strategist at Revolve Branding.

TRACY PHILLIPPI 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!

LOLA AUGUSTINE BROWN

LIA RINALDO

RILEY SMITH

BRENDEN SOMMERHALDER

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.

Came from away and proud to be here.

Curious about how our community works. Comms guy, craft beer enjoyer, social geek, local booster, and boss at Halifax Bloggers.

TIFFANY THORNTON

ALISON DELORY

LAURA OAKLEY

SCOTT MACDONALD

Halifax-based journalist, author and editor. She teaches writing part-time at Mount Saint Vincent University and was recently named a Progress Women of Excellence 2014 recipient for communications and public affairs.

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

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

EMILY FORREST

CHRIS DEWAAL

Nova Scotia based entertainment journalist, and freelance writer loves watching the written word evolve. She covers music, travel, and theatre for a number of publications.

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

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

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

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

WE'RE STILL HIRING!

AMY SAVOURY

MICHELLE DOUCETTE

Wine enthusiast, certified Sommelier, and Tourism & Culinary Arts instructor at NSCC. Dedicated lifelong learner with an unquenchable thirst for all things local and a passionate promoter of our distinctive Nova Scotia wine culture.

Lifestyle and portrait photographer based in Halifax. Rides a lime green vintage Vespa. Organizes her social life around local foodie events.

With some ambitious plans in play for 2015, we're looking for someone to fill the position of Senior Sales Director. All candidates should know who we are and what we do, have a solid sales background with some quality connections, have a service-focused approach to sales, and want to work with a very talented roster of individuals who share an enthusiasm for our great region. If this sounds like you, contact us at:

magazine@localconnections.ca

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

7

Local DISCOVERIES

taste the fever from guysborough Obladee does lunch When we heard that Obladee Wine Bar in downtown Halifax was going to start opening for lunch, we got excited. Naturally they were going to do a good job of it, but just how good caught us by surprise. Their lunch service, while very basic in nature (soups, salads, and sandwiches), is completely amazing, and unless you're the type who likes to swan dive into all-you-can-eat buffets, you'll find portions are perfect, leaving enough room for, dare we say it, a beer. Of course being a wine bar, you could also have a nice glass of wine, but they also have espresso drinks and nonalcoholic beverages as well. Obladee tip: Get the salad (not pictured), every time.

There's a new rum in town. The folks from Authentic Seacoast in Guysborough have now entered the distillery game with three unique rums - Spice Rum, Coffee Maple Rum, and Amber Rum. We had the opportunity to try all three back in November, and we have to say, they're pretty delicious.

seafeverrum.com

1600 Barrington street, halifax

A cookbook for mussel lovers

Very recently, The Pork Shop in New Glasgow repackaged its line of locally made Bert's BBQ Sauces. The sauces come in three simple but delicious flavours: Mild, Garlic, and Hot, and we can attest that they're super good as a braising liquid, though you can use these sauces in whatever way you like.

We didn't figure there were so many different ways to cook with mussels, but this cookbook by The Kitled Chef, aptly named "Mussels", sets out to prove us wrong. This cookbook, which is easily one of the best looking cookbooks to come out of Atlantic Canada, is 196 pages full of terrific recipes and other bits that will guide every home cook who picks one up and uses it.

facebook.com/www.theporkshop.ca

kiltedchef.ca

Locally made bbq sauces

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LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

LOCAL FOOD + LOCAL CHEFS recipes galore!

Back in November, our friends at Select Nova Scotia launched their all-new 2014 Recipe Collection. It's a great little cookbook with 21 recipes on how to make everything from lobster eggs benedict to pulled jerk pork sandwiches. Each recipe is designed by a celebrated local chef who, for their recipe, uses product from some of our top local producers. It's the perfect combo really, and the best part is that the recipes are fairly simple to make.

facebook.com/selectns

SWEet jane's moves to queen st.

In case you were wondering what happened to Sweet Jane's, they moved.

Now you can get your sugar high or purchase quirky gifts from their new location right across the street from Atlantic News.

sweetjanes.com

Local DISCOVERIES

NEW direct flights to europe the new library is really here!

After waiting many years, the new Central Library is now open and ready for you to check out. From the outset, the design was always meant to serve as a public space first and foremost, and that's exactly what we now have. It's actually quite a magical space both inside and out, and compared to say, the downtown Vancouver library, it's in a league of its own. World class even. But don't take our word for it, make some time to check it out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Those wanting to fly directly to european destinations, without having to experience the Pearson International Airport now have something to celebrate.

Condor is offering direct flights to Germany as of May 10, 2015, where Westjet is offering direct flights to Glasgow, Scotland.

condor.com peoplemakeglasgow.ca

halifaxpubliclibraries.ca

the revitalizing of old furniture

vintage furniture store downtown If vintage furniture is you cup of tea, then you'll want to check out Abode Boutique right on Doyle Street. It's a small but well-stocked shop with a wide variety of furniture and accessories, with a focus on 60's and 70's era design. There's big stuff like seating and wall units, and little stuff like dishware and nick nacks. It's a little treasure trove of yesteryear, and could be the place where you find that one piece you've been looking for all these years.

5431 Doyle Street, Halifax

10

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

If you're big into reducing waste, or simply like furniture with some unique flare and character, relove might be your ticket. Located in Halifax, relove takes obsolete and discarded furniture and repurposes them, adding new materials, while improving the overall construction quality. On their website, they've showcased current and past works, which include lighting, bedroom furniture, coffee tables, media cabinets, and more. The correct term for what they do is called upcycling, and their website is really worth a look. While most of the furniture is available online, they also sell at select retailers, and can even do custom design to suit your needs.

relovehalifax.com

vintage bridal and accessory shop With wedding season on our doorstep, it's good to know that there are options when it comes to purchasing wedding dresses. Honeybee Vintage Bridal on Gottingen Street offers soon-to-be brides the option of going vintage, and saving money too. It's a small shop with a good selection of dresses and accessories, and is open 6 days a week.

2130 Gottingen Street, Halifax

the best olives This past summer, during a visit to Luckett Vineyards, we stumbled upon some olives that were out for sampling, and to our surprise they were absolutely amazing. The olives are called Chupadedos, and whether you're an olive lover or not, the chances are you'll just love these. Even our Editor-in-Chief, who doesn't really care for olives, can't get enough. If you're keen to give these a go, you'll have to pop in at a Pete's location where you can buy small containers (as above), or in big cans which will last more than one evening.

This summer, experience Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city as it takes centre stage for the thrilling sounds of The World Pipe Band Championships & Piping Live!

Fly direct from Halifax, Nova Scotia in under 6 hours on WestJet

petes.ca

peoplemakeglasgow.ca/getting-here

12

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

From Consumer to Urban Farmer Chris DeWaal f getawayfarmbutchershops l meatmongers

H

alifax has played a critical role in the resurging awareness of local food and growing support for Nova Scotian agriculture. This great city has done more than her fair share in creating a demand for local food that Nova Scotian farmers continue to scramble to meet. Chefs and home cooks alike have done a great deal in building demand and pressing local producers to produce more and varied ingredients for local consumption. Without the influence of Halifax, Nova Scotian agriculture would be in a far different place than it is today.

There would be fewer farmers, fewer farms and far less local food. Yet the role of the consumer need not be the only role the city plays in the local food system. As we look to the future and dream of what could be, I believe we ought to pause and consider just how Halifax could move beyond the role of consumer and begin to play the part of co-producer of local food.

There has been an increasing discussion in recent years over the role that cities can play in the production of their own food. Revolutionary ideas on how to use boulevards, public gardens, green spaces and even rooftops for the production of food have begun to see practice in many major cities. In 2010 in New York City, for example, Gotham Greens constructed a 15,000 square foot rooftop greenhouse that produces over 100 tons of food per year without the use of pesticides, insecticides or herbicides.

Their third project is a whopping 60,000 square foot rooftop greenhouse. Imagine the amount of food being produced on roofs in the heart Brooklyn and Queens.

Even here in Halifax we are beginning to see proponents of urban farming having an impact. Jayme Melrose of Common Roots Urban Farm has seen huge growth at their site near the Halifax Common. Not only has the farm seen growth in demand for community plots but they now produce enough of their own produce to sell to wholesale customers. Capital Health has even expressed interest in incorporating Common Roots produce into their food service.

Melrose has an even bigger aspiration for Halifax and urban farming than simply producing food at one site. In her address at TEDx Nova Scotia this year, she shared her dream for Halifax: “I have a vision of a productive city that is full of gardens with people working in them… At the heart of this is an urban farm in every neighbourhood connected by edible green belts.” Imagine what that network could mean for the city, not only in terms of food production but socially.

The impact of a community participating in the production of its own food would be profound. Neighbours working with neighbours would help

to rebuild that sense of community that we have lost over the years. To have a shared investment in an urban farm or edible green belt would force us to realize that our plights are a common one and ought to be faced together. To toil under the sun and work in the soil would remind us that we have a precious resource beneath our feet that deserves to be stewarded with care. To endure the work of tending a garden would rekindle in us an appreciation for our farmers and our farms. By engaging in the production of its food, a city is forced to engage with itself in a complex and genuine way.

Melrose reminds us that “30 years ago Nova Scotia produced 60 per cent of its food; now we produce about 8 per cent.” That need not be the state of affairs for the future. While traditional rural farms and farmers are scrambling to figure out ways to meet the demand for local food in Halifax, let’s ensure that we continue to discuss ways the city itself can participate in the process.

From urban farms to backyard vegetable plots, Halifax has a part to play in the production of local food. █

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

13

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LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

*See Hillcrest Volkswagen for details.

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HAlifax is romance Emily Forrest f localtastingtours l LocalTasteTrs

H

alifax is a romantic city.

It’s a great place to be a two. Every time you turn around there’s something to try together: a craft beer event, a new food festival, a live show, a new local shop. You can have a lot of fun here just uncovering new ways to share your city with one another. And of course Halifax has a reputation as a fantastic place to meet someone new; the people here tend to be open and friendly, ready to share their story, and they don’t take themselves too seriously.

If you want to talk conventional romance, we’ve got it covered, too. Think of all those online surveys and dream date questionnaires you’ve read: long walks on the beach, candlelit dinners, softly lit evening strolls through historic streetscapes. For Halifax, that’s too easy.

Couples who live here are doing stuff like that every week.

Here’s my list of just a few fabulous experiences for Halifax duos and singles to check out: Swing Dancing: This retro, fast-

paced jive has made a big Halifax comeback in the last few years thanks to the Dalhousie Swing Dance Society.

Many of its members are non-students, and they welcome new couples to be part of the buzz at popular venues like Bearly’s House of Blues and The Nook on Gottingen.

Artwalk: I had a great time working with local gallery owners and eateries in the downtown to develop the first FOOD+ART culinary artwalks last year. It was a big hit with couples, and I was amazed to learn just how often gallery owners switch up the exhibits and add new work. I have two friends who create their own art walk together on a regular basis, taking an afternoon to browse favourites like Argyle Fine Art, Studio 21, The Craig Gallery and many others. They always make sure to fit in plenty of pit stops for nourishment along the way at spots like Rousseau Chocolatier, The Canteen, Indochine Banh Mi and any other local gem which speaks to them en route.

Cheesecake: As far as I’m

concerned, sinking my teeth into a nice slab of turtle cheesecake while gazing at my partner in the fancy pink and velvet dining room at the Sweet Hereafter is the pinnacle of romance. Word has it that on Valentine’s Day the lineup of young men waiting to woo their sweethearts with takeout cheesecake here goes all the way around the block.

Smart guys.

Live Theatre: There’s a shocking number of Canadians who have never actually experienced live theatre. In Halifax, we have so many talented individuals creating exciting new work (Zuppa Theatre Co. even writes shows with eating and drinking built right into them) that you can see new independent productions almost every month at quirky venues like The Bus Stop Theatre and The Waiting Room.

Not to mention the mind-blowing Live Art Dance shows at the Dalhousie Arts Centre. The most romantic thing about going to the theatre is experiencing something in the moment—together— and then having fun talking it out afterwards (occasionally with cocktails).

Farmers’ Market: Who says a date has to take place at night? Romance equals walking through the Alderney, Seaport or Brewery Market together and checking out all the fabulous artwork, baked goods, wine and crafts; taking your time deciding just what you’re going to pick up for dinner that night; and then going home to make it—and savour it—together.

Looking for Halifax romance? We’ve got it covered, baby. █

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

15

With Condor across the pond.

Book your 2015 flights to Germany and beyond now.

from s t h g i l op f ermany t s n o N o G , 2015. t x a f i Hal May 10 start

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LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

A Bold Halifax Phil Otto i ca.linkedin.com/in/philotto l brandguy

W

hat is the future Halifax I would like to live in? One with a strong economy. A strong economy will keep our workforce here and attract new people and businesses.

More people and businesses will drive a larger tax base, which will both reduce taxes and support increased budgets for more municipal services and better infrastructure.

How do we grow our economy? We change our attitude. We recognize success isn't a dirty word. Instead we celebrate success and champion those taking risk. We discourage pessimism and negative thinking. We agree that mediocre is not good enough for the Halifax we want our kids to grow up in.

We think bold. And we act bold.

What is bold? The new Central Library is bold. The Emera Oval is bold.

Seaport Market is bold. Eon Square is bold. So is Agricola Street Brasserie, Hope Blooms, Transition Bay, Harris East, RedSpace, The Canteen and DHX Media. What is the common theme with this mix of public and private projects

and businesses? A big idea that took those responsible out of their comfort zone. Big ideas are bold.

One of the biggest, boldest ideas ever discussed in our city is Battle of the Atlantic Place. The Canadian Naval Memorial Trust, led by a small volunteer group comprised mostly of retired Canadian military personnel, have developed a concept design to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic, fought off our very own shores to keep sea lanes open so we could support our allies in Britain and Europe during WWII. Battle of the Atlantic Place, to be located on the Halifax waterfront, would be a world-class facility telling the inspiring story of Canadian courage and sacrifice. The site would be Canada’s version of the Pearl Harbour Memorial, and a National Legacy Project commemorating an outstanding national achievement . It would put Halifax on the world stage. Battle of the Atlantic Place is bold for Halifax, bold for Nova Scotia, and bold for Canada. Time will tell if our municipal, provincial and federal governments can

get behind an idea this bold.

A group of organizations that collectively represent a large portion of Halifax’s workforce are endorsing an initiative to shift attitude in Halifax.

Greater Halifax Partnership, Halifax Chamber of Commerce, CFB Halifax, Lebanese Chamber of Commerce, Fusion Halifax, Digital Nova Scotia, Downtown Halifax Business Commission and others are early adopters who will soon encourage their employees and member organizations to take the Bold Promise. It is a pledge to be part of a movement of people who believe in a better Halifax; one that is open to new ideas, new people and a new economy. The fundamentals of the Bold Promise are to be positive, challenge pessimism, trust and be trusted, collaborate, pay it forward and celebrate success.

Attitude can hold us back and attitude can propel us forward. I want a Halifax that my children are proud to call home and raise their own families. Do your part to change attitude by taking the Bold Promise at: BoldHalifax.ca █

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

17

Community BUILDERS

Article by: Brenden Sommerhalder · Photo: Michelle Doucette

Bringing the love to downtown local businesses

18

T

wice per year, Haligonians flock to the city core and become tourists in their own town. Open City and City Harvest, about to enter their fourth year, have become two big dates on the calendars of local restaurants, retailers and service providers, and are the flagship events organized by I Love Local (HFX), led by Gordon Stevens.

“There's so much we take for granted or dismiss because we live here,” says Stevens. “When someone comes to visit you in July and they ask what they should do, and your answer is, ‘You should go to the Citadel; I haven't been there in 20 years, but I think that's what you should do,’ that's the wrong answer. The entire premise of Open City and City Harvest is to get people out and experience things in an accessible way.” The spring and fall events feature local businesses delivering specials and unique experiences, welcoming

the community to discover—or rediscover—the home-grown offerings around them.

Stevens, owner of the Uncommon Group of companies, which includes Rum Runners, Sugah!, Uncommon Grounds and Lost Cod Clothing Co., explains that Open City and City Harvest were born of a series of evolutions for I Love Local (HFX), an organization comprised of local businesses with the aim of promoting its members and the local business community. I Love Local (HFX) started not as an organization, but as a Valentine’s Day contest for Sugah!

“We figured we'd run a contest, and that's how we'd get people to remember that Sugah! exists,” says Stevens. “We put together our prize package, and we thought, ‘That's not a very attractive package.’ It certainly didn't scream Valentine's Day. So I said, ‘Well, I need a spa, a hotel, a couple of restaurants,

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

some booze, a bit of shopping, some jewellery.’” He sent emails to a few local businesses in town, offered to organize the contest, and I Love Local—the contest—was born. It was then that Stevens recognized a larger opportunity.

“When we pulled the prize packages together, we realized that there was very little cross-pollination between these businesses,” he explains. “People who were having a coffee at Uncommon Grounds weren't having pizza at Morris East or weren't shopping at the Trail Shop. Certainly there must be an opportunity there. If we've got 400 customers a day, that means we have 400 people that can help to spread the local message for us. The ‘love’ in I Love Local was because it was a Valentine's Day contest, and just happened to have that double meaning.”

Since then, I Love Local (HFX) has moved away from contests and focused

its attention on changing behaviours.

“When you talk about something like Christmas, no amount of noise that we could generate is going to compare with big box stores, online and so on, spending huge amounts of money at that time. So instead, the rest of the year we focus on building the appreciation for what local is so that during the holiday season it's already engrained in people to consider local businesses.”

Open City and City Harvest are two initiatives of I Love Local (HFX) used to accomplish this goal.

“The first year we probably spent $700 on posters and rack cards, and that's pretty much it,” says Stevens.

And that investment has had a disproportionate impact. “Some retail stores have had their biggest days of the year during Open City, even bigger than Christmas. It's crazy.” █

I Love Local hfx Milestones

DISCOVER RIDING. REINVENTED.

January 2010 Ten local business owners come together to run a Valentine’s Day Contest - the love in I Love Local was born.

2011 The first I Love Local HFX shopping brochure is produced.

2012 www.ilovelocalhfx.com is launched, more formal “membership” is introduced.

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2012 The first Open City & City Harvest events are held.

2013 Twitter followers pass 10,000 mark.

2014

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Over 100 businesses and organizations take part in Open City & City Harvest events & thousands of Haligonians come out to both events.

2015 Stay tuned for the return of Open City, which will be on Saturday, May 9.

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Community BUILDERS

Schubenacadie Canal

Article by: Jordan Whitehouse · Photo: Riley Smith

Enhancing one of Nova Scotia’s most ambitious engineering feats for over 25 years

20

I

f you’ve ever flown into Halifax Stanfield and looked out the window at that chain of lakes and rivers extending all the way from Halifax Harbour to the Minas Basin, you know the Shubenacadie waterway.

It’s been there for over 10,000 years, and for at least 4,000 of those it’s acted as a lifeline and a gathering point for people living near its banks. Today, it’s the Shubenacadie Canal Commission leading the charge to keep it as a public treasure, and with projects like the Dartmouth Canal Greenway finally underway, that treasure appears to be safe for the keeping.

Based in the Fairbanks Centre in Dartmouth’s Shubie Park, the eighteenmember strong canal commission is responsible for overseeing and promoting the canal system, the job it’s had since the mid-1980s. Funded by a combination of provincial,

municipal and private sources, the commission tries to fulfill its mandate by maintaining the greenbelt that surrounds the waterway and enhancing access to it for hikers, paddlers, campers and anyone just wanting to get outside for a water adventure that’s not of the standard ocean variety.

“And one of the most important parts of our mandate is maintaining the historical aspects along the canal,” adds Megan Blumenthal, the commission’s chair of promotion. “So we have several locks along the way, inclined planes and projects that align with that history and the parks spaces there as well.”

That history is a fascinating story of man versus land. Originally conceived of in the late 1700s, the canal, through a system locks, would be a way to move goods and military forces across the

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

province similar to how the Mi’kmaq had used it as a transportation corridor for millennia. Construction began in 1826 and continued for another five years, but in 1831, with 13 of at least 17 locks complete, they had to give up; the Shubenacadie Canal Company had run out of money.

In 1853, however, the idea for a functioning canal was revived with a less expensive plan that favoured inclined planes, which use cradles to move boats between different water levels, over locks. Three years later, the canal—the longest in the Maritimes— was in operation, transporting everything from goods for the gold mining era in Waverly to iron used for the new Nova Scotia Railway.

Ironically, it was that railway that led to the closure of the canal as a commercial operation in the early 1870s, but the canal’s historical roots

canal comm.

Milestones live on through some of the projects the Shubenacadie Canal Commission takes on today.

One of their biggest has been the Dartmouth Canal Greenway, an open space spine that will connect to the Trans-Canada Trail and run from Lake Banook to the Halifax Harbour.

“That area has been a dead space in the community, but it’s an important part of our heritage,” says Blumenthal.

“It’s called Irishtown because Irish stone masons building the canal stayed here and shaped our community. So you’re looking back at that but you’re also looking ahead to the future and a beautiful green space where people are going to be able to meet and gather.

I think it’s going to really pick up this particular part of the neighborhood.”

Although the project is slated to be finished by the fall of 2015, it hasn’t been easy getting to this point. For one, it’s an ambitious project that’s been in the works for ten-plus years and includes the construction of an eleventon replica cradle, archaeological digs, and the reconstruction and restoration of various features of the original site. For another, funding from the municipality was delayed for a year.

You won’t hear Blumenthal or her team complaining, though. They’re just happy the project is off the ground and will soon be another way for people to enjoy the engineering and natural treasure that is the Shubenacadie Canal. “When you visit, not only are you seeing these amazing manmade structures, some of which show the carvings and signatures of the stone masons, but you’re seeing that mixed with nature. It’s an incredible mixture of the manmade with the environment working together, and I hope people really enjoy that.” █

WHEN YOU ARE

READY

1986 Shubenacadie Canal Commission established by the province (replacing the Dartmouth Canal Advisory Committee) composed of appointees from HRM, East Hants and Colchester counties.

1987 Fairbanks and Alderney Interpretative centers open. The channel between Lake Micmac and Lake Charles is restored.

1994 Development of trail system from Halifax harbour to the Bay of Fundy begins.

1997 HRM acquires former Starr site, with remnants of the Canal Marine Railway.

2002 Lock 5 in Wellington is restored.

2004 Lock 1 at Lake Banook repaired and lower gates installed.

2007 Lock 6 land acquired.

2011 HRM commits funds for construction of Greenway Park featuring Canal Marine Railway components on Starr site.

2014 Design of Greenway Park nears completion. Cradle replica constructed off site. Additional lands at Lock 4 acquired by province.

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9028176007

AGENTIMMOBILIER/REALTOR®

Article by: Lola Augustine Brown · Omar and Teal Photos: Riley Smith

Cover STORY

22

The Architects Shaking the Foundations: A New Era of Architecture in Halifax

H

istorically, Halifax has not been known for earthshatteringly brilliant architecture and design.

Happily, this is changing, and not just because of the fantastic new Halifax Central Library that shines as a glass and steel beacon of hope in the design starved downtown core, but because of several young architects and firms that are working to change the status quo.

Omar Gandhi could easily be the poster-boy for Halifax’s exciting new design movement. His firm, Omar Gandhi Architect was formed in Halifax in 2010, and it started with him working solo in his attic. Now he has a team of five and a spacious office in the Halifax Seaport. His firm has received widespread critical acclaim, winning the 2014 Prix de Rome for outstanding achievement in Canadian architecture, and last year was selected as one of international style bible Wallpaper

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

magazine’s top 20 young architecture practices in the world.

Gandhi’s work is beautiful. The way he designs is tied into the landscape and embraces the cultural history of Nova Scotia.

“A lot of the time we start with those regional prototypes, such as a barn form or a fish shed, that we then play with and start to sculpt,” he says of his designs. His first project, Shantih, is a dramatic and modern oceanfront property in Hunts Point, which has deservedly received Gandhi a lot of attention. “It was an over-the-top design in terms of size and level of detail for incredible people,” he says.

Clients come to Gandhi because of how he designs, and generally offer little direction as they are completely infatuated with his work. Gandhi is incredibly happy that so many people are seeking him out and that his success affords him the luxury of picking the projects that he is completely enthralled with.

Typically, he has been commissioned to design places outside of the city, such as in Yarmouth, Inverness or the South Shore. We’re talking big budget properties in stunning locations outside of Halifax, never actually in the city. “But I’m working on three really big houses in Halifax right now, and that’s definitely a sign of the times,” he says. “I’d done a lot of renos and additions here, but now I’m working on dramatic projects right here in the city.”

Prepping for Change Change in Halifax’s architecture scene has been bubbling away for years, but Gandhi believes the new Halifax Central Library has really pushed things forward. “There are some great young firms here doing interesting things,” he says, “but those things added together aren’t going to make nearly the kind of impact that the library is going to make. It’s the one piece of the puzzle that was missing that is clearly going to change the way that people think about space and architecture.

I always joke about the fact that I can’t believe that the library even happened—it’s almost like the person who rejects things all the time was away sick or something. How did this happen?

It’s so bizarre!”

Judy Obersi, an intern architect and house designer who is a sessional teacher at the Dalhousie School of Architecture alongside Gandhi, agrees. “The buzz around the library shows us that people can be excited about something different, and that there is public support for something that is nontraditional as long as they are engaged in it,” she says. “We have to trigger that engagement in architecture because it makes developers pay attention and pushes us to the next level of quality.”

Obersi believes that there are a series of small changes happening right now that are helping to move Halifax in the right direction. “The library is one of them,” she says. “There are more younger firms, like Omar Gandhi Architect and Abbott Brown Architects and Breakhouse and a few of us who are trying to do things differently and try and get recognition.

But also you see organizations like the NSAA (Nova Scotia Association of Architects) trying to come up with a strategic plan, and this self-reflection says a lot; it’s an important step towards discovering what we can do better, and differently.”

While not all of us can afford to buy a piece of land in Halifax’s South End, wipe it clean and have something fabulous designed by Gandhi or one of his contemporaries, Obersi says that their influence is important for all of us who want to look forward at how great design in Halifax could be.

“People like Omar are helping to generate that buzz. We need to educate the public on design, that it’s not just this luxury thing; it doesn’t have to be expensive. Sometimes developers and home builders don’t understand the quality of life that comes with good design. But the public will start to demand that as awareness grows.”

Not that everyone embraces modern architecture, and there’s

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Cover STORY no way that suddenly, thanks to the library, the city is going allow a wave of innovative new buildings to be approved. “Part of working in the Atlantic region, and Halifax in particular, is that you’ve got an extremely conservative public, and there are tremendous challenges with the city approving anything,” says Tom Emodi, principal at TEAL Architects.

Emodi spent 25 years teaching architecture, with six of those as the dean of architecture and planning at Dalhousie, so he knows the challenges that architecture firms face when trying to effect positive change for the city.

The city has to change, and it is changing despite the stumbling blocks and barriers that architects, planners and developers face.

“With all the housing that is going up, there are more people going to be living downtown,” says Gandhi. “With that there are needs that have to be met on Barrington Street, which should be the most beautiful and vibrant place with the most beautiful architecture, but instead is a sore spot and a ghost town.”

Working for DeNSity TEAL Architects is working hard to make those changes matter to people who want to live in the city but have been locked out by the high price of buying a place here. “We’re all about densifying the city, because the city cannot afford to spread,” explains Emodi. “We’re all about trying to find a way to contribute to environmental sustainability, and doing that with contemporary, high-quality architecture.” One of the ways they’ve been doing that is exploring how single-family homes on the peninsula can be turned into two-unit properties, which many are zoned for (R2 zoning).

“When we started looking into this, we discovered that in the 60s, there were about 30,000 more people living on the peninsula than there are today, and that tells us that family sizes used to be seven, eight or nine people,” explains Emily Macdonald, an urban planner who is working at TEAL after spending time working at HRM’s Planning and Development Department. “Part of what makes neighbourhoods great is

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LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

having lots of people in them, and that’s how we can make them even better, by bringing more people back into them.

Family sizes are more like two or three people, so to build that population back up, we need to create more units and smaller

homes for people to live in.”

Considering that there are 7,250 lots on the Halifax peninsula that are zoned R2, and probably the same number in Dartmouth, this sounds like an easy fix to the lack of affordable housing (especially as TEAL has partnered with Credit Union Atlantic to create a brilliant way of funding such development, but more about that later). But it isn’t, thanks to the HRM’s land use bylaws.

“You’d think this would mean everyone could build a second unit so that their mum could live there, or that they could rent it out,” says Emodi. “But out of that number, some 6,000 can’t use the zone because the land is slightly too narrow, or slightly too small, or some other thing.” Changing a single-family house into two units can take months of wrestling with the approval process.

Recently, TEAL took a small house on North Street and added two small rooms in order to make it two units. It took 18 months to get approved. “We could have built a building twice this size, with more bedrooms in it if it was a single-family house and rented it out as a boarding house,” says Emodi. (They’ve also been refused approval on a similar project at Almon and Connolly, and Macdonald is in the middle of constructing the argument as to why the appeal should be reversed.)

Armed with the fact that this kind of densification of the

peninsula could, and should, be done, TEAL went to Credit Union Atlantic to see about creating a process for people to get funded to buy properties that could be turned into two units, or turn their current property into two units. Credit Union Atlantic came onboard, allowing their clients to take out a mortgage worth more than the actual house, which would cover the construction of the unit and pay the architect. So, the Home Value Project was born, and TEAL is working with eight clients right now through the project. They hope that it will prove interesting to Dartmouth residents, too, when the same offer is made to Credit Union customers there. This will, of course, require changes to those pesky bylaws, though.

“We need to bridge that gap between the policy, meaning that the land can be used for two residences, and the reality of actually trying to do that,” says Macdonald. “What we want to do is change the land use bylaws to reflect the policies that are already there and set up to create more density.” This means attending meetings and liaising with other groups that are excited about the opportunities for increasing urban density, such as the Ecology Action Centre. There are many benefits to projects like this going ahead, and not just for TEAL. “We’re hoping that other firms will benefit from it too, and it helps stimulate growth in the city,” says Macdonald. “We want to keep people working here rather than having to go out west.”

“We have a social agenda here in being the middle man for this program,” says Emodi. “If young couples can live on the peninsula, and it becomes affordable because they have a unit, then you will get families living on the peninsula and increase numbers.” Working with the existing infrastructure here in the city rather than pushing the population out is a wise move in terms of sustainability and in terms of helping those already living here. “Infrastructure is more than just pipes and wires,” says Emodi. “There are schools, healthcare systems and all that social infrastructure. Schools on the peninsula are slowly closing, and new schools are being built in the periphery of the city because families are moving out.”

The Highs and Lows The bylaw issue affecting those R2-zoned homes on the peninsula isn’t the only roadblock that architects, planners and developers come up against in Halifax. There are many more, and it can be a very frustrating city to work in.

TEAL works on projects of all sizes, including multi-story buildings and residences, for which getting approval for is rarely a simple task here. “The public are terrified of anything tall. There is no evidence that tall buildings are bad for you but that’s what the general understanding is,” says Emodi, pointing out that building up instead of out minimizes site disturbance and maximizes natural environment. “HRM by Design, which is the policy they’re working under right now, is a big improvement,” he says, “but in one way it’s an issue because of the heights that have been set are not economical for developers.”

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Cover STORY It would be far easier for Emodi and his team to go with the flow and design outside of the city in order to avoid some of these issues. “We’d never design a suburban development or a traditional suburban house, though, because although we know we could make money doing that, but to us that’s not really achieving any of the goals we are striving for, which is greater density in the city rather than clearing land to create new developments,” he says. “We’ve tried to use the existing infrastructure everywhere we go, to maximize energy efficiency, durability, and reduce maintenance. Creating better living conditions in a more dense environment with a much better result for the client that doesn’t take as much money to operate and maintain, etc., that’s the overall goal—to give a better urban and environmental result to everything we touch.”

Despite all these issues with approvals and bylaws, you only have to look at the exciting projects currently going through

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LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

the approval process or have been approved (hallelujah!) to see that there are some really interesting buildings in the works for Halifax.

And our pool of talent for creating these places is growing.

It helps that we have a great architecture school right here, and the more people from those programs who want to stay in Halifax after graduating because we are a city that supports good design, the better. Gandhi came to Halifax in 2001 to study architecture at Dalhousie, met his wife here and then moved back here in 2008 after working in Toronto. “We have a son here now, and we just love it; it is such a great place,” he says. “I think it’s beautiful, and I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

We do live in a beautiful place, and who knows, should we get a little more progressive, perhaps we can give people one more reason to stay here, and through loosening up some of those bylaws, actually have people afford to live here, too. █

City FEature

The future of

Article by: Brenden Sommerhalder · Photos: Halifax

A developing vision for a great city What makes a city, a city?

The soul of any community is made up of the people who live there; their attitudes and dreams, their efforts and actions. While buildings and streets do not a city make, the built environment— the office towers and restaurants, apartment buildings and condos, parks and libraries, museums and markets—combine to create the environment that guides how people interact with the space and fellow humans around them.

A city is an organism, and the developments within it help to define how healthy it can be. Insofar as this is true, the prognosis for Halifax’s future is promising indeed.

Urban planning in Halifax: A coming of age Since 1996, when 200 communities were amalgamated to form the Halifax we know today, the city has been grappling with the question of how to grow in a planned and cohesive way. Today, several recent efforts encompassed by the HRM by Design initiative have begun to answer that question, and are now bearing fruit as they continue to evolve.

“In the five years that we've had the downtown plan in place, what you see in the buildings that have come through is that they have a better relationship to the street,” says Jacob Ritchie, urban design manager for the Halifax Regional Municipality.

“They've created private spaces that actually relate to the public spaces around them, and you can cross that boundary between the inside of the building and the public space in a really comfortable way that makes you feel welcome, and that you're as

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LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

welcome in the private building as you are in the public space.”

Halifax’s downtown has benefitted from conscious and guided development planning, and the effort to apply this type of strategic growth throughout the urban core and beyond is ongoing. In the next 12 to 18 months, Halifax’s urban planners will be engaged in conversations with the public about how the city should evolve, and they’ll use that feedback to develop planning policies to help realize those goals. Achieving this level of clarity will mean that land owners and developers can work alongside the citizenry to build toward a common vision for the future of Halifax.

“We are seeking in all of our work to really be clear about what we are trying to achieve,” says Ritchie. “In the end, we'll have a strategy and a set of policies that is clear to a landowner or a developer to understand what our objectives and priorities are so they can invest in places where they see the public investing.

That's something that is a big push for us. A clear piece of public policy will help the private sector plan for their own work in the short, medium and long terms.”

Development City: Halifax is getting a face lift A future-oriented and guided framework for development couldn’t come at a better time for Halifax, and it is promising that the downtown and surrounding communities are leading the way. A renaissance has begun in these areas, and a review of current and planned developments provides an exciting picture for what the Halifax of tomorrow will look like.

Historic Barrington Street, at the very heart of downtown, is

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City FEature in the midst of a transformation. On the southern-most part of the street, the six-storey Southport condo development, south of Cornwallis Park, will be in construction throughout the year. The loft-style development’s design, which incorporates corrugated metal evocative of shipping containers, is a nod to Halifax’s shipping history, blending industrial looks with modern design.

It will add to the area both visually and functionally with approximately 1,800 square feet of ground-level retail space. A nearby proposed development on Hollis Street called “South + Hollis” would replace a row of historic Victorian houses that were damaged by fire with a sevenstorey mixed-use development that includes 63 units. The building would also feature ground-level retail and widen the sidewalks on South and Hollis streets.

Continuing north on Barrington, the vitalization of the street continues. The former National Film Board building is being transformed into a five-storey mixed-use building dubbed “NFB Lofts” that will have residential lofts and ground-floor retail while maintaining the historic facade facing the street. Also on the 1500 block are the redevelopments of the CD Plus building, which will add commercial and retail space and fix an eyesore on the street, and the Discovery Centre site, which could add twelve storeys of office space or fourteen storeys of residential.

Plans for the Discovery Centre site have not been finalized.

Nearby, three buildings at 1652, 1656, and 1662 Barrington Street have been consolidated into one building, Barrington Espace, with a two-storey addition on top. The Espace features restored heritage facades incorporated into the building design, and ground-level retail and upper-level office tenants are expected to start moving in soon. Across the street, the longawaited redevelopment of the Roy Building site is underway.

At twenty-four storeys, The Roy, featuring luxury condos and offices, will be one of the tallest buildings in the city and will offer stunning views of downtown and the harbour.

Also on Barrington, the TD Tower is being expanded and is nearing its final stages of completion. The expansion involves encompassing the former Macara-Barnstead building and the addition of 32 feet to its top. At the edge of downtown, Spice

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LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

Condominiums may get a sister building with the proposed Jazz Condos, an eight-and-a-half-storey mixed-use development with 5,000 square-feet of commercial and retail space with townhouses on the ground floor and condominiums above.

Barrington is not the only downtown street with major changes in the works. Lower Water Street is home to some of the most ambitious planned and potential projects in the coming years.

The proposed sixteen-storey Cunard Block development at the intersection of Lower Water and Morris streets would feature over 300 residential units, 26,000 square-feet of retail, and LEED Gold certification with at least 40 per cent of the site dedicated to new public open space.

Down the street, as part of the Keith’s brewery redevelopment, The Alexander development has been approved for the south side of the Brewery Market, which will include a nineteen-storey condo building along with a 10,000 square-foot public plaza. Directly on the waterfront, the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust is proposing the stunning Battle of the Atlantic Place at Sackville Landing (see the article on page 68 of this issue).

A large number of exciting developments are also proposed, approved or underway throughout downtown Halifax, including: The Maple, a twenty-one-storey apartment building with ground-level retail and amenities at the old Bank of Canada site on Hollis Street; The Dillon, an eight-storey condo with retail space on the corner of Market and Sackville streets; the twin-tower 22nd Commerce Square development, which will occupy a whole block north of Province House and feature a boutique hotel, retail and commercial space, condos, an atrium, and exterior plazas; Artillery Place Landmark, an eight-storey mixed-use building between Dresden Row and Queen Street; Mary Ann and sister site Margaretta, seven- and nine-storey apartment buildings off Spring Garden Road near the new Halifax Central Library; an eight-storey mixed-use building at 1508 Grafton; and, of course, the Nova Centre—one of the largest and most significant developments in the centre of downtown in the form of a 289,000 square-foot convention centre, international finance centre, luxury hotel, residential

units, retail and commercial space, and public plazas.

Neighbourhoods around downtown Halifax are also seeing spurred development, such as the former CBC Radio space, which is now entirely owned by the YMCA and will feature two towers of 15 and 17 storeys that will include upper-floor residential space. North-end Halifax is also undergoing a development boom with a proposed ten-storey mixed-use building on Gottingen between Cornwallis and Prince William streets (the former Met store) that will include art-themed offices and retail and affordable housing units; the recently developed five-storey Q-Lofts condo building; and the construction of Harris East, a four-storey condo development at Maynard and Harris streets.

A bulk of development of this scale in a city centre could easily threaten to jeapordize the character of a community. Luckily given Halifax's focus on urban planning policy, the growth is smart, respecting historic view planes, heritage designations, and community character for all developments approved under the "HRM by Design" policies.

Be Bold: The attitude that will get us there It takes more than developers and urban planners to make a city great, and Halifax Mayor Mike Savage knows it will take the right attitude from all quarters.

“Make no mistake, the new planning policies will be different for a lot of people, and it's not going to be comfortable for everyone because it is going to allow development in areas that traditionally there hasn't been dense development,” says Mayor Savage. “And I think it's going to change the city for the better. I think you're going to see better growth of corridors and activity in places that can handle that kind of activity. It will lead to more complete neighbourhoods than we see today. But it's going to require some political will and open minds to stick with it as we roll it out.”

The mayor also sees the Cogswell project—the removal of the Cogswell Interchange and redevelopment—as an initiative

that will be defining for the downtown and surrounding areas over the next decade. “It's a re-connector,” he says. “It's going to reconnect the north and the south ends. It means that people aren't going to be met with concrete when they go from the north end to downtown. I think that it can be its own ecosystem in the downtown core. There's a lot of exciting things about it that, if we do it in a balanced way, will make for a better Halifax.”

And the mayor has a call to action for Haligonians: “We need to believe in ourselves, believe in things that have made us really capable of enormous growth—like our location as a gateway, our universities and community college, the energy of our young people—we are the east coast centre of Canada. I think the other thing is to recognize that in a competitive world, our competition is not Moncton or Saint John or Sydney or ourselves. There's just too much opportunity here for us to fight amongst ourselves. We need to look outward, and always be thinking upward.” █

City FEature

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LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

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Food + DRINK

mezza lebanese kitchen T

Article by: Lia Rinaldo · Photos: Riley Smith

the evolution of a family owned take-out empire

34

his, still exists?” Tony looks at his brother Peter exasperated and drops his head into his hands.

“Look, I’m sorry,” I say, pausing. “I’m a bit embarrassed, but honestly I just default to donairs, sometimes a falafel. No offense.” Tony raises his head and looks at his brother again; they share a hearty laugh. Well, I guess if I’m going to try chicken shawarma for the first time, it should be like this—feeling the burn from the boys who have taken up the reins of a legendary family-run business honing Halifax’s perfect shawarma. Believe me, I’m definitely feeling it.

On a December afternoon, I’m posted up at Mezza Lebanese Kitchen on Barrington Street with the Nahas brothers, Tony and Peter. The two of them are gregarious, funny, engaged, and clearly driven. Let’s just say it’s really not a bad way to spend a couple of hours. They regale me with stories about the family, secret sauces and future plans to take over the world one shawarma at a time, or at a rate of 1000-plus per day

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

depending on how you want to measure it.

In 1990, their father Elias Nahas, a Lebanese immigrant, purchased Tony’s Donair in the Halifax Shopping Centre and christened it “Venus Pizza”. Little did they realize at the time that this was only the start of a mini-empire; ironically, this location still remains 25 years later and is the only one that has not been updated (yet) to join what is now Mezza Lebanese Restaurant Group. Succession locations have included ones on Gottingen Street (1997, now defunct), Barrington Street (1999), Quinpool Road (2007, a full-service restaurant), Burnside (2012, including a full catering kitchen) and Scotia Square (2014). This year, they’re opening one in Lower Sackville as well as, wait for it, another in Dubai, where their sisters now live.

Location. Location. Location. The boys explain to me how important visibility, high traffic, and now a small footprint is to choosing the right place to expand. The two of them admit they grew up working the business along with their sisters, Laura

and Raquel. Many recesses and lunches were spent in the mall food court, and when they were old enough, behind the counter they went for shifts alongside their mother building a solid foundation for this family business.

In 2012, the parents weaned themselves out. They had been taking progressively longer annual visits home to northern Lebanon, chalking up as long as a six-week stint towards the end. After over 20 years in training, trust was built and the boys assumed official responsibility.

They had begun to break away from their standard pizza, fries, and subs earlier on, fighting their father to simplify the menu and focus and embrace their niche: authentic Lebanese cuisine.

When you take a hard look at Halifax’s

Food + DRINK restaurant history, a vast interconnected web of immigrant families reveals itself. A hard-working Lebanese backbone, if you will, that has been underpinning our culinary scene for years. On the father’s side in this family alone, it’s all the brothers. You can stroll up Quinpool Road and in mere minutes hit one after the other: Shawarma Stop, Sicilian Pizza, and King of Donair. On the mother’s side, it’s Tony’s Donair & Pizza and The Golden Bakery. Not to mention, their poignant piece of history at another iconic Halifax landmark, pizza corner.

Oh, pizza corner, you strange, messy little rite of passage.

Many have found themselves here as a denouement to a booze-fuelled evening, noshing into a donair, this beloved street food of ours.

Shaved meat from a spit seared quickly on a grill, smothered in a garlicky, sugary cream sauce and packed into a pita with fresh onions and tomatoes. “You have to try a donair!” How many times have you heard this or heard the words come out of your own mouth? What reason would one have to move away from a donair to try a shawarma?

I know I couldn’t get passed it. Here we stand, teetering on this corner after a night out, witnessing the last of the hookups, a rumble or two; a donair has saved my life one too many times in this setting.

Back in the early nineties, when the next generation of young Nahas cousins were barely able to see over those countertops, there was an infamous pizza corner war between the elder Nahas brothers, where slices dropped in price, loomed in size, and were even given out free to prove a point. This battle lasted about five years, and those who bore witness at home now strive to ensure business doesn’t get in the way of family; they still gather for family meals on Sundays.

The main Mezza experiences I’ve had to date have all happened at Mezza Restaurant on Quinpool Road. In my past life at the Atlantic Film Festival, with its close proximity to the Oxford Theatre, I spent many hours here hosting receptions for films, sharing plates of mezza with excited festival staff or conversely a stiff drink with a nervous filmmaker who was awaiting the reaction from the audience on their inaugural screening.

I have a fondness for this space and this style of eating shared small plates amongst friends where you get to try a whole

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LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

bunch of delectable little bites. Mezza means “appetizer,” and appetizers are meant to be shared. “You never have mezza by yourself,” affirms Tony. I’m salivating just thinking about dishes of tangy baba ghanouj with roasted eggplant, fresh taboulé (punchy parsley salad), hummus, warek enab (stuffed grape leaves), olive tapenade, kebbé (lamb and beef), and falafel.

I’m constructing mini-sandwiches by the minute, melding the tastes together, scooping up hummus and olives with a bit of lamb into a warm pita. Next bite, a piece of falafel gets dredged through the baba ghanouj, and on we go.

I digress, as this article is not about this restaurant specifically. It’s about where the family is headed with their focus on a new brand of fast-casual operations with small footprints, not this old jewel in the family crown.

They have affection for this space as well—it just doesn’t obviously fit the new model at a staggering 4,500 square feet and 150 seats. It’s not going anywhere at the moment.

Tony and Peter share a passion for their business, and it’s infectious. There’s a clear division of duties between them and a great deal of respect for one another. Tony is more hands-on with the food production, out front with customers and onsite with construction. Peter tends to handle more of the backend finances, business plans, marketing, and working with staff.

We can talk other menu items, but honestly shawarma is driving this bus, racking up 80 per cent of their overall sales annually. Peter and Tony have circumnavigated the globe together in search of the best shawarma: Germany, Montréal, Croatia, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Vienna, Spain, Lebanon and more. “Who is second best,” I ask coyly. After eating up to four a day and scrutinizing the nuances in sauces, pickles, thickness of breads, they reached the consensus that Lebanon was number one, followed by Spain, then New York.

They admit that a lot of it had to do with the experiences they were having at the time, too. Tony points to a man ordering at the counter. “The shawarma he is about to have is very different from the one he would be having at 4 am.”

They’ve created a solid demand for shawarma (you might even call it a cult) along with their secret garlic sauce. Peter once tried to calculate how much garlic they went through yearly

but stopped once he reached half an Olympic swimming pool.

There is also an art to constructing the spit and a variance of size and scale according to the day of the week—40 kilograms on weekdays and approaching 70 kilograms on the weekends.

Peter reckons he could wake up out of a long sleep and be able to tell what day of the week it was just by looking at one.

Two thousand kilograms of fresh chicken per week comes from Eden Valley in Berwick and is combined with Lebanese spices from a wholesaler in Montréal. The chicken is deboned, prepped, and marinated in secret sauces at their production kitchen in Burnside by “our guy.” Wait a minute. Hold up. Who is “our guy”? Is he family? Tony laughs, “He’s like family.” Just one guy? “Only my father and I and our guy know the recipes, not even Peter,” confirms Tony.

I feel like mounting a stakeout. We’ll call it “Operation Shawarma.” We’ll find “our guy.” We’ll get that secret sauce recipe. After seven years with the business, they felt they could bestow the family’s secret recipes on “our guy.” He is so good he now prepares it covertly for all of their locations. No staff is compromised, as no one is privy to these recipes. Thus, all is safe.

At the end of the interview, they send me packing with two full shawarma plates with all the fixings: hummus, taboulé, pickles, pita, falafel, lentils, and rice, and the chicken with garlic sauce. I’m grateful to not have to eat it in their presence; it is all about the takeaway after all. At home, I post a quick Instagram shot before I dig in, and a good friend declares that this platter could be a last meal on death row for him. One heck of an endorsement! It was beyond succulent, the chicken was flavourful and that garlic sauce—no vampires will darken this door. It took too long to get here, and I’m hooked. You can be sure the next version I have at 4 am some sordid evening will be different from what I just consumed, but just as delicious. █

Coming Next Issue:

Letters to the Editor

tell us what you think!

magazine@localconnections.ca

Food + DRINK

rousseau chocolatier Article by: Laura Oakley · Photos: Michelle Doucette

chocolate lover's paradise on hollis street in the south end

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atching chocolate flow through the enrobing machine at Rousseau Chocolatier on Hollis Street is mesmerizing. Each bite-sized square of ganache travels about five feet while sitting atop a small metal grate conveyor belt. They clunk along, being showered by a velvety waterfall of tempered chocolate, then are sent underneath a warm breeze that pushes excess chocolate down and off the sides to smooth the coating. It’s like being inside the opening credits of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the original version, of course).

The chocolatier then very carefully places his garnish of choice atop each perfectly covered square while the chocolate is still soft; today it’s a green toasted pumpkin seed. Late autumn flavours (think nutmeg, cinnamon) dance with chocolate in the creamy ganache filling that is enrobed in milk chocolate.

Julien Rousseau-Dumarcet does this every day, all day.

Hailing from the south of France, Rousseau-Dumarcet started working with chocolate at the ripe age of 16 as a student in Toulon. He went on to begin a career in pastry and chocolate making in Europe. He met his life and business partner, Nathalie Morin, while working in Wakefield, Quebec, near Morin’s hometown of Ottawa, six years ago. From there they embarked on a chocolate-filled journey that would end in realizing a mutual dream of owning their own shop. Before settling in Halifax, they worked together at chocolateries in the French Alps and Scotland; Morin learning the ropes of the business in order to eventually run front-of-house operations at Rousseau Chocolatier.

“There’s something about [chocolate], the taste and the pheromones that it releases in your body,” says Morin. “It’s delicate, it’s unique.” It’s exciting. Grown men in business suits walk through the door “and it’s like kids in a candy store,” Morin says. The clean, modern-looking shop displays

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

15 to 20 types of artisanal chocolates, brownies and colourful macarons, contrasted against a pale interior. With the large bay window, customers or passers-by are drawn to what Rousseau-Dumarcet is creating in his open kitchen. “People are amazed when they see him.”

Rousseau Chocolatier’s artisanal products are born inside the kitchen and leave in customers’ hands, via Morin, from the adjacent shop. The creations are made with a premium line of Cacao Barry chocolate, which arrives in slabs shipped from where it is produced, outside Montreal. RousseauDumarcet tempers this chocolate with 64 per cent cacao extra-bitter dark, 32.6 per cent cacao milk chocolate or the sweeter white chocolate and makes ganache, caramel or marzipan centres from scratch, incorporating complementary flavours; he leaves the chocolate coatings pure. For example, one of the best-selling chocolates is the white chocolate lemon ganache dipped in dark chocolate. The sharp citrus helps to balance the intense sweetness of creamy white chocolate in the centre, and the rich, roasted flavour of the extra-bitter dark chocolate brings it all together. Like any culinary endeavour, making chocolates is about balance, and a lot about mouth feel. The melt-in-your-mouth appeal of caramel centres, the satisfying snap of a bar made with high-quality cocoa butter— these are sure signs of well-made chocolate. You find that here at Rousseau Chocolatier.

Since opening in May 2014, the young couple have seen a tremendous reaction from Haligonians and tourists. The market for artisan chocolate seemed to be rife with opportunity in Halifax. For Mediterranean-born Rousseau-Dumarcet, European influences and proximity to the sea were among other deciding factors to set up shop here.

While chatting with Morin and Rousseau-Dumarcet at

the chocolaterie, I was treated to a taste of their best-loved items, including the white chocolate lemon ganache and the feuelletine. The feuelletine, an individual chocolate, has a centre of whipped hazelnut praline with delicate layers of wafer. The ever-so-subtle crispy-crunchy mouth feel, rich hazelnut flavour and sweet caramel notes in the milk chocolate coating are exquisite. I also enjoyed a personal favourite, dark chocolate sea salt, made with a 64 per cent dark ganache centre, dark chocolate coating and Balinese fleur de sel sprinkled on top. However, none of these are the chocolate maker’s favourite.

The orange-balsamic vinegar caramel takes that prize, and of this one, he is proud. “Visually, it’s nice. It’s really good, really different,” says Rousseau-Dumarcet. A painted milk chocolate dome houses gorgeous caramel infused with harmonious flavours of sweet orange citrus and balsamic vinegar. Very balanced, and perfect for the mandatory style of eating, as I was instructed by Rousseau-Dumarcet: “Place the entire chocolatecovered caramel in your mouth, and let it melt.”

Cut to those opening credits. Watching tempered chocolate is absolutely hypnotic. The act of chocolate making itself couldn’t be a better advertisement. I left the shop on a major sugar high (all of this happened before noon, latte in hand), thinking that with the experience and passion behind Rousseau Chocolatier, it seems like Morin and Rousseau-Dumarcet are in for many years of providing customers with the pleasure of chocolate. █

Food + DRINK

Devour!

The Food Film Festival

Article by: Jordan Whitehouse · Photos: Mike Stack

A recap of Wolfville’s five-day food film fest from a hungry, thirsty movie nerd

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he last time I talked to Devour’s managing director Lia Rinaldo, she told me that her team tries to gauge everything it does against one little phrase: “Keep it small, keep it exceptional, keep it connected.” Since this was my first Devour (November 1216), I used that phrase as a guide throughout my two days of eating, drinking and watching away, and overall it hit the mark at almost every point.

It did right from my first steps into the Al Whittle Theatre, the festival’s home base. The scene: a packed lobby of 75 or so slurping oysters and taking photos with Chef Chuck Hughes of Garde Manger and Food Network fame. They’d just watched Shuckers, the road trip doc all about oysters and those who shuck them (including Hughes), and now they were being treated to 500 fresh molluscs served on ice by the guys behind the film.

“Go try one,” urged a volunteer, and I did after wading through the crowd. “How good is that?” Too good, I tell her.

“The scene in that lobby was one of my favourite moments,” Rinaldo tells me about a month later. “You saw a film, you had everyone standing there talking about it, and then the actual product was there to be eaten. If we can’t create an experience

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

like that, I don’t want to do it.”

In other words, it was a hard act to follow, and the food writing workshop I checked out next upstairs in Studio Z proved that. Moderated by food writer Simon Thibault and featuring fellow food scribes Lucy Waverman, Ivy Knight and Melissa Buote, it was one of more than a dozen workshops and panels at Devour that ran the gamut from cooking with game to coming up with tasty social media content. Unfortunately, at this one much of the food writing truth-telling veered more toward the same narrative of no money and fewer word counts than expanding on helpful points about getting the human side of a story and using social media.

Then again, I, and most of the audience of about 50, didn’t ask many questions to help steer the discussion, and the next workshop—“Fun with Mixology,” an intro to cocktailmaking—showed how important that can be. Of course a few cocktails tend to get people talking, too. In between making and educating us about their concoctions, “whiskey ambassador” Matt Jones and The Bicycle Thief’s mixologist Jeffrey Van Horne fielded questions from every corner of the packed room: “Which ice?” “What’s that tool?” “What’s that flavour?” By the

Food + DRINK

end, I—and at least the five people I talked to—felt we were ready to launch our own speakeasies.

But first, food, so out to the food truck pop-up behind the theatre, where The Food Wolf had taken over Halifax Press and was serving up its own grilled cheese sandwiches. “Go with the Korean option,” Natalie Chavarie tells me from behind the window. I’m glad I did but happy she didn’t hear my groans after every bite of this sourdough sandwich from heaven made with charred scallion, kimchi, perilla and sharp cheddar.

Maybe I shouldn’t be too embarrassed, though.

From what I heard from others who chowed down at Devour, most of the food options were equally drool-inducing. “It was like leaving and going on a culinary vacation,” says the director of this magazine, Alex Henden, of his threecourse Cajun-Acadian Express lunch cooked up by Chef Stephen Stryjewski. The New Orleans chef, whose Pêche Seafood Grill won the James Beard award for Best New Restaurant in America in 2013, was one of 35 chefs the Devour team brought in from near and abroad for workshops, lunches and film-inspired dinners.

And let’s not forget about those films, of which there were fifty-five this year. I ended my Devour with the urban farming programming on Saturday, which featured seven

short documentaries ranging from “3 Acres in Detroit,” about two men turning one of Motown’s abandoned properties into a greenhouse, to “Hands in the Dirt,” about farmers in Richmond, B.C., fighting to keep farmland free of waste.

Walking into another bustling lobby at the Al Whittle after, I thought about Devour founder Michael Howell’s words to me from a few weeks back: “I hope [visitors] go away from here full of thought about food, the food system, where their food comes from and how food impacts our lives on a daily basis.” Check, check, check and check.

Another packed lobby reminded me of the growth of this festival, too. Every year attendance numbers have doubled, and though that didn’t quite happen this year even with Anthony Bourdain, attendance was up by 53 per cent to 6,120, and box office revenues increased by 174 per cent.

It’ll be a hard act to follow next year, but Lia Rinaldo isn’t concerned. “The question I’ve been getting all the time is how do you follow up Bourdain, and I’ve just been saying: don’t worry.”

Until then, we’ll just have settle for the thought of that cold oyster or that film that made us question what we’re eating, hoping Devour 2015 will be just a little bigger, even more exceptional and just as connected. █ LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

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Halifax isn’t lacking when it comes to places to go for cappucinos, cakes, ice cream, candy, and virtually any other sweet-tooth-satisfying goodies, so to help with your search, we put together this guide to sweet spots in the city.

Dee Dee's Ice Cream

golden bakery

If you've been reading this magazine long enough, you already know about our obsession with Dee Dee's Ice Cream.

Put simply, it's the best handmade ice cream in town.

An old school Lebanese bakery with a pretty huge selection right off the main drive in Bedford. Definitely worth checking out on the way home.

5668 Cornwallis Street, Halifax

Freak Lunchbox When you need that crazy sugar high, you need to hit Freak Lunchbox. It's an oasis of candy stuffs, and all things are made almost entirely of sugar. Always an experience to visit.

1723 Barrington Street, Halifax Sunnyside Mall, Bedford

1350 Bedford Highway, Bedford

humani-t tea room & café Many from our panel voted this place highly. Both locations serve fresh baked goods and handmade gelato.

5755 Young Street, Halifax 1451 South Park Street, Halifax

FRED.

Java Blend coffee roasters

Late last year, the café experience north-enders came to love and cherish returned. Always a great spot to settle in for an espresso and a quick bite. Can we have those big cupcakes back please?

In the coffee business here in Halifax since 1937, but now a place to go if you're serious about espresso. Java Blend was also our cover story in the ninth issue.

Need we say more?

2606 Agricola Street, Halifax

6027 North Street, Halifax Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market

FROSTING cake & event design A great new addition to downtown Dartmouth, it's mainly a place where you go to order cakes and such, but they do have cupcakes and cake pops ready to go daily.

166 Ochterloney Street, Dartmouth

julien's patisserie, bakery & Café A Hydrostone favourite. Fresh baked bread and desserts with an espresso bar as well. A great little spot to settle in during the early afternoon.

5517 Young Street, Halifax

Just Us! Coffee Roasters The home of fair trade coffee. After some shuffling of locations, they can now be found at two spots in Halifax.

5896 Spring Garden Road, Halifax 15 King’s Wharf, Dartmouth

Layers Another great place to order cakes. They too sell grab-and-go items from their retail space downtown, and also have a location in Bedford.

1276 Barrington Street, Halifax 2 Bluewater Road, Bedford

Le French Fixe For a taste of real French pastry, and maybe a nice espresso, you have to check out this spot in downtown Halifax.

5233 Prince Street, Halifax

Lion & Bright One of the north end's newest additions.

It's truly become a hotspot for so many of the folks in the neighbourhood and pretty much everyone in Halifax.

2534 Agricola Street, Halifax

pavia espresso bar It used to require a trip to Herring Cove for you to enjoy this place, but now with two locations in the new library, you have some options. Ask for the Pavia Cookie, every time.

Smiling Goat organic Espresso bar A longtime south end favourite, they now have two locations after taking over the space at Bishop’s Landing. Rumour has it they're doing their own pastry now as well.

1551 South Park Street, Halifax 1475 Lower Water Street, Halifax

Steve O Renos Downtown locals will know this place well. Their main location is just off Spring Garden. Good place to go for a quick bite for breakfast.

1536 Brunswick Street, Halifax Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market

Sweet Hereafter If cheesecake is your game, then this is your new favourite spot. Over one hundred varieties of cheesecake to choose from, and every single one is off the rack cray. All made in house, too.

6148 Quinpool Road, Halifax

For folks living down Gottingen way, there's a nice little café which opened many months ago. It's a cozy little spot with espresso drinks and tasty eats.

2118 Gottingen Street, Halifax

Two if by Sea Café & Bakeshop Basically a landmark in downtown Dartmouth, this is the home of the famous croissants and Anchored Coffee.

They also have a location in Privateer's Wharf as well.

66 Ochterloney Street, Dartmouth The Historic Properties

Uncommon grounds With two South End locations, Uncommon Grounds serves up espresso drinks and delicious sandwiches, pastries, and chocolates from Sugah!.

1030 South Park Street, Halifax 1237 Barrington Street, Halifax

World Tea House

Sweet Janes With a new, bigger location right across the street from Atlantic News on Queen Street, Sweet Jane's has become a true south end destination. Candies, chocolates and quirky gifts: yes!

1300 Queen Street, Halifax

The Nook on gottingen

A massive selection of teas from around the world, and a cozy little spot to enjoy them. Actually, let's make that two spots, since they are now also located in Sunnyside Mall in Bedford.

1592 Argyle Street, Halifax Sunnyside Mall, Bedford

995 Herring Cove Road, Herring Cove Halifax Central Library

Rousseau Chocolatier Our new favourite local chocolatier, featured in this very issue actually.

So instead of describing them in a few words, we'll let you enjoy the full version on page 38.

1277 Hollis Street, Halifax

Scanway Catering THE BEST donuts in Halifax. Yes, they do many other things, including espresso, but go for the donuts and fall in love with whatever pleases you.

COMING NEXT ISSUE: our picks for the best places to eat in the annapolis valley, the south shore, and just outside halifax (P.S. you might see a lunenburger mentioned in there somewhere)

5668 Cornwallis Street, Halifax LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

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Nova Scotia CRAFT BEER

NS craft BEER UPDATE

A quick look at what’s happening on the beer scene in Nova Scotia

NS Craft Beer Update by: Tracy Phillippi

Eric Gautier wins the 2014 Big Spruce Home Brew Competition Beers of Winter Checklist Winter is upon us, Halifax! With the cold days and long nights, beers turn dark, strong and boozy. And, of course, our brewers won’t disappoint with the number of seasonal and specialty beers released this time of year: Rockbottom Brewpub - “Smoke & Mirrors” Rauchbeir, West Coast Red, & “The Loyalist” ESB Hell Bay Brewing - “Chocolat” Brown Porter Granite Brewery - "Darkside” IPA North Brewing - Belgian Milk Stout Boxing Rock Brewing - “Blue Toboggan” Spiced Winter Ale Propeller Brewery - “Revolution” Russian Imperial Stout & “Snowblower” Winter Ale Tatamagouche Brewery - Maple Squash Ale, Oyster Cloister Stout, Horns Over Hooves Double IPA (a Stubborn Goat Gastropub collaboration) Garrison Brewing - Barrel Aged Grand Baltic Porter, Black IPA & Barrel Aged Spruce Beer Tatamagouche Brewery - Oktoberfest Lager And, if you’re in Antigonish on Friday, don’t miss The Townhouse Brewpub’s “Double-Pumped Fridays” featuring Terry’s cask ale.

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LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

Halifax native Eric Gautier took top honours at the 2014 Big Spruce Home Brew Competition, held at Bar Stillwell last November. And now his beer, Bráthair* Eric’s American Wheat, will be brewed by the Big Spruce team and available in growlers and on select taps around Nova Scotia, but also at Local Connections’ Craft Beer & Local Food Celebration on January 15th. According to Big Spruce’s Jeremy White, “while there were fewer competitors than 2013, this year was a bloodbath! We had many worthy beers entered but only one could win, and Eric’s was a fine example of the style.”

Rockbottom Brewpub Welcomes New Brewmaster Rockbottom Brewpub has announced that Jacob Saunders will step into the role of brewmaster at Halifax’s award-winning brewpub. Saunders, formerly a brewer at Rogue's Roost, will be replacing former brewmaster Greg Nash, who is leaving Rockbottom to open his own microbrewery in Halifax.

“We wish Greg well,” says Rockbottom Manager Shane Robilliard. “He’s done a terrific job here and is well-known and respected in the beer scene. We knew the incoming brewmaster would have big shoes to fill, and we chose Jacob because we know he can fill them. We’re excited to have him on the team. He brings a new energy to the brewery, and we’re confident we’ll achieve great things with him.”

Exciting News, Beer Fans: Nova Become a card-carrying MEMBER Scotia Craft Beer Week is Coming! of the Ladies Beer League The Craft Brewers Association of Nova Scotia is excited to announce the first annual Nova Scotia Craft Beer Week, May 8 - 16, 2015. The week, which is actually a full ten days, will be packed with events hosted by breweries and your favourite bars and restaurants featuring craft beer. Highlights include Open Brewery Day, where you can visit your favourite brewery (or breweries) and see how craft beer is created, and the Nova Scotia Full House Craft Beer Fest at the Olympic Community Centre hosted by this very magazine. There will also be a series of signature events throughout the week featuring collaborations between breweries and plenty of excellent Nova Scotia craft beer. Head to Facebook and Twitter for more event details, and use the hashtag #NSCraftBeerWeek.

The ladies who brought you Halifax’s first Cask Fest as well as the Alewife’s Revenge collaboration beer (with Boxing Rock Brewery) are now offering membership! By becoming an official card-carrying member of the Ladies Beer League, you’ll receive awesome discounts at Boxing Rock Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Noble Grape Urban Winery, North Brewing, Propeller Brewery, Rockbottom Brewpub and Wrought Iron Brewing. Membership costs $25 per year and can be purchased at Ladies Beer League events, at the Full House Craft Beer Fest and on the website, ladiesbeerleague. ca. Members also receive discounts at events plus special members-only beer events. Just like every Ladies Beer League event, membership is open to men and women, and fees will help the ladies throw even more sold out events in 2015.

The 7th Annual Garrison home brew-off is back!

2015

What has become an annual tradition, the Garrison Home Brew-Off is back once again, and this year's contest is all about the Robust Porter, which is the style designated for this year's competition. The Home Brew-Off is open to the public, with a $15 dollar entry fee, and the submission deadline is February 12. Following that, a select group of BJCP Certified Judges will choose the winner, which will be announced at the Gala & Awards Cermony at 7pm on March 5 at Garrison Brewing. After the Gala & Awards Ceremony, the Gold Medal winner will be invited to join brewmaster Daniel Girard in brewing a full-sized batch of their recipe for packaging and release as a limited edition seasonal beer. Pretty cool eh?

Ask us about our craft beer dinners.

Any number of people.

Contact evan@stubborngoat.ca Any time. for more details and reservations. www.stubborngoat.ca 1579 Grafton St. | 902-405-4554

WINE

BEER

COCKTAILS

FOOD

LIVE MUSIC

Nova Scotia Wine

Nova Scotia Wine UPDATE A quick look at what’s happening on the Wine scene in Nova Scotia

NS Wine Update by: Any Savoury

food item for you to sample. If the 12 tokens that you get upon admittance aren’t enough, don’t worry; you can purchase more at a nominal fee!

Red, White and Ice Winter is a time in Nova Scotia wine country when the vines finally get to rest. After a season of growth to produce the wonderful fruit that goes into making our superb wines, it’s time for the vines to take a well-deserved break and have a little nap under a blanket of snow. But the vines are about the only thing that takes a rest. Winters at the wineries are busy. The vineyard managers begin to pre-prune, the winemakers carefully watch over their vintage, and the owners and operators are busy planning for the upcoming season.

There will also be a pig roast and raclette prepared onsite to purchase and further curb your hunger. And the excitement doesn’t end here. There are also many outdoor activities planned. In between sampling there will be a bonfire to gather around and perhaps roast a marshmallow or two. Bring your snowshoes along and strap them on for a snowshoe through the vineyard with a winemaker as your guide (Saturdays) or craft your own grapevine wreath to take home with you (Sundays).

There are special dinners planned at Luckett Vineyards and at Le Caveau in the evenings as well, and our delightful Nova Scotia tour providers, Grape Escapes and Go North, have some fabulous tours on offer. Four incredible, action packed days to wash the winter blues away and celebrate the red, white and ice of Nova Scotia wines.

For tickets to this year's Nova Scotia Ice Wine Festival, visit: shop.grandprewines.ns.ca and look to the top row. Best $20 you'll spend this winter.

IceWine Festival (Jan.31 – Feb. 8)

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Owners, winery event planners, young winemakers and industry pioneers have all sat around the same table organizing and planning an event to celebrate our wines, our people, our food and our culture. It’s time to celebrate winter in wine country with the Nova Scotia Icewine Festival. The event this year will once again be hosted by Domaine de Grand Pre and will see seven other wineries participating: Luckett Vineyards, Blomidon Estate Winery, L’Acadie Vineyards, Sainte Famille Wines, Avondale Sky, Planters Ridge Winery and Gaspereau Vineyards.

Winter Wine Suggestions

They have planned four incredible, fun-filled days. For a meager $20 plus tax you will get a tasting glass that is yours for the keeping and 12 tokens to sample wine and food from the wineries of your choosing. Each winery will have a white, red and sweet wine for your enjoyment plus a carefully paired

If you can’t make it to wine country this winter, no need to fear; there are plenty of wines to escape the doldrums of winter with.

Sit back in your favorite chair, pull the cork on a Nova Scotia wine and escape to wine country in the comforts of your own home. Here are just a few suggestions to try:

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

Luckett Vineyards, 2012 Ortega This is the wine that I choose on those winter days when the sun is shining through the windows but it is still bitterly cold outside. It is these days that I am longing to feel the heat of the summer sun on my face. Chill this beauty down, pop the cork and get ready to bask in the lush ripe fruit aromas. This wine is like bottled sunshine: intoxicating aromatics, a viscous mouth feel and an off-dry finish. Pull your favorite chair over to the window, look at the sun and imagine you’re sipping this on a patio in the middle of summer.

Domaine de Grand Pre, 2013 Vintners Reserve Castel This is a wine for the stormy days of winter.

When the wind is howling, the snow is blowing and you have nowhere to be, cozy up with a glass of this beauty. This grape was bred to survive harsh winters, so when the weather is severe, think of this gem—it’s a real winter weather survivor. The wine is dense and rich. Packed with ripe fruit and spice, this wine will instantly warm you up.

Avondale Sky, 2013 Pinnacle Hill Icewine I once had a very wise man say to me at the end of a meal when I offered him dessert, “If we were intended to eat sugar, we would not have fermentation.” These are words to live by. Why eat our sugar when we can drink it? This Vidal icewine is the perfect pour at the end of a dinner party. It’s intensely aromatic with sweet ripe fruit perfectly balanced by our signature Nova Scotia acidity to keep the wine lively. Instead of slaving away making a dessert, uncork a sweet ending. Your dinner guests will be happy and you will be thankful to have more time to enjoy your company.

Benjamin Bridge, 2013 Sauvignon Blanc If your anything like me there becomes a point in winter where everything becomes a chore. Where once chopping the kindling for the fire seemed quaint, it quickly becomes a nuisance just to just keep yourself warm. This is a wine for that day when your hands are so frozen they can barely grasp the hatchet and you would much rather be mowing the lawn. The minute you pour this liquid artistry, aromas of mown grass and fresh orchard fruit erupt from the glass. But don't get me wrong this rare (only 200 cases made) and complex wine isn't one for mundane chores. It is a wine made for lengthy contemplation. So crank the heat, sit back, dream of the day when you are dreading to mow the lawn and appreciate the effort that went into this sublime wine.

L'Acadie Vineyards, 2011 Vintage Cuvee Sometimes to get yourself through winter you just need to celebrate something, anything. I always like to have a bottle of this wine tucked away in my fridge, chilled and ready for when winter throws something to celebrate at you.

Nothing says it’s time to celebrate like a glass of bubbles, and this delicious, approachable sparkling wine is just perfect for any occasion.

Gaspereau Vineyards, 2012 Lucie Kuhlmann A perfect choice for the winter days when the temperature finally soars above zero and you are longing to ignite the charcoal. This sassy Nova Scotia red screams it is time for the grill.

Seductively smokey with hints of cherry and herbs, this wine longs to be partnered with BBQ sauce. So I challenge you. Open up a bottle of this signature Nova Scotia wine, fire up the grill, brave the winter the elements and bask in the sweet savoury feeling that this wine and food pairing can provide.

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 ingredients 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.

APPLE CRANBERRY CHUTNEY Chef Chris Velden-

Flying Apron Cookery

INGREDIENTS

COOKING DIRECTIONS

1½ kg cooking apples, peeled and diced 750g light brown sugar 500g fresh or dried cranberries copped 2 medium onions, finely chopped 1 tsp ground star anise 2 tsp fresh ginger chopped 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp salt 700ml apple cider vinegar

Combine all the ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, for 30-40 min, or until thick and pulpy. Remove from the heat, leave to cool and transfer to sterilized, clean, dry jars and seal.

APPLE CRANBERRY CUSTARD TORTE Chef Roland Glauser-

Charlotte lane, Shelburne

Serves 10 to 12 people TORTE

Boates Farm Woodville, NS

12 McIntosh apples 1 cup (250 ml) cranberries 6 eggs 3 cups (750 ml) sugar 1 ½ cups (375 ml) flour, sifted 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) milk 8 oz (250 g) butter, melted 2 tsp (10 ml) real vanilla extract 5 tsp (15 ml) baking powder whipped cream fresh mint sprigs toasted slivered almonds

Bake on bottom shelf of oven at 375F (190C) for 10 minutes. Move to top shelf and bake at 375F (190C) for 50 minutes, checking with wooden skewer for doneness. Reduce heat if cake gets too dark – it should look golden and caramelized. When baked, remove from oven and carefully pull knife along the ring but do not open the springform. Let cool in fridge very well before removing springform. If you store the torte for longer than a day, you should transfer it to a glass plate; otherwise, the cake might oxidize on metal.

First, grease a 12-inch springform pan with the melted butter, then flour it. Prepare apples by peeling and coring, then cut them into quarters and slice.

5 oz (250 g) butter 1 cup (250 ml) brown sugar 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) heavy cream 1 tsp (5 ml) real vanilla extract Ironworks Rum to taste

Whisk eggs and sugar in a bowl until creamy. Add the flour and baking powder, then combine. Add milk, butter and vanilla and then mix. Add the apples and cranberries to the batter. Pour into the greased and floured pan, and put pan on a cookie sheet.

SAUCE

When ready to serve the torte, prepare the sauce.

Melt butter with sugar until it lightly caramelizes.

Add cream and vanilla and bring to simmer until well blended. Add rum to taste.

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

Arts + ENTERTAINMENT

a Q&A with Louis Gossett Jr. Academy Award-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. has been breaking down boundaries since the onset of his career. For over six decades, Brooklyn-born Gossett has entertained us with his repertoire of deeply engaging roles. He portrayed Fiddler on the politicallyresonate 1970s miniseries Roots, which delved into slavery and emancipation. He is best known for playing Sergeant Emil Foley in An Officer and a Gentleman, which won him his Academy Award and put him on the map as the first African American actor to win an Oscar for the best supporting role.

Q & A by: Tiffany Thornton

This past spring Gossett spent time in various parts of Nova Scotia filming the highly anticipated miniseries The Book of Negroes, which is based on Canadian Lawrence Hill’s award-winning novel. The production also features Cuba Gooding Jr. and Allan Hawco of CBC’s Republic of Doyle. Local Connections Halifax chats with Mr. Gossett on fame, good fortune and Nova Scotia’s past.

Your first movie role was at the age of nineteen, when you filmed on location in Kenya. What was that like for a young actor?

I arrived in Kenya to work on a film called "The Bushbaby", and I ended up being in Africa for three months. I had not really traveled that much before, then my movie right after that was filmed in Israel. I had an international education.

You were the first African American to win an Academy Award for best supporting actor. How did you not let your ego get the best of you, and maintain your focus on your art?

You have to behave a certain way and be aware of certain things.

You look up one day and you get kind of big headed. It’s a challenge. Life had challenges anyway, but when you are being a star it really challenges you. I have been through all of that, and with good fortune and the greater good I came out of all that.

Roots was watched by millions of people when it first aired.

Do you think it helped to change people's perceptions of slavery in the early days of America?

It changed people's perceptions, but it was an education.

Thank god for the network for getting that sophisticated.

Everybody knows everything now. They dealt with stuff on the surface, not underneath.

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LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

How did you find filming on location in places like Louisbourg and Shelburne?

We filmed much of the film in Nova Scotia and it was just gorgeous, but almost a little too much oxygen (laughs)! I slept like a baby at night.

How did you come to hear about the television version of Lawrence Hill’s “The Book of Negroes”?

They were very interested in having me play the part of Daddy Moses. “The Book of Negroes” is about slavery, but it’s also about the dramatic life of a woman. Aunjanue Ellis, the main actress who plays Aminata is just incredible. I would have to be insane to turn that down.

Daddy Moses is an African American slave and a Methodist preacher in Nova Scotia leading a band of runaway slaves to freedom. What was the experience like for you encompassing that role?

Moses is almost blind; he can see maybe five feet in front of him. He uses it as a ploy sometimes he acts very blind and sometimes he can see more then he lets on. It was a very cathartic experience for me.

How would you describe Daddy Moses’ role in the story?

There is a scene in the book where Daddy Moses is taking Aminata hunting but of course he is blind. Yet he can hear the rustling of a deer in the forest and shoots it dead in one shot.

It’s like Moses possesses a level of magic in a way. He imparts so many values onto Aminata while she is dealing with major adversities.

The premise of the film is a subject that few Canadians know is a part of their history. What do you hope people will be able to take away from this mini-series?

They will take away the fact that we are all really on one planet, and that we need to share in it equally and be equally responsible. It was difficult filming, but was a multinational production—South Africa, Canada, the United States and England. I looked around my last day and everyone was like a family. We all worked very hard to make those scenes as perfect as possible. I said, “You guys don’t realize what you’re doing. You have done what the world is trying to do. Carry that message back home with you.”

th ings to do f r o m ja nuary - M ay, 20 15 Mary pratt

“A Tribute to Fritz Kreisler”

39 Steps

rare & fine wine tasting

Sherlock Holmes

REXY!

What a Young Wife Ought to Know

Garrison home brew-off gala & awards ceremony

Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Oct 3 - Feb 25 Neptune Theatre Jan 20 - Feb 15 Discovery Centre Jan 24 - Apr 19 Neptune Theatre Jan 27 - Feb 8

Decadence

Restaurant Association of NS Jan 29

NS Ice Wine Festival

Domaine de Grand Pré Winery Jan 31 - Feb 8

Chess with the Doomsday Machine Alderney Landing Theatre Feb 1, 3 - 7

Valerie Milot (harp) and Andre Bareil (violin) Cecilia Concerts Feb 8

imbibe: A cocktail event

Restaurant Association of NS Feb 12

Discover love

Discovery Centre Feb 14

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LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

Cecilia Concerts Feb 22

Restaurant Association of NS Feb 27 Neptune Theatre Mar 3 - Mar 22

Garrison Brewing Mar 5

savour food & wine

Restaurant Association of NS Mar 5

I M Possible

Alderney Landing Theatre Mar 5 - 8

Thibault Cauvin (guitar) Cecilia Concerts Mar 8

Quartet La Corde Cecilia Concerts Mar 15

March break camps Discovery Centre Mar 16 - 20

The Addams Family

Neptune Theatre Apr 7 - May 24

for more local events listings, visit:

localconnections.ca/events

Willem Blois and Cindy Thong Cecilia Concerts Apr 19

The Trudeau Stories Neptune Theatre Apr 21 - May 5

HA!lifax comedy fest

Premiere Entertainment Group Apr 22 - 25

NS Craft Beer Week

Craft Brewers' Association of NS May 8 - 17

Beer & Beethoven

Symphony Nova Scotia May 8

Open Brewery Day

Craft Brewers' Association of NS May 9

Open City

I Love Local HFX May 9

Fifth wind

Cecilia Concerts May 10

Scotiabank bluenose marathon Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon May 15 - 17

Come Celebrate with Our Local

Breweries

Craft beer full house

Craft Brewers' Association of NS & Local Connections HFX May 16

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

53

Community FEATURE

eye candy signs

Article by: Alison DeLory · Photo: Riley Smith

making our city more beautiful, one sign at a time

54

S

uccess sure tastes sweet for eyecandy SIGNS INC. For the past 18 years, this north-end Halifax company has been designing, producing, installing, and maintaining boutique and hand-crafted signs for area businesses, all the while picking up new clients and industry recognition.

"I'm interested in small business relationships. I love those conversations when someone is opening a new business or re-branding a business. . . . Nothing beats that energy," says eyecandy SIGNS INC. co-owner Allison Moz. People in Halifax already know eyecandy's work because they've seen their signs around town at places like Attica, World Tea House, Fred, da Maurizio, Julien's, Moksha Yoga, Sugah! and Uncommon Grounds.

"We have a hand in building so many beautiful signs for Halifax; our signs become part of our urban landscape,” says Moz. “They take a life of their own and become these little embellished landmarks that celebrate the local business community.”

The company began in 1997 when founder Jake Ethridge wanted to produce artistic, sophisticated and striking signage.

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

The sculptural signage for Pete’s Bedford was eyecandy’s first job. Another early client was Sweet Jane's, a candy shop which, mid-fabrication, inspired the name “eyecandy SIGNS.” The company grew steadily, incorporating in 2004. Moz joined as Ethridge's partner in 2006 and together they expanded into what they call "wayfinding" signs; those that help people navigate through institutions or facilities without having to ask for directions. Today there are eight employees, and Progress Magazine recently named eyecandy SIGNS INC. Atlantic Canada's eighth fastest-growing business.

Moz credits the success, in part, to the one-on-one approach eyecandy offers businesses. They spend time getting to know a business, understanding its target message and audience, and working to understand (or help nurture) a company's brand. "It's about building a relationship, understanding who they are and what they do," Moz says. The result could be interpretive marker signage for the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, sophisticated handcarved road signs with gold gilding and classic scalloped edges for King's Edgehill School, or a hand-sculpted sign for Venus Envy. Moz says eyecandy SIGNS INC. strikes the right balance between old-fashioned craftsmanship and new technologies.

"Sometimes we're pigeon-holed as traditional sign makers. But we embrace technology. We’re quick to acknowledge signage is media and media is technology."

The company also places a high premium on workplace safety, and opted to go after the highest level of safety certification offered. "We've never had an accident and we intend to keep it that way," says Moz. She's also serious about the rights of all people to accessible information. The company’s investment in precision technologies was the right decision, says Moz. Though barrier-free signs are not enforced in Canada, it’s essential that the business uphold the United Nations standards on accessible design, Moz says. “Good design is accessible design."

The wide variety of eyecandy's products—from awnings and banners to illuminated and sidewalk signs—means no two look alike, but collectively they form an impressive portfolio of work that annually wins awards at home and internationally.

This year eyecandy SIGNS INC. won a bronze medal in The Coast newsweekly's Best of Halifax awards for the sign it created for J&R Grimsmo boutique, and took second place at the Sign Media magazine industry awards in the commercial building signs category for the carved sign it produced for The Stubborn Goat Gastropub. "We're profiled annually by international magazines for work we're doing in Halifax," says Moz. Consequently, business has expanded to Toronto, across the U.S. and Trinidad. Recently, eyecandy SIGNS INC. was also contracted to provide signage for an American television show called Hotel Impossible, a reality program on the Travel Channel that features teams rejuvenating struggling hotels.

Yet regardless of these expanding opportunities, Moz insists that keeping the storefront and shop on Halifax's Agricola Street is the right decision for eyecandy SIGNS INC. Ethridge and Moz are founding members of the North End Business Association and big supporters of north-end Halifax features like active transportation opportunities. "Taxes are higher here but there's a real brilliance to the north end,” says Moz. “You couldn't convince me to move anywhere else. We live and work inside a community of people with shared values like walkability, artistic integrations and environmental sustainability. It's a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem that's unique to Halifax, and it’s a joy to contribute." █

$2.50 includes all the reasons to come back.

The harbour ferry delivers you right to the doorstep of many of the most celebrated shops, theatre, restaurants and urban escapes in Halifax. Downtown Dartmouth is all-together an unforgettable place to explore.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE DOWNTOWNDARTMOUTH.CA AND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @DT_DARTMOUTH

Community FEATURE

Jym Line Glassware The only drinkware decorator in Atlantic Article by: Jordan Whitehouse · Photo: Riley Smith

Canada looks locally to grow business

56

A

fter taking the last swig of a pint or pouring the last drops of a growler, have you ever looked down and wondered where that glass grail came from? If you got it from a bar, brewery or winery in Nova Scotia, your answer is likely a 10,000 square foot facility just north of the Halifax airport, home of Jym Line Glassware, the only drinkware decorating company east of Montreal.

Sitting there on the outer edges of Elmsdale’s business park, it strikes a lonely pose these days, but inside it’s a different story. This becomes clear the moment Tom Adams, the company’s burly president, meets me at the front door and extends an ink-stained hand. Behind him, one of his seven fulltime employees is busy screen-printing logos onto coffee mugs while the graphic designer is hovered over a computer with a fresh print-out in his hand.

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

There’s a strong, sweet smell in the air as we walk into the production area, and I ask Adams later if that’s the ink. “I don’t smell it anymore, but probably,” he says with a smile.

It makes sense that he wouldn’t notice. He’s been in this line of work since he was thirteen, which was thirteen years after his dad, Jim, started the company from the family living room in 1969. Back then it was called “Jym Line Products” and mostly focussed on decorating t-shirts and sweatshirts, though it did sell glassware from Ontario as well.

The problem with that glassware was that it was expensive and not very good. So, knowing there was no glass decorator in Atlantic Canada, Jim went to the library and taught himself how to get decals on glass and keep them there. Soon after, Jym Line Glassware was born and later moved to a 3,000 square foot space on Agricola Street and then a 9,000 square foot space in Bedford.

In 2009, Tom took over the company after his father retired, purchased the property in Elmsdale and then moved the company here. “The building is custom designed for exactly what we do, whereas we’ve had to modify other buildings we were in,” he says. “So from a workflow perspective, we’ve increased our efficiency by 25 per cent just by moving out here.”

One big tool they purchased when moving that helped increase that efficiency was a 69-foot-long, 4-foot-wide, 8-foottall kiln that fuses designs to glassware and ceramics with 1120 F of heat. Resembling an oversized pizza oven, the Germanmade machine can handle between 500 and 750 pieces every hour. “I chose to go with the Cadillac,” says Adams as he starts it up. “There’s no sense farting around. I know it costs more money, but sometimes you can’t compromise on quality.”

Judging by the numbers, more clients in Atlantic Canada, especially those in the alcohol business, believe him. Over the last five years, breweries and wineries have been the most significant areas of growth for the company, and now 30 per cent of Jym Line’s business comes from them.

“I haven’t purchased glassware from another company in probably four years because there’s just no point,” says Propeller Brewery’s sales and marketing director Andrew Cooper. “You don’t get what he brings when you’re dealing with companies outside the province.” A recent example: Propeller ran out of growlers on a Friday evening in October, but instead of having to wait until Monday, Cooper shot Adams a text at 11 that night that read, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ “We drove out in our minivans, loaded up growlers and drove into the brewery. I mean, that’s what he does.”

This isn’t to say it’s been easy for Jym Line to get local business, however, and one reason for that has been, at times, a lack of support from local promotional companies, which sell directly to potential customers. As long as Adams can quote the same price as an out-of-region supplier, they’ll use his company. Yet if Jym Line is five cents more expensive, they’ll go with the cheaper option. This is true even if shipping costs bump up the price because promo companies usually don’t pay those fees.

This trend will likely start changing, though, says Adams.

“We’re seeing more of the general public who want to support local. So the more that they know there’s a local decorator here, the more I think you’ll see the push here for promotional houses to use us as well.”

Time will tell if that pans out, but those who do start using Jym Line will likely find that supporting local is a two-way street. I spoke with reps from a few Nova Scotia breweries supplied by Jym Line, and all agreed: whether it’s suggestions for improving business, such as going with two growler sizes rather than one, or, like Propeller, fulfilling last-minute orders, Adams et al can be counted on.

“My clients matter to me,” says Adams before a final inkstained handshake and getting back to the production floor.

“When they get into a pinch, I personally feel like I have to help them out, and I think that’s just the maritime way.” █

WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO SUPPORT LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS

E

ntrepreneurs. They’ve got guts! They take risks that many wouldn’t dare take, and for that, many of us admire their courage and support their endeavours. We all know the importance of entrepreneurs and small businesses in our community, and the incredibly positive impact they have on our economy. So how can we help these risktakers? What does support really look like from an entrepreneur's perspective?

After many conversations over coffee and sandwiches with some of our cities finest entrepreneurs, I’ve compiled a list of ways you can support entrepreneurship in Halifax. Local shops bring a vibrant and unique touch to our local landscape that can’t be matched by big-box, cookie-cutter stores.

If you are reading this magazine, chances are a few of favourite spots around the city are small businesses, and they need backing from their community to make it in today’s competitive environment.

HELP CELEBRATE & REFER

Being an entrepreneur is hard work.

They have passion for what they do and need to find ways to celebrate the small successes that propel their business forward. Celebrate with them, talk about their achievements and share their positive news. Be their champion in the community and encourage others to experience their special contribution to our city. Many businesses say they get their business from word of mouth, so you can help them out by simply starting a conversation.

giving ASSISTANCE

Small businesses rarely make it on their own; they need assistance from

Lindsay Burns i ca.linkedin.com/in/lindsaybest l lindsaybestbiz

the community. Sometimes financial support is required, while other times it’s feedback and advice to help a business get over that next hurdle. As business challenges tend to accumulate, there is a growing trend for owners to develop an advisory board made up of members of the community. The board meets periodically to provide confidential advice to the entrepreneur to help guide major decisions that will impact their future. Consider volunteering some time to offer an objective point of view to the business owner.

PARTNERS & PROFESSIONALS

Some savvy entrepreneurs have learned the power of outsourcing and collaborating to grow their business.

Maintaining great relationships with

other business professionals and collaborating on business projects can help a business owner turn a potential weakness into a competitive edge. Have an open attitude to collaborating with local small businesses especially in the start-up phase when your knowledge and expertise are needed the most.

TRAFFIC & DOLLARS

This one should come as no surprise.

Visit the local shops and spend some of your hard-earned dollars. It's unreasonable to think that everyone can spend all their money locally, but a conscious effort can be made to shift some support to the local guys. Every business needs sales to survive, so if you wish for them to stick around, show them by enjoying their business on a regular basis. █

City FEature

Beatiful Music Beautiful Price Adult tickets only $25!

Sunday, 8 February

Sunday, 22 February

Sunday, 8 March

Valerie Milot (harp) and Andre Bareil (violin)

“A Tribute to Fritz Kreisler”

Thibault Cauvin (guitar)

Sunday, 15 March

Sunday, 19 April

Sunday, 10 May

Quartet La Corde

Willem Blois and Cindy Thong

Fifth Wind

2:00pm at Apostles Church

2:00pm at Lilian Piercey Concert Hall

2:00pm at Lilian Piercey Concert Hall

2:00pm at Lilian Piercey Concert Hall

Advance Tickets available through:

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LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

2:00pm at Lilian Piercey Concert Hall

2:00pm at Lilian Piercey Concert Hall

Weighing in on our obesity epidemic in Halifax

O

besity rates in Canada have tripled in less than 30 years, according to the latest studies. Sadly, the Maritimes is the fattest region in Canada.

When these headlines hit across Canada, television studios became extremely interested in filming a documentary series in our province to figure out why. And can you guess who was asked to be one of the panelists in the documentary? You guessed it! A pet nutrition blogger who sees this problem escalating in our province daily!

According to The New England Journal of Medicine, “For the first time in two centuries, the current generation of children in America may have shorter life expectancies than their parents.”

And our pets unfortunately fall into the same bracket. Why? Because, not coincidentally, what trends in the human disease category seems to also trend in the pet disease category. Here are some stats to back that up: • Two out of three people are diagnosed with cancer today (cancer.org) • “Cancer now affects about one in two dogs, and one in three cats.” (Western College of Veterinary Medicine) • “68.5% of adults are overweight or obese.” (frac.org) • “An estimated 54% of dogs and cats in the United States are overweight or obese.” Canadian Pets aren’t that far behind! (petobesityprevention.org) Rhetorical question: Why, if fat is the problem, has per capita consumption of fat gone down precipitously for the past 30 years, yet obesity has increased dramatically?

The average starch and sugar content of meat, fish, eggs, insects, plants, fruits,

Rodney Habib f PlanetPawsPetEssentials l PlanetPawsNS berries, and vegetables is about 4 per cent. Of course, honey and berries are high in sugar. But honey was rarely encountered, and berries are mostly water. Contrast this 4 per cent starchsugar content of the primordial world with the average starch-sugar content of dry, expanded pet food. Most dry pet food is 40 per cent carbohydrate. It should be obvious where this discussion is going: 4 per cent versus 40 per cent.

Fat is not the problem. This has been known for over 100 years, and it has been proven unequivocally by the scientific community. People on a low carb diet can eat all they want yet lose weight, and have a healthier blood lipid profile.

What is the solution to the obesity epidemic in our pets?

“The solution is to feed as much raw, frozen, canned or freeze-dried pet food as your budget will allow,” says Dr. Richard S. Patton, PhD, an animal nutritionist for over three decades. “Owners of several big dogs could rapidly go broke feeding a fresh or raw diet, but to the extent that the dry kibble can be reduced, or lowered as a percentage of the diet, nutrition will be better.”

No matter what type of kibble you purchase, from a veterinarian, supermarket or pet store, it will need starch and carbs to get the kibble to stick together into a dry inorganic ball.

But ask yourself: Does a 40 per cent consumption of carbs a day, for a dog or cat, seem logical?

Nature gave us, as a species (human or pet), eight hormones to raise blood sugars and only one hormone (insulin) to lower them. Is nature trying to tell us something?

If you factor out the grains, nature’s foods have, on average, around 3 per cent carbohydrates. Now factor in all of the

manmade grains and the kibbled foods we feed our pets, and we are feeding them a diet of 40 per cent carbohydrates or higher! With a pet food industry that is trying to convince us that dried, inorganic pellets from a bag is science, we have to stop and question if our pets really need to consume that many carbs and starches (aka sugars).

Today, the average human consumes at least half a pound of sugar a day. We are experiencing a disease epidemic.

Our pets, unfortunately, are consuming these same carbohydrates. Almost 60 per cent of North Americans and their pets are overweight. Diabetes and heart disease are up in both humans and pets.

The cancer rate is one in two men and one in three women; the same goes for dogs and cats.

Did you know that cancer is an obligate glucose metabolizer (meaning it needs sugar to thrive)? Non-cancerous cells can live and grow without glucose, while cancer cells depend on it. In fact, cancer cells absorb 300 to 500 per cent more glucose than normal cells.

Did Mother Earth intend for us to consume all of these high, geneticallymodified carbohydrate foods like corn, soy and wheat!? Ask yourself this: With eight hormones in your body used to raise blood sugars and only one to drop them, maybe there is a very important message we are missing here!

Maybe it’s time we go back to basics and start eating real food, and not food look-alikes.

Maybe we should remember this quote from Abraham Lincoln: “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” █

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

61

Article & Photos: Alexander Henden · Car Courtesy of Hillcrest Volkswagen

2015

Weekend WeekendDRIVE DRIVE

62

I

f there's one thing I've learned since moving to Atlantic Canada, it's that there are a lot of Volkswagen owners out here, and many of them are loyal enthusiasts of the brand. Quite a few friends actually own one, and on more than one occasion I found myself on the receiving end of a sales pitch—and this is without ever stepping foot into the dealership.

So what's the deal, then? Why are these folks so crazy about their cars? Well, we're about to find out.

It’s the morning of January 2nd when we pick up our test car, which, incidentally, is the day after Mother Nature decided to show up late with the white Christmas. The car is also white, which is always the best colour when the designers get the angles right, and at our request we’re being treated to the Highline model. This is Volkswagen's top-of-the-range Jetta, so the window sticker has me wondering: Is there a typo in the price? $29,000 for a fully-loaded Jetta? What gives?

After a brief meet-up with folks at the dealership, we’re handed the keys to our car. From the outside, while looking very good, the car is a little understated, which perhaps can be viewed as one of its selling points. It's not a flashy car.

Inside, things are a little less reserved, yet the same theme continues. The interior of this car is furnished with leather buckets, which at first sight I knew what they'd be like: excellent.

The seats also have an infinite range of adjustments, matched by a fully-adjustable wheel, ensuring that pretty much anyone can find that perfect driving position. The dashboard and controls don't come across as fussy, but still, there's an immediate feeling that you are sitting inside something special.

With the car adjusted to the driver (me), we're on our way, and like always, it's hammer to the floor (sorry, that's my style).

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

Immediately I am taken by the power delivery, which feels like 200-plus horsepower with absolutely no lag (delay) in the turbo.

It's almost as if the turbo has been waiting impatiently for me to put the hammer down. Impressive.

As we make our way towards our first destination, we uncover some other delightful features. Throttle response is excellent, but so are the brakes, not only in their operation but in their feel as well. Perfect. The suspension is firm enough to handle spirited driving but well dampened enough to shield you from the rough stuff underneath the tires. Grip levels are also very good, especially considering that this model isn't a GTI. I also find myself debating whether this car has traction control at all. On the one hand, grip levels are extremely good but there's no indication that a limited slip is at work. How could a car in this class not have traction control? Apparently, as I am told at the dealership, that's just how far technology has come. The car does have traction control, you just don't feel it working. In fact, my suspicion that the car uses twin turbos is also inaccurate.

It has a seamless power delivery but with only one turbo. How can this be?

After driving around for a while, I find myself already comfortable at the wheel, which is not usually a given.

I feel at home. Despite still being in the compact class, this car—and all cars in this class—are much bigger than what I'm used to, yet I don't feel that the extra size and weight are in the way. Not one bit. The front seats, which are heated, are still doing a great job of impressing me, but it's the back seat where I find myself surprised the most. Lots of room back there. Very comfortable. In my ’04 Sentra, you almost feel bad for whoever has to take the back seat, like they are flying economy class, but in here there is a certain level of luxury, comfort and room.

Another surprise is the trunk space. When I pop it, I find myself shocked. Two people could sleep comfortably in there, not that I'd recommend it. The available trunk is staggering.

For the rest of our test drive, we explore some of the features and controls, of which there aren't too many. Just the way I like things. The car has everything you need, including some luxury items, but nothing extra to get in the way.

In the end, I return the car now knowing why so many Volkswagen owners are actually enthusiasts. Volkswagens are solid, well appointed, comfortable and not too fussy. In terms of personality, I would have to say this Jetta is somewhere between business casual and smart casual, but with the ability to let loose once in a while and really exploit the open road. It's a city car and a road trip car, which is a good combo, but it also has me wondering what the new Golf GTI is like. â–ˆ

Vehicle Specifications Model

Volkswagen Jetta 1.8TSi

Engine

Turbocharged 1.8 litre 4 cylinder

Power

170hp @ 6200rpm

Torque

184lb ft @ 1500 - 4750rpm

Fuel Economy (city)

9.3L/100kms

Fuel Economy (highway)

6.3L/100kms

Seating Capacity 5 Base price (Trendline model)

co m

ing

ma y9

Price as tested (Highline model)

Wine & Travel Issue PACK YOUR BAGS AND GET READY TO LOVE NOVA SCOTIA

$17,690 $29,085

Direct Destinations

Article by: Tiffany Thornton

The Glasgow -

64

Halifax Connection T

he Europe Airpost five-hour direct flight from Halifax to Glasgow tilts its bright yellow wing in an almost bird-like fashion as we begin our descent. Just minutes before I was staring wideeyed out the window at the rolling hills and craggily cliffs of the Scottish highlands. I could feel the anticipation of discovering a new city take hold like it always does when I embark on a new journey. Yet this time was different: I was leaving New Scotland and going to the land where so much of Nova Scotia's Scottish history and heritage had started many generations ago.

When I arrive at Glasgow Airport, I am greeted by a gentleman wearing a green checkered kilt who gleefully welcomes me and puts my suitcase in a Bob’s Taxi. This leads me to chuckle as five hours prior I had taken a

Bob’s Taxi from downtown Dartmouth to the airport. I soon arrive at the Fraser Suites hotel in historic Merchant City. The view from my room is inspired. Old rooftops are basking in an almost terracotta hue. Seagulls swoop past my window and perch themselves on the etchings of lions that sit atop the buildings.

Merchant City is central to everything, and fortunately Glasgow’s city centre is easy to navigate.

The little side streets lined with pub and restaurant exteriors remind me so much of Halifax. I recall reading somewhere that one of Glasgow’s oldest pubs is called "The Scotia," and I decide to seek it out. When I arrive, the pub is filled with the sound of live music, and everyone is swaying back and forth to the famed Scottish ballot "Caledonia." I chat with some of the

crowd over a pint of locally-brewed beer and find myself becoming strangely attached to the city.

The next morning I indulge in a full Scottish breakfast, savouring my bangers and beans. The air is damp with the smells of history as I make my way to George Square.

Along the way I stumble on a plaque commemorating Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, who was born in Glasgow. The square is surrounded by beautiful Georgian buildings that house Glasgow’s city council. George Square has several significant statues and monuments, the tallest being of Scottish poet and novelist Sir Walter Scott; another of acclaimed poet Robbie Burns is represented there as well. It’s reminiscent of Halifax's Victoria Park, which boasts the likenesses of the same two famous Scotsmen.

From George Square I walked along the main shopping hub of Sauchiehall Street, past the Halifax bank and towards Argyle Street, which forms the main route in and around the city's shopping centre. It offers up some fabulous pubs and great grub, just like its namesake in Halifax. The similarities are everywhere; even the buildings towards the west end of Argyle look uncannily like Halifax's sister street.

Glasgow is the kind of city that you could linger in for days and just scratch the surface of its mixture of alluring mystique and Glaswegian charm. This spring you will have the chance to do exactly that. WestJet’s new route will be flying direct from Halifax to Glasgow, giving you the opportunity to discover the many roots of New Scotland. █

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Article by: Tiffany Thornton

Postcard Direct Destinations from ABROAD

66

Halifax’s Expanding Gateway to Europe

T

here is no mistaking that Halifax is a happening city, with its top notch culinary and art scenes, Atlantic harbour views, and a historic fort that sits proudly atop the centre of it all. Best of all, if you are a jetsetting traveller, it is becoming a truly great place to be based.

Halifax's proximity to Europe has a strong appeal to locals and tourists alike. You can fly direct to London in the early morning, and be there in time for high tea. If you feel like seeking out some majestic fjords, Iceland is a mere four hours away. Halifax’s Stanfield International Airport may be small, but its vision isn't.

This spring Glasgow will join the new direct routes, connecting Nova Scotia to its history and ancestral heritage.

Germany’s Condor Air is already offering affordable direct flights to Frankfurt, which is yet another country with strong ties to Nova Scotia’s heritage. The first German settlement in Canada was established in 1753, and throughout Nova Scotia, towns and streets with German names abound. You can drive along Gottingen Street, head out of the city through New Germany and arrive in the town of Lunenburg.

Condor flies from Halifax direct to the bustling hub of Frankfurt from early May until the end of October. You can spend days exploring the historic city of Frankfurt, which offers up an array of world-class museums, culture and modern flare at every turn. Its proximity to the Rhine region, where most of Nova Scotia's early German settlers originated, is less than a half hour away. The lovely town of Mainz, which is steeped in

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

history sits on the west bank of the Rhine River, and is a perfect place to delve into the past.

Frankfurt is an extremely old city nestled along the River Main. Its history dates back to the first century. Throughout the city, surrounded by modernity, you can find old relics and buildings that hold a deep history within their walls. If you happen to be in Frankfurt on a Thursday or a Saturday, make your way to the city centre square, Konstablerwache. The Mein Zeil, a modern shopping district, surrounds it and is home to a large outdoor market. It’s a culinary smorgasbord that offers up an array of German beers, cheeses, renowned apple wine and schnitzel.

No visit to Frankfurt is complete without visiting the topnotch museums the dynamic city has to offer. There are so many, you truly need a few days to enjoy them all. The Stadel Museum holds one of the vastest collections of art in all of Germany, boasting European works of art from seven centuries.

Rembrandt, Vermeer and Botticelli are all there, along with 100,000 other drawings and prints housed in a wonderfully exquisite building where modernity and history collide.

The Palmengarten offers an aromatic adventure for the senses. Meander through 50 acres of orchids, tropical trees and greenhouses featuring towering cacti. It’s all surrounded by an expanse of green lawns and waterfalls. During the summer season you can even hop on a train around the miniature railway.

The German-owned Lindner Hotels are a must when visiting.

The Lindner Hotel & Residence Main Plaza Frankfurt is stellar.

Designed to reflect New York City culture of the 1930s, it towers above the River Main with its gold-flecked rooftop. It is located right near Sachsenhausen, one of Frankfurt’s oldest streets. The hotel’s stylish suites are classy and refined. Boasting spectacular views of Frankfurt’s handsome skyline with its skyscrapers and high-rises, it’s often referred to by locals as “Mainhattan.”

The adventure doesn't stop there. From the main hub of Frankfurt’s airport, you can hop on another Condor flight to almost anywhere in the world. Fresh pasta in Rome or scuba diving off Mauritius? When you’re done, circle back to Frankfurt, and then fly back across the Atlantic and home to Halifax. █

Community FEATURE

B AT T L E O F T H E

ATLANTIC Article by: Brenden Sommerhalder

a project designed to ignite national pride and transform our waterfront

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T

he concept of national identity may be abstract, but if a dedicated group of volunteers and their supporters get their way, the Halifax waterfront will be home to a very real—and very impressive—tribute to one of Canada’s greatest identity-building events since Confederation.

“There have not been very many occasions when Canadians have set aside their conventional interests and come together nationally. But of all those few occasions, there are none greater than the Battle of the Atlantic,” says Ted Kelly, retired navy captain and chairman of the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust’s Battle of the Atlantic Place project.

The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest campaign of the Second World War, the only one in which Canada was a nearly equal partner with the United States and Britain, and the clearest example of an effort for which its success was made possible by Canada’s role. “The contribution by Canada was, in fact, the decisive factor in the campaign’s success,” explains Kelly. “We put in place the whole aspect of naval-controlled shipping and the convoy system long before the Americans ever came near it. By 1943 and 1944, we were escorting everything.”

The battle became the only theatre of war ever to be commanded by a Canadian.

While Canada’s role in the Battle of the Atlantic had critical implications for the global war effort, its impact on the national development of the young country was transformative. “We started the war effort with a navy that comprised of a total of 11 ships and a force of fewer than 3,000 people. In the space of three years, we grew that to 500 ships and 110,000 people, and we started a merchant navy from nothing to 175 ships and 15,000 people,” explains Kelly. “We were a country of barely 11 million people at the time. It was truly astounding.” Canada’s

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

incredible efforts during the battle led to an accelerated industrialization of the country and the development of new industry, such as electronics and optics, and vastly expanded steel and armaments industries.

But Kelly believes that for as critical an event the Battle of the Atlantic is in Canada’s history, there is no corresponding knowledge or appreciation of the accomplishments among Canadians today. “The sad fact is that we Canadians are not very good at telling our stories,” he says. “[Our group is] very firm in our conviction that if our country is going to have a future, we have to tell our stories and talk about our history.

We need tangible expressions of national achievement, and we need to reinforce our national identity for generations to come with things that shaped the national fabric. We think Battle of the Atlantic Place would be a meaningful piece of that tangible expression.”

The proposed Battle of the Atlantic Place would be a significant development on the Halifax waterfront, covering 1.8 hectares at Sackville Wharf next to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. “It’s not a museum,” says Kelly. “Museums are artifacts, dusty things in glass cases, sometimes dull. Museums are very informative, but this is going to be different. It's going to be something that will excite people, and people will want to come back again and again.”

The development concept, created by Stantec and BRC Imagination Arts, is designed as an immersive experience to help visitors not only learn about the battle, but also get a feel for it. It will utilize modern technology-supported storytelling techniques to help bring the battle to life, including simulation, video and visualization techniques. “We’re going to use stuff that was developed for gaming but applied on a much larger

scale to quite dramatic effect,” explains Kelly. “The guests will be immersed in this story and be a part of it. From the moment they enter to the moment they leave, they'll be swept up in it. We think the experience will be emotional.”

The centrepiece of the project is the HMCS Sackville, the last of over 120 corvettes that were built by Canada as escort vessels which is currently docked in front of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. The project involves housing the vessel indoors, protected from the elements and accessible year-round. The group’s strategy for Battle of the Atlantic Place is national in scope with chapters in every province. The full concept includes installing memorial markers in communities across the country that lent their names to the ships and vessels that participated in the battle. There are nearly 350 communities across Canada whose names were represented at sea.

An economic impact study completed by the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council forecasts that Battle of the Atlantic Place will attract more than 200,000 visitors per year, create 600 jobs ranging from hospitality in the surrounding community to technical professions, and generate $22 million annually.

With the design concepts complete and the development partners secured, the group’s current focus is to raise the necessary funds to complete the project. “It is our hope that the federal government will come in for a big slice of it, and if they do, we believe we can raise the rest of it,” says Kelly. “We need champions. We need people from across the country with powerful voices. The most important way [to support the project right now] is to promote it with the powers that be and with elected representatives.” █

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Closing NOTE

Letter by: John P. Rudolph · Photo: #brassroomselfie

Dear Haligonians,

70

I

am writing this letter to express my heartfelt apology to you for an egregious misunderstanding. Had I known you better I would not have laboured under these cliché misconceptions. For all these years I thought that you were just a bunch of whiskey-drinking, bagpipe-playing, kilt-loving, lobster-eating sissies that mainly existed to keep Alberta supplied with doctors, professors, and oilfield labour. How wrong I was. How horribly wrong.

Please let me explain how this happened.

I was adopted by a FrenchCanadian mother and a German immigrant father.

Yeah, Catholics to boot. Oddly enough I always seemed to like the bagpipes. My parents were baffled, maybe it’s a genetic thing.

A few years back I had the good fortune of meeting my birth mother. That’s when my understanding of Halifax began to unravel fast. As it turns out my ancestors, the Kent clan (um … am I allowed to say “clan”? I’m just getting used to all this east coast stuff), originally settled in Nova Scotia in 1752. Apparently they came here to kill the French. This would dismay my adopted mother (who is French) and frankly it bothered me a little because I kinda like the French.

Incidentally, my branch of the Kent tree ended up moving west before it was popular.

Last summer my wife Laurel and I actually visited Halifax for the first time. I don’t own a kilt so I wore my lederhosen, as our main mission was to participate in your annual Sausage Fest celebrations. We stayed at a nice little B'nB a few blocks from the downtown waterfront and didn’t rent a car as we decided that the best way to get to know Halifax would be to see it slowly on foot and mooch rides from our local friend Alex Henden.

One of the first things that I found out was that Halifax has a huge connection to the German university city of Gottingen, even though you guys have no idea how to actually pronounce the word. Coincidentally for the last 20 years or so Laurel and I have spent several days in Gottingen each year. And believe

LOCAL CONNECTIONS HALIFAX | Winter 2015

it or not, they have sausage too.

Having spent my teen years in Vancouver and currently spending about half our time at our second home there, we were a bit west-coast-cool-snobby. Our snobbiness was misplaced. Unlike Vancouver, Halifax has retained its charm and friendliness and relaxed pace without falling behind.

Perhaps more accurately, Halifax does not seem to have forgotten who she is. World class restaurants, deep historic roots, quiet neigbourhoods, and some great old buildings (a few looking like they were designed in East Germany, but hey, no city is perfect).

One thing that surprised me was how many Haligonians I met that don’t actually know how great Halifax is. Some display a slightly apologetic and self-deprecating attitude. Maybe some of you’ve lived in this gem of a city for so long that you take it for granted. I could talk about Citadel Hill or the Public Gardens (where my friend Sheldon Harper works to keep them beautiful) or the Harbour Hopper, but all that stuff gets covered in all the tourist blogs. No, those things are nice, but they are not what Halifax is all about. Halifax is about the people.

I was really overwhelmed by the down home sincerity and friendliness of Halifax: the pharmacist that took her time and helped me replace my lost prescription; the server that really was friendly for more than the tips; the barber that offered me a beer while I waited; the tour guide that was interested and genuinely excited instead of just doing the same old spiel; the farmers market that had real farmers selling real local products; the lawyer that notarized a document for me and then spent half an hour (no fee) telling me how great it is to live in Halifax. There is a depth to this city that, it seems, most of the big places have lost.

Some years back my friend Ryan Martell moved from Edmonton to Halifax. He says that he’s not going back. He says that Halifax is home now. If there is one word to describe Halifax, that’s the word. Home. It’s true, Halifax, there’s no place like Home.

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