Local Connections Halifax - Winter 2014

AGRICOLA STREET BRASSERIE Inside the North End’s Newest Neighbourhood Restaurant

CHOCOLATE CITY

LANG EYEWEAR An Entrepreneurial Success Story, 20 Years in the Making

Winter 2014

A Sweet Look Back at Halifax’s Beloved Moirs Factory

PRESENTS

An All Inclusive Evening of

NOVA SCOTIAN WINE • SPIRITS • CRAFT BEER LOCAL FOOD & DESSERTS • MUSIC • ART • BEAUTY ONE MAGICAL EVENING AT THE HALIFAX CLUB

For tickets and event information, visit: localconnections.ca/events Must be of legal drinking age to attend this event.

Contents Issue Number 8, Volume 3 - Winter Edition 2014

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Local Discoveries

A look at some amazing finds from last quarter.

16

Community Builders

Features on Atlantic News, newly opened Bar Stillwell, and Michelle Strum of Alteregos CafĂŠ.

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Cover Feature

The story behind Lang Eyeware & Optometry in the Hydrostone.

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Local Food + Drink

Features on Agricola Street Brasserie and Scanway Catering.

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Meet Your Local

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42

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The Craft Beer & Local Food Celebration at the Halifax Club.

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St.Cecilia

A delightful neighbourhood venue for classical music.

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WINTER’S NOT SO BAD. The ‘Local Love’ Hustla’ Alexander Henden

Mister Sugar Brenden Sommerhalder

Contributing Editors Anisa Awad, Lindsay Best, Emily Forrest, Jessie Harrold, Kathleen Higgins, Bethany Horne, Phill Otto, Simon Thibault, Lia Rinaldo, Veronica Simmonds

Chief Photographer Riley Smith

Photography Meghan Tansey Whitton

Illustration Scott MacDonald

Design & Layout Alexander Henden

‘Love Hustla’ Costume Plan B Halifax

Magazine Printing Transcontinental Dartmouth

Connect with Us

f LocalConnectionsHalifax l ConnectionsHFX localconnections.ca

? magazine@localconnections.ca

The months after the Holidays and New Year’s are certainly interesting times. In many ways, it’s almost like a hibernation period. People can be tapped out both financially and emotionally, but for those who can find a little bit of gas left in the tank, these are some of the best months of the year. The winter pace always seems much slower, meaning there’s really no better time to connect and discover all the great things we were too busy to get around to all last year. This is the time to get your hustle on strong for local!

As a publication, we’re in exciting times. This issue kicks off our third season, and this year, we’re hosting a series of events under the Meet Your Local banner, all of which are very dear to us.

On January 16th we held our Craft Beer & Local Food Celebration at the Halifax Club, where 400 guests got to taste a wide range of beers and ciders from 11 Nova Scotian craft brewers and three cider makers, and delicious food from a handful of local restaurants, artisans, and producers. We even provided a little entertainment on top of it all. We’re following that epic event up with a few smaller beer related events at Ratinaud French Cuisine, the Harbourstone Sea Grill & Pourhouse, and at the Stubborn Goat, and then finally, we’re hosting our Wine & Spirits Gala at the Halifax Club on May 15th, which will be the perfect way to usher us into the new season.

Even if you never make it to one of our events, there’s still a huge selection of great stuff to do. 2013 boasted an impressive roster of restaurant openings, and many of us have yet to try some of them. On top of that, we all have some old favourites that perhaps we have been neglecting a little. And while you’re out, why not pair a dining experience with some live music or a show? You could also toss in a solid road trip or two into the mix and see how our beautiful province transforms in this season.

You see? Winter ain’t so bad.

Alexander Henden The ‘Local Love’ Hustla’

L O C A L

D I S C O V E R I E S

The Auction House

Chef Made Bacon Jam Once a year Chef Jason Lynch, head chef at Le Caveau in Wolfville, makes a special batch of bacon jam. The pork, sourced from Oulten’s in neighbouring Windsor is cured and smoked by Chef Jason himself. He then adds brown sugar, molasses, red wine, mushrooms, and spruce buds, making it the ultimate in pickled goodness. The jams are made in small batches and tend to sell out very, very quickly. In fact, if you’d like to get your hands on some, you may wish to add this to your calendar: the next batch will be available in November, 2014, and only until supplies run out.

chefjasonlynch.com

Downtown Halifax and the Argyle Entertainment District got a nice addition when the Auction House opened its doors on Argyle Street in January. It’s a great spot inside and out, with lots of local drink on tap and tasty food to boot. Interestingly, the site was formerly a real auction house at one point in its history, and Auction House pays hommage to the location’s history well beyond its name. The Auction House actually conducts live auctions daily, where patrons can bid on items (including menu items or other goodies, like Mooseheads tickets). The auction proceeds go to a select charity/non-profit group. Very cool.

auctionhousehalifax.com

100th Brew at Propeller Dartmouth Boy, time really flies. It feels like it was just yesterday that Propeller Brewing opened its doors at its second location in Dartmouth, but it’s actually been six months now.

And back in January, Propeller made its 100th brew at the new location. Awesome!

drinkpropeller.ca

New Café on Agricola Months after opening the new location of Local Source Market, Lion & Bright Café & Wine Bar opened its doors right next door, and it’s another part of the winning formula the north end is collectively putting together.

A beautiful space inside, progressive hours of operation, and tastily local eats, plus local drink on tap too. What more could we ask for?

facebook.com/lionandbright

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L O C A L

D I S C O V E R I E S

Get Home Safe As a magazine, we proudly promote all of our local producers, and this will never change. But we also know that some local products need to be enjoyed responsibly. With this in mind, we’d like to introduce you to an amazing ‘local discovery’ we stumbled upon over the holidays. It’s a fairly new, simple, and even amusing way to call a cab. It comes in the form of a mobile app from Casino Taxi, and it’s super easy to use. The best part is that you can get it free for iPhone and Android. Do it!

TAXI APP

casinotaxi.ca

Deliciousness Just One Block from the Oval It’s truly great to see so many families, couples, and individuals out enjoying one of our city’s greatest treasures, the Emera Oval. Physical activity is of course a path to better health, but there’s also just something special about these community gathering places, and we think we could use even more of them.

Garrison’s Home Brew Competition It’s that time again! The 6th Annual Garrison Home Brew-Off is set to begin, and this year’s competitors will produce Weisen—a spicy and fruity, refreshing German wheat ale. The competition is open to the public, but closes February 20th. On March 13th, Garrison will host their awards gala, with the winning brewer getting the honour of joining brewmaster Daniel Girard to brew a full-sized, limited edition batch of their brew. And as per tradition, we beer lovers get to buy some once it’s bottled.

garrisonbrewing.com

One thing we love about the Oval is just how close it is to one of our all-time Halifax favourites and one of this city’s greatest treasures, Dee Dee’s Ice Cream. It’s a great spot for handmade ice cream (obviously), but it’s also great for spot for handmade burritos, grilled cheeses, soups, hot chocolates, affagatos (ice cream with espresso), espressos, and more. And did we mention it’s just across the street from the Oval?

If you’re into good food at reasonable prices made lovingly by amazing people using only the best ingredients is your thing, then this is a must for you. It’s a better option than taking ‘the fam’ out for some McNuggets, or whatever (in our opinion!).

deedees.ca

The Nook The renaissance in the North End seems to have endless momentum right now. Back in November, Gottingen Street got yet another welcome addition when The Nook café opened its doors, serving coffee, espresso drinks, crafty sandwiches, small plates charcuterie and cheese plates, confections, beer, wine, cocktails, and more. Inside, the space is bright and welcoming; very easy to settle in for a bit. On top of this, their later hours of operation truly represent the direction the city needs to (and is) going. Good job, guys!

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L O C A L

D I S C O V E R I E S

Meet Your Local Micro Event Series Returns After a brief hiatus, the Meet Your Local micro event series has returned. As was the case last year, these events provide a unique opportunity for the consumer to go tableside with some of Nova Scotia’s best chefs, producers, craft brewers, and entertainers.

Our first event for 2014 is Parking Ticket Tuesday with host Bill Wood at the Stubborn Goat on March 11th. Bring your parking tickets and get $1.00 off pints of local. This will be followed up by a unique five-course beer pairing event at Ratinaud French Cuisine on March 27th, where the evening will feature craft beer from Boxing Rock and beerinfused ice cream by Dee Dee’s. Then, on April 3rd, we’ll have our six-course beer pairing at the Harbourstone Sea Grill & Pourhouse where Garrison Brewing will be on hand to match up with our two chefs.

There will likely be a few more events before we get into our big Wine & Spirits Gala on May 15th, and you can keep track of all this on our Facebook page or through our website.

localconnections.ca/events

The Kind Cook Book Seaport Market regular, Chantal Coolen of the Kind Cookie, has produced a delightful cook book called “Cook with Kindness”, which has over 150 vegan and gluten-free recipes for you to try. And it’s not just baked goods.

Also included are recipes for drinks, breakfasts, snacks, sandwiches, salads, soups, simple main courses, and yes, desserts too—all vegan.

The cook books are available at the Kind Cookie booth at the Seaport Market, and soon at book retailers across Canada.

You can also order a copy online.

thekindcookie.com

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Piatto’s January Pizza Celebration

Capacity Increased

On Sunday, January 19th, Piatto Pizzeria on Morris Street hosted a friendly gettogether to celebrate the one-year anniversary of their Vera Pizza Napoletana certification, and to announce the opening of two more Atlantic Canadian locations for 2014 (Moncton and Charlettown). They also used the opportunity to introduce us to their new menu with some samples. If for some reason you haven’t made it over to Piatto yet, you may want to use this article as a queue to do so. It’s literally one of the best restaurants in Halifax.

Great news for craft beer fans, Boxing Rock Brewing in Shelburne is increasing their production by 50%.

This will help keep product on the shelves at the NSLC and boutique shops, but more importantly, in the beer glass of this magazines editor.

piattopizzeria.com

boxingrock.ca

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Craft Beer Soaps During the Holidays, our editor made a nice little discovery. He was looking for some stocking stuffers to add to his “Box of Nova Scotia” (a Christmas package he sends to BC every year) and sure enough, our friends at Garrison had just what he was looking for. Beer soaps. Actually, they’re craft beer soaps, and yes, this is for real.

The soaps themselves are made by a social enterprise in Yartmouth (AllWays-Us) using all-natural ingredients.

You can pick these up at Garrison Brewing on Marginal Road, or online.

allwaysus.com

Wine & Spirits Gala On May 15, Meet Your Local returns to the Halifax Club for the second part of its 7 Rooms series, this time showcasing local wine, spirits, craft beer (of course), food, desserts, art, music, beauty, and even local travel. As with all Meet Your Local events, the evening is allinclusive, which means you just buy your ticket and show up. For this event, the vibe will be more along the lines of a red carpet affair. Dress is smart casual, but feel free to really go for it if you like.

localconnections.ca/events

S W E E T

D I S C O V E R I E S

If you have a sweet tooth, Halifax has a lot to offer. This issue we share some of our favourite ‘sweet treasures’ that we’ve discovered during our travels.

Pavia Biscuits

Chocolate Cookies

The Stubborn Goat 1579 Grafton Street, Halifax

FRED. (gluten free) 2606 Agricola Street, Halifax

Neopolitan Cheescake

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Sweet Hereafter 6148 Quinpool Road, Halifax

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Ginger Cake

Pavia Gallery Espresso Bar & Café 995 Herring Cove Road, Halifax

The Kind Cookie Halifax Seaport Farmer’s Market

L O C A L C ON N ECTIONS HALIFAX | W in te r 2013

Dee Dee’s Ice Cream 5668 Cornwallis Street, Halifax

The Old & The New

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

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he Old and the New. Halifax has them both, and they are a big part of what makes us so distinctive. I love watching the guests on our culinary walking tours look up while we’re on downtown streets, first with a grim sigh at the hill we’re about to tackle, then with awe at the stunning buildings towering above us. The Old and the New stand side by side in this great city—from no-frills family diners to cutting-edge gastro pubs and brasseries, from centuriesold gabled mansions to sleek condos with vertical lines—they happily rub shoulders all over town.

Sometimes, an innovative mind will take this charming dichotomy to a new level and work to bring the two even closer together.

For instance, it’s an absolute trip experiencing that venerable institution, The Halifax Club, when it’s buzzing with the hottest new chefs in town, the latest inspirations from local craft breweries, and a crowd of proud Nova Scotians who want to get their hands on the latest and the best in the local food and brew scene. The conversations that go on during a night like this differ a fair bit from a gentleman-only game of chess that might have happened here years ago.

In a similar vein, I had a memorable experience this past fall when I took in a new performance of Ibsen’s Ghosts

by Halifax’s own LunaSea Theatre at the stately Wright House. Or, I should say, a performance I actually

took part in; the creative production placed audience members and actors together in the parlour of the Inglis Street mansion built by George Wright and bequeathed to the Local Council of Women when he perished on the Titanic. As we perched on Victorian fainting couches while the long skirt of a young housemaid brushed past our knees, it truly felt as if we were listening in on the secret domestic discussions of one of those grand old Halifax families and witnessing a mother’s anguish (an unforgettable performance) just an arm’s reach away.

Sometimes I have trouble with the New, with change, and I want to hang onto things that I associate with earlier, happy memories. The closure of a favourite café or the loss of an historic building will sometimes just deflate me.

But I know I also love certain aspects of change: that buzz of anticipation, the excitement of watching things evolve, the wonderment of what will come next.

I am getting that buzz in spades these

days in the north end of Halifax, and especially at night. It’s great watching people pull their coats tight, looking just a little dressed up and wearing small, excited smiles as they hurry past me towards the newest eateries from nearby parked cars or from their homes just a few blocks away. I love the beckoning glow of warm light that spills out of grand picture windows along the street, where couples are happily digging into extraordinary dishes just on the other side of the glass. And I love planning my next visits to each little spot, wondering who I’ll bring and what they might like to try. If I’m on my way somewhere, I have to watch that I’m not late arriving at my destination, simply because I can’t help myself from stopping to read all the new menus posted along the way, showcasing locally inspired creations.

And on those menus: New Halifax culinary minds paired with age-old Nova Scotia delicacies. Now that’s my kind of change. █

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I Love This Town Phil Otto

ca.linkedin.com/in/philotto

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isten up kid, it’s not what you think. Stayed out too late, had a little too much to drink.

Walked home across the bridge when the Marquee shut down.

There’s a reason that I love this town.

Nobody cares how much money you have if you’ve got enough to get in a cab.

There’ll be drinks on the house if your house burns down. There’s a reason that I love this town.”

The lyrics of internationally acclaimed songwriter and artist Joel Plaskett tell it all. But it is an interesting phenomenon that some of the people who appreciate Halifax the most are either from away or grew up locally, travelled abroad and have come back home. Working on the HRM branding initiative for the past two months, I’ve talked to hundreds and read the thoughts of thousands—either via one

l @brandguy

of our several digital and social media channels, mailed or called in, or jotted down and stuck to the side of our van or travelling booths.

During one public consultation engagement, I overheard a new Canadian from India say to one of my colleagues, “You know what brings the biggest smile to my face? Every time it snows. Because when it snows I realize I am in Halifax, the city our family chose to immigrate to because of the pace of life and opportunities for my children.” I realized the stark contrast of her comment and my grumbling that morning as I cleared snow off my truck.

This new Canadian debated Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Halifax, and chose Halifax because of its small town friendliness and big city amenities.

And think about it. Where else could you find city, country, ocean beaches,

lakes, numerous parks, shopping, restaurants, museums, and local artists within a 30 minute drive?

For such a great place to live, I’m sometimes surprised by an undercurrent of pervasive grumbling and negativity that is also part of our culture. And because misery loves company, it often finds a voice. But it has been heartening to see a grassroots and completely unmanufactured response by champions who love Halifax, coming to its defense.

Other comments we’ve received include: “We are a visual masterpiece; water, culture, history and architecture,” and, “Halifax has its own vibe; it is a city with connectivity and culture and a feeling you get from no other city; heritage mixed with modern style.” Laid back, relaxed, friendly, diverse, and unique are other descriptions we’re hearing a lot.

But notable and most relevant to the magazine you’re reading right now: “Halifax has a movement afoot to support local, and it’s not one single initiative but several that are popping up. The Seaport Market, Farmer’s Market, north end, Spring Garden Road, and many points in between are agents of change in our important efforts to maintain our identity and culture. And that is so important, because Halifax has a culture unlike any other and we cannot lose it.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

There’s a reason that I love this town. █

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Davis

ts ke n ic tio rt a fo rm ll fo Ca d in an

with Musicians in Residence Jason Davis and Lucy Hayes

Debussy: Piano Preludes Gilbert de Greeve

Sunday, March 16th, 2 pm

Presented in partnership with Alliance Francaise

‘Highs and Lows’

David Murray and Friends: David Murray | Lorna MacDonald | Simon Docking

Sunday, March 30th, 2 pm

‘Moon Loves its Light’ Allison Angelo

Sunday, April 13th, 7:30 pm

The Art of Song

Jason Davis | Lucy Hayes Davis Lynette Wahlstrom | Jeff Torbert

Sunday, April 27th, 2 pm

2013-2014

Box Office

902-423-0143

Tickets available at BOOKMARK | Spring Garden Road, Halifax

Creative Marketing Lindsay Best ca.linkedin.com/in/lindsaybest

l @lindsaybestbiz

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mall business owners spend plenty of time thinking about their company and trying to stretch each loonie. They have worries that keep them up at night and feel as though they have won the lottery the first time they surpass a financial milestone. One common challenge for small businesses is they do not have big budgets for their marketing activities.

To get the visibility they need, they have to get creative.

The best place to start marketing a local business is your own back yard.

You’ll need the community to support you, so the reverse has to be true as well. This localization of your products and services will build a community of champions. They will refer you, talk about you, and support you.

The start of any creative campaign is determining your target market. Within your target market should be qualified subsets of individuals such as hockey moms in Dartmouth or students who live in residence and you can build your campaign to appeal to these groups.

This exercise is the first way to pinch your marketing pennies and will help ensure that your message is getting to the right eyes.

When mapping out how you want to spend your marketing dollars for the year, start with a simple framework.

Jot down each item or activity, your target audience, the objective, and the estimated price. This will give you a quick reference to prioritize your activities and stay within your budget.

Some of your marketing spend could include business cards, a store sign, or a website, but these are not overly creative or community oriented.

One example of a more creative marketing strategy is sponsoring a local youth sports team. Take it one step past logo placement and throw a pizza party for the kids and invite the parents.

Another example is to donate an item of value to a community silent auction to gain some visibility. Increase the impact by attending the event and network with the crowd. Ensure you have the people and resources in place to completely capitalize on each creative opportunity; otherwise it is not the best bang for your

buck. Everyone will feel the “community love” and your brand will be associated with this positive feeling.

It’s impossible to run through all the creative marketing ideas, because they should be specific to your business and your clients. Understanding what truly motivates your local market and appealing to them will increase your rate of success.

Instead of trying to be seen by everyone and trying to be everything to everyone, try clearly defining your audiences and find them in your local area. Your community and targeted efforts will help grow your business and help you sleep at night. █

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C O M M U N I T Y

B U I L D E R S

Atlantic News

Article: Bethany Horne Photo: Meghan Tansey Whitton

A

tlantic News turned 40 this year, and middle age suits it well.

Michele Gerrard, who started working there 20 years ago and eventually took over the business with her husband, believes there’s something unique about selling magazines. Going to the corner of Morris and Queen is rarely just another errand or a grocery stop for her customers. They’re there to indulge their most cherished interests.

“At the end of the day everybody that walks through that door, we’re a part of their lives. We are. Whether it’s crochet, or firearms, or model trains, or cooking— there’s something for everyone.”

A few years ago, after a rash of break-ins, Gerrard realized just how important the shop is to people.

“This one guy, he’s like ‘I’m going to come in, I’m going to bring my chair, I’m going to bring my rifle, and I’m going to sit here, and I’m going to stay here during the night.’”

She turned down the offer for

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vigilante justice, but was forever touched. She had realized: “I’m not in this alone.”

Gerrard can rattle off the names of dozens of her customers, and a story along with every name. There’s the woman who calls Atlantic News “her oasis.” Or the neighbour who uses it as her local convenience store. There’s the man who comes in every day to pick up a free newspaper and say hello, and the elderly woman who walks with two canes but brought the staff donuts for Christmas. More than a thousand people signed up to get a message when their magazine comes in to the store, via phone, text, email, or Tweet.

“It’s this quiet hub. The connectivity that’s there is not just us. People say ‘I’ll meet you at Atlantic News.’ There are so many lives that intersect here. And we have such a variety of people, that that intersection is fascinating.”

This gives her a certain feeling of responsibility, Gerrard says, so they’ve made changes to adapt to the upheaval

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that the Internet has meant to publishing.

“It is fighting a tide. The industry is certainly more difficult, so it’s about how do we remain open to be able to take care of the people that continue to come in?” The struggle is to offer something that people will be happy to spend their limited personal time for.

“We’ve been focusing on niche publications,” which come out less often and cost a premium, but “are beautifully handcrafted and cared for. They are the antithesis of the Internet. They’re about taking time, sifting through the masses, and saying: ‘my focus is going to be so clear.’”

For the past few years at Christmas, Atlantic News has hired a “live reader”: a person to leisurely browse magazines in their window display. The live reader serves as a living, breathing invitation to come in, take the time, and enjoy reading for people walking by.

“I have so many people come in and say ‘I want that job!’” That urge to stop, slow down, and read for pleasure

ATLANTIC NEWS MILESTONES 1973 Atlantic News opened on the corner of Morris & Queen.

1994 Stephen (current co-owner) started snow shovelling for the store.

1995 Supplied the G8 Summit with hundreds of papers.

1998 Michele & Stephen purchased Atlantic News after both working there since 1994.

2001 Major renovation of the store.

2001 remains strong.

“What does Atlantic News mean to people?” she concludes. “It’s a haven.

It’s entertainment. It’s community.

It’s fun. It’s a sense of pleasure.” And Internet or no Internet, those are things everybody wants. █

To experience Atlantic News, visit them in the south end at 5560 Morris St, Halifax.

Introduced Newspaper Direct as Nova Scotia’s only Print on Demand Newspaper service.

There are now over 2000 newspapers available from over 95 countries.

2007 (& 1993) Magazines Canada Retailer of the Year.

2010 Small Business of the Year Bronze, Hfx Chamber of Commerce.

2012 Lewis Lapham journal signing and talk in the store.

2013 Fabulous 40th birthday celebration.

Blow the winter blues away.

Choose a new look from our wide selection of unique eyewear and quality sunglasses.

453-6100. New Patients Welcome.

Complete eye exams in a comfortable setting.

Appointments Monday to Saturday.

5550 KAYE STREET (across from Hydrostone Mkt.)

C O M M U N I T Y

B U I L D E R S

Bar Stillwell Article: Simon Thibault Photo: Riley Smith

T

wo years ago, Laura MacDonald and Andrew Connell were living in Toronto and dreaming about opening a beer bar. A year later, Chris Reynolds, MacDonald’s half-brother, joined in on the fantasy. Today, the trio is sitting in a booth in their Barrington Street beer bar, Stillwell.

There is a lot that happens between the dream and the reality of owning and operating a bar. MacDonald, Connell, and Reynolds spent months fostering connections with brewers and finding the right space for Stillwell.

“We looked at spaces all over the city,” says MacDonald. “We saw what was happening with Agricola about to explode, but we couldn’t find a space the right size, or that had what we needed starting out. Then this space opened up.”

Their location on Barrington between Sackville and Prince has been home to everything from a sub shop to an internet café. Today, it seems uniquely suited to what it is: a place to enjoy beer.

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Lots of beer. Craft beer, specifically.

The most marked characteristic in Stillwell is its wall of taps. A feature that could easily have looked intimidating, Stillwell is designed so that everyone and anyone can participate and enjoy: Twelve taps offering beer selections, from light to dark. “[The progression from light to dark] doesn’t mean easy to difficult, it’s just colour,” says Reynolds. “It allows for all kinds of beers, and people drink from across the board.” When it comes to the beer itself, Reynolds and MacDonald tend to defer to Connell. “He’s our leader when it comes to beer,” Reynolds jokes.

By fostering relationships with brewers, Stillwell has been able to offer a diverse range of beers. “There are things in our fridge that there are only six kegs made, and we have two of them.”

Opening a beer bar in Halifax seemed like not only a dream project, but also good business. “We had observed firsthand the craft beer explosion all over the U.S. and Ontario,” explains Reynolds.

“In 2014, beer is no longer a question of

LOCA L CO N NECTI ONS H AL I FAX | Winter 201 4

whether it’s going to be more diverse and interesting, but how it is,” he says. “It’s an inevitability. There are so many people working to do a better craft beer culture in Nova Scotia. The way culture moves is in a certain direction generally, then the bold march forward will happen, and I think it will happen.”

Barrington Street has a history of being a place where beer is poured.

“People enjoy ordering a pint of Granite, because they used to drink that beer on this street. There is a nostalgia element to it,” says Connell. And nostalgia seems to be the watchword for Barrington, an embattled street in need of a renaissance.

But the Stillwell gang is hopeful, and convinced that the street is the right one for them. “People want this street to be a main drag again,” says MacDonald.

“It’s nice to have our foot in the door on this block. There are things happening, and seeing that growth around us will be interesting and it will bring more people down here.”

For MacDonald, Connell, and

BAR STILLWELL MILESTONES JULY 2013 Media buzz begins with first article written about Stillwell in the Chronicle Herald.

SEPTEMBER 2013 Graeme Ruppel of Brooklyn Warehouse and Coastal Café fame joins the team. An innovative food menu follows shortly.

NOVEMBER 2013 Bar Stillwell opens its doors featuring a tap wall of 12 brews and some casks . Food is also available for those hungering for more than just craft beer.

NOVEMBER 2013 Local Connections Halifax pops in for a few pints of local suds (they have New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec stuff on tap, too).

Reynolds, the street and the bar are just a backdrop for what really matters: the beer. When asked to describe what he saw in his mind’s eye when he imagined this place, Reynolds says that, “the only thing I could envision is great beer, the best beer we could possibly get. Beer and beer culture is the thing. Stillwell is just its shell for this particular time.” █

Bar Stillwell can be found in the old Captain Sub spot on 1672 Barrington Street in Downtown Halifax.

DECEMBER 2013 Stillwell hosts its first event, ‘Tripel Trouble’.

JANUARY 2014 Stillwell brews a beer with Bad Apple Brewhouse.

JANUARY 2014 Stillwell hosts ‘Tap Takeover’, its first major event featuring Big Spruce from Baddeck and Boxing Rock from Shelburne.

this is how we do local.

C O M M U N I T Y

B U I L D E R S

Michelle Strum Article: Bethany Horne Photo: Riley Smith

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or anyone who has lived in north end Halifax within the last decade, it would be hard to imagine Gottingen Street without the Backpackers Hostel and Alteregos Café—a primary destination for visitors to our city looking for affordable accommodation, and for the surrounding community to gather and dine. Owner Michelle Strum is proud of how embedded her business has become in the diverse neighbourhood.

“Inside Alteregos is like looking at the streetscape,” she says.

As the street changes and develops, Strum feels a responsibility as a tenured member of the North End Business Association (NEBA) to help newer businesses create that same sort of connection with their surroundings.

“We’re kind of leading, in terms of respect to the various cultures here, and the stuff that makes the area great. We’re not just changing as the area changes.”

Strum say hiring locally is a big part of her contribution to the community. As

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easy as it would be to employ university students who have worked at ten cafés already, she says she’d rather hire a local youth, who may not know what latte is, but, she says, “people commit. I have a four year average retention, which is unheard of [in this business].”

“My biggest goal right now is the Leave Out Violence (LOVE) program. It moved from downtown to up here. I would really like to see LOVE youth working in every business on Gottingen Street.”

Strum, as chair of NEBA, is pleased more people are moving to Gottingen.

She is excited about the businesses opening up in the area, but says that it’s important to be conscious about how changes affect the existing neighbourhood.

“You have, across the country, this kind of gentrification where areas get lower in price, then they get bought up, and then prices rise. And people talk about how that’s a natural evolution. But it’s not natural, it’s economically driven.

My issue with that economically-driven

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evolution is that it shifts people who are most vulnerable in terms of housing out from where they are into some other area.”

“I would like to see Gottingen Street develop in a way that everyone is benefiting from it, and for development to be sustainable.”

“A local economy is about really working together. This street has a small town feel, which makes it so awesome and really safe. We’ve never had any kind of issues that people run into in economic centres or in downtowns near bars. I want to keep all of those features, and those things exist because it’s a tight knit community and people know each other.”

Alteregos obtained a lounge license in the fall and have been hosting DJ and reggae nights over the winter. Strum says they will start to take full advantage of the license once their high season starts and the hostel fills up with travellers.

And in mid-September, she is preparing for a large culture and music

ALTEREGOS MILESTONES 2001 Opened the doors to an 18 bed hostel.

2002 Opened a small café and added 10 beds.

2003 Purchased the Gottingen Street building.

2004 Won BDC young entrepreneurship for Nova Scotia and a National community leadership award.

2005 Expanded the café.

2007 Expanded to offer offsite catering. festival that will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the naming of Gottingen Street. Celebrating history while welcoming newcomers into the scene is a big part of her mission.

“It’s about connecting: so that old and new don’t just butt up against each other, but integrate and learn from each other.” █

Alteregos Café can be found on on 2193 Gottingen Street in the north end of Halifax.

2008 Bought out business partner.

2009 Hired Natasha Grant as admin manager.

2011 Halifax Backpackers celebrates its 10th Anniversary.

2013 Café renovation and reopening with a lounge lisence. (More dance parties!)

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Lang Eyewear & Optometry

Article: Brenden Sommerhalder Photos: Riley Smith

AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS STORY, 20 YEARS IN THE MAKING

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f you live in Halifax, consider yourself fashionforward, and happen to wear glasses, chances are you’ve at least heard of Gaétan Lang.

“For some optometrists, the fashion aspect is on the side or secondary. But for me it’s something I really love about optometry. I get to solve problems for my clients, make them happy, and work with them to create a new look with their glasses,” says Lang, owner of Lang Optometry & Eyewear in the Hydrostone. “When I see somebody wearing my frames, I can tell, they know they look good.”

The story of how Lang Optometry ended up on Kaye Street and became a fixture on one of our city’s trendiest blocks is one of classic determination and relationship building.

Originally from the small town of Clair, New Brunswick, Lang studied optometry in Ontario, and then headed back for the east coast.

“When I first moved to Halifax [to work for an optometry clinic] in 1990, I had my violin and my optometry diploma, and that was it. And I still didn’t speak English very well,” recalls Lang. “So I had to come up with a way to meet people

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here.” He registered for some violin classes, only to be told he didn’t quite belong. He was too good. Instead, the instructor arranged for Lang to get a position playing with the PEI Symphony.

“That was a shock, to have that offer,” he says. “I actually met a lot of people from Halifax when I went over to PEI to play. And most of them are still friends.”

In 1993, Lang took ownership of Bayers Road Optometry, where he practiced and grew his business for 17 years. But the developing Hydrostone Market caught his eye. “I knew I had to be in the Hydrostone,” he recalls. “I kept thinking, if someone sets up a clinic in that neighbourhood that doesn’t really belong there, it wouldn’t be good. I knew I had to be there.”

“When I was considering moving locations, I didn’t really know where my customers were coming from, but it turned out I had customers from all over, including the west end and the north end. So I learned that it didn’t only have to do with location.” Lang moved his business to the Hydrostone in 2010, an opportunity he used to unveil a new name and brand.

Lang’s success certainly does have to do with more than location. Lang conducts his practice like an art, and despite his insistence on using the newest and best optometry equipment, his eye examinations feel more like a chat with a hairdresser than a medical appointment. “I use optometry as a way to be around people,” says Lang. “I like to take the time with each person. It’s about building rapport with the patients, where they come in and they feel like it’s more than an eye exam. They feel like it’s a conversation with someone who really cares about their wellness. I’ve had some customers with me for over 20 years.”

Lang’s connections with the eyewear designer community also can’t hurt his chances for success in the eyewear business. “My favourite frames to sell my customers are the ones where I know the designer, and know the creative mind behind the frames,” he says.

“I know they reinvent glasses all the time, they’re on the cutting edge. One of them has designed most of Elton John’s glasses. And it’s great to have relationships

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with these designers, because I can call them up and get them thinking about frames that my customers need, like wider frames for some of my customers with wider facial structures. But it’s because I know the designers and they know me. When I go to trade shows around the world, it’s a chance to keep up these relationships.”

Lang’s ability to foster relationships comes in part from his warm personality, but also from his volunteer involvement in his community. Lang has been an active member of boards of directors for a number of arts organizations, including String Music Atlantic, Scotia Festival of Music, and the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, where he played a pivotal role in finding a new director for the Conservatory, at a time when the organization was facing a number of challenges.

“Violin opened up so many doors for me,” he explains.

“There are kids here, like me, that might like to experience music or art, too, which can be so impactful. So I thought, the Conservatory has to thrive.”

Lang’s customers have embraced his new home in the Hydrostone, and have stayed loyal to his practice over the years.

“There was one young girl that I had as a patient right at the beginning,” he recalls. “I was only 23, and didn’t have much experience working with young kids. It broke my heart that she needed glasses, but I had to be confident I was prescribing the right thing for her. And now over 20 years later, she’s a school teacher, and I still see her after all this time.”

“But yes,” laughs Lang. “She definitely needed glasses.” █

Lang Eyewear & Optometry can be found on 5550 Kaye Street in the Hydrostone. You can also visit them online at: langoptometry.com

Eats & Tweets WINTER 20 14 EDI TI ON

Pulled Pork Burrito Bowl - Habaneros Adam Bowers

Clay Burger - Claywest Bar & Grill Michael Dinn

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Lobster Benny - Emma’s Eatery

Charcuterie Board - Bistro Le Coq

The Culinary Chase

The Real Wine Guy

Souvlaki - ela! Greek Taverna

Fish N Chips - Evans Seafood

Bernley Bertolo

Andrea Heans

He’s the Zissou - Bar Stillwell

Hell Fire Pizza - The Stubborn Goat

Todd the Beer Dude

Brenden Sommerhalder

#EatLocalNS - Next contest launches March 1st at: localconnections.ca/magazineblog LOCA L CO NNECTIO NS HA L IFAX | Winter 201 4

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AGRICOLA STREET BRASSERIE Inside the North End’s Newest Neighbourhood Restaurant Article: Lia Rinaldo · Photos: Riley Smith t’s official. The north end of Halifax is experiencing a renaissance. For those of us who put our stake in the ground here years ago, it’s been a long, but worthwhile wait. I’ve dreamt of this city being defined by distinctive neighbourhoods, like the ones you’d find in Toronto or New York. It seems it’s the north end’s turn.

I first met Chef Ludovic Eveno years ago through friends. Our paths crossed here and there, always a warm smile and a couple of friendly words, but when I got wind he was opening a restaurant in the north end, I started paying closer attention. During an Open City weekend, I found myself volunteering at Ratinaud alongside him. I was on duck confit duty and he was doing just about everything else, jumping in wherever needed. When the group of us took a break, without hesitating, he picked up a broom and swept the sidewalk in front of the shop with a great sense of purpose and pride of place. We marveled at him as he swept Gottingen Street.

Alsatian-born, Eveno entered the Lycée Joseph Storck embarking on a varied career as a chef, bringing him to this moment, co-owner of one of Halifax’s hottest new restaurants: the Agricola Street Brasserie.

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Over the years a number of places made a distinct impression on Eveno, including Brockencote Hall in Worcestershire, England, a hotel with a surly French chef, Didier Philipot.

Working long hours at eighteen, this was his first professional kitchen environment and he often found himself being pulled into the office for a ‘talking to’ by the chef. This is where he learned that this was what he truly wanted to do.

At the age of nineteen, this experience parlayed into his first restaurant in partnership with that very chef. The two of them ran a small Birmingham restaurant called La Toque d’Or, introducing working class Brits to the comforts of French cuisine. The reveal: Agricola is not his first restaurant, but it probably will be the one that counts.

Eveno moved to Canada a decade ago when he assumed the position as pastry chef at the Keltic Lodge in Cape Breton. From there he eventually made his way to Halifax where he was hooked by the Bertozzis, working at both Bish World Cuisine and The Bicycle Thief. Next, the time had come for Eveno to open his own restaurant again, but he wouldn’t be able to go it alone.

Enter Mike Hase and Rachel Knox. The three met through Eveno’s now-fiancée, Laura Mackenzie. Hase summered in

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Nova Scotia as a child, his family hailing from Cornerbrook, Newfoundland. He and Knox met in London in the late nineties and started fantasizing about opening a gastropub.

Knox brings over a decade of hotel management to the table and after a stint in the NSCC Recording Arts program, and went on to work on Food Network and HGTV shows in New York.

Halifax was love at first sight for Knox, and the couple started buying property immediately. One such spot was the yellow house on Gottingen Street kitty corner to Edna. Long story short, it didn’t work out, but ended up becoming one of their first culinary contributions to the city when they rented Squiggle Park to The Food Wolf.

Next, the pair shopped around for existing restaurants in Halifax, until they finally made the decision to build, embarking on their biggest, collective learning experience to date: opening a restaurant from scratch.

When you stand in this space, you feel like you’ve been transported to a big city. It could be New York, Chicago, Portland, wherever it is, it feels good on Halifax. With a staggering 120 seats—3,000 square feet of kitchen and 4,000 square feet front of house—it seems uncanny that it achieves an intimate feel. The space, a former, stark white photography studio, has sandblasted brick and dropped ceilings that expose beautiful wooden rafters. It’s modern, yet rustic.

“Everything was about the mood,” says Knox.

They would often find themselves in restaurants wondering what it was that drew people there, as often it was not just about the food, but the atmosphere. “It was about lighting, but not

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specific fixtures.” They boiled it down to mood, lighting, flow, comfort, and noise level.

The kitchen itself is a European open concept with 20-foot ceilings to facilitate communication. Eveno cites Big Eric’s as instrumental to helping him realize what he actually pictured in his head. “The kitchen is wide open because there is nothing to hide,” he adds.

Every last detail was carefully considered, from chair heights to tables, the comfort of a bar stool, the length of the bar, the weight of cutlery in your hand, the coveted cast iron vessels, the bathrooms favoring the bar side—you name it.

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An acoustics expert was brought in to assess noise levels. The exterior of the building remains intact in an effort to fit in with the neighbourhood, not overwhelm it. There’s no showy street signage, just a tasteful entrance, like a little welcoming beacon.

The Brasserie has five distinct sub-spaces: a long social bar where you can still grab a meal, a waiting lounge (unexpectedly taking off as its own little hangout zone), the dinner service area with banquettes and tables, the chef’s counter (based on their love of chef’s tables worldwide), and the private dining mezzanine complete with a bird’s eye view of the kitchen.

Quite the team has been assembled for that kitchen, with 15 in the kitchen where Eveno presides along with Sous Chef Beth Muise (Press Gang), 25 front of house, and experienced management. They’ve made a conscious choice to hire as many career-oriented people as they can who are serious about service.

The staff that breaks bread together stays together. Part of a routine shift includes a mandatory family meal daily. After years of watching staff skip meals, it became paramount to Eveno to ensure people not only ate well in prep for a hectic shift, but got to know each other front to back of house. It doesn’t stop there—there’s a staff room with a shower, a place to rest, laundry facilities, and a medical plan. The trio decided that investing in staff would be a definitive part of the overall plan. And, on the flipside, there’s absolutely no excuse for not being presentable or truly ready for a shift.

After a few hours chatting with Eveno, we get up to officially tour the kitchen. We make our way into a full on symphony of smells, sounds, and sedulous activity. A huge cauldron bubbles away with their house-made ketchup.

Sausages are in production. Warm trays of fresh-baked buns and bread are setting. We open the smoker to check racks of hot-smoked salmon. Three fresh pigs’ heads look on as we pass by. We test a new batch of ice cream. Bags of sous vide vegetables are bubbling away. Bacon is curing. We walk into a fridge that smells like one giant pickle when you enter. Here Eveno is living out his current fascination with pickling and fermenting vegetables.

The Brasserie team works with local food distributor, Jason Pelley, to procure fresh, seasonal produce and meats. A quick peek into the Pelley’s food storage reveals shelves of apples, heirloom carrots, shallots, beef, and pork. Pelley runs his innovative new food distribution business out of the Brasserie, and Eveno and his team get first pick and keep an elaborate, hand-scrawled running tab posted on the door.

“Why would we ship a carrot from California when Jason can provide us with one that was in the ground six hours ago,” says Knox, referencing this, the tiniest of carbon footprints.

Eveno pulls influences from all over, and it’s best summed up as French-inspired, seasonal cooking—traditional foods with a magnificent twist. The menu promotes sharing whether it is a seafood tower, charcuterie board, or a whole beast meal—slow-roasted leg of lamb or a free-range chicken—for a crowd. The beverage program includes lots of local craft beers,

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a nicely balanced local to international slate of wines, and seven curated cocktails, including one for the history books, The North Ender.

We’re parked at the chef’s counter and Eveno prepares a number of small dishes. We start with slices of the hotsmoked salmon on toasts, followed by a perfectly grilled, spiced octopus with piperade, chili oil, and a punch of cilantro.

Up next, a flavourful, tender boudin noir with honey crisp, onions, and duck fat fingerlings. Say it with me. Duck. Fat. Fingerlings. Life is good. Then fresh, flaky fish tacos with peppers, cilantro and a chunky, light guacamole. We round it out with thrice-cooked frites with ancho aioli and house made ketchup. When I say thrice cooked, I’m talking once blanched, twice fried. Wow. To top it off, a dainty chocolat pot de crème.

Ridiculous. We had to make him to stop.

The neighbourhood is responding and it’s drawing all sorts: business crowds at lunch, young families for brunch, and chefs and foodies to the kitchen and bar at night. They’ve been taking reservations, leaving space daily for walk-ins; they want people to always feel like they can just stop by.

A block to be reckoned with is emerging with the addition of Agricola Street Brasserie along with a host of others—FRED, Ace Burger, enVie, Local Source Market, Mid-East Food Centre, and Lion & Bright.

In the end, what the Brasserie crew hope to achieve is this: a neighbourhood restaurant where people can drop by, enjoy a beer, a platter of local seafood, and each other’s company. Hase brings it home, “We want to be a restaurant that is good, not trendy and cool. Just really good.”

“It’s everybody’s restaurant now,” says Eveno with a smile. █

You can experience Agricola Street Brasserie for brunch, lunch, or dinner at 2540 Agricola Street in the north end. (902)446-7664

Relax, Catch-Up, Sip, Eat & Enjoy!

PERFECT ENDINGS TO THE DAY

Piatto is a gathering place—like the energetic Italian pizzerias in Naples.

We’re always on the look out for little gems—diverse wines from across the globe, authentic wood-fired pizza, coffee and fabulous desserts.

Our prices are incredible—so check out new wines by the ounce, glass or bottle.

It’s a great finish to an evening with friends.

Corner of Hollis + Morris

Named Best Pizza in Halifax (Chronicle Herald) Named One of the Top 20 New Restaurants in Canada (Huffington Post)

www.piattopizzeria.com

First VPN-Certified Pizzeria in Halifax & the Maritimes

Fall in love with Lucie Kuhlmann by award-winning Gaspereau Vineyards

Aged in French oak barrels, Lucie Kuhlmann has a smoky character and an alluring combination of vanilla, toasted oak and red berry fruit with a long, smooth finish. Enjoy on its own or pair with beef, lamb or Italian cuisine.

NOW AVAILABLE At sELEct NsLc stOrEs.

GASPEREAU VINEYARDS 2239 White Rock Rd., Gaspereau, NS

(902) 542-1455

www.gaspereauwine.com

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SCANWAY CATERING The Local Catering That Does Just About Everything Article: Jessie Harrold · Photos: Riley Smith f food is a language of love, Scanway Catering is a company that prides itself on multilingualism. Whether you’re looking to treat your love to a special evening chez nous, your anniversary dinner, or your massive seaside wedding, Scanway has you covered.

Take Valentine’s Day, for example. It’s a day that works a lot like cilantro, olives, or stinky cheese: you either love it or you hate it. You might spend February 14th caught up in the arms of a heady new love, breathless with the excitement and anticipation of wine, roses, and chocolate. Or, if you’re like me, Valentine’s Day will happen in the 2.5 seconds between putting the kid to bed and the drooping of weary eyelids, and will sound a bit like “thanks for sticking around, babe.”

Regardless of whether or not you’re a Valentine’s lover or loather, Scanway Catering will change your perspective. They offer take-away picnic baskets featuring a sampling of nearly a dozen delectable dishes. Who needs a restaurant packed with moon-eyed lovebirds when you could spread a blanket on the living room floor, which is, conveniently, next to other rooms in the house? Ahem.

Scanway has these picnic baskets on offer not just on Valentine’s Day, but year round. Imagine: it’s the anniversary of the day you first met your beau. At the end of the day, you swing by Scanway’s Saege Bistro location to pick up your pre-

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ordered dinner for two. Upon arriving home (and seeing the room lit softly by candlelight and scattered with rose petals, obviously), your darling is like putty in your hands, amazed at your romantic gesture. Titillation at its height, you and your love open the basket to see what’s inside. There are the pale pink heart-shaped slices of watermelon that nearly sing on your tastebuds as they hearken back to the carefree summer that you first met. They are almost too adorable, until you taste the salty feta and sweet acidity of champagne vinaigrette that accompanies them, and you realize that this marriage of fruit and cheese is positively sultry. After digging through several other creatively crafted salads and crostini, you linger over the silky tenderness of the beef carpaccio, daubed with a tangy walnut pudding, radishes, and thickly shaved Parmesan.

The meal ends with some chocolate-dipped strawberries, fresh fruit tarts, and a few Florentines, the little chocolatedipped wonders made of almonds wed with buttery caramel in a crisp, decadent cookie. These signature desserts are, as Scanway’s newest business partner and well-known Halifax chef, Ray Bear, puts it, “just enough to take you over the top.”

Then, of course, things might go so well on your romantic picnic that the evening ends with you and your lover deciding you’re going to feed each other chocolate covered strawberries for life, as signified, hopefully, by a huge diamond.

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You can’t tell me that it wouldn’t be the icing on the proverbial cake to have Scanway cater your upcoming nuptials, perhaps including the watermelon salad or Florentines you ate at your engagement picnic, to bring things full circle. Whether you’re planning an intimate cocktail party or a massive banquet including every cousin thrice removed, Scanway can make sure you and your guests are still talking about the amazing food at your wedding even after your rings are a bit scuffed and your gown won’t zip up. In fact, says Bear, “there’s nothing we won’t do,” even providing help with other wedding planning tasks like decoration, equipment rentals, and centrepieces, like an extra maid of honour with thirty years in the business.

If you’re a longtime Haligonian and remember Scanway’s Quinpool storefront, you probably hear the catering company’s name and think: fancy cakes. Aside from their famous fondant clad, glitter/damask/flower-wearing wedding cake confections, Scanway also creates a variety of smaller cakes and custom desserts. So if you’re rocking singledom right now and just want to show some love to your awesome self, you could order yourself one of Scanway’s heart-shaped King Olav cakes, smothered with chocolate ganache, chocolate buttercream, and a little upbeat message like, “You’re My Favourite” or “Go Me!” scripted on top. Similarly, gifting a beloved co-worker with a quivering flan or a box of handcrafted chocolates from Scanway will have you in her good books forever.

I don’t know about you, but all this is making me quite smitten with the long-time Halifax catering company. The promise of a special Scanway dinner or a custom dessert might be just the excuse I need to buy a brand new pair of flannel pj’s, a bottle of local vino, and hunker down for a romantic night in.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

THE NEP TUN E THE ATR E AN D PRO DUC TIO N OF DIS NEY ’S CAM ERO N MA CKI NTO SH’ S

If you’re planning a wedding or special event, and want the catering to fall in the hands of loving seasoned professionals, contact Scanway at: scanwaycatering.com or call (902)425-0386 A MUSICAL BASED ON THE STORIES OF P.L. TRAVERS AND THE DISNEY FILM

NEPTUNETHEATRE.COM

429-7070

APRIL 1 t o MAY 25

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.

served with sweet potato gnocchi, caramelized brussels sprouts with a port apple & sage reduction.

Chef Sean Gallagher Local Source Market

Serves 4 to 5 people PORCHETTA 2kg pork belly with skin on 1kg pork loin Salt and pepper to taste 5g oregano 5g thyme 10g garlic 10ml olive oil Chop garlic, thyme and oregano and rub belly and loin with salt, cracked pepper and herbs.

Wrap loin with belly and tie off with butchers twine. Let sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 300oF for 2 ½ to 3 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 72oC. Let rest for minimum 20 minutes before cutting.

Beck Farms Kingston, NS

SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI 1 kg sweet potato 250g all-purpose flour 2 egg yolks Salt to taste Boil sweet potato until very tender, and pass through a potato ricer or a tamis (mashing works as well). Hang in cheese cloth over a bowl for 12 hours, until a good amount of liquid is collected. On table top add flour, salt and egg yolk and just combined. Roll out in 1/2 inch diameter logs and cut every inch fluffing like a pillow as you go. Blanch in salted boiling water until they float and remove from water and toss in olive oil. Panfry in a hot pan with hot oil till crispy on the outside.

PORT, APPLE & SAGE REDUCTION

CARAMELIZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS 1kg Brussels sprouts 25g butter Salt and pepper to taste

750ml port 3 honey crisp apples 10g sage 5 peppercorns 1 cinnamon stick 25ml honey

Clean up brussels sprout and slice them thinly with a mandolin or a sharp knife, heat butter in a hot pan and add Brussels sprouts cooking at a high heat. Keep cooking till they start to caramelize, and season.

Core and cut up apples and add rest of ingredients reduce down to 125 ml and strain. Garnish with crispy sage.

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

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THE CRAFT BEER & LOCAL FOOD CELEBRATION Meet Your Local’s 2014 Event Series Launches on January 16 Article: Lia Rinaldo · Photos: Riley Smith & Meghan Tansey Whitton

Rooms. 7 Experiences. Four hundred people packed into the Halifax Club for The Meet Your Local Craft Beer & Local Food Celebration this past January. In a time where people are traditionally cleansing post-Christmas, they came, they ate, they drank, they voted for their favourites, and they marked their calendars for the next one.

In case you haven’t noticed, this magazine has been undergoing an evolution. Not only has it expanded in the last year, but it is moving from these very pages to stake claim in the culinary events calendar, setting itself up as a major contender with the upcoming Meet Your Local Wine & Spirits Gala in May and the return of Sausage Fest this summer. In January, magazine owner Alexander Henden paired Nova Scotia’s craft breweries with local restaurants and producers, allowing the crowd to pick their favourites with the spirit of a Mardi Gras fling-your-beads approach. I’m going to lay out a little tour to get your taste buds rolling.

The perfect starting place was The Halifax Club Room

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where the club’s own Chef Nelson Francis served up whole smoked salmon with all the fixings, including potato bellinis and flash-fried scallops and shrimp. Select Nova Scotia were on hand with Phillip Docker of ShanDaph Oysters shucking oysters with citrus maple sauce and grated horseradish— fresh, tangy, and perfect with ales by Sea Level Brewing (Port Williams).

Next door in The Orchard Room, crowds gathered around piano player Jason Keddy belting out Billy Joel’s Benny & The Jets, setting the tone for not only the room, but the rest of the event where music was featured prominently. A match made in heaven with ciders paired with pork. The room hosted Meadowbrook Meat Market, Pork Nova Scotia and Stutz Ciders (Shipbuilder’s and Bulwark), and with goat mascot proudly displayed and already adorned in beads, Chef Geir Simensen from the Stubborn Goat Gastropub served up tasty pork schnitzel sliders using Nova Scotian pork.

Heading down the hallway into The Craft Brewer’s Room, an explosion of Halifax craft beers with Granite Brewing,

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Bridge Brewing, Garrison Brewing, Hart & Thistle Gastropub, Propeller Brewing, Rock Bottom Brewpub, and Rogues Roost, all set to live jazz from Ross Burns and Adam Fine. Durty Nelly’s had a delicious lamb slider on a homemade brioche bun, which I had along with a Propeller Revolution Ale. The Harbourstone Sea Grill & Pourhouse served a fresh raw tuna poke marinated in soy, lemon, shallots, and cucumber, topped with wasabi cream and tomato jam, which I downed with a Granite Brewery Green Man. I called on a couple of Halifamous beer experts to help describe the selection at the Celebration: Andrew Cooper (That Craft Beer Guy @cooperand) and Tracy Phillippi (@craftbeerlady). Anyone who signs into Twitter with these handles has got to be crazy about beer beyond their day jobs.

“As a whole, Nova Scotia craft brewers are really coming into their own and the region is becoming known nationally as a ‘hot spot’ for craft beer,” says Cooper, Sales & Marketing Director at Propeller Brewing Company. “What was most impressive was the variety of styles and interpretation of style that were available at this event.”

“2013 and 2014 will go down in history as the year of craft beer,” says Phillippi, the Marketing & Communications Coordinator at Garrison Brewing and founder of the Ladies Beer League.

Tripping to The Cask Room, a room full of one-off casks from some of the region’s top brew masters, there was a bewildering selection of distinctive beers set to tunes from Matthew Hornell. The showstopper for me was Agricola Street Brasserie’s set-up, a progressive tasting plate, where

902.428.7852 harbourstone sea grill & pour house

@harbourstonesg

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

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you moved along a table while staff happily chatted and piled your plate with a selection of their house made fare—pickled carrots, watermelon radish and cauliflower, smoked pastrami with mustard on a fresh ciabatta bun, smoked salmon with caper berries, pickled red onion and crème fraiche on a crostini, and a pâté de campagne. To finish, a reverent pass by a fresh pig’s head covered in beads sitting proudly in a copper bucket of ice at the end of the table.

Next up, The Sausage Fest Junior Room. Flanked

by Big Spruce Brewery (Baddeck) and Uncle Leo’s Brewery (Lyons Brook), the Pete’s crew cooked up sausages: Oktoberfest, sweet Italian, and, I almost hesitate to tell you, an absolutely spectacular spicy ginger sausage developed by employee Ben Van Horne with local pork, garlic, green onion, chili sauce, and fresh ginger. I have since found myself at Pete’s twice to pick some up, but it’s been sold out, hence my hesitation in telling you.

“I’m always impressed by Uncle Leo’s core brands. As a Certified Beer Judge, I have tasted my fair share of ‘off-flavours’ and their beer is repeatedly flawless,” says Phillippi. “Even though I work at Garrison, there is something about the Caskconditioned Mint Wheat that has my palate dancing. It’s the kind of experimental beer you either love or hate, and it reminds me of harvesting mint on my family farm back in Wisconsin.

That’s the cool thing about beer, it has the power to bring back memories, the olfactory system is quite astonishing.”

Enter the ultimate party room hosted by comedian Bill Wood, The Plan B Karaoke Experience. Fuelled by brews from Boxing Rock (Shelburne) and Hell Bay (Liverpool), guests could take to the stage if the mood struck them, and

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it certainly did. Local Source served up two delicious treats to sop up some of that alcohol: a Hell Bay Dark Cream Ale and Gouda flattened Gougére, and a mini-grilled cheese with organic cheddar, Viennoise bread, and a Temptation Red Ale honey mustard.

“Temptation Red from Boxing Rock is the perfect example of a non-aggressive North American fusion beer,” says Phillippi. “Traditionally a style from the UK, their Red is delicately hopped to balance the sweet malt. It’s incredibly quaffable and goes with just about any dish you pair it with.”

And for the finish, The Sweet Room featured Dee Dee’s Ice Cream with four beer-infused flavours: Propeller Russian Revolution Chocolate, Boxing Rock Russian Imperial Stout, Bridge Brewing Saison Grapefruit Sorbet, and a Garrison Raspberry Wheat Raspberry Sorbet. And finally Chef Ray Bear of Scanway, festooned in beads like a proud visiting dignitary, was plating gingerbread French toast, goat cheese panna cotta sprayed with white chocolate and airbrushed for effect, with blueberry compote and fresh blueberries.

And for those who were wondering—It’s official, the winner of the People’s Choice Competition for Food was The Stubborn Goat Gastropub and the Beverage winner was Bridge Brewing. █

Join us for our next big event at the Halifax Club on May 15th! It’s the Wine & Spirits Gala, and tickets are available at: localconnections.ca/events

LOCA L CO N NECTI ONS H AL I FAX | Winter 201 4

MEET YOUR LOCAL PRESENTS

PA R K I N G T I C K ET

TUESDAY featuring Comedian Bill Wood

THE DATE

THE TIME

Mar 11, 2014

18:30

THE INCENTIVE

$1.00 Off Any Pint of Local Beer with HRM Parking Ticket THE LOCATION

1579 Grafton St, Halifax

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MARY POPPINS A Fun-filled Evening at Neptune Theatre Article: Kathleen Higgins upercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Chim chim cheree. We all know these aren’t real words, but as soon as we hear them, we know what they mean, and we can’t help but think of Mary Poppins. The story of the mysterious nanny with the spoon full of sugar is one familiar to young and old alike, thanks in large part to the infectious songs made popular by the 1964 film. Through beloved books, an iconic film, and a smash Broadway musical, Mary Poppins and her magical bag of tricks have enchanted audiences for decades; on April 1st, Neptune Theatre will share some of that magic with Halifax audiences.

“When I think of Mary Poppins, I think ‘fun!’” enthuses George Pothitos, Neptune’s Artistic director.

He’s excited for the theatre’s latest musical extravaganza, and he thinks Halifax audiences will be too. “It’s a little bit of new stuff, a little bit of familiar stuff, all wrapped up in a new production. It’s the best of everything. It’s magic!”

The show, which features aerial stunts, extravagant song and dance numbers, and several enormous handpainted backdrops, is one of Neptune’s most ambitious to date, and it has a lot of people very excited. Heather McGuigan, who stars as Mary in her first role with Neptune, counts herself amoung those who can’t wait for the mischievous nanny’s antics. “It’s a big, big show. It’s a huge show! I mean, it’s not just me who’s going to fly, there’s a few people!”

Yes, that’s right, flying. Neptune’s Technical Director Chris Oliver promises that the hours of choreography, practice, and planning are more than worth the effort it takes to suspend their actors high above the stage and fly them into the audience. “There is nothing like seeing someone 25 feet in the air to make someone go ‘Oh, wow!’” Giving their audiences those “wow” experiences doesn’t stop at flying, though. To

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create the world of Mary Poppins, the Neptune team started with a “Magic Meeting”, bringing together those responsible for every aspect of the show to figure out how each moment would be realized on stage. From lighting to costumes, and set design to props, every Neptune production is built from the ground up, designed to capture the imagination and transport the audience to another world. “These are originals, these productions, we actually create them in-house,” says Pothitos.

“There’s no add water and stir here.”

Nestled amoung some of Halifax’s best restaurant and night spots, Neptune Theatre is a cornerstone of Halifax’s downtown entertainment district. One of Canada’s first regular Canadian theatre companies to tour nationally, and the first to operate for all 52 weeks of the year, Neptune recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Pothitos calls the theatre “a little jewel box”, and points to the unique experience they offer as a key to their success and longevity. “I say that our productions are the ‘Neptune Way’, which means that you can expect some amazing things reinvented, or newly done on our small stage. There’s nothing like it, east of Montreal.” Jennie King, Neptune’s Sales & Marketing Manager, laughs when she says, “you know, I think the only people who are attracting as many people as we are is the Mooseheads’ game,” but she’s not joking. “This theatre is a destination, one with a really committed, dedicated audience.” Local theatre students go to see their first show and they’re hooked. Lifelong subscribers plan their year’s entertainment around Neptune’s dynamic programming, and many pass their subscriptions along to their children and grandchildren. “I meet people who have had the same seat for fifty years,” says King, “and then we have young students that have bought their first package and are committing to that kind of entertainment.” McGuigan, who is

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excited to visit the city and experience Halifax’s vibrant music herself, underscores just how lucky we are to have this sort of living cultural institution in our own backyard. “It is essential.

I think every city needs to have that, a place where you go to be taken away, to magical, wonderful, exciting places, a place to entertain, and to touch people, to set their hearts free. That’s what theatre does.” █

“The big banks couldn’t help me, but CUA could.

With their great advice, I was able to build my credit and buy a house. It was truly amazing!”

Neptune Theatre is another reason to head downtown after work. Why not make it a memorable evening with dinner and a show!

Ambroise Matwawana CUA member since 2012

OIL AND WATER February 18th - March 9th

FASHION 47 March 6th - March 9th

Learn more:

cua.com/newcanadian 902.492.6500

MARY POPPINS April 1st - May 25th

MISS CALEDONIA April 29th - May 11th

RICK MERCER - RANT & RAISE May 9th

Show info available at: neptunetheatre.com

ENERGY EFFICIENCY LOOKS THE SAME AT WORK AND AT HOME.

We can help you with both.

Efficiency Nova Scotia can help with energy solutions and rebates for your home or business. Contact us to start saving today.

efficiencyns.ca | 1-877-999-6035

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ST. CECILIA CONCERT SERIES A Neighbourhood Gem to Discover

Article: Veronica Simmonds · Photos: Meghan Tansey Whitton

ou can sit at home and listen to classical music,” Says Larry Bent, chair of the board of the St. Cecilia Concert Series, “but there is something unique about the live performance.”

With help from founder Barbara Butler, the St. Cecilia Concert Series has been providing Haligonians with a unique musical experience for 25 years. What started as a fundraising effort to buy a new organ for St. Andrew’s United Church has now developed into a bi-weekly classical music program showcasing the best of Nova Scotian, Canadian, and some international artists.

Bent explains that the series offers an intimate experience that goes beyond just sitting in a chair and hearing music. “Part of it is that there’s an interaction between the musicians and the audience,” he says.

“We have a reception after each concert where the concert-goers have a chance to talk to each other about the experience they’ve just had, and also they have an opportunity to talk to the musicians.”

The program includes solo acts such as Nova Scotian piano prodigy Lukas Porter (February 23rd) as well as ensembles such as the upcoming Celtic Goes Classic show (February 2nd), which will feature Rachel Davis, Darren McMullin, Jason Davis, and Lucy Hayes Davis.

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Bent explains that they are trying to showcase the full spectrum of classical music, everything from Bach’s Goldberg Variations played on harpsichord to the more contemporary Makrokosmos composed by George Crumb. The idea is to offer the audience a variety of ways in to this genre of music.

“We offer a tremendous and quite stimulating range of musical experiences for anyone who’s interested,” he says.

“Even if you’re not a confirmed classical music nut, I think there are things that we offer that provide a really first rate introductory experience.”

Jules Chamberlain stumbled upon the series a couple of years ago and has since become a total devotee. He now sits on the board as secretary treasurer. Chamberlain feels that the Concert’s venue is a huge draw.

“Our home is in the Lillian Piercy Concert Hall at the Maritime Conservatory for Performing Arts on Chebucto. It has fantastic acoustics,” he says. “It’s a beautiful hall with a curved ceiling and really lovely lush sound.”

The building is wheelchair accessible and with tickets starting at $10 for students, $20 for seniors, and $25 for adults, St. Cecilia is inviting people of all ages to spend their Sunday afternoons connecting with this rich musical happening.

Chamberlain also points out that the majority of their

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promotion and programming is bilingual, and that many patrons seem to appreciate this further effort of inclusion.

“What do people take away? Joy!” says Chamberlain. “In the sense of having heard and participated in a fantastic thing, a wonderful experience at an amazing price. It’s central on the peninsula, it’s easy to walk to, and there’s lots of parking if you’re driving.”

With rich programming, and the possibility of connecting with artists and audience members alike, it’s no wonder that St. Cecilia’s Concert Series is luring people away from their headphones and toward the concert hall. As Chamberlain points out, it’s an experience that is out there to be discovered.

“It’s this little gem,” he says. “The quality of the shows, the quality of the setting, and the quality of the experience. There’s no reason not to go. If you love music it’s a gem to discover.” █

Good people, great printing.

St. Cecilia’s broad range of musical treasures can be experienced every second Sunday at the Maritime Conservatory ( 6199 Chebucto Rd, Halifax).

26 Crane Lake Drive, Bayers Lake · (902)442-5031 · fusionprint.ca

DEBUSSY PIANO PRELUDES Sunday, March 16th at 2pm

DAVID MURRAY & FREINDS Sunday, March 30th at 2pm

ALLISON ANGELO: ‘MOON LOVES ITS LIGHT’ Sunday, April 13th at 2pm

ART OF SONG Sunday, April 27th at 2pm

Concert info available at: stcecilia.ca

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CHOCOLATE CITY A Look Back at One of Halifax’s Sweetest Treasures Article: Brenden Sommerhalder · Photos: Nova Scotia Archives

he large building at 375 Pleasant Street in Dartmouth may look like a strip mall now, but until just seven years ago, it housed a fixture in our region’s industrial scene: the Moirs chocolate factory.

The factory’s closing, ending nearly 200 years of baked goods and candy production in the Halifax area, came as a shock to many who had worked there. “I don’t think a lot of people believed that it was actually happening when we first heard,” says Brian D’Arcy, who was working at Moirs when it closed and now manages an active Facebook group for former Moirs employees to keep in touch. When the factory closed, D’Arcy had been working at Moirs for six years, making him a relative newbie at the company that saw people work there for upwards of 30 years, and across multiple generations. “I thought I was going to retire there,” agrees Christina (Missy) Fuller, who worked at the factory for 16 years. “There were sons and daughters working alongside their parents who had worked there for most of their lives, and then not after too long, sons- and daughters-in-law, too.”

The history of Moirs dates back to at least the 1830’s, when Benjamin Moir, a native of Scotland, started a bakery in the heart of the then-city of Halifax. Benjamin Moir’s son, William Church Moir, inherited the business in 1845. The younger Moir turned his father’s business into a powerhouse. At the time of his death in 1896, the factory he had built employed over 260 workers, produced over 11,000 loafs of bread daily, and made over 500 types of confectionery (a business

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he got into in around 1873 with his son, James William), all sold across Canada—revolutionary numbers for the time. In 1928, Moirs introduced the now-famous Pot of Gold brand of chocolates to the world. The Dartmouth factory opened in 1975, and in 1987, candy giant Hershey purchased Moirs, along with the Halifax-area facilities, and Pot of Gold.

The Dartmouth factory opened in 1975 and a year later, Moirs introduced the now-famous Pot of Gold brand of chocolates to the world. In 1987, candy giant Hershey purchased Moirs, along with the Halifax-area facilities, and Pot of Gold.

“Hershey was good to us,” recalls Fuller. The company hosted barbecues, Halloween parties, and even Christmas parties with gifts for employee’s children. “When my shift started at three, I would arrive at ten past two so I could socialize before work. And I certainly wasn’t alone in doing that.”

Speaking with former employees of the Moirs chocolate factory, one gets the impression that the factory was more like a small town than a place of work, with everyone seeming to know everything about the lives of their colleagues. “It was just like a family affair,” Fuller explains. “There were an awful lot of people who met each other there,” and went on to get married.

The completely renovated building at the site, once housing nearly 800 Moirs employees, stands as a reminder to the many that had passed through its doors. When the mall opened after the factory had closed, D’Arcy even took a job at

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Helping you reach your goals.

Value Village at the site. “I kind of wanted to get in the door before anybody else did and see what was going on with the place,” he explains.

Although the Moirs chocolate factory eventually closed shop, the story of this historic local company reminds us of the industriousness of our past, and the way it touched the lives of thousands of people in our community over several decades will remain a lesson in a power we all possess: the remarkable way in which we can affect those around us by how we treat and relate to one another. “When you treat everyone well and make an effort to build relationships, it just makes every day better,” says D’Arcy as he reflects on his time at Moirs. “I never had to dread going to work, and that makes a big difference for everything.” █

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JULESCHAMBERLAIN.CA Special thanks to the Nova Scotia Archives, and Gaétan Lang for giving us access to his vast Moirs Chocolates collection.

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E F F I C I E N C Y

EFFICIENT LOCAL BLUEBERRIES SUSTAINING MARKET COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH ENERGY EFFICIENCY Article: Alexander Henden

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hen we think of energy efficiency, we think of cost savings and doing the right thing.

There’s also the issue that we don’t actually produce enough energy locally to sustain our lifestyle, which is certainly worth noting. But when it comes to operating a business, especially a big one, energy efficiency can be the difference between being competitive or not.

In 2011, the Nova Scotia government launched Efficiency Nova Scotia, charged with the task of helping the province become more efficient, and thus less dependant on others. The average consumer has come to think of Efficiency Nova Scotia as a program for replacing old appliances or lightbulbs, which it is, but it’s also a whole lot more. With a strong focus on the business side of things, they are actually helping the business sector achieve greater efficiency while off-setting some of the hard costs, and when you think on how important entrepreneurs are for our future, it’s easy to see the importance of having them around.

This winter we were introduced to Jordan Burkhardt of Oxford Blueberries, a local producer and exporter of blueberries. These guys compete on the world stage and recently they replaced a tunnel used for freezing blueberries with a newer, more efficient one. It’s a big project that we got to ask some questions about.

What led to the decision to make a new tunnel, and was it a long decision process?

“The decision to make a new tunnel was based on a number of factors including product quality, capacity, and energy efficiency. To maintain the best quality, the fruit needs to be harvested, handled, processed, and frozen as quickly and gently as possible. Further to this, the wild blueberry industry is relatively small, so most commercially available tunnels are not designed specifically to handle our product, but rather are designed to handle a wide range of different fruits and vegetables.

Over the past 40 years we have used many different tunnels from multiple manufacturers, and each of them have good and bad points associated with them. With one of the main freezing assets at our Oxford Plant nearing the end of its useful life, we thought that applying the knowledge that we have accumulated over many years of processing blueberries, and incorporating it into the design of the new freezer, seemed to be the logical decision.”

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When did Efficiency Nova Scotia become involved with the project?

“We have worked with Efficiency Nova Scotia on a number of different energy projects over the past couple of years and have even helped them pilot new programs such as the recently launched Energy Management Information Systems program. So we have been in contact with them for quite some time, however, I would say that they became officially involved with this project just after we had done some preliminary engineering and concluded that there may be a viable energy savings project in replacing an older freezing asset with a new, more efficient one.”

How was Efficiency Nova Scotia able to support Oxford on this project?

“Efficiency Nova Scotia supported us with a financial incentive that was based on the annualized electricity savings generated by this new tunnel. While there are significant energy savings associated with this tunnel design, there were also significant additional capital costs required to achieve them. We are obviously cognizant of the fact that in the long term energy costs are likely going to continue to rise, but because capital is finite and we have many potential projects at any give time, each new project must satisfy certain business objectives.

The financial incentive from Efficiency Nova Scotia helped to improve the return on investment, and by adopting just a slightly longer-term view we were able to get this project approved and implemented, which should help us maintain our competitive position now and into the future.”

Are there any other energy efficiency projects for Oxford in the works?

“Energy projects are a significant part of our continuous improvement process at Oxford and have become engrained in the culture. Our ability to identify and implement new and innovative projects as well as effectively manage our ongoing operations with various incremental improvements is a key driver in our continued success. In any given year, we regularly devote over 25% of our new capital expenditures on Energy efficiency related projects.”

For a video of this story and other energy saving success stories, visit: efficiencyns.ca/resource-library

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THE UN-PLANNER PLAN

FINDING A WAY TO LIVE LIFE WITHOUT STRESSING OUT ON THE SMALL DETAILS Article & Photo: Anisa Awad

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h, the optimism of a new year; the time of new resolutions, solutions, and aspirations. It’s the time of the year when our social streams are overflown with “Happy New Year” banners. With the promise of fresh beginnings, we get into the planner mode as we scribble our hopes and goals for the year, while many of us ponder on the unknown mysteries that life will bring.

With uncertainty comes a fair dose of anxiety. I’ll admit, I have been a victim of the occasional life questioning and future-worrying. Yet, the boat kept on floating. If there’s anything I’ve learned from my short time on earth so far, it is that life is best enjoyed as it happens.

In a culture that values planning, the un-planner can seem mad. We’re told it is most responsible to put money aside and save it for a rainy day. The idea is completely rational, as we have learned from previous generations that to plan and think ahead pays off. Ususally. But not always.

Measured levels of happiness and life satisfaction have been in a critical condition in recent years, particularly in the developed world. With all the fortunes we possess, how come? I have come to this rationalization; it’s to do with expectations followed by a failure to meet them. We plan and expect a particular outcome in return, but often, our ideal scenarios don’t play out the same way we anticipated.

Frustration follows. With the plethora of media and pop culture bombarding us with messages and images of ideal states, our expectations rise accordingly. I think we should challenge conventional wisdom. By presenting another perspective, my hope is that it will make this year a little more exciting and above all, unexpected.

To demonstrate the advantage inherent in the unplanned and unexpected, I want to share one of my own experiences.

I was in Toronto over Christmas break. As I was strolling past Dundas Square to make my way towards Queen Street West, I coincidently ran into a friend as we crossed the street in opposite directions. He pointed out that I was heading in the wrong direction to get to where I was trying to go. As he offered to accompany me to my destination and we chatted to catch up on life’s affairs, a woman approached us. “You look like a lovely couple!” she gleefully said (making a wrong assumption). We both were taken by surprise, as we weren’t sure the purpose behind her statement. As we both listened to her while waiting for the pedestrian crossing signal, she clarified that she had two extra tickets to the Nutcracker at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Her husband’s parents couldn’t make it in time due to weather, so

L @Anisa_A_

she decided to approach strangers and offer the tickets, free of cost, as an act of paying it forward.

In the spur of the moment and with no set plan in place, I thought to myself “Why not!” My friend couldn’t join me, but I decided to embrace this unplanned opportunity. And it was a good decision made in haste. It was an awe-inspiring theatrical performance with top ballerinas from The National Ballet of Canada bringing to life a classical timeless tale. Amongst the fancy dresses and formal attires, I was in a casual get-up. Blame it on the un-planning but it sure did feel liberating. Two hours later, I left the theatre feeling alive and amazed.

As a believer in the power of a healthy balance in all things in life, I am advocating to try to find a way to live life without stressing out on the small details. It may not be a groundbreaking insight, but it is empowering to acknowledge that a little dose of un-planning and embrace of spontaneity can create magical moments from the unknown. █

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C L O S I N G

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THE LOCAL FOOD HUSTLA’

Connection Man and Supplier of the Local Food Everyone’s Wanting

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hile the local food movement is loudly gathering momentum, there’s a lot of behind the scenes stuff that the average consumer doesn’t get to see. Demand for local food is growing quickly, but we are also facing many major issues relating to supply and distribution, and have been for quite some time. We are short on farms and farmers, and desperately need a bigger and better food distribution system.

Taking this point to its conclusion, if there were a global food shortage today, we wouldn’t have the means of feeding ourselves, and this is a scary prospect when you stop to think about it. Like many other things in Nova Scotia, we depend too much on others and it’s time for us to change this.

All that being said, we are not completely asleep at the wheel on this issue. There are many Nova Scotians already working hard on it behind the scenes. Some of them are organizations like Farmworks, Select Nova Scotia, or Pork Nova Scotia, but there are also retailers like Pete’s, Local Source Market, and of course our farmer’s markets, who are making a difference.

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Restaurants using local food also deserve credit, as do the consumers who seek out local food for their own dinner tables.

Even deeper behind the scenes of the local food movement is the next generation, people like Jason Pelley who are bringing new ideas and energy to the fold. These individuals are creating meaningful connections between the farms and the consumers, building the foundation for the local food system to stand on. They’re supplying our restaurants and markets with the best local meats and produce our region has to offer, and the food they are supplying is having measurable impacts on our local economy while improving our overall quality of living. They’re food heroes.

Eventually our food system will need bigger companies who are driven by efficiency to supply the growing demand for local food, but there always be a need to have innovators like Pelley around. They are laying the foundation, forging strong connections to the food we eat. They are the stewards of that which sustains us, and while the value of this connection cannot always be measured in dollars, it’s a connection that we should endeavour to never lose. █

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Article: Alexander Henden Photo: Riley Smith

I caught the game

grabbed some Belgian food ran into my favourite hockey player watched a

jazz trio from New Orleans

and learned the

jitterbug.

tell a better story than

“ I caught the bus and went home at 5 : 1 5 �

downtownhalifax.ca

Haley @haleylong • Feb 8 @TheStubbornGoat I had the best time, and the best service I’ve ever had last night. It was phenomenal!

Thank youuu #halifax #food from Halifax, Nova Scotia Reply

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