Local Connections Halifax - Summer 2012

LOCAL SPIRITS + BREWS

We share some of the finest beer and wine from Nova Scotia. And it's actually super good!

FASHION EAST

This issue we proudly welcome a talented trio of local fashion bloggers.

LOCAL EVENT COVERAGE

Celebrate.

It's SUMMER in Halifax and this is what we do!

Summer 2012

We have 4 pages dedicated to covering events that made our city better!

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Contents.

Expert Advice

Regular sections on networking, social media, and taking care of yourself.

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Community Builders

3 profiles of people who are making a difference.

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Cover Feature

The social entrepreneur behind Turbine Fashion.

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Local Spirits

Check out our showcase of wines from Nova Scotia.

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Fashion East

Local fashion blog meets Local Connetions Halifax.

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Time for Lego

The man behind the Discovery Centre's Lego Clock Tower.

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Welcome Back.

Local Connections Halifax is a locally owned and run social enterprise dedicated to the growth, progress and forward motion of Halifax. We ambitiously seek to educate and inform the reader by sharing some of the amazing and often entertaining stories that are happening in our city and region.

Halifax is a great city with enormous potential, and we will help see it realized. This is our commitment.

The Skipper

Alexander Henden

Contributing Writers

Lizzy Hill, Anna Duckworth, Veronica Simmonds, Brenden Sommerhalder, Lindsay Best, Frances Leary, Floria Aghdamimehr, Phil Otto, Jeff Barrett, Sylvain Allaire, Anisa Awwad

Community Writers Jillian Hermansen Copy Editor RenĂŠe Hartleib Chief Photographer Riley Smith

Long before we got working on the first magazine, we drew out a map for all 2012 editions. Our plan was to start off modest and slowly work our way to the top of the mountain. This edition represents that next step in our progression, and we'd like to think we've raised the game a little bit more. At the very least we've gone more festive, which is entirely appropriate when you consider the theme of this edition (Celebrate).

So why Celebrate? Well, it's pretty simple. It's summer and that's what people do in Halifax! And despite all our challenges, there's a lot to celebrate here! So, for this edition we've done our best to capture the stories and images of the people and organisations that give us reason to celebrate. These people inspire us, entertain us, make cool stuff, throw amazing parties, and even make us look at some of the simple things we shouldn't take for granted.

This edition we're also proudly using some of our pages to showcase some of the best wine, liquor, and beer from Nova Scotia, and our hopes are that you will enjoy them all RESPONSIBLY. Plus, we've added a couple new writers to the mix in hopes of sharing some new and different perspectives. It's all about diversity!

To us Halifax is already a wonderful place to live and visit, but we know it will become even better as we embrace diversity. And we're keen to prove it!

Other Photographers

Michelle Doucette, Applehead Studios, Kumi Henden, Alexander Henden

Illustration

Scott MacDonald, Stephen Gillis

Design & Layout Popcorn Creative

Connect with Us

magazine@localconnections.ca @ConnectionsHFX

Alexander Henden The Skipper

There's so many neat things happening in Nova Scotia right now.

So let's take a moment and check some of them out!

Cute Stuffed Monsters and More!

Choco Fatness!

Sugah HFX has a delicious new chocolate bar named after a local celebrity/comedian. Fat Apollo is a combination of delicious chocolate and potato chips. And it tastes seriously scrumptious! Seriously!

sugah.ca

RAWR Creatures Here in Halifax, a local graphic designer named Jayme Walters has been making these adorable stuffies called RAWR Creatures for about 6 years now. She makes many variations of these cute things, and even does keychains and buttons. You can meet some of the creatures and find more about the artist on her website.

rawrcreatures.com

We recently discovered some very cool stuffed cats, owls, and monsters during a visit to Inkwell Boutique, and as it turns out that these gems are made in Dartmouth! What's even better is that fabric artist Blythe Church actually makes a whole bunch of other neat things which you can see on her website. Of course, you can also get a taste of the real thing at Inkwell Boutique at 1658 Market St in downtown Halifax.

sewnbyblythe.com

A Very Silly Typo Last edition, which was our first one btw, we did what every respectable publication does and made a typo. More accurately we failed to replace a little patch of placeholder text, and even went as far as to include the editor's notes ("NEEDS NEW INFO"). It's a bit of a laugh we suppose, but our goal is not to misinform. So for the sake of being accurate: Lou Lou Bell is a maker of delightful handmade bridal party gift clutches, garters and hair accessories, and you can find these at Boutique Joliette on 1870 Hollis St or online at the Lou Lou Bell website.

Happy 1st Birthday!

Saturday, June 2, Inkwell Boutique had a party to celebrate its first year in business. Guests were treated to a letterpress printing and origami rose demo, some lovely 'inkwell blue' cupcakes, and there was even a prize draw.

Customers who made purchases that day also got loot bags.

inkwellboutique.ca

louloubell.ca 6

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Say Hello to Keith!

Next time you're at the Dresden Row Pete's Frootique, make sure to stop by the fish mongers to visit Keith. He's some kind of minnow who arrived as a larvae and now lives in the lobster tank as the fish you see in the picture. He's actually developed quite a following and now plays an important part in the daily operations at Pete's.

petesfrootique.com

Fox Cuff Links

Back Door Service After the success of Open City in May, local restaurant Fid Resto has decided to continue its Back-Door Pad Thai lunch service. All you need to do is go to the back door, knock three times, and hand over 10 bucks for some deliciously spicy take-out lunch.

Designed as a gift for Wes Anderson for her visit to the Cannes Film Festival this year, these lovely cuff links are the sequel to Angie Grace's fox rings which we showcased last edition.

They are quite delightful and very much available, even if you aren't a famous film producer. Fox earrings are also available.

angelagracejewelry.com

fidresto.ca

CNS Bicycle Valet Popping up at select events is the new and exciting bicycle valet service from Clean Nova Scotia.

It's a different way to celebrate green transportation and to make cycling a more viable form of transportation. It's also just plain cool. You can see the Bike Valet at this year's Atlantic Film Festival, Nocturne, and at Garrison's Oktoberfest.

clean.ns.ca/bikevalet

Cooking Together in Dartmouth There's a wonderful intiative on the Darkside which is helping people learn to prepare healthy, affordable, local food. It's also a great opportunity for people to get out and meet other food lovers.

clean.ns.ca/programs/ community-engagement/ local-food-outreach

Our New Central Library is Coming!

If you've been down Spring Garden road over the past few months, you may have noticed that construction of the new library is under way. Open date is set for 2014 and most major tenders for construction have been awarded. Work is now being done on the underground parking garage and library basement.

Currently, architects and library staff are working to refine interior finishes such as flooring, shelving, furniture styles, and colour schemes. A public meeting will be held this fall to present final designs and show more detailed floor plans depicting the layout of various services. An animated video is also in production and will be shown at the meeting, letting people tour the space in 3D. Watch the Library's website for ongoing updates.

halifaxcentrallibrary.ca

There's so many neat things happening in Nova Scotia right now.

So let's take a moment and check some of them out!

Ace of Burgers

Inter-Q Atlantic

On Canada Day, the North End got what it's been desperately needing all these years when George and Leo Christakos, owners of Brooklyn Warehouse, opened the doors to Ace Burger Company. Located right across the street from FRED, inside Gus' Pub, the dynamic duo are now serving everything from classic burgers to jerk chicken burgers to delicious poutines. There's seven burger varieties in total and all priced very reasonably. Of course, only the best ingredients are used for everything on the menu.

For those who have been wondering why the local LGBT community does not have its own organized financial body, your wondering is now over.

Recently launched, Inter-Q is an emerging chamber of commerce for the LGBT community, though its reach will go well beyond the financial district. It's a very communityminded, inclusive approach, and is very much a modern take on what a chamber of commerce can be. They're in the early stages, but seem highly organized and poised for success.

facebook.com/ AceBurgerCompany

facebook.com/interQatlantic

Dee Dee's at Pavia To add to their existing cafe and art gallery, Pavia Gallery in Herring Cove opened a new ice cream stand back in June. And to make things even better, they decided to carry ice cream from local ice cream legend Dee Dee's. Now it's pretty much a one-stop shopping destination for delightful treats.

Not only can we meet all your printing needs, we can also mail all your printed materials directly to your customers for you as well! And it’s simple!

paviagallery.com

26 Crane Lake Drive, Bayers Lake ( 902)442-5031 • fus i o npr i nt. ca

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ON

Networking Lindsay Best

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or some Haligonians, the summer months mean a booming business season. For others, it means a slower work week and difficulty connecting with business associates because they are busy capitalizing on the nice weather or on family vacations. What it means for most is some tough days in the office when they’d rather be outside. We’re all human.

Summer is short here in the Maritimes and we all know a year passes in the blink of an eye. One thing we can rely on—sunshine is bound to put everyone in a great mood. Great moods prompt people to have a positive outlook.

I appreciate the importance of a work/life balance, but if you are like me, you can’t afford a down season. What can you do when the city feels “checked-out” in the summer months? In our region you can leverage our short summer to make new connections and strengthen old ones.

ca.linkedin.com/in/lindsaybest

Networking is not just about meeting new people. In fact, some networking events are designed for quantity over quality and are not conducive to truly connecting.

Consider this: when you do follow ups, do you have to explain when/where you met them? Is this a contact worth having? The true value in networking is the meaningful relationships you establish. Oftentimes the best relationships blossom from more social gatherings, when stress and expectations are lower.

Like any relationship, business relationships need some time and attention, but we often forget to reach out to our contacts to reconnect and find new common ground. I encourage each of you

@lindsaybestbiz

to pull out your black books, flip though and re-connect with some of your business associates. Use the good weather as an opportunity instead of an excuse. Connect over a beverage on a patio (if you are feeling adventurous – tell them to bring a friend), take some time to catch-up, and cover the tab.

Re-connecting with your contacts can re-inspire your outlook on your business and the role you play in the community.

Celebrate the people in your network, the great things they are doing and the successes of our city. Faces are easy to forget, experiences are not.

Use the summertime to give your connections a reason to remember you.

Tip: When networking at an event, avoid eating and drinking at the same time. You are setting yourself up for that awkward moment when you wish to shake someone’s hand or exchange cards, but you’ve got a drink in one hand and an hors d’oeuvre in the other.

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Your

COMMUNITY

Online

Frances Leary

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eople throughout history have loved a good party, and monumental celebrations took place even in ancient cultures.

Solstice and Harvest festivals were celebrated in Ancient China and Mesopotamia, maybe earlier, and as cultures developed so did the celebrations of their people.

Olympic Games, May Day, Lantern Festivals—celebrations lasted days, weeks, sometimes months. The people celebrated good fortune, healthy harvests, winning battles, births of kings.

They gave thanks to the gods and revered men of great power. Some civilizations throughout history didn’t need a reason to party; they celebrated day and night as an integrated part of their culture.

Fast forward to today, and we have thousands of celebrations around the world: Cinco de Mayo, Chinese New Year, el Dio de los Muertos, St. Patty’s Day, Christmas, Passover, Kwanzaa,

linkedin.com/in/francesleary

Ramadan, and Thanksgiving, etc.

We celebrate personal milestones with birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, retirements, and even wakes, and we still hold the Olympic Games as a celebration of all countries, their peoples, and the diverse yet unified world in which we live.

Now, however, the celebrations held in one location can be shared virtually around the globe. Social networks have provided forums in which people from one corner of the earth to the other can rally together to celebrate for any and every reason imaginable.

We celebrate birthdays with thousands of people. It costs nothing, and yet the feel-good value of all those wishes is priceless. When babies are born, friends and family can be there in the moment, even when they are hundreds or more miles away.

People hold Twitter parties that take place entirely in “the cloud.”

@francesleary

Sometimes, however, it’s the small day-to-day celebrations that are impacted most by social media.

Why? Those are the celebrations that previously went un-celebrated, except by oneself.

A successful business moment, an unexpected pat on the back, a hug from your child for no reason at all, or the joy of seeing a beautiful sunrise.

Before social networking, these moments were difficult to share.

Now, however, we have a choice.

Keep them to ourselves for as long as we like, or share with the world and in the time it takes to smile, friends are celebrating with us.

In a way, social networking has made every moment we live into more of a celebration. Why? Because we are able to share those moments with others. So the party goes on around the world, day and night, without end. People celebrating people—life can’t get much better than that!

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BMW Club Atlantic Canada

TIME to Live Well Floria Aghdamimehr

I

don’t know about you but I love the weekend mornings, the slow start, the lingering relaxed enjoyment of (in my case) green tea, coffee or whatever else you like. One of the most enjoyable times of the week!

Work life balance is a term that has become popular over the last few years, but is this really possible or just an oxymoron?

Do you work 60 or 70 hours a week? Do you miss your children’s games or dance recitals? Are you away from home regularly? Does your family complain you don’t spend enough time with them? Is setting priorities a real challenge?

Well, marbles might be a very simple way to help keep priorities straight.

A thousand marbles you say!! You see the math is very easy, even for me. The average person lives about 75 years. I know, some live more and some less, but on average, folks

linkedin.com/pub/floria-aghdamimehr/10/b52/3b7

live about 75 years.

Now, multiply 75 by 52 and you get 3,900, the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, I’m getting to the important part.

For most people it takes until they are about fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail. By that time they have lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays.

This leaves only about a thousand Saturdays left to enjoy.

So go a toy store and buy some Marbles. You may have to go to few stores to get 1,000! Take them home and put them in a large, clear plastic container and put it in the shed, garage or kitchen, somewhere visible.

Every Saturday, take out one marble and throw it away. By watching the marbles diminish, you will be focused more on the really important things in life.

There’s nothing like watching your

time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight.

Hopefully, you’ll go through all the marbles in the container and every Saturday beyond, which would mean you have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time!

It is possible to create and maintain balance and celebrate life. Remember, we work to provide for ourselves and families, contribute to society, help others, and perhaps leave a legacy.

I hope this gives you something to think about! I am off to enjoy a walk and this glorious summer, a time for lush growth. Spend time with your family and friends.

Enjoy life, time with loved ones and time with yourself Recharging your battery is very important to recognize your potential, be more productive and creative, and surpass your dreams.

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King

Joel Flewelling

Agricola

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Article: Anna Duckworth Photo: Riley Smith

A PIONEER OF THE NORTH END'S REVITALIZATION

He might not be the namesake of the North End fixture-cumbona fide melding pot for uppity South End dames and North End hipsters. But one step inside the multi-purpose space known as Fred and you'd be hard-pressed to miss the domestic touch of its lesser famed but equal parts owner, Joel Flewelling.

White walls, living walls, delicate Food, and bright natural light greet everyone who comes through the door. And then Flewelling says "hello, almost always, followed by your name.

“I definitely am the frontman," he says, explaining how important it is that he know exactly how people like their coffee. "People come in to see me, specifically."

He laughs recalling eight years ago when he and Fred Connors, his long-time partner in business and in love, dreamed of making a go in Halifax’s North End. “Everyone said you’re crazy to open up in this neighbourhood.

No one comes here."

But less than a decade later,

Connors has his beauty salon and Flewelling has his cafe. Together, they share the gallery and a staff of 20. And the naysayers have been given a run for their money. The North End is arguably the most sought after neighbourhood in Halifax to live and do business. And many credit Flewelling and Connors for leading the charge.

“No other place exists like this in the city,” he says. On any given day, the space is a abuzz with people, young and old–lunching, tapping away on their laptops, perusing the art, and getting beautiful. "We welcome everybody."

Next up, Flewelling has his sights set on spreading his cooking expertise across the countryside.

Meanwhile, he's also gearing up for what he hopes will be a busy year outside the cafe too.

Connors is running for Mayor. If he wins, Flewelling will be Halifax's first leading man. "Someone has to hold down the fort," he jokes. “Jackie 2.0, that’s who I’m going to be.” █

Go to page 37 for Joel's amazing Blueberry Mojito recipe. Perfect for summer! ☞

Robie

North

Willow

LSMKT.COM

Charles

Here’s your Map to the Hidden Gems in this Port Town javablendcoffee.com localsourcemarket.com

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Article: Anna Duckworth Photo: Riley Smith

Up and down Barrington Street, formerly one of Halifax’s more bustling strips, there are about as many boarded up storefronts as there are lit ones these days. New businesses seem to come and go with the seasons, but Rachael Grant and Jessy Lacourciere don’t seem to mind.

J&R Grimsmo is their little fashion boutique, opened last fall in the name of a late friend and mentor from their days as costume designers. Less than a year later, the shop is plump with merchandise–home to everything from unconventional jewellery to flirty summer frocks and casual staples to architecturally-inspired sunglasses.

Barrington Street, it seems, has a new kid on the block.

“We’re trying to carry things that are special, unique, and beautiful, and new to Halifax,” explains Lacourciere, who focuses on quality and craftsmanship for her collection.

“They’re all independent, small-run lines,” adds Grant who understands first-hand the importance of supporting the independent business owner. She and Lacourciere credit the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education

and Development (CEED) and the Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) for helping them get off the ground.

Stepping off the street, J&R Grimsmo is a sensory treat. The friends-cum-business partners greet their guests looking cute enough to have been curated alongside their shop. Each item is creatively displayed, as if each hand-picked too. And indeed, they were.

“We’ve collected some pieces over the years that we’ve thought were special,” says Lacourciere, who describes the shop as an extension of her love for fashion and design.

“Working in film and television, we were always working to make someone else's dream come true,” says Grant, seconding that emotion. “Now I feel I am working to make my own dream come true, and that feels pretty good.”

So far, local pickings at J&R Grimsmo are slim. There’s jewellery by local designer Cassandra Kellam. And throughout the shop can be found Canadian designers like Betina Lou, Veronique Miljkovic, and Erin Templeton.

But when local designers coming knocking, ready to sell their wares, these two are listening. █

nice moves

juleschamberlain® agentimmobilier/realtor

902 817 6007 jules@juleschamberlain.ca

www.juleschamberlain.ca

CANADIAN YOUTH BUSINESS FOUNDATION add_niceMoves_2.25x4.875.indd 1

20/02/12 16:

Are you and ready to your own

can help! cybf.ca CYBF.FCJE @CYBFAtlantic

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Peter Davison

Article: Anna Duckworth Photo: Riley Smith

ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY'S MOST INSPIRING PEOPLE Making it all the way to the bottom of Mount Everest is one of Peter Davison’s favourite stories.

“It’s turned out to be a bit of a punch line,” he says of his mission to stick close to sea level. “The truth is, from the bottom there’s a different story to tell.”

Indeed, Davison has built a career as a motivational speaker by shining a light on untold stories from the bottom up, as it were.

His mission to Everest was never about scaling the world’s tallest mountain. He wanted to meet the Sherpas without whom Everest, as it’s come to be known in popular culture, would never exist.

“This is the seed story for my unsung hero theme,” says the 52-year-old lifelong activist from Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. “I don’t talk to the leaders of organizations.

I don’t talk to the CEOs of organizations. I don’t work with famous people. I work with the people who made them famous.”

Since 1985, Davison has fancied himself a motivational speaker–

as a schoolteacher, as a public servant in violence prevention, as an activist in both the peace and feminist movements, and these days, touring on a circuit.

“My mission is to celebrate and revitalize everyday unsung heroes,” he says.

But even while early onset Parkinson’s takes an inevitable toll on his speech, Davison refuses to dwell on the terminal prognosis.

Asked about how it’s affected his life, Davison describes the diagnosis as a blessing–a story he’s turning into his latest book “The Gift of the Hit.” “It forced me to surrender to being loved by somebody,” he says recalling a night at the Stan Roger’s Festival when he ran into Andrea, an old flame he hadn’t seen for nearly three decades. Six years later, they’re happily married. And Davison promises he won’t take a speaking gig that keeps him away from their two young kids for more than one night. “It’s quite a love story,” he beams. █

Lisa Drader-Murphy

Article: Lizzy Hill Local Photos: Riley Smith

THE SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR BEHIND TURBINE FASHION

W

hen Lisa DraderMurphy received her second invitation to schmooze with A-list celebrities at the Cannes International Film Festival and launch her readytowear women’s collection, the fashion designer passed it up. She decided to knock something off her bucket list instead.

“I thought, my heart’s in India and that’s what I’m going to do,” says the Falmouth-based DraderMurphy, who owns the label Turbine. Though she admittedly didn’t know “100 per cent” what the exact reason for her trip was, she says “I just knew that I would find it when I got there.”

Next thing she knew, she found herself thronged by flocks of smiling children in the bustling Hyderabad slums, learning about the centuries-old practice of handweaving and yarn tye-dying

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in the village of Pochampalli, and reveling in the beauty of brightlycoloured silks and bangles at the buzzing Charminar Market.

She teamed up with Satish Sikha—a couture fashion designer turned environmentalist and social activist—helping his Healthy Kids Happy Kids Foundation provide nutritional biscuits and extend healthcare to women and children in poverty-stricken areas of Andhra Pradesh, South India.

The duo worked alongside a group of students, setting up a health camp in the remote rural village of Imamguda, offering the villagers everything from blood tests to medical examinations and medicine on-site. Drader-Murphy was taken by the “bravery and grace” of the female students, who attended the Success Vocational Junior College in Hyderabad. She recalls that some, still teenagers

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themselves, were pursuing an education despite a lack of external encouragement—juggling full time studies with raising a few children.

Drader-Murphy quickly found her reason for being in India: She now works to provide bursaries to young women, “women who are committed to their studies and wouldn’t otherwise have the means to study.” Dr. R. Padmavathi, the principal of Success Vocational Junior College, helps DraderMurphy select students she feels deserve bursaries. Many are hardworking and driven young women from rural villages, studying medical sciences as a means of helping provide for themselves, their families, and their community.

There’s a huge need for the young women to get education, but does she ever regret her decision not to go to Cannes? Not in the

least. Drader-Murphy found it heartwarming and emotional to gift 13,000 rupees, which in Canadian dollars is approximately $300, to assist Dr. Padmavathi as she reached out to students who otherwise may not realize the gift of education.

Drader-Murphy provides all bursaries through Turbine’s charitable giving arm, The Turbine Fund. “The mandate of the Fund is to empower women through education, support, and example,” she explains. So far, she says the Fund has donated almost $120,000 in cash to both local and international women’s organizations. At last year’s soldout Turbine Showcase event at Casino Nova Scotia, the Turbine Fund donated net proceeds of $12,000 from ticket sales and a $1,000 raffle item to Dartmouth’s Alice Housing, an organization providing safe housing and supportive counselling to women and children who are looking to rebuild their lives after experiencing domestic violence.

Supporting women at all stages of their lives is an ethos reflected in multiple aspects of the Turbine brand. “We make sure that we’re making pieces that will fit a woman’s changing shape and will fit different life styles,” explains Drader-Murphy. Her ready-towear collection features garments ranging from the “upsidedown dress”—a piece for a truly minimalist on-the-go woman that can be warn as an above-the-knee dress or flipped upsidedown and worn as a shirt, with or without a hood—to dresses that can be worn both before and after pregnancy (that don’t have the awkward, homely look of most pregnancy dresses!) to luxurious House of Missoni knits and tops inspired by the French Riviera.

Drader-Murphy finds inspiration in many things, including her globe-trotting adventures, the women who come into her store, and her own children. The popular Sam Satchel was inspired by her son Sam. When he was a teenager, he’d been going through a really tough time (as teenagers often do), recalls DraderMurphy. But after an inspiring chat with her son, she realized—much to her relief— he was “secure” and had come “full circle.” So, she designed the Sam Satchel “to be interlocking and secure, closed with a circular shape.”

The Turbine collection caters to the needs of creative, driven women, juggling the demands of a career, a family, travel, and a vibrant social life—much like Drader- Murphy herself. Before launching Turbine, DraderMurphy worked in a factory as the head of design for an Alberta manufacturing company. Nine days after giving birth to her daughter Sarah in 1997, she was back at work. “They turned my office into a nursery and I brought her into work with me,” she laughs. To lull Sarah to sleep, she’d wander through the factory, her daughter dozing off to the whirring sounds of the machines. One day she couldn’t get Sarah to all asleep and wandered into a storage room she’d never been into, full of Mad Men-esque vintage fabrics—mostly forties and fiftiesera plaid wool.

Drader Murphy had a bright idea: “I knew that entry level career women coming out of school did not want to suddenly have to dress like their mothers. They wanted the cut to be the same as the jeans they wore.” She made some designs and showcased her ideas at a boardroom fashion show. “I did one of the first full-tailored suits

ABOVE: Some photo's from Lisa's 2012 trip to India. You can see more on her blog at: turbinefashion.tumblr.com

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with a bootcut pant.” Though she says a lot of her Alberta colleagues thought she “was crazy” in the ‘90s for “using this old fabric,” her idea spread like wildfire, serving as a great example of sustainable fashion that didn’t compromise the end product.

She launched the fast-growing Turbine label in 1997, and soon had two Calgary boutiques and plans to open up another boutique in Banff.

She was also working at the time as one of the only freelance Canadian specialists on the engineering end of ballistic garments, designing anything ranging from flameretardant raceware to bunker gear for firefighters. But she spent about ten days a month travelling, and found she wasn’t able to spend enough time with her young daughter and son.

Something had to give. “I realized I wasn’t home enough,” says Drader-Murphy. She and her husband Carey sold their home in downtown Calgary and bought a farmhouse in Falmouth, a town in rural Nova Scotia where they “didn’t know a soul,” to focus on raising their kids together.

Drader-Murphy transformed an

old building on the property into a studio, basing her production in a beautiful apple orchard, and opened up a retail boutique in Halifax (located at 1475 Lower Water Street, 902-429-0986). It’s a decision neither regret. “We love that community,” says Drader Murphy of Falmouth. Slowing down and embracing a simpler pace of life in rural Nova Scotia hasn’t seemed to compromise her success, helping her focus her energy on meaningful projects instead: “It’s been amazing. We’ve exceeded all our expectations and projections,” says Drader-Murphy.

And now that her kids are 20 and 15, Drader-Murphy is once again focussing on growing her business.

She just renovated the Turbine Studio, where the public can shop off the rack and will soon be able to sample Turbine’s cosmetics line at a new self-serve facial bar (located at 1901 Hwy 1, Falmouth, NS). “We’ve just started exporting to Egypt,” adds an excited DraderMurphy, pointing out that she’s also scouting for new locations in Ottawa and Montreal. “We’re back on expansion,” she says happily.

“Back full circle.” █

Fashion fades.

Style doesn’t.

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

453-6100. New Patients Welcome.

Complete eye exams in a comfortable setting.

Appointments Monday to Saturday.

5550 KAYE STREET (across from Hydrostone Mkt.)

Wine | Spirits | Beer

There's nothing better for an awesome dinner party than a bottle of locally made wine or liquor. It's the champagne campaign, local style!

Some of Our Favourites.

From top left to bottom right.

LUCKETT VINEYARDS Ortega , L'Acadie, Triumphe and Scarlett From a hillside terroir in the Gaspereau Valley, comes 16 varieties, including delightful blueberry, blackcurrant, and peach wines that use locally grown fruit.

GASPEREAU VINEYARDS Lucie Kuhlmann Barrel Select and Riesling Best known for their outstanding Rieslings and located just minutes from Wolfville, this was the first Annapolis Valley winery to open its doors.

JOST VINEYARDS 4 Skins, Eagle Tree Muscat and Vidal Ice Wine The warm waters of the Northumberland Strait help Jost create over 40 varieties of award-winning wine in Malagash on Nova Scotia's Sunrise Trail.

BLOMIDON ESTATE L'Acadie Blanc and Seyval Blanc Located on the shores of the Minas Basin, this beautiful seaside vineyard, with 12 varieties of wine, doubles as a scenic stopping point for visitors.

BENJAMIN BRDIGE Nova 7 and Taurus Always difficult to keep up with (because they're constantly selling out), Benjamin Bridge is an innovative sparkling wine house on the slope of the Gaspereau Valley.

AVONDALE SKY Pinnacle Hill Ice Wine,The Landing and Tidal Bay One of the newest in Nova Scotia, this winery— located in the Avondale Penninsula—is already winning regional and international awards.

PETITE RIVIERE Lulu and Tidal Bay This French-designed winery, known for its quality reds, is located in one of the oldest grape growing regions in North America—the LaHave River Valley.

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Where to Buy Them.

SEAPORT FARMER'S MARKET 1209 Marginal Rd, Halifax

BISHOP'S CELLAR

1477 Lower Water Street, Halifax

PREMIER WINES

1535 Dresden Row Halifax

HARVEST WINES

757 Bedford Hwy, Bedford

CRISTALL WINE MERCHANTS 1595 Bedford Highway, Bedford

Deliciously Local Liqueurs.

6 Varieties Available from Ironworks Distillery!

And let's not forget all the amazing craft beer we have access to.

Halifax may be a small town, but our beers are world class!

Some of Our Favourites.

From top left to bottom right.

GARRISON BREWING Hop Yard Pale Ale, Irish Red, Aged Ol' Fog Burner and PiLs Last we checked, Garrison actually produces a whopping total of 22 year-round and seasonal beers, right from their Halifax Seaport location!

Some noteworthy brews include: Jalepeno Ale, Martello Stout, Spruce Beer, Nut Brown Ale, Baltic Porter, and Oktoberfest Brau.

SEA LEVEL BREWING Blue Heron Extra Bitter, Apple Blosson Ale and Dissel-Port Altbier A true micro-brewery, Sea Level is brewed in the valley and can be enjoyed at the Port Pub in Port Williams.

STUTZ CIDER Premium Natural Cider Made from a secret blend of 6 Nova Scotian apples, Stutz is a very clean and refreshing cider. Perfect for summer!

PROPELLER BREWING Pilsner, Double IPA, India Pale Ale and Bitter From their Gottigen St. location in the North End, Propeller produces 10 delicious brews.

Some noteworthy brews include: Pumpkin Ale, Revolution, London Style Porter, Honey Wheat Ale, and Hefeweizen.

GROWLERS

Growlers are refilable jugs which you can get from Propeller, Granite and Garrison.

The nice thing is that you get to choose what goes inside. Plus, it's an economical way to enjoy beer.

HELL BAY Pale Ale and English Ale Located in Cherry Hill, Hell Bay also produces 3 lovely seasonal beers.

Where to Buy Them.

BISHOP'S CELLAR

1477 Lower Water Street, Halifax

PREMIER WINES

1535 Dresden Row, Halifax

HARVEST WINES

757 Bedford Hwy, Bedford

CRISTALL WINE MERCHANTS 1595 Bedford Highway, Bedford

SEAPORT FARMER'S MARKET 1209 Marginal Rd, Halifax

GARRISON BREWERY

1149 Marginal Road, Halifax

PROPELLER BREWERY

2015 Gottingen Street, Halifax

GRANITE BREWERY

6054 Stairs Street, Halifax

Article: Lizzy Hill Photo: Applehead Studios

SPENDING AN EVENING AT NEPTUNE THEATRE

A

flash of feathers, sequins, legs, wigs, and voluptuous curves takes the stage. I’m seated in the audience at Neptune Theatre’s La Cage Aux Folles, but the Halifax theatre has been momentarily transformed into a risqué Parisian nightclub—a place where drag performers crack whips, the chorus line delivers raunchy, outrageous lyrics, and no costume or fantasy is deemed too outlandish. But beneath the titillating attire and exuberant can can numbers is a deeper message: La Cage aux Folles’ characters demand to be heard. As the drag performers in the chorus line

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belt, “We are what we are,” the audience is left with no choice but to embrace each character’s right to colourfuly craft his or her own identity.

The show tells the tale of the gay night-club owner Georges (Ian Simpson), whose son Jean-Michel (Chris Zonneville) has set his sights on Anne (Nicole Power), the daughter of the homophobic head of the "Tradition, Family and Morality Party." Georges agrees, much to the despair of his outspoken transvestite partner Albin (Steven Gallagher), to help Jean-Michel pretend he has a “normal” family to impress Anne’s

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parents. The result is a predictably humorous and poignant series of twists and turns.

Though based on Jean Poiret’s 1973 French play, the challenges Georges and Albin face as a homosexual couple seeking social acceptance, unfortunately, don’t feel as outdated as one would hope. But the play is far from somber, embracing a gallows humour instead. Gallagher delivers an uproarious performance, reducing the audience to both tears and stitches.

“Albin is one of those dream roles in theatre, a fully fleshed out person who is funny, loving,

scared, charming, and emotional,” says Gallagher. “Albin is the best and worst of all of us ... He lives life on his own terms with love and joy and great passion.” Under the direction of choreographer Mike Jackson, music director Patrick Burwell, and director George Pothitos, members of the chorus line—the Cagelles— dished out high energy song and dance numbers, wowing audience members with their sheer physical endurance (not to mention shapely legs!). “The audience is what really drives any show, and I have never felt so much love from an audience as I have in La Cage,” recalls Gallagher. “We are continually surprised and thrilled every night.”

Sitting in the audience, I was struck by the number of younger audience members—not your typical silver-haired theatre goers.

Neptune has been making efforts to reach out to people under thirty, offering them discounted packs of tickets. “It’s brand new this year, and it’s becoming more popular across the board with arts organizations because we tend

to have an older demographic,” explains communications coordinator Megan Power. “It is an attempt to attract younger people, and it’s also the theatre’s awareness that maybe, if you’re under thirty, you don’t have a lot of disposable income.” Theatre may seem like a hard-to-justify luxury these days, but it doesn’t have to be. The first Tuesday of every production, Neptune hosts Pay What You Can nights, geared at making theatre accessible.

If you missed La Cage aux Folles, don’t fret. Neptune has a varied lineup of shows coming up. Check out plays ranging from Sweeney Todd (September 11 - October 7) to The Importance of Being Earnest (January 22 to February 17, 2013) to Legally Blonde: The Musical (April 2 to May 26, 2013).

“It’s our Fiftieth Anniversary so we’re going to go big,” says Power happily. It’s a sentiment I’m sure Albin would approve of. █

Seasonal local menu.

Gluten-free options.

www.saege.ca

you deserve to eat well.

Actors left to right: Erik Markewich, Chad McNamara, Zak Kearns, Andrew Taylor and David Lopez

Summer at Neptune▼ July 9 - August 30 Theatre School Summer Camps are popular classes that run from 9am-4pm teaching acting, singing, and dancing to youth, aged 4-18.

July 16 - 27 Youth Performance Company Training Program is an elite training program for teens who show talent for the musical theatre profession.

Still making Halifax’s best cakes.

September 11 It's opening night featuring Sweeney Todd!

neptunetheatre.com

Specializing in offsite catering services. www.scanwaycatering.com

fashioneasthalifax.tumblr.com

Kilted on Twining St, Baddeck

by MJD

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Red bow at Clutch Culture Show on Agricola St., Halifax by KC

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Wide leg pants on Spring Garden Rd., Halifax by KC

Scooter Girl on Argyle St., Halifax by MTW @megsapixel

Tones of Tan on Blowers St., Halifax

by MTW @megsapixel

Alderney Landed.

Article: Veronica Simmonds Photos: Alexander Henden

“Why are we important? I think the most important thing that we do is support local. Whether it be farmers, or crafts people or artisans.”

Beatrice (Bea) MacGregor and I are sitting in her office looking over the outdoor stage of Alderney Landing in Dartmouth. Beatrice is giving me the whirlwind breakdown of everything that goes down at the Alderney Landing Cultural Centre.

And I am gobsmacked.

The Centre opened in 1999 as the result of a decade of planning

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by the Dartmouth community, the Dartmouth Business Commission, and the Dartmouth Waterfront Development Corporation.

Residential development was outlined as being a priority in the city’s municipal planning strategy, but Bea and her colleagues at the Business Commission realized that, “You need some core services to start encouraging residential development to happen.”

So they started having events at the plaza on the waterfront. And

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they kept having events. They then developed a playground and initiated a Farmers' Market. And in 1999, they opened the doors to the Alderney Landing Cultural Centre which is now a hub for community activities in Dartmouth.

The Centre hosts 400 events and performances annually. They host theatre performances and dance shows and fundraising festivals and community events and they facilitate summer art camps for kids. On top of that they are home to the Alderney Landing Farmers' Market – open every Saturday and Wednesdays in the summer - as well as permanent vendors such as Evan’s Seafood and Casa Roma, both of which source products locally and support the Farmers' Market.

The Centre also houses the Craig Gallery that showcases community-based emerging and professional artists. Curated by an Advisory Committee that includes artists Tom Forrestall and Rose Adams, the gallery has shown the work of 240 artists. It hosts monthly workshops, Demonstrations, and

artist talks.

“We have a good reputation for being able to support artists at all different levels.” Beatrice says. “And we’re very proud of that.”

Beatrice has a lot to be proud of. The Centre is fulfilling its role as a downtown revitalizer. The events and festivals hosted here bring thousands of Dartmouth and Halifax residents together and strengthen the ties between them.

“The reality is there were a lot of negatives in downtown Dartmouth.”

Beatrice explains. “Getting rid of the negatives and starting to work on events is what we did to bring people to the downtown.”

And the people are coming.

Attendance for the Centre’s events and performances is 400,000 a year - which is six times the population of Dartmouth – and that kind of people power changes a space. The negatives that Beatrice refers to are truly outshone by the flurry of

community action going down in this harbourside hub.

“It’s all about revitalizing downtown Dartmouth,” she says.

“And it’s about having a base to be able to support this community and create a good social network." █

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Article: Brenden Sommerhalder Illustration: Stephen Gillis

If Halifax’s urban core is the economic engine of our municipality, then the Strategic Urban Partnership is the hand poised to shift it into overdrive.

In the summer of 2010, Halifax Regional Council accepted two recommendations from its Capital District Steering Committee: to adopt in principle a Capital Ideas discussion paper, and to form the Strategic Urban Partnership, or SUP. One year later, SUP – funded by its partners, its own fundraising efforts, and the municipality – was officially launched with an aim to “be a catalyst for high performance action on behalf of the Regional Centre’s organizations, institutions, and residents.”

The goals set for the newlyformed SUP are ambitious, and should they be realized, will have a noticeable and positive effect on Halifax’s urban core. Of the 46 objectives set out in Halifax’s 2011- 2016 Economic Strategy, 13 were assigned to SUP. These include such heavyweights as reviewing the municipality’s tax and regulatory systems with an eye at making private land development more attractive, and redesigning the public consultation approach undertaken by the municipality to approve new developments.

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According to Joanne Macrae, cofounder of The Hub and member of SUP’s core team, the driving principle of SUP’s activities is simple: Halifax has what it takes to drive the improvements that it needs across its public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, as long as the relevant groups are able to work together. To this aim, partners in SUP include decisionmakers from Halifax’s planning and development departments, property developers, officials from Saint Mary’s and Dalhousie Universities, business owners, and decision-makers from provincial crown corporations, community groups, and not-for-profits.

“SUP is helping drive a more concerted, broad-based community effort to strengthen our urban core. When everyone is involved and working toward a common goal, we can really get stuff done,” explains Macrae.

In its first year since its conception, SUP has had its successes and its growing pains.

It successfully launched an impressively thorough study to address the question, “Do commercial taxes within the Regional Centre discourage business and development, and if so, what changes could be

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made to encourage business and development?” Results from this study could have far-reaching implications for taxation and development in Halifax’s core.

The Partnership was also able to coordinate 100 new bike racks to be installed in the downtown.

Successes like these don’t come automatically, however. Another goal that SUP endeavored to accomplish was to convince the provincial legislature to consider density bonusing, a program for incenting developers to aid densification and in-filling in the core, in its last legislative sitting before the summer. SUP was unable to get the province to comply. The difference, notes Macrae, is that “we didn’t have enough people come out for density bonusing,” a lesson the group will consider as it again tries to get the province to consider this policy.

SUP has much to look forward to. It was just earlier this year that Regional Council approved SUP’s terms of reference and funding agreement with the municipality, and the Partnership will soon be looking to hire a full time coordinator to aid in its efforts.

“We are going to regroup and organize around our goals for the urban core,” explains Macrae, “and we will continue turning goals into tactics, and tactics into action.”

Learn more about the Halifax Strategic Partnership at their website, halifaxsup.ca █

G U I D E

t o

C Y C L I N G Riding a bike is fun, but as we all know there's not much fun in getting hit by a car or a truck. So let's take a moment shall we? You especially Mom and Dad!

Be Predictable. Be Aware.

Riding a bike comes with inherent dangers, but as a rider you are able to control the risks.

Being predictable will help drivers keep you off the hood of their cars. A good part of this is knowing the rules/laws of the road and following them.

Remember: just because you saw someone else do something, doesn't make it right.

www.halifax.ca/police/crcp/ BicycleSafety.html

Be Seen.

Being seen is an even more important point. Predictibility will mean nothing if the motorist doesn't see you. So don't cruise in blind spots or think that flying down the sidewalk at full speed is some kind of safe thing. You should always consider that the driver may not see you, even if you have the right of way.

If you are cycling at night, you should have proper lighting and wear reflective clothing.

Nothing too tacky though.

You don't want to become a distraction.

The first two points are important, but you should always remain aware that you are vulnerable on a bicycle. Like with anything, some people are good at what they do, but most aren't. So as you are sharing the road with motorists, pedestrians, and other cyclists, it's important to be aware that a lot of these people aren't good at what they are doing. Some of them are terrible! So don't count on them to keep you safe.

Also, be aware of the road conditions as well. As an example, visibility and traction are greatly affected by rain, for both you and your petrolpowered brethren.

Be Social.

One of the best ways to combine fun and safety into the cycling experience is to be social. Cycle with a friend, lover, in a group, or in a group of lovers. Whatever you want. The point is you'll have more fun and be more safe. And don't hog up the good vibrations either! Spread the love with motorists, and keep that bird to yourself. Behind the wheel of every car could be a future cyclist, or your grandma.

Have Fun! Tune it Up. Having a bike that works is pretty much a necessity (think brakes!).

If your bike is in good working order, it will helpkeep your focus where it should be—on the road!

So if your bike hasn't had a tuneup in awhile, it's probably time to get one.

If you use a bicycle as a means of transportation, or were instructed by your physician to do so, it's easy to forget how much fun cycling can be. So why not plan an adventure?

Maybe a picnic lunch, maybe a trip to the Atlantic Film Festival (they have a bike valet), or how about a trip to a locally owned restaurant. Get out and do it, but make sure whatever you do, you do it right!

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Article: Jillian Hermansen Photo: Riley Smith

SUPPORTING ATLANTIC MEN This year, 26,500 Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. It is the most common cancer to affect men, however, over 90 per cent of all prostate cancer cases are curable if detected and treated in their earliest stage. This positive survival rate emphasizes the importance of early detection and PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) testing.

Some treatments can have a significant impact on men’s health, so finding ways to improve the quality of life for prostate cancer survivors is a priority for Prostate Cancer Canada. In Halifax, Prostate Cancer Canada (PCC) Atlantic region is developing innovative programs that support diagnosed men, celebrate diversity, and spread awareness;

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PSA FITNESS PSA (Power, Strength, Agility) Fitness is a nine-week, free fitness program being offered to men facing prostate cancer.

The program focuses on gentle resistance training and yoga; exercises that can benefit prostate cancer survivors by increasing muscular fitness and functional performance, reducing fatigue and blood pressure, and increasing overall quality of life.

Jim Stolzman (pictured above) was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009 and underwent radiation and hormone therapy. He signed up for PSA Fitness because he liked the idea of trying something new, without having to be ‘the old guy in the group’. "Most of us are the same generation... I would never have imagined doing a yoga class.

I would have said I’m too old.I’m

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too stiff. “ Participants say that the benefits to PSA Fitness are two-fold. While improvements to strength and agility are an important benefit of the program, there’s also a sense of camaraderie among the men.

Exercising with peers encourages the men to explore new exercise routines.

"When you're with people who went down the same road and had the same problems, it's good," says Stolzman. "We support each other.

There's a comfort level with everybody... It's a good place."

“It’s our time to take control of our own health, “ says Peter Mallette, Executive Director, PCC Atlantic and prostate cancer survivor. “PSA Fitness connects prostate cancer survivors in Halifax and seeks to enhance their overall quality of life throughout

treatment and recovery.” PSA Fitness launched in January; support programs for men facing prostate cancer will continue to expand throughout 2012.

SUPPORT GROUPS This isn’t the first time PCC Atlantic has facilitated community among men facing prostate cancer. There are over 20 support groups in Atlantic Canada- five of which were established in the past year. PCC Atlantic seeks to address some of the more unique challenges facing men by forming specific groups that address diversity and ethnicity issues.

PCCN’s first prostate cancer support group for gay men, the Halifax Rainbow Warriors, was among the new groups formed in 2011. “We are changing the face of men’s health care in Atlantic Canada,” says Mallette. “To be able to provide a forum for discussion for gay men around this disease is an accomplishment we are very proud of. “ The Halifax-based office will continue to be busy this coming September with the launch of Canada’s first prostate cancer support group for men of African and Caribbean descent. Black men are 65 per cent more likely to develop prostate cancer than Caucasian men. Working with community partners, PCC Atlantic believes it is imperative to reach diverse and culturally specific /ethnic communities and spread awareness. █

For more information on Prostate Cancer Canada, visit prostatecancer.ca or call 1-855-420-1444.

☞ Joel's delicious summer

beverage recipe.

Blueberry Mojito - 2 tsp drunken blueberries, plus 2 tsp of their liquid - 2 lime wedges - 8 sprigs fresh mint - 2 ½ oz rum - Soda water to taste Muddle 1 tsp of drunken blueberries and 2 tsp of liquid, the lime wedges and mint sprigs in cocktail shaker. Add the rum, ice and shake vigorously. Strain into glass and top with soda water.

Garnish with mint leaves and drunken blueberries.

Drunken Blueberries - 1 ½ cups simple syrup - 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped or 2 tbsp. real vanilla extract - 2 cinnamon sticks - Zest from 1 large lemon - 1 cup fresh blueberries - ½ cups white rum In a large saucepan, combine the simple syrup, vanilla seeds, cinnamon sticks, and the lemon zest. Bring to a boil over mediumhigh heat and add the blueberries.

Cook until the blueberries just begin to pop and their skins begin to split, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, then strain the liquid into a large glass jar. Add the blueberries to the jar, discarding the cinnamon and lemon zest, then add the rum. If the blueberries are not fully submerged in the liquid, add equal parts simple syrup and rum until they are completely covered.

Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 weeks.

Makes about 3 cups.

Fine furniture maker and antique furniture restorer with over 5 decades of woodworking experience.

ph: (902) 431-0629 cel: (902) 473-9967 m i c k j a n i c e . c o m

Saturday, May 12 at jaywellssalon

On a warm spring evening in May, Jay Wells Salon opened it's doors to the neighbourhood for a wellplanned evening of champagne and disco fun.

There were easily 200+ guests on hand, all dressed in black and white attire, and all ready to celebrate. The event called "After Dark" revolved around a black and white disco theme, and doubled as a community building event as well as a public announcement for a new initiative called "Face Up," designed to support those living with HIV. The venue, which was actually the salon itself, made you feel like you were in a cool underground nightclub somewhere in New York.

It was a very chic affair, but the best part about this event was the fact that this party was open to the public, something you don't often see with parties of this quality.

For more info on Face Up, visit:

Photos: Riley Smith

facebook.com/JayWellsFaceUp

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There's nothing better than when a bunch of bright minds from the local business community come together and collaborate on something that's designed to make our city a better place. And on the weekend of May 12, that's exactly what happened.

We're sure it took a lot of hard work and planning, but what started out as a simple idea blossomed into a milestone event in our city's history. And as the title suggests, the city was opened!

For Open City, a large group of retailers invited the public downtown for a memorable experience, each offering something special and unqiue for that weekend. It was nice to see that Haligonians took them up on their offer, and their reward was the opportunity to experience something entirely fresh and new. We actually spoke to a number of retailers and confirmed that indeed there were many first-timers about, and for usthis is the hallmark of a succesful event.

In the end it was great to see the public and the business community come together to share and celebrate their wonderfully great city.

For more info on Open City, visit:

Photos: Michelle Doucette

ilovelocalhfx.ca

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Wednesday, June 6 at Mount Saint Vincent University

On the evening of Wednesday, June 6 the Centre for Women in Business hosted the CWB June Event at Mount Saint Vincent. Billed as a premier networking event, it was a big get-together for many women entrepreneurs from our region. The event, sponsored

by TD Canada Trust, included a catered meal. Featured guest speakers were Carol Chapman, CEO, C2 Communications; Marcia Seymour, Senior Manager, Procurement Corporate Responsibility, TD Bank, Toronto; and MSVU president Dr. Ramona Lumpkin.

For more info on the CWB, visit:

Photos: Alexander Henden

centreforwomeninbusiness.ca

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The concept of a Sunday Drive is a pretty simple one. You pick a nice day and you go out for a drive (or bike ride if you like) with your friends and/or family.

On Sunday, June 17, which was also Father's Day, we partnered with Pavia Gallery, Propeller Sodas, Hillcrest VW, and FEED Nova Scotia to launch the gallery exhibition for world-class, and local, automobilia artist Paul Chenard. Paul's usually sharing his work at the Halifax Seaport Farmer's Market on Saturdays, but some people don't go to the market, so we decided to set up a nice little event which, unless you lived in Herring Cove, included a lovely road trip. And, as luck would have it, the weather gods were on our side for the entire day.

In total, around 60-70 people (outside of the regular patrons) came out to spend the afternoon with a talented local artist at a great little cafe/gallery/ice cream spot just 15 minutes outside of Halifax. And for those who took the Purcells Cove Road route, they were also treated to a terrific 'Sunday Drive'.

For more info on Pavia Gallery or Paul Chenard, visit:

Photos: Alexander Henden

paviagallery.com automobiliart.blogspot.ca

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Be Seen.

Be Heard.

Be Found.

SEO help from your LOCAL online marketing experts.

Anisa Awwad B.A. COMM

linkedin.com/pub/anisa-awad/54/b07/252 @Anisa_A_

Go Where You’ve Never Been Before.

O w i r e d fl a re . c o m

September 12th 6:30-8:30pm

Having conversations leads to business! Fall Kick-off networking night with special guest speaker Corrine McIsaac, Health Outcomes Worldwide Inc.

November 5th

20th Anniversary Gala Dinner

November 6th

Annual Watch Us Grow Conference

CWB operates with support from Mount Saint Vincent University and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

n a cold rainy day, I stepped foot in Halifax for the first time.

As clichéd as that sounds, it was true in every physical and metaphorical way possible. My face and my hands complained the most. Being a sun child who was born and raised in the United Arab Emirates, I experienced weather shock to the fullest. I wasn’t used to below-zero temperatures. I wore layers and layers of clothing and bought kneehigh boots. Up until moving here, I never really owned proper winter clothes. It was an inevitable, yet fascinating, lifestyle metamorphosis. It has been almost two years since relocating to the East Coast. With so much to say about the ups and downs of the experience, it is only natural that you will get a glimpse of my new life through this column. What I ask from you is to see the world from my perspective and to join me on this one hell of a ride we call “life”.

Summertime is the time of the year to celebrate the glorious holidays and escape the routine. This year, I want you to travel as far as you can. Cross the Atlantic Ocean and travel to countries you have never been to. Let the experience open your mind to people, places, and stories you never thought of. Ditch the “comfort zone” and challenge your self in every way possible.

How would you do that? Mingle with the locals, view life through their eyes, eat their food, listen to their music and learn greetings in their language. The possibilities are endless; you could study, work, or volunteer abroad for the summer. It is only then that you will truly come back as a different being; you won’t be merely a tourist passing by for a week or so.

Becoming the globalized person that I am wasn’t a coincidence. Being a Palestinian, who grew up far from home shaped my character in undeniable ways. Embracing differences and tolerance was embedded in my DNA. The more I travelled, the more I saw the similarities that connect us all as humans.

We all strive for love, family, friendship, laughter, success, and happiness. Here I am across the world in Canada, eating poutine and reading the Globe. So, if you are curious about a certain country, don’t just Google it. Book a ticket, get there, and see for yourself. Eh █

Phil Otto

CEO & Senior Brand Strategist, Revolve ca.linkedin.com/in/philotto @brandguy

The Soul of Our Community.

F

ew regions in Canada can celebrate a tapestry of local flavours and culture as rich as Halifax. Our deep, cold water coastline provides a bountiful aquaculture and our fertile soil provides thriving agriculture, including a burgeoning wine industry. And speaking of wine, on recent trips to both the Niagara region of Ontario and Okanagan region of British Columbia, I was struck by the fact visitors and locals alike wouldn’t think of ordering wine from outside the region when dining at a local restaurant.

Haligonians need to embrace Nova Scotian wines - brilliant whites, sultry reds, and decadent icewines that come from our own backyard are winning highly prestigious awards. We need to better celebrate the wonders of Halifax and our surrounding region, and not just the riches from our land and sea. We also need to support the many shops and restaurants that our local entrepreneurs proudly offer.

Friends and business associates who visit from Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and the US rave about the quality and number of great restaurants and shops they find in Halifax. For a city of only 300,000, we’re lucky to have the selection that we do. Unfortunately, many Haligonians don’t appreciate or understand the impact that local business has on local culture. Imagine a city with nothing but US owned chain restaurants and retailers, where everything tastes the same and every store generally sells the same crap, so the place with the cheapest crap wins.

I’ve visited cities that suffer this homogenized blend of sameness and am struck by the lack of anything endearing enough to make me want to live there or even visit a second time. These cities lack soul. But a city with a heartbeat – now there’s something worth coming back to.

I love the depth, the personality, the ambiance, and the humanity that makes Halifax such a great city. And so much more because of the pulse of boroughs like Spring Garden, The Hydrostone, the Waterfront, the Farmers’ Market, Bedford, Downtown Dartmouth, and many more. Ours is a city with a soul. Brand is a combination of reputation and expectation, and Halifax has a brand to be proud of. Embrace it. Enjoy it. Celebrate it. And let’s never lose it. █

Is this your candidate pool?

Recruitment and placement services

administrativestaffing.ca

Jeff H Barrett B.A. CIM

linkedin.com/in/jeffhbarrett @nextgeninvestor

A Criticism of Choices.

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ompetition based on our ability to access credit has become confused with true wealth building. This misapplication of the concept of wealth creates forced (and false) quantifications of our emotional and actual self-worth. These quantifications are often out of sync with true measures of wealth and are, at present, creating catastrophic levels of consumer debt. These decisions are driven by a set of values that often do not match our often self-imposed financial restrictions.

Wealth cannot be achieved by brute-force spending if your present restrictions on revenue are too rigidly defined. If your dreams cannot be supported by your income, frugality and strategy will win the day. It cannot be met by blind self-conscious spending and over-leveraging. It is our unwillingness to accept this reality that weakens our resolve and causes us to compete on a false premise of net-worth.

I am not at all suggesting that dreams are invalid. In fact, nothing at all in this world is valid except desires and choices. If you were to collect all the choices in the world, each one would be equally as achievable (and real) as the next one. The action of articulating one over the other, and creating a ‘value ranking’ and ‘value precedence’ of one over the other, is what creates your reality. Neither one has any innate value until it is assigned by you. In our example, we have created a worthy dream but have built our lifestyle on a paradigm that is restrictive and counter to its actualization. Without changing our understanding of where true wealth comes from we will continue to push aggressively towards our dreams in a desperate manner.

Over-spending (as opposed to over-earning) is the only end result of this contradiction. To continue on this path is burdensome and damaging, especially over the long-term. To combat this, we must be more objectively self-aware in our criticism of this false aspect of our self (and net)-worth and we must be realistic and free in our understanding of our choices. █

Sylvain Allaire

MPA, CHRP linkedin.com/in/sylvainallaire @HR_pros

Remember When...

O

ne of my fondest childhood memories was the evening when I made the formal promise to: “Do my best, to do my duty to God, and my country, to help other people, and to OBEY the LAW of the Pack.”

Yes, that evening, almost 50 years ago, I was officially welcomed to the pack as full-fledged Cub. It was a big event for a seven-year old; there was pomp, and there was ceremony, all in a basement of the parish church. It may not have been as elaborate and grandiose as the Dalhousie University Convocation Ceremony when I received my Master’s degree, but I remember both occasions quite well. I am sure that all readers will have similar memories of special moments in their lives and careers.

Throughout our lives, we attend weddings, baptisms, funerals, convocations, graduations, investitures, and award dinners. These are significant events that mark the passage of time, a special event, or an accomplishment. By being a participant or a direct witness to these events, we remember them much more vividly than had we simply read or heard about them. In fact, we may not remember the details leading to the ceremony, but the celebrations remain embedded in our minds. Over time, the details become fuzzier still, yet, we continue to remember the ceremony.

Celebrations are not just for scouts, schools, or religion. Celebrations have a place at work as well. They inject positivity, improve morale, and increase employee commitment to the company’s goal. After the event, employees will feel better about themselves and the company. They will talk about the event and will remember it. Over time, celebrations become part of the company’s culture.

A special project, a letter from a satisfied customer, a new employee, a promotion, or a fund-raising campaign can all be valid reasons to celebrate.

Celebrations can be planned or spontaneous but it is important to celebrate. A word of caution, celebrations create a virtuous circle! An employer who takes the time to celebrate individual and team accomplishments will create more reasons to celebrate in the future! What a nice problem to have! So go ahead, find occasions to celebrate and create those long-lasting memories! █

Be well-advised.

Robert-Yves Mazerolle, CFP, CIM Senior Financial Planning Advisor Assante Capital Management Ltd.

(902) 420-9061 www.mazerollefinances.com

Assante Capital Management Ltd. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and is registered with the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.

Time for LEGO

Article: Veronica Simmonds Photo: Riley Smith

"As long as I remember, I always wanted to get inside the Town Clock. I am that kid that tries to get inside of everything.” Owen Grace and I are standing beside the Town Clock, not the Parks Canada Town Clock on Citadel Hill, but the replica of that clock that Grace built with 12,500 pieces of Lego for the Discovery Centre.

In the 230 volunteer hours that Grace took designing and constructing the Lego Clock, he got inside the clock in so many ways. He now understands all of its mechanisms, its structure, and after building it, he actually got to go have a tour of the real deal.

“There was so much joy in building the Town Clock," he says with a beaming smile. "I’ve walked by it on my way to work for years, but now I know it intimately.”

Grace is a technical architect at NS Power but he is also a master Lego builder and collector. He tells me that he started building with Lego when he was five and hasn’t

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stopped since. “There were those awkward teenage years where I didn’t collect as much, but I still have all my Lego from when I was a child.”

And he doesn’t just store it away.

Grace has built the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, and London Bridge. He also builds a Lego village for the NS Museum of the Atlantic each year which can be up to 600 square feet.

“I love the architecture side of it. You get to physically build something and as you're building, you get to see if it’s working or not.

If it’s not, you stop and take it apart and build it again. Other than this model, it’s never permanent, so if you don’t like it, you just change it.”

It’s this creative element of Lego that The Discovery Centre wants to champion with their new Lindsay Building Centre, of which the Lego Clock is just one part.

“We believe fundamentally in the learning principals of Lego,” Renee Fournier, Director of Business Development at the Centre, says.

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

“It’s really hands-on and mindson and that’s what we are all about.” Sponsored by J.W Lindsay Enterprises Ltd., the Building Centre provides visiting kids with tables, benches, and buckets and buckets of Lego with which they can create and destroy anything their imaginations can muster.

“There’s a lot of science and research behind Lego that proves that as kids build things they remember it and they can expand on it the next time.” Fournier explains. “So it becomes this continuous process of building and construction and education.

They’re teaching themselves.”

Grace has been thrilled to see people young and old playing with Lego and adding bits and pieces around the base of his clock. He tells me Lego was invented by a Danish carpenter and that the word comes from the Danish "leg godt," meaning, “play well.” █