The drive-in movie
· Free-range chicken · It’s yard sale season July/August 2013 Vol. 14 No. 4 $5.95
Veggies Man Style: (On the BBQ of course)
Future of the Fishery Status quo or whole new ball game? What’s at stake?
World’s smartest dog The astonishing Border Collie
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Some would make us just names on a list. But we are people in a place–and resist. 14, Number 44, July/August 2013 Volume 14
Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40597063
24 44 30
RON GAR NETT, AIRS CAP E S
The drive-in movie
· Free-range chicken · It’s yard sale season July/August 2013 Vol. 14 No. 4 $5.95
24
A fork in the road Talk of change for the East Coast fishery has some worried what the future holds for small coastal communities
Veggies Man Style:
By Quentin Casey
(On the BBQ of course)
Future of the Fishery Status quo or whole new ball game? What’s at stake?
30
The astonishing Border Collie
Photography by Ron Garnett, Airscapes. Story by Philip Lee
PLUS: NEW BRUNSWICK IN PICTURES
on our cover: Taking advantage of summer’s fresh offerings, charred to sweet, easy perfection. For recipes, see “Great on the Grill,” page 52. Photo by Perry Jackson.
Cool blues New Brunswick’s coastlines and waterways offer serenity for the soul
World’s smartest dog
36
Newsflash Bucking the rural outmigration trend, Tatamagouche, NS, is growing By Sandra Phinney
44
It’s all in the eye There are many herding breeds but for sheepherders around the world, the Border Collie is legendary number one By Marjorie Simmins
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65
roots & folks
kitchen party
home & cottage
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52
65
Publishers’ pencil
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Contributors
6
Dear Saltscapes
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Events
Make way for veggies on the barbecue
55
Genealogy
58
Theft and vandalism—who benefits?
17
Well worth the drive Retro fun at Brackley Drive-In
20
Nature Reviled and revered: the lowdown on American eels
83
61
71
Pantry
Back to basics Gravel is the landscaper’s new best friend. Here’s why
Chef profile Ilona Daniel, Culinary Boot Camp, Charlottetown
Growing a green thumb (part two) Starting from scratch with lasagna gardening
The chicken dance Free-range fowl worth seeking out
Super summer festivals
15
Great on the grill
J O DI DELO NG
CHR I S G R I F F I THS & CHANTAL AR SENEAU
83
B O J AN FÜR ST
departments
79
Seaside serenity Coastal charm on Nova Scotia’s South Shore
Review of Titanic: The Cookbook, Recipes from the Era of the Great Ocean Liners; favourite farmers markets: Fogo Island, NL
Homegrown business Broadleaf Guest Ranch, Albert County, NB
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Just Katharine Every yard sale tells a story
Q&A Traditional food enthusiast Kristie Jameson
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DEREK SAR TY
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publishers’ pencil
Has Tatamagouche found the secret to eternal life? ON THE MAP, it’s just another dot by the sea. On the ground, it’s just another unremarkable one-street village. At its core, it has heart and soul and character and vitality to spare. Socially and economically, it works. This ain’t no quaint fishing village either, and there is no fish plant—and there is no mill, no factory and no call centre. There’s no idyllic sandy beach, no provincial or federal park, no famous landmarks or iconic tourist traps—not even a lighthouse, no resorts (former Timmy’s mogul Ron Joyce’s ultra high-end golf destination Fox Harb’r, complete with its own jet-capable airstrip, is just down the road—but really, it’s mainly a self-contained operation.) But this little place is vibrant and progressive in every way, and those privileged to live there are pretty damn proud of it all and pleased with themselves and generally enjoying an enviable quality of life. It’s even attracting young couples. And the population is actually growing!
“...diversified local micro-economy is largely the result of innovative local initiatives...” Tatamagouche, on Nova Scotia’s North Shore, is beating all the odds and bucking all the trends. While the rest of us grind our teeth and bite our nails worrying about the demographic time bomb facing our rural communities all across this region, looming larger than global warming in the public consciousness, folks in Tatamagouche are just getting on with it. The thoroughly diversified local micro-economy is largely the result of innovative local initiatives. This is no one-horse town living or dying on the strength of a corporate boardroom decision a continent away. There are no polluting industries here—no pulp mills foul the air; no mines have opened ugly scars on the landscape; no salmon farms contaminate the bay. (The coming battle over hydraulic shale fracturing, or fracking, has been postponed until after the next provincial election.) So what is it? What’s the secret? Can other communities learn from it; emulate it? Well, maybe you can figure it out. We have a fairly extensive piece on Tatamagouche, written by Sandra Phinney, starting on page 36. She explores the community, interviews the movers and shakers, and tries to get a handle on just exactly why this place works so very well, when the vast majority of others are in disrepair in so many ways. To be honest, the answer is not all that readily apparent—although the interesting mix of people who live there suggests that perhaps a few come-from-aways is not a bad thing. But whatever it is, it would be in the interest of the whole region to analyze it, define it, and determine how to clone it.
~ Linda & Jim Gourlay e-mail: gourlays@saltscapes.com
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contributors When asked by Saltscapes to write about Border Collies in Atlantic Canada (“It’s All in the Eye,” page 44), award-winning writer and dog enthusiast Marjorie Simmins couldn’t wait to get her paws on the story. “I love Border Collies,” Simmins confesses. “They are the Einstein of dogs, with so much heart.” But she was never (seriously) tempted to own one: “We don’t own sheep and they are too much dog for us!” Simmins and her husband share their lives with two Shetland Sheepdogs, MacTavish and Franki, both bred in Middle Sackville, NS. Philip Lee, who wrote “Cool Blues,” page 30, is a New Brunswick journalist who once convinced his editor to let him spend an entire summer researching a series of stories about salmon rivers. In an unrelated story, one hot summer afternoon, when he was not on the job, armed Quebec game wardens found him naked, picking blueberries beside a border river in northern New Brunswick. They asked to see his fishing licence. He teaches journalism at St. Thomas University, in Fredericton, and has written three books, including Home Pool: The Fight to Save the Atlantic Salmon. “I’m always struck by the pride of place exhibited by Atlantic Canadians,” says PEI-based photographer John Sylvester. “This was especially true in Tatamagouche, where there is definitely something special going on.” See John’s pictorial profile of the village in “Newsflash,” page 36. This issue his photos also appear in “A Fork in the Road,” page 24, showing images of fishermen Charlie and Mike McGeoghegan off Pinette, PEI, and “It’s All in the Eye,” page 44, where he captured the caninesheep activity at Pembroke Farm, PEI. (The dogs happily herded whatever possible to accommodate the camera.) Nova Scotia born, Sylvester has lived in PEI for 31 years; his photography appears in publications worldwide.
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dear saltscapes
Letters TREASURED TIMES
WITCHING WELLS? MAYBE NOT
I thoroughly enjoyed the story “The Heart (and Soul) of Home,” (Good Taste, May/ June). It brought back so many memories of my childhood. Growing up in the 40s and 50s in rural Nova Scotia, we too had a wood stove in the kitchen, and many hours were spent around it because for years it was our only source of heating the house. It was the children’s chore to pile the wood in the woodshed and to fill the woodbox in the house. We also had
My father taught me divining (“Water Witching,” May/June) when I was a teen and I have witched many wells. He also taught me that it was a harmless hoax and how to “read” terrain and vegetation before searching. He said there is water under most of the earth’s surface so the odds were in favour of finding water. Best of all, people will remember your successes and forget your failures.
My father taught me divining... but also that it is a harmless hoax. There is water under most of our earth’s surface, so the odds are in favour of finding water a rocking chair in the kitchen near the stove, where my father spent many hours smoking his pipe. Kathleen Bruce Head of Chezzetcook, NS
MEMORIES BY THE SLICE Your article “Newfoundland Steak” (Good Taste, May/June) brought back memories of earlier times. In the late 40s and early 50s I worked on Saturdays helping out in my grandfather’s store, W P Goobie Grocer, on the corner of New Gower and Springdale streets in St. John’s, NL. One of my doings was unpacking bologna, which was shipped in wooden cases and packed in snow-white coarse salt. This, I would assume, was a preservative. These tubes of meat were covered in a heavy cloth fabric and coated with clear wax. The tied end was first removed and the meat was placed on the slicer and sliced at varying thicknesses to please the customer. The end, when removed, contained a portion of meat that would not sell but made a tasty snack. The salt was kept and used in winter on the sidewalk outside the store. Angus Coffen Sydney, NS
If anyone is really confident in their ability to witch water they might want to go to skeptics.com.au/latest/news/ calling-all-diviners—$100,000 prize to find water? You bet. They have offered prizes in the past, but there have been no winners. John Winters Liverpool, NS
THE LOWLY “KIACK” Reading Dianne Crowell’s article “Free For The Catching” (March/April), brought back fond memories of my youth growing up near Lockeport, NS. Back in the 1940s and 50s, I well remember the spring kiack run. My father, and most of our neighbours, were all fishermen and depended on the kiacks for fish and lobster bait. It seemed that in every stream, brook and river there would be an abundance of these fish, which could be scooped up with long-handled dip nets. I also remember that they were very tasty fish for eating. My mother grew up in the Greenfield, NS, area, and I remember once being there and seeing the run going up the Medway River. Many people lined the riverbanks
Join Food Network Celebrities at Fall Flavours Signature Events! The Fall Flavours Festival. A unique culinary adventure highlighting authentic Prince Edward Island tastes & traditions. Incredible food, delightful venues, entertaining hosts, one-of-a kind experiences. Some of the most fabulous food experiences you can imagine, including Signature Events hosted by FOOD NETWORK personalities!
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Chef Corbin Tomaszeski
Le Festin Acadien Avec Homard (a Fall Flavours Preview)
August 30th, Hosted by John Catucci
Chef Lynn Crawford
Chef Mark McEwan
Toe Taps & Taters (NEW for 2013)
September 27th, Hosted by Chef Lynn Crawford Canadian Potato Museum, O’Leary
Le Centre Expo Festival, Abram-Village
Chef on Board Picnic in the Park
September 7th, Hosted by Chef Corbin
September 28th, Hosted by Chef Corbin MV Confederation, Northumberland Ferries, Wood Islandss
Cavendish Grove, PEI National Park, Cavendish
Mussel Muncheon (New for 2013) Lobster Party on the Beach
September 8th, Hosted by Chef Corbin
September 29th, Hosted by Chef Chuck Hughes Delta Prince Edward Convention Centre, Charlottetownn
Cedar Dunes Provincial Park, West Point
Feast & Frolic PEI International Shellfish Festival
September 12th, Hosted by Chef Michael Smith
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The Great Island Grilled Cheese Challenge
September 22nd, Hosted by Chef Massimo Capra COWS Creamery, Charlottetown
FOOD NETWORK is a trademark of Television Food Network G.P.; used with permission.
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Chef Chuck Hughes
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dear saltscapes Volume 14, Number 4 • Date of Issue: July 2013 Co-Publishers • Jim & Linda Gourlay Associate Publisher • Shawn Dalton Editor-In-Chief Jim Gourlay • jgourlay@saltscapes.com Editor Heather White • hwhite@saltscapes.com Production & Creative Director • Shawn Dalton Senior Designer • Graham Whiteman Designer • Thom Knowles Food Editor • Alain Bossé Founding Food Editor • Marie Nightingale Editorial Contributors Deborah Carr • Quentin Casey • Jodi DeLong • Kimberley Eddy Perry Jackson • Philip Lee • Philip Moscovitch • Katharine Mott Nicholas Oakes • Sandra Phinney • Darcy Rhyno • Suzanne Robicheau • Derek Sarty • Marjorie Simmons • John Sylvester Sean Tibbetts • Joanie Veitch
Advertising Canadian National Accounts Linda Gourlay • lgourlay@saltscapes.com Vice President of Sales Kerri Slaunwhite • kslaunwhite@saltscapes.com Account Executives Susan Giffin • sgiffin@saltscapes.com Pam Hancock • phancock@saltscapes.com Robyn Murphy • rmurphy@saltscapes.com Advertising Traffic Coordinator Lisa Byrne • lbyrne@saltscapes.com
and were busily scooping out those marvellous fish. Those were wonderful days when we thought resources like the kiack were unlimited. When I moved to Saint John, NB, as a young man, I wondered why I didn’t hear anything about the kiacks. After a while I learned that here they were called “gaspereau.” Are there still kiack runs in the spring in the rivers along Nova Scotia’s South Shore and would they be plentiful enough to scoop out with the dip nets? It would be interesting to know. Sterling Huskins Saint John, NB The answer is yes—Editor.
WHERE’S MY BEACH?
Saltscapes is published seven times annually by: Saltscapes Publishing Limited Suite 209, 30 Damascus Rd, Bedford, NS B4A 0C1 Tel: (902) 464-7258, Sales Toll Free: 1-877-311-5877
Accounting and Office Administration Manager Glenn Day • gday@saltscapes.com Administration Valerie Blackmore • Donna Archibald Contents copyright: No portion of this publication may be reprinted without the consent of the publisher. Saltscapes can assume no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or other materials and cannot return same unless accompanied by S.A.S.E. Publisher cannot warranty claims made in advertisements. Saltscapes is committed to Atlantic Canada’s unique people, their culture, their heritage and their values.
Subscription Services Enquiries please contact: Tel: (902) 462-4044 • Fax: (902) 462-3336 Toll Free: 1-877-885-6344 • subscriptions@saltscapes.com PO Box 526 Stn Main, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 3Y8 Subscriptions: Canada, one year (7 issues) $26.95, two years (14 issues) $52.95 (plus applicable tax) U.S. one year $26.95 (Cdn) plus $15 shipping Overseas one year $26.95 (Cdn) plus $20 shipping
I just received the latest edition of Saltscapes Food and Travel. Was soooo excited to see the cover featuring the top 20 Atlantic beaches. First I saw Mactaquac. Yay! I’m from Fredericton and spent most my tween and teenage years there. I next checked to see if the beach of my childhood was there, the beach where I learned to swim, the beach where we had a “pet” driftwood with roots for our whole vacation—Big Island Beach, close to Merigomish—home of my father and grandfather. Can we please have an honourable mention? Christina (Tina) Cook Fort St. John, BC
KEEPING ME CONNECTED The Maritimes will always be my home, although I’ve been away from Halifax for 20 years. I’ve lived in Alberta, and live now on Vancouver Island. The one thing (other than visiting) that consistently connects me to the Maritimes is receiving my copy of Saltscapes in the mail. When I see the magazine in the mailbox waiting for me, I smile wide. I can’t wait to read it—and be transported home. I’ve been receiving the magazine as a Christmas gift from my parents for years now, and I love to sit and dedicate an afternoon to reading articles that help me stay connected to my heritage, and that fill me with joy. Marion Ann Berry Victoria, BC
TEED OFF While leafing thorough Saltscapes Food and Travel, I read with interest the article “Game Changer,” about Cabot Links. The picture descriptions at the top left corner confused me. I couldn’t determine if Cabot Links was in Inverness or Ingonish. I had to go the Cabot Links website, which perhaps was the plan, to verify the location. Inverness beach is not on the northeast side of Cape Breton. Paul Nicholl DeBaies Cove, NS Editor’s note: We apologize for the error and confusion.
HOW TO CONTACT US
Subscription Services by The Oyster Group We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40597063 ISSN 1492-3351 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: Saltscapes Subscriptions, PO BOX 526 STN Main, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 3Y8 E-mail: subscriptions@saltscapes.com Printed by: Advocate Printing & Publishing, Pictou, NS Saltscapes is a member of: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Canadian Magazine Publishers Association
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Editorial feedback We welcome your comments. Please send letters to: Letters, Saltscapes, 30 Damascus Rd., Suite 209, Bedford, NS, B4A 0C1 E-mail: dearsaltscapes@saltscapes.com Be sure to include your town or city name and a telephone number. We can’t publish all your notes but we’ll do our best to include as many as we can on these pages in each issue. Letters that appear in Saltscapes may be edited for length and clarity. Customer service Go to saltscapes.com and click on Subscribe. You can get a new subscription, renew a subscription, change your address, pay an invoice, give a gift—and more—whenever it’s convenient for you. You can also e-mail us at subscriptions@saltscapes.com. Or call toll-free 1-877-885-6344 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. AST.
travel by sea. save time. drive less. Then, let the story begin.
the sea is filled with timeless memories. we’re here to help make new ones.
“
“
There’s something romantic about taking the ferry. The sense of anticipation that you’re about to embark on a great adventure…a true Maritime experience.
CARIBOU, NS WOOD ISLANDS, PEI SAINT JOHN, NB DIGBY, NS
Wood Islands, PEI Caribou, NS
Saint John, NB Halifax, NS Bangor, ME
Digby, NS
Portland, ME
call 1-877-882-8685 or find your ferry tale at www.ferries.ca
roots & folks: events
Watch dinner theatre and sandpipers; explore the night sky, the ocean floor; eat oysters and bakeapples
NOVA SCOTIA JULY 4-7 LOUISBOURG
Forge 300 Hobbyist and artisan blacksmiths from forges near and far will congregate at the Fortress to watch masters create pieces that celebrate the role of blacksmiths 300 years ago, and into modern times; you’ll view the effort and skill involved in each blow of the hammer. Information: forge300.ca.
JULY 6 HAMMONDS PLAINS
Daylily Daze Learn all about the new daylilies that have been hybridized during the past 40 years; $5 admission gets you a free plant and a hardy lunch. First United Baptist Church. Information: e-mail peggyannepineau@gmail.com or nsdaylilysociety.com.
JULY 11-21 PEGGY’S COVE
Festival of the Arts Peggy’s Cove has inspired many artists over the years; this festival provides opportunities to tour their studios and view their wonderful works. Information: e-mail contactpcafa@gmail.com or peggyscoveareafestivalofthearts.com.
TI M L’ESPER ANCE
Summer’s wish list See Peggy’s Cove through the eyes of artists at Festival of the Arts, July 11-21.
UNTIL AUGUST 26 CHURCH POINT
Musique de la Baie au Rendez-vous Enjoy Acadian kitchen parties on the outdoor stage, weather permitting, or inside the café at the Rendez-vous de la Baie Cultural and Interpretive Centre, located on the campus of Université Sainte-Anne. Shows are free when you eat at the café; popular choices include seafood chowder and râpure (chicken rappie pie). Mondays, 5-7pm. Reservations recommended. Information: (902) 769-3674.
UNTIL AUGUST 29 PARRSBORO
Walk in Time Enjoy a beach tour—free with admission to the Fundy Geological Museum—to Wasson Bluff or Partridge Island; walk on the ocean floor, view fossils embedded in the cliffs and collect local rocks. Time varies due to tides. Information: (902) 254-3814 or fundygeo@gov.ns.ca.
UNTIL AUGUST 31 INGONISH
Seeing in the Dark Enjoy a transformative experience as you explore the night in a place where it truly gets dark—visitors learn how to use their other
senses while being guided through the woods on a two and a half hour hike. Meet at Warren Lake trailhead, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Monday and Saturday evenings at 8:30pm in July, and 8pm in August. Register at the visitors’ centre or campground kiosk; suitable for ages 12 and older. Information: (902) 2242306 or e-mail cbhnp.info@pc.gc.ca.
UNTIL OCTOBER 15 SHERBROOKE VILLAGE
With these two hands On any given day you can visit the wood turner, blacksmith, potter, printer or have an ambrotype photo taken with a 1905 Agfa camera. See weaving, rug hooking, sewing and quilting; folks making butter, hand cream, candles and soap. Information: 1-888-743-7845 or museum.gov.ns.ca/sv/index.php.
PEI JULY 2-AUGUST 29 SUMMERSIDE
Highland Storm Festival Feel the exhilaration of this high-energy production of Celtic music and dance— involving Island talent—presented outdoors in a covered amphitheatre. Information: 1-877224-7473 or collegeofpiping.com. J U LY | A U G U S T 2 0 1 3
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roots & folks: events potato blossoms blanket the fields. Activities include a farmers’ banquet, horse racing, potato recipe competition, crib tournament, lobster supper, cow bingo, horse pull, car show… and more. Information: (902) 726-3300 or peipotatoblossomfestival.com.
JULY 31-AUGUST 4 TYNE VALLEY
Tyne Valley Oyster Festival Trivia question: how many oysters get shucked at an oyster fest? Answer: 25,000. Enjoy music, oysters and the Canadian Oyster Shucking Championship—a part of the Tyne Valley Oyster Festival since 1972. The winner goes on to represent Canada at the World Oyster Opening Championship in Galway, Ireland. Information: tynevalleyoysterfestival.ca. Who’s the best shucker of them all? Find out at the Tyne Valley Oyster Festival.
JULY 2-SEPTEMBER 1 GEORGETOWN
Kings Playhouse Summer Series This venue has been bringing laughter, music and entertainment to Eastern PEI for more than 120 years—and in the grand theatre tradition, it is rumoured to be haunted. Highlights this year include performer Jimmy Flynn, Tuesday night ceilidhs, and theatre, You Can’t Get There From Here. Information: 1-866-346-5666 or kingsplayhouse.com.
JULY 5-7 CAVENDISH
Cavendish Beach Music Festival What was once a cow pasture in Cavendish is now the home to the largest multi-day outdoor music festival in Atlantic Canada. More than 50,000 visitors flock to this beautiful beach annually for some of the biggest names in country music—Kenny Chesney, Dixie Chicks, Dwight Yoakam. Information: 1-877-569-7767 or cavendishbeachmusic.com.
JULY 15-21 O’LEARY
PEI Potato Blossom Festival This community festival has been taking place annually since 1968 to mark the time when
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NEW BRUNSWICK JULY FLORENCEVILLE-BRISTOL
Artists on the Boardwalk Stroll on the boardwalk on Fridays 7-8 pm when it comes alive with musical entertainment and artisan demonstrations. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the view, overlooking the St. John River. Information: (506) 392-6763 or florencevillebristol.ca.
JULY 26-28 DORCHESTER
Sandpiper Festival Activities include a pancake breakfast, live entertainment, Victorian tea, art exhibition, rubber-duck race, craft and bake sale and sandpiper children’s carnival. If birdwatching is your thing, don’t miss the opportunity to watch flocks of semi-palmated sandpipers in action at nearby Johnson’s Mills. Ranging in groups of 10 to flocks of 125,000, these tiny birds perform aerial displays that attract visitors from around the world. Information: (506) 379-3030 or dorchester.ca.
AUGUST 3 JOHNVILLE
Annual Johnville Picnic Kick up your heels at this church picnic, running annually for more than 130 years. Enjoy a variety of games and a children’s parade; browse the booths of handmade crafts and food
items. An evening smorgasbord of homemade delights awaits at the church hall, then dancing under the stars, ending with a firework display. Information: (506) 278-5509 or e-mail picnicinfo@gmail.com.
AUGUST 3-10 ST. STEPHEN
Chocolate Fest Activities at this 29th annual event include chocolate-themed suppers, the chocolate chip cookie-decorating contest and candy treasure hunts; also enjoy delicious evenings with “choctails” or wine and chocolate tasting, and create your own hand-crafted chocolates. In 2000, St. Stephen was officially registered as “Canada’s Chocolate Town” acknowledging the legacy of Ganong Bros. Limited, Canada’s oldest family-owned candy company. Information: (506) 465-5616 or chocolate-fest.ca.
NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR JULY 5-AUGUST 31 ST. JOHN’S
Ghosts of Signal Hill Daring escapes, buried treasure, tragic drownings, and headless phantoms: it is all in a night’s work at Signal Hill National Historic Site. Enjoy ghost stories and tales of strange adventures by lamplight inside the historic
Queen’s Battery Fridays and Saturdays, 8pm. Information: hauntedhike.com or e-mail info@ hauntedhike.com.
JULY 14-21 ELLISTON
Annual Bird Island Puffin Festival An eight-day event featuring live local entertainment and traditional meals, a beach barbecue, motorcade and hike. Information: (709) 468-7080 or townofelliston.ca.
AUGUST 3 BONAVISTA
Stargazing at the Cape Long before lighthouses and other navigational aids, mariners relied on stars. Learn to read the night sky with The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Cape Bonavista Lighthouse. (Date is weather dependent.) Information: (709) 7290592 or seethesites.
AUGUST 9-11 FORTEAU
Bakeapple Folk Festival One of the most famous berries in the Big Land is the bakeapple, popular in jellies and pies. Highlights of this fest include concerts, square dance demonstrations, games, crafts—and food. Information: (709) 931-2097 or e-mail dnkflynn@hotmail.com.
AUGUST 23-25 HANT’S HARBOUR
Annual Crab Festival Come, enjoy a traditional Newfoundland meal, dinner theatre, local live entertainment, sports events and games of chance. Held at the Sports Complex. Information: (709) 586-2741.
UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15 COW HEAD
Gros Morne Theatre Festival This assortment of drama, dinner theatre and “Newfoundland times” includes The Belle of Bonavista Bay, a warm and lively play with plenty of twists and turns and Newfoundland Vinyl—the Flip Side, musical evening of song and comedy. Information: 1-877-243-2899 or theatrenewfoundland.com. Note: Dates and other event details are subject to change; it’s advisable to call before you head out. Bakeapples, which grow wild in Newfoundland and Labrador tundra and peat bog habitats, take centre stage in Forteau, August 9-11.
Write to us. Is there an event in your community you’d like readers to know about? Send your info to events@saltscapes.com.
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roots & folks: genealogy
Disappearing acts Mindless vandalism, in whatever form, can permanently remove historical threads by Terry Punch
IN HIS PLAY Othello, Shakespeare has Iago speak the lines, “Who steals my purse steals trash; ‘tis something, nothing; ’twas mine, ‘tis his, and has been slave to thousands; but he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him, and makes me poor indeed.” The lines went through my mind as I listened to yet another family historian lamenting the disappearance of an important source of information that had survived for 150 years and had vanished inside the past year or two. When I first embarked on researching origins of the “Foreign Protestant” families of Lunenburg, NS, there was a fine collection of notes created by Canon Edward A. Harris concerning most of the early settlers in that county. Over several months I witnessed the attrition of the series as a party unknown removed pages. The kindest interpretation would be that the thief had a personal interest in the families in question. A less charitable view is that destruction or concealing information was the motive. If a library, museum or archives possesses, let’s say, a portrait of someone from the past, it may turn out to be the likeness of one of your ancestors or mine. It is possible nowadays to arrange to have a good copy made. Appropriating it on the selfish excuse that it is your forbear is to rob everyone else of seeing that portrait. After all, the subject of the picture is likely the ancestor of more people than
only the party who steals it. Unless the portrait was painted by a celebrated painter such as Gilbert Stuart or Robert Field, it is unlikely to be worth risking jail time for taking it. The resale value is not going to be that much. Yet, by removing it, the thief will have made everyone else a little poorer, which includes other relatives, researchers, all who share our heritage. It is worse than a simple theft; it is the loss of something unique and interesting. The same sort of mindless vandalism, perhaps attributable to the boredom of people incapable of finding anything better to do, may lie behind the activity of those who wreck cemeteries. A private burial place on Jeff Ross Road in Brule, NS, was struck by such oafs earlier this year. It is not the first instance of disrespect for the dead and their families. It will not be the last. As a genealogical historian I am well aware that headstones are often the sole record of the passing of an individual. Many a stone provides the only means of sorting out the relationships within some families. Destroy the stone and you cut off researchers from what may be an important clue, possibly all that enables them to trace a family any further. This is not just an issue for genealogists and historians, but for everyone in the community. Even if you aren’t all that interested in your family tree, you would not appreciate someone destroying your grandmother’s grave.
A burying place is a memorial to the departed. Moreover, headstones are not cheap. There are many groups across our region who devote hundreds of hours of their time to doing unpaid work to discover and preserve our heritage. Some of us already benefit from this labour of love. One day perhaps your children or mine will become interested in their past or that of their community. Let’s keep an eye on our records and our burying places to head off more destruction and theft. We can’t put a police officer behind every tombstone, but each of us can be a bit more vigilant. Sometimes the risk of being seen is enough to deter wouldbe pilferers and vandals. We Atlantic Canadians have a considerable store of history crowded into a relatively small area. I believe that most of us take a certain degree of pride in our sense of being well rooted here. Those with light fingers in repositories, or with time to kill mindlessly in cemeteries, might consider turning their attention elsewhere, perhaps even to doing something useful or honest. And Iago again: “Good name in man and woman, dear my lord, is the immediate jewel of their souls.” I believe usefulness and honesty are still qualities we respect in a good name. Dr. Terrence M. Punch is a member of the Order of Canada. His most recent book, North America’s Maritime Funnel: The Irish and the Ships that Brought them, 1749-1852, is published by the Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore.
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L AUR I ENA CL EM ENTS
roots & folks: well worth the drive
The enduring twilight charm of waiting to watch a movie under the stars at Brackley Drive-In.
Summer love sensation Looking for a little retro fun? Take in a drive-in movie—who cares what’s playing? by Nicholas Oakes
IT’S A SUMMERY Saturday evening on the Island, and the crickets are chirping in the crisp North Shore air. A group of up to 350 vehicles—ranging from cars, vans and pick-up trucks—has gathered on a sloping property for a double bill of movies at the Brackley Drive-In, in Brackley Beach. People of all ages wait patiently in their cars for dusk to take over the evening sky and finally, as the silence of the night sets in, the five-storey-high screen lights up. It’s show time. You set your radio to 99.1FM for the sound, but there are also concert speakers outside, so you have the option of sitting outside to watch the movie, mosquitoes or black flies notwithstanding. Between shows, you can enjoy the 1960s-style cartoons (which feature a dancing hotdog), chat with folks while waiting in the canteen lineup to get some hot food, popcorn or a drink, or check out the 1950s theme of the building and the rest of the grounds, with their neon lights and antique cars. Bob Boyle, owner of the Brackley Drive-In, says the 1950s theme was envisioned by his father, who wanted
the property to be a throwback to a time when drive-in theatres were an iconic slice of 50s Americana. “Everyone thought Dad was crazy for buying a drive-in,” Boyle said. “It just didn’t seem to be a viable business plan.” The first drive-in theatre was opened 80 years ago, in June 1933, by autoparts salesman Richard Hollingsworth Jr. of Camden, New Jersey, who started experimenting with the idea in his own yard by putting together a make-shift screen on a tree and seeing where he could position cars. They became a novelty. Mom and Pop didn’t have to dress up to go out; the kids could wear their pyjamas (and be carried into bed afterwards if necessary). Teenagers could do what teenagers do. People could smoke. This wasn’t about highbrow culture: it was an affordable escape in the form of a horror, sci fi or family flick—usually a B movie. In some cases you might have a hot dog from the canteen or a picnic from home with your neighbours, so it was a community event, especially for the regulars. If it was raining, it added that much more ambience to the space
alien movie plot. Edward MacDonald, who teaches Island history at the University of Prince Edward Island, says he saw his first movie at Kingsway Drive-In in Pooles Corner, PEI, while growing up. It was the 1969 production The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. His older sister and her boyfriend took the then 11-year-old to the show for a treat. Later, in his teen years, he would go with friends. He remembers the drive-in as an exciting place. “My father had a truck and there were nine kids, so we never got dragged around very far,” MacDonald says. “There was a certain romance about the drive in. You could make as much noise as you wanted in your own car and not bother anyone.” MacDonald says that part of why drive-ins were popular in Atlantic Canada was because everyone knew everyone. “A lot of people would take the long route on the way back from the canteen to see who was there and who was on a date with who,” he says. “Generally you’d see the families parked up close,
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and the young people and the people on dates parked towards the back.� But for all their charms, drive-ins declined for several reasons. Some say the price of land was a factor, in that the theatres would crop up in fields on the outskirts of town, and then the town would grow. Another factor was that they were often mom and pop businesses that the kids did not want to take on. Bob Boyle says community drive ins began to decline when VCRs started to become popular, in the 70s. A change in attitudes about transportation also contributed to their decline. “Charlottetown wasn’t really that far physically but psychologically it was very far away,� says Edward MacDonald. “You wouldn’t have considered driving 45 minutes to Charlottetown to have fun.� Now, the traffic is reversed: with Brackley being the only drive-in left
L AUR I ENA CL EM ENTS
roots & folks: well worth the drive
“The experience is unique... there’s a nostalgia factor,� says Brackley Drive-In owner, Bob Boyle, adding that he loves seeing three generations there to watch a movie together.
operating on the Island, a stream of cars makes the 20-minute trek from Charlottetown to its rural home. “There was a resurgence in interest in drive-ins in 1995 or so, when they hit classic car status,� Boyle says. Why does he think his business is busy? “The drive-in experience is unique... there’s a nostalgia factor. Many people feel it’s a community event. You
can sit in your car and turn the volume up and snuggle up with your favourite blanket or pillow. You may get a few looks bringing your own pillow to a movie theatre but here it’s the norm and it’s encouraged.� Of course, the equipment has changed over time. The small, tinny-sounding radios that hung on your window to broadcast the movie switched to AM
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radio in the 1970s, then to the FM signal in the 1990s. In the past year Hollywood started sending their movies in digital format rather than in 35mm film. To adapt, drive-ins have had to buy digital projection systems at a cost of upwards of $120,000. The businesses that could not afford the switch have closed down, but those that funded the new equipment should have no trouble surviving for another 20 years, Boyle says. “It’s a difficult business to be in.” Before the financially straining conversion to digital, Boyle remembers his most trying time operating the drive-in was in 2003, when Hurricane Juan hit the province. He woke up that morning at his home, next to the drive-in property, and noticed he couldn’t see the screen through the trees. He drove over to witness the screen toppled over and broken beyond simple repair. Thankfully, he was able to purchase a replacement from the then-defunct Starlite Drive-In, in Summerside.
Unlike most drive-ins, Brackley operates seven days a week in the summer season. The reason being, Boyle says, is that the local crowd comes out on the weekend, while the Island’s tourist population frequents the property on weekdays. “For many people we’re something different on their trip to PEI,” Boyle says, adding the local fan base adds value to the outing. “I see people come here an hour before the movie starts and play crib or toss around a football.” Wayne Young grew up in western PEI, frequenting the Princess Pat Drive-In in Cascumpec in his teens in the 1970s. “In our part of the country the Princess Pat was pretty well supported,” Young says. He recalls seeing the 1974 film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre there—perhaps a poor choice to show in a rural, isolated area. “That left quite an impression on me,” Young chuckles. “Outdoors on the big screen it was definitely memorable!” Those memorable experiences are now being passed on to new generations, Boyle says.
Where to go? In addition to in Brackley Drive-In, Brackley Beach, PEI, a few drive-Ins dot the landscape throughout Atlantic Canada. In Newfoundland and Labrador, in 2011, Movies In Motion set up its portable screen at venues throughout the province; this year, the inflatable screen has a permanent home at St. John’s Racing and Entertainment Centre harness track, in Goulds. In New Brunswick, there’s Satellite Drive-In, in Saint-Isidore (most screenings are in French); Neptune Drive-In, in Shediac; and Sussex Drive-In, in Sussex (part of Town & Country Campground). In Nova Scotia, there’s Empire Drive-In, Westville (as the name suggests, it’s owned by Empire Theatre, a national theatre chain of movie cinemas); Cape Breton Drive-In, Sydney; and Valley Drive-In, Cambridge (owned and operated by the local Lions Club.)
“They’re making their own nostalgia… I’ve seen it in the 20 years I’ve been here. People came here as kids with their parents, and now they’re grown up and bringing their own children.”
for Nova Scotia’s families!
Build Smart, Renovate Right.® J U LY | A U G U S T 2 0 1 3
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roots & folks: nature
Portrait of an enigma: Little was known about the American eel until the 20th century.
As slippery as an eel? American eels may be misunderstood… but they do get respect by Sean Tibbetts
MY FASCINATION started innocently one summer night when I was in my teens. My dad and I were staying at an old hunting camp in Dean, NS; I had fished all day for trout and got nothing. As dusk descended, my fishing line got tied into knots and as I was tending to my predicament in the dark, with my hooked worm sitting idly on the river bottom, something pulled so hard that my rod bent nearly in half, and then fell limp. Upset at the loss of this potential trophy I forged on and, to my surprise, the resistance was still there. After a delightful struggle, I landed an American eel. I have yet to achieve a better tug-of-war with a fish— the hook was virtually bent straight. No other fish so common in Eastern Canadian waters inspires such a range of emotional reactions. Eels may be reviled, as some kind of slimy creature 20
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from the deep, or revered, as God-like. Kerry Prosper, community research coordinator for the Social Research for Sustainable Fisheries group at St. Francis Xavier University, in Antigonish, NS, and member of the Paq’tnkek community, says, “the First Nations people of Atlantic Canada have an important cultural relationship with American eel, and consider it a spiritual being.” (See “Mi’kmaq Practice,” page 22.) Indeed, eels have been an important resource for communities along the eastern seaboard for centuries. James Prosek, author of Eels: An Exploration, from New Zealand to the Sargasso, of the World’s Most Mysterious Fish, describes the first meeting of native North Americans with European pilgrims and says that, rather than turkey and cranberry sauce “it’s likely that this food
item (eel) was on the table of that very first Thanksgiving dinner.” The American eel (Anguilla rostrata) is one of 18 Anguillid species throughout the world and is in the class Osteichthyes, which means fish with a bony skeleton. Outside their elongated, snake-like appearance, eels are not that different from common fish like trout, salmon, bass, tuna and mackerel.
Fascinating life cycle American eels are catadromous, meaning they’re born in saltwater; they complete most of their lives in fresh/brackish water rivers and lakes, then return to the sea to spawn. This is the opposite of the better-known anadromous Atlantic salmon, which hatch in freshwater, live their lives at sea and return to freshwater to spawn, but similar to the anadromous Pacific
salmon in that American eels are also thought to die after spawning. The spawning of American eels has never been witnessed, despite more than a century of attempts—and indeed little was known about them until the early 20th century. However while newly hatched eels arrive at continental rivers from their spawning grounds, no adults have been seen returning with them. So it’s assumed that they too must die after spawning. These fish start life in the Sargasso Sea, in the Atlantic Ocean, off the east coast of Florida and south of Bermuda, and migrate along the east coast of North America. In Canada, they’re found in most freshwater rivers and estuaries that are accessible from the Atlantic Ocean, extending west to the Great Lakes and north to Newfoundland and Labrador. Some eels have been introduced in other parts of Canada—the Saskatchewan River, for example—for recreational fishing. Once eels mature, ranging from six to 12 years, from August to December they leave their rivers and estuaries
and undergo a fantastic migration back to the Sargasso Sea to spawn. They may follow a path of increasing water temperature and salinity, which are higher there in winter than any other place in the Atlantic Ocean. Once there, they locate a mate via pheromone detection, and spawn. It’s thought that females produce two to 20 million eggs each. Eggs hatch into transparent, willow-leaf shape larvae, called leptocephali, which drift in ocean currents for a year before reaching the Grand Banks, when they metamorphosize into second-stage larvae, beginning to resemble the shape of the adults. They are completely transparent, except for their black eyes, and thus known as glass eels. Their migration to fresh water rivers and estuaries is guided by olfactory cues— they swim towards food, as well as other eels. During this time a greyish-black pigment begins to appear, and they are now known as elvers. For two to three years, the elvers continue their upstream migration and become fully
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Other Events this summer include:
The life cycle of American eels: eggs, leptocephali, glass eels, elvers, yellow eels and silver eels. They are born in the Sargasso Sea, then migrate along the east coast of North America, living most of their lives in fresh water rivers and estuaries. Mature silver eels then return back to the Sargasso Sea to spawn.
June 29 July 20 &21 August 3 & 4 August 10 August 24
Canada Day Celebrations The Tattoo Quick and Dirty Boatbuilding A Man’s Work is Never Done The Blueberry Festival
www.creamerysquare.ca J U LY | A U G U S T 2 0 1 3
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pigmented with a colour that appears yellowish-green on the dorsal side—and thus are known as yellow eels. These eels are opportunistic carnivores that forage, mostly at night, for dead or dying insects, but also hunt and prey on organisms such as crustaceans, clams, worms, small fish, frogs and dead animal material. When eels encounter large, usually dead, prey, they use rotational feeding to tear off portions of flesh; by twisting their bodies and spinning to generate shear force they remove pieces of food much the same as a crocodile does. Sexually mature eels, known as silver eels, typically weigh approximately 150 g (0.3 lb) for males and 500 g (1.1 lb) for females, although much larger eels (more than 4 kg) have been caught in Atlantic Canada. The dramatic difference in adult body size between males and females is called “sexual dimorphism,” and is common in many fish species. At this final stage of development, mature eels begin downstream migration to salt water and subsequently to the Sargasso Sea to spawn, fuelled primarily by high body fat reserves.
Declining stocks Unfortunately, like many fish populations, wild eel stocks are in sharp decline. According to David Cone, biology professor at Saint Mary’s University, in Halifax, the greatest threat to populations in Atlantic Canada currently is the invasive gas bladder parasite (Anguillicoloides crassus), thought to have been introduced through importation of infected Japanese eels for aquaculture in North America. Dr. Cone explains that this infection reduces the success of eels making the long migration back to the sea to spawn, subsequently diminishing the growth of wild populations. “If we lose eels, we lose significant integrity of our local aquatic ecosystems and all of the cultural benefits they provide,” he says. There are economic benefits as well.
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roots & folks: nature
The largest eel fishery in Canada is along the St. Lawrence River, where silver eels are harvested; fisheries exist in Atlantic Canada for yellow eels. Mature eels are typically sold live, smoked or frozen to small niche markets in North America or exported to Western Europe, where consumer demand is high for smoked, jellied or marinated eels. Some are exported to Asia, where they are generally processed into kabayaki (grilled eel). Glass eels and elvers are primarily shipped to Asia and Europe, and mixed with other species as seedstock
Mi’kmaq practice Indigenous peoples of Maritime Canada are said to have fished for American eels, or ka’t, for more than 4,000 years. In fact, petroglyphs found in caverns at Nova Scotia’s Kejimkujik National Park depict the water creature Jipijka’maq, which bears remarkable resemblance to the American eel. It’s highly valued as a food, for its medicinal properties, and its spiritual symbolism. As a food source, ka’t may be stewed, baked, smoked or preserved. Ka’t skin, kadaagel, is typically removed, then dried; the fibres tighten, which allowed the Mi’kmaq to use it for many purposes, from harpoon bindings to hair orna-
Feeding time. Farmed eels are typically slated for European and Asian markets.
for eel aquaculture. American eels are also farmed in Atlantic Canada, with one farm in each of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland. This chance encounter with an eel some three decades ago sparked a lifelong wonder and fascination that led me to a career studying fish biology, and a graduate thesis specifically on aquaculture and the nutrition of our local American eel. Although I’m not convinced a cactus is cuddly, I would argue that eels are charming, Dr. Seuss. Gizeh Gizeh
ments. When applied to the body, kadaagel is believed to provide relief from cramps, rheumatism, headaches and lameness. As a sacred object, ka’t was used in Mi’kmaq rituals such as Apuknajit, or Feeding of Grandfather, performed on January 31st each year to thank the spirits for the community’s survival throughout winter. In response to the decline of wild populations and in a nod to traditional Aboriginal knowledge, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) is involving Aboriginals in its assessment and recovery strategies.
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A fork in the road
JOHN SY LVES TER
by Quentin Casey (Part one of a two-part series— are coastal communities at risk?)
Charlie and Connie McGeoghegan on their boat in the Northumberland Strait.
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J O HN SYLVESTER
Is the inshore fishery an unsustainable, EI-subsidized dinosaur —or the vital economic and social lifeblood of coastal communities?
“There is a particular way of life in the Atlantic Provinces: there is a value here, a quality of life, that many places lack. And much of it is associated with the fisheries… ~Former Federal fisheries minister, the late Romeo LeBlanc, from a speech delivered in Halifax on October 22, 1974
O
n a typical workday Mike McGeoghegan will rise from bed at 4:30am and be at the wharf shortly after. He’ll step aboard his 40-foot Cape Islander, Charlie’s Ark, in the morning darkness and flip on the cabin lights. He’ll check the oil and make sure he packed his lunch—“because you don’t want to forget that,” he says. If the wind on the Northumberland Strait is “really blowing” he’ll chat with his fellow fishermen about the day’s forecast. By 5am he’ll untie Charlie’s Ark from the wharf and start motoring out of the harbour that cuts into his home village of Pinette, a hamlet on Prince Edward Island’s southeast coast. If McGeoghegan is lucky, a bit of pre-dawn light will reveal the red clay banks of Point Prim, or even cows grazing in green pastures. “Sometimes early in the morning you’ll see the farmers working their fields,” he says. “Then you get to the Point Prim Lighthouse and you start moving away from land, into the open water.” McGeoghegan (pronounced mic-gay-gan) has been fishing for 35 years. He built Charlie’s Ark from lumber he felled in the nearby woods. And he’s proud to say his five sons are all involved in the fishery in some capacity. (He helped build the boat from which his eldest son, Charlie, the local MLA, fishes for lobster, scallops, crab, herring and mackerel when he’s not
sitting in the provincial legislature.) “Fishing is not a job, it’s a lifestyle,” McGeoghegan says. “It’s like farming. You have to experience it to understand it. It’s something you’re born into. You grow up in it. You can smell it in the air. You can taste it. It’s part of your life.” Yet McGeoghegan, like many of his fellow inshore fishermen in Atlantic Canada, is worried about the future of that way of life. Inshore fishermen’s groups across the region are convinced the federal government will soon significantly alter their $2.8-billion industry—the region’s single largest private-sector employer—as part of a “modernization” effort. At stake, fishermen argue, is nothing less than the survival of Atlantic Canada’s 1,300 coastal communities, many of which depend on the inshore fishery for their economic and social wellbeing. The relationship between inshore fishermen and Ottawa has long been shaky. So it’s perhaps not surprising that the current anxiety expressed by East Coast fishermen stems, in large part, from a discussion document issued by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). The report, “The Future of Canada’s Commercial Fisheries,” was released in early 2012 but has since been removed from DFO’s website. It disappeared at some point after fishermen’s groups from across Atlantic Canada began protesting what they believed were impending—and unwanted—changes to the inshore fishery, which is comprised of more than 10,000 licence holders plus crew members. The 31-page report discussed a number of topics, including bycatch regulations, threats to sensitive benthic areas, and the
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Bas-Saint-Laurent
© P. Canali
A MARITIME REGION OF QUÉBEC TO DISCOVER
Bic National Park
Culinary delights
Lac-Témiscouata National Park (opening June 2013)
© S. Jutras
© M. Loiselle/Sépaq
© M. Loiselle
© É. St-Pierre
Île Verte Lighthouse
Lodging for every taste
Bas-Saint-Laurent is a rich blend of coastal, rural and forest scenery. The influence of the sea and land can be felt throughout this region, both in the architecture of the houses and on the menus of the region’s many fine restaurants. Opening in 2013, Lac-Témiscouata National Park will give you the opportunity to discover exceptional natural attractions, including the largest and most majestic lake in the region and several archeological sites.
For road trip and getaway ideas, visit
quebecmaritime.ca/GoToBSL
J O HN SYLVESTER
Mike McGeoghegan on his son’s boat near the Pinette wharf.
depletion of fish stocks. But it wasn’t the actual contents of the report that rattled fishermen; they were more concerned by what the report lacked: specifically, any mention of the owneroperator and fleet separation policies, two key rules that help regulate Atlantic Canada’s inshore fishery. Put in place in the late 1970s by much-admired longtime Liberal fisheries minister, and New Brunswick MP, Romeo LeBlanc, the two policies are unique to Atlantic Canada and thus differentiate the East Coast inshore fishery from its West Coast counterpart. The owner-operator policy stipulates that the holder of a fishing licence must actually be in the boat doing the fishing. The fleet separation policy, meanwhile, restricts corporate ownership of fishing licences. The goal of the two policies is to maintain the independence of the inshore fleet by prohibiting the corporate consolidation of licences, and by keeping licence ownership out of the hands of processing companies. “Those who work in the fishery should enjoy the wealth of the resource. Not someone sitting in a condo in Florida,” said then-fisheries minister Loyola Hearn in 2007. Many fishermen’s groups assumed that the complete absence of the two policies in the DFO document signaled their likely death. They predicted independent fishermen would disappear in the wake of big corporate boats; with local captains and crews out of work, coastal communities would crumble. Earle McCurdy, president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union, was among those sounding the alarm. The FFAW is the largest private sector union in Newfoundland and Labrador, representing 15,000 workers, most of them in the fishery, from captains to processing plant workers.
McCurdy outlined his concerns in the summer 2012 edition of his group’s magazine, The Union Forum. The headline of his President’s Message cut to the point: “‘Modernization’ agenda spells danger for coastal communities.” McCurdy warned that elimination of the owner-operator and fleet separation policies would transform the East Coast fishery into its ugly British Columbian cousin. “There is nothing modern about the situation in British Columbia,” he wrote. “Anyone can buy and sell licences and quotas and lease them at exorbitant rates to the people who actually own and operate fishing boats and catch the fish. The inevitable result of this kind of system is that the people who actually catch the fish get the short end of the stick: every time.” Wrong-headed policy changes, he added, could also recreate conditions found in New Zealand, where deregulation has made fishing licences and quotas “tradable commodities.” “Over time, the fish became consolidated in few and fewer hands. The people with the deepest pockets bid the highest for the quotas,” he wrote. “The connection between the fishery resources and the adjacent coastal communities was severed.” According to McCurdy, one of the two authors of the DFO report worked for a time with the New Zealand fisheries department; he also claimed the authors are “both known for their pro-privatization, anti-fleet separation views.” “The agenda of the DFO Ottawa bureaucracy would be the beginning of the end of the link between the fishery resources and the coastal communities. At least the old resettlement program made its objectives clear,” he concluded. “Fish harvesters, plant workers and coastal communities are in real danger
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FFAW President Earle McCurdy addresses delegates at a convention in Gander, November 2012.
if the deregulation agenda is implemented. After that, it will be too late.” Inshore fishermen’s groups across the region echoed McCurdy’s concerns. A coalition of organizations formed, all united in their opposition to industry deregulation. In addition, many fishermen complained of a lack of government consultation. The uproar eventually forced DFO Minister Keith Ashfield to release a statement stressing the Harper government’s “commitment to Canada’s traditional fisheries.” “Let me be absolutely clear: the fleet separation and owner operator policies in Atlantic Canada will remain intact,” Ashfield noted in his September 21 statement, adding that he was “angered” by claims to the contrary. Still, the New Brunswick MP reiterated that changes are needed. “I believe there are ways to make the fishery function better while preserving the fleet separation and owner-operator policies so that the traditional fishery remains and is improved for future generations,” he continued. (Despite requests, Ashfield was not made available to discuss the government’s plans for the inshore fishery.) Did the minister’s comments ease tensions? To an extent. Yet the fact remains that Ottawa is discussing a “modernization of fisheries management.” But what does that actually involve, and how will it impact the coastal communities that rely on the inshore fishery for their economic survival and social heritage? Earle McCurdy is unsure. “We’re all in favour of change if it’s done for constructive reasons, and in ways designed to improve incomes, and stabilize fishing enterprises and coastal communities,” he said in an interview. “But not if it’s designed to privatize a public resource and put it on Bay Street to be wheeled and dealed.” The problem is that one person’s definition of “modernization” is another person’s term for destruction. “There’s nothing modern about feudalism, which is what some people have in mind by the so-called modernization agenda,” McCurdy says, pledging that fishermen’s groups will remain “vigilant” in their monitoring of DFO policy changes. “We just wonder how many times we have to prevail on this debate before they stop going back to square one.” “We need to think beyond catching the maximum number of cod per hour per man. When fish are counted, it’s people that count. Any project or plan in the fisheries has really one basic criterion of judgment: does it improve life?” ~Romeo LeBlanc 28
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Charlie McGeoghegan talks to local fishermen in the Northumberland Strait.
Tony Charles, a fisheries researcher at Saint Mary’s University, in Halifax, also believes there’s good reason to remain vigilant. He says the DFO’s report calls for change and modernization while offering “off-the-mark” concerns about the current setup. The report, he adds, also does not make clear what form changes should take. Charles points at references to “stable sharing arrangements” and “stability in allocations.” He worries the government might be “misguidedly” mulling the introduction of quotas into the lobster fishery. Such a move would allow quotas to be transferred and stockpiled, thus centralizing the now “competitive and prosperous” lobster fishery. A professor in the schools of business and environment, Charles has seen first-hand the result of a consolidated fishery. Ten years ago he travelled to the West Coast with a group of East Coast fishermen. They saw fishing boats half sunk in BC harbours, abandoned because the owners sold their fishing licences. Licences and quotas were consolidated into “very few hands,” he reports. The result: some coastal communities were completely removed from the fishery. Charles argues that DFO’s talk of “efficiency” is possibly code for “centralizing the fishery” on the East Coast. “It’s hard to tell what the future could hold. There’s nothing in the report that would go against the possibility [of ending] up with just one fishing company, with a bunch of hired hands and few big boats,” he says. “There’s nothing in the report that celebrates the diverse and decentralized nature of our fishery. There’s nothing that celebrates the idea that the fishery is the backbone of hundreds of communities.” The problem, as Charles sees it, is that DFO is not mandated to look out for coastal communities. Thus little consideration is given to the fishery spinoffs that help coastal communities survive, including fish processing and tourism. From Peggy’s Cove to Grand Manan Island to Battle Harbour, East Coast tourism relies heavily on scenic harbours, fishing communities and Cape Islanders tied up at local wharves. “To some extent the fishery is not only the backbone of coastal communities, but also the backbone of the tourism sector,” Charles says. A consolidated fishery could mean fewer coastal residents, thus fewer coastal communities, fewer fishing boats—and perhaps fewer tourists. “They’ll never say precisely that they want to privatize or centralize the fishery. They won’t say they want to destroy coastal communities across Atlantic Canada; not surprisingly they’re not going to say that,” Charles adds. “But that may well be one of the implications of their policy.
Our famous breakfast buffet is now FREE with your room. • Complimentary Wi-Fi • 178 Elegant Guest Rooms & Suites • 108’ Waterslide and Pool • Family Dining • Complimentary Parking • Only 5 Minutes to Mic Mac Mall! • Close to Dartmouth Crossing
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Cool blues
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New Brunswick’s copious coastlines and riverbanks, secluded beaches and isolated isles, lure folk away from the fray
by Philip Lee photography: Ron Garnett, Airscapes
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ere in my lazy river town, Fredericton, the New Brunswick summer tackles us with an intoxicating rush of soft air and heat. During the decades that I’ve been clinging stubbornly to this underrated rectangle of East Coast real estate, I’ve decided I prefer to stay close to home when summer comes. There’s not a day to waste. Those of us who have been here long enough to know this spend as many summer days as possible beside bodies of water. The Bay of Fundy coast is for beachcombing. Along a rough and rocky shoreline the miraculous tides expose the mysteries of the ocean floor twice a day, and the water is so cold it makes our ankles ache. The Northumberland coast is for beach flopping and lobster feasting. The trapped heat of the Gulf Stream sweeps across shallow sand flats to create the warmest seas north of the Carolinas. Impossibly uninhabited white sand beaches stretch from Cap-Pelé north to Kouchibouquac National Park. One
The St. John River downstream from Fredericton, near Oromocto.
From top: Kouchibouguac National Park; New River Beach Provincial Park.
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summer, my wife and I paddled our canoe from a fisherman’s wharf out to a seven-kilometre long sand dune, pitched a tent and for two glorious days we splashed in the sea, barbecued, and had a staring contest with a herd of curious seals. Those of us who live inland crave contact with the sea in summer. Yet we know that rivers define our province. If I had three lifetimes I could never comprehensively explore the big three. The mighty St. John River, one of the great rivers of eastern North America, runs north to south, from Maine to the Bay of Fundy. My house is a block from the St. John. In the summer I launch my canoe, start my outboard and disappear into the channels between the interval islands, and though I’m minutes from the city I feel as though I’ve dropped off the map into a secret wilderness garden beneath towering oaks, silver maple and butternut trees. From Fredericton all the way down to the sea we find the crumbling remnants of steamboat wharfs, from the days when the paddle wheels churned through the channels. The Miramichi River and its tributaries sprawl across the centre of the province west to east, an entirely different topography of peat-stained rapids, pools and gravel bars, shaded by spruce stands and alder thickets. I mention its tributaries because the Miramichi must always be subdivided into its constituent parts so locals know where you’ve been when you say you’ve been on the river: the Main Southwest, the North Branch of the Main Southwest, the Northwest, the Little Southwest, the Cains, the Renous, the Dungarvon, the Sevogle. Each of these has its own culture, its own rhythms and sounds. David Adams Richards, New Brunswick’s greatest writer and a man of the Sevogle, writes that his river babbles
“...river babbles like all the musical instruments of the world�
Musquash River.
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From top: Heron Island; Newcastle.
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like all the musical instruments of the world. Then there is the Restigouche in the north, running along the border with Quebec, dropping down through the ancient remnants of the Appalachian Mountains, funneling into the Baie des Chaleurs that Jacques Cartier named and mistook for a western passage to Asia in 1534. Every summer I try to make a trip to the north. I recall one summer evening in particular. I won’t tell you exactly where I was because I’ve made firm promises in that regard. I can tell you that we were on a hard bend in the Restigouche, where my friend Butch Dalton had anchored the canoe on the stone beach and we were wading and casting fly lines. The last rays of the setting sun illuminated the high cliffs opposite the beach and a storm was drifting down the valley toward us. We could hear the rain on the water before we felt it and the sweetness of summer was strong in the air. Then the storm turned the corner and we were engulfed. About the time the rain fell, we began to hook big, silver Atlantic salmon that exploded into the half light of the evening sky and strained our backs. Butch and I took turns, one fish, then another. After a time, he turned to me and said, “You know, we’ll be talking about this night for the rest of our lives.” I replied: “Yes, my friend, we will. We will.”
yamaha-motor.ca
NEWSFLASH! Rural community has growing population Quality of life attracts quality people who create a quality community: Is Tatamagouche NS the model for our ailing rural towns and villages? by Sandra Phinney photography: John Sylvester
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t this stage in our history when many small rural communities have lost their identity or raison d’être—or have become virtual ghost towns due to massive waves of out-migration, Tatamagouche, NS, is bucking the trend. In 2006, the population of this village (located in Colchester County) was 689; yet five years later, in 2011, it was 752—a 9.1 per cent increase, practically unheard of in rural Atlantic Canada. Although fate often plays a role in the growth or demise of a community, the eclectic gaggle of citizens who live in Tatamagouche (some of whom affectionately refer to the village as “Tata,”) have bucked the trend and stayed afloat, sailing through thick and thin. To wit: in 1950 and again in 1953, the village business district had two major fires, yet everyone rallied; the village became stronger than ever. In 1992, when Scotsburn Dairy Group closed its creamery operation and the buildings were on the chopping block, local organizations got together, formed the Creamery Square Society, and saved the buildings. In 2006 Tatamagouche’s long-established farmers’ market moved into the new market facility at Creamery Square. In 2009 the Heritage Centre opened. This year, a 160-seat centre for the arts is under construction. Close by stands the old grain elevator. In 2005 it, too, was destined to be demolished. Enter James (Jimmie) LeFresne and Richard Duggan, who bought the place. Shortly after, Richard and his wife, Sara, cleaned it up, and started a business, which includes unique gift shops and a biweekly
Clockwise from left: Cammie Harbottle and son, Keir, on Waldegrave Farm; Tatamagouche’s sleepy facade belies a thriving, active community; Jimmie LaFresne, owner of the Train Station Inn.
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“I’ve always said that the future lies in our past” coffee house called “Against the Grain.” Richard’s also been a die-hard fan of horror flicks since he was shorter than an axe. In fall 2010, while browsing through Gunnar Hansen’s website (Gunnar portrayed “Leatherface” in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Richard discovered that the film star would be making an appearance in Ellsworth, Maine. In lickety-split time he booked tickets. While there, he met Gunnar face to face and popped the question: would the famous actor be interested in making an appearance in Tatamagouche, NS? “I’d be delighted to,” was the reply. That’s how the Summer Fear festival started. The second season, last year, was a blockbuster featuring the world’s most prolific cinematic killer, Kane Hodder, a.k.a. “Jason” of Friday the 13th fame. Although horror movies may not be everyone’s cup of tea, the community fully supports the festival and gets caught up with the buzz. Jimmie LeFresne grins when asked about the progressive nature of the community. The former council member and long-time owner of the Train Station Inn, explains: “In the past people said we needed big industry—smoke stacks and call centres. It didn’t happen; that’s a good thing. If you have big company and it closes down, you lose a lot of jobs. I’ve always said that the future lies in our past. “In Tatamagouche, people have taken initiative to get things going.” Jimmie credits the community’s growth, in part, because of its diversity. “In the 60s, teachers moved here from India; Germans came in the 70s; Mennonites in the 80s, Buddhists in the 90s. Tatamagouche is a real melting pot. For example, people like Av Singh and his wife Karen Shepard started Christmas at the Creamery a few years ago. The community now feeds more than 400 people on Christmas Day. Everyone gets involved! We also have the biggest Oktoberfest east of Kitchener and West of Munich!” The wiry and excitable 57-year-old adds that in the mid 1900s, affluent professionals from larger centres like Halifax, Truro and Amherst built cottages on the outskirts of the village. “Many came back to retire, like former Halifax area restaurateurs John O’Hearn (Your Father’s Moustache) and Tom Innes (The Chickenburger). They got involved in the North Colchester River Restoration Association and we now have a $250,000 fish ladder at The Falls.” John O’Hearn is quick to point out that although the pair serve on the committee, others deserve the credit. “The main driving force to have The Falls’ ladder installed was Allan Bonnyman, a past chairman of this committee and Charlie MacInnis from DFO.” It all started 14 years ago when Maritimes and Northeast Pipelines needed to cross the French and the Waugh rivers. “Our focus then was to protect the river, now it is to improve the spawning habitat for returning salmon and sea run trout; installing the fish ladder opened 12 kilometres of the main 38
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river [Waugh] and countless miles of feeder streams to ideal spawning habitat.” John’s fondness and attachment to the area developed after his parents bought a farm on the outskirts of the village in the late 60s. John and his family frequently visited and eventually built cottages adjacent to the farm property. “Over the years we met and became friends with neighbours in the Brule Shore area and with people in the village of Tatamagouche.” Approaching retirement, he and his wife decided to leave city life behind to move to this region. “I think that Tata’s location plays a role in its growth. It’s located within 30 kilometres of Truro, Pictou and New Glasgow, all with the same shopping and dining opportunities as you might find in Halifax or Moncton,” John adds. “And Tata is a happy town. People are friendly and eager to help.” Hanna Hunziker (also known as Annette) can attest to this. She recalls receiving a letter from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration back in 2005. Slowly, almost reverentially, she opened the envelope. Two words leapt out of the mumbo jumbo: Not accepted. She and her husband, Chuck, would have to leave Canada. “I felt as if we were suckerpunched,” says Hanna. The couple had immigrated to Tatamagouche from the US under the Community Identified stream of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program. They bought a small flower shop and added a bookstore to complement the flower business. The rejection of their application (there had been many) was final and devastating. “At first, we kept quiet. Then we told some friends. They started a petition and it went viral,” Hanna says, shaking her head—still incredulous after all these years that 1,700 people in Tatamagouche and surrounding region cared enough to come to their rescue. Journalists picked up the story and it hit radio waves and newspapers. In February 2007, the Hunzikers finally got the green light to stay. For the past five years they have operated Fables—a cross between a bar, small restaurant, literary club and lounge. Due to an unexpected health concern, Hanna and Chuck closed Fables effective June 1, but are hoping to sell their unique business. Community-driven, Fables has operated under the auspices of the Loquacious Compendium Society. A board of directors is elected from a membership upwards of 400 who pay an annual fee of $50 (half price for seniors). Although Fables has been open to the public, members have always had first dibs and discounts on a variety of programs including film nights, literary events (lectures, book launches) along with music gigs ranging from classical concerts to fiddling, folk, jazz and blues. The Hunzikers never drew a salary, even though they put in mega hours every week. “We did this as a not-for-profit for two reasons. To have something for the community that’s supported by the commu-
nity, and for Chuck and me to give back,” says the 59-year-old. “If it wasn’t for this village, we wouldn’t be here. We’d love to sell it to someone who can carry on the essence of Fables.” One of the things they love about Tatamagouche is how eclectic it is. “People are so different, and this diversity is the fabric that holds the community together,” says Hanna. “It’s like a tapestry. Everything’s interwoven. Mind you we have our differences. After all, a good tapestry has contrasts. But one thread without the other—everything would unravel.” Maggie Wilkinson agrees. She moved here from Halifax with her husband, Desmond Gore, about 13 years ago. “We were visiting friends here and just fell in love with Tata. So we quit our jobs and moved. Just like that. We didn’t even have a place to stay or jobs.” But with his skills as a carpenter and her experience in the hospitality industry, it didn’t take them long to find work in the region. Now, Maggie owns and operates Green Grass Running Water, a gallery and café named after Thomas King’s novel. Maggie is Mi’kmaq and features works of aboriginal artists in her gallery, including paintings by renowned Mi’kmaq artist, Alan Syliboy. The main thing that strikes her about living in Tatamagouche is how welcoming people are. “I’ve never felt any racism. It’s an honour to be native in this community.” Meanwhile, back at the Train Station Inn, Jimmie is juggling bookings, ordering supplies and hiring staff. He bought the train station in 1974, when he was 18, to save it from the wrecking ball and opened for business in 1989, while his wife, Shelley, continued to work at the Willow Home for Special Care. “She’s always been the stable one—and the one with the paycheque,” he says with a grin. A few years ago, Jimmie was instrumental in getting The Week the Women Went TV series to be filmed in the village. “The wives really wanted to go to the Algonquin Resort,” he says, “so during the producer’s interview of the community at the school, some of the wives got their husbands tipping the bottle. The guys showed up in drag with suitcases. That sealed the deal.” Tatamagouche received $10,000. Wearing his village councilman’s hat, Jimmie got the county to pony up another 10 grand and the province kicked in 10 more. “Then men from this community went out and got another $65,000 in donations,” he adds. The men used the money to build what is now known as Patterson Wharf Park while the women were off being pampered at the Algonquin Resort in New Brunswick. Lawyers, high school kids, backhoe operators—people from all walks of life pitched in to build the park—a testimony to a mindset that crosses class distinctions. Elizabeth Spence lives close by in the old Patterson house, built in 1858. A retired professor with two doctorate degrees (German literature and music), Elizabeth was horrified when a lovely stand of black ash was cut down to make way for the project. “When there’s a rock concert there on Friday nights I blast Beethoven out of the window,” she says. Although Elizabeth knows she can be vociferous about some issues (she refers to herself as “the old cow that lives down by
From top: Richard Duggan, founder of the Summer Fear festival; Chuck and Hanna Hunziker, Fables club.
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the wharf”), she loves Tata. Sure there are personality clashes and flare ups, but Elizabeth says that tolerance usually overrides. “Everyone hated the fact that we went way over budget on our million dollar green library, but everybody paid. We got it done and moved on.” The sign at the entrance of the village says “Tatamagouche; a meeting of the waters.” Elizabeth was told by a native that the name means “the place where there is a sandbar across.” There’s also some folklore regarding the name. Story goes that two men shot the same bird while goose hunting; each piped up saying, “Tat’s my goose.” Although the origin of the name cannot be verified, one thing is certain—per capita, there’s more culture in this village than any major town or city. A driving force in the 20th century was Betty Murray (Anne Murray’s aunt), who started choirs and directed plays, often lassoing citizens to sing and perform. She also brought many famous performers to Tatamagouche including soprano Teresa Stratas and impressionist Rich Little. A cultural icon in her own right, Elizabeth started the Tatamagouche Chamber Ensemble 17 years ago. The group performs at weddings and community events. “We try to cater to what people know, but we also introduce some interesting stuff under the table,” says the feisty baroque aficionado. More recently, Elizabeth started Tata Talks—a monthly series at the library that explores the lives and interests of creative minds in the community. The programs are so popular that the search is on for a larger venue. Pondering the question of why people choose to live in Tatamagouche, she says, “I suppose like-breeds-like. But there must be something more. I emigrated to Vancouver from Wales based on the idea of Canada. Perhaps it’s the idea of Nova Scotia as a place that is at work here, as well as the idea of a corporatefree existence here in Tata.” For certain, people dance to the tune of their own drum and not that of big corporations in pursuit of big bucks. That point hit home during the 2012 Governor General’s Leadership Conference last June when some of Canada’s brightest young leaders from various sectors across Canada met at the Tatamagouche Centre. Questions like “Why do you live in Tatamagouche?” and “How do you manage to defy the odds of survival?” were bantered about. Delegates discovered that people who moved to Tatamagouche based their choice, not on money or even career, but on lifestyle. People here are willing to take risks and to diversify. They also discovered that the real heart of the matter has to do with community—it is what draws active retirees here, brings people back who have moved away, and why some young people are choosing to call Tatamagouche home—like Cammie Harbottle. Cammie grew up in British Columbia, completed an ecological gardening program, then worked on an organic farm From top: Dr. Elizabeth Spence at her home; David Swan charging his electric car at the wind turbine site near town.
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for five years. When she met her partner-to-be, Yuill Herbert, several years ago, he and some friends had already bought 100 acres of farmland on the outskirts of Tatamagouche. Eventually, this morphed into the Tatamagouche Community Land Co-operative (an agricultural land trust). Cammie joined Yuill in Tata in 2008. “Once things got settled, we built a home and I set up my business here, called Waldegrave Farm. I grow about 40 kinds of vegetables on a nine-acre lease from the land trust.” She loves how the community is situated in a country setting, but is so progressive. “We have lots of events, art, and culture here, and Tata is an amazing place to raise children.” The young mother also pitches in to help stage a four-day Tatamagouche Summer Free School that takes place on her farm. The event is touted as ”a radical education space that offers people tools to create a more just, sustainable and joyful world.” The miracle is that this actually happens. And it’s been happening in the broader community for many moons. For example, citizens in Tata now own a wind farm. “About 300 shareholders from all walks of life bought into the concept by buying shares. Even the debt financing was achieved locally,” says David Swan, who initiated the project. Since it began, the community has erected a metrological tower, one 800 kW turbine and two smaller ones. This year, another 800 kW turbine will be installed, meaning much of Tatamagouche’s electricity comes from its own wind field. Another one of David’s special interests is electric cars. Although he was born in Tatamagouche and completed high school there, he eventually studied, lived and worked in various parts of Canada and the US for several years. Returning home in 2003, he established his own engineering business, which includes being a consultant and design engineer to the automotive and battery/fuel cell companies. As he was driving an electric car, the logical next step was to introduce public plug-in charge locations in the village. So he set up and paid the installation for one at the new library, and shared the cost of installing another one at Fables. “People are catching on,” he says. The fact that there’s an extraordinary number of volunteers in Tata hasn’t gone unnoticed. For example, the IOOF Liberty Lodge 120 in Tata just celebrated its 100th year and is growing with new members, while other lodges in NS are closing. “People volunteer because they feel their views, emotions, and ideas have value, and if shared by volunteering, will make the world a better place,” says David. This may explain why there are more than 65 volunteer groups in the region. No wonder this community has a pulse. Folks in Tatamagouche exemplify an old proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” In today’s world, that is really going against the grain. Perhaps it’s really that simple. From top: Creamery Square; John O’Hearn and Tom Innes at the salmon fish ladder, installed on the Waugh River by volunteers.
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Take a Drive:
Ceilidh Trail
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For more information visit www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ns cbreton/activ/activ1/b.aspx#a03
Trail Highlights & Hotspots:
Does your heart crave the sound of bagpipes? Do boisterous kitchen parties stir your blood? Or do scenic ocean views hugged by wooded hills sooth your soul? Take a drive along the Ceilidh Trail, and you may find them all. Your route starts at the Canso Causeway, following Highway 19. Stopping Point: Christy’s Lookoff: Only fifteen minutes from the Causeway, Christy’s Lookoff provides panoramic views of both the Strait of Canso and the overlooking Creignish Hills. From here, hop onto the 92 km long Celtic Shores Coastal Trail and walk or bike this scenic seaside. The nearby villages of Creignish and Judique are famous for their evening entertainment, where a true Cape Breton ceilidh is never far away! Stopping Point: Port Hood: Twenty minutes further along Highway 19, Port Hood is a picturesque seaside village, popular for its five sandy beaches and the warmest ocean waters in Eastern Canada. Stroll along its extensive boardwalk, sheltered by nearby Port Hood Island, a short boat ride away. Stopping Point: Mabou: Continue ten minutes, and you reach Mabou, heart of the Celtic revival. Nestled beneath the imposing bulk of the Mabou Highlands, this tiny community is rich with musicians and artisans. Catch the live music at the Red Shoe Pub and practice your Highland fling! Stopping Point: Inverness: Twenty minutes’ drive from Mabou, on a road hugged by the sloping ridges of the Mabou Highlands, lays the seaside village of Inverness. Home to Glenora Distillery, North America’s first single-malt Whisky, and the Broad Cove Scottish Concert, the largest in Cape Breton, this can be a lively spot. Less than twenty kilometres past Inverness, connecting to the Cabot Trail, the Ceilidh Trail ends. But your adventure continues!
Advertising Feature
Celtic Music Interpretive Centre: The musical hub of the region may be found in Judique, where, in addition to the regular Wednesday evening and Sunday Ceilidhs, there is a School of Fiddling, with daily public demonstrations and weekly workshops – if you want to try to unleash the hidden fiddler in yourself. Their exhibit room chronicles the rich history of Cape Breton music, with interactive displays profiling the region’s prolific musicians and their stories.
Stopping Points GPS Coordinates: • Christy’s Lookoff: N 45° 47.300’ W 61° 28.825’ • Port Hood: N 46° 0.190’ W 61° 31.795’ • Mabou: N 45° 04.180’ W 61° 23.725’ • Inverness: N 46° 13.375’ W 61° 18.580’
Cape Breton Island. Your heart will never leave. WIN a weeklong vacation to Cape Breton! Seven nights’ accommodation and the use of a brand new 2014 Subaru Forester for 7 days.
Contest deadline Oct. 31, 2013 Enter online: send us your favorite Cape Breton driving or vacation photo with a brief description for a chance to win!
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It’s all in the eye‌ The amazing spectacle of two members of two different species working as a collaborative team by Marjorie Simmins
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PERRY JA CKS ON
“If we didn’t have a Border Collie,” says sheep farmer Sarah Nettleton, “we wouldn’t have sheep.” She laughs: “You want to hear the air turn blue around here? Just try handling the sheep without a dog!” Sarah, her husband Paul MacLean, their four sons and her mother, Martha Nettleton, live at Rockloaf Farm, on Isle Madame, Cape Breton. Currently, they have two Border Collies: Gem, eight years old and Ruby, six months old. A third sheepdog, Lucy, is a Maremma, a livestock guardian breed of Italian origin. Coyote predation is a concern for all farmers on Isle Madame and throughout Atlantic Canada. For much of the time man has tended flocks of sheep, dogs have worked to guard, tend and herd them. Among the most popular herding dogs are the Australian Shepherd, Australian Heeler and German Shepherd; among the better-known guardian dogs are the Great Pyrenees and Bouvier des Flandres. But for sheepherding around the world, the Border Collie is
JOHN SY LV ESTE R
he collie moves low and slow across the rough field grass, eyes rivetted on the small flock. Closer and closer she slinks. The sheep skitter nervously back and forth, but the dog only mirrors their movements, and draws closer yet. A heartbeat before the sheep bolt, a woman’s voice rings out: “Lie down!” The dog drops immediately, but her eyes remain pinned on the flock as she tensely waits for the next command. This time, the woman makes a series of whistles. Each new tone causes the dog to move left, right, push ahead, draw back—instantly.
Collies will herd anything—sheep, ducks, children—but the intense concentration never wavers. Opposite and top: at Hilary and Bill Flowers’ farm in Blue Rocks, NS. Above: on the job at Lorna and Bill McMaster’s farm in Pembroke, PEI.
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the legendary number one. Today, wherever there are sheep— from southern Greenland to the Antipodes and around the world, including right here in Atlantic Canada—there are Border Collies. They are used on working farms, and in trials (competitions where handlers direct their dogs to herd sheep through a series of gates and into a pen, using only voice and whistle commands). They also shine at dog sports such as rally obedience, agility and flyball. For this extremely intelligent breed, work is play—and nothing keeps them happier than their job. Right now, the job for the Nettletons’ young Border Collie, Ruby, is to watch and learn—from Sarah and from Martha (who was raised in Scotland where the Border Collie is most iconic). “My mother’s knowledge is my greatest resource,” says Sarah. And Gem sets a great example. “When Gem is ‘on,’ it is beautiful to watch,” says Sarah. “It’s great to work as a partner with her.” Amanda Milliken, five-time Canadian National Sheepdog Trial Champion and one-time US National champion, knows a lot about partnerships with herding dogs. She runs her sheep farm in Kingston, Ont, with help from three of her Border Collies: Roz, a current Canadian champion (her mother, Ethel, was a two-time Canadian champion); a young male, Monte; and a young bitch, Dorey, the 2011 US National Nursery Champion. Milliken also founded the Canadian Border Collie Association (CBCA), the only registry for purebred Border Collies in Canada. “We founded this under duress in 1995. Either that, or the breed would go to the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC)— which we considered a serious retrograde step,” says Milliken. CKC-registered dogs must “conform” to individual breed standards, primarily for body structure and overall appearance—but for working Border Collies, the aims are reversed. “Border Collies are bred for their work, not for looks,” says Milliken, now a director at CBCA. “Those work traits are very inheritable—as much as eye colour or coat texture and colour.” But not all Border Collies work on farms. More and more people are choosing the attractive dog, commonly black and white, for a pet. Milliken recommends caution.
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Lorna McMaster, shown far left, refers to her Border Collies as both companions and working partners. “The dogs love the job—and the relationship with the humans.”
“It depends. It can work—if you can accept an obsessivecompulsive coming into your life. Some people are suited to them. If you can manage their intelligence, people who have them as pets love them.” Management might include dog sports, strenuous exercise, Frisbee, search and rescue and, of course, trialling and farm work. In Branch, St. Mary’s Bay, NL, is just such a working farm. Windy Meadows Kennels is owned and operated by Tom and Ernestine Power and family. The Powers breed Australian Shepherds, Havanese, Shetland Sheepdogs (Shelties) and Golden Retrievers—but their first love is their Border Collies. “I always wanted to raise sheep,” says Power, who was raised in Newfoundland in a family of 11 children. After some years in Toronto, Power, his wife and their daughters returned to Newfoundland in the 1970s, bought their 100-plus acre-farm and set out to be “old-fashioned farmers.” In their heyday, the Powers had 400 sheep—and a string of Border Collies. “We fell in love with the breed,” says Power. “All dogs are beautiful, but the Border Collie is the best worker, the easiest to train. It amazes me how intelligent they are.” He adds quickly that it is a bad idea to buy a Border Collie just to brag about its intelligence. “The books [on dog intelligence] haven’t helped them in that way,” he says. The Powers make sure that any potential buyer knows that the dogs will need a lot of exercise, far more than other breeds. For himself: “I will always have chickens, sheep and Border Collies.” His flock is down to 50 ewes now, and one of his daughters is taking over the training of the Border Collies, allowing Power to take life easier. “I find sheep relaxing. The Border Collies are a part of that.”
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H AV E N O N E A R T H
Used to be a Fundy sea port. Now a haven for city-stressed souls in need of repair. Just past that church are odd little restaurants, local fare, pubs, art galleries, book shops, Schylling toys, a statue to a man who loved the town so much he swept the street every day. And here still is creative thought, curiosity unfolding like a fan, conversation, ideas tumbling onto the streets, fresh, like music, still warm, people laughing, cars stopping to let you cross. We call it Sackville.
1-800-249-2020 Ä´ Ä´ Äś
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Hilary Flower of Blue Rocks, NS, is a sheep farmer, Border Collie breeder and sheepdog trial organiser. See farm work being demonstrated at her trial on July 28—spectators are welcome. Details at realdogs.ca.
His voice softens: “It’s just the way you lean on a fence in the evening, when the work is done... and the Border Collie is lying in the dirt at your feet, and he’s kind of muddy. It’s so nice.” The strong connection between humans and animals is something that has fascinated Lorna McMaster all her life. McMaster and her husband, Brian, own and operate Pembroke Farm, a working sheep farm in Pembroke, PEI. McMaster breeds, raises and trains Border Collies. McMaster, who studied as an animal behaviourist and worked as a public school teacher, also offers herding lessons and clinics, and demonstrations each summer. McMaster, too, refers to her Border Collies as her “companions and working partners.” She has trained the brother and sister team, Sadie and Jack, who were born in her bedroom, to run on two different whistle tones (so as to avoid conflicting commands). “The dogs love the job—and the relationship with the humans. They want to please you, yes, but they want to do it right.” Having once had a rib broken by a ram, McMaster knows what the dogs are up against, and also knows that sheep farming isn’t for everyone. “If you don’t love sheep, don’t do it!” she laughs. McMaster, in fact, thinks sheep are “incredibly smart” and underrated. “Sheep don’t use their facial muscles to express emotion. This may be why humans perceive them as stupid. Sheep are as smart as dogs—they have strong family ties, can recognize many different faces, know the difference between my car and visitors’ cars. They learn the dogs’ behaviour very quickly.” The (fascinating spectator) sport of sheepdog trialling is becoming popular around the world—especially with women. “In the US, it is all women. In the UK, it’s still primarily a man’s
sport,” says US-raised McMaster. As for trialling in the Atlantic region, “There seems to be a lot of interest.” Bill and Hilary Flower of Blue Rocks, NS, were successful competitors at the trial circuits in Ontario and the US for many years. At their own sheep farm, where they live with their children, Emily and Will, they have put on clinics with experts from the UK. They also organized trials at New Ross for some years. This summer they’re holding a trial at their own farm. Through her business, Scotia Border Collies, Hilary breeds and trains working Border Collies. Bill is a commercial lobster fisherman during the winter months, and works as a marine co-ordinator and animal wrangler in the film industry during the spring and summer. They have 70 ewes, two young dogs, Floss and Dahli, and two older dogs, Maid and Dash—Maid and Floss are their mainstay workers. Hilary, raised in northern Wales and Cheshire, takes her responsibility as a dog breeder seriously. She breeds specifically for working traits and temperament, and tests her dogs for any problems with hips, eyes and hearing. The testing is expensive. But it guides her breeding program, which ideally, she says, can be “a science.” Like Lorna McMaster, Hilary also has a “started dogs” market. Not all farmers, or people who trial dogs as a hobby, have the time or desire to train a sheepdog themselves. She thinks the current trend of breeding for conformation is sad (and show breeding has come under intense criticism and scrutiny in recent years). “You can lose the athletic ability and workability.” “Hilary wants the perfect dog,” smiles Bill. “That’s why she’s breeding dogs.” “The dogs have to have guts,” says Hilary. Just last year a ram broke Bill’s shoulder. “So they can’t be too sweet.” Instead, she wants the dog to be “liveable—and brilliant with sheep.” The Flowers’ upcoming trial, July 28, is free and open to spectators. The trials mimic real farm work. “The precision of the Border Collie is wonderful,” says Bill. “You don’t want to walk the fat off your stock. You want to get them through the gates and to the market, in as short a distance as possible.” With her dogs, Hilary is slightly partial to the females. “I find them more loyal. They can sometimes be a little more sensitive, and occasionally, temperamental. The boys’ minds are sometimes elsewhere. Having said that, my best dog so far has been a male.” You get the feeling that in fact, Hilary’s “best dog” has not yet appeared on the farm. Until then, Maid and Floss capably herd the flocks for the Flowers. Like young Ruby in Cape Breton, and like young Border Collies around Atlantic Canada and the world, they know their turns come next. It’s their birthright.
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For more great strawberry jam recipes, visit www.bernardin.ca 50
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Kitchen Party NOW THAT THE beautiful weather has arrived we’re finding ourselves outdoors more often, and dining al fresco is a perfect way to celebrate! This issue we explore how to use the grill in ways you may not have thought of up until now. We also visit Holdanca Farms on Nova Scotia’s Northumberland Shore and see how raising animals— chickens in particular—is an exercise in ethics as well as economy. ~Alain Bossé
52 Great on the grill 55 The chicken dance 58 Profile of chef Ilona Daniel 61 Review of Titanic: the Cookbook; Fogo Island farmers market; recipe for Baked Mackerel with Gooseberry Sauce
Sweet ‘n’ tender veggies, charred to perfection.
POTTERY COUR T E S Y OF S ARA BONNYMA N , TATA MA G O U C H E , N S
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kitchen party: downhome recipe file
Great on the grill Move over meat—make room for veggies to get sweet and tender on the barbecue
by Alain Bossé photography: Perry Jackson
AS A KID, I thought there were two
Not your usual barbecue fare: Grilled Caesar Salad. Grilling vegetables gives them a depth of flavour.
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categories of vegetables: carrots and peas. Partly that could be attributed to my family’s food preferences but also, what was readily available. Today, our farmers markets and supermarkets display rows of diverse veggies, ranging from yellow carrots to pea shoots, baby bok choy to escarole—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg lettuce. One of my favourite ways to prepare vegetables is grilled: this gives them a depth of flavour. When vegetables are grilled their natural sugars tend to caramelize, giving them a wonderful sweetness. First up on the grill… romaine lettuce. Who’d have thunk? I take a nice thick head of romaine, split it in half, then brush it with a little olive oil and sprinkle salt on it. Place it cut side down on the grill over medium heat. While I’m at it I cut a few lemons in half and grill them as well; not too much, just until they are turning a rich dark brown on the edges. I use the romaine and lemon to make a traditional Caesar salad with a twist (see Grilled Caesar Salad, right; grilled Romaine also works well with bacon and blue cheese, and cherry tomatoes and goat cheese. Corn is another vegetable that grills really well. Some people prefer to remove the husk altogether but I leave
it on—although I do strip the husk down to the base to remove the silk tassel so it doesn’t catch fire; then I slip the husk back up around the corn. Soak the cob in water for about 15 minutes, give it a good shake and place it at the back of the grill on the top shelf, turning often. It takes about 20 minutes for the kernels to become tender. Then slip the husk off and enjoy the rich, deep flavours, slathered with lots of butter, of course. Tossing together soft vegetables, such as squash, zucchini, red onion and sweet peppers, with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and placing then in a grilling basket makes an amazing accompaniment to steak and chicken. You can also skewer vegetables; just be sure that what you place together takes roughly the same cooking time. Because vegetables are more delicate than, say, a steak, they need to be cooked at a lower temperature. If that’s not an option, place vegetables on the upper rack of your barbecue. Be sure to take full advantage of our growing season, and dare to be different. Leaving your comfort zone for the grilling zone produces great results!
Grilled Caesar Salad 1
clove garlic
1/4
tsp (1 mL) salt
1/4
tsp (1 mL) pepper
1
tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
1
egg yolk*
4
oz (125 g) canola oil
1/4
lemon
2
tbsp (30 mL) white wine vinegar
1
tbsp (15 mL) parmesan cheese
2
anchovy fillets, crushed
1
head of romaine lettuce
1
lemon
Dressing: In a wooden bowl crush the garlic; then add salt, pepper, Dijon mustard and egg yolk. Mix well, then drizzle oil in slowly while whisking until dressing resembles thick mayonnaise. Add juice from ¼ lemon, white wine vinegar, parmesan and anchovies; mix well.
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kitchen party: downhome recipe file
Grilling: Preheat your barbecue to medium. Cut both romaine and lemon in two; place on the barbecue, cut side down. It should only take a few minutes before you begin to see the charring—and caramelizing—happening. Place the romaine on a plate face up, drizzle with dressing, and serve with grilled lemon. Serve with your favourite grilled bread. Makes 2 servings. *Caution: As you may know there is controversy over consuming raw eggs. To be on the safe side, raw eggs should not be consumed by anyone with a compromised or underdeveloped immune system, which may include the elderly or infants. In these cases store-bought Caesar dressing is a good substitute. Personally I am not concerned about using raw eggs in my own home because I can control how fresh the eggs are and how I store them; i.e. in the fridge versus on the counter.
Voila: Grilled Beets with Goat Cheese and Pecans
Grilled Beets with Goat Cheese and Pecans
*Tip: I recommend using the new grapefruit white
2
medium-size beets
or you can order online: allthingsolive.ca.
2
tbsp (30 mL) butter
2
tbsp (30 mL) brown sugar
1
tsp (5 mL) sea salt
2
oz (57 g) goat cheese, sliced
Grilled Asparagus & Cherry Tomatoes
6
leaves sweet basil
2
oz (57 g) extra virgin olive oil
24
pecans
1
oz (28 g) balsamic vinegar
1
oz (28 g) white balsamic vinegar
1
oz (28 g) maple syrup
1/2
lemon
1
tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard
4
turns of ground pepper
1
tsp (5 mL) fresh thyme
1
lb (500 g) fresh asparagus
1
lb (500 g) cherry or grape tomatoes
Pea shoots or sorrel, for garnish
balsamic vinegar from Liquid Gold. There are stores in Halifax, Charlottetown, Moncton and Saint John,
Poach the beets, skin on, in boiling water for 25
1/2
tsp (2 mL) coarse sea salt
minutes; cool under cold water. The skin should slip
4
turns of pepper mill
right off. Slice the beets 1/4-inch thick. Melt butter, mix in brown sugar and 1/2 tsp sea
mustard and thyme; mix well. Add asparagus and
medium. Place beets on the grill and cook for 3 min-
tomatoes, sprinkle in salt and pepper, and toss. Let
utes on both sides; let cool.
sit for 20 minutes or so. Preheat your barbecue to
To assemble plate: start with beet, add a slice of goat cheese, then a basil leaf; repeat layers, ending with beet slice. Place the pecans on the plate. Drizzle with white balsamic vinegar* and lemon
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In a large bowl add olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup,
salt, then toss in beets. Preheat your barbecue to
medium. Place veggies on the grill—so they don’t fall between the cracks—and grill until they start to char a little, about 2-3 minutes each side. Keep
juice; sprinkle on black pepper and the remain-
brushing marinade on until they are done. Place
ing sea salt. Garnish with micro greens and serve.
grilled vegetables on a platter, drizzle the rest of the
Makes 2 servings.
marinade on top and serve. Makes 2 servings.
kitchen party: producer to plate
The chicken dance How pasture-raised chickens make for flavourful, cost-efficient meat, and happy campers by Alain Bossé photography: Perry Jackson
WE’VE BEEN inundated with the eat local philosophy for some time now, becoming acclimatized to terms such as organic, grass fed, and free range. But how do you know if you’re getting what you pay for? The best way is to become acquainted with the person who is growing or producing the food you’re eating. Sometimes this takes planning, but it’s well worth the time—and there are gems throughout our region. Some are well advertised and some take a bit of hunting. A farmers market is a great place to start. Even if the producer you’re seeking isn’t there, the vendors who are there can probably point you in the right direction. Here on Nova Scotia’s Northumberland Shore, we are fortunate to have Holdanca Farms, located in the Wallace area. Johanne and I happened to find them while on a drive through the countryside, and have been making regular trips there ever since. Granted it’s a 90 minute return drive for us. Is it worth it? Absolutely. I know what I’m getting, and I know who I’m dealing with. Holdanca Farms is owned and operated by John Duynisveld, an agricultural scientist, and his mother, Bernice. The 500-acre farm is dedicated to raising pasture-fed free-range poultry, along with other animals such as turkey, beef, pork and lamb. There’s some interpretation over
Jazzing up a classic: Not-Your-Average Chicken Club.
the term free-range. In some cases, it constitutes a bird that’s allowed up to 15 minutes of “yard time” a day, but regulations don’t indicate whether it’s a grass yard or a concrete one. In either case, 15 minutes is not enough time for a bird to do what it does best: scratching and foraging. When you drive by Holdanca farms you see the bird pens way off in the back pasture, where the birds eat grubs, grass and insects, and they receive abundant exercise; the pens are moved daily, so chickens always have a fresh grass source. The birds are also raised on feed that’s free of growth hormones and antibiotics, and they grow at a natural rate—all of which affects the quality of the meat. The interaction with customers makes John happy—he enjoys hearing that the flavour of his chicken is unparalleled. When I asked him for his favourite chicken recipe, he responded that good
quality, well-raised chicken needs only a bit of salt and pepper. Another farm that takes pride in its free-range product is W.G. Oulton & Sons, located in the Martock area of Hants County, NS. Owners Wayne and Nicole Oulton have the same approach to farming: they like to keep things as green as possible. In fact they were winners of the 2011 Environmental Farm Stewards of the Year award, created through a provincial and national government partnership. In addition to free-range chicken, the fourth generation family farm produces cattle, sheep, free-range turkeys, quail and partridge, several types of deer and elk, and other exotic animal species including emu and yak. With its abattoir and meat shop on the property, Oulton has become a destination for people from Halifax and beyond. The benefits of this type of responsible farming are huge, including
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kitchen party: producer to plate
CULINARY TRAIL
you’re invited to
a one-of-a-kind
culinary journey!
Follow the Culinary Trail for memorable and delicious culinary experiences:
a healthier, chemical-free product that’s sold either fresh or flash frozen, which locks in natural juices and flavours. People say there’s a higher cost to buying these types of birds, but consider this: mass-market chickens may be pumped full of water to make them look enticing, which means the big, juicy-looking breast you put into the oven is going to shrink down to half, if not less than half, of its original size. So while the cost of free-range meat seems high, it’s actually not.
2 X 7 inch sour dough bun, or equivalent
Not-Your-Average Chicken Club
set aside.
2
6 oz (180 g) boneless skinless chicken
layer spinach, tomato, chicken, bacon, avocado,
breasts
cheese and top with more sweet chili mayo. Makes
1
tbsp (15 mL) butter
2
tbsp (30 mL) mayo
1
tbsp (15 mL) sweet chili sauce
24
leaves spinach
1
tomato, sliced
6
slices smoked bacon, cooked
1
avocado, sliced
2
oz (57 g) shredded old white cheddar
To cook chicken breast: sprinkle with salt and pepper; either grill or oven roast for 10-12 minutes at 400°F (205°C). Let cool and slice on the bias. Split buns, butter inside and grill on a hot skillet;
Salt and pepper, to taste
Mix mayo and sweet chili sauce well; set aside. To assemble: spread sweet chili mayo on open bun;
2 servings.
Restaurants/Take-Outs Culinary Adventures Authentic PEI Products Farmers and Fishers Local Markets Culinary Events
Get your free guide to some of the most unique and exciting culinary attractions the Island has to offer.
Available online at www.peiflavours.ca/ flavours-trail or call us toll-free at 1-877-445-4849. 56
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Italian Dijon Mustard & Basil Chicken. (You might need a little gelato to round out an Italiano theme.)
Chicken, a good choice! • Chickens are grain fed, primarily with corn, wheat and soybean. • Chicken production in Canada prohibits the use of hormones or steroids. • Chicken raised for meat in Nova Scotia roam freely in large, environmentally-controlled barns. • Chickens always have access to feed and water to eat and drink when they choose. • Chicken farmers follow On-Farm Food Safety and Animal Care Programs.
WARM FIVE HERB PASTA SALAD WITH GRILLED CHICKEN Serves: 4 Cook time: 30 min Preparation time: 10 min
Chicken Fajitas—Mexican al fresco, anyone?
Italian Dijon Mustard & Basil Chicken
1
clove garlic, diced
2
6 oz (180 g) boneless skinless chicken
2
oz (57 g) olive oil
1/4
tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
3
cloves garlic, minced
1
red pepper, julienned
12
chicken thighs, skin on
1
yellow pepper, julienned
2
sprigs fresh rosemary
1
sweet onion sliced, julienned
1
tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
1
tsp (5 mL) cumin powder
24
leaves fresh basil
1
tsp (5 mL) coriander powder
1/2
cup (125 mL) white wine
6
drops hot sauce
1/2
lemon, for juice
1/2
lemon
1/2
cup (50 mL) 35% cream
1/2
tsp (2 mL) salt
Heat oil in large frying pan; add garlic, and cook for
1/2
tsp (2 mL) pepper
a minute or so until it starts to brown; add chicken,
breasts, sliced
salt and pepper, and sear until cooked, about 4-6 In a large frying pan, heat olive oil; add garlic.
minutes. Remove chicken.
Once garlic starts to dance, add chicken thighs and
Sauté vegetables, and sprinkle with cumin and
rosemary. Sear chicken on both sides for 3-4 min-
coriander; add hot sauce. Cook for 4-6 minutes,
utes. Bake in a 350°F (180°C) oven for another 20
then reincorporate the chicken, stir, and cook for
minutes.
another 2-3 minutes. Finish with a squeeze of
Remove chicken from oven and set aside.
lemon juice.
Add Dijon mustard and basil to frying pan; stir in white wine, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Let simmer
4
10 inch flour tortillas
for a minute or two while you stir to deglaze pan.
4
oz (125 g) sour cream
Add cream; stir and reincorporate the chicken,
4
oz (125 g) your favourite salsa
coating both sides. Serve with your favourite pasta
4
oz (125 g) shredded cheddar cheese
Ingredients: 4 1/4 tsp or 1/4 tsp 3 Tbsp 2 3 Tbsp 1 Tbsp 1/4 cup 1 Tbsp 1 Tbsp 2 tsp 1 pkg 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp 1 cup
boneless, skinless chicken breast(s) 4 hot red chili pepper flakes 1.25 mL cayenne pepper 1.25 mL lemon juice, fresh 45 mL tomato(es), medium 2 basil, fresh 45 mL sage, fresh 15 mL parsley, fresh 60 mL rosemary, fresh 15 mL mint, fresh 15 mL black pepper, freshly ground 10 mL whole wheat fusilli pasta 200 g extra virgin olive oil 60 mL + 15 mL Romano cheese, grated 250 mL
Directions: 1. Sprinkle chicken breasts with lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Marinate up to one hour in refrigerator. Place chicken breasts on greased grill over medium high heat. Grill for 10-15 minutes per side or until a thermometer inserted into thickest piece reads 165°F (74°C). Cool slightly then slice in ½-inch strips. 2. Dice tomatoes and mince fresh herbs. Combine herbs and tomatoes with fresh ground black pepper in large serving bowl. 3. Boil pasta according to package directions in unsalted water. Drain. 4. Meanwhile, heat olive oil slowly in a small pot until it is just about ready to boil. Pour over tomatoes and herbs in serving bowl. Combine well and add hot pasta and shredded Romano cheese and toss again. Garnish with sprigs of fresh herbs. Notes: Use any combination of fresh herbs. Serve warm or cold. Leftovers are great in pitas or wraps.
or salad. Makes 4 servings. To assemble: Lay out flour tortillas. Add the
Chicken Fajitas
chicken and vegetable mixture to centre; add equal
2
ends, roll and serve. Makes 4 servings.
tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
parts sour cream, salsa and cheese, then fold both
For more information and recipes call (902) 681-7400 or visit
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kitchen party: chef profile
Berrylicious Frozen, fresh, freeze-dried or puréed, berries are great in any form and for any application. The arrival of the first seasonal berries indicate that summer is in full swing and that berries belong on our plates. This is a great time for us to indulge in eating all sorts of berries in all sorts of lavish and simple ways. Berries also come built-in with plenty of health benefits like antioxidants, fibre and vitamins. Here is a recipe that screams opulence. You can substitute blueberries with other berries or fruit.
Ilona Daniel Culinary Boot Camp, Charlottetown by Alain Bossé photography: Rachel Peters
Blueberry Crème Brulé Ingredients: 10 1 3 1 1½ ½
large egg yolks cup sugar cups whipping cream (35%) teaspoon vanilla extract cups fresh or frozen blueberries cup brown sugar for topping on brulé
Directions: • In a heavy bottom pan combine sugar, cream and blueberries. Allow to simmer for few minutes. • Blend mixture with a hand blender and pass through a cheese cloth or fine strainer. • Slowly mix egg yolks into cream mixture. Once blended pour mixture into small ramekins. • Place ramekins in a hot water bath. Water should be half way up the sides of the ramekins. • Bake for 35-45 minutes in preheated oven at 350°F. • Once cooked allow to cool for 3 hours or until fully set. • Sprinkle with brown sugar and brulé with a torch until caramelized.
by Chef Shahzad Doctor, Sobeys Chef
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GROWING UP in the rich and fertile Niagara Region of Ontario with parents who were proponents of eating fresh, whole foods gave chef Ilona Daniel an early appreciation of food, and where it comes from. Since graduating from the Niagara Culinary Institute and the Culinary Institute of Canada, Daniel now calls PEI home. She’s held several impressive positions: she was the founding chef of the Daniel Brenan Brickhouse, a local artisan kitchen in Charlottetown, and executive chef to the Island’s Lieutenant Governor, Frank Lewis. Her current gig? She’s executive chef of the Culinary Boot Camp program, at the Culinary Institute of Canada, in Charlottetown, and resident food writer for G!, a free magazine distributed to restaurants, shops and salons monthly across the Island.
Q What inspired you to become a chef? A I wouldn’t say I was inspired to be a chef per se, it’s more like cooking, eating and celebrating is in my blood. Q Who do you look up to? A First and foremost is my mother. She always put so much time and care into everything she cooked for my family; she even made my baby food! Mom taught me the importance of making the time to sit down with the people we care about, and celebrate in sharing an everyday meal. As for other inspiration, Mario Batali, and Nigella Lawson will always have a special place in my heart. Their cookbooks and television shows have furthered my understanding of the importance of staying true to my personality, style, and my beliefs as a chef. Q What accomplishment are you most proud of?
A It’s such a tough question for me, as I don’t look at my life as defined by singular occasions, rather the culmination thereof. If I think about it, it’s having the courage to follow my heart, and my intuition. I’ve met so many amazing characters in my travels as a chef, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Courage. Courage is the accomplishment I am most proud of. Q What is your favourite ingredient to work with? A I would have to say fennel, which has the ability to morph. It can be crunchy and very forward in its licorice profile, and can also be tender, with delicate nuances of anise. It’s an incredible addition to coleslaw or pasta salad. I like it with seafood, pork and poultry. I enjoy it all on its own; raw, or cooked. Q What kitchen tools can you not live without? A Other than the obvious French knife, serrated knife and paring knife, I would be lost without my microplane—it gets the most out of zesting. And if there’s a mountain of potatoes to be dealt with, I want my Swiss-style peelers. Q What upcoming trends do you see in food? A Retro sweets, such as Baked Alaska. I see a revival of the Upside Down Cake, traditionally made with pineapple and cherries. To update it we’ll make use of in-season fruits like pears, apples, and perhaps a rasher or two of bacon. To end a meal with a sumptuous wedge of moist, rum-syrup soaked golden cake crowned with caramelized fruits is decadent and beautiful. Q What do you like to do when not in the kitchen? A I love to connect with nature as much as possible. I dug up my front lawn last year to replace it with a pollinator’s paradise. I also go for hikes at nearby Strathgartney Park. The trail is almost entirely enclosed in foliage, making it feel like I’m a million miles from civilization, while being only 20 minutes away from home. And being curled up on my porch swing with a book is simply heavenly!
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roots & folks: pantry Baked Mackerel with Gooseberry Sauce by Marie Nightingale
A SMALL BOOK with a big name, Titanic: The Cookbook, Recipes from the Era of the Great Ocean Liners, by Yvonne Hume, Elaine Elliot and Virginia Lee, takes readers to a time that was rich in elegance and grace. The recipes are based on those said to be served in the Titanic’s first-class Ritz dining room, leaving you feeling as if you’ve entered a time machine, or a period piece movie. The Ritz dining room was modelled on the finest dining room in Paris at the time, and its food was based on the best of European cuisine. The authors have done extensive research to ensure the recipes are authentic; they’ve spent as much time ensuring that the methods and ingredients suit North American cooks. Recipes such as Honey Roasted Salmon with Mousseline Sauce, Roast Lamb with Strawberry Mint Gravy, and Sirloin Steak with Creamy Mustard Sauce allow us not only to imagine but to taste what upper class life was like in 1912, on the ship that was said to be the safest ever built. Formac Publishing; $24.95. ~AB
PER RY J ACKSO N
Putting on the Ritz
6-8
mackerel fillets Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2
cup (125 mL) white wine or apple juice
Lay mackerel fillets flat in a baking dish; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour wine or apple juice over fish and bake in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 6-7 minutes. Do not turn. Test with a fork. If the fish flakes
Favourite farmers markets: Fogo Island, NL THIS SEASONAL market, open July 1 to October 15, is in its fifth year with six to eight vendors who sell everything from veggies, hen and quail eggs, to baked goods. Most of the customers are visitors to the island— the locals view the market not only as a source of trade and revenue but as a way to connect with those visitors. Market manager Winston Osmond says, “We get to meet so many interesting people who share their stories; where they are from and what brings them to Fogo Island. People come from all over the world.” ~AB
easily, it’s done. Remove to a hot platter or serving plates, and serve with Gooseberry Sauce. Makes 6 servings. Gooseberry Sauce 2
cups (500 mL) gooseberries, untrimmed
1/3
cup (75 mL) water
2
strips thinly pared lemon rind (yellow part only)
2
tbsp (30 mL) granulated sugar
1
tsp (5 mL) grated fresh ginger, or a pinch or two of dried
In a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat, combine gooseberries, water, lemon rind, sugar and ginger. Cook until berries are soft and somewhat reduced, watching so they don’t scorch. Gently press through a sieve. Return purée to saucepan and reheat. Spoon into a pitcher to serve. These recipes originally appeared in the July/August 2007 issue of Saltscapes. For more Saltscapes recipes please go to saltscapes.com.
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Home & Cottage
65 Green thumb (part two) 71 Back to basics
KIMBERL EY E DDY
79 Seaside serenity
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home & cottage: gardening
Regardless of how you create a new garden bed, place your plants, still in their pots, around the garden to see how combinations will look before you actually dig planting holes. A friendly gargoyle supervises the ‘staging’ of this bed.
Growing a green thumb (part two) Starting from scratch—any time of the year Story and photography by Jodi DeLong
WHILE MANY of us think of gardening as a project that we start in the spring and finish with autumn cleanup and bulb planting, it ain’t necessarily so. You can begin a garden, or renovate, at any time during the growing season. Granted, I don’t recommend dividing perennials on a hot, sunny, midsummer’s day, but my personal planting season begins in April and finishes when the ground is too frozen to work. It so happens that I know something of this first-hand. Very recently I decided to relocate to Wolfville—
probably my favourite place in all of Nova Scotia—and was blessed to find a place with adequate land. So as I write this, I’ve literally just moved and am beginning to build new gardens… Read along with me for insights on how to start from scratch. The first thing I did was assess the soil and what plants were growing here. The soil is heavy with clay, which can of course be challenging for digging. Along with moving, I acquired a shiny new artificial knee in February, and while it is strong, my other knee is crankily waiting in the
queue for its replacement, and digging isn’t my strong suit as a result. Since I am all about doing things properly, but in the easiest way possible, I decided to go with creating new beds using a technique called “lasagna gardening”. There is no pasta involved in lasagna gardening, though there certainly can be pasteboard involved or, more accurately, cardboard. The idea behind lasagna gardening is minimal work—no tilling or digging, merely using different types of organic materials to create a new garden bed where you want it. There are numerous advantages to lasagna garden beds. There tend to be fewer weeds in such a bed because we’ve killed off the grass and weed seeds at the bottom of the pile, but you will, of course, have to weed the garden as you would any other planting. You will enjoy much better water retention and drainage in a bed build in this manner, because of all the organic materials that “fluff” up the soil, and because you’ve built up and over any areas that do have drainage issues in your yard, rather than digging down and having to amend for drainage. And, because you’ve put so many
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home & cottage: gardening
Clockwise, from above: Instead of digging everything out of this former garden, we decided to reclaim it using the lasagna method of layering to build it up and kill the existing vegetation; Astrantia, or masterwort, has a fibrous root system and can be planted into a new bed; shallow-rooted lewisia, a star of rock gardens, works well in a new raised bed, bringing a burst of colour to the garden.
ͻ ĨƵƌŶŝƚƵƌĞ ͻ ƌƵŐƐ ͻ ŵĂƩ ƌĞƐƐĞƐ ͻ ůŝŐŚƟ ŶŐ
9039 Commercial Street EĞǁ DŝŶĂƐ͕ EŽǀĂ ^ĐŽƟ Ă Toll Free: 877-515-5051 www.hamptonhouse.ca 66
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nutrients into the bed by using all those organic materials, there’s no need to include chemical fertilizers; a little compost or organic fertilizer such as worm castings or seaweed meal added yearly will keep the soil bountiful for years to come. Unlike most compost heaps, you don’t have to turn, stir, or otherwise mix the ingredients—nature will take care of mixing them as microorganisms and other critters break down the various components. The best thing about lasagna gardening is the immediate gratification: Once you’ve made the bed, you are ready to plant certain things, including vegetables and flowers, and within a few months you can plant whatever you want. What if you’ve moved to a brand new house that has no lawn around it yet? Provided there is soil around the house filled to the appropriate level for putting in grass seed or sod, you can simply build your bed from the soil up. I would still put down the cardboard/newsprint layer, mostly to add more organic matter and to tempt earthworms and other organisms to come to your new bed and help make it a permanent part of the landscape.
Your recipe for a great garden The basics of building a lasagna garden require you to gather some materials:
• Newspapers, flyers (on non-glossy paper), cardboard. These will form the base of your bed, killing off grass and inviting worms to come to the buffet. • Organic materials, which we will divide into two types, browns and greens: Browns: compost, peat moss, bagged leaves, well-rotted manure, shredded newspaper, straw or hay, dried seaweed meal Greens: weeds that have not gone to seed, fresh seaweed, fresh grass clippings, prunings from plants, spent flowers, fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds • Water and a large bucket, wheelbarrow or garden tote to hold water • A little lime or wood ash • Topsoil or bagged “black earth” potting soil
Make your bed: 7 steps 1. Determine the area to be planted. Start small, or make several small beds, which you can increase over the season or in subsequent years. Mark it off with string or tape. A square or rectangle is the easiest to build. 2. If desired, you can build a frame around your bed, which holds everything into the area you plan to plant. 3. Begin your bed by laying out sheets
Specialists
Annual poppy: As gorgeous as they are, don’t try planting poppies into a newly made lasagna bed this season. They have tap roots and need to be able to grow deeply into the soil.
of wet newspaper or cardboard. It’s important that you wet these before you lay them out—otherwise a wind may come up and blow them into the next county. I have a good-size wheelbarrow and several large tubs—I put water in these and soak the newspapers and cardboard before laying them out. A layer of 3-5 sheets of newspaper, or one layer of strong cardboard, will be sufficient to kill the grass under it, and bring earthworms up to start loosening the subsoil under the cardboard and digesting your garden ingredients as they break through the paper. 4. Begin adding ingredients in layers, alternating between browns and greens—or decomposed and fresh—to let nature do her thing. 5. About halfway through making your pile, add a thin (1/4 inch/2 mm) layer of wood ash, or lime—this will help to balance out the soil pH, which is apt to be acidic especially with the addition of pine needles, peat moss and leaf mould. Like the other ingredients, these alkaline ingredients will mix through the layers with rainfall and insect activity. 6. Continue making your bed until it is about two feet tall; then add 4-6 inches of good topsoil to cover the entire bed. As the ingredients break down, the pile will shrink over the course of a few weeks; adding topsoil to the bed means
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home & cottage: gardening There is still a lot of work to do around the perimeter and on the left side of this reclaimed raised bed, but it’s coming along nicely.
you can plant into it immediately, depending on the season. 7. Keep the bed moist, but not soggy, over the course of spring and summer to help speed decomposition. If we have a rainy summer you won’t have to water the bed; if it’s a dry season, water it well every couple of days. If you’re building at this time of year, you can add plants with fibrous or shallow root systems (see below for specific recommendations). By autumn,
the layers should have broken down and melded sufficiently that you can plant spring flowering bulbs. By next spring, the bed will be ready for anything. Maintaining the bed year after year is easy: simply add a few inches of compost and good soil, and top
Planting your lasagna garden
with mulch to give it a finished, tidy appearance. You will have to weed the bed as you will any other garden bed, but you won’t have put in huge efforts of digging and shoveling, so you’ll have energy and enthusiasm for weeding. Won’t you?
If you have topped your newly created bed with 4-6 inches of good soil, (or more if you have it on hand), you can begin planting in it right away—with some exceptions, as outlined below. By next spring you will be able to plant pretty much anything.
the soil in place if your bed is not within a raised framework, but bear in mind groundcovers do as their name suggests—cover ground, and often more than you want. However, plants like bugleweed (Ajuga), creeping sedums such as ‘Angelina’, and the creeping forms of thyme (Thymus) make good groundcovers and can easily be controlled if they spread too much in your bed.
Woody shrubs & groundcovers
Annuals
While I wouldn’t plant a full-sized shrub into a newly made lasagna garden, you can certainly plant dwarf conifers, heaths and heathers, and deciduous dwarf shrubs. ‘My Monet’ is a dwarf weigela that grows to 18 inches; the Flower Carpet series of roses are low growing and spread nicely. Many shrubs listed as dwarf are very slow growing, so you don’t have to worry about them running rampant in that first year while the new bed is settling and decomposing into rich soil. After the first year, you should be able to dig down through the layers and decomposed newspaper or cardboard to the original soil if you need to dig a deep hole for a larger tree or shrub.
Most annuals can be planted, either by seeding or transplanting into a lasagna bed. They will only be in the garden for a few months before frost takes them out, and can handle growing in shallow garden soil—so many of them thrive in containers, often with only 3-4 inches of soil in their pot. I wouldn’t put in large sunflowers, hollyhocks or lupins the first season, as these tall-growing plants do have extensive root systems, but you could opt for dwarf sunflowers, or else grow a few showy plants in containers placed strategically around the bed..
Herbs & vegetables Perennials For now, avoid perennials with deep taproot systems such as poppies (Papaver), sea holly (Eryngium), butterfly weed (Asclepias), balloon flower, (Platycodon), coneflowers (Echinacea) unless grown from seed and easily transplanted, gas plant or dittany (Dictamnus) and globe thistle (Echinops). Plant shallow-rooted perennials such as pincushion flowers (Scabiosa), lungwort or Bethlehem sage (Pulmonaria), cranesbill or hardy geraniums (Geranium), sedums (both tall and creeping), hen-and-chicks (Sempervivum), blue fescue grass (Festuca), bunchberry (Cornus), seathrift (Armeria), bellflowers (Campanula), and various types of pinks and sweet William (Dianthus). Smaller hostas and daylilies can go in immediately as well, although you should hold off on transplanting or adding large, mature plants to your bed, as these plants both have sturdy root systems and require large holes to be dug to plant them in. Additionally, some groundcovers will work well as edging plants and to hold
Think of herbs and vegetables that will do well in container plantings, and you’ll have your recommendations for the first season in a lasagna bed. Radish, beets, Swiss chard, salad greens, green onions, dwarf peppers and cherry tomatoes, peas and beans, as well as most herbs will grow well in that new bed. Avoid pole beans, corn, carrots and parsnips, large squash and pumpkins; they can wait until the following season, when you can plant pretty much anything.
Bulbs If you create your bed in July, by October or November when it’s prime bulbplanting season, you should be able to dig down deep enough to plant any type of spring-flowering bulb. Generally, we dig down the deepest (8-10 inches) to plant daffodils, large alliums and tulips, with other bulbs going in between 2-6 inches deep depending on genus.
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home & cottage: gravel
Back to basics Upscale paving products can get some stiff competition from humble aggregate by Suzanne Robicheau
THERE’S NO denying that gravel can be a little rough around the edges. Some might go so far as to say it’s a bit coarse. Lack of refinement aside, gravel deserves more respect—and not just because it’s the very foundation of our modern infrastructure—but also because it’s the landscaper’s new best friend for impressive hardscaping at a rock bottom price. In the world of decorative landscaping, gravel is traditionally cast in a supporting role, taking a backseat to concrete pavers and natural stone. Yet there are definite advantages to an inexpensive material that won’t ever crack and heave in our challenging winter climate. “Well-graded gravel drains water to control erosion and minimize damage from the freeze thaw cycle,” says Garth Prime, a geologist with Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources and an enthusiast supporter of gravel as one of our most valuable material resources. Prime offers a whirlwind geology
lesson that traces the evolution of gravel in Atlantic Canada to the beginning of time. The highest quality products, he says, are blasted from bedrock in quarries. A secondary source is excavated from the glacial deposits of gravel and sand found in many of the rolling hills that dot our rural landscape. Whether blasted from boulders or excavated from a pit, gravel is screened and graded into several standard sizes and qualities (see sidebar). Economical and easy to install, it’s just the ticket for Fact: Nova Scotia alone produces 12 to 18 million tons of gravel, crushed stone and sand each year. It’s one of the main ingredients in the development and maintenance of highways, bridges, parking lots, airport tarmacs, underground services and public buildings. (Source: Garth Prime) Fact: New Brunswick sends gravel as far away as Florida and Bermuda. (Source: Serge Allard, a Geologist with New Brunswick’s Department of Energy and Mining).
a variety of hardscaping projects. “For one thing, it won’t blow away,” laughs Lyn Duchesney, the owner of a landscaping business in Baddeck NS, “so it’s the ideal material for coastal areas that see big winds.” Unadventurous and austere on its own, gravel comes to life when used by Duchesney as a border for walkways, for ground cover, and also in planting beds as an alternative to mulch. “It won’t stop weeds from growing,” she says, “but it will make it more difficult for them. And while it won’t break down and add to the soil in the way that bark mulch will, it doesn’t hold on to weed seeds and attract insects.” Duchesney sources the gravel for her projects from a nearby quarry, where the pieces are small and slightly rounded. “It’s not pea gravel,” she says. “That’s hard to find around here, but it’s similar to pea gravel in size and shape so it’s good to work with because it moves easily for weeding.” She likes the fact that the gravel she
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home & cottage: gravel
G AR TH PR I M E, NSDNR
Top: The 200 million year-old volcanic rock blasted from this quarry on the North Mountain near Kingston, NS, is used for roadways and stone walls. Early dinosaurs roamed the region when this molten basalt flowed on to the landscape. Left: Sand and gravel extracted from this 12,000 year old glacial meltwater deposit in Kings County, NS, is used for concrete, traction sand, septic fields and decorative stone.
10 tips
gets is a local product, and also that it comes in a range of colours—especially the burgundy shade she used in a walkway for the hospice garden at Victoria County Memorial Hospital. “It’s really striking,” she says. “In this area it has become so popular that it’s getting hard to find.” Much of the quarried gravel in Atlantic Canada is granite, with colours that vary from gray and brown to bluegrey, burgundy, coral and the pink so often seen in driveways on Nova Scotia’s south shore. “Different colours are accounted for by the type of rock in the region and variations in the rock vein,” says Reg Trainor, the owner of a large PEI company that supplies aggregate throughout the Maritimes. The best advice when considering
• Ask for advice before using gravel as mulch in a flowerbed. It is not the material of choice for certain plants such as rhododendrons. • Pair gravel with pavers of the same shade to create a sense of fluidity and cohesion. • Alternate large pavers or patio slabs with gravel in an open grid design to stretch your hardscaping dollar and provide a flat surface for walking. • Keep cool with gravel as it doesn’t retain heat in the same way that concrete does. • Place patio slabs and pavers strategically to create a stable surface in an expanse of gravel • Use sharp-edged gravel on slopes to prevent movement. • Use round-edged gravel in playgrounds and other areas where little knees may hit the ground. • Use smaller pieces of gravel for walking paths and larger cobbles for retaining walls and dividing lines. • Rake gravel to dislodge weed seeds.
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Hewitt Rentals Can Teach You!
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a colour other than grey is to choose a shade that works with the general palette of the exterior of the home and with the property’s natural stone and earth tone. “Try to have it blend in with the surroundings rather than stick out,” says Mike Burns, president of a Halifax contracting firm that specializes in modern architectural design. “Using gravel in your landscaping plan is more about texture and maintenance than it is about making a statement.” Burns buys gravel locally, usually opting for a two-toned, salt and pepper granite. “I think it’s the nicest quarry rock we have around here,” he explains. “We use it for many of our projects because it complements modern touches of steel and aluminum and picks up well on the grey, black and white tones that typify much of our work.” For the exterior of his own office building, a 120-year old row house in Halifax’s North End, Burns ran salt and pepper gravel from the building’s foundation to the sidewalk as an alternative to grass and mulch. “The office was all about texture and doing something a little different,” he says. “Gravel has softer lines and feels more natural than a paver or pavement path. And unlike hard surface landscaping that creates runoff from storm water that needs to be diverted
M R B CO NTR ACTI NG I NC
home & cottage: gravel
Gravel is a permiable material that aids in drainage around buildings and elsewhere.
How much do I need? Gravel is sold by the cubic yard. What’s a cubic yard? Picture a giant sugar cube that’s three feet wide, three feet long and three feet high. Some gravel suppliers add a delivery charge. Others incorporate delivery within a specific area into the price per yard. A locally sourced product is usually the most inexpensive and environmentally friendly way to go. Landscapers recommend a depth of four to six inches for driveways and two inches and more for ground cover. Halifax contractor Mike Burns suggests using one of the gravel calculators found online. “You’ll need to know the length, width and depth of gravel required for the area you want to cover,” he advises. “Input these three numbers and the calculator will tell you how many cubic yards of gravel you need.”
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home & cottage: gravel
G AR TH PR I M E, NSDNR
Gravel varieties Pea gravel (also called peastone) is a small natural stone with a rounded shape that makes it ideal for ornamental beds because it moves well to make weeding easier. It is less suited for pathways and walkways because it tends to roll. Named quite appropriately for their similarity in size to green peas, stones run from about 3/8-inch to 5/8-inch. Crusher dust is a hard, grey-coloured landscaping material that’s made by blasting rock. With a maximum size of 3/8-inch, it’s similar to small pea gravel, compacts well, and makes a hard material for driveways and walkways and a durable bed for patio stones and pools. Pit run gravel is a foundation material that’s dug from a hillside or bank and used in thicknesses of 12 inches or more as a base for driveways and roads. Rocks are usually smaller than six inches but can be as large as 12”. Brown Class A gravel is screened to up to one-inch sizes from pit run gravel. Applied in layers of two to six inches, it compacts well and makes a strong material for driveways and roads. Grey Class A gravel comes from blasted rock that is crushed and screened to about one inch. The blue grey colour makes an attractive surface for driveways and paths.
or collected, gravel is a permeable material that helps that water get into the ground as quickly as possible.” When hardscaping with gravel, a layer of two inches is usually deep enough to deter weeds. For pathways and small sections, Burns recommends a breathable underlay of the regular landscaping fabric sold at home supply stores; for larger applications, such as his yard, he suggests a special, heavyduty industrial landscape fabric that feels almost like felt. “Weed control is the major concern when clients think about gravel as a landscaping solution,” says Burns. “If you are selecting gravel for its low maintenance, the last thing you want is to spend your Saturdays picking dandelions.”
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This Year’s Food Categories: Lobster and Honey LOBSTER The iconic Atlantic Canadian food. Tradition says boil it and eat it after dipping in melted butter—or make lobster chowder… Saltscapes Restaurant in Truro featured a “lobster benedict” special brunch dish last year. It was a huge hit. Do you have a similar innovation to a lobsterbased meal you’re willing to share?
HONEY There’s little that’s more pure than honey. It requires no processing from the raw product. It’s delicious. It’s healthy. It’s locally available. It’s infinitely useful and appropriate for a multitude of dishes, from main meals through to dessert. How have you incorporated this natural bounty into your cooking and/or baking? We’d like to know.
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home & cottage: decorating
BEFORE
AFTER
Seaside serenity
“The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul.” –Wyland
by Kimberley Eddy Photos: Kimberley Eddy and Susan Mills
JUDY AND STEPHEN BARTOL knew right away that this was the cottage for them. Having completed an exhaustive search for a vacation home in Stephen’s native Nova Scotia, at last they came to view this Bayswater Beach beauty! It was easy for the Bartols to look past the dated decor. This pretty property sits adjacent to the coast with stunning views of the sandy beach from almost every window. When they enlisted my help for the update, it was clear that the splendour of Nova Scotia’s South Shore would be the inspiration for the colour scheme and relaxed style of this restful retreat. With a mix of shades borrowed from the ocean view, the line between outside and inside is blurred. Simple comfort is the primary focus in the decorating scheme throughout the cottage. A mix of easy pieces with durable fabrics and finishes mingle effortlessly with subtle nautical and seaside touches to create this calm coastal cottage. The Bartols lead busy lives in Ontario and wanted an East Coast escape
where they could unwind and enjoy some down time. A multitasking living room was essential; a place where they could curl up with a good book, bask in the view or host an occasional family gathering. The fussy window valances and busy plaid wallpaper were removed (See before photo). Now a crisp white beadboard on the lower wall sets an informal cottage tone. A sandy colour was selected for the wall above the chair rail. We echoed that same hue throughout the room in the sofa, chair, accent pillows and lamp shades. Window treatments throughout the cottage are kept to a minimum. Simple cellular shades and faux wood blinds allow for privacy and light control when needed but otherwise do not detract from the coastal view. The sofa and chair were chosen, in part, for the classic shape but also for the durability of the fabric. In a beach house, it is essential that materials and finishes can withstand the extra stress from the sun, salt and sand. Comfortable cushions were a must for the wooden window seat.
A custom seat cover and accent pillows were commissioned in a preppy striped fabric. It now functions as a perfect perch for reading or beach gazing. Weathered tables hold reading lamps and offer a spot to rest a drink and snack. Their distressed finish infuses a rustic mood and the black colour contrasts nicely with neutral surroundings. The sea grass rug stands up well to sandy feet and adds texture to the calm palette. Natural materials, like the wood floors, rug and wooden bowl with apples, set a casual tone and add warmth to the room. Although the living room is uncluttered, several accents were carefully chosen. The pair of acrylic paintings above the sofa is a custom diptych created by Stephen’s brother, David Bartol. The shed, lupin field and water in the artwork reference the outside environment and add personality to the room. Additional accents, like the seabird sculpture and starfish, add life to the scene and the lantern has a subtle maritime feel.
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home & cottage: decorating
Elements of coastal charm Here’s how you can add a bit of beachy bliss to your own home or cottage: 1. Stick to colours you see at the seashore. You can create a pleasing palette from choosing a few hues from the following Atlantic features: sky, rocks, sand, water, beach grass, shells, or driftwood. 2. Exhibit natural items in your decor. Collect and display items from the beach like driftwood and shells. Employ interesting wooden bowls or trays. Define areas with seagrass, sisal and jute rugs. These are durable and yield interesting textures. 3. Support local artists. Hang unique artwork and display artisanal carvings or sculptures. There are plenty of Atlantic Canadian artists who use the coast as their inspiration. 4. Choose painted furniture. We used black tables and bisque bedroom furniture in this cottage, but using another shade from your chosen palette can be a great way to introduce a hint of colour. 5. Scatter a few nautical inspired pieces. Position a lantern or marine influenced lamp on a table. Hang a small glass buoy from a door knob or a hook. Rest a rope knot in an entry as a door stop. Be careful not to go overboard with these nautical notes. The reference should be a subtle one.
If the living room is the space in which to relax, then the principal bedroom is a place to recharge. Comfort and calm are paramount. Once again the beachy colour scheme is repeated for consistency and tranquillity. The obsolete floral wallpaper (see before photo) was discarded and the upper wall was revived with a fresh coat of paint in a warm sand shade. The crisp white beadboard was retained for its classic cottage style. Although open windows typically offer a fresh ocean breeze, an updated ceiling fan delivers relief on rare balmy nights. Bisque-colour furniture with an antique glaze finish and rubbed bronze hardware keeps the mood casual in this bedroom. Using one round bedside table in an espresso stain (on the far side of the bed) breaks up the furniture set and keeps the room from feeling overmatched. The darker table works in this room as a link, tying in the rich browns in the hardware, lighting and bedding. These dark notes infuse a wisp of contrast for visual interest. The resulting interplay allows for peacefulness in the space, but not monotony. Like the living room, this bedroom
also features a large window seat with a perfect view of the shoreline. The bed sits opposite the window to afford the full scope of the vista on a lazy morning. We applied the same cheerful fabric to finish this window seat as was used in the living room. Cool white bedsheets and plump pillows look inviting; a soft espresso quilt is draped and at the ready for cooler nights. Watery blue accent pillows add a dash of colour to the otherwise neutral backdrop. We wanted to maintain an open and airy setting in this room. Many people are best able to relax when disorder is kept at bay. Thus, once again, accents were chosen to accentuate the tranquil feeling of the space. Reading lights were placed on each bedside table. Natural marine items are scattered in vignettes around the room, including a hurricane lantern in which sand and shells are placed. Another seabird carving perches atop the dresser and two large shells are displayed on pedestals. Each allude to the inspiration for this serene space— the sea. Kimberley Eddy owns Evolve Interior Decorating. www.evolve.vpweb.ca
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roots & folks: homegrown business
Home, home on the ranch Three generations of Hudsons rule the roost at Broadleaf Guest Ranch— at least for now by Deborah Carr photography: Chris Griffiths and Chantal Arseneau
JOYCE HUDSON stood in the kitchen of the old farmhouse and stared at the dirty green wall… green that matched every room in the house except the living room. Raindrops rolled down the windows and all was silent, save a dripping faucet inside, and an unhappy dog howling outside. “Will I ever call this home?” she wondered to herself. It was May 1953. She and her husband, Vernon, had just purchased the 400-acre Albert County, NB, farm he had long dreamed of owning. They had two small children, Edward and Donna, and Joyce was six months pregnant with their third, Kathy. Sixty years later, she is the mother of seven, grandmother of 17 and greatgrandmother of 22. Her first and only love, Vernon, has been gone 12 years. The rundown farmhouse with the green walls has become Broadleaf Guest Ranch, one of the largest independent tourism operators in southeast New Brunswick, and is owned by the seven children. The 700-acre all-season business, with a mountain chalet, three log cabins, licensed restaurant, adventure barn and riding stable, caters to corporate conferences, group retreats,
The matriarch, Joyce, is flanked by daughters Wendy and Kathy, and Kathy’s husband, Darrell. Top: View of the ranch from the cabins at the top of the hill.
weddings, youth adventure camps and family vacations, employing upwards of 40 people each summer. Daughters Wendy and Kathy, and Kathy’s husband, Darrell, are the day-to-day decision-makers; Wendy looks after the adventure programs, Kathy manages the food service and accommodations, and Darrell is in charge of maintenance. The rest are arms’ length directors, providing objectivity, while third and fourth
generation children help with labour.
Accustomed to change Joyce is making plans for her 90th birthday this July—she wants to rappel down the cliffs at Cape Enrage with Rick Mercer. “I don’t think that’s going to happen,” says daughter Kathy, with a smile. Joyce first rappelled on her 80th birthday, and again on six subsequent years, stopping only after doctors gave
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her a pacemaker. She shrugs her shoulders and smiles like she has a Plan B. People of her age are accustomed to riding out change and challenge. During the early years of her marriage, while she taught school, Vernon operated two general stores, maintained a farm, delivered groceries and feed, worked at T. Eaton Co., had a meat cart on the road, worked the marshes and forests, managed a garage and owned and operated a sawmill. They bought the farm as a legacy for their children, but the financial burden nearly drove them under. They raised beef cattle and had a 200 cow-calf operation at one point, along with 500 hogs. The horses were pets. All revenue sources were funnelled back into the farm. “Those years [the 50s and 60s] were worrisome,” says Joyce, “but I never felt like giving up. Vernon did once; thought about moving away and starting over, but it was a short thought. I had more confidence in him than he had in himself. He was just into too many different things. Farming was really his life. I knew this was important…and I knew we would find a way.” During that period, Joyce took in boarders and gave birth to Bobby, the fourth child. Vernon worked where he could and soon, they could focus on the farm, which they named Broadleaf after a common grass found on the nearby marshes. Gradually, Vernon bought more land—a bit of marshland here, a few acres there. “Whenever Dad went to the marsh, he walked,” says Kathy. “It wasn’t about doing a job, but seeing the animals. He knew the facial characteristics of each cow. He had a relationship with every animal.” Three more Hudson children arrived to round out the stable crew: Danny, Wendy and Douglas. Vernon bought the farm’s first brood mare and they began raising colts. While all the children loved horses, Danny, in particular, was smitten. When he was four, his dad 84
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snuck a new pony into the living room to surprise him on Christmas morning. (Years later, Danny did the same for his own son, Justin; however they were not so fortunate and had a mess to clean up afterwards.)
Trail rides $1 In 1966, Vernon told the children he had to sell the horses that were not earning their keep. Upset, Donna and a friend bought a piece of Bristol board at the general store and wrote on it: Trail Rides $1. They nailed it to a tree and that summer, earned enough to purchase horse feed for the winter. The next year, Vernon built a lean-to
Clockwise from the top: horses coming in from the field; Joyce, holding a photo of her and Vernon (“I can still smell the tobacco from that pipe of his,” she says); Les Stevens making a batch of barbecue sauce; Wendy, Dave and Emily riding; one of the guest cabins.
pig,” notes Kathy. One day when she came home from school the farrowing barn was on fire—they would renovate the hog barn, initially for receptions and catering, then later into a 280-seat restaurant. Joyce and Vernon encouraged each of their children to leave the farm, rationalizing that if they came back, it was because they wanted to. They also believed in growing their business to conform to the interests of the children. “But you can’t just do something because you like it,” says Kathy. “You have to find a way to make it sustainable. This led us to become diversified into things that complement the other. We didn’t just sell a trail ride, we sold a meal and accommodation. We knew our product had to be all encompassing.”
The work is lifestyle
for the horses and a vegetable stand for Joyce. Always one to chat up a visitor with local lore, Joyce began offering refreshments on the front porch; the refreshments soon advanced to full country meals on offer. Having read about farm vacations in a magazine, she fixed up the spare room for those who wished to stay longer. “Dad used to say, ‘Come on kids, let’s get to bed before your mother rents our bed out’,” notes Kathy. Broadleaf Guest Ranch began to take shape. Although Vernon also bred hogs, his children didn’t share his passion for the squealing, smelly animals. “You couldn’t build a relationship with a
By 1983, Joyce and Vernon were tired—the family business had grown to more than they wanted to handle. The children bought the farm and built them a retirement home, which Joyce ran as a B&B for many years. The siblings had already learned to work together on the farm, but running a family business was a challenge. “It took us a long time to sit around a board table and make business decisions that would affect a brother or sister in an emotional way, then share a meal together as a family,” says Kathy. “That is still hard today. But you put processes in place and you bring people into the discussion.” For Wendy, the ranch is home and the work is lifestyle. She studied horse training in West Virginia, returning home to start summer riding camps for children. Subsequent studies helped her create an equine-assisted learning program, which she and Kathy deliver. She says horses have valuable lessons
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to teach about honesty because they are so forthright in their response. Her work has been tremendously rewarding—many children come back, year after year, first as campers, then to work on the ranch. “We are relationship people,” says Kathy. “You have to have a good ear to listen and to understand. It’s not the ride on the horse, but the experience. That experience of awe may come on the back of a horse, with a homecooked meal, or on the deck of a cabin overlooking the marsh.” In 1995, they embarked on a large expansion, adding the chalet, log cabins and dormitory that would allow them to operate year round.
Evenn the breeze off the bay
Letting it go In 2000, Bob moved home from Ontario for a few years and brought a fresh perspective, financial acumen, and an element of risk-taking to the farm. He led the team into creating a commercial kitchen, turning the catering hall into a full-service restaurant and giving the ranch a face-lift. A year later, their dad was gone at the age of 76. Estate planners advised the family to put the ranch up for sale… not for the purpose of selling per se, but for letting go. “ We’ve gone through phases since,” says Kathy, admitting she probably has the strongest attachment. “First, we didn’t want anyone to know it was for sale, and for a few years we just patched things up, rather than repair them. Then we had a few years of fixing things. Now we are into operating it again, because we want to.” Joyce recalls a family meeting in 1997, when the children spoke about what the farm meant to them. “We always thought it was just a place to work, but it all tied into the values of growing up as a family working together.” “That was the greatest day of our life, realizing that what you put into being a family is so important.” Having said that, “if a buyer came along we are okay with letting it go now,” adds Kathy.
Where the vibrant city meets the Bay of Fundy people meet each other – for dinner, drinks, volleyball, or just a stroll. The Market Square boardwalk is the perfect break after an excursion, shopping, or gallery-hopping. And with summer’s arrival, it’s also the perfect place to kick it up a notch, with festivals and nightly entertainment keeping the energy high. What’s most captivating about your visit is you never know what each day will bring.
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roots & folks: first person
A love story Our home wasn’t a castle, but it had more love than wallpaper. Well, it never had wallpaper, come to think of it…
by Howard Nickerson, as told to Philip Moscovitch photography: Philip Moscovitch
Howard Nickerson has lived all his 69 years on the Sawdust Trail—a narrow road on the outskirts of Yarmouth, NS. The tall tamarack tree near his deck is one his father, who worked as a carpenter’s helper, planted when Nickerson was born; the fields and waters near his house are all filled with memories. Nickerson grew up with no running water or electricity, but his community was rich in other ways. In his 60s, he decided to write down some of his memories to share with his six siblings. But when members of the Yarmouth Area Memoir Group heard these stories, they helped him publish them in book form. He’s now written two books called Sawdust Trail Memories, and is working on a third. Nickerson still holds to the spirit of 88
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hospitality he was raised with. When I contacted him about an interview, his first question was: “Do you like battered haddock?” When I walked through the door of his home, the fish was battered, the oil was hot, and the biscuits were fresh out of the oven.
OUR HOME was a very basic home. I don’t think there was any window big enough you could crawl out of. The bedroom was upstairs. The stairs going up were like a wooden ladder—they were almost vertical. You’d get up so far and you’d pull yourself up to the floor. There was no platform, but nobody ever got hurt. The room was divided by a hanging blanket. The girls slept on one side of
the blanket, and the boys on the other. The roof was sloped, and I slept under a low part, so I made sure to never sit up too fast, or I’d wind up grading my hair. When you’d wake up in the morning, if it was cold, you could see the frost on the roofing nails—and you knew if Dad had a fire going, because you’d get a drip on you when the frost started to melt from the heat coming up the steps. On the boys’ side of the room, the honey bucket was right beside the chimney. If you had to go in the middle of the night, you’d huddle up with your back to the chimney to stay warm. Nobody ever complained. Nobody said, “So-and-so has a toilet in their house.” We had a toilet, we’d just have
to go out and empty it. Mom, who worked cleaning houses, said we never had to worry about paying a water bill. Argyle Street was nearby, and they had power and indoor plumbing. Sawdust Trail never had power. But the other kids didn’t make fun of us. They didn’t have much more to eat than we did. When I walk down this road, I remember all the different people that lived here. Everybody was generous, but they had a way of being charitable that didn’t feel like charity. Someone might say, “Howard, do you think your mom would like some of these cookies? I made too many. I don’t know what I was thinking!” But, they did… they knew what they were thinking. Or they’d give me some strawberries to take home, then later bring down a pair of pants for my mom to hem so she would have something to do in return. Nobody locked their door. A friend was a friend, and a neighbour was a neighbour. It wasn’t all hunky-dory though. I remember one young guy on the outskirts of our area, who went to the same elementary school as me. One day, he invited me and my sister over to play. I remember I had a pullover and jeans on, and when we got to his house, he said, “I’ll be right back. I’ve got to go change into my play clothes.” We were already in our play clothes! Then we heard his mother say, “How many times do I have to tell you not to bring that trash home?” My sister and I—our heads just went down, and we walked home. The funny thing was, that boy would sneak around so he could play with us, but we were never invited back to his house again. We had patches on our clothes. Of course nowadays, you’d call that fashion. We were poor, but I never realized it until it was pointed out to me. One night—this must be 40 years ago, when
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roots & folks: first person
I was in my late 20s—my sister and her boyfriend were sitting with me in the old homestead. He was listening to us going on, and he was surprised by some of our stories. He said, “You were really poor!” That was like a slap to the back to the head. Poor? We didn’t know what poor meant. I started working in the cotton mill when I was 19, and my sister Portia got a job there too. That’s when things changed. Extra things started to come home: Scotties potato chips, a case of bars. And mom started getting some nice stuff too. We bought new dishes, silverware, and nice material for her to sew with. I worked at the mill 29 years, until it shut down. A few years later, I got a full-time job as the custodian at the Wesleyan Church, and they had a library. I saw Robinson Crusoe on the shelves, and I remembered my mother telling us that story when we were little. Something made me pick it up and read it. It was the first book I read through in my whole life. I couldn’t put books down after that. I loved them. When my wife, Marie, and I would go visit friends, after eating we’d sit in the living room and someone would often say, “Howard, tell us one of you stories from when you were a kid.” I thought that was odd. Why would they want to hear that? But everywhere I went, people would ask me to tell stories—so I became a storyteller. When I wrote my first book, the stories were on typed sheets bound together. There was just one copy for each of my brothers and sisters. I wanted us to get together round the kitchen table and remember the old times and the stories we’d tell. In our house, the kitchen table was where we lived. It was the centre of attraction. We did our homework there, that’s where we had our cuts and scratches repaired, and where Mom did her knitting and sewing. That’s where things were discussed and debated, meals were served, and tears were shed. 90
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After I wrote down the stories, a lady from the church where I worked asked me to come to her memoir writing group and read some of them. They said they would help me publish it, They held bake sales and yard sales, and $1,200 or $1,300 later, I had the first books in my lap. That was two years ago. I read one of the stories on CBC radio. Then the phone rang, and Marie answered it. It was a lady who heard me on the radio, and wanted me to read the story to her husband. I said, “Does he have his pyjamas on?” I read him the story, and he didn’t say a word until the end. Then he said, “I want the book.” Now I’ve sold about 1,200 copies through the Internet and one little store. I think people like the books because they are a love story—a love story between a son, his mom, his dad and his siblings. Our home wasn’t a castle, but it had more love than wallpaper. Well, it never had wallpaper, come to think of it. We had a white ceiling with Simpsons-Sears paper on the ceiling to cover a hole made by a rat. People relate to the stories, especially the older people. One lady came to me with tears coming down her eyes and she said, “You brought me home.” I’m not looking for remuneration. The memories were given to me. They didn’t cost me anything. I did buy myself a few things, like a laptop that I can use for writing, and I gave some money to the Salvation Army, and a few people got some things they never dreamed they’d get. My wife gets a bit mad at me because I live in the past sometimes. If she gets out a big jug of cranberry juice, I’ll go and save the empty jug thinking that would be a good thing to carry water in. Well we don’t need to carry water. But I might still keep it. If I’m going camping, we can use it then. To order a copy of Sawdust Trail Memories, Once More Around the Kitchen Table and Beyond contact Howard Nickerson by e-mail: shylo_wolf@hotmail.com.
roots & folks: just katharine
Death, divorce and downsizing The joy of pickin’ through the yard sales of treasures no longer treasured
by Katharine Mott illustration: Derek Sarty
WE EACH have favourite summer pastimes (fly fishing is tops on my list) but I manage to squeeze in a few other passions. That includes almost anything that involves getting behind the wheel of my car—I love to drive! The things that make me pull over include ice cream stands, fish and chip joints, food of any kind, or just opportunities to chat with strangers. We have the best of all worlds on the East Coast—our provinces are small enough to get from side to side or top to bottom in a day, leaving plenty of time to explore for unique adventures. How many times have you been a few hundred miles from home and run into an old friend or relative accidentally? Or that stranger you chatted with in a restaurant or outdoor market turned out to be the friend of a friend who lived next door when you were a kidlette? When these surprising meetings happen we often hear the expression “it’s a small world.” There is a theory that despite significant geographical distances, social distances are smaller. It’s referred to as the Six Degrees of Separation theory; i.e., anyone can be connected to any other person on earth through a chain of no more than five
One person’s junk as another person’s treasure is the essence of yard sales.
acquaintances. Methinks it is more like Two or Three Degrees of Separation on the East Coast! Perhaps we should have our own Who’s Your Daddy Theory! That’s what being ‘down home’ is all about—sharing our own with our own! Speaking of sharing, a YARD SALE sign can bring me to a screeching halt as I travel the roads. If I don’t stop, I begin thinking about that Leonard rod or Bogdan reel (iconic fly-fishing brands that show up every once in a very long while) that I might have passed, so I dart back. Of course I
haven’t found those treasures yet, but I invariably find something that makes me smile—a useful (or even just fun) gem ends up in my car. Summertime yard sales can be a weekend pastime for both sellers and shoppers. We live in the oldest part of the country so it is possible that all sorts of collectibles will find their way to the yard sale table. Usually it’s old toys, dishes, outgrown clothes, unused exercise equipment—or just junk… But sometimes items of real historic value can be picked up. Some sellers
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roots & folks: just katharine want get rid of old clutter only to start collecting new paraphernalia—and the game continues! Treasure hunting goes on year round at Frenchys, auctions, on Kijiji and eBay and some virtual yard sales, but the fun ones are the tables in the yard or garage. That’s where you can chat with the sellers or other shoppers. Sometimes neighbourhood children have a lemonade stand—remember when the signs said: Lemonade 5 cents? Now the price ranges from 25 to 50 cents; but if the kids are personable they often get a loonie. One person’s junk is another person’s treasure is the essence of yard sales. I recall stopping at one several years ago along with my grandson Nori. I wouldn’t give houseroom to any of the stuff, but Nori pounced on a beat up old guitar with a $5 sticker. He offered $2 and got it. I thought that the guitar
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would end up in my firepit, but he fixed it up, played it, then graduated to bigger and better guitars. It was a pretty sound investment in the genesis of a musical interest that has become serious. The best yard sales are those driven by the three Ds—death, divorce, downsizing. De-cluttering falls somewhere down the list. There is a sequence followed in the disposal of property after death. First the heirs take what they have been left or want; after that, items that may bring in significant sums are auctioned; the remainder is offered in the yard. You can often weave the story of a life well lived in the goods offered for sale. If you come across a “Divorce Yard Sale” you know that you have hit the mother lode! Getting rid of things no longer needed, wanted or cared for can be therapeutic. If the assets are to
be divided in the divorce proceeding and the seller considers him/herself to be an injured party, you can pick up treasures for next to nothing! Sometimes you have to listen to tales related to the breakup, but patience and empathy often result in super-duper deals. Downsizing yard sales may yield family treasures or items of sentimental value. The sellers may be moving from a large house to smaller digs, be empty nesters, or they may simply want to spend money on travel rather than on high heating bills. Whatever the reason, downsize-sellers go through a range of emotional ups and downs as they see their treasures depart in someone else’s car. They are usually excited about their new beginnings, but overwhelmed by letting things go. A new type of yard sale has emerged over the past few years—the X-mile
yard sale. Sellers within a certain geographical distance gear up for getting rid of their stuff on a certain day. Front yards, driveways and garages along the route are filled with previously enjoyed belongings looking for new homes. Potential buyers come from much further away to view and purchase new assets. It makes for an exciting atmosphere in the area. Each year a unique yard sale is held in eastern Kings County, PEI. Six years ago Mildred McCormack of Souris, PEI started it for two reasons: as a fundraiser for a local non-profit organization, and to promote the eastern end of the Island. It was a success from the outset—sellers and buyers now come from the local area, other parts of PEI and neighbouring provinces. Souris is representative of many East Coast towns—small, rural, with roots
dating back more than two centuries. It is a vibrant community filled with people of all ages doing the things they love to do. Residents know and look out for each other; friendships are deep and lasting. It’s easy to get volunteers to work on almost any project— community spirit is high, livin’ is easy and the yard sale pickin’s are good! There aren’t any downsides to the Eastern Kings Giant Yard Sale—it’s win/win all round! A different local non-profit organization is picked each year to enjoy the revenue from the registration fees. The contribution grows as the event grows. In the past, an organization for mentallychallenged adults, a recreational facility, a local Special Olympics athlete and the Legion were all recipients. Private and community organization sellers win by expanding their coffers. Buyers win by picking up that
18th Season May 31–Sept. 14, 2013 Cow Head, NL Theatre Newfoundland Labrador is an active member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT)
collectible they’ve dreamed about. Local businesses win by hosting those who swell their town to participate in the event. Advertisers in the 16-page booklet published to promote the event win by spreading awareness of their business or event into a larger community. And the yard sale organizers win partly by having their expenses paid by the advertisers, but most importantly their feeling of satisfaction of doing something useful for their community. The yard sale was held in June this year, but put this site on your calendar for next year: easternkingsgiantyardsale.com. You may want to arrange your vacation around the event. Over the years I’ve picked up so many yard sale things that my house is bulging—I might show up as a seller in Souris next year and see you there!
Award winning professional theatre in the heart of beautiful Gros Morne National Park For full schedule and to request tickets, visit our website: www.theatrenewfoundland.com Phone 1-709-639-7238 (year round) Box office 1-877-243-2899 (May–Sept.) J U LY | A U G U S T 2 0 1 3
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emporium For more information, contact our Emporium Specialist. Phone: (902) 464-7258 Toll-free: 1-877-311-5877 E-mail: adinfo@saltscapes.com
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index to advertisers Our advertisers offer a variety of products and services available in our region. We thank them for their contribution to this issue.
Advertiser
Page
30 Fathom Doormats
94
Hampton House Furniture
66
Pete’s Frootique
53
Allyson Simmie Metal Arts
94
Hampton Quilt Barn Tour
70
Practicar
28
Anchor Inn Hotel & Suites
93
Hatfield Farms
23
Prince Edward Island Brewing Co.
46
Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens
86
Helping Nature Heal Inc.
94
Pro Cycle
84
Atlantic Fabrics
78
Heritage Granite
75
Rooftight
72
Atlantic Photo Supply
10
Home Furniture
81
Ross Farm Museum
94
9
Home Hardware
5
Rudder’s Seafood Restaurant
70
2
Saltscapes Recipe Contest
77
Bay Ferries Beauti-Tone Paint
80
Honda
Bee By the Sea Natural Products
92
Jennifer’s of Nova Scotia
54
Saltscapes Subscriptions
16
Bernardin Ltd.
50
Jonathan Otter - Artist in Wood
82
Ship’s Company Theatre
94
Birkenstock/Serum International Inc.
23
Jordan’s Home Furnishings
68
Shorelands Beach Cottages
73
Briar Patch Farm & Nursery
67
Kittery Premium Outlets
50
Sobeys
IFC
BSH Home Appliances
59
Kubota Ltd.
64
Sobeys Chef Column
CAA
86
Kvadro Traditional Furniture
82
Subaru
Chicken Farmers of NS
57
La-Z-boy Furniture Galleries
62
The Berkeley
89
Claymore Inns & Suites
89
Le Québec Maritime
26
The Cat Rental Store
74
Corey Nutrition Company
67
Mahone Bay Trading Company
53
The Patio Screen Room
94
Creamery Square at Tatamagouche
21
Maritime Window Film Specialists
67
The Pork Shop
54
Mrs Nicholson Home
94
Tourism Florenceville-Bristol/
Myriad View Artisans Distillery
76
New Brunswick Crafts Council
73
Town of Sackville
48
New Brunswick Museum
90
Toyota Earth Day
90
New Brunswick Summer Music Festival 85
Trompe L’oeil Murals
82
21
Park Place Ramada
29
Vicwest
70
22
Pearl & Daisy Natural Soap Company
85
Vintage Hardwood Flooring
78
PEI Arts & Heritage Trail
60
Visit Antigonish
72
Weatherwall Enclosures
Destination Cape Breton Assoc/ Take A Drive
42-43
Discover Saint John
87
Dodge
IBC
FORCE/Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy Fraserway RV Centre Ltd. Fredericton Tourism
12, 13
Geddes Furniture
82
PEI Culinary Trail
56
Global Pet Foods
14
PEI Fall Flavours
7
Grape Escapes
94
PEI Shellfish Festival
60
Gros Morne Theatre Festival
93
Perry Pond Development
68
Classifieds Deeply Engraved Natural Stone Pet memorials, personal memorials, welcome stones, family stones, address stones, custom stones. New Maryland, NB, 506-459-0979 www.solidstonecreations.com
58 OBC
Town of Woodstock
92
Whitestone Developments Yamaha
78 18-19 35
Saltscapes Classifieds! Saltscapes, Canada’s east coast magazine, brings you an inexpensive and efficient way to sell your product or services. Reach more than 241,000 readers across the Atlantic provinces, New England & Ontario in the Saltscapes Classifieds. Please print or type ad copy. Publisher will not be liable for error due to illegible handwriting.Rates: $3 per word (each abbreviation counts as one word). No charge for name, address, e-mail address, phone and fax number. Minimum charge $65 per insertion. Payment due with order. Fax to: (902) 464-3755, e-mail to: classifieds@saltscapes.com or mail to: Saltscapes, 30 Damascus Road, Suite 209, Bedford, NS B4A 0C1
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roots & folks: q&a ways how to do certain things: this is how you freeze berries, these are the tools we used for weeding. They range from broad stories to specific lessons. Q What was your objective in making the films? A When you’re dealing with food security, it’s easy to get bogged down in the challenges we face. Instead, we wanted to focus on one of our greatest assets—heritage and tradition around food in this province, and the fact that the knowledge is still here. We wanted to capture that knowledge, those stories.
The food reformer by Darcy Rhyno
KRISTIE JAMESON packed up and drove from Ontario to Newfoundland in 2008 with her fiancé, who was going to Memorial University. With a keen interest in food marketing and a degree in business, she got a job as executive director of the Food Security Network of Newfoundland and Labrador, a coalition of organizations and individuals that work to ensure access to adequate, healthy food. This summer, the group is showing a series of films called All Around the Table, based on interviews with 12 seniors from the Avalon Peninsula, who share stories about their food traditions. Saltscapes spoke with Kristie about store-bought food, scrunchions and matrimony. Q Where did most of your food come from when you were a kid? A From the store. When I was a teenager, going to the grocery store was one of the few times we got to bond with our parents. It was a pleasant 96
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time. I’ve always been passionate about cooking and sharing food with family. Q When you arrived in Newfoundland, what local foods surprised you? A There were so many restaurants serving moose; scrunchions and toutons. Cod cheeks and cod tongues. There’s a lot of food that takes a little bit of learning. Now, I can’t get enough pan-fried cod and scrunchions. And toutons are to die for. Q You grew the Food Security Network to more than 1,000 members. How? A It is such a huge, glaring issue here. There are real challenges. So many people can see that food is expensive in the grocery store. They can see the use of food banks rising or see their kids not knowing how a carrot is grown. Q How would you describe the All Around the Table series? A They have two sides. Stories of the way things were, mixed with detailed
B O J AN FÜR ST
Getting to know Kristie Jameson
Q Are the traditional ways being lost? A They’re in the process of being lost. There was a shift from wild and homegrown foods to store-bought foods. That shift has happened more recently here than in other provinces. With the 40 to 50 age group, there’s still some stigma around gardening, and harvesting and canning wild foods, it being associated with poverty. Q Did you hope young people would adopt traditional food methods? A There’s a desire among young people to return to them, and they can learn from the older generations. Q What story from the films impressed you most? A When we brought all the seniors together, they all referenced the same meal plan: your Jiggs’ Dinner on Sunday, Pease Pudding another day. It might have something to do with when foods came into the store. Wanting to use every part of a meal, you’d have something on Sunday. On Monday you’d use the leftovers in the soup. Q When you’re not thinking about food, what takes up your time? A Right now, renovating our house and planning our wedding. We bought a house and are getting married in St. John’s this August. We’re planning our lives here.
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