The Grapevine - May 2023

CELEBRATING THE 89TH APPLE BLOSSOM, P.4

WHAT’S HAPPENING, P.6

GARDENING TO ADD A SPRING IN YOUR STEP, P.15

NEW LEGISLATION TO HELP FIX HEALTHCARE, P.16

ROSS CREEK NEWS P.16

SUNDAY MUSIC IN THE GARDEN, P.18

Cover art by: Jean Leung

Check out our new and improved website at alwhittletheatre.ca for details, ticketing information and full schedule of events

ANNAPOLIS VALLEY HONOUR CHOIR

HEATHER FRASER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

KIMBERLY CORMIER, COLLABORATIVE PIANIST

SATURDAY, MAY 13

HORTON HIGH SCHOOL PERFORMANCE CENTER 2:00PM & 7:00PM

89th Apple Blossom/Finance p.4

Free Will Astrology /Star Drop p.5

What’s Happening................... p.6-7

Sudoku/Crossword/Nature............... p.15

From the Garden.................... p.15

Classifieds/Ross Creek...........................................p.16

Farmer’s Market/Tim Houston.............. p.16

Tides/Harriet Irving Botanical Garden p.17

Music In Communities................ p.17

I Know a Place/Library............... p.18

CELEBRATING CHANGE AT THIS YEAR’S APPLE BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

Lexie Burgess Misner, Office Manager, AVABF

When we think of the Annapolis Valley we think of agriculture, rolling hills, the world’s highest tides, and rich culture. A culture steeped in tradition and rooted in community.

The Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival started 89 years ago with the goal of tradition in mind. The festival has grown and evolved for many years while remaining rooted in those founding events. As the festival has grown, so has the world that surrounds us. We recognized the need for a shift in both the style and leadership around the event.

In recent years, the Board of Directors began shifting away from the royal components that had been the foundation of the event to include a more inclusive environment. This year’s shift will continue to grow by welcoming Parade Marshalls from the Indigenous and African Nova Scotian communities as well as introducing a youth leadership spotlight.

Three First Nation communities call Annapolis Valley home; Glooscap First Nation, Annapolis Valley First Nation, and Bear River First Nation. We also have two historical Black Communities of both Pine Woods and Gibson Woods. These are the communities that we will be celebrating through our extraordinary

Parade Marshalls this year.

Doctor Geraldine Browning, from Gibson Woods, also affectionately known as Mrs. B to those close to her, is a founding member of the Valley African Nova Scotian Development Association and is passionate about education and opportunity. In 2014, Dr. Browning received the Order of Nova Scotia and a Doctorate of Humanities from Acadia University. She is a respected educator and nurse who focuses on kindness and giving back to her community. She happens to have the same birthday as our Apple Blossom Festival (89!), so be sure to wish her a happy birthday when you see her!

We will also be joined by, Doctor Lorraine Whiteman, Grandmother White Sea Turtle, an elder from the Glooscap First Nation Community. Doctor Whiteman has a lifetime of achievement in education and healthcare, has spent time as an elected official with Glooscap First Nation, is a Board Member with the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, and is a Mi’kmaq representative with the Annapolis Valley School Board. She advocates for policy and reform to sustain Indigenous culture through the Native Women’s Association of Canada and also received a Doctorate of

MARGOT’S HIDDEN GEMS

Margot Bishop

The Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival is a beloved event that has been a continuous tradition since 1933, except for the Covid pandemic. It is the only festival sanctioned by the province of Nova Scotia. While the festival itself is well-known and celebrated, there are still hidden gems within the event that make it truly special.

The true heart of the festival lies in the people who are committed to it and all that it stands for. It is not just the organizers, but also the communities who have believed in the annual celebration and have kept it alive. Even during the war years, the festival continued, with the monies collected going to support the Red Cross. This dedication and commitment from the community is what makes the festival truly special.

For those who are not familiar with the festival, it is a celebration of the blooming of the apple trees in the Annapolis Valley. The festival was incorporated in 1935 and has been a

beloved event ever since. For those who have roots in the area, like the author of this piece, the festival holds even more significance. The author’s family comes from “planter” stock, so apples are particularly important to them, and they have attended the festival every year since moving closer to the area.

While the festival is certainly a highlight of the month of May, there are also other fun days worth celebrating. May 1st is Mother Goose Day, which is a great opportunity to read to a toddler. May 4th is Bird Day, calling all bird watchers to go to their favorite birding spot. May 7th is Compost Awareness Day, which is a great reminder to be mindful of our waste. May 14th is Mother’s Day, a special day to celebrate and honor the amazing mothers in our lives. May 15th is Chocolate Chip Day, a fun excuse to indulge in something sweet.

Returning to the Apple Blossom Festival, the opening ceremonies are held on May 24th at the Cider Express ballroom in Kentville. There are a variety of events and activities

Humanities from Acadia University in 2022. This year’s event will be more relaxed with fewer barriers that past participants have faced. You won’t find the traditional coronation or community teas that have been on the schedule in previous years, but instead more inclusive community-wide events that allow us to reach a broader demographic of participants.

We have warmly welcomed five youth candidates to participate in this year’s festivities. Candidates have been both self-nominated and by their community members as well. Each candidate will have the opportunity to speak at the opening ceremonies, and evening fireworks, and you will find them volunteering and assisting guests at the festival. Each candidate has their own specific goals and priorities to help give back to their communities so if you see them around this year’s festival, be sure to say hello! You can find full bios of this year’s youth candidates and Parade Marshalls on our website. We can’t wait to welcome you to this year’s festival!

throughout the festival, including the Valley Ghosts walking tour on May 25th and a family foam party on May 27th. The festival wraps up on May 29th, culminating in a barn dance at the Old ‘O’.

It is worth noting that the Annapolis Valley is a beautiful area to visit in May, with the apple trees in full bloom. However, with the influx of tourists, it is important to drive carefully and be mindful of the road. Despite the potential traffic, taking the time to stop and appreciate the beauty of the valley is well worth it.

In closing, the Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival is a special event that has been cherished by the community for almost 90 years. While the festival itself is well-known, there are still hidden gems within it that make it truly unique. Additionally, May is full of other fun and meaningful days worth celebrating, making it a special month overall.

INTRODUCTION OF THE FIRST HOME SAVINGS ACCOUNT

Rick

Irwin

With real estate prices having soared in recent years far more than wages, and now high interest rates further pushing costs up, affordable housing is one of the biggest problems facing Canadians today. The recent federal budget officially launched a new program to try and help first-time home buyers save for a down payment.

The First Home Savings Account (FHSA) is technically available April 1st but it will likely take most financial firms a few months to coordinate systems and paperwork to begin accepting deposits. This new program will allow qualifying individuals to invest up to $8000 a year, and $40,000 cumulative, into a tax-sheltered plan. Contributions will be tax-deductible, the same as RSPs, and withdrawals used to buy a first home will be tax free. Unlike the current RSP First Time Home Buyers Savings Plan (FTHBSP), where you can redeem funds from your RSP tax-free to buy your first home, there is no requirement to repay funds taken out of this plan.

You are deemed to be a qualifying individual if you meet the following requirements at the time the account is opened: 18 years of age or older, a resident of Canada, a first-time home buyer. The definition of first-time home buyer is the same as the RSP First Time Home Buyers Savings Plan. You are considered a qualifying first-time home buyer if, at any time in the calendar year before the account is opened or at any time in the preceding four calendar years, you did not live in a primary resident that either you owned or jointly owned or your spouse or common-law partner (at the time the account is opened) owned or jointly owned.

The maximum participation period for the FHSA begins the year that you open your first FHSA plan and ends on December 31 of the year in which the earliest of the following events occur:

the 15th anniversary of opening your first FHSA

• the year you turn 71 years of age the year following your first qualifying withdrawal from your FHSA

If you have not used the funds in your FHSA by that time, you can transfer the funds from your FHSA on a tax-free basis to your Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) without impacting your RRSP contribution room, or to your Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF). Otherwise, you can withdraw funds from your FHSA, but in that circumstance your withdrawal will be taxed. Unlike the RSP FTHBSP, which has a $35,000 per person withdrawal limit, the FHSA has a $40,000 contribution limit. You can withdraw, tax-free, whatever amount the FHSA grows to, making it ultimately a potentially much larger pool from which to draw from. The same investment options will exist for the FHSA as RRSPs and TFSAs: stocks, bonds, GICs, mutual funds, EFTs and most other investment vehicles. Unlike RRSPs, contributions made in the first 60 days of a given calendar year cannot be allocated to the previous tax year.

You will only be able to make contributions to your own First Home Savings Account; there isn’t a Spousal option. However, attribution rules will not apply to amounts received by a spouse or common-law partner that are contributed to an FHSA. This means that any investment earnings in your FHSA will not be added to your or your spouse’s taxable income regardless of whether you or your spouse fund the contribution, as long as they are used to purchase a qualifying home.

Important! Unlike the RSP, where contribution room is automatically generated based on employment income, and a TFSA, where contribution room accrues based on being the age of majority and a Canadian tax-payer, to earn FHSA contribution room, you must open

a plan. Once opened, unused contribution room carries forward to the next year. Anyone who may be thinking of buying a home should open a plan as soon as they are eligible, even if they just contribute a nominal amount, say $1000, to begin earning contribution room. Funds can be transferred on a tax-free basis from an RSP to a FHSA, and any transfers reduce your FHSA contribution room dollar-for-dollar. The transfer of property from an RRSPs to an FHSA will not restore unused RRSP deduction room. More information is pending on how these inter-plan transfers will take place and whether the CRA will be creating a specific form to facilitate the process.

If you contribute or transfer to your FHSAs more than your allowable contribution room for the year, you will have an excess FHSA amount. Like TFSA and RSP overcontributions, there will be a penalty tax equal to 1% of the highest excess FHSA amount in the month, for each month that the excess remains in the account.

Unlike the First Time Home Buyers Savings Plan, there is no minimum holding period for FHSA contributions to be deductible and eligible for withdrawal. You are able to participate in both the RRSP First Time Home Buyers Savings Plan and the First Home Savings Account. If you are saving towards the purchase of a first home, and can only invest $5000 new money in a given year, a good planning strategy would be to move the other $3000 from an RSP if you already have funds in an RSP designated for a planned First-Time Home Buyers Savings Plan withdrawal.

As with any financial planning strategy, it is best to work with a financial professional and consider all of the options available. We will let you know when this new plan is available through Investia. In the meantime, we would be very happy to help answer any questions on this new savings account.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Before forming the band called The Beatles, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney performed under various other names: the Quarrymen, Japage 3, and Johnny and the Moondogs. I suspect you are currently at your own equivalent of the Johnny and the Moondogs phase. You’re building momentum. You’re gathering the tools and resources you need. But you have not yet found the exact title, descriptor, or definition for your enterprise. I suggest you be extra alert for its arrival in the coming weeks.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I’ve selected a passage to serve as one of your prime themes during the rest of 2023. It comes from poet Jane Shore. She writes, “Now I feel I am learning how to grow into the space I was always meant to occupy, into a self I can know.” Dear Taurus, you will have the opportunity to grow ever-more assured and selfpossessed as you embody Shore’s description in the coming months. Congratulations in advance on the progress you will make to more fully activate your soul’s code.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Georges Rouault (1871-1958) was a Gemini painter who bequeathed the world over 3,000 works of art. There might have been even more. But years before he died, he burned 315 of his unfinished paintings. He felt they were imperfect, and he would never have time or be motivated to finish them. I think the coming weeks would be a good time for you to enjoy a comparable purge, Gemini. Are there things in your world that don’t mean much to you anymore and are simply taking up space? Consider the possibility of freeing yourself from their stale energy.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Britain occupied India for almost 200 years. It was a ruthless and undemocratic exploitation that steadily drained India’s wealth and resources. Mahatma Gandhi wasn’t the only leader who fought British oppression, but he was among the most effective. In 1930, he led a 24-day, 240-mile march to protest the empire’s tyrannical salt tax. This action was instrumental in energizing the Indian independence movement that ultimately culminated in India’s freedom. I vote to make Gandhi one of your inspirational role models in the coming months. Are you ready to launch a liberation project? Stage a constructive rebellion? Martial the collaborative energies of your people in a holy cause?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): As crucial as it is to take responsibility, it is also essential to recognize where our responsibilities end and what should be left for others to do. For example, we usually shouldn’t do work for other people that they can just as easily do for themselves. We shouldn’t sacrifice doing the work that only we can do and get sidetracked doing work that many people can do. To be effective and to find fulfillment in life, it’s vital for us to discover what truly needs to be within our care and what should be outside of our care. I see the coming weeks as a favorable time for you to clarify the boundary between these two.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo-born Marie Laveau (1801–1881) was a powerful Voodoo priestess, herbalist, activist, and midwife in New Orleans. According to legend, she could walk on water, summon clairvoyant visions, safely suck the poison out of a snake’s jowls, and cast spells to help her clients achieve their heart’s desires. There is also a wealth of more tangible evidence that she was a community activist who healed the sick, volunteered as an advocate for prisoners, provided free teachings, and did rituals for needy people who couldn’t pay her. I hereby assign her to be your inspirational role model for the coming weeks. I suspect you will have extra power to help people in both mysterious and practical ways.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): What are the best methods to exorcize our personal demons, ghosts, and goblins? Or at least subdue them and neutralize their ill effects? We all have such phantoms at work in our psyches, corroding our confidence and undermining our intentions. One approach I don’t recommend is to get mad at yourself for having these interlopers. Never do that. The demons’ strategy, you see, is to manipulate you into being mean and cruel to yourself. To drive

them away, I suggest you shower yourself with love and kindness. That seriously reduces their ability to trick you and hurt you—and may even put them into a deep sleep. Now is an excellent time to try this approach.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): As she matured, Scorpio poet Sylvia Plath wrote, “I am learning how to compromise the wild dream ideals and the necessary realities without such screaming pain.” I believe you’re ready to go even further than Plath was able to, dear Scorpio. In the coming weeks, you could not merely “compromise” the wild dream ideals and the necessary realities. You could synergize them and get them to collaborate in satisfying ways. Bonus: I bet you will accomplish this feat without screaming pain. In fact, you may generate surprising pleasures that delight you with their revelations.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Some primates use herbal and clay medicines to self-medicate. Great apes, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas ingest a variety of ingredients that fight against parasitic infection and help relieve various gastrointestinal disturbances. (More info: https:// tinyurl.com/PrimatesSelfMedicate.) Our ancestors learned the same healing arts, though far more extensively. And many Indigenous people today still practice this kind of self-care. With these thoughts in mind, Sagittarius, I urge you to spend quality time in the coming weeks deepening your understanding of how to heal and nurture yourself. The kinds of “medicines” you might draw on could be herbs, and may also be music, stories, colors, scents, books, relationships, and adventures.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The mythic traditions of all cultures are replete with tales of clashes and combats. If we draw on these tales to deduce what activity humans enjoy more than any other, we might conclude that it’s fighting with each other. But I hope you will avoid this normal habit as much as possible during the next three weeks, Capricorn. I am encouraging you to actively repress all inclinations to tangle. Just for now, I believe you will cast a wildly benevolent magic spell on your mental and physical health if you avoid arguments and skirmishes. Here’s a helpful tip: In each situation you’re involved in, focus on sustaining a vision of the most graceful, positive outcome.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Is there a person who could serve as your Über Mother for a while? This would be a wise and tender maternal ally who gives you the extra nurturing you need, along with steady doses of warm, crisp advice on how to weave your way through your labyrinthine decisions. Your temporary Über Mother could be any gender, really. They would love and accept you for exactly who you are, even as they stoke your confidence to pursue your sweet dreams about the future. Supportive and inspirational. Reassuring and invigorating. Championing you and consecrating you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Congratulations on acquiring the Big New Riddle! I trust it will inspire you to grow wiser and kinder and wilder over the coming months. I’ve compiled some clues to help you unravel and ultimately solve this challenging and fascinating mystery. 1. Refrain from calling on any strength that’s stingy or pinched. Ally yourself solely with generous power. 2. Avoid putting your faith in trivial and irrelevant “benefits.” Hold out for the most soulful assistance. 3. The answer to key questions may often be, “Make new connections and enhance existing connections.”

Homework: Name three wonderful things you want to be experiencing one year from today.

© 2023 Rob Brezsny • freewillastrology.com

* Shaded events take place weekly

THURSDAY, 4

Babies and Books — Library, Windsor 10:30–11am • Join other babies and their caregivers to enjoy stories, songs, and rhymes together. Registration not required. TIX: Free Farmers Market — Greenwood Mall, Greenwood 12–4pm

• TIX: Free INFO: 902-847-5311

Irish Set Dancing — Bishop Hall, Greenwich 1–3pm • Fun afternoon of dancing to traditional Irish music! TIX: $5/ person INFO: 902-679-9267

Genealogy 101 — Kings County Museum, Kentville 1:30–3:30pm • Learn methods & resources to uncover your family roots. 6 week course, 2 hours weekly, registration fee includes Kings Historical Society Membership. TIX: $100 INFO: 902-678-6237

Caregiver Support Group — Library, Kingston 2:15–4:15pm • Facilitated by trained staff members who offer a confidential, friendly atmosphere for you to discuss your experiences.

TIX: Free Habitat for Humanity — Bridgetown & Area Library, Bridgetown 3:30–4:30pm • This is a five-part series based on various aspects of working with Habitat for Humanity helping to build homes in El Salvador. TIX: Free 10/4 KTown, Community Policing — Fire Hall, Kentville 4–7:30pm • Come talk to us about community policing and safety in K-Town! TIX: Free INFO: 902-599-1373 Learn to Sew — Library, Kingston 5:30–7:45pm • An introduction to sewing, a progressive program for beginner sewers. Ages 18+, registration is required. TIX: Free Music with Guy Paul Thibault — Longfellow Restaurant, Grand Pre 6–9pm • TIX: Free INFO: 902-697-2163

Book League — Library, Kentville 6:30–7:30pm • Join us to discuss this month’s book in an informal and openminded group, registration is required. TIX: Free Trivia for Charity — Sydney Street Pub and Cafe, Digby 7pm • The winning team gets to choose the favourite local charity! TIX: Free INFO: 902-245-1066

Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back — The Mermaid, Windsor 7pm • TIX: $14 INFO: 902-798-5841

Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Jr. — Evangeline Middle School, New Minas 7–8:30pm • TIX: Suggested Donation $5/Person or $15-$20/Family Death by Fatal Murder — CentreStage Theatre, Kentville 7:30pm • A murder mystery spoof by Peter Gordon: Inspector Pratt and Miss Maple return to investigate another murder. TIX: $18/Adults, $15/Students & Seniors, $7/Children INFO: 902-678-8040

Mear with Special Guest Pat Lepoidevin — The Church Brewing Company, Wolfville 8pm • TIX: $20+HST INFO: 902-542-2337

FRIDAY, 5

Babies and Books — Library, Kingston 10–10:30am • Each week caregivers and their babies are invited to visit us for quiet stories, rhymes, and songs. TIX: Free Fibre Ops — Library, Windsor 10am–12pm • Bring your own project and we’ll all work together! All skill levels welcome, no experience necessary. TIX: Free 3rd Annual Chicken BBQ — Fire Hall, Greenwich 11am–6:30pm • TIX: $15 INFO: 902-698-9179

Crafty Connections — Bridgetown & Area Library, Bridgetown 1:30–3pm • Create fantastic fabric flowers from scraps. Materials supplied, ages 18+, registration required. TIX: Free

Camper Escape Room — Berwick and District Library, Berwick 2:30–7pm • Three 45-minute escape room sessions: 2:30-3:15pm; 3:30-4:15pm; 6:15-7:00pm. Ages 10+, registration required. TIX: Free Lego Club — Library, Kingston 3:30–4:30pm • Join us and build something amazing using our gigantic collection of LEGO. Ages 8-12, registration required. TIX: Free

Bernie Zinck — Kings Arms Pub, Kentville 5:30–9:30pm

• TIX: Free

Joe H. Henry — Lew Murphy’s Smoke & BBQ, New Minas 6–9pm

• TIX: Free

Guy Paul — Kings Arms Commons, Wolfville 6–10pm •

TIX: Free

Annual Spring Bingo — Lawrencetown Consolidated School, Lawrencetown 6pm • 15 games, Cookie Jar, 50/50, door prizes and food! TIX: $5/Bingo Book INFO: 902-584-4500

Opening Gala for the Great Little Art Show — Avon River Heritage Museum, Newport Landing 7–10pm • Features work by 27 local artists. hors d’oeuvres by Chef Mandolyn, paired with Avondale Sky Winery & Hill Top Hops Brewery. TIX: $10/Adults, Free/Children INFO: 902-757-1718

Feel Good Friday with Jason & Johnny — Millstone Harvest Brewhouse, Sheffield Mills 7–9pm • TIX: Free INFO: 902-582-2337

Art Show Opening — Tides Contemporary Art Gallery, Kentville 7–8pm

• TIX: Free INFO: 902-385-7388

Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Jr. — Evangeline Middle School, New Minas 7–8:30pm TIX: Suggested, $5/ Person or $15-$20/Family

Paul Ryan — Sydney Street Pub and Cafe, Digby 7:30pm

• TIX: Free INFO: 902-245-1066

Open Mic — Schoolhouse Brewery, Windsor 7:30–10pm

Full Moon Ecstatic Dance — The Temple at Bridge to Paradise, Bridgetown 7:30–8pm • Featuring DJ JustinCredible, life-affirming and healing. No expertise required, no alcohol.

TIX: $20 INFO: 902-308-1011

Ballet Jorgen — Festival Theatre, Wolfville 7:30–9:30pm

• A mixed program that showcases highlights from major Ballet Jorgen productions. TIX: $40/Adults, $15/ Students INFO: 902-542-5500

Death by Fatal Murder — CentreStage Theatre, Kentville 7:30pm • A murder mystery spoof by Peter Gordon: Inspector Pratt and Miss Maple return to investigate another murder. TIX: $18/Adults, $15/Students & Seniors, $7/Children

INFO: 902-678-8040

Karaoke — West Side Charlies, New Minas 9pm–1am •

TIX: Free INFO: 681-9378

Remembering Folk Artist Denny Lunn — 7 Arts, Greenwood 11–4pm • An exhibit of paintings on found items. TIX: Free INFO: 902-765-7278

SATURDAY, 6

Coronation Day Celebration — Macdonald Museum, Middleton 6–10am

• TIX: $15/Person INFO: 902-825-6116

Yard Sale — St. Anthony’s Church, Berwick 8am–1:30pm

• TIX: Free INFO: 902-538-3194

Breakfast — Lions Club, Berwick 8–10am

Adult, $5/Children

INFO: 902-844-1440

• TIX: $10/

Breakfast — Lions Club, Kentville 8–10:30am

• TIX: $10/

Adult, $5/Children

INFO: 902-679-2367

Farmers’ Market — Farmers Market, Wolfville 8:30am–1pm

• Fresh food, artisan crafts, and more!

TIX: Free INFO: 902-697-3344

Rain Barrel Sale — Rohan Wood Stables, Aylesford 9am–2pm

•

TIX: $75 INFO: 902-670-8402

Craft Market & Luncheon — Community Hall, Morden 10am–4pm

•

TIX: Free INFO: 902-847-3362

Watercolour Workshop — Stony Bay Studio, Margaretsville 10am–3pm

• Join Aprille Janes for a live workshop learning the joys of watercolours, beginners welcome! TIX: $80 INFO: 902-824-1926

Author Reading: Susan Surette-Draper — Murdoch C. Smith Memorial Library, Port Williams 10:30–11:30am

• Reading from her book, Refuge, a story of love, loss, and survival in Acadie. Registration required. TIX: Free

For the Love of Lichen and Old Forests, Opening Reception — ARTSPLACE, Annapolis Royal 11am–2pm

• Opening reception, selected artists, artisans & citizen scientists. TIX: Free INFO: 902-532-7069

Take a Break / Connie Lowe-Parker, Opening Reception — ARTSPLACE, Annapolis Royal 11am–2pm • Connie LoweParker, past & current work with flowers, scenery, birds, butterflies & other critters. TIX: Free INFO: 902-532-7069

Book Signing with Amanda Peters — Coles, New Minas 12:30–2pm

• Signing copies of her debut novel The Berry Pickers. TIX: Free

The Acoustic Jam — T.A.N. Coffee, Windsor 1–2:30pm

• Bring your instrument and play/sing, or just enjoy awesome coffee, food, and music! TIX: Free Botanical Art Presentation and Demonstration — Library, Kentville 1:30–3pm • See artwork and demonstrations by the Botanical Artists of Nova Scotia Association (BANSA). TIX: Free Gypsy Minstrel — West Side Charlies, New Minas 2–5pm

• TIX: Free INFO: 681-9378

Carter Lake — The Library Pub, Wolfville 2–5pm

• TIX:

Free Coronation Afternoon Tea — Digby Pines, Digby 2–4pm

TIX: $39/Person INFO: 800-667-4637

Art Talk with Brandt Eisner — ARTSPLACE, Annapolis Royal 2–3pm

• Discussing his work, process, and the experience of growing up queer in a rural setting. TIX:

Free INFO: 902-532-7069

International Potluck Dinner — Louis Millet Community Complex, New Minas 5:30–7pm

• Come on out and meet your new neighbours and enjoy awesome food!

TIX: Free INFO: 902-599-4445

Teen Takeover — Library, Kingston 6–7:45pm

• Star Wars themed week! Ages 13+, registration is required.

Free

Family Movie Night — Christian Fellowship Centre, Wilmot 6:30pm

• The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

TIX:

TIX: Free INFO: 902-765-2386

ArtCan Kitchen and Studios Presents: still; in motion

— 9850 Main Street, Canning 7–9pm

• New work by Monique Silver, everyone welcome! TIX: Free INFO: artcan.com

Moonbase Alpha — Kings Theatre, Annapolis Royal 7–9pm

• A sci-fi mystery unfolds on a remote outpost on the moon.

TIX: $15/Adults, $5/Youth INFO: 902-532-7704

Tide ‘n Timbre — Sydney Street Pub and Cafe, Digby 7:30pm

• TIX: Free INFO: 902-245-1066

Death by Fatal Murder — CentreStage Theatre, Kentville 7:30pm

• A murder mystery spoof by Peter Gordon: Inspector Pratt and Miss Maple return to investigate another murder. TIX: $18/Adults, $15/Students & Seniors, $7/Children INFO: 902-678-8040

SpeakEasy: Shirley Jackson & Her Good Rockin’ Daddies

— Community Hall, West Brooklyn 8–11pm • TIX: $20 INFO: 902-385-5426

DJ Lethal Noize — West Side Charlies, New Minas 9pm–1am

• TIX: Free INFO: 681-9378

SUNDAY, 7

Seeing Double Kelly Mitchelmore Art Show — Kelly Mitchelmore Home Studio, Windsor 12–4pm • TIX: Free INFO: 902-306-0030

Frenchy Bag Day — Royal Canadian Legion, Canning 1–3:30pm • TIX: $5/Per Garbage Bag INFO: 902-582-3157

Fundraising Event — Lions Club, Canning 1–4pm • TIX: Donation INFO: 902-582-7286

Pottery Sale — Heritage Hall, Coldbrook 1–4pm • TIX: Free INFO: 902-698-2705

Sunday Music in the Garden Room — K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre, Wolfville 2–4pm • Beth Silver, cello & Jenna Richards, piano. A fascinating program from Rachmaninov to Nadia Boulanger, and Ukrainian art songs. TIX: Free INFO: 902-542-3484

Men of St. Anthony’s and Friends Choir — Christ Anglican Church, Berwick 2pm • TIX: Donation

Remembering Maureen Forrester — Festival Theatre, Wolfville 3–5pm • A vocal recital with Nancy DentonPeck and Walter Delahunt. TIX: $25 INFO: 902-542-2723

Moonbase Alpha — Kings Theatre, Annapolis Royal 3–5pm • A sci-fi mystery unfolds on a remote outpost on the moon. TIX: $15/Adults, $5/Youth INFO: 902-532-7704

Music Studio Recital — Wolfville Baptist Church, Wolfville 4–6pm • Students of Susan Dworkin, perform a wide range of piano and vocal music. TIX: $10/Suggested Donation INFO: 902-300-1001

MONDAY, 8

Storytime — Library, Annapolis Royal 10–11am • Preschool children and their caregivers are invited! TIX: Free

Movin’ and Groovin’ — Library, Kentville 1–1:45pm & 2–2:45pm

• Music and movement for children ages 0-5 and their guardians, registration required. TIX: Free Moses — United Baptist Church, Kentville 1:30–3:30pm & 7–9pm • A video presentation of the live theatre production by Sight and Sound Theatre, PA. TIX: Free INFO: 902-678-3162

Commercial Safety Collegby Information Session — PeopleWorx, Coldbrook 3:30–4:30pm • TIX: Free INFO: 866-609-9675

Art Lessons — 7 Arts, Greenwood 6–7:30pm • Comet Art by Jenna, experiment with texture, sketching and different art styles. TIX: $25/Class, $80/4 Classes INFO: 902-765-7278

Jam Session — Community Center, Port George 7–10pm

• TIX: $2

Valley Gardeners Club — NSCC Kingstec Campus, Kentville 7–9pm • Speaker: Carolyn Green, ‘The Butterflyway Project. TIX: Free INFO: 902-678-5008

TUESDAY, 9

Commercial Safety College- Information Session — PeopleWorx, Middleton 9–10am • TIX: Free INFO: 866-609-9675

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Escape Room — Rosa M. Harvey Middleton & Area Library, Middleton 10am–5pm • Five sessions to choose from: 10:00am; 11:30am; 1:00pm; 2:30pm; 4:00pm. Ages 6+, registration required. TIX: Free

Commercial Safety College- Information Session — PeopleWorx, Annapolis Royal 11am–12pm • TIX: Free INFO: 866-609-9675

Community Luncheon — Lions Club, Kingston 12–1pm

• TIX: $15/Eat-In or Takeout, $16/Delivery INFO: 902-765-2128

Kids Crafts — Isabel & Roy Jodrey Memorial Library, Hantsport 4–5pm • A different craft each session and all supplies are provided. For ages 6-10 years, registration is required. TIX: Free

Jiggs Dinner — Royal Canadian Legion, Kentville 5:30pm

• TIX: $20/Dinner, $15/Dinner and Evening Comedy Show with Tina Randell INFO: 902-678-8935

Writer’s Circle — Isabel & Roy Jodrey Memorial Library, Hantsport 6:30–8pm • Join others to help finish your novel, short story, or poem! TIX: Free

Song Circle Open Mic — Valley Community Learning Association, Kentville 6:30–8:30pm

• Bring your instrument, voice, story, or jokes! TIX: Free

The Rural Health Care Crisis. Let’s Talk About Problems & Solutions — Community Centre, Port Williams 7–9pm • Kings North NDP invites you to a free community discussion. TIX: Free INFO: 902-670-4287

DIY Paper Flowers — Library, Kingston 7–8pm • All materials supplied. Ages 16+, registration required. TIX: Free

Tina Randell Comedy Show — Royal Canadian Legion, Kentville 8pm • TIX: $25/Advanced, $30/Door INFO: 902-678-8935

WEDNESDAY, 10

Talk, Sing, Read! Storytime — Berwick and District Library, Berwick 9:45–10:15am • Share the fun and adventure of reading with your child. Ages 0-5. TIX: Free Paint / Ed Gnaedinger, Opening Exhibition — ARTSPLACE, Annapolis Royal 10am • TIX: Free INFO: 902-532-7069

Brought to you by

Open Mic — T.A.N. Coffee, Wolfville 6–9pm • Ross Chapman is carrying on the 11-yr tradition, this open mic remains a cozy acoustic open mic that is welcome to all!

TIX: Free INFO: 902-698-1660

Open Mic Night — Wayfarers’ Ale Brewery, Port Williams 7–10pm • TIX: Free

Dance for All - Ballet Jorgen — Kings Theatre, Annapolis Royal 7:30–9:30pm • Excerpts from Romeo & Juliet, Anne of Green Gables Ballet, and more! TIX: $35/Adults, Free/Youth INFO: 902-532-7704

Comedy Night with Jay Malone — Kings Arms Commons, Wolfville 8–9:30pm • TIX: $15/Advance, $20/Door INFO: 902-844-2875

THURSDAY, 11

Harry Potter Escape Room — Rosa M. Harvey Middleton & Area Library, Middleton 10am–5pm • Five sessions to choose from: 10:00am; 11:30am; 1:00pm; 2:30pm; 4:00pm. Ages 6+, registration required. TIX: Free HealthRHYTHMS Seniors Drum Circle — 7 Arts, Greenwood 1–2pm • Explore creativity through rhythms and wellness exercise. TIX: Free INFO: 902-765-7278

Open Studio — Avon River Heritage Museum, Newport Landing 2–5pm • Arrive with a project, join in the conversation, and let the majestic Avon River be your inspiration! TIX: Free INFO: 902-757-2233

The Knit Wits — Rosa M. Harvey Middleton & Area Library, Middleton 3–5pm • Whether you’ve been knitting for decades, or just started, its time to join the knit wits! Ages 18+, registration required. TIX: Free Take Away Turkey Supper — Three Rivers Community Centre, Torbrook 4:30–6pm • TIX: $18 INFO: 902-824-3605

Trivia Night — Longfellow Restaurant, Grand Pre 6–8pm • Groups of 2-10 compete in five rounds of fun filled trivia. TIX: Free INFO: 902-697-2163

Dungeons & Dragons: Next Gen — Isabel & Roy Jodrey Memorial Library, Hantsport 6–7:30pm • A bi-weekly D&D get-together for 11–15-year-olds who are new(ish) to the D&D world! Please register in advance so the Dungeon Master can plan accordingly. TIX: Free Death by Fatal Murder — CentreStage Theatre, Kentville 7:30pm • A murder mystery spoof by Peter Gordon: Inspector Pratt and Miss Maple return to investigate another murder. TIX: $18/Adults, $15/Students & Seniors, $7/Children INFO: 902-678-8040

FRIDAY, 12

Book Club — Berwick and District Library, Berwick 10–11am • This month we’ll be discussing The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab. Registration is required. TIX: Free

DIY Paper Flowers — Library, Annapolis Royal 12–1pm • All materials supplied. Ages 16+, registration required. TIX: Free

Mother’s Day Tea — Rosa M. Harvey Middleton & Area Library, Middleton 2pm • An elegant tea, fancy dress is encouraged, registration required. TIX: Free Sea Turtle Escape Room — Berwick and District Library, Berwick 2:30–7pm • Three 45-minute escape room sessions: 2:30-3:15; 3:30-4:15; 6:15-7:00. Ages 10+, registration required. TIX: Free

Jason Dodwell & Johnny MacNeil — Kings Arms Pub, Kentville 5:30–9:30pm • TIX: Free

Yoga with Linda MacLean — Avon River Heritage Museum, Newport Landing 6–7pm • Join musician, writer, and yogi Linda for a series of Dharma drop-in classes. TIX: $10 or PWYC INFO: 902-757-1718

Jester J. Brown — Lew Murphy’s Smoke & BBQ, New Minas 6–9pm • TIX: Free

Andy Webster — Kings Arms Commons, Wolfville 6–10pm • TIX: Free

Feel Good Friday with Inigo Cuartero — Millstone Harvest Brewhouse, Sheffield Mills 7–9pm • TIX: Free INFO: 902-582-2337

Friendly Heckler Podcast Live Taping w/ Aquakultre — The Union Street, Berwick 7pm • Songwriter, community builder and performer Aquakulture joins host Zakary Miller for a night of conversation and song. TIX: $20 INFO: 902-538-7787

Othello — Al Whittle Theatre, Wolfville 7pm • Othello is filmed live on the Lyttleton stage of the National Theatre. TIX: $17

Renfield — Kings Theatre, Annapolis Royal 7–9pm • In this modern monster tale of Dracula’s loyal servant, Nicholas Hoult stars as Renfield. TIX: $10.95/Adult, $6.95/Youth INFO: 902-532-7704

Jason Spinney from Wichitaw — Sydney Street Pub and Cafe, Digby 7:30pm • TIX: Free INFO: 902-245-1066

Death by Fatal Murder — CentreStage Theatre, Kentville 7:30pm • A murder mystery spoof by Peter Gordon: Inspector Pratt and Miss Maple return to investigate another murder. TIX: $18/Adults, $15/Students & Seniors, $7/Children INFO: 902-678-8040

The BLOOM Comedy Festival — Louis Millet Community Complex, New Minas 8–10:30pm • With headliner

NIKKI PAYNE! TIX: $22.50 +HST

Rawlins Cross — The Mermaid, Windsor 8–10pm • Since forming in the late 80s, the band has been fusing Celtic traditional music with rock, pop and worldbeat music. TIX: $39

• TIX: Free INFO: 902-472-4677

Night of 1000 Alaska 5000’s — Kings Arms Commons, Wolfville 8pm • Come celebrate Drag Icon Alaska with our local drag performer Queera. TIX: $15/EventBrite, $20/Door INFO: 905-302-2399

Farmers Market — Recreation Centre, Kentville 10am–1pm • TIX: Free INFO: 902-956-1822

SATURDAY, 13

Mother’s Day Breakfast — Inglisville Community Hall, Lawrencetown 8–10:30am • TIX: Donation INFO: 902-824-0746

Yard Sale — Old Holy Trinity Church, Middleton 8am–8pm • TIX: Free INFO: 902-825-3337

Trauma Informed Care Workshop — Kentville Baptist Church and Virtually 9am–4pm • For all trauma survivors, family, friends, and supporters of survivors of trauma. Sponsored by Survivors of Abuse Recovering, registration required. TIX: Free INFO: angela.wallace@survivorsofabuserecovering.ca

Mother’s Day Cookie Class — Macdonald Museum, Middleton 10am–12pm • TIX: $45 INFO: 902-825-6116

Cozy Corner Storytime — Isabel & Roy Jodrey Memorial Library, Hantsport 10–11am • Songs, stories, games, and crafts for ages 2-6 and their caregivers. TIX: Free Crafts — Rosa M. Harvey Middleton & Area Library, Middleton 10:30–11:30am • Craft something new and interactive each week. Open to ages 5-12, registration is required. TIX: Free

Makers Space — 7 Arts, Greenwood 12–4pm • Creative fun and seasonal crafts for all ages, all supplies included. Register by email. TIX: $5/Project INFO: 902-765-7278

Food Bank Drive BBQ — Jubilee Park, Bridgetown 1–5pm

• TIX: Free INFO: 902-389-1314

B And Boy Book Launch — The Bread Gallery, Brooklyn 2–4pm • Join us in the upper studio for a reading and signing. TIX: Free INFO: 902-757-3377

Mother’s Day Tea — Community Hall, Canaan 2–4pm • In memory of Helen Cousins. Free will offering, bake table, house plant and seed table. TIX: Free INFO: 902-691-1090

Can You Imagine That? — Horton High School, Greenwich 2–4pm • This fun concert will burst with the energy of those determined not to grow up! TIX: $20/Adults, $5/ Students

Kentville Writes — Library, Kentville 2:30–4:30pm • Join others for writing exercises, brainstorming, feedback, and encouragement. Registration is required. TIX: Free Kim Doolittle with Alex Constable — Dawn Oman Art Gallery, Bridgetown 7–9pm • Singing songs from her upcoming album “My New Old Hometown,” covers as well!

TIX: $20 INFO: 902-588-2002

Open Mic at the Brewhouse — Millstone Harvest Brewhouse, Sheffield Mills 7–9pm • Call or email us to sign up to perform! TIX: Free INFO: 902-582-2337

Fougere, Friends & Special Guests (Rachel MacLean and Ruth Manning) — White Family Funeral Home, Kentville 7–9pm • Fundraising Concert for Landmark East Student Bursary Fund. TIX: Donation INFO: 902-452-2237

Asian Heritage Month Concert — Al Whittle Theatre, Wolfville 7–9pm TIX: $15

Rawlins Cross — Kings Theatre, Annapolis Royal 7:30–9:30pm • Since forming in the late 80s, the band has been fusing Celtic traditional music with rock, pop and worldbeat music. TIX: $45/ Adults, $10/Youth INFO: 902-532-7704

The Fog — Sydney Street Pub and Cafe, Digby 7:30pm • TIX: Free INFO: 902-245-1066

Death by Fatal Murder — CentreStage Theatre, Kentville 7:30pm • A murder mystery spoof by Peter Gordon: Inspector Pratt and Miss Maple return to investigate another murder. TIX: $18/Adults, $15/Students & Seniors, $7/Children INFO: 902-678-8040

SpeakEasy: Sarah Pound / Joe H. Henry — Community Hall, West Brooklyn 8–11pm • TIX: $20 INFO: 902-385-5426

Rum Ragged, Newfoundland Music - Hook, Line & Sinker Tour — Digby Pines, Digby 8–10pm TIX: $65 INFO: 800-667-4637

The Stanfields — Evergreen Theatre, Margaretsville 8–10:30pm • TIX: $40/Adults, $30/Members, $35/ Military, $20/Students INFO: 902-825-6834

Drag Bingo — Lunn’s Mill Brewery, Lawrencetown 8pm • Queera Bang and Lunn’s Mill present No Tea, No Shade Let’s Play Drag Bingo! TIX: $20/Ticket, $1/3 Bingo Cards for Five Bingo Rounds INFO: 905-302-2399

1950’s Swing Dance — Community Centre, Port Williams 8–11pm • Ballroom & Latin dance, DJ Brian Collins, cash bar, hors d’oeuvres. TIX: $15/Person INFO: 902-385-9590

Patrick & Daniels — Lew Murphy’s Smoke & BBQ, New Minas 8:30–11:30pm TIX: Free

Matt Balsor — Lions Club, Kentville 9pm–12:30am • Celebrating 25 years of music, 2023 Farewell Tour. TIX: $10 per person INFO: 902-679-2367

Mothers Day Takeout Luncheon — Community Hall, Centrelea 11:30–1:30pm TIX: $15 INFO: 902-665-5155

SUNDAY, 14

Ginger Beer & LactoFerments Drinks — Community Hall, Harbourville 11am–1pm • Learn all about the fermentation process to create your own Ginger Beer & Seasonal Fruit Soda! TIX: $55 INFO: 514-715-8502

Meadowview Farm Music Series — Community Hall, Centre Burlington 1–3pm • TIX: Donation INFO: 902-757-2121

Death by Fatal Murder — CentreStage Theatre, Kentville 2pm • A murder mystery spoof by Peter Gordon: Inspector Pratt and Miss Maple return to investigate another murder. TIX: $18/Adults, $15/Students & Seniors, $7/Children INFO: 902-678-8040

Mia Momma! Variety Show — Kings Theatre, Annapolis Royal 3–4:30pm • TIX: Donation INFO: 902-532-7704

Nova Voce presents O Canada — Wolfville Baptist Church, Wolfville 3–4:45pm • Nova Scotia’s Provincial men’s choir, presents O Canada! TIX: $25/Adults, $10/Youth, Free/Children

MONDAY, 15

Movin’ and Groovin’ — Library, Kentville 1–1:45pm & 2–2:45pm • Music and movement for children ages 0-5 and their guardians, registration required. TIX: Free Teen Scene — Murdoch C. Smith Memorial Library, Port Williams 6:30–7:30pm • Join other teens for activities tailored to your interests! Ages 12-17, registration is required. TIX: Free

Kings Chorale Singer’s Choice — Wolfville Baptist Church, Wolfville 7:30–9pm • TIX: $25/Adults, $10/Students, Free/Children

TUESDAY, 16

Committee of the Whole — Municipality of the County of Kings, Coldbrook 9am TIX: Free INFO: 888-337-2999

Sing with Valley Voices — United Baptist Church, Kentville 7–9:30pm TIX: Free

Cozy Read-A-Loud — Rosa M. Harvey Middleton & Area Library, Middleton 7–8pm • Open to ages 9-15, registration required. TIX: Free

WEDNESDAY, 17

5th Annual KVRC Volunteer Leadership Symposium — Kingstec Community College 9am–3:15pm • Entitled “Embracing our Lessons Learned from Covid” includes Keynote speaker, Anika Voltan, plus six educational workshops to choose from. TIX: $10 INFO: kingsvolunteerresourcecentre.ca

DIY Paper Flowers — Dr. Frank W. Morse Memorial Library, Lawrencetown 11am–12pm • Create fun spring wall decor with paper. All materials supplied. Ages 16+, registration required. TIX: Free Sewing Club — Memorial Library, Wolfville 5–7pm • We offer space, equipment, and instruction for no charge. Registration required. TIX: Free Crokinole Tournament — The Library Pub, Wolfville 7–10pm

• TIX: $10 Entry fee.

Comedy Night with Jay Malone — Lew Murphy’s Smoke & BBQ, New Minas 8–9:30pm • TIX: $15/Advanced, $20/Door INFO: 902-844-2875

THURSDAY, 18

Music with Matt Millett — Longfellow Restaurant, Grand Pre 6–9pm • TIX: Free INFO: 902-697-2163

Spring Paint Night — Berwick and District Library, Berwick 6–7:30pm

• Instructor Kathy Williams leads this springthemed paint night. All materials supplied, registration required. TIX: Free

FRIDAY, 19

Stranger Things Escape Room — Berwick and District Library, Berwick 2:30–7pm • Three 45-minute escape room sessions: 2:30-3:15; 3:30-4:15; 6:15-7:00. Ages 10+, registration required. TIX: Free Guy Paul — Kings Arms Pub, Kentville 5:30–9:30pm • TIX: Free Jesse Potter — Kings Arms Commons, Wolfville 6–10pm

• TIX: Free Man In Plaid — Millstone Harvest Brewhouse, Sheffield Mills 7–9pm

• TIX: Free INFO: 902-483-9261

Caristaux - Acadian Night — Sydney Street Pub and Cafe, Digby 7:30pm

• A mix of toe tapping, old timem and downeast fiddle tunes, Cajun & Acadian. TIX: Free INFO: 902-245-1066

Death by Fatal Murder — CentreStage Theatre, Kentville 7:30pm • A murder mystery spoof by Peter Gordon: Inspector Pratt and Miss Maple return to investigate another murder. TIX: $18/Adults, $15/Students & Seniors, $7/Children INFO: 902-678-8040 smiling boy + The Goodbye Summer — Paddy’s Pub, Wolfville 9–12pm

• TIX: $10 INFO: 506-886-8387

SATURDAY, 20

Big Breakfast — Lions Club, Wolfville 8–10am

• TIX: $10/ Adults, $4/Children Under 10

3rd Annual Scout Group Yard Sale — Community Hall, Sweet’s Corner 8am–4pm

• TIX: Free INFO: 902-798-4576

Plant Sale — Fire Hall, New Minas 8:30am–12:30pm

• A wide variety of annuals, perennials, shrubs and vegetable transplants. Please bring boxes TIX: Free INFO: 902-678-5008

Yard Sale — St. James Anglican Church, Kentville 9am–1pm

• TIX: Free INFO: 902-678-3123

Book/Plant Sale Fundraiser — Merritt Gibson Library, Canning 10am–1pm

• Plant and book sale, houseplants, herbs, spring blooms, coffee, perennials, baked goods, raffle and more. TIX: Free INFO: 902-582-7699

Ticket Auction — Lions Club, Kentville 11am–4pm TIX: Free INFO: 902-679-2367

For Pete’s Snakes — Bad Eyes Gallery, Kentville 12–2pm

• Far from monsters, snakes are actually shy, gentle creatures who can be relaxing, comical & absolutely adorable! TIX: Donation

Check ‘Em Out Book Club — Rosa M. Harvey Middleton & Area Library, Middleton 1–2pm • Open to ages 18+, registration is required. TIX: Free

The Super Mario Bros. — Kings Theatre, Annapolis Royal 3–5pm

• A Brooklyn plumber named Mario travels through the Mushroom Kingdom. TIX: $10.95/Adult, $6.95/Youth INFO: 902-532-7704

DIY Paper Flowers — Memorial Library, Wolfville 3–4pm

• Create fun spring wall decor with paper. Ages 16+, registration required. TIX: Free

Laura Roy — Sea-Esta, Canning (Delhaven) 7–9pm • An intimate acoustic performance - two-time Grammy Nominated Nova Scotian. TIX: $30 INFO: 902-692-1662

Delusion Road — Sydney Street Pub and Cafe, Digby 7:30pm • A mix of blues, rock and country. Guitar and vocals by Wayne Morris, Bill LeBlanc on percussion, Claude on harmonica. TIX: Free INFO: 902-245-1066

Death by Fatal Murder — CentreStage Theatre, Kentville 7:30pm

• A murder mystery spoof by Peter Gordon: Inspector Pratt and Miss Maple return to investigate another murder. TIX: $18/ Adults, $15/Students & Seniors (65+), $7/Children Under 12 INFO: 902-678-8040

SpeakEasy: Saucy Jack — Community Hall, West Brooklyn 8–11pm • TIX: $15 INFO: 902-385-5426

SUNDAY, 21

This is Elton — Kings Theatre, Annapolis Royal 7:30–9:30pm • Las Vegas award-winner and United Kingdom-born Dave La Fame delivers an authentic and compelling vocal performance. TIX: $45/Adults, $15/Youth INFO: 902-532-7704

TUESDAY, 23

Stories and Somersaults! — Library, Kingston 10:30–11:30am • Enjoy stories and songs with actions in this story time with a physical literacy twist. For ages 3-5.

TIX: Free

Senior Sing-Along — Rosa M. Harvey Middleton & Area Library, Middleton 1:30–2:30pm • Choir leader Wendy brings the joy of singing to seniors with decades of life experiences and memories tied to music. TIX: Free

Kids Crafts — Isabel & Roy Jodrey Memorial Library, Hantsport 4–5pm • A different craft each session and all supplies are provided. For ages 6-10 years, registration is required. TIX: Free Knitting Nook — Bridgetown & Area Library, Bridgetown 6:30–8pm • Enjoy knitting and socializing! Ages 18+, registration required. TIX: Free

WEDNESDAY, 24

Information Session for Seniors — Rosa M. Harvey Middleton & Area Library, Middleton 10:30–11:30am • Annapolis MLA Carman Kerr discusses rebates, benefits, and supports for seniors and their loved ones. TIX: Free Book Club — Library, Kingston 1–2pm • Pick up a copy of this month’s book at the Kingston, registration is required. TIX: Free

Your Library Online — Murdoch C. Smith Memorial Library, Port Williams 1:30–2:30pm • Our Digital Literacy Instructor will walk you through borrowing from our online collection, registration required. TIX: Free

THURSDAY, 25

Your Library Online — Library, Kentville 11am–12pm • Our Digital Literacy Instructor will walk you through borrowing from our online collection, registration required. TIX: Free The Knit Wits — Rosa M. Harvey Middleton & Area Library, Middleton 3–5pm • Whether you’ve been knitting for decades, or just started, its time to join the knit wits! Ages 18+, registration required. TIX: Free Sewing Club — Memorial Library, Wolfville 5–7pm • We offer space, equipment, and instruction, bring a project to work on! Registration required. TIX: Free Trivia Night with Adara — Longfellow Restaurant, Grand Pre 6–8pm • TIX: Free INFO: 902-697-2163

Dungeons & Dragons: Next Gen — Isabel & Roy Jodrey Memorial Library, Hantsport 6–7:30pm • A bi-weekly D&D get-together for 11–15-year-olds who are new(ish) to the D&D world! Please register in advanc. TIX: Free Apple Blossom Kentville Ghost Walk — Main Street Station, 7:45pm • Join Jerome the Gravekeeper and his ghostly friends in the Devil’s Half Acre. TIX: $25/Adults, $20/Students INFO: valleyghostwalks.com

FRIDAY, 26

Your Library Online — Library, Kingston 12–1pm • Our Digital Literacy Instructor will walk you through borrowing from our online collection, registration required. TIX: Free Crafty Connections — Bridgetown & Area Library, Bridgetown 1:30–3pm • Create envelopes and scrapbooks from paper. All materials supplied. Ages 18+, registration required. TIX: Free

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Escape Room — Berwick and District Library, Berwick 2:30–7pm • Three 45-minute escape room sessions: 2:30-3:15; 3:30-4:15; 6:15-7:00. Ages 10+, registration required. TIX: Free

Greeting Card Group — Rosa M. Harvey Middleton & Area Library, Middleton 3–4pm • Follow guided instructions to create a beautiful greeting card each meeting. Open to ages 18+, registration required. TIX: Free

Your Library Online — Berwick and District Library, Berwick 3–4pm • Our Digital Literacy Instructor will walk you through borrowing from our online collection, registration required. TIX: Free

Feel Good Friday - Regular Joe — Millstone Harvest Brewhouse, Sheffield Mills 4–6pm TIX: Free INFO: 902-582-2337

Rotisserie Chicken Takeout Supper — Lions Club, Wolfville 4:30–6pm

• TIX: $15/Adults, $8/Children Under 10 INFO: 902-542-4508

Matt Millett — Kings Arms Pub, Kentville 5:30–9:30pm TIX: Free

Girl Power! — Bridgetown & Area Library, Bridgetown 6–8pm

• Food, snacks, crafts, talk about books, play games, hang out.

Ages 10-18, registration required. TIX: Free

Terry Jagger — Kings Arms Commons, Wolfville 6–10pm TIX: Free

Fundraiser Crib Tournament — Royal Canadian Legion, Kentville 7pm TIX: $22/Team INFO: 902-678-8935

Best of Enemies — Al Whittle Theatre, Wolfville 7pm • Jeremy

Herrin (All My Sons) directs this blistering political thriller, filmed live in London’s West End. TIX: $17

Rhinestone Romeos — Kings Theatre, Annapolis Royal 7:30–9:30pm • A special fundraiser event in support of the Port Royal Lighthouse. TIX: $35/Adults $35 $5/Youth INFO: 902-532-7704

Bob Marshall and The Crew — Sydney Street Pub and Cafe, Digby 7:30pm • TIX: Free INFO: 902-245-1066

SATURDAY, 27

Parish Breakfast — St. James Anglican Church, Kentville 8–10am • TIX: $10/Person INFO: 902-678-3123

Apple Blossom Breakfast — Lions Club, Kentville 8–10:30am • TIX: $10/Adults, $5/Children Under 10 INFO: 902-679-2367

Farmer’s Market Opening Day — North Mountain United Tapestry, Harbourville 9:30am–1pm • 20+ vendors, live Music by Tyler Salsman. TIX: Free

How to Reduce Your Lawn to Support Pollinators and Diversity — Murdoch C. Smith Memorial Library, Port Williams 10:30–11:30am • Practical ideas from a Master Gardener for covering lawns with native plants that help pollinators. Registration required. TIX: Free

Lydia & Sally Cafe Takeover with Chef Mandolyn — Avon River Heritage Museum, Newport Landing 11am–3pm • A 3-course brunch fundraiser in support of our facility. TIX: $25/Person INFO: 902-757-1271

Craft Time for Adults: Fabric Flowers — Library, Annapolis Royal 11am–12pm • All materials supplied, registration is required.

TIX: Free Author Reading: Jill MacLean — Library, Windsor 2–3pm • Author Jill MacLean will read from her novel, The Arrows of Mercy. Copies will be available for sale, registration required.

TIX: Free

Latin Dance Lesson (Kizomba) — YogaLife, Wolfville 7–8:30pm • Come join Latin dance Lessons (Kizomba). Everyone welcome, no experience or partner necessary. TIX: $15/Person

Open Mic at the Brewhouse — Millstone Harvest Brewhouse, Sheffield Mills 7–9pm • Join us for some live local talent! Call or email us to sign up to perform! TIX: Free INFO: 902-582-2337

Apple of my Eye — Al Whittle Theatre, Wolfville 7–9pm • Fabulous theatre, music, comedy, & dance acts! TIX: $10 Dark Blonde — Sydney Street Pub and Cafe, Digby 7:30pm • TIX: Free INFO: 902-245-1066

SpeakEasy: Voodoo Charmers — Community Hall, West Brooklyn 8–11pm • TIX: $15 INFO: 902-385-5426

The Divorcees: The Outlaw Tribute Show — The Mermaid, Windsor 8–10pm • TIX: $38

DeeDee Austin opening act Joe Henry — Evergreen Theatre, Margaretsville 8–10:30pm • A 17-year-old Indigenous singer/ songwriter whose infectious energy, dynamic stage presence and authentic songwriting is creating fans across Canada. TIX: $35/Adults, $25/Members, $30/Military, $20/Students INFO: 902-825-6834

DJ Gizmo Video Party — West Side Charlies, New Minas 9pm–1am • TIX: Free INFO: 681-9378

SUNDAY, 28

Stage Makeup w/ Steph Peaks — Kings Theatre, Annapolis Royal 9:30am–1:30pm • From foundation to finishing touches she will show you step by step. TIX: Free INFO: 902-532-7704

Kinette Ticket Auction — Meadowview Community Centre, Kentville 11am–2pm • TIX: Free to attend. Envelopes $1/20

Tickets ($5, $10, & $20 envelopes also available). INFO: 902-678-1171

49th Woodville Chicken Barbeque — Boates’ Farm, Woodville 11am–5:30pm • TIX: $20

Book Club — Library, Windsor 2pm • Please ask library staff for our monthly book selection. New members are welcome! TIX: Free

Sofa Sundays with Sarah Osborne + Jenny Lapp — Avon River Heritage Museum, Newport Landing 3pm • Sarah Osborne is a “sultry folk” singer-songwriter from the West Coast. Jenny Lapp writes songs rooted in a folk sensibility. TIX: $10 or PWYC INFO: 902-757-1718

Market in the Valley — Community Hall, Brickton 9–1pm • We hold a vendor market every last Sunday of each month. TIX: Free INFO: 902-824-0639

TUESDAY, 30

Stories and Somersaults! — Library, Kingston 10:30–11:30am

• Enjoy stories and songs with actions in this story time with a physical literacy twist. For ages 3-5. TIX: Free Book Club — Library, Kentville 6:30–7:30pm • Join us the last Tuesday of the month to discuss that month’s book. TIX: Free Cozy Read-A-Loud — Rosa M. Harvey Middleton & Area Library, Middleton 7–8pm • Come to the library for a cozy evening of hot chocolate and stories read aloud. Open to ages 9-15, registration required. TIX: Free

WEDNESDAY, 31

Your Library Online: Borrow movies, ebooks, TV shows, music, etc — Rosa M. Harvey Middleton & Area Library, Middleton 10:30–11:30am • Our Digital Literacy Instructor will walk you through borrowing from our online collection. Registration required. TIX: Free

Painternoon — Rosa M. Harvey Middleton & Area Library, Middleton 1–3pm • Celebrate spring by attending a paint class with instructor Kathy Williams. Registration required. TIX: Free Sewing Club — Memorial Library, Wolfville 5–7pm • We offer space, equipment, and instruction for no charge. Bring a project to work on! Registration required. TIX: Free

Comedy Night with Jay Malone — The Union Street, Berwick 8–9:30pm • Award winning comedian Jay Malone hosts a monthly comedy showcase at the Union Street in Berwick. TIX: $15 in advance $20 at the door INFO: 902-844-2875

LOVE TO SING?

MUSICAL MEET & GREETS

COMING IN JUNE!

WELCOMING STUDENTS GRADE 3 TO 12 FROM ALL OVER THE VALLEY.

Information & sign up visit www.avhc.ca/avhcsing

Annapolis valley’s leading program for cultural, Inclusive, musical excellence for over 30 years.

#VOICESOFTHEFUTURE

COME SING WITH AVHC! AVHC.CA

S A T U R D A Y M A R K E T

8 : 3 0 a m - 1 p m

O v e r 5 0 F a r m e r s , C h e f s , a n d

A r t i s a n s , & l i v e M u s i c !

w o l f v i l l e f a r m e r s m a r k e t . c a

F A R M & A R T M A R K E T S T O R E

T u e - F r i : 1 0 a m - 5 p m

S a t : 8 : 3 0 a m - 3 p m

S u n : n o o n - 3 p m

M o n : c l o s e d

W F M 2 G O

Order from our farmers, chefs & artisans online Pick up in Kings County Windsor or HRM wfm2go ca

Are you a chef, retailer, or institution looking for a local wholesale option?

Check out our new wholesale service: wfm2go ca/wholesale

MAY 14–15, 2023

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”

– Confucius

Dear Graduates, Convocation doesn’t mark the end of your time with Acadia. Our faculty, staff, students, and alumni will always be here for you as a source of strength and support in whatever path you take in your life’s journey. Thank you, and congratulations!

Acadia is, and always will be, home.

Ballet Jorgen

“Dances for All Projects”

May 5, 2023 at 7:30 pm

Festival Theatre, Wolfville

Acadia Performing Arts Series

(902) 542-5500 or 1-800-542-8425 • pas.acadiau.ca

HOW TO SOLVE:

Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9; and each set of 3 by 3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

(Answer appears elsewhere in this issue)

USING THE SUN’S ENERGY JUST LIKE THE APPLE BLOSSOMS

Douglas Muldoon

As the spring sun warms the Valley and our apple blossoms feed on this vital energy source, Nova Scotia Power (NSP) continues to rely on fossil fuels to power our grid. Recently, NSP was fined by the provincial government for failing to meet its renewable energy target of 40% in 2022—and that is the lowest percentage of any province. Sadly, we have all read harrowing stories on the disastrous effects of climate change fuelled by our continued use of fossil fuels. But much like apple blossoms, a little bit of sunshine goes a long way to give us hope. Solar technology is now more reliable, efficient, and affordable than ever and has a critical role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping to mitigate climate change.

Mike Rendle of Watts Up Solar estimates that his team has installed over 200 home solar systems in the past year. “Ten years ago, there may have been 200 installations a year in all of Nova Scotia. Now we are seeing almost 2000 installations across the province in the past year alone.”

Solar energy offers great potential to save money. With NS Power bills increasing at 14% over the next two years, solar is a solid money-saving investment, and the

installation cost can be reduced through widely available federal or provincial subsidies. Solar energy is a sound property investment, raising property values by up to $6000 per kW of solar installed. Nova Scotia Power also offers net metering. In essence, when excess electricity is produced by your solar system, it is sent back to the grid and NS Power credits you the energy value to offset your electric bill.

From an environmental perspective, solar energy is twenty times more environmentally friendly to produce than coal. Home solar systems are a clean, emissions-free, renewable energy source that decreases air pollution and can prevent billions of dollars in health and environmental damages. The annual average of ‘equivalent full sunlight hours’ in Nova Scotia is 1,090 hours. Therefore, a mid-sized, south-facing 10 kW solar system would save over 4300 kgs. of carbon emissions per year or nearly 120,000 kgs over a 30-year lifetime.

Clearly a fantastic benefit of utilizing sunshine to power your home is that you will drastically reduce your carbon footprint. That is the greatest savings of all.

Answers to Sudoku and Crossword can be found on page 18

GARDENING TO ADD A SPRING IN YOUR STEP

Sarah MacDonald & Kara Friesen, on behalf of the Kings County Community Food Council

Heading into spring in Nova Scotia, you can’t help but think of rain, temperature fluctuations and soggy feet. But there’s a silver lining to the mucky season that carries us into Summer: seeding, watering and nurturing plants can make the transition through Spring feel like a breeze.

The smell of fresh soil compliments the changing green of the grass and the warming breeze as I dig into the soil to plant the first seedlings of the year. What a great reason to shake off the dust of Winter and get outside to welcome the singing birds.

Gardening can help improve your mental health by practicing acceptance, letting go of perfectionism and connecting to your world. My little seedling started in the window, small but mighty. I didn’t have much to plant in, but I saved egg cartons. I collected another tool from a friend; a plastic-topped cherry tomato container I could close that acted as a tiny greenhouse. This little upcycle magnifies the sunlight and traps moisture for some wonderful growing conditions.

As the green pops from the seed and lifts its little head, I open the top to give it more room. This little act of caring and nurturing from seed to plant gives me a sense of purpose. I use a spoon to gently scoop it into a bigger container holding freshly watered soil. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the last frost will happen around May 26. If the risk of frost could harm the seedling, I can keep it in a pot and bring it indoors or plant it in the ground and cover it to protect it.

Richard Thompson, a well-published physician from the UK, outlines some of the benefits of gardening which even includes lower blood pressure by simply exposing oneself to the greenery of nature. “Green Care” has been studied by this physician as an alternative to traditional health care, and the author historically credits the well-known nurse Florence

Nightingale for employing the exposure of greenery for faster healing.

Growing your own garden can contribute to a sense of increased worth, and plucking a ripe tomato from its vine is the most satisfying feeling of accomplishment. Saving the seeds can help you start the happiness cycle all over again. Curious about more? Here’s a quick beginner garden outline:

• Select the seed and follow planting drections

• Keep seeds warm.

• As seeds start to sprout, keep them in sunlight

• Water every day, checking for moisture by sticking your finger in the soil

• Keep safe from fluctuating temperatures, and don’t leave outdoors in temperatures under 4 degrees

• Once mature, use a spoon to transfer the seedling to a larger pot Dig into the soil once you’re certain the last frost has passed (Not sure? Check out the Farmers’ Almanac! (www. almanac.com/gardening/frostdates/NS/ Kentville)

Want more information on how to get started with your garden? Check out the Kings County Community Food Council’s website.

Sarah MacDonald runs Farm to Feast Cafe at the Middleton NSCC and Kara Friesen runs PieceMeal Food Provisions. They’re both a part of Kings County Community Food Council. The Council’s Vision is to have a sustainable, local food system in Kings County, where everyone has access to enough nutritious, safe, ecological, and culturally appropriate food. For more information on our work and how you can get involved please visit www.KCCFoodCouncil.ca

This section works on a first-come, first-served basis. Email your classified to: sales@grapevinepublishing.ca and, if there's room, we'll get you in. Please keep listings to 35 words or less.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS:

Al-Anon: Are you affected by someone else’s alcoholism? If so, Al-Anon is for you. A Support Group for families and friends affected by someone else’s drinking.

INFO: 1-888-425-2666 | al-anonmaritimes.ca

Cancer Support Group: For women with and/or recovering from any type of cancer. Meeting the second Thursday of each month. INFO: 902-690-5956 | michellereid566@yahoo.ca | 902-678-9100 | patmutch@hotmail.com | 902-542-1466 | margotwithat@hotmail.com

Voice & Piano Lessons: With professional music educator, Susan Dworkin, with 33 years of teaching experience! Studio located in Wolfville. Offering private lessons for children and adults of all ages, beginner to advanced. INFO: 902-300-1001 | susanlisadworkin@gmail.com

DONATE/VOLUNTEER:

Used Cell Phones Needed: Gently used, unlocked, cleared of personal information, cell phones needed, to be given to people without phones. Drop off: Middleton or Kingston Libraries. Contact us for other drop off locations. INFO: 902-448-4744 | info@redbearhealinghome.ca

CIBC Run for the Cure: We are looking for amazing people to join our CIBC Run for the Cure volunteer committee! Build meaningful friendships with like-minded people, have an impact on changing the future of breast cancer, and develop new skills! INFO: cibcrunforthecure.com | WolfvilleRFTCDirector@cancer.ca

The Revival Shop: A pay-what-you-can thrift shop offering gently used clothing for all, located at 6 Willow Street in Hantsport. Donations and volunteers are welcome. INFO: Open Monday & Saturday 9am-12pm, Tuesday & Wednesday 2-4pm, Thursday 6:30-8pm.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES:

Have You Feng Shui’d Your House Lately?: Use the ancient Chinese practice to energize your space and manifest the life you want. FREE 15-minute consults. INFO: hello@fengshuibysuzanne.com

Editorial Services: Writing the next great novel, poetry collection, children’s story, or school essay? Working together, we will add zest to your words and clarity to your message. INFO: 519-941-0559 | harryposner2@gmail.com

Errands by Karen Home Blood Collection: A personalized approach to lending a helping hand. Karen will collect your blood and deliver it to the lab, run your errands, take you shopping, or to appointments. Fully certified and bondable. All COVID protocols followed. Please call or email to book an appointment. INFO: 902-790-2626 | errandsbykaren@hotmail.com

Free VHS & Pre-Recorded Tapes: One thousand movies/programmes recorded from TV, indexed, on more than 300 VHS tapes, plus nearly 100 pre-recorded tapes. Take them all, free of charge, in Wolfville. INFO: 902-542-8601 | richard.haworth@dal.ca

Got Mice?: Do you have a MOUSE problem? Or do you have a HOUSE problem? Got Mice Humane Wildlife Services addresses common and uncommon entry points permanently with guaranteed results. Call for a consultation. INFO: 902-365-MICE (6423) | GOTMICE.CA

Traditional Chinese Medicine: Enhance your overall wellness and treat root causes of illness with acupuncture and Chinese herbology. Commonly treated conditions include: anxiety, depression, insomnia, digestive problems, menstrual/menopausal symptoms, sciatica, and more! Jane Marshall, D.TCM, DAc, has over 20 years experience!

INFO: 902-404-3374 | janemarshallacupuncture.ca | 112 Front St, Wolfville Tutoring Service: Retired teacher offering tutoring sessions for elementary level reading, writing, and provincial math outcomes. Call to discuss your child’s needs. Flexible times and summer sessions will be available.

INFO: 902-542-5069

Wellness Life Coach: See Alexandra Gellman, Ph.D., DHM, RNCP, for homeopathy, integrative medicine, iridology (eye), nutrition to boost your health, wellness, and cognitive capabilities naturally. Learn about your Health through Iridology. INFO: 902-542-5280 | alex@alexgellman.com

Wood Flooring Restoration and Repair: Make your old wooden floors beautiful again! Sanding, refinishing, repairing, and verathaning of hard and soft wood floors. INFO: 902-300-5903 | 902-542-0664 | stevenrhude13@gmail.com

Authentic Spaces - Home Design & Consultations: Home Optimizations. New Home Design. Review of Master Plans. Contact me to book your free intake assessment: 902-899-9477 or info@authenticspaces.ca

NEW LEGISLATION TO HELP FIX HEALTHCARE

Premier Tim Houston

Nova Scotians want and deserve to get the care they need, faster. We need to use every tool at our disposal to create solutions to make that happen.

That’s why we were pleased to recently pass the Patient Access to Care Act, a significant law that will improve access to healthcare in our province.

We know we need to recruit doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers. Nova Scotia is the best place in the world to live, but there is a national shortage and we’re competing with other provinces and beyond.

This law makes it quicker and easier for healthcare providers to come here from other parts of Canada. It requires their applications be processed within five business days and removes application fees. It also makes it easier for healthcare professionals licensed outside of Canada to come here.

We also need our healthcare professionals working to their full scope of practice. This law will allow them to use all of their skills to benefit their patients. For example, we’ve had great success working with pharmacists to expand their scope. They can now assess and prescribe for some illnesses, like strep throat.

We all want healthcare providers to spend their time caring for Nova Scotians, not filling out unnecessary paperwork.

With the new Act, employers can no longer ask for doctor’s notes, except in specific situations. This has been a waste of valuable time for our doctors, time they can’t afford to waste. This one change could free up to 50,000 hours of physician time. That’s like getting

DANCE, THEATRE AND MUSIC AND A BRANDNEW VALLEY VENUE

Ross Creek

The geese are back at Ross Creek, the grass turned from snow white to mud brown to summer green seemingly overnight, and the halls of Ross Creek are buzzing with activity.

We just said goodbye to the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra and the youth wing of Halifax Circus in their retreat weekend, welcome Engage NS for an important citizenship conversation in a retreat setting in early May, and immediately after, we will be welcoming MOCEAN Dance for their tenth anniversary CLEAR Forum residency bringing contemporary choreographers and dancers from across Canada for a week of collaboration and experimentation.

Many people are not familiar with what a residency is and how Ross Creek distinguishes between a retreat and a residency, and why it is important for artists. Just as scientists need labs to test their work, artists need space to ask questions and time and support to answer those questions through music, art, dance, theatre and craft. Integral to a Ross Creek residency is the landscape – the space to walk, to explore, and in some cases, such as a recent residency by PEI artist Monica Lacey, to interact with the land and the water at Ross Creek as an essential part of the work. At Ross Creek, we are focussed on how we can support artists in their work – we accommodate and feed the artists and give them studio space for anywhere between a few days to a few weeks. Every artist is different, and every residency is different – some people have a specific project and just need to hunker down to do it without distraction while getting to meet other artists who work in different ways and from different places. Other people want lots of interaction, and others rely on the community to accomplish their work – to ask and answer their questions.

As we slowly emerge from the pandemic, we are thrilled that more regional artists have discovered Ross Creek and can’t wait to welcome back more international artists to share the space with them.

For those residency artists who need community interaction it will be a great meeting and sharing space. For programs that don’t work at Ross Creek (after school programs), or where the environment isn’t as essential to the project, it will be home for that. For programs we don’t offer at the Creek, it will be a place of partnership and community building and it will be a place for new ways of building community in and through the arts. As churches are sold off, we are so grateful that in our community, we can make the space into even more of a community anchor and space for connection.

Our food programs will move down to the Annex, including our community meals (we need lots of volunteers), and we already have a small and wonderful corps of gardeners developing community gardens for use by our meal programs and the community kitchen, and as a learning space. It will be a rental venue, and we’ll be starting after school programs in the fall and working with Kim Barlow at Music in Communities and many others to create a fabulous Canning music space, community radio, and more, all starting in June. You can see our events at the Annex at www.artscentre.ca/whats-on/. We also invite you to let us know what YOU want to see and to get involved. We have volunteer opportunities at both Ross Creek and the Annex and want the Annex to be a source of pride and a conduit to the Ross Creek programs in our main campus. You can fill out our volunteer form here: www. artscentre.ca/donate-support/volunteer/.

We have a whole summer season already booked at the Annex and will have a drop in, family open house opening beginning at 6:00 pm on Sunday, June 4.

another 25 doctors for Nova Scotians!

The Patient Access to Care Act means more healthcare providers coming to Nova Scotia, working to their full scope and spending more time with patients. It allows us to quickly adapt to changing needs of Nova Scotians.

Safety is our priority in any changes we make. We will ensure the act protects Nova Scotians while moving the system forward, faster. We would never lower the high standard of care in this province.

But we cannot continue to do things the way we used to and expect different results. This law makes changes that should have happened a long time ago.

We said we would fix healthcare. That is exactly what we are doing, one solution at a time.

A retreat for us is about bringing people together for a weekend or longer to learn something specific together and also to enjoy the welcome of Ross Creek, all facilitated by professional artists and for all levels of participants. We believe in life-long creativity and want to ensure people have access and can spark their creative thinking and skill development. We will have a new season of retreats this fall. And our open residency call is accepting applications now at artscentre.ca/ whats-on/artist-residency/.

Speaking of access, many people are asking us about the new Ross Creek Annex and how we will be using it. The Annex is a renovated church in the village of Canning which is meant to add to our work on the mountain.

In other news, our Two Planks tickets will be on sale in early May, for this season’s Wind in the Willows mainstage musical and Antigone by fire. Two Planks artists will be coming from across the country for this season and we can’t wait to share our take on these wellloved stories in new settings at Ross Creek – we are looking for volunteer ushers for the season so please get in touch through our volunteer form above, or let us know at develop@ artscentre.ca.

Ross Creek is growing and we are so honoured to be part of this Valley (and mountain) community. We want you to be involved, as an audience member, as a learner, as a volunteer, as a supporter, as a celebrator. Our goal is to have culture such an integral part of our daily lives together that you can’t imagine this community without it!

We can’t wait to see you on the Mountain or in the Valley.

WOLFVILLE FARMER’S MARKET

Lindsay Leckie, Business Development Manager

Almost six years ago the Wolfville Farmers’ Market made the leap to try something new, and started WFM2Go, an online version of the Farmers’ Market. At the time, we were the only Farmers’ Market in Canada offering an online store and delivery service. Over the past six years we have had the opportunity to provide over 3,900 families with local food and delivered almost 40,000 orders full of locally grown, baked, and made products.

Now, we are excited to announce that we are expanding our WFM2Go service to include wholesale! With this new service we will strengthen the local food system by increasing the resilience of our local producers with a new revenue stream, by providing a convenient service that aggregates and delivers local to retailers, chefs, and institutions all the while nourishing more Nova Scotians with fresh local products.

“Developing our local food system is an all hands on deck affair,” said Kelly Marie Redcliffe, Executive Director of the WFM Cooperative. “Through our work with WFM2Go we have seen how the cooperative model has made the difference that is needed. It’s an approach that fosters and depends on mutually respectful and authentic relationships

where interactions rather than transactions, build trust between producers and community. We are excited to bring this same approach to wholesale clients, while we collectively do our part to grow our young and new and environmentally conscious farmers into their rightful place in the food economy.”

“The wholesale business through the Wolfville Farmers’ Market will help our vendors grow their businesses and become more resilient. For our own business, we recently added a wholesale component. It has made our businesses stronger and our income more reliable. With this new opportunity, we will be able to add more wholesale capacity without the pressure of delivery and other logistics. This allows us to continue growing our business with less pressure points, something we couldn’t do on our own.”said Jocelyn, past board President and owner of Seven Acres Farm & Ferments.

The ultimate goal is to strengthen our local food sector, and we feel that this step into wholesale will allow us to do just that!

For those who would like to learn more, please visit our website wfm2go.ca/wholesale

Photo submitted by: Skana Gee

SOLAR PV EV CHARGERS BATTERY BACKUP

SPRING: A TIME OF RENEWAL, REGENERATION, AND REWILDING

Kim Janssen, Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens Volunteer (Friends of the Acadian Forest) There’s something different about spring. A certain magic hangs in the air, almost electric with energy and anticipation for the coming season. Nature wakes up to the sound of birdsong and insects buzzing as new leaves begin to unfurl. There’s a feeling of renewal and new beginnings echoed by friends, family, and neighbours eagerly waiting to care for their gardens and choose new plant friends. It’s a familiar feeling of hope and optimism that perfectly mirrors nature ready to burst into life. It feels alive, rejuvenating, and refreshing. It feels like spring.

I know I’m in good company here in Nova Scotia waiting with barely controlled glee to start my vegetable seeds and begin the search for my wishlist shrubs. I’ve been watching my Hosta shoots like a hawk as deer make their way through the neighbourhood. Smelling that earthy, rich scent of the forest coming alive only builds the anticipation for getting my hands in the dirt. Even my houseplants are celebrating the spring’s warmth and longer days with an explosion of new growth. It is comforting to be in sync with nature as we compose a continuous symphony of regeneration. But as I consider my garden plans, I wonder if we are truly in harmony.

It should be fulfilling to know I’ve tried to make sustainable choices like choosing pollinator-friendly flowers to support a renewable food garden planted from kitchen scraps. So why did I feel at odds with nature, the very inspiration behind my spring fever? I found my answer at the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens. In the walled garden I added a highbush

MUSIC IN COMMUNITIES

Kim Barlow

Spring tours are in the works and many really great musicians are coming our way! And while some of our programs are taking a pause right now, others are just getting going.

Kids in Wolfville and Kentville from Grades 3 - 5 and 6 - 8 will have an opportunity to stay after school and jam in May and June. Our uke and guitar leaders are offering free/ low-cost music programs, where the focus is all about having fun playing music! The kids can request songs they want to learn and we’ll show them how. It’s amazing how many great songs are just a few simple chords, and how fun it can be to reinterpret a rock band on a bunch of ukuleles or acoustic guitars!

The past few years have been hard on kids, and music is a great way for them to get off their electronics, socialize, and find an outlet for self-expression. Singing their favourite songs, or writing their own new ones, our leaders will help them have a lot of fun learning. For more info, contact Wolfville School or KCA School.

blueberry to my wishlist with the words: “well, when in Nova Scotia!” and it clicked. I had always chosen my indoor/outdoor garden plants with my aesthetic or mental health goals in mind and with a pang of guilt I realized I’ve mostly chosen invasive plants. A tough pill to swallow, but if I could contribute to nature’s health goals the same way she contributes to mine, perhaps we can grow and heal together. I started to see beauty in less manicured, more natural spaces and the ease with which the textures, colours, aromas, and sounds of nature complemented each other without outside interference. I resolved to add a word to my spring vocabulary: rewilding.

For every action we take in the garden, we have the opportunity to give something back. With every seedling planted, we can pull an invasive plant. For every shrub we shape, there exists a chance to let native groundcover grow un-mowed. For every ornamental plant we ‘just have to add’ to our garden, we can add a new native plant and take special care not to let our non-native species spread. We can share what we learn about native and invasive plants and encourage those around us to try their hand at rewilding an area. Let’s get excited about the wildlife sightings we can expect when native plant biodiversity flourishes! If we can each take just one action to support nature’s health alongside our own this spring, we will have taken a step in the right direction.

It feels like spring. I look at a dirt patch on my lawn and to the lone swamp milkweed at the back of the yard and, this time, spring feels like a promise. A promise to see a home

for a wild strawberry in my patchy lawn and a promise to keep my milkweed company with Joe Pye weed and boneset. This spring will be my first as a truly active participant in my partnership with nature and I’m optimistic as I take my first steps into rewilding.

If you want to try your hand at rewilding your land, mark your calendar for Saturday June 3rd for the Friends of the Acadian Forest annual Native Plant Sale at the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens at Acadia University. We’re ready to help you start or continue your rewilding journey. Visit https://kcirvingcentre. acadiau.ca/nativeplantsale for a list of some of the available native perennials. For more information on native and invasive species, visit: https://nsinvasives.ca

In late May and June we have a few shows we are really excited to share with you. On June 3, Sarah McInnis brings The Legacy Song Project: Atlantic Chapter to the Al Whittle Theatre. Featuring the profound stories of 8 Atlantic Canadians, this is an exploration of death, dying, grief, loss, and love, through the transformational lenses of documentary film and songwriting. Songwriter, Sarah McInnis, and filmmakers, Aly Kelly and Pat LePoidevin capture stories about the universal experiences of loss and how songwriting can be used as a bridge to connect us with our loved ones, past and present.  With guests Pat LePoidevin, Terra Spencer, Sarah Frank, Aquakultre, Tyler Mcdonald, and Nicholas D’Amato. Tickets are going fast, so get yours soon!

Meanwhile, big things are happening in the little village of Canning. The old Catholic church in Canning has been undergoing extensive renovations this winter and will soon be reopened as a beautiful community-focused arts space in the heart of Canning. Run by our friends at the Ross Creek Centre for

the Arts, it will be known as the Ross Creek Annex. Two “soft launch” events will include a family-friendly, called dance on Sunday May 28, and then we’re co-presenting with Brian Borcherdt on June 1, featuring PEI band, Absolute Losers. Details to come.

The rest of the month brings a range of genres and sounds to the Annex. June 10 features a Toronto musician with big ties to this part of Nova Scotia, Pete Johnston, in a collaboration with Scottish musicians Alasdair Roberts and Mairi Morrison. They’ll be performing versions of Scottish traditional songs collected by the celebrated folklorist Helen Creighton.

For Father’s Day, June 18 we are launching the first of a monthly series of lunchtime matinees at Ross Creek Annex! We are really excited to offer great music in a family-friendly setting. Bring your kids, have lunch from the community kitchen and stay for none other than Jim Bryson, possibly the sweetest,

Dad-est indie songster in Canada. With Benj Rowland supporting. We haven’t sorted out all the details yet but lunch will be simple and affordable, and we’ll have toys and some teenagers to distract your kids downstairs, so if they get squirmy you can still listen to the music.

Last but sure not least, on Thursday June 22, please join acclaimed Canadian musicians Caroline Marie Brooks (1/3 of Good Lovelies) and Ben Kunder as they embark on an East coast tour celebrating a return to live performance and the release of a new single together.

For more info, visit our website or email us at info@musicincommunities.com See you at a show soon!

APPLE BLOSSOMS

Ron Lightburn’s art cards are now available at locations throughout the Annapolis Valley: Endless Shores Books in Bridgetown; The Rusty Chandelier in Coldbrook; Tides Art Gallery, R.D. Chisholm and the Kings County Museum in Kentville; Absolutely Fabulous at Home, Coles Book Store and Saunders Tartans & Gifts in New Minas; Lightfoot & Wolfville Vineyards in Wolfville. thelightburns.com

YOUR LIBRARY IN MAY: SEEDS, KNITTING, AND FREE MOVIES ONLINE!

Hilary Briar

THE SEED LIBRARY IS BACK: Gardening is beneficial to your physical AND mental well-being! Our Seed Library began in 2016 with donated seeds from local growers at the Lawrencetown branch. Since then, it has expanded to all eleven of our branches. Drop by and choose from the seeds available, free of charge. The Seed Library is a great family project with a focus on healthy food choices and sustainable communities.

KNITTING FOR CHARITY, FINGER PUP-

PETS EDITION: Make a finger puppet, help your community, and enter a prize draw! We will distribute handmade puppets to local first responder groups (i.e. EHS; firefighters) to help make emergency situations a little less scary for kids. Any type of finger puppet (knitted, sewn, felted, etc.) will be accepted. The more puppets you make, the more chances to win! This program is sponsored by the Middleton Library’s Knit Wits. Drop off your puppets to any AVRL branch by June 30.

YOUR LIBRARY ONLINE: Can’t make it to a library branch to borrow physical items?

Wondering how to borrow movies, music, tv shows, ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines on your phone, tablet, or desktop computer?

Our Digital Literacy Instructor will walk you through how to access our digital collections online. Get helpful hints on how to use the

Hoopla and Libby apps on various digital devices. This event will occur once at each AVRL branch:

• May 24, 1:30pm – Port Williams

• May 25, 11:00am - Kentville

May 26, 12:00pm - Kingston

• May 26, 3:00pm - Berwick

May 31, 10:30am - Middleton

• June 1, 10:00am - Annapolis Royal

• June 2, 10:30am - Bridgetown June 7, 10:30am - Wolfville

• June 8, 2:30pm - Hantsport

• June 9, 12:30pm - Windsor

June 16, 2:30pm – Lawrencetown

Visit valleylibrary.ca or call your local branch for more info or to sign up for one of our free events.

UKRAINIAN ART SONGS IN THE GARDEN ROOM

Janet Kirkconnell

The final concert of Sunday Music in the Garden Room’s 2022-23 season, The William Marshall Bishop Memorial Concert held the first Sunday in May each year, might just as well have borne the designation “Stolen Art Songs”, the title the cello and piano duo, Beth Silver and Jenna Richards, had given to their brilliant concert here in 2018, and which had a similar number of art songs.

This time they have expanded the source of the art songs (classical renderings of poetry most often associated with nineteenth and twentieth century German-speaking composers, Schubert and Richard Strauss, to name two) to a rich store of songs composed by Ukrainians. In Ukraine, under Soviet rule, such songs written in this tradition were stifled, and at present, Putin’s insane drive to get rid of Ukrainian culture and people reigns. Music is beyond his reach. Founded in Toronto in 2004 by British bass-baritone Pavlo Hunka, the Ukrainian Art Song Project has been recording and publishing a treasure trove of over 1,000 art songs by 26 of Ukraine’s greatest composers (over 350 songs recorded so far), securing this heritage, and making it available to the music world.

The Sunday May 7th concert will dip into the Project’s work, and include six Ukrainian art songs, as well as other beautiful art songs by Rachmaninov, Quilter, and Poulenc. Also on the program are works by Nadia Boulanger, Chopin, Villa-Lobos, Andrew Downing, a traditional Hebrew song, a medley from the Bughici collection [klezmer], and 2 movements of Rachmaninov’s cello sonata. Yet above all, once again, “JennaBeth” will show that by “stealing” the human-sung melodies from art songs, which they first started doing when students at the University of Toronto, the cello, the instrument most like the human voice, allows the glorious sound of the melodies to soar unencumbered.

When: May 7

Time: 2 p.m.

Where: Garden Room of the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre on the Acadia campus (University Avenue) Free admission

Further info: artsacadia.acadiau.ca

Saturday, May 13

Friday, May 26

Saturday, May 27

Saturday, June 3

Saturday, June 17

Saturday, June 24

Jon Mullane

Mark Riley & the Slowburns

AVR Barn Dance with DJ Bryan (Fundraiser for Apple Blossom)

AVR Dance with DJ Bryan (70's music for Ladies Retreat)

Carson Downey

AVR Barn Dance with DJ Bryan

Saturday, July 29 KISS Tribute Band