One of Nova Scotia’s biggest exports is its people and music. From world-stage luminaries like Anne Murray to Grammy award-winning songwriter, Gordie Sampson, Nova Scotia musicians- along with their counterparts from New Brunswick, P.E.I and Newfoundland – can be found all over the world.
Sydney, Nova Scotia, at the top of Cape Breton, is the home of this year’s East Coast Music Awards (ECMA). Yes, there are large, stage shows in the mix but a large portion of the talent is performing in smaller venues like malls and songwriter’s circles.
There are two reasons that the ECMA’s are held in March:
- Travel is a little easier and accommodation is cheaper
- Before the Juno Awards.
For those unaccustomed to Canadian music tradition the Juno Awards are Canada’s Grammies and bring many types of Canadian music to the stage. To reflect this, the ECMA’s spotlight traditional, aboriginal, folk and cultural types of music than fly under the radar in other parts of Canada.
For example, Acadian music – one of the building blocks of Canjun music in Louisiana – has its own stars who follow many of the old traditions of the original French immigrants who settled here in the early 1700’s. “Urban” performers as well as Nova Scotia’s own brand of blues is also showcased.
A highlight at this year’s ECMA’s is Dave Carroll from the group, Sons of Maxwell. He wrote and recorded “United Breaks Guitars” after the airline damaged his own guitar last year.
The ECMA’s will wrap up tonight with a gala at Sydney’s Centre 200.
Just when you think that nothing but a last-minute, back-room deal could save the sea route from the U.S. to Nova Scotia another great idea comes out of nowhere. Well, it seems like it came from there!
The Boston-Halifax Overnight Cruise Ferry Project team is considering several specific cruise ferries for a run from Boston to Halifax. As their website states says:
“Our group remains open to finding the right arrangement and the right partners. These range from chartering a ship with bridge and engine room crews to purchasing the ferry in a joint venture partnership with the ship owner. There are many possibilities. It is critical to the long term success of the venture that the team invest time now in getting the right vessel on the right financial terms.”
Unfortunately, it seems that 2011 is the earliest practical date for the service to start.
“The overnight ferry will depart each port in the afternoon and arrive in the morning at the other, with layover in either port during the day. This will give the traveler a sense of a “floating motel” in which much of the trip can be done while sleeping. Existing travel services often require hotel links on either or both ends, consuming extra travel time and additional cost. Should you want to bring your own car, ship layover will also allow vehicles to drive onto the waiting ship, instead of queuing up in assembly parking areas. Leaving the ship will also be less frantic due to on-board clearances and convenient parking layout.”
The ship will be a downtown-to-downtown service which means that travelers do not have to take a long bus ride to get to where the action is. The ship has not been chosen yet but will patterned after the successful European car ferry/cruise liners that join the Baltic countries with Great Britain, Germany and Denmark. These ships are small cruisers that feature bands, gambling but can hold up to 400 cars and 44 tractor/trailers along with 1300 passengers.
Will it fly? Well, it’s a good start. It takes the ball ut of the politicians’ hands and rolls it among the people. After a few years of lousy Cat service (and if there is a blank summer with no ferry in 2010 ) they will fill the vacuum.
Nova Scotia apples have been a world favorite since the days of the tall ships. To give this Nova Scotia fruit a shine all its own Select Nova Scotia is sponsoring Apple Month as part of An IncrEDIBLE February. To help out with this celebration three major apple wholesalers and a number of farmers markets are participating in the promotion.
“Apples are the major tree fruit grown in Nova Scotia, contributing more than $50 million annually to the local economy,” said John MacDonell, Agriculture Minister. “Our Nova Scotia climate, with its sunny fall days and cool nights, is well suited to producing a brilliant red apple, giving our growers a real, competitive advantage.”
On Feb. 1, Mr. MacDonell and members of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers Association handed out apples to commuters at the Alderney Landing Ferry Terminal. There will be apple giveaways will happen throughout the month at various locations throughout the province.
Dela Erith, executive director of Nova Scotia Fruit Growers Association added, “There really is no better morning snack than a crisp, delicious Nova Scotia apple. With over lots of varieties grown in the province, apples are a fresh, local product available to consumers all year round.” Bu then she might be a bit biased.
Not only are apples on the menu IncrEDIBLE February is Select Nova Scotia’s winter promotion to encourage consumers to eat local. For more information about winter Select Nova Scotia events go to www.selectnovascotia.com or phone 902-722-1305.
For more information about Nova Scotia apples go to www.nsapples.com .
In Nova Scotia we mail our parcels at Canad post-authorized substations in various grocery stores and other outlets sporting the Canada Post logo. The stamps cost the same as the buyer would find at the main postal station and one would assume that everything else, such as packaging and mailing packages, would also cost the same.
One Nova Scotian sent this letter that would cause people to beware when sending out packages because it would seem that all postal outlets are not equal in price. In other words someone in the sub-station has his or her finger on the scale.
“I learned something over Christmas that I feel compelled to share with you. This won’t change your life dramatically or help you survive the apocalypse but it will save you some $$$.
I recently mailed two identical packages via Canada Post one week apart.One would think that the postage should be exactly the same….well, let me tell you…
Pkg # 1 was mailed from an actual Canada Post Office. Postage came to $11.74. Since I knew a second identical package would be mailed in about a week’s time, I bought sufficient postage for the second pkg while I was there.
When it came time to mail Pkg #2, I went to the post office in
Shopper’s Drug Mart. I handed the pkg to the clerk to be put in the outbound mail bag, I was informed that I did not have sufficient postage attached. The clerk proceeded to inform me that I needed to purchase and additional $6 worth of stamps. After explaining how I knew exactly what the postage should be, the clerk offered some lame excuse that Canada Post is unionized and they can say and do anything with impunity and if I wished to mail that pkg from Shopper’s then I needed to purchase more stamps.I told the clerk to stuff it and took back my package and headed to the “real” Canada Post Office, where I would raise hell…
Much to my surprise, the Canadian Postal Clerk took my package, weighed it and tossed it in the mail bag, and it was it’s way….When I asked if the amount of postage I had put on the parcel was right she shook her head and said “Yup, no problem”….
The Truth comes out:
Canada Post Offices charge postage for packages at the published Canada Post rates.Franchise locations such as Shoppers Drug Mart can charge whatever they like.
So remember if you regularly mail packages at franchise locations (ie Shoppers Drug Mart,) you are probably paying too much. Franchise locations are found in shopping malls, drug stores and private businesses everywhere. From now on, all of my mailing will be done from a real Canada Post location.
Still perplexed by what I was told by the girl in Shoppers, I fired
off an email to Canada Post for clarification. This is the reply I got from them:“Thank you for your message to Canada Post. A postal outlet is not a federal government agency and is not owned or
managed by Canada Post. For example if the postal outlet is within grocery store or pharmacy it would follow the stores working hours, therefore if the store must be closed, so will the postal outlet inside.“Only Canada Post Depots and Corporate Post Offices are obligated to follow the price of stamps and postal products that are legislated by Canada Post. Any commercial and private establishment may charge extra fees as a convenience to their customers. It is at their discretion to apply additional service fees to products that they sell. We suggest visiting a Corporate Post Office in order to avoid paying additional service charges that corner stores or other establishment may implement on their products.
Regards,
V***** S******
Customer Service”
So, Nova Scotia does not advocate exorbitant postal rates, but when you travel here please look for a Canada Post building with a Canadian flag to mail your packages. And just to be sure, ask if the place is a government-run post office.
Take The Roof Off Winter (TTROW), is Nova Scotia’s new winter active campaign. It has been designed to point Nova Scotians of all ages in the direction of activities that will improve their health during the winter days by being outdoors and active.On the TTROW site you can find ideas for having fun in the outdoors this winter. While you are on the web site make sure to sign up to be a TTROW Supporter, and use the great resources available: media materials, kids zone activities, posters, etc.
Nova Scotians can create your their own Take The Roof Off Winter event:
- Build an outdoor rink;
- Organize an outdoor game of ringette, broomball, curling or hockey
- Host an ice fishing competition
- Have a toboggan party
- Join a bird watching club
- Create a winter carnival
- Snowshoe through the woods
Winter doesn’t have to be a dull affair. After the thrill of indoor activities wears off make that extra effort to get outside and get the lead out.
From February 26 to 28th the harbour-side of Halifax will erupt into a festival that will take the edge off the long winter. The Waterfront Winterfest will feature dozens of free events including snowboard competitions, ice skating, snow carvings and an indoor children’s winter playland.
The Waterfront Winterfest web site is being constantly updated and you can also follow them on Twitter.
Here are some of the updates:
If you’re interested in volunteering for Waterfront Winterfest visit www.waterfrontwinterfest.ca and touch base! http://bit.ly/cpElAF
Parent’s night off at Waterfront Winterfest?! You bet. It’s The Sailor’s Olympics Nightwatch adventure for kids.
Check out the Waterfront Winterfest launch last week – special thanks to Breakfast Television http://bit.ly/5h1ZJc
Unlike Valentines Day, Easter and other non-statutory holidays, Ground Hog Day is not an excuse to buy a Hallmark card. And unlike most of these “greeting card days” this auspicious date is over 150 years old and even back then was attributed to a German practice.
As a matter of fact the oldest recorded day dedicated to this large rodent was written in February 5, 1841, by a Berks County storekeeper named James Morris:
“Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas Day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.”
However, just because it was invented by a people in continental Europe it is mainly practiced in Canada in the U.S.
What Ground Hog’s Day symbolizes is that winter, although far from over, is now winding down. It’s a time for we North Americans to realize that the sun is staying longer in the late afternoon and getting up earlier in the morning. In other words the bleak period between New Year’s day and the end of January is over. We can now look forward to spring even if it is still unimaginable.
And if you are observant, you’ll see that department stores and home improvement centers are beginning to move the wood stoves out, and there are item such as hoses, sprinklers and tomato cages entering the peripherals of the stores. In addition, winter clothes clear-outs are starting and snowblowers will soon be going on sale.
Yes, it is the first crack in the ice!
Now, what happened today with three of the world’s most observed groundhogs?
Punxsutawney Phil
The most famous rodent in the entire world, based in (wait for it) Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania, came out of his warm confines and saw his shadow.
Verdict = 6 more weeks of hard winter.
Wiarton Willie
In the Ontario town of Wiarton, on the Bruce Peninsula between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, lives Wiarton Willie. Unfortunately, Willie was spooked by his shadow and made a beeline for his hole.
Verdict = 6 more weeks of hard winter.
Schubenacadie Sam
Not only is Nova Scotia’s Schubenacadie Sam the first groundhog to give a prediction he was the first North American rodent to tell the forlorn story.
Verdict = 6 more weeks of hard winter.
That’s a hat trick, so brace for more of the brutal temperatures!
However, Halifax Winterfest is from Feb. 26-28 so this will put a glow on the town. Keep up to date with their Twitter site
The new NDP government has been saddled with many problems in its first few months in power: labour disputes, budget deficits and even traveling expenses. However, as troubling as these items are now nothing will come back to bite Nova Scotia and the other Atlantic problems like the termination of a ferry service between the U.S. and Nova Scotia.
For those who either think that a ferry service is a drain on Nova Scotia taxpayers, or who just couldn’t care less, ponder the following:
1. The South Shore Economy
Without the ferry running people back and forth between the U.S. and Nova Scotia the businesses of the South Shore and lower Annapolis Valley will be directly affected. This includes every business from bed-and-breakfasts to convenient stores. These are enterprises that pay taxes (HST and income), money that goes into the tax and school system. Without this influx of revenue both Canadian taxpayers and those from the towns in the county of “I-Couldn’t-Really-Care, Nova Scotia” will have to pony up to keep schools and infrastructure up.
2. Geography
Take a good look at a map of North America. Nova Scotia is stuck out into the Atlantic. Now look at the major centers and ask yourself, “If a person wanted to come here from the U.S., how would would they come in?” The airlines are expensive, and driving here looks like The Great Trek. The ferry from Bar Harbor or Portland gave travelers more reason to come here.
3. Gateway to Atlantic Canada
With the ferry to Yarmouth a family from Boston or other parts of the eastern U.S. who wanted to visit Atlantic Canada could take in 4 provinces in one trip. Landing in Yarmouth they made their way up to to Cape Breton and took another ferry to Newfoundland. On the way back they got on another ferry at Caribou and visited P.E.I., then took the Confederation bridge to New Brunswick – where they were on the highway back through new Brunswick and home. This routing makes it more attractive for Americans to visit Newfoundland, a choice that may not be a priority without the ferry.
4. Foreign Tour Companies
I just mentioned that the routing is best for FIT (free independent travelers) travelers but what about the bus tours? Each year hundreds of buses come across on the ferry system. Without the ferry their plans would be altered and a “Canadian Tour” might miss out on staples like the Cabot Trail or Kejimkujik National Park. Again, look at the map and see it as if you are a tour designer. The route is not as attractive without the ferry.
5. Halifax Will be the Sole Entry Point
Although I live in HRM this area is just a part of Nova Scotia. Right now cruise ships have turned seeing Nova Scotia into a half-day trip from the Pier21. Without a ferry this phenomenon could grow so that that more and more tours will be designed using Halifax as the hub instead of part fo the entire tour.
We may not need the ferry in its present form, but we could definitely use the old-style, car-carrying ships that run on a dependable schedule. Because it’s easy to dismiss the ferry when its -10 Celsius but the real cost will hit us next fall when we read about the 2010 tourism statistics and business closures.
In the heart of Bedford there is an amazing property called Blue Forest Lane Bed and Breakfast that goes against the bustle of this bedroom community of greater Halifax, Nova Scotia. Proprietors Brent and Wanda-Lee Kowalczyk have taken great pains to perfect their paradise.
The Rooms
There are three beautifully-decorated rooms, all located on the upper level, with Queen-sized beds, with lots of comfy pillows. Each spacious room is equipped with TV, period furniture, alarm clock, hair dryers, shampoo, internet connection, conditioner, body wash, hand soap and lots of thick towels. These rooms overlook a large wooded area and woodland garden.
The Cottage Suite is their newest addition and is a charming suite of rooms consisting of a bedroom and an ensuite bath with a claw foot tub and shower. The Cottage Suite has a Queen size bed and a twin day bed, perfect for a third person.
The Breakfast
Rather than the staid continental breakfasts of most B&B’s, Blue Forest Lane features classic breakfast dishes such as omelets, waffles, French toast, crepes, and scrabbled eggs on a toasted croissant.
How to Get There From the Airport
Take the Halifax exit to Halifax, highway 102.
From here follow the highway signs to Halifax: One thing to remember is the highway splits. The sign will say Halifax Dartmouth to the left and Halifax, Bedford, Sackville to the right, take the right.
Drive for about 10 minutes until you see an exit sign on the right that says Kearney Lake, Dunbrack Street. Take this exit, go down the ramp and then turn right onto Kearney Lake road.
Drive by the lakes for about 5 minutes until you see a street on the left called Blue Mountain Dr. From here drive down Blue Mountain drive and make your first right onto Blue Forest Lane. It is the fourth house on the left.
Each year in the area around Sheffield Mills, Nova Scotia, in the Annapolis Valley area, hundreds of the majestic birds congregate to what amounts to as a month-long feast. On selected mornings in late January and early February local poultry farmers put out dead chickens which attracts the eagles to the selected fields. And in most cases you don’t need binoculars to watch them!
The practice began in the mid-1960’s as a method for local biologists to study the raven population. After a few years of this routine eagles were seen on the fields so local poultry farmers began to dispose of ther dead chickens as well. What the biologists noticed was that, rather than this being detriment to the survival of the birds, the feasting allowed immature birds to survive the winter at a time when food is scarce. As a result the eagle population went from 150 birds in the 1980’s to over 450 in 1993. Now, the population has leveled off.
To experience this amazing view of these regal birds the organizers of the Sheffield Mills Eagle Watch festival have arranged for activities in the area centred around the Sheffield Mills Community Hall. Here you will see fabulous pictures of the eagles as long with specimens prepared by taxidermists (these stuffed are many years old).
19 Annual Eagle Watch Schedule
Every Day Until 3:00pm: Community Hall with artifacts and souvenirs.
Saturday, January 23rd
- Pancake and Sausage Breakfast: Community Hall: 9:00 to 10:15am with live music during and afterward
- Variety Supper: Trinity United Church, Canning, NS: 4:00-6:00pm
Sunday, January 24th:
- Pancake and Sausage Breakfast: Community Hall: 9:00 to 10:15am with live music during and afterward.
- Medford Womens Insitute Soup and Chowder Luncheon: 11:30 to 2:00pm: Kingsport.
Saturday, January 30th:
- Pancake and Sausage Breakfast: Community Hall: 9:00 to 10:15am with live music during and afterward.
- Baked Bean Meals : Lloyd Memorial Centre, Kingsport: 11:00am to 5:00pm.
Sunday, January 31st:
- Pancake and Sausage Breakfast: Community Hall: 9:00 to 10:15am with live music during and afterward
Saturday, February 5th:
- Pancake and Sausage Breakfast: Community Hall: 9:00 to 10:15am with live music during and afterward.
Sunday, February 6th:
Live Music and Luncheon: 9am – 12pm: Lloyd Memorial Centre, Kingsport
For more information check the website: 19th Annual Eagle Watch