At Home on the North Shore - Summer 2022 | Vol-7 Issue 3

living laid-back by the

WATER

FINDING THE HOPE IN HOPEWELL THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS PM 40064799 Summer 2022 Vol. 7 Edition 3 / $4.95

A “CANDID” CONVERSATION

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ON THE COVER: Amanda Langley sits in her revamped RV on Sinclair’s Island, N.S. PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

athomeonthenorthshore.ca PUBLISHER: Fred Fiander EDITOR: Crystal Murray ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Lori McKay CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Janet Whitman VP SALES AND MARKETING: Linda Gourlay SENIOR DIRECTOR CREATIVE DESIGN AND PRODUCTION: Shawn Dalton ART DIRECTOR: Mike Cugno GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Barbara Raymont PHOTO EDITOR: Steve Smith FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Stephanie Balcom, Marketing Advisor office: 902 420-9943 • cell: 902 292-9584 sbalcom@metroguide.ca Connie Cogan, Marketing Advisor office: 902 420-9943 • cell: 902 499-7467 ccogan@metroguide.ca

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At Home on the North Shore Published four times per year by: Advocate Media Inc., 2882 Gottingen St., Halifax, N.S. B3K 3E2 Subscriptions: 833 600-2870 Subscriptions are non-refundable. If a subscription needs to be cancelled, where applicable, credits can be applied to other Metro Guide Publishing titles (East Coast Living, Unravel Halifax or Saltscapes). Please note that each circumstance is unique and election to make an offer in one instance does not create obligation to do so in another.

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2022 McDonald’s.

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2022-02

Vol. 7 Edition 3

Inside this issue

Summer 2022

Cover Story

32

Beautifying the RV Lifestyle

Chic, modernized fifth-wheel becomes family’s home away from home on the Northumberland Strait

The Inside Story

Departments

10

7

Teasdale Apothecary Co. Good for people, good for the planet

16

Finding the Hope in Hopewell

14

Journalist John Soosaar shares his memories of being a young Estonian refugee

38 The Sweet Taste of Success

Off the Wall The Language of Flowers Artist Mary Meredith paints with something to say

20 Thresholds

Tatamagouche Ice Creamery takes flavours, and business, to the next level

44 Making a Splash Sam Thompson’s new entrepreneurial adventure

On the Table 22 A “Candid” Conversation Good chats, great beer and East Coast hospitality can be found at Antigonish brewery

29 Sustainability Matters to Chef Shane Robilliard Ethical dining on the North Shore

Healthy At Home 40 Great Walks of the North Shore

14

Editor’s Letter Camper envy and other stories to tell

Handcrafted, Creative and Fun Skincare products made here on the North Shore

43 The Library Beach Reads Free Flying Lonely Little Lighthouse This Ain’t No Rom-Com

50 DIY – Who’s up for a match?

Cornhole: The perfect addition to your backyard summer games collection

29

Trenton Park: More than just a hiking trail

48 Medalling With My Food Pesto as you like it

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At Home on the North Shore

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LETTER Camper envy and other stories to tell

L

ast year our pop-up camper of 18 years was passed along to a new family. It had served us well and with a few little patches and tweaks after close to two decades of summer fun it was time to let her go.

We never did the cottage thing. Our kids were busy with summer sports. Grandparents had amazing beach retreats and for a few of those lean early years with four kids and growing a business, it was out of the budget. The answer: a canvas cottage on wheels.

When I think back, I don’t know how we managed with four kids and often two dogs inside, but our little pop up was the backdrop to some of our best summer memories.

We recall them like episode titles from the series Friends.

The One when we discovered skunks can open zippers.

The One when a thunderstorm almost blew us over. The One when the camper did tip over. The One when Mum bought us all hats with moose antlers and made us wear them by the fire every night. The One when the camper fell off the trailer hitch. The One when the cooler shot out of the camper like a scud missile while driving to a campground on P.E.I. Yes, there were a few almost-disaster trips, but there are also memories of bathing my babies in the camper sink, card games, and crafts crammed inside on rainy days, trips with other family friends and even the nights when we popped up the camper just to sleep outside in the driveway.

But when camping trips with all four kids turned to three, then two and then trying to convince one to go camping with just mum and dad, we knew it was time to pack it up for one last time.

So, when I went to visit Amanda and Adam Langley on Sinclair’s Island for the summer cover shoot, I was hit with a serious case of “camper envy.” Lori McKay, our associate editor, shares the story of the Langleys’ trailer transformation and the little oasis, sort of their own private campground, they are creating with their two children in the popular beach community in Pictou County, Beautifying the RV Lifestyle page 32.

At Home on the North Shore

PHOTO BY NORTHOVER PHOTOGRAPHY

editor’s

Who doesn’t love a little hide-a-way? Especially if you are an artist with three small children. Several days a week, painter Mary Meredith takes a little trip up the Sunrise Trail from Antigonish to the family homestead in Merigomish, to her own little hide-a-way artist studio.

Surrounded by orchards and fields of wildflowers, Mary finds endless inspiration in the sunroom of a tiny cabin that was built by her grandfather in the ’70s. In The Language of Flowers page 14, Mary shares how creating her paintings in a place where she spent lazy summer days in the timothy grass awakens her inner child.

Writer Shelley Cameron-McCarron, who hails from that same neck of the North Shore, brings us two fabulous stories of enterprising young folks from the “Nish.” Check out A “Candid” Conversation page 22 and see what sisters Alicia and Miranda Teasdale are up to since opening their new compounding pharmacy and low-waste shop in Good for People, Good for the Planet page 10.

Chef Shane Robilliard knows what’s good for the planet is also good for the people. You will see just how far this celebrated chef will go to source sustainably harvested seafood in Ethical Dining on the North Shore page 29.

Just like my old pop-up camper, we have a lot of goodies packed into this summer issue. Whether you plan to hit the road this summer or retreat to your own little hide-away, I hope it’s filled with moments that become cherished memories.

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More than the local market It’s a perfect destination in your own backyard

Dine at Catch of the Bay Fish+Chip Boat Dine at Catch of the Bay Fish & Chip Boat on the wharf in the shadow of a majestic Lighthouse, with gluten-free fish ‘n’ chips, lobster dinners, clams, and scallops.

The Interpretive Centre is full of information about the surrounding area and particularly the Bay of Fundy. It is a fun and engaging experience for the whole family. Check out the dramatic view of the Cobequid Mountains from an outdoor balcony high atop the Lighthouse and collect a sticker from the staff (for making it to the top) before you leave.

Next to the Lighthouse and you will discover a beach...but the seaside will have to be in your imagination! Build sandcastles right next to the seating area of the Fish & Chip Boat. There are usually sand toys available but you are welcome to bring your own.

Complimentary locking dog kennels for furry friends to relax in comfort.

BUTCHER - CREAMERY - Café Sometimes the road is long and a picnic lunch along the way makes the drive easier! There are several picnic shelters for use at the back of the main Market and lots of green space to spread out a blanket to simply relax.

Right across from Masstown Market you will find the Masstown Butcher Shop & Masstown Creamery.

The Butcher features local beef, pork, poultry, and lamb, transformed from raw sides into routine and custom cuts.

A smaller-scale creamery processes milk from local dairy farms into bottled milk, cream, eggnog, cheese, butter milk, butter, and several flavours of delicious cheese curds.

You can watch the procedures on-site through a viewing window.

The new Creamery Café features daily meal specials and tasty treats, including Creamery made ice cream, cheesecakes, cupcakes, ice cream cakes, and more!

Whether it is an ice cream cone, sundae, milk shake, or maybe a banana split, you will find something delicious to enjoy at the Dairy Bar. One, two or three scoop cones on your choice of a regular, waffle, or gluten-free cone. Always save room for dessert!

There’s always something ‘growing on’ at The Market Garden Centre. Meander the brick walkways through colourful outdoor displays to find all your landscaping needs. A gardener’s delight awaits inside the greenhouse with many beautiful accent pieces, bulbs, seeds, and so much more.

The Market Bakery has become famous for home-style breads, rolls, donuts, scones, cinnamon rolls, and cookies. With so many taste-tempting delights baked fresh daily, you’ll be glad you stopped by!

As the summer season unfolds, fresh produce arrives daily from local farmers, some just a few miles down the road. You wouldn’t find any fresher unless you picked it yourself.

Visit us at masstownmarket.com Phone: 902-662-2816 Toll-Free: 866-273-0614

Our Hours 9:00 am to 9:00 pm

CONTRIBUTORS

TRACY STUART trained as a whole foods chef and also holds a Master of Science, Bachelor of Physical Education; she is a two-time World Champion and Olympic Bronze Medallist in rowing. She says Presto! and whips up a pesto recipe that will help make those summer meals appear like magic in Pesto, As You Like It, page 48.

PHOTO: STEVE SMITH,VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

SHELLEY McCARRON is a freelance writer with more than 20 years experience.

One of the things she likes most about her job is speaking with people and learning about their passion projects. In this issue, she chats with the folks behind Teasdale Apothecary (page 10) and Candid Brewing (page 22).

LORI McKAY, our new associate editor, has been working as a magazine and newspaper editor/writer for more than 20 years. She has an MFA in creative nonfiction — along with an almost-finished book — and a journalism degree from the University of King’s College.

She lives in Dartmouth but spends much of her summer at her family’s cottage in Black Point, Pictou County. In this issue, Lori tours a beautifully renovated RV on Sinclair’s Island (page 32) and writes about the success of the Tatamagouche Ice Creamery (page 38).

TRISH JOUDREY is happiest walking trails off the beaten path and writing about her adventures around the world.

In this issue, Trish writes about her rare opportunity to explore a new trail, Trenton Park, with an extraordinary group of people from Scotsburn 55+. When her hiking boots are put away, she writes, plays the piano, or reads stories to her granddaughter. trishjoudreytravels.com

STEVE SMITH Suddenly it’s Summer 2022, arriving with the latest At Home on the North Shore. We bring you families and new friends. Beautiful places and beautiful art. Our communities have seemingly endless potential, and it’s all coming into bloom. Enjoy your summer, enjoy your region, and enjoy your magazine.

NICOLE LEBLANC is a communications professional, a passionate community volunteer, and current town councillor who loves DIY. She lives in Trenton with her husband and beloved dog—and when she’s not getting crafty, she can be found exploring Nova Scotia, meeting new people, and being involved in projects that make our communities better.

SARAH BUTLAND is a constant whirlwind of writing, reading and balancing taking advantage of the changing seasons and tides. Being able to connect with like-minded people who are as passionate about life as Amanda Van Veen, Lana Shupe and Jennifer Vettor makes every day a beach day.

You can find her at @SarahButland_co

JANET WHITMAN, contributing editor, is a city- and nature-loving journalist who divides her time between Halifax and the Northumberland Shore. She’s happiest digging in the dirt, picking up a hammer, or messing around in the kitchen. She had fun connecting with serial entrepreneur Sam Thompson, whose newly launched kayak and paddleboard rental venture is just a paddle across the bay from her Point Forty Four perch.

DENISE FLINT has been a freelance journalist for more than 20 years. She has lived in many different places and last fall she left her cedar shack overlooking the ocean in Newfoundland for an ancient farmhouse on a river in Nova Scotia. Now that summer’s here, she’s looking forward to patio dining at all the restaurants on the North Shore and enjoyed talking to Chef Shane Robilliard about his cooking philosophy.

At Home on the North Shore

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INSIDE STORY

Inspired by a passion for health and wellbeing, sisters Miranda and Alicia Teasdale have opened a full-service compounding pharmacy and a low-waste shop.

They are on a mission to share the know-how for a sustainable lifestyle.

Welcome to Teasdale Apothecary Co.

BY SHELLEY CAMERON-McCARRON PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

Good for people, good fo S

isters Alicia and Miranda Teasdale have always shared a passion for health and wellbeing. Now they share a business promoting both.

In January, Miranda, a pharmacist, and Alicia, a former social worker who’s been on a low-waste lifestyle journey for the past decade, teamed up to open Teasdale Apothecary Co. in Antigonish, N.S., a full-service compounding and community pharmacy and a one-stop low-waste household and personal product shop.

“It’s a project combining both of our passions for health and wellbeing,” says Alicia, 34.

Miranda, 27, agrees. “It’s really exciting. It sounds like two different worlds, but they can blend well together. The end product has surpassed my expectations.”

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It’s something new for the area. Customers can come in with their own clean, dry container to buy bathroom cleaner or refill shampoo. They can browse and buy from a raw beauty bar to make their own products. And they can have prescription medication dispensed in a reusable glass bottle — the first Nova Scotia pharmacy (it’s believed) to offer a reusable glass vial program.

It’s a point of pride for the co-founders, from St. Andrews, Antigonish County, who keep a tally by the compounding lab on the plastic prescription pill bottles diverted from the landfill.

Sustainability a focus The idea for the apothecary first percolated in early 2020 while the sisters were living in Alberta. On the first weekend of the COVID-19 lockdown, Alicia, then working as a social worker in Calgary, pitched a business idea to Miranda, who was then managing a compounding pharmacy in Fort McMurray.

At Home on the North Shore

Sisters Miranda and Alicia Teasdale.

or the planet What about setting up a pharmacy in their hometown?

A drugstore, but one that sells only products that are good for people and good for the planet. Products they stand behind.

Miranda was in. The sisters knew they wanted to move home but hadn’t planned to do so anytime soon. Six months into the pandemic, the idea gained more traction. When their dad discovered the building at 65 Beech Hill Road — a perfect location for their business — was up for sale, it sped up the process.

They incorporated in fall 2020 and by March 2021, they’d packed up, moved home, and began renovating the space, aided by Miranda’s partner, a carpenter who helped take the lead on renovations.

“The footprint worked for us. We were able to open it up,” says Alicia about the building, which was mostly vacant when they At Home on the North Shore

bought it, but had at times housed an engineering company, office space, and originally a car dealership.

The pharmacy and store fill 2,500 square feet. Customers are greeted by an inviting earth tone palette, with rattan lights, wood accents, plenty of green, leafy plants, and white walls. “The décor is earthy, calming. That was intentionally done,” says Alicia.

The building also provides office space for several private practitioners, including social workers, an acupuncturist, therapist, and psychologist.

What’s an apothecary? By far, the most common question they receive is about their name and what it means.

Simply put, it means pharmacy. “Vintage apothecaries were known to be focused on community and relationships,” they say.

“We’re tapping into the vintage nostalgia.”

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Both sisters say they loved when an elderly woman stopped into the store, looked around, and said, “This is what stores used to look like.”

“That was a favourite compliment,” says Alicia.

She says they’re striving for a feeling that isn’t clinical or dismissive, that’s welcoming and lets people know they care about them and their health.

The sisters describe Teasdale Apothecary as a full-service community pharmacy, offering services such as injections, medication reviews, and prescribing.

They have a fully regulated lab where they do compounding, making custom medications, including gummies and liquids for kids who can’t swallow pills, and making medications in custom doses, such as custom pain cream.

Miranda says she didn’t set out to become involved in compounding pharmacy, but when she did, she loved it. “Medication is not always a one-size-fits-all. It needs to be tailored to meet a patient’s needs.”

Hand-selected for less waste For their pharmacy section, they hand-selected items and as much as possible choose ones that fit their ethos.

For instance, they sell pregnancy test strips from Canadian company OVRY, which are paper strips that can be bought in bulk.

They’re cost-friendly, they say, as you’re not paying for packaging and produce less waste. Similarly, they carry products like Tru Earth laundry strips, where there’s no jug or liquid.

The rest of the shop is filled with drugstore staples with some giftware options. Throughout, the focus is decidedly environmentally friendly with refill stations, a raw beauty bar, and intentionally sourced products aligning with their values. The sisters also sought out Canadian companies and small companies. Many are owned by women.

Their bulk products come in barrels or drums and are sold by weight. While they do sell bottles, they encourage customers to take in a clean, dry

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At Home on the North Shore

INSIDE STORY

While they do sell bottles, Teasdale Apothecary encourages customers to take in a clean, dry container for refillable options ranging from shampoo and bath salts to herbs and botanicals.

container (a mason jar or yogurt container, etc.) for refillable options ranging from shampoo and bath salts to cleaners and dish soap to herbs and botanicals. The empty container is tared on a scale and customers pay only for the product.

With the raw beauty bar (think aloe vera, shea butter), customers can buy in bulk for a fraction of the cost, know what they’re putting on their body, and experiment with making their own products. “I love talking to folks,” says Alicia. “I love helping them on a journey to a self-sufficiency lifestyle by making their own products. It’s a journey. We are all learning at different places. We’ll talk you through if you’re interested in making a few swaps.”

Founders’ favourites Shampoo and conditioner bars from Unwrapped Life of Calgary (a staff favourite) were the first products they knew they wanted to carry. “They’re amazing,” the sisters enthuse. “People will

say ‘Oh my gosh, my hair. It feels so clean, so soft.’” They love that it’s package-free, but they also love the product.

Miranda is also a fan of Anointment, a skincare line from New Brunswick with a focus on pre- and post-natal care.

The French pink clay mask has been hard to keep in stock, while another popular item has been the ‘Sleep Plus’ gummy from HerbaLand, a B.C. company producing vitamins and supplements in gummy form with high-quality, plant-based ingredients and no artificial sugars.

As they sell these items in bulk, Miranda says customers can come in and buy a handful. If they like the product, they can come back for more. She says people like this option, and they like not paying for packaging and reducing waste.

Alicia says people are always surprised by the prices, especially for the household cleaners, where jars can often be filled for a few dollars.

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At Home on the North Shore

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M

OFF the WALL

ary Meredith steps outside the door of the small “camp” house that sits at the top of the lane near the train tracks running adjacent to the Shore Road in Merigomish. She’s dressed in a pale-yellow dress with a tiny floral print. The spring breeze catches the dark waves of her hair as she greets me with a sunny hello. She’s as pretty as a picture.

It’s the second time I met with Mary that week. A few days earlier we made our first acquaintance at The Bistro in New Glasgow, where she will be exhibiting a collection of paintings for several weeks. As a contemporary impressionist artist with a passion for flowers and literature, Mary was speaking my language and I felt an immediate connection to her work.

From the simplicity of the daisy to the complexity of the endless shades of the rose, flowers have had their own secret language.

The ancient Greeks brought flowers to the temples to honour the Gods, and suitors of the chaste Victorian era used flowers in veiled flirtation. Flowers are powerful yet wordless ways to communicate no matter what the message. It’s part of what pulls the Nova Scotia artist to her canvas and to her little artist studio in Merigomish, which was built by her grandfather years before she was born.

“I think what people see in my floral paintings is joy,” says Mary. When we sit down for a chat, I catch a glimpse of a painting in progress peeking over her shoulder. That joy is no doubt an extension of her own life, and painting in the place where she grew up surrounded by the fields, orchards, and gardens of the family farm.

“My inner child is at play when I am here,” says the mother of three.

The language of flowers Artist Mary Meredith paints with something to say

BY CRYSTAL MURRAY PHOTOS STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

“I am a completely outdoors person. As a kid, I would lay in the tall grass, and in the winter I would be outside all the time in the snow wearing goggles. I love weather of any kind.

I live in an optimistic way, and I think that is what really comes through in these paintings.”

She does almost all her work with oils in the tiny sunroom studio of the family camp. While creating and painting in different mediums for many years, and selling her work since 2015, it was after her artist launch show at the Mulroney Gallery at St. F.X. in the Fall of 2021 that she started to get noticed.

Since then, she has shipped paintings to 15 countries. It doesn’t hurt when a former prime minister and his family are fans and collectors of her paintings. Brian and Mila Mulroney discovered her paintings online and attended her opening show.

After graduating with her education degree at St. F.X., Mary worked in Europe for several years. In Spain, she forged friendships with other artists and says it was during this brief period in her life, before marriage and children, that she found confidence in her art.

“In Madrid, I became very influenced by my global surroundings.

I think I saw more and started thinking differently. But I also started to value my own work and developed the confidence that I could sell it,” she explains.

It was during this time that she started to develop a more distinct style. She fell in love with the permanence of oils as a medium, but also picked up different techniques using painting knives and “tools” for her painting. She says she still loves a good fan brush.

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At Home on the North Shore

Artist Mary Meredith sets her inner child free when she paints in the fields and studio at the family homestead in Merigomish.

With the amplitude of colour and volume of paint on her canvas, she believes her paintings demonstrate a confidence and arresting quality. “For me, I think it’s more interesting than just strokes on a canvas.”

And while flowers convey their own silent message, Mary brings her love of literature to her passion as a painter. She draws on her knowledge of literature, attaching the words from poems, songs, and phrases from books to each of her paintings.

“I think my art tells a story and attaching these words to each painting helps to tell what I am feeling and what the painting means to me. Using literature also allows you to reach out and grab someone who might otherwise be drawn to painting,” she adds. In her next collection, she intends to connect her paintings to East Coast music.

And what about a favourite bloom for the floral artist?

“A simple garden rose. I am a simple Merigomish girl, and I think I really like that part about me.”

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INSIDE STORY

FINDINGTHE

HOPE

Journalist John Soosaar shares his memories of being a young Estonian refugee

INHOPEWELL

PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

BY JOHN SOOSAAR

O

n Christmas Eve 10 years ago, I received a small, round, handmade wooden box etched with an Estonian pattern. On the bottom was a tag with the inscription: Estonian Handicraft: Made in Estonian DP Camp Schwarzenbek, Germany.

It was a reminder of a journey that began in the wreckage of post-war Germany and ended in the pastoral countryside of Pictou County, N.S., by a group of displaced Estonian handcraft workers and their families. To most of them, Canada was a distant land of which few of the migrants had any knowledge.

Much of the history of their migration to Canada and how it changed their lives has been forgotten. No films or books have recorded this little bit of history, which was repeated many times by others in those difficult years.

In the case of our little group of 37 men, women, and children — who arrived in Hopewell by train from Quebec on a cold and wet night in October 1949 — it was the beginning of a journey not unlike that taken by Scottish settlers who came to the county more than 200 years ago on the ship Hector. In many cases, we were greeted by the descendants of those early settlers.

As an eight-year-old, much of our journey from the camps in Germany to our ocean voyage and our arrival in Quebec City and then Nova Scotia left an indelible mark in my memory, which I have relived often over my adult years.

We were what historian David Nasaw describes in a recent book as the last million; Europe’s displaced persons after the Second World War, who had lost their homelands and huddled in displaced persons camps throughout Germany, waiting for western countries to take them in.

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At Home on the North Shore

In our case, Communist Russia had occupied Estonia and demanded those who had fled to Germany be returned by the allies. Some were sent back, but thousands who had lived through the first brutal communist occupation of their homeland in 1940-41 refused.

Canada was one of the preferred countries, but there was reluctance on the part of the Mackenzie King government to take in too many. Interestingly, Estonians and Latvians were the preferred nationalities because they were “honest, ingenious, and good workers,” according to Major M. C. Bordet, second in command of the Eighth Army Corps’ DP camp section.

David Wilson, a teacher and part-time farmer in the Pictou County community of Marshdale, had been an officer in the Canadian army and worked with the United Nations Refugee organization in Germany. He had seen the work of Estonian craftsmen and women in the Schwartzenbek camp and on his return to Nova Scotia began working on a plan to establish a handcraft community on his farm.

After more than a year of correspondence with the King government officials, plans were made to bring over an initial group. Others would follow if the Writer John Soosaar was plan succeeded. eight years old when his Wilson had a contractor build family arrived in Hopewell eight small two-room huts on some by train from Quebec in October 1949. The Hopewell cleared land across the road from train station no longer exists. his farm, and on arrival after a twoJohn is photographed on the day train trip from Quebec City, we tracks approximately where it were welcomed by the community once stood. at the tiny railway station.

The New Glasgow Evening News announced: “37 Estonians Given Royal Welcome by Hopewell-Marshdale Residents on Arrival to set up New Homes.”

Publisher Harry Sutherland had urged the community to help the new arrivals and soon truckloads of clothing, furniture, and household items began to arrive. A truckload of salt cod was donated by a Lutheran congregation in Lunenburg. Unfortunately, no one knew what to do with the heavily salted fish.

The first weekend, cars lined the road as curious villagers came out to see the new arrivals, but few knew any English so most stayed inside. Some children came out after being warned by parents not to get too near because of concerns that communist agents could be among the visitors. The fear was caused by agents in émigré camps in Europe, urging refugees to return to their native countries.

As winter set in, the huts were wrapped in tar paper, outhouses were built and firewood cut.

Some of the migrants had brought their handcrafted items along, but work began on building a workshop.

The following year, as work on wood, metal, knitted goods, and leather items continued, it soon became clear there was little demand locally for the Estonian crafts. Some contracts were

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INSIDE STORY

John Soosaar stands near what was once the home of David Wilson, the man who brought the families to Hopewell. John and his family stayed in the house their first night in Nova Scotia.

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signed with Ontario firms, but a regular income was necessary for those with young families. An exhibition of handcraft items at a New Glasgow department store drew praise on the quality of the work but few sales.

“Poor Handcrafts Market Hits DP Settlement Plan,” reported a local newspaper.

Some settlers began leaving for Upper Canada where larger Estonian communities summoned.

A newspaper quoted Wilson as saying some of those who left, “went unwillingly and some with tears in their eyes.”

Then, prominent lumberman Gordon MacKay from Lorne came offering work in the woods in Trafalgar. Most of the men went, purchased a used military vehicle and a new spirit emerged in the community. Gardens were planted and locals began visiting as the language fog lifted.

In 1950, we children began learning English at the home of retired teacher Annie Crockett, and by the following year, we started school.

By then many families had left, but some, like ours, had decided to stay in the county, found work in nearby New Glasgow, and eventually moved there.

VirtualCareNS is enabling people on the Need a Family Practice Registry to access health care professionals online. But there can be challenges for those without a computer, internet access or the necessary experience with the online tools. To help remove those barriers, the Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library (PARL), Aberdeen Health Foundation and Nova Scotia Health partnered to launch “Virtual Care @ Your Library”. Samantha Zuberovic, PARL’s Virtual Care Technician is there for anyone who needs help getting set up, signing in and navigating the virtual platform.

At Home on the North Shore

Over time, Wilson brought in more refugees, hoping to have them take over abandoned farms in the area, but again money was tight. Markets were meagre, although some decided to try farming.

The Latvian Balodis family stayed and over the years succeeded and became a prominent fixture in Pictou County agriculture and other undertakings, as did the Kaleva family in Lorne.

In their case, Gordon MacKay sponsored Karl and his wife, both Estonians who came from Britain. They worked on the MacKay farm until they bought their own property nearby, farmed, and raised three children who became teachers and a lawyer.

Our family moved to New Glasgow where my father, Olaf, a cabinetmaker, found work at Eastern Woodworkers. We moved our humble two-room house from Marshdale, added rooms, and modernized the interior. Other Estonians from the initial group of refugees also found work in New Glasgow, lived next door to each other, saw their children through school, and became part of the fabric of the community.

My brother Henn became an architect and I a journalist. Our Estonian friends became soldiers, bankers, and businessmen.

Years later, publisher Harry Sutherland saluted those who had chosen to stay in Pictou County in an editorial he wrote on the passing of my father.

At Home on the North Shore

“It was shortly after the end of World War II that Pictou County learned with shock that a group of displaced persons were living in one-room homes, little more than shacks, in a field outside Hopewell.

“It was mid-winter and times were hard. But the folks reacted and help in the form of goods poured in. The displaced persons were surprised as folks here were shocked. They explained their tiny homes looked good to them … here they were free and that was important.

“Work was scarce here, so many had to go to Quebec and Ontario … But some refused to go; they elected to stay where people had been friendly to them. They did fit into our county. They took our hard times.

“One of those Estonians was Olaf Soosaar whose end came this week. He found work because he was skilled and willing.”

“He came a displaced person; he went as a Pictonian, a Nova Scotian and a Canadian.

He was a good citizen. Respected.”

—Harry Sutherland

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THRESHOLDS Handcrafted, creative and fun Skincare products made here on the North Shore Welcome beach bums Beach Bum Naturals Skincare is focused on natural skincare that is great for sensitive skin and inexpensive. “We want everyone to be able to afford safe skincare,” says owner Alicia Adshade.

“We make all our products from scratch in small batches, no pre-purchased bases are ever used to ensure only the highest quality.” Their products include face creams, toners, serums, facial polish, cleansers, body creams and butters, bar soap, lip balm, sugar scrubs, shampoo and conditioner bars, bath bombs and more. In business since November 2019, you can find Beach Bum’s products at the farmers markets in New Glasgow and Pugwash and on their website.

Follow them on Instagram @beach_bum_naturals

Something Cosmic Cosmic Skincare is a line of artisanal skin and bath products crafted by hand in micro batches at a studio cottage near the sea in rural Pictou County. According to owner Meghan MacGregor, all their products are designed to encourage body acceptance and is not an “anti-aging” brand. “We believe you are perfect just as you are and that aging is a gift,” says Meghan.

“Infusing your skin with loving nourishment is an act of deep and profound self care.” All products are made with natural and ethically sourced ingredients, with a delicate and potent blend of oils, clays, petals, milks and honey to nourish skin “and spirit.” Everything is bottled in glass jars (no plastic). All products are made with cruelty free ingredients that are free of synthetic preservatives, sulphates, artificial fragrance and petroleum. Safe for everyone in the family and for the planet.

Follow Cosmic Skincare on Instagram @cosmicskincareco

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At Home on the North Shore

Handmade with Heart Le Soap started from humble beginnings as a fundraising initiative for dog agility world championships and led to a passion that has since grown into a full-time adventure. Owned by Sarah LeBlanc, the bath and body business has an extensive line of products available in a variety of scents (including Moose Toots, Monkey Farts and Unicorn Poop) that are perfect for kids. Le Soap has everything from bath fizzies to shower steamers, handmade soap, scrubs, lip balm, cream and lotion bars. Using quality ingredients, every product they offer is handcrafted and Health Canada approved. You can find Sarah’s products at the New Glasgow Farmers’ Market and on Facebook.

Soap with Surprise In 2015, Sam Thompson began making Lego Surprise Soap as a new product for his business, Sam Co. Creations. Since then, his soaps have encouraged countless children to wash their hands and enjoy their bath! Sam says adults also like the soap for nostalgia reasons, especially the Batman and Pokémon characters. They offer soaps in the traditional Lego brick shape and recently started selling the Pokémons in a cloud shape.

The characters are always changing, and Sam says “small and big customers alike are always excited to see what they can find.” Surprise Soaps can be found at the New Glasgow Farmers Market and Woozles Bookstore in Halifax.

Follow Sam on Instagram @samco.creations At Home on the North Shore

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ON THE TABLE

A CANDID conversation Appleton Chocolates Company is celebrating

25 YEARS IN BUSINESS Come visit our shop and see where we make our Maple and Wild Blueberry Truffles and other tasty chocolate treats.

Good chats, great beer and East Coast hospitality can be found at Antigonish brewery

BY SHELLEY CAMERON-McCARRON PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

261 Main Street, Tatamagouche

FLAVOUR OF THE MARITIMES

Sun–Thu: 10 am–5 pm Fri: 10 am–6 pm | Sat: 10 am–7 pm

www.appletonchocolates.ca

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HANDMADE CHOCOLATES

C

andid Brewing Company started with an idea that good beer is meant to be enjoyed with friends, quality conversation and East Coast hospitality.

“That was kind of the genesis,” says Bryan Druhan, owner and head brewer of Candid, which opened in Antigonish, N.S., in May 2021. The independent family-owned and operated brewery is located on College Street, near the Antigonish Town Hall, in a space that once served as home of the community newspaper, The Casket.

“The thing about Candid is it’s a big, friendly space,” says Druhan. “Beer is meant to be shared, and to have face-to-face conversations, candid conversations, amongst friends. It’s also about being straightforward about beer; it doesn’t have to be snobby or inaccessible.”

Craft beer, he says, is just beer. It doesn’t have to be complicated.

At Home on the North Shore

Bryan Druhan, owner and head brewer of Candid Brewing Company.

Upon entering Candid, you’ll see a retail space at the front as well as the entrance to the taproom, which has seating for around 110, depending on the event.

“We have cosy nooks, with some couches and soft seating, with a laidback, homey atmosphere,” says Druhan. “We have chrome steel kitchen table and chair sets, they’re vintage, like what you would have seen at your grandmother’s. It’s being somewhere familiar, like home. At the same time, it’s colourful and fun with bright colours and pop art.”

Splashes of the brewery’s core colours — a gold-yellow, teal green, fire engine red and dark brown — liven the ambiance.

“Beer is supposed to be fun,” he says, describing the thinking behind the taproom’s vibe. “It’s a familiarity, so people feel comfortable, like they’re at a kitchen table, which is very East Coast. You feel a little nostalgic, but the pop art gives it a little more life.

“I want it to be fun and bright and visually interesting.”

Druhan, an Antigonish native, says he and his partner Louise Brennan were wanting to move back to the university town and were looking into options. The idea of opening a brewery appealed to them. Plus, it leaned into his experience as a brewer.

Druhan has been in the beer industry for eight years, coming to it in a roundabout way.

At Home on the North Shore

With an English degree to his credit and fresh off an education degree, he was living in Edmonton and looking for a summer job. “Honestly, I just had an interest in craft beer sparked by a local brewery, Alley Kat Brewing Company.”

He got a summer gig at Alley Kat and liked it. That summer he learned about the industry from the bottom up, and found he liked working with his hands and the creativity involved. A fall trip through Europe, travelling to places like Germany and the Czech Republic with big beer cultures, underscored that he wanted to keep going down that road.

Druhan moved next to Victoria, B.C., in 2012, a place he describes as a little enclave of craft brewing and a cool place to get into the beer scene — which he did, learning about making beer. Eventually, he came home to Nova Scotia to take up the job of head brewer at Propeller Brewing in Dartmouth. Another stint in Europe followed before he returned to Antigonish.

Candid’s location met the elements they needed. It had a warehouse at the back with a loading dock, and a retail street front.

The old newspaper office also fittingly ties into their story of facilitating conversations. “We still move the news around, we just do it the old-fashion way,” laughs Druhan.

On any given day, Candid has about a dozen beer on tap, which come and go. They also carry cider and wine.

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ON THE TABLE

Druhan says both their IPAs — the Humdinger, a big West Coast IPA, and Party Line, a hazy, Northeast IPA-style that originated in Vermont — are popular. They also have a couple of blonde beers in their wheelhouse, which sell well, including one called Lagerish. The name, he says, is meant to imply it’s easy drinking.

Candid also produces three or four gluten-friendly beers at any time, an intentional decision. “In-house, we wanted to make beers that were accessible to everybody.”

His favourite? That’s a tough one. “I’m kind of like the parent saying, ‘I love you all differently.’ It kind of depends on my day,” he says.

Along with their beer, Candid offers a full roster of activities.

They have trivia nights and stage music events most nights Thursday through Sunday. On Sundays, they host a traditional Celtic session, an evening like being at an East Coast kitchen table.

While they don’t have a kitchen, Druhan says Candid has a couple of food partnerships, including with a food truck, The Boneyard, onsite selling pub food like hamburgers and onion rings, and next door, The Townhouse (“a really great restaurant”) has a small take-out menu exclusive to Candid.

Candid reciprocates the partnership, making a light lager for The Townhouse that they offer on tap.

Celebrating their first anniversary just this past May, Druhan says there’s been ups and downs with restrictions and shutdowns due to COVID, but overall, it’s been a good year since opening their doors.

The independent family-owned and operated brewery is located on College Street, near the Antigonish Town Hall, in a space that once served as home of the community newspaper, The Casket.

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At Home on the North Shore

shOW

sChedule GRab a COPy!

Wed. July 6 | 7:30 PM

Tues. July 12 | 7:30 PM

summer sounds of Nova scotia

young Guns

Morgan Toney

$25 +tax+fees

$25 +tax+fees

$25 +tax+fees

Three of Nova Scotia’s most promising up-and-coming artists will treat you to a night of great songs and stories. Reeny Smith’s soul and gospel sound combines perfectly with Willie Stratton’s alt-country songs and Carleton Stones folk/pop stylings.

You can say “I knew them when…”.

Fresh off winning 2 ECMA’s, including Indigenous Artist of the Year, Morgan Toney is one of Nova Scotia’s fastest rising young talents. He and his exciting band are inspiring ambassadors of our First Nations culture and heritage.

Wed. July 13 | 7:30 PM

ThuRs. July 14 | 7:30 PM

Tues. July 19 | 7:30 PM

Rachel davis and darren McMullen

Terry Kelly

$25 +tax+fees

After 40 years of performing around the world, including many visits to the deCoste, Terry is at the top of his game. Despite being blind since childhood, Terry has recorded six albums, been an award-winning athlete, received an Order of Canada and been named an honorary member in the Canadian Armed Forces.

hauleR — The New Face of Cape breton Traditional Music

Tues. July 5 | 7:30 PM

Three summer faves come together to share songs, tunes and laughs. John “Spyder” Macdonald, the Putnam family and Buddy MacDonald have been taking part in our summer festival for many years. Join us as we kick off our 40th summer.

This dynamic pair have been the heart of Cape Breton’s touring sensation CòIG for the past decade. Rachel’s award-winning fiddling, paired with sweet and pure vocals, mix perfectly with Darren’s virtuosity on at least a dozen instruments.

$25 +tax+fees

$25 +tax+fees Two thirds of the award-winning Cape Breton band Slowcoaster, combined with acclaimed fiddler Colin Grant, take traditional tunes and make them all their own. They put the same energy into their own songwriting. Sooo good.

Since

1926

Thank you to our funders and sponsors: Beach Resort

Wed. July 20 | 7:30 PM

ThuRs. July 21 | 7:30 PM

Road to stanfest — FRÄNdeR

Road to stanfest — Keelaghan, McManus and Jensen

$25 +tax+fees

$25 +tax+fees

This exciting evening brings together James Keelaghan, one of Canada’s leading songwriters, with Scottish guitar virtuoso Tony McManus and PEI poet and spoken word artist Bob Jensen. The sum will certainly be greater than the individual parts when these three come together.

With members from both Sweden and Estonia, their roots run deep in the soil of both countries. Their music is described as “modern acoustic folk music forged in the deep forests of Northern Europe, with seductive harmonies, heavy grooves and mesmerizing energy.” Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime show.

Tues. auGusT 2 | 7:30 PM

Wed. auGusT 3 | 7:30 PM

Robert bouchard — Country Roads of Cape breton

Charlie a’Court & Wichita: When Country Gets the blues $25 +tax+fees

$25 +tax+fees

Charlie A’Court is a 5-time ECMA winner, known for delivering a unique brand of blues and soul. The band Witchitaw is described as true-blue outlaw troubadours, complete with country heartache and southern-fried rhythms.

Their joined forces create “When Country Gets the Blues”; think Willie Nelson and Ray Charles, Waylon Jennings and Muddy Waters, A’Court and Witchitaw.

Well known for his early touring as “Robert and Giselle”, Robert is a bonafide country sensation. He has earned many accolades, the most recent being an induction into the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame. With six albums and millions of touring miles, he continues to entertain crowds with his East Coast country music.

Tues. auGusT 9 | 7:30 PM

yours Truly, Cape breton $42 +tax+fees Yours Truly, Cape Breton invites you to spend an evening with our favourite characters and some of the Island’s finest musicians. This show is packed with beautiful songs and laugh out loud moments. Featuring Bette MacDonald, Maynard Morrison, Jenn Sheppard and Stephen Muise with Darren McMullen and Rachel Davis.

Join us for the best kind of Kitchen Party!

Tickets & Info: www.decostecentre.ca

Wed. auGusT 10 | 7:30 PM

PIaNOs

Hands

& NO PlaNs $25 +tax+fees

Back by popular demand, we welcom Kim Dunn, Owen O’Sound Lee and Doris Mason back to share their incredible piano and songwriting talents. This show was one of the the highlights of Fall 2020.

| (902) 485-8848 | 1-800-353-5338

me

e

Tues. July 26 | 7:30 PM

Wed. July 27 & ThuRs. July 28 | 7:30 PM

Cindy Church & Guests

harmonious — The Gilberts

$25 +tax+fees

$25 +tax+fees

Truro native Cindy Church has put down roots on the North Shore, as has award-winning folk artist Susan Crowe. Both have toured internationally and collectively recorded nine albums. They are joined for this beautiful evening of song

by Annapolis Valley songwriter and rising-star Terra Spencer.

“Harmonious” is a feel-good show created by multi-award winning Nova Scotia siblings The Gilberts. The show features their own songs and songs by artists who have influenced their signature three-part harmonies including Simon & Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, Crosby Stills & Nash, The Mamas & The Papas, Carpenters, Fleetwood Mac, The Bee Gees and more!

ThuRs. auGusT 4 | 7:30 PM

ultimate Online Nova scotia Kitchen Party: eCMa Winner Celebration

Fundraiser for mental health section in new Pictou library.

$25 +tax+fees

Celebrating two years and a shiny new ECMA Innovation Award, ‘Kitchen Party’ has amassed over 260,000 videos from artists around the world and 23 MILLION engagements on their Facebook group. Come out and toast their success, while enjoying a reunion of favourite contributors.

ThuRs. auGusT 11 | 7:30 PM

saltwater In your socks $25 +tax+fees John “Spyder” Macdonald stars in this theatrical musical as Captain Kevin Corkum.

Jam packed with humour, songs and stories about a life at sea as a fisherman, this musical will warm your heart and have you walking out singing.

Local talent and pride at it’s finest.

99 Water Street, Pictou, NS, B0K 1H0 | Box Office Hours: Monday to Friday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Tues. auGusT 16 | 7:30 PM

Wed. auGusT 17 | 7:30 PM

shane Cook and the Woodchippers

sam Moon duo

$25 +tax+fees

$25 +tax+fees

A Canadian and U.S. National fiddle champion, Shane Cook is a multi-instrumentalist who has distinguished himself as a master of the Canadian old-time fiddle tradition. Joining Shane is a fourmember group of multi-instrumentalists, singers and step dancers.

Cape Breton born vocalist Sam Moon has been performing for 30+ years with over a hundred different musicians.

A fixture in East Coast folk and rock circles, he has been part of seminal groups like Universal Power, MoonMinglewood (with good friend Matt Minglewood), Sun Machine and The Power Unit with Ritchie Oakley.

ThuRs. auGusT 18 | 7:30 PM

Tues. auGusT 23 | 7:30 PM

heavy Metal heroes — aNVIl

beatles Tunes & Trivia!

$25 +tax+fees

$25 +tax+fees

This won’t be a regular night at the deCoste. Formed in 1978, the band currently consists of founding members Steve “Lips” Kudlow (vocals, guitar), Robb Reiner (drums), and Chris Robertson (bass).

As of 2021, the band has released eighteen studio albums, and has been cited as having influenced many notable heavy metal groups, including Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax and Metallica.

We are pleased to debut a brand new show assembled by John Meir, John “Spyder” Macdonald and Al Sutherland. Enjoy your favourite Beatles songs and test your knowledge of all things Beatles.

Wed. auGusT 24 | 7:30 PM

saT. OCTObeR 1 | 7:30 PM

east Coast blues Jam with Garrett Mason

suN. OCTObeR 2 | 2:00 PM

Ne Ws hO Wd aTe s

$46 +tax+fees

$25 +tax+fees Following in the shoes of his father, the great Dutch Mason, Garrett has been blazing his own trail.

An old soul, a virtuoso musician and a gifted performer, Garrett will entertain us with his extensive repertoire of acoustic blues.

Dear Rita is a musical toast celebrating the life, tenacity, and musical legacy of the late singer, Rita MacNeil. Rita performed the deCoste’s opening concert 40 years ago in 1982. This show had a SOLD OUT season at the 2021 Charlottetown Festival.

Due to our extensive Library expansion project this incredible deCoste production will be presented to you at the Pictou County Wellness Centre located in New Glasgow.

ON THE TABLE

SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS TO CHEF SHANE ROBILLIARD

shOW

sChedule

ETHICAL DINING ON THE NORTH SHORE

GRab a COPy!

BY DENISE FLINT | PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

S

hane Robilliard once drove across Nova Scotia with three Styrofoam boxes jury-rigged together and filled with rapidly melting ice in the back of his truck. It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t easy, but the content of those boxes made it all worthwhile. As the executive chef at Fox Harb’r Resort, he had been trying for months to get hold of a sustainably Wed. July 6 | 7:30 PM Tues. July 12 | 7:30 PM Tues. caught July 5swordfish. | 7:30 PM That’s a fish that’s been harpooned rather than caught on a long line — a practise that results in lots of unwanted and unfortunate bycatch, like turtles. $25 +tax+fees $25 +tax+fees Though harpoon fishing does happen in Nova Scotia, Three Fresh off winning 2 ECMA’s, including $25 +tax+fees the fish is usually shipped south immediately afterof Nova Scotia’s most promising up-and-coming artists will treat you to Indigenous Artist of the Year, Morgan landing. Getting one locally is next to impossible. But Three summer faves come together to a night of great songs and stories. Reeny Toney is one of Nova Scotia’s fastest rising Robilliard didn’t give up and after about 50 phone calls share songs, tunes and laughs. John “Spyder” Smith’s soul and gospel sound combines young talents. He and his exciting band are and lots pleading, someone finally agreed to sell Macdonald, theof Putnam family and Buddy perfectly with Willie Stratton’s alt-country inspiring ambassadors of our First Nations him one. justtaking had topart get to it up and MacDonald haveHe been in the ourdock, load songs and Carleton Stones folk/pop stylings. culture and heritage. getmany the five footJoin long, fish can backsay to “I knew them when…”. summersomehow festival for years. us60-poundYou his off restaurant safely. as we kick our 40th summer.

That’s just one example of the lengths to which Robilliard will go in support of his quest to use sustainably harvested seafood.

“I grew up on the ocean and I love the ocean,” he explains. “We have an obligation as chefs to do the right thing. There are fish I choose not to buy because they aren’t sustainable, like sea bass from Chile. There’s no need for me to use it.”

Wed. July 13 he | 7:30 ThuRs. July 14 | 7:30 PM Tues. July 19 | 7:30 PM Similarly, won’tPM cook with dredged scallops, nonland-based farmed salmon or lobsters with too many traps to a line. He uses Ocean Wise to help with his choices. The $25 +tax+fees Vancouver-based organization publishes a sustainable seafood $25 +tax+fees guide and labels seafood as recommendedAfter or not 40recommended. years of performing around the But, of course, nothing is ever as simple as it firstincluding appears.many Blue visits to the deCoste, world, $25 This dynamic pair have been the heart of LOW+tax+fees RES Terry is at the top fin tuna stocks are in deep trouble as a result of over-fishing of his game. Despite being Cape Breton’s touring sensation CòIG for IMAGES TO BE off Prince Edward Island, for example. Bigblind boatssince catchchildhood, 35 at a Terry has recorded Two thirds of the award-winning Cape Breton the past decade. Rachel’s award-winning six albums, been an award-winning REPLACED andwith shipsweet themand to Japan of harvesting them. band Slowcoaster, combined with acclaimed fiddling,time paired pure within vocals,minutes athlete, received anFox Order of Canada and fiddler Colin Grant, take traditional tunes and Normally such an endangered fish would be off the menu at mix perfectly with Darren’s virtuosity on been named an honorary member in the make them all their own. They put the same Harb’r because of the non-sustainability of the majority of at least a dozensimply instruments.

Canadian Armed Forces. energy into their own songwriting. Sooo good. the harvest. But Robilliard believes there can be exceptions.

summer sounds of Nova scotia

young Guns

Morgan Toney

Rachel davis and darren McMullen

Terry Kelly

hauleR — The New Face of Cape breton Traditional Music

Since

1926

Thankon you toNorth our funders At Home the Shoreand sponsors: Beach Resort

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ON THE TABLE

Chef Shane Robilliard checks out the catch of the day with local fishermen at Chase’s Lobster Pound in Pugwash.

“There are a lot of factors you have to take into consideration. If I know the fisherman and he catches two fish a year, it’s hard not to think about the local effect of his fishery.” As he explains it, the local fisherman isn’t the one doing the damage to the tuna stocks and supporting him supports the entire community.

Which is one of the reasons why shopping locally is another important tenet of Chef Shane’s cooking philosophy. He reckons that 90 per cent of the seafood served at Fox Harb’r is locally sourced. And it extends beyond seafood. The beef comes from P.E.I. and most other proteins are sourced in the Maritimes as well.

You are also unlikely to see asparagus, for example, on the menu in the early spring. At that time of year most of that vegetable comes from California or somewhere else with a warmer climate than our northern shores. So instead, he relies on root vegetables like beets and parsnips that have been saved over the winter.

Robilliard says the attitude towards ethical dining is slowly changing — a little more slowly on the East Coast than in British Columbia where he is from. “It’s a long process. Chefs in nice places with high-end product are training the up and coming, and all the culinary programs now focus on sustainability. We’re changing the culture in the food service industry.”

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ah! Summer 2022

See the recipe for Sous vide lobster with pea risotto, lemon gel and Acadian sturgeon caviar beurre blanc on the ah! website. athomeonthenorthshore.ca

After serving as executive chef at Fox Harb’r for seven years, Robilliard now has the opportunity to showcase that change in attitude in his very own kitchen.

“I don’t know if there’s a single chef out there who doesn’t have a dream to have their own place,” he says. Robilliard once fulfilled that dream for three short months and then had it snatched away when the building his restaurant was in burned to the ground.

Now, he’s giving it another shot. He and his wife, Stephanie Thompson, have purchased the Whirligig Cafe in Wallace and have big plans to turn the space into a casual bistro restaurant.

Thompson will be in charge of the front of house and Robilliard will rule the kitchen.

They have no plans to alter the layout and décor. “We love the authentic interior,” says Robilliard. “The bright colours, the booths and the best sunsets in the entire area.” But the restaurant will be rebaptized as Wiley’s By the Wharf in an homage to Wiley Grant, who established Grant’s Store in that location in 1941.

Robilliard plans on offering everything from Wagyu beef (occasionally) to standard hamburgers. Defining itself as a bistro means the menu will be subject to change. What won’t change is Robilliard’s belief in the importance of sustainably At Home on the North Shore

(902)-921-3832

jake@resultsrealtyatlantic.com

Top REALTOR® Award at Results Realty Atlantic Inc. for 2019 & 2021

moc.citnaltaytlaerstluser.www

Chisholm

4M1 H2B | SN ,wogsalG weN | dR notralletS 153

Jake

REALTOR®

Dreaming of a custom-built home?

Seeking a new rental property in Pictou County?

Looking for new space for your business? sourced food and shopping locally. “I’m committed to 100 per cent sustainable and I can be even more supportive of small farmers.”

But what about everyone else when it comes to ethical eating?

For people who don’t have the resources of an upscale resort like Fox Harb’r — Robilliard admits that when chasing down that first swordfish, money was no object — sustainability can look like more of a problem. But there are ways to achieve a more sustainable diet. It takes effort and time, but he insists, “the effort is a bit less than you think in the first place and we only have one Earth.” It’s a compelling argument.

One easy method is to look for the blue MSC label when shopping or dining out. The Marine Stewardship Council guarantees that such fish have been ethically and sustainably harvested. Another is to choose carefully where you shop.

Robilliard is a big fan of Afishionado Fishmongers in Halifax, which sells local, responsibly sourced products.

As for hunting down swordfish, Robilliard now has a regular supply, proving his contention that all it takes is time and effort. And maybe a pile of Styrofoam on the bed of your truck.

At Home on the North Shore

CHECK US OUT!

www.pqproperties.ca

PQ PROPERTIES LTD Paul Quinn 902 759-4109 • Stephanie Quinn 902 753-6363

ah! Summer 2022

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COVER STORY

The Langley family on the beach in front of their renovated summer home, which they call their “SALT + sea RV.”

beautifying

the

RV

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ah! Summer 2022

At Home on the North Shore

Chic, modernized fifth wheel becomes family’s home away from home on the Northumberland Strait

BY LORI MCKAY

Vlifestyle PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

I

“

At Home on the North Shore

’m not a camper,” is the first thing Amanda Langley says when we sit down to talk about her revamped RV, which rests in a quiet sand dune overlooking the Northumberland Strait.

The view through the windows is breathtaking, and inside is pretty amazing too. Unlike the typical, brown, beige and dated RVs you’ve seen in the past, this space is bright, modern and fresh. It has white walls and a cheery beachy décor. Sitting at her small kitchen table doesn’t feel like camping.

“This is what you can do with some sweat equity and vision,” she laughs. “These RVs can be completely transformed. We wanted it to feel like a cottage, and the end product is that when people come in, they don’t think they’re in an RV.” Amanda, her husband, Adam, and their children, Elle, 14, and Gray, 12, had been using a shared family camper and boathouse on Sinclair’s Island, N.S., since the kids were small. But with the children getting older, the family felt they needed a space of their own.

After seeing some revamped RVs on Instagram, Amanda decided she wanted to create her own “cottage on wheels.” They started by searching for the just-right base trailer.

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COVER STORY

The boathouse was once part of the original Sinclair family farm property and used as a tomato shed.

Today, it’s the perfect casual space for games of ping pong or just hanging out.

BELOW: The “before” photos.

When the Langleys bought the RV, everything was brown, beige and dated.

‘BEFORE’ PHOTOS SUPPLIED

“We knew we wanted something older so we could put our stamp on it,” says Amanda. “It wouldn’t feel right if you had a brand-new camper and started painting and changing everything.”

They contacted Pictou County’s Stone’s RV dealership and began their search.

“We went there a few times to look at the different layouts,” says Amanda. “I needed to walk into the space and visualize it. I needed to know if I could make it functional and pretty.”

The fifth wheel offered the ideal layout, with its high ceilings and the bunk room and bedroom at opposite ends. The model they finally decided on had just one previous owner, who took good

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care of it. Amanda says when she told the staff at Stone’s what they were planning, they were surprised but interested.

“I’ve never seen anyone do a renovation to that extent,” says Jonathan Stone, owner of Stone’s RV. “They did a beautiful job. It completely modernized the trailer and made it look like one of the new RVs.” Although the Langleys planned to start work on their new reno project early last spring, they got off to a rocky start. Due to a pandemic lockdown, they couldn’t leave the city and ended up organizing the septic, power hook-up and delivery of the RV over Facetime.

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At Home on the North Shore

“It was hilarious watching and giving directions through a screen,” says Amanda, “because we had a very specific idea of what we wanted. The most important thing was the view, so it had to be positioned just right.”

With their late season start, Amanda spent much of last summer painting. The process, she says, began with an electric sander, to scuff the walls, then a coat of high-quality primer, followed by many coats of paint.

“It was labour intensive,” she says. “I felt like I was painting for weeks. That’s why people don’t often take on projects like this. It has to be something you really want to do.”

In addition to the painting, they made other small changes but kept the RV’s original structure and weight in mind. Although they had no plans to travel with the camper, they didn’t want it compromised if someone wanted to tow it in the future.

For example, Amanda was tempted to rip up the carpet, but because the RV has so many slides, she worried it would cause problems, so she shampooed it instead. In the kitchen she wanted a real backsplash behind the sink and used a small penny tile. Next, they changed what was typically used as a small laundry room into a walk-in pantry. They switched out the camper lights for residential ones and added a real kitchen faucet. They also updated all the

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35

COVER STORY

hardware in the kitchen to brass, painted the fridge mint green, removed the cupboards and ripped out the U-shaped built-in sofa.

“It’s so much airier now, and the real star of the show is the view,” Amanda says.

“Nothing is distracting from it now.”

Through the windows, you can see the ocean mere metres away, along with the fishing boats along the nearby wharf. Off in the distance, the P.E.I. ferry crosses the Northumberland Strait. But Amanda says the sunsets are the best part.

“We call it magic hour,” she says.

The ocean plays an important role for the Langley family. Not only do they spend their summers on their Boston Whaler boat, which takes them beach hopping on sunny days, the couple owns Superyacht East Coast, a marketing and communications business that helps clients find elevated destinations and experiences on the East Coast.

“This is our happy place,” says Adam.

“Watching our kids running around the island, messing around in boats while spending endless days at the beach is like watching a movie of me as a kid. I realize now how lucky I was to grow up in, on and around water.”

And when the RV becomes too cramped for the family of four, there’s always the boathouse next door.

The boathouse was once part of the original Sinclair family farm property and used as a tomato shed. Adam’s father moved it from the centre of the island to its present location in the ’70s. Today, it’s a shared family space, where the kids like to hang out with their friends. It has a full-size fridge, bathroom, and a ping pong table.

“We also really do store boats in it,” laughs Adam.

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At Home on the North Shore

Tips for

renovating an

RV

Paint If you are going to paint any surfaces, be prepared for a lot of wall prep. Everything must be sanded first or nothing will adhere, then you have to wipe it down with TSP, apply a good quality primer (don’t skip this step!) and then paint.

Use lots and lots of coats, especially if you are going with white.

Adam and Amanda Langley at their property on Sinclair’s Island.

Easy and affordable ideas for renovating an RV 1. Paint 2. Remove the wallpaper border(s) 3. Replace the furniture 4. Add a backsplash in the kitchen 5. Remove all curtain valances 6. Replace the lighting 7. Decorate

Decals Removing the manufacturer’s exterior decals is time consuming but worth it. A heat gun, a plastic scraper and an alcohol-based cleaner (for decal residue) will be your friends for this project.

Weight The Langleys are not planning to tow their RV anywhere (it’s hooked up to a septic and power at their beach lot), but they didn’t want to do anything that would affect its resale value for those who might want to tow it in the future. They removed the built-in banquette, two sofas, quite a few cupboards and some cabinetry doors. In the

end, the RV ended up lighter than when they started.

Tile Some renovators recommend using peel and stick tile only, as it doesn’t add any additional weight or break during towing. Others are absolutely against peel and stick and say to use real tile (small format to limit tow weight and breakage) because it stands up better to fluctuating temperatures (hello Nova Scotia winters!). The Langleys used real tile and mortar and so far, so good.

Lighting You can buy a standard light fixture from your local hardware or lighting store and install it in your RV, if you make sure your lightbulb matches the voltage of the existing fixture.

Faucet You can install any faucet in an RV, as long as you have the appropriate adapter. Note, the pipes in a residential house are not the same size as an RV.

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INSIDE STORY

K

purée until thick but pourable.

eeping up with demand is a problem for Daniel Curren’s ice cream shop. And he sees that as a very good problem to have.

“We currently have a long waiting list of stores that want to carry our pints,” says Curren, owner of the Tatamagouche Ice Creamery. “This is an exciting time for us.”

The business opened in the summer of 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. Aside from the typical complications of starting a new company, the Creamery has been growing at a rapid pace. So quickly, that Curren is now planning to build a processing plant.

The business currently leases a space in Bible Hill and they hope to break ground on the new facility in the next few months.

“It would also be a great tourist attraction,” he says, “much like Ben & Jerry’s is to Vermont or Cow’s is to P.E.I. You can come in and we’ll have windows so customers can view us making the ice cream and see how it’s done. We can explain to people how the ice cream is made and offer the full experience for customers.”

While the location of the new plant is still uncertain, Curren says he would like to see it close to Tatamagouche, which he feels is core to the company’s identity.

Curren grew up in Cole Harbour, N.S., but spent his summers at their family cottage in Malagash, near Tatamagouche.

“Tatamagouche was always just a really cool, unique place,” says Curren. “A lot of rural Nova Scotian towns have a tough time keeping residents and businesses, but Tatamagouche had the secret figured out from the beginning. To sustain a small town, you have to support the local small businesses.”

So, when Curren decided to open his ice cream shop, he felt Tatamagouche was the perfect fit. Not only would it offer support for his new company, but it also had the historic local Creamery, which had been part of the town’s identity for many years. (The Creamery was open from 1925 to 1992, producing the popular Tatamagouche butter.)

“I thought it was a cool throwback,” he says. “We even incorporated the old Creamery in our logo. It pays homage to the place and the importance of the dairy industry to the town.”

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At Home on the North Shore

The sweet taste of success

BY LORI MCKAY PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

Owner Daniel Curren and his team at the scoop shop in Tatamagouche.

Tatamagouche Ice Creamery takes flavours, and business, to the next level ABOVE PHOTO: COURTESY OF TASTE OF NOVA SCOTIA

Ultimate Campfire S’mores Sundae Tatamagouche Ice Creamery • 2 scoops Tatamagouche Ice Creamery Keji Campfire S’mores Ice Cream • Tatamagouche Hot Fudge Sauce • Graham cracker sauce (see below)

Sundae

• Toasted marshmallows

1. In your favourite ice cream bowl or sundae

• Graham crackers, crumbled

tulip, ladle generous spoonfuls of hot fudge sauce and graham cracker sauce, alternating

Graham Cracker Sauce • 15 Graham crackers

with layers of ice cream and sauce.

2. Top with more sauce, crumbled graham

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Instructions: Add ingredients to food processor and

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The business scoop

Unexpected faves

Although the ice cream business is relatively new for Curren, his background in finances and love of cooking have certainly made the transition easier.

Curren had spent nearly 20 years in the investment industry — and still maintained a job as a financial advisor until recently — but was ready for a change.

“When I graduated high school, I was a little bit torn as to whether I should go to culinary school or business school,” he recalls. “Obviously, I went to university, but I always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to have some sort of food business.”

He often cooked for family and friends and leaned toward more savoury cooking and baking. Ten years ago, he started to get into modernist cuisine, AKA “molecular gastronomy.”

“I liked looking at the science of cooking,” says Curren. “One of the things I ended up doing was buying a jug of liquid nitrogen to play around with and I made a batch of ice cream at home.

It turned out great. I made sort of an unusual flavour and it opened my eyes to see that ice cream is really interesting.”

To aid the company’s growth, Curren also has plans to buy new equipment, such as freezer vans to offer the ice cream across the province. He currently has the scoop shop in Tatamagouche, plus pick-up locations at various markets.

A new scoop shop is opening in Alderney Landing in Dartmouth this summer and plans for other locations are in the works.

Want to try a scoop of St. Patrick’s Irish Coffee? Or perhaps an Ocean Playground Sea Salted Caramel ice cream? What about something spicy, savoury or even beer flavoured?

“Your imagination is the limit on what we can do,” says Curren. “We are constantly changing the menu, keeping the classics and favourites while rolling out new flavours. We’ve never had a flavour we haven’t sold out of.”

He also plans to offer a dairy-free ice cream soon.

One of the biggest surprises for him was the fact that their basil ice cream became a cult favourite. “People love it, or they hate it,” he laughs. “If we go more than a couple weeks without it on our menu, I’m getting messages on our social media from people asking when it’s coming back.”

Curren says they have a list of about 300 flavour recipes he wants to try. So far, they’ve made about 100 of those.

And in case you’re keen to try the latest flavour as soon as possible, they also started an ice cream of the month club.

“Once a month we roll out limited special edition flavours that customers can order through our website. We have certain drop points and times set up so customers can choose which location is closest to them and on the day we make our deliveries, they come and pick it up and away they go.”

At Home on the North Shore

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Northern Nova Scotia’s premier magazine for local lifestyle, inspiration and insights at the heart of our communities.

To subscribe, visit athomeonthenorthshore.ca/subscribe or phone 1-833-600-2870

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HEALTHY AT HOME

TRENTON PARK

MORE THAN JUST A HIKING TRAIL

BY TRISH JOUDREY

Sponsored by

Great walks of the

North Shore

L

ocated just steps outside the town of Trenton, Trenton Park’s understated entrance ushers you into a gem of a park. I had the rare opportunity to explore this amazing place with a special group of hikers, the Scotsburn 55+. They have met regularly for the past 15 years to either hike, bike, walk or kayak. Today, was my lucky day.

I’m usually a lone walker these days, so when I was asked to accompany an eclectic group to hike around Trenton Park, I was unsure of what to expect. What I discovered brought me back to my days walking the Camino in Spain, where I formed many close and lasting friendships through our shared experiences of walking.

“Meet you in the Trenton Park parking lot,” says Pat McConnell, a member of the 55+ group and resident of New Glasgow. “We’ll start the light to medium loop of about six and half kilometres from there.”

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The park has six hiking trails, each winding its way through 565 acres of century-old hemlocks and other coniferous trees.

We head off down the wide and well-maintained Founders Trail. The crusher dust path leads us through the centre of the park where smaller trails lead off through the forest.

Our guide, Sandra Malenfant, tells me that most of the lesstravelled trails through the woods are in their natural state and not maintained, which instantly piques my interest.

“The main trails, where most people walk, have been upgraded with these wonderful, new route-map signs that we were able to install after recently receiving a $3-million grant.” Sandra points to a blue line on the map designating the Druhan Trail we are about to enter. “We’ll take this trail through some pristine woodlands,” she says.

After turning off the main trail, we enter an expanse of forest. It’s unusual to be in the deep woods so naturally

At Home on the North Shore

Five top reasons why hiking is good for your health

PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

cleared of undergrowth. It makes our walking over the spongy moss-covered ground effortless and peaceful under the shade of the tall coniferous tree canopy.

It’s an ideal summer trail with its natural protection from the sun.

“It does my heart good to be out here and to be with people,” says Joan Clark, who chats with me along the trail. “Everyone’s so supportive and friendly. Well, I guess you’re not shy when you’re over 55.” Our hearty laughs echo through the trees.

I learn that Joan has now been hiking with this group for more than 10 years.

“Throughout COVID, walking was really the only way to be with people,” she adds.

“Now, it’s become a weekly routine for me. Can’t do without it.”

I amble up a slight incline and down the subsequent bank to a babbling brook. The lulling sound of the water floats over the chatter of the group. “Have you seen any wildlife on these trails?” I ask Joan.

“Not much. A few squirrels, birds and chipmunks. No deer though. They’re all in town,” she laughs.

We come upon a large fallen tree that has been blown over from a storm on the adjoining Tree-O Trail. It’s in an area thick with underbrush, so we have to pick our way around the tree. For those less mobile, there are walking sticks and helping hands to help guide people through the brambles.

I learn from Sandra that we will walk on sections of all six trails around the perimeter of the park. Another member of the group walks by, and I ask him if he knows this trail well.

“I’ve been walking in this park many times,” says Leo Gillis, a new member of the 55+ group. “But I’ve never been on this particular hike before.” I marvel at how many trail combinations there are in Trenton Park, enough for any age, and any level of hiker. I ask Leo how he joined the group.

“Well,” he says with a wink, “I just retired. Since my wife is still working and I love walking in the outdoors, I thought, why not join a group who enjoys what I like to do. So, I joined.” Leo stops to take a drink of water. “It’s sure hard to be in a bad mood when you’re with people and in nature. Everyone here is so positive. I guess that’s what nature does to you.”

Listening to Leo brought me back to my Camino days when being in nature every day brought me closer to people — like those walking the trail today — and their support got me through the tough bits. The 55+ group offers a similar support system.

The ensuing Morash Trail is on easy terrain that skirts between the edge of the forest and a nearby open field. We are strung out in a line on this narrowed path until we re-enter the woods once again.

Here, Victoria Reich, another newcomer to the group walks alongside me. It’s her third walk with the group.

“Joining this group is different for everyone, but I like the aspect of being taken care of. There is someone to guide you, another who “sweeps” to make sure we don’t lose anyone, and one with a first aid kit. All I have to do is walk. I love it.

I’ve met so many wonderful new people since I’ve joined the group.”

1. Good for the heart, as hiking is an aerobic exercise that increases your heart rate, strengthens your heart and increases blood flow.

2. Boosts bone density, as walking/hiking is a weightbearing exercise.

3. Improves stability and balance, as you manoeuvre over tree roots and hop over rocks.

4. Builds strength in glutes, hamstring, quadriceps and hip muscles.

5. Improves positivity and decreases anxiety. Studies at Stanford University have shown a decrease in repetitive negative thought patterns associated with the prefrontal cortex brain activity when participants have been in nature.

The Scotsburn 55+ hiking group on a trail in Trenton Park.

PHOTO BY TRISH JOUDREY

At Home on the North Shore

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PHOTO BY TRISH JOUDREY

Victoria also tells me of other trails she has been on with the group, such as Fitzpatrick Mountain and Smelt Brook Trail. “Staying active is the name of the game,” she adds.

We are almost back to our starting point on the main Veteran’s Way trail when Sandra suggests we take a little detour to see the remnants of a beaver dam.

“It’s about half a kilometre up this path to the right,” she says. “There’s no beavers there now, but it’s a lovely spot nevertheless.”

This shoreline looks nothing like the rest of the spots on our hike. Whitened stumps of once tall trees stick out of a vast swampy area like large toothpicks.

Worn gnawed teeth markings on one tree attest to the presence of beavers from years ago. The still water and the commanding view downstream exude a distinctive charm in comparison to the green lushness of the mossy forest we have just been on. It’s a perfect

spot for those who wish for a secluded and, perhaps romantic, retreat from the busyness of daily life.

As we finish our walk, I hear from seasoned hiker Dodie Goodwin about the best bakery in the area. “Brookfield Bakery,” she says definitively. “It was started in 1953, and it’s still a thriving third generation family business. They make everything from scratch. You must visit.” Another nugget of information I must remember.

Back at the parking lot, I say goodbye to new friends and a hike that has been special in every way. Throughout our seven plus kilometres of hiking, I have not only had reflective stretches by myself but enjoyed engaging conversations and met new people. Trenton Park has much more than just hiking trails and special people. It’s a year-round park with a playground, swimming pool, picnic area and a beautiful pond to be enjoyed by the whole family.

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At Home on the North Shore

THE LIBRARY

REVIEWS BY SARAH BUTLAND

BEACH READS Amanda Van Veen invites you to be her travel companion through her adventures of flying for free As the subtitle states, this is “the story of a young girl crossing the world one plane ticket at a time.”

Many have heard about prizes offering trips of a lifetime, but few have heard about the winner and where they travelled. One of those such winners is Amanda Van Veen. Her courage and circumstances allowed her to take full advantage of the amazing opportunity and she tells us about it, one direct flight and free meal at a time in her book Free Flying.

Van Veen chose to present her book as a journal of collected memories told many years and experiences later. This read could have been elevated with more photography and more editing to polish the unique memories, however, you have to consider that these travels and adventures took place 23 years ago — long before digital cameras and Instagram.

One of the delights of this story is to follow the journey of a 20-something girl balancing university, offers of free wine, and her willingness to get lost.

Her story is woven with the encounters of numerous people she met along the way. She gives a good lesson on what it’s like to travel as a student, all while living on a budget, turning in assignments and facing her fears.

Between Texas, Toronto, Mexico, Paris, Louisiana and many more, Amanda Van Veen soared the skies, wandered the roads and always made sure she called home, especially while she braved the hostels and streets of Mexico. The author collected shot glasses from Hard Rock Cafés and experiences to last a lifetime.

Travel has changed over the years, from the perspective of security to surcharges and inflight meals. Van Veen has also changed.

With a career and family of her own, her story tells the tales of a time of freedom, but shared the notion of gratitude and maybe even a little disbelief that she was a just a girl making a solo journey around the world one plane ticket at a time.

At Home on the North Shore

New to the North Shore author Jennifer Vettor delivers a fun beach read The Lonely Little Lighthouse is celebrated at Read by the Sea in River John For the kids, there is no better book to read by the ocean than Lana Shupe’s The Lonely Little Lighthouse.

Celebrated this year at Read by the Sea in River John, this children’s story is a seashore treasure that celebrates community, commitment and, like the lighthouse who tells it, a beacon of hope.

In Nova Scotia, and throughout the world, lighthouses saved countless lives by warning sailors of their rocky shores and shallow waters. Today’s technology makes the lights redundant, but their beauty remains, and they are now protected by the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act. The act, as described at the end of this book, is the perfect complement and honour to the beauty of the remaining lighthouses that grace our shores.

With delightful illustrations of children playing on the beach, memories of ships being saved by the light and the lovely story of a community coming together, it reminds me of much more than a structure. It’s the story of our own neighbours on the North Shore welcoming and strengthening our own community, while carefully preserving our history and celebrating growth.

While this whimsical and educational story is a delight to read anywhere, The Lonely Little Lighthouse is the perfect book to read by the sea.

The title of new Pictou County resident Jennifer Vettor’s latest work of fiction says it all, while at the same time not giving too much away. This Ain’t No Rom-Com is a mix of heavy hitting topics, including re-birth and a heart-pounding romance as Gia finds herself getting divorced after 25 years of marriage.

Always the perfect housewife, mother and volunteer, Gia set aside her own aspirations to ensure she made her marriage work. Being the partner to a rising star in the legal field, she felt the pull to simply ensure the fridge was full, kids were chauffeured to where they needed to be, supper was on the table no matter how late her husband Danny worked, and the embers were warm in the bedroom in case he set the spark.

It wasn’t enough. She wasn’t enough. Well, maybe not enough for him, though that didn’t matter as much as she was led to believe. With her daughters now grown and out of the house, Gia felt the echo of being an empty nester in the home she raised them in. Thankfully, her dearest friend was naughty and stubborn, clicking yes on a dating app when Gia would have refrained.

A whirlwind story of well-developed characters, including one we will affectionately know as Rabbit, who will pull at your heart strings, make your heart throb, and might even change your mind on who you are rooting for in the end.

The only thing missing from this book while I read it was the sand between my toes. This is a great beach read to take along to your favourite sandy spots. It promises fun, fantasy and faith that life can just be getting started when you think you’ve lost it all.

Jennifer Vettor recently escaped Ontario to settle on the North Shore of Nova Scotia where she plans to be inspired, connected and keep a spark of romance in her own married life.

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INSIDE STORY

BY JANET WHITMAN PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

Sam Thompson’s new entrepreneurial adventure

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2022-05-18 11:56 AM

At Home on the North Shore

making a

splash

S

erial entrepreneur Sam Thompson came up with the idea for his latest venture while on a beach down south over Christmas.

“People were renting paddleboards. They were renting sailboats.

It was busy. I thought, ‘Why isn’t this available at home?’” the 21-year-old Pictou County native recalls.

Thompson decided to take the plunge, and exercise his entrepreneurial spirit, with the launch this spring of Melmerby Adventures. He’s renting paddleboards, kayaks and a pedal boat from the shore off his grandmother Della Curtis’s property, nestled on the inner bay at Melmerby Beach Provincial Park.

“We have a gorgeous beach in the summer, just as nice as those beaches down south, and there’s not much more for people to do than go and lay on the beach for the afternoon,” he says. “I thought

At Home on the North Shore

it would be great for people who don’t have trucks or a way to lug a kayak or paddleboard down to the Merb.”

Thompson already has a solid track record with earlier entrepreneurial ventures. He started out at age 10 picking plums from fruit-laden trees in his grandparents’ yard, packing them in strawberry containers, loading them in a wagon and selling them door to door, making a few hundred dollars.

“I was shocked,” he recalls. “I thought, ‘Geeze, this is so much money.’” A few years later, he made Christmas ornaments to sell at the farmers market and they sold out in two hours. With his newly created Sam Co. Creations, he realized a year-round product might be a better business and built birdhouses. He branched out at age 14 with a product he calls “Surprise Soap” that has Lego figures inside each bar.

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“That’s my biggest hit,” he says. “The birdhouses, I think everyone in Pictou County who wanted one has one. Right now, I’m sold out and I don’t have immediate plans to make more.”

He had a bit of a head start with the boat-rental business, having spent childhood summers at the Merb and paddling on the calm, warm waters of the back bay. Before deciding to set up shop, he already owned two paddle boards, two sit-in kayaks and a pedal boat, which he will rent out for hour-long slots. He’s also got a 16-foot, 1978-era Finn Vanguard sailboat available to book for guided tours on weekends.

With a flock of inflatable jumbo swans anchored in the water in front of his grandmother’s place, Melmerby Adventures is easy to spot and a short walk along the shoreline from the Melmerby Beach parking lot.

Thompson will see how things shape up in mid-to-late June before he considers adding more to his flotilla. “I want to build some momentum first, but I’d certainly like to buy more.”

The main start-up cost for the third-year Dalhousie University business student has been building the booking platform for the business’s website.

“I’m not too concerned. For me this is a summer job. I’m still a student,” he says. “I need it to go decently well. If it doesn’t take off, I won’t do it again next year. If it does well this year, I will do something again next year and I’ll have to hire some help because I’ll likely be graduated and working.”

Sam had a bit of a head start with the boat-rental business, having spent childhood summers at the Merb and paddling on the calm, warm waters of the back bay.

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At Home on the North Shore

Melmerby Adventures rents paddleboards, kayaks and a pedal boat on the inner bay at Melmerby Beach Provincial Park.

Raine Langille and Riley Boulter are the first customers of the season.

BACKYARD BLISS. Bring some tender love to your BBQ. Charred, dry meat is a thing of the past. Bring your A-game with our “low and slow” Pork Shop grillable meats, basting along the way with our signature Bert’s Sauce. Your family, and grill, will thank you.

We’ve got your backyard culinary lineup waiting for you at either of our locations all summer.

Home cooking starts here.

2578 Westville Road (902) 755-3260 Denmark Hwy 326 (902) 657-3406 www.theporkshop.ca At Home on the North Shore

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HEALTHY AT HOME

I

’m sure I was a summer athlete for a reason. There isn’t anything about the season that I don’t love. Seriously, the warmth of the sun, the gorgeous colours bursting everywhere you look, water asking to be played in, scrumptious fresh meals made from the garden or local farmers market … all of this brings me joy.

I am an outdoor girl, always have been. So, when it comes to making meals in the summer, simplicity is key. I would rather spend my time in the great outdoors versus being cooped up in the kitchen pouring my energy into extravagant menus. I’m thinking if a meal takes longer than 30 minutes from idea to table then I’m not making it. I’m sure I’m not alone in this philosophy.

Over the years, I have gathered a few recipes that have become staples in our summer repertoire. You know the ones. You could literally make them in your sleep, and it could change slightly every time, depending on what you have on hand. My dad was famous for this in our household. For him, it was his meatloaf recipe.

From one time to the next there was always a variation, but with the same dependable satiety satisfaction. Jill Searle, one of my closest friends, once asked my dad for his recipe, and with a chuckle he said he really didn’t know what to tell her. The conversation may have gone something like this, “Well, start with hamburger, add a little of this or that, or whatever you think.” Hard to replicate, to say the least.

In my kitchen, in summer, pesto is that recipe for me.

When I am stuck for an idea, I just whip up a batch of pesto sauce and add it to anything. It goes brilliantly with pasta, a nice base or topping for pizza, a lovely colourful drizzle for butternut squash, or it could even take the place of a salad dressing if you so choose. The first summer we lived in River John, we had a bumper crop of basil in our garden. I remember making pesto practically every other day. At the end of season, I didn’t want to see the basil go to waste, so of course I made a massive amount of pesto to freeze, which we enjoyed throughout the winter. However, I may have gone too far. By spring, when my husband saw me pulling the pesto out of the freezer, he begged me to stop. Lesson learned. Only plant half of what you think you need; basil is a plant that keeps giving.

Like my dad’s meatloaf, my pesto recipe changes like the wind. So, rather than give you a firm recipe, I will give you wiggle room to make your pesto as you like it.

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Pesto AS YOU LIKE IT

BY TRACY STUART

MEDALLING WITH MY FOOD Tracy is an Olympic medallist and has a Chef’s diploma from the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts.

At Home on the North Shore

MY PESTO RECIPE CHANGES LIKE THE WIND. SO, RATHER THAN GIVE YOU A FIRM RECIPE, I WILL GIVE YOU WIGGLE ROOM TO MAKE YOUR PESTO AS YOU LIKE IT

SHEEPSKINS, WOOL BLANKETS, YARN AND MUCH MORE. Wool, a natural, warm, long-lasting gift for anyone to enjoy.

Shop open daily 10am to 4pm, May to Dec. (Jan. to April open by appointment) Visitor Barn opens May 21. See and touch sheep and lambs.

Learn about them in our interpretive display.

See our sheep in the field and their wool in our shop.

Shop anytime by visiting our website.

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Basic basil pesto ingredients: • 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts • 2 tbsp lemon juice • 1 small garlic clove • 1/2 tsp sea salt • Freshly ground black pepper • 2 cups basil leaves

1389 Louisville Road, River John 902 351 2594 lismoresheepfarmwoolshop.com

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more for a smoother pesto • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, optional • 1 tsp white miso paste, optional (but it’s a secret weapon for tastiness)

Variation replace the basil with one or any combination of the following: • Mint • Cilantro • Parsley • Spinach • Chives

Variation replace half the basil with: • 1 cup arugula • 1 cup baby kale • 4 artichoke hearts • 1 roasted red pepper • 1/2 an avocado

Variation

replace the pine nuts with: • Walnuts • Pistachios

• Almonds • Pecans • Pumpkin Seeds • Hemp Seeds

Variation

for something extra, add:

• Nutritional yeast, in place of the Parmesan

FER.

CT. RE

E . CONN H C T A M

• Pinches of red pepper flakes • 1 charred jalapeño • 2 to 4 sun dried tomatoes

Procedure: Preheat oven to 350° F. Place pine nuts on a baking sheet and lightly toast (approximately eight minutes). Remove from the oven and add to a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Then, add all other ingredients. Process everything until smooth.

www.northnsconnector.ca ENHANCE NETWORKING SKILLS LEARN ABOUT THE JOB MARKET BUILD A PROFESSIONAL NETWORK CONNECT WITH CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Matthew Berrigan mberrigan@northnsconnector.ca (902) 449-1273 At Home on the North Shore

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Who’s up for a match?

CORNHOLE The perfect addition to your backyard summer games collection

DIY

LOW RES IMAGE TO BE REPLACED PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

BY NICOLE LEBLANC

T

here’s nothing better in summer on the Strait than to have a cold drink in your hand, bare feet in the grass, and a chance to play backyard games. While washer toss is a local favourite, Cornhole is another way to bring some fun to your backyard.

For Cornhole, there are two opposing ramps with slight inclines, and one to three openings where you throw bean bags to try and land them into the holes. The best part is you don’t need any experience and it’s great for all ages. Last year our whole family enjoyed a backyard game — even my 84-year-old grandfather who said he never played before, but the score told another story.

Feeling ambitious? You can look up plans to make your own regulation set, or get creative with your designs and customize a pre-made set. I had this set made locally and for my design I paid homage to my family in the southern U.S., where Cornhole is popular, with some citrus decals. Cornhole is often a staple at tailgate parties and backyard BBQs, and I’m slowly seeing it make its way up the East Coast.

This summer, we’re still seeing lots of postponed weddings, and these, or a washer toss set, would make a wonderful custom gift.

You can add the couple’s name, monogram, the special date, or even the location of their nuptials. GPS coordinates are another neat touch to note a meaningful location like a family cottage or your favourite beach. (Trend alert: Roman numerals for dates is a big trend in weddings and home design: 2022 is MMXXII, giving a fresh and modern twist on writing out a year.)

If making your own bean bags, I’d recommend finding a waterproof fabric, or make sure you’re storing them inside. The bean bags can be filled with dried corn, sand or plastic pellets, or can be found online.

Whether you’re building your own or customizing, you can also add some elements to make the sets easy to take on your next camping trip or add some functionality such as rope handles, drink holders, or even a score tracker.

So, grab a cold drink, kick off your sandals and enjoy this addition to your backyard.

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CORNHOLE HOW-TO There are a variety of how-tos on the internet (which include photos for the visual builder), but here is a basic supply list and instructions to give you an idea on how to make your own.

First, please be safe. Though considered a beginner project, make sure to wear eye protection and have someone who knows how to operate saws and tools.

You will need two pieces of ½-inch plywood, measuring 2 feet x 4 feet each. You can buy a half sheet of plywood at most building supply stores, which is enough to make the two playing surfaces. I’d recommend finding plywood that has a smooth surface on at least one side (also called “good one side” at the building supply store).

Next, you’ll cut a six-inch hole in the plywood, measuring the centre of the hole nine inches from the top of the playing surface and centred between the long sides on the plywood. You can use a six-inch diameter hole saw in a drill or draw a six-inch circle and cut it out with a jig saw.

The top will rest on a square frame, and you will need two 2x4s cut to 21-inches for the top and bottom, and two cut to 48-inches for your sides. You’ll then attach the top to this frame using 1-1/2-inch wood screws.

Next up, you’ll make the legs using 2x4s — cutting each of the four legs at a 25-degree angle. Then, measure 12 and 1/4 inches from the long side and mark and cut a straight line, which will give you an angled leg. The legs are then attached underneath in the top four corners (none along bottom), giving the angled structure needed for play.

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