At Home Summer 2017

treasured Stories of love and legacy on Pictou’s

ISLAND Summer 2017

SUMMER SUDS YOUR GUIDE TO THE BEST LOCAL CRAFT BEER PLANT AN INCREDIBLE, EDIBLE LANDSCAPE

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ON OUR COVER: Julia Law, Sarah MacDonald and her pooch Trooper share a few moments on the porch of the “Pavillion” a few months before Julia’s passing last fall. Julia’s retreat is one of six stories featured in Pictou’s Treasured Island.

PHOTO BY CRYSTAL MURRAY

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www.athomeonthenorthshore.ca PUBLISHER: Fred Fiander EDITOR: Crystal Murray SALES MANAGER: Dave Wood ART DIRECTOR: Jamie Playfair GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Barbara Raymont PHOTO EDITOR: Steve Smith FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: David Wood, Sales Manager, Halifax 902 422-4990, ext. 1819 davidwood@advocatemediainc.com Blake Ross, Sales, Pictou County Phone 902 485-8014, ext. 1108 blakeross@advocatemediainc.com Nicole Fawcett, Sales, Strait Area 902 625-3300, ext. 1509 nicolefawcett@porthawkesburyreporter.com Lyndia Wellwood, Sales, Truro and Colchester County 902 893-0375 lyndiawellwood@advocatemediainc.com

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Inside this issue Vol. 2 Edition 3 Summer 2017

The Inside Story

On the Town

8

36

Eat what you Sow! Your incredible Edible Landscape

14

What’s on stage for you this summer

Got a Yearning A few tips from our own yard sale pro’s

Cover Story

On the Table

22 Pictou’s “Treasured” Island

20

Stories of Legacy, Love and Leisure that will make you want to explore on your own

39

Summer Suds

Departments 12

Off the Wall The magical driftwood sculptures of Artist Anne Louise MacDonald

Healthy at Home Medaling with my food Welcome to our new columnist, Olympic Medalist and local foodie, Tracy Stuart!

40

Read by the Sea Welcoming a new audience to River John

What local brewers are crafting for you this summer

38

The deCoste Performing Arts Centre

Population Health How this new buzz in health care gives power to the people

16 Thresholds From the sea to the sky, bold and bright colours to embrace today

50

DIY—Re-loved Rocker From wall flower to show stopper with a little Fat Paint

22 18

The North Shore

ah! Summer 2017 - 4

A Natural Solution to Your Coastal Erosion Issues ADVERTORIAL

S

ummer is here! A season for cottages, patios, and family time spent on the beautiful beaches of the North Shore. Summer can also be a season when we visit our cottage shorelines or favourite beaches only to discover that the winter storms have taken their toll. Debris, damage, and erosion are the most common signs of winter’s wrath.

Worrying about all that erosion and the threat of what might happen next year can really put a damper on the joys of summer.

You don’t have to look far to see the standard approach that is currently used to reduce coastal erosion. Hard engineered structures seem to be popping up everywhere these days. From bulkheads of wood and steel, to tall walls of giant stacked granite boulders, to low sloping sandstone protection structures, the diversity is endless. Without a doubt there are locations where these armouring structures are necessary and often critical to protect roads, fishing wharves, and industrial or historical buildings.

This kind of coastal armouring tends to produce a sense of permanence and security, however they are not as permanent than they look and they often do not fit with the coastal countryside scenery we cherish.

Hard armouring can create a cascade of accelerating erosion in front of and around coastal structures leading to a loss of beaches and neighbouring properties soon requiring protection. They have ecological impacts such as loss of habitat, reduced water quality, and localized changes in the species living in an area. Hard structures also tend to make it more difficult to access the coast for the leisure and resources that we all enjoy.

As a coastal property owner you may be asking ‘is there anything I can do to maintain the health and natural beauty of my shoreline? Are there any other options to reduce my coastal erosion besides rock and hard structures?’ The short answer is yes! The long answer is that there is a whole spectrum of naturebased solutions to coastal erosion that are broadly

referred to as Living Shorelines. Living Shorelines mimic and accelerate the natural processes of coastal stabilization by using native plant species and local plant materials (hay, brush, logs etc.) to re-establish vegetation cover on coastal banks, bluffs, and cliffs.

Living Shorelines are an important tool for coastal management because they allow us to protect our properties and investments while at the same time maintaining the natural beauty and ecosystem functions of the shoreline. Living Shorelines are resilient to coastal change and can be used increase the resilience and longevity of existing rock protection structures. Living Shoreline projects also inspire participation and knowledge sharing that creates resilient, empowered individuals and communities.

Helping Nature Heal has been designing, installing, and maintaining Living Shorelines specially adapted to the Atlantic Canadian environment for 15 years.

We take pride in helping our clients find sustainable solutions to their coastal issues. We also offer mentorship services to teach property owners the skills they need to monitor coastal change on their property and become stewards of the coastline. If you are worried about coastal erosion on your property and a natural solution feels right to you, our expert team would love to work with you to design the Living Shoreline best suited to your needs.

Should I Incorporate My Business?

A

s a business lawyer, I am often asked the question, “Should I incorporate my business?” The client may be in the process of starting a new business venture or one who has been operating the business for a period of time. The answer to this question involves an examination of the client’s specific needs.

While every situation is unique, there are some advantages to incorporating which apply to most business owners: 1. Limited Liability. A company is a separate and distinct legal entity. The debts incurred in the business are the company’s liabilities, not the liabilities of the shareholders or directors.

A shareholder’s personal assets are generally protected from the creditors. This being said, there are situations where shareholders and directors may be liable for company debt, such as unpaid HST or payroll deductions or where personal guarantees have been given.

2. Flexibility in Raising Capital. There is the ability to create different classes of shares with different attributes (i.e. voting or nonvoting, different dividend entitlements, etc.).

This provides flexibility to attract investors to purchase shares in the company (subject to applicable securities legislation).

ADVERTORIAL 3. Lower Tax Rate. The corporate tax rate is generally lower than the personal tax rate.

This leaves more money available for the business’ needs.

4. Tax Efficiencies. With a company, a business owner has more flexibility in structuring how to receive income. Money can be paid as dividends, employment income or a combination of the two. As well, there is the potential for income splitting.

5. Benefit of the Capital Gains Exemption. The current lifetime capital gains exemption is in excess of $800,000. If the sale of the business down the road is structured as a sale of shares, there is the potential that the shareholder may be able to claim the capital gains exemption on the sale of his/her shares. Further review would be required to determine eligibility.

6. Estate Planning Options. There are options for transitioning the business to children over time. An incorporated company continues to exist and carry on after the business owner dies, unlike a business which is run as a sole proprietorship.

7. Multiple Owners of the Business. If there are several individuals who are carrying on business together, incorporating a

Incorporating?

Purchasing a Business?

Business Start Up Questions?

company together can increase efficiency in contracting and carrying on the business. For this type of a business model, a shareholders’ agreement is a must.

Like anything, there are also potential drawbacks to incorporating. For example, business losses in a company cannot be offset against personal income, so sometimes a startup business may delay incorporation. There are also the cost of incorporation, annual tax returns which must be filed and annual reporting requirements with the applicable corporate registry. Quite often these costs are outweighed by the benefits of incorporation; in particular tax savings.

If you are a business owner and this is a question you have been considering, one of our corporate lawyers would be happy to discuss your business needs further.

I can Help.

*This article is meant to be for information purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice or opinion. If you have any further questions, please consult a lawyer.

Incorporating?

Purchasing a Business?

Incorporating?

Business Start Up Questions? hmacdonald@macmacmac.ns.ca Purchasing a Business?

Heather MacDonald Business Start UpHelp.

Questions?

I can Whether you’re a local, regional, or national business, you can trust Heather MacDonald our experience to guide you in the right direction. hmacdonald@macmacmac.ns.ca

I can Help.

Heather MacDonald

Whether you’re a local, regional, or national business, you can trust

our experience to guide you in the right direction. hmacdonald@macmacmac.ns.ca

Whether you’re a local, regional, or national business, you can trust Experience trust. our experience to guide you you can in the right direction.

Call Us Today at 902-752-8441

Experience you can trust.

Call Us Today at 902-752-8441

www.macmacmac.ns.ca

www.macmacmac.ns.ca

editor’s

LETTER

7-

ah! Summer 2017

PHOTO BY TARA GILLIS, PURE IMAGES PHOTOGRAPHY.

S

ometimes I would question myself if it was just memory or a memory of a dream but I know it’s real and a gift of a moment shared between a father and a daughter. Most nights, even on summer holiday, my Mum had my sister and me tucked into bed before the sun went down. My older brother was often playing ball with his friends in the field behind our house and my friend Wendy would still be driving her bike back and forth on the sidewalk ringing her bike bell. As day turned into night I often fell asleep counting the cars by the beams of light emitted from their headlights that wrapped around the walls of my room as they passed along on the street below my window. But on this night just as I was drifting off, my Dad popped his head in my room and told me to get up because he had something special to show me. I remember I was wearing a faded nylon nighty that had belonged to my grandmother. There were little rosebuds appliqued on the drooping neckline that had curled up on all of the edges where the threads had shrunk over the years. “Grab your housecoat and your shoes,” he told me because we are going for a drive. I no doubt questioned him about what he was up too but did what I was told and jumped in the front seat of our big yellow Oldsmobile and off we went.

A few minutes later my Dad pulled the car into another field not far from where we lived and turned off the ignition. The darkness gave way to the twinkling light of a thousand fireflies. It was as if a sky full of stars had descended into that field draping it in a veil of sparkling bioluminescence as these magical creatures of nature danced their secret dance just for me and my Dad. There is an elevated sense of wonder that only exists in summer. It goes hand-in-hand with the ephemeral beauty of things most rare, short-lived and fleeting and in Nova Scotia summer is all of these things. This sense of wonder inspired many of the stories in this issue. The whimsical driftwood sculptures of artist Anne Louise MacDonald and the curiosity and allure of living adrift on a little island in the Northumberland Strait that continues to capture the imagination of people both near and far. Time and space meant that the six stories featured in our cover story are truncated versions of larger conversations but I hope it’s enough to give you all a glimpse of a few of the people and properties that make it worthy to be dubbed Pictou’s Treasured Island.

We have had a slow start to summer here in Nova Scotia but many of my favourite things about the season have been arriving right on cue and sadly some are almost over. The anticipated blossoms on my magnolia and crab apple trees have had their

day and their petals are now a pink carpet that will be swept away with the next good breeze. Hot on their heels is my favourite of them all and by the end of the week I will have bouquets of lilacs in every room of my house. Then there is my Mum’s rhubarb crumble dessert that’s always best after a good feed of lobster and nights by the fire in our back yard after we return from cheering the kids on at soccer.

This morning I went to visit my Dad at a nursing home where he now lives and I asked him if he remembered the night he took me to see the fireflies. I read him this editor’s note and we both had a little cry. He remembered every moment of that night and I felt like I was that little girl again. So today as we wrap up another issue of At Home on the North Shore I am left wondering if maybe summer is just a metaphor for life and the universe just threw it in there to remind us how temporary we all are and while we are here we had better make the most of it.

Have a lovely summer everyone—let’s go make some memories.

The North Shore

edible

Incredible

landscape

BY RACHAEL MACLEAN

W

ith two busy little boys, grocery store shopping can be like an Olympic event. I could tell you some stories (and so could more than one checkout person) but we’ll save those for another time. We spend most of our trip in the produce section and thankfully my kids love fruit and veggies. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining... yet. That comes around day two, three if I’m lucky, in the week after getting groceries. It’s as if a swarm of locusts have descended and consumed ALL of the fruit. Then it’s “slim pickin’s” until I get time to go shopping the following weekend. Time constraints, and the fact that there is no way I’m emotionally ready to repeat a trip to the grocer, often leave us “fruit-less”.

All joking aside, we are very lucky to be able to fill our grocery cart every two weeks. And now with the promise of warmer weather on the horizon, we are looking forward to picking strawberries at MacLeans, in addition to our own wild blackberries and blueberries. This year, I really need to “up my freezer game” to bridge the gaps, especially with the huge crop I’m anticipating from my first garden here in Lovat.

Fresh food is a gift and one that we all need, but people are facing unprecedented hunger levels and famine across the globe.

PHOTO: RACHAEL MACLEAN

INSIDE STORY

Hungry people are everywhere. In my first-year design studio in landscape architecture at the University of Guelph, we were tasked to develop a new landscape for an inner-city church.

The church had flower beds, some established trees and shrubs, typical foundation planting, but other than that, we were given a blank slate. After digging (pun intended) into the church programs and listening to presentations from congregation and clergy, I became fixated on the number of hungry people that came through their doors every day. These people needed food, and so the church had started a meal program. Their volunteers and donations were doing amazing things—in many ways, they were “moving mountains”. I wanted to—no, had to—do more than create a pretty place with my design. So I developed an edible landscape that supported the kitchen and wrapped around the church. In the end, it was a help, and it looked good too. All plants have an aesthetic value and mixing edible plants with more showy perennials made beautiful sense.

A few years later I stumbled across a program that turned a light on in my head. It was a registry in the Ottawa area (www.notfarfromthetree.org) that allowed anyone to register a fruit tree. Whether in a backyard or a highway median, fruit trees

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The North Shore

ah! Summer 2017 - 8

PHOTO: RACHAEL MACLEAN

Mix and Mingle

Edibles to incorporate in your garden... were mapped across the urban landscape. Pickers were organized and sent to harvest. A portion went to the owner and the rest to a community kitchen very similar to the one in my first year project. Rather than plant more or buy, harnessing community power and harvesting existing fruit made perfect sense.

My point is a reflection of the times in more ways than one— we are over-reliant on the grocery store as our primary food source. Some questions: if we are landscaping and planting anyway, doesn’t it make sense to grow food at the same time?

In the same space even? And/or pay attention to the abundance that already exists around us in the wild and forgotten places? In recent years, chefs and the culinary crowd are pulling inspiration from wild and foraged foods—this is more than just a passing fad! In Advocate Harbour, the restaurant Wild Caraway is a little piece of mouth-watering heaven. Everything on their menu comes from their yard or within close proximity. They are regulars at Sugar Moon chef nights and are highly recommended.

Coltsfoot to carrots, food is all around us. From wild to waste, there is no good reason why there should be so many hungry people. We need to get a handle on things, so grab your forks and shovels because it all starts with you and me.

Pictou County’s Weekly Newspaper Since 1893

Shrubs

High-bush Blueberries Gooseberries Currants Mulberry Evergreen Barberry

Perennial/Annuals Chives Thyme Parsley Chard Rhubarb Aster

Bee Balm Pepper Sunflowers Ornamental Kale Day Lilies Runnerless Strawberries

Vines

Cascading Strawberries, Cascading Tomatos Grapes

The news and how it affects you every Wednesday in the Advocate newspaper.

Fresh daily at pictouadvocate.com 21 George Street, Pictou, Nova Scotia

(902) 485-8014 9-

ah! Summer 2017

The North Shore

Escorted Trips From Halifax

C

arla MacKay and Terri Lee Arbuckle worked together for more than 13 years at Fraser & Hoyt Worldwide Travel in New Glasgow, before deciding to go out on their own and purchase Travel Our Way from Darlene MacLean. In June of 2009 they opened the new business, at a new location on East River Road and have been growing ever since. Carla and Terri are more than successful business owners, they are mothers, wives, community supporters and volunteers with a commitment to bettering their community and providing employment. Today, Travel Our Way supports a staff of 10 in three locations.

In 2015 Travel Our Way expanded with the opening of a second location on James Street in Antigonish, as well as a satellite location in Port Hawkesbury.

Travel advisors with Travel Our Way are professionals who have chosen the travel industry as a career rather than a hobby. All staff have been employed for over a decade in this profession and operate as a team with dedication to giving their clients the best travel

ADVERTORIAL experience possible based on their individual client’s needs. This combination of skill and knowledge has enabled this local company to flourish amongst the major industry chains.

In the past few years, Travel Our Way was recognized twice by the Luxury Hotel chain of Sandals for their Growth of Business and Brand Support; Walt Disney Travel Company has echoed this, awarding Travel Our Way the honour of being an Authorized Disney Travel Agency. The most recent recognition came from TRAVELSAVERS. In May 2017, Travel Our Way was honoured as one of the top travel agencies in North America, and has been named an ELITE travel agency by TRAVELSAVERS, an international marketing organization that includes the most knowledgeable travel consultants and best travel suppliers in the world today.

“We’re so proud to say that these travel professionals are the best of the best, the crème de la crème,” said Rick Mazza, founder and CEO of TRAVELSAVERS. “These are the agents who have risen to the top by providing their clients

with the best travel products at the best prices.

Because they take the time to get to know their clients and understand their very specific needs, they deliver travel experiences that satisfy. We salute them for their commitment to excellence in all of their business practices and the superior customer service they offer each and every day.”

With Travel Our Way you will get advisors who are knowledgeable about the products they are providing through firsthand experience. You will also get great prices and great smiles from agents who will give you the one-on -one consultation necessary to make the most of your travel experience. When you book your travel locally you not only receive a competitive price, you receive a company with a solid reputation for results, advisors who are your advocates, and an opportunity to keep people employed in your community.

Travel Our Way distributes an eTravel email newsletter featuring diverse products and specials. Please email travel@travelourway.com and you will be instantly enrolled.

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LORI BYRNE was able to share her passion for the great yard sale hunt in this issue. “One of my favourite things about summer is yard sales which usually means I get to tweak my interior and maybe even up-cycle some furniture. It’s also the perfect time to take some roadtrips, exploring this great part of Canada!”

PHOTO: STEVE SMITH,VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

KIM HART-MACNEILL is a freelance writer and editor of East Coast Living Magazine.

If you enjoyed her story Craft Beers for Summer check out her weekly craft beer blog at HalifaxMag.com and follow her on Twitter @kimhartmacneill

PHOTO: BRUCE MURRAY,VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

CONTRIBUTORS

DEELLE HINES says that learning about population health was an eye-opening experience. “As an Elevated Lifestyle Coach/Youth Self-Development Coordinator that helps women and youth balance their lives, this approach to health makes sense to me. As a community, it’s time to adopt an approach to health that helps our residents flourish by living healthy, productive, happy lives, and the population health approach is the answer.”

RACHAEL MACLEAN says Hello Summer! “This is the season of fresh food all around. Literally it’s everywhere and a life-long focal point for this landscape architect.” Take a read of Rachael’s column as she digs into thoughts, findings and social divides that we have the power to help minimize.

SARAH BUTLAND is welcoming warm sunny weather with a good book and a cup of tea, eagerly awaiting the festivities of Read by the Sea and so many other celebrations throughout the county.

Be sure to say hello if you see her out and about, and rejoice when the sun is shining, too!

TRACY STUART believes we should all power up on plant protein this summer. In her feature Sweet Pea Tracy shares two of her favourite smoothie recipes that are sure to become part of your own routine.

Tracy lives in River John with her husband Jared and delightful daughters Olivia and Brooklyn. She holds a Masters of Science in (Sport Medicine), Bachelor of Physical Education and a Chef’s Diploma from the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts. She is also a two time World Champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist in rowing.

JAKE CHISHOLM ‘Drinks on the patio, weekends on the boat and oversized sunglasses is what summer is to me!

The summer season is the busiest time of the year while taking in all the events and festivals in Northern Nova Scotia.’ What doesn’t Jake do? Originally from Ontario, Jake chooses to call Pictou County home where he works in the entertainment industry and Glasgow Square Theatre. A model, actor and now writer, Jake talks fashion in Closets to Ca$H

PHOTO: TIMOTHY RICHARD

PHOTO: STEVE SMITH,VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

STEVE SMITH is an award winning photographer.

Most recently celebrating two best cover honours at the Atlantic Journalism Awards. He had a bit of a breather for the summer issue but was in the studio to grab the shots for our Thresholds feature and Lori Byrnes Rockin’ DIY project.

BRENDA STERLING GOODWIN Ten years after her first symptoms appeared, Brenda Goodwin was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. Since then she has become an advocate, educator and spokesperson for the disease. She writes Tick Talk for our summer issue and urges all readers to take care and be aware when enjoying the great outdoors. Prior to her illness Brenda worked for 25 years as an Animal Health Technician at a local Veterinary Clinic.

SALLY O’NEILL was the natural choice to write our summer trail guide. She the Coordinator of Active Pictou County, a partnership of the six municipalities of Pictou County and the Province of Nova Scotia. She is an avid hiker, occasional cyclist, and has enjoyed exploring all the trails in this article, and many, many more. She believes trails are where the best thinking happens, where friendships are made stronger, where fun and adventure are commonplace, and where we can become the very best version of ourselves.

11 -

ah! Summer 2017

PHOTO: GARDEN OF PEACE PHOTOGRAPHY

MIKE BYRNE lives in the Chance Harbour area of Nova Scotia. A mechanical engineer currently teaching at NSCC Pictou Campus, Mike is passionate about capturing the beauty of Nova Scotia’s landscape and wildlife through his photography. He hit the trails recently to capture a few shots for our summer trail guide. On any given weekend, Mike and his wife Kimberly can usually be found hiking on one of the fantastic trails within Nova Scotia.

The North Shore

OFF the WALL She sells seahorses made from the seashore—the magical driftwood sculptures of Anne Louise MacDonald

BY CRYSTAL MURRAY PHOTO BY ANNE LOUISE MACDONALD

A

nne Louise MacDonald walks the beaches near her home in Antigonish looking for horses.

She finds them in the sand, tumbled and tangled in the seaweed. The horses she finds are broken and need to be put back together. Her mind’s eye tells her how they will find shape, form and movement.

She rebuilds them piece-by-piece and before they are all but complete she places a little heart where it belongs, a signature that tells its own story about her love for horses and for her art.

Most of us have picked up an object and will see in it a shape of something familiar.

Several years ago Anne Louise started to pick up pieces of driftwood and beach stones and had her first experiment with making sculpture with found objects.

From there happenstance took over.

When spirited on by fellow Antigonish artist Jaye Oulette, Anne Louise found her niche and from then on her beachcombing for weathered wood found its purpose.

Horses have enchanted Anne Louise for as long as she can remember. From a little girl tapping on the television

The North Shore

when anything equine would trot its way across the screen to a teenage artist experimenting in the creation and sale of pen and ink drawings to scrape together $200 to buy her first horse, to an accomplished novelist, photographer and artist, horses have been part of almost every aspect of her life.

Sitting in an antique Morris chair in her living room, Anne Louise can see the horses in her stable that nests at the bottom of a slope on her property on Cloverville Road in Antigonish. In the window two of her sculptures layer her view. One has a mane studded with beach glass. It is one of the first pieces that she made and one she intends to keep for herself. The other has been promised to a gallery in Mahone Bay. While driftwood sculpture is a familiar art, the interest in Anne Louise’s work comes from the striking nuances that she captures in each piece. Her knowledge of horse anatomy and her intimate relationship with her own horses over the years is imparted in each piece that comes together, as if she was making a jigsaw puzzle without a picture for a guide.

“My very trained eye for horse anatomy makes a difference. They are very lifelike even though they are just sticks and stones,” says Anne Louise.

With the vivid representations, Anne Louise creates objects where the viewer will immediately recognize the form of the horse but there is an additional synthesis of a sensory response to our own experiences and emotions associated with horses. It is this “imagined realism” that conjures the curiosity around her work.

“I can pick up a piece of wood on the beach and I will not just see a piece of the body but a movement that captures that horse in a specific moment of time,” says Anne Louise. As a writer I see the horses as a concept where two ideas come together. I might find a piece that looks like something, but it’s not a horse until I find a second piece and the idea then becomes something.”

Art and expression spills throughout the home that she makes with her husband Frank. Her collection of heart-shaped beach stones rest on their windowsills.

ah! Summer 2017 - 12

Turn your Clo$et into

CASH

BY JAKE CHISHOLM

L

Containers of driftwood sorted by imagined anatomy fill a second floor studio and her dining room table is a landscape of painted stones, brushes and colour, left over from an art therapy class that she instructed the day before.

It can take a month for Anne Louise to finish a sculpture depending on the number of pieces that need to connect.

She works with glue and tiny pegs that are not visible in the construction. Many of her sculptures can be viewed from different angles so they can find their place in an open space and are meant to be appreciated in all aspects of their three dimensional perspective. Most of what she creates is sold on Etsy, she has a few pieces at the Lyghtesome Gallery in Antigonish and she will show some of her work at the Antigonish Art Fair throughout the summer.

“I am blessed,” says Anne Louise. “The sculptures are one of those little magical things that have just come together.

A culmination of everything else that I have done.”

13 -

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ooking for the right fit for your wardrobe budget? Well, look no more…unless it’s on Krista MacLeod-Tingley’s Facebook page.

Krista MacLeod-Tingley started ‘Pictou County’s Chicest Closets’ in 2016 after a career change and found herself with a closet full of high-end business attire that not longer suited her lifestyle. So the savvy business woman decided to take matters into her own hands and start a Facebook group to sell her working girl wardrobe. Since then, the group has grown to 65 members all of whom have followed in Krista’s footsteps by selling their own gear. Kate Spade, Michael Kors and Ann Taylor, are some of the names that frequently pop up on the page and they sell out just as fast as they are posted.

So what happens after you post that formerly loved handbag or pair boots that you thought would fit because they were just the best deal ever? Here’s the hitch—you can’t be shy. The purchaser and seller arrange to meet in a common space where they exchange the goods.

Most buyers will try on the clothing, check the quality and if the shoe fits, the money is exchanged and the item has a brand new life.

Krista loves to play with trends and styles and noted that this group is a great opportunity for people to do the same but at a fraction of the cost of what you would pay in stores. Most of the money she has made helped her achieve a new wardrobe for her new lifestyle as Mom, wife and fashionista.

Why not give Pictou County’s Chicest Closets a try….it just might be the perfect fit.

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The North Shore

INSIDE STORY

Got a yearning Follow this map to find some of the best deals on the road!

6:42 am Woke up to no alarm—oops!

Later start than planned…

7:40 am Roll out with cash on hand and an empty car.

8:01 am Drop kids off to another friend.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY LORI BYRNE

W

hen yard sale season starts, the urge to hit the road is strong. I know there are treasures to be found and deals to be made. The only thing that makes hitting the yard sales even better is going on the hunt with your best friend.

Just about anywhere in Nova Scotia there are community yard sales that stretch on for miles. They have become a pilgrimage for yard sales officandos like my friend Janice and me. Last summer we logged our day-long adventure when we hit the West Colchester 75k yard sale that stretches from Onslow to Parrsboro. Follow along and you can use our tour of backyards, parking lots and garages to plan your own trek for treasures this summer.

9:00 am First stop and first purchases of the day—stool $5, wicker table $4, pottery dish, silver candlestick and a bag of random little toy dinosaurs for 25 cents each.

9:26 am Friendship at stake—Janice snagged a $10 quilt that I had my eye on.

9:55 am Picked up a low table $5 and three bowls for $2.

10:00 am Have a conversation that we would try to only stop at the really hot spots, we need to pace ourselves!!

10:21 am Car Star parking lot is loaded with goodies that appeal to me, bought an old, orange toy car with flowers on the hood (later contacted seller about a sign I saw and purchased it, too)..

10:43 am Commercial Safety College parking lot is loaded with vendors—I buy wooden shoes from Belgium for $7, three glass fishing floats for $9 and three of those fabulous crocheted dishcloths for $6.

10:45 am Masstown Market for food!!

11:47 am Quilt Stop—the most beautiful quilts, strung on clotheslines put up just for this day and blowing gently in the breeze—scored a pair of leather boots and a pair of leather sandals for $10.

10:05 am Stop at next yard sale we see.

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yard sale? for a

11:55 am So hungry, we stopped for strawberry shortcake!

12:04 pm Drove past Balamore Farms where some of our beef cows now reside.

12:29 pm Stop at a yard sale and end up getting a complete house tour by Roger and Robert!

1:59 pm Back in the car after perusing the Great Village Antique shops, bought a $15 birdcage.

2:25 pm Tour Joy Laking’s studio, bought some postcards of her work 2:45 pm Old Bass River Chair Company, explored all the floors.

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3:23 pm Desperate for coffee!

Timmies stop!

4:25 pm Last stop of the day, swung by Phillips and Chestnut for some supplies to work on our new purchases!

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3:20pm Heading back to the Great Village shops so Janice could buy some fabric she spotted on our first visit.

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Janice’s Yard Sale Tips 101 • Stock up on breath mints— vendors are more likely to grant a great price to shoppers who are minty fresh.

• Do a squat check before leaving home, no one appreciates a plumber’s crack!

• Know your coffee stops—You don’t want to be at risk of fizzling out.

• Take snacks to avoid getting ‘hangry’ • Bring a measuring tape!

Cash is king—have lots of small bills and change on hand.

Yard sales are a great way to while away a summer day. With a little cash in hand you can go a long way... in some case 100 kms long! It really is true that one person’s trash is another one’s treasure. Breathing new life into used and previously loved items is a great way to reduce what goes into the landfill. It can also save you from having to pay full retail for items such as clothing, toys and household items, whether it’s tools, decorating pieces or furniture. The thrill of the hunt, and not knowing you might find keeps me hitting the road summer after summer! Plus, you never know when you might get to catch a glimpse of a beautiful old home along the way!

If you’d like to grab your friend and hit 2017 West Colchester Yard Sale, it’s being held the second weekend in July, rain or shine!

Share your treasures with us on our At Home on the North Shore Facebook page or twitter #athomeonthenorthshoretreasures

The North Shore

THRESHOLDS

BY LORI BYRNE PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

Let the sunshine in Get a little playful with a bold and bright colour scheme this summer. Yellow and navy are high contrast colours that create a striking mix for home décor and your wardrobe.

Think brilliant sunshine and the deep blue of our Atlantic waters to inspire this lively palette.

HERE’S THE SCOOP Can’t find the right ice cream bowl for your favourite flavour? Then try re-purposing other glassware for your serving dishes like this trinket box from Winners.

HIGH BEAMS When the sun goes down, brighten things up with this task lamp from Plum Tree in Antigonish.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME Make a splash with these fun felt placemats from Home Hardware. An easy and affordable way to create a little contrast on your summer table.

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CHEAP CHEEP! Cream and Sugar set from Forbes New To You in New Glasgow. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to serve up some fun with these. Ask your Gramma if you can have a look through her china cupboard or hit the local vintage markets, antique shops and flea markets are the places to find that unique piece with a pop of colour.

HERE I AM Stand out this summer when you pair this colour-blocked tote and scarf with your favourite white jeans and flip flops. Ahead of Hair, Pictou.

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The North Shore

BY PETER KOHLER

IT’S WHAT’S ON THE OUTSIDE THAT COUNTS Because what’s on the outside protects what’s on the inside. Providing comfort, security and peace of mind.

The highest energy efficiency on the market, professional engineering, attention to detail, expert craftsmanship and exceptional choice have made Kohltech one of the leading window and entrance system brands in Canada. But that doesn’t mean we’re content to stand still. We are always innovating and investing in technology, research and development, and our people, so you and your family get outstanding windows and entrance systems that protect what’s on the inside.

Building a new home or renovating your windows and entrance systems? Kohltech products are available at your favourite locally-owned building supply dealer: HARRISON'S HOME BUILDING CENTRE 10256 Durham Street, Pugwash TATAMAGOUCHE HOME HARDWARE BUILDING CENTRE 457 Main Street, Tatamagouche

Above is a proud Kohltech window and entrance system renovation project in Caribou Island, Nova Scotia.

HECTOR TIMBER MART 223 Foord Street, Stellarton 11 Harris Road, Pictou HIGHLAND HOME BUILDING CENTRE 1639 Brierly Brook Road, Antigonish

PROUDFOOT'S HOME HARDWARE BUILDING CENTRE 84 Weaver Road, Pictou 130 Vista Drive, Stellarton HARRIS HOME HARDWARE BUILDING CENTRE 451 Pictou Road, Truro 339 Willow Street, Truro

kohltech.com

INSIDE STORY

S

ummer comes slowly to this part of the country, but we Nova Scotians know how to make the most of every hour of sun. Whether your perfect summer day features a patio, a barbeque, or lounging by the water, there’s a Nova Scotian craft beer for you.

It’s never been a better time to try Nova Scotian craft beer.

Our province boasts 40-some breweries and brewpubs already, and given the explosive growth in the industry, a handful more will open before you receive your next issue of At Home.

From light wheat beers to refreshing lagers, and session ales to fruit-flavoured beers, local breweries produce beer styles that are tailor-made for summer and an approachable way to discover the bounty of local beers made here at home.

Wheat beers are a great place for new craft-beer drinkers to start out the summer. They’re low in hops, feel silky in your mouth, and are highly effervescent, which makes them a refreshing choice on a summer’s day.

One Atlantic Canadian Beer Award-winning wheat beer brewed here on the North Shore, comes from Uncle Leo’s Brewery in Lyon’s Brook, two kilometres west of the town

of Pictou. The brewery’s Vohs Weizenbier is named for neighbours Matt and Brenda Vohs who own the nearby Piper’s Landing Restaurant.

“Matt is actually from Germany and a great lover of European beers” says Rebecca Whiffen, who co-owns the brewery with her husband Karl. “He’s a wealth of German beer-related knowledge and is probably the reason Karl makes so many German beers.” Karl named the beer after the Vohs as a thank-you for being the first restaurant to carry Uncle Leo’s on its taps.

This Hefeweizen-style beer is characteristically light-bodied so it feels much lighter than some of the craft beer you might be familiar with. The yeast used in its fermentation imparts slight flavours of clove and banana with a hint of spiciness.

CRAFT BEERS for summer Whether you’re new to craft beer, or new to beer all together, this is the season to give it a try

BY KIM HART MACNEILL The North Shore

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Rebecca recommends trying it with a summer salad or fish to highlight the tropical flavours of the beer.

This is a seasonal beer, which means it will disappear with the warm weather. Find it on tap at the brewery for growler fills, and in cans at the brewery and NSLC stores.

Plus, this summer Uncle Leo’s will open a small patio on the front of the brewery.

Rebecca says she hopes to start serving flights of beer by the end of June so visitors can try a small sample of all of Uncle Leo’s brews.

Another returning wheat beer is Ace of Lace Whitbeer

by Tatamagouche Brewing Company in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia.

Well-known Nova Scotia vintner Hans Christian Jost started working on this brewery within weeks of selling the winery that bore his family name. Today, his daughter Christiane manages it, and her partner Matt Kenny brews the beer in a historic building that’s been a butcher shop, a tire store, a dance hall, and a restaurant in previous incarnations.

Like many of Tata’s beers, Ace of Lace is approachable and easy to drink. The addition of Queen Anne’s Lace flowers and orange peel accent the traditional light flavours of the wheat beer. And like all of the brewery’s beers, it’s organic.

Tatamagouche offers a small tasting room and retail area where you can try and buy beer to take home, plus a small patio, nicknamed The Flight Deck.

Once you’ve tried wheat beers, the next step on your summer introduction to craft beer should be lager. Like wheat beers, lagers are a lighter beer style that hits the spot on a summer day.

Unlike the ales above, which are fermented at warmer temperatures, lagers are fermented cold, which means they take longer for the yeast to do its work. This longer maturation process gives lagers a crisper and cleaner taste than ales, but means that most breweries shy away from them.

Not Spindrift Brewing in Dartmouth, N.S. This all-lager brewery is earning a reputation (and awards) for its smooth, easy drinking beers. In March, it took home three Downeast Brewing Awards, a little over a year after its opening.

One of those awards was for Coastal Lager, a Germanstyle Festbier that offers a sweet malty flavour. It’s moderately hopped to highlight hints of orange and earth flavours, and offers an easy introduction to hoppy beers.

Another Spindrift beer that you’ll find in your local NSLC is Killick Session Lager. This one is new this spring, but fast gaining a reputation with beer lovers as the beer of summer 2017. Like Coastal, it’s hopped, but more subtlety to highlight delicate citrus flavours in the hops.

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“This lager is a great starting point as a transition into craft beer because of the familiar lager style,” says Kellye Robertson, Spindrift’s brewmaster. “It’s very approachable and thirst-quenching while still being crafted with a lot of care.”

Over the last few years, it’s often felt like craft brewers were trying to outdo each other with more hops and higher alcohol beers. Now, session ales are rising as a popular alternative in the Nova Scotia craft-beer scene.

While session beer isn’t a strictly defined style, it’s generally used to describe beers that fall in the three to five per cent alcohol range. The lower alcohol content means you can have more than one or two while grilling without paying for it later.

Many session beers are available year-round, but one that you’ll want to try before it flies from the shelves is Cellar Slammer India Session Ale. This beer is a collaboration between the team at Bishop’s Cellar, a private liquor retailer in Halifax, and Tatamagouche Brewing Co. This one is a little hoppier than the brews above. You’ll discover shimmers of tropical fruit and big citrus hop flavours packed into this can. Ask for it at the brewery, but don’t wait. It sold quickly last year.

Christiane Jost suggests pairing this summer sipper with Mexican food from the village’s new food truck, Taco Gringo. “It’s going to be a really exciting summer this year with so many new businesses opening in Tatamagouche.”

If you’re a wine drinker, fruit beers might be your best introduction to craft beer. You’ll find fruit beers in almost every style imaginable, but what all good ones have in common is that they still taste like beer.

Garrison Brewing’s Raspberry Wheat Ale is a prime example. This light ale has all of the traditional wheat beer characteristics described above, plus an ample dose of fresh raspberries.

When you pop the cap the first thing you’ll notice is the fresh, sweet berry smell wafting out of the bottle. The beer’s flavour is sweet but not sugary, with a tart finish that compliments the refreshing taste of the wheat ale.

You’ll find this one at the NSLC year round.

Sadly, this next beer you won’t find all year.

Watermelon Blonde from Nine Locks Brewing in Dartmouth is brewed and fermented with mashed watermelon. The melon imparts a fresh summery smell to the brewery’s year-round blonde ale, and slight sweetness to this already smooth beer.

If ever there was a time to try craft beer, that time is now. You’ll find all of the beers above at Tatamagouche Brewery, Uncle Leo’s Brewing, and at NSLC stores across the region.

The North Shore

COVER STORY

STORIES AND PHOTOS BY CRYSTAL MURRAY

Let’s escape to an island this summer.

Where the hands of the clock move a tad slower. Where what used to be is as important as what will be and where some people go to get lost and others to be found.

We bring you six unique stories of people and places that will help you discover...

treasured

PICTOU’S

ISLAND

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Lorraine MacMillan, centre, taking a summer stroll down the Wharf Road with Cecil and Verna Rankin.

Circa 1960.

M

ost of us have heard or caught a glimpse of it while making the ferry crossing to Prince Edward Island.

There are the lucky folks that have made a day trip or rented a cottage for a week or two. There is a special lot who have the good fortune to summer on the idyllic little sand spit and then there is the handful of born-and-bred islanders who cannot conjure the idea of living anywhere other than Pictou Island.

It’s not the place that you would imagine a 90-year-old, visually impaired widow to be spending her golden years but that is exactly where you will find Lorraine MacMillan, and she will tell you that she intends to be there until she takes her last breath of salt-spun air.

For 90 years, the little hiccup of land just four miles off the mainland has been home to Lorraine. Brought into the world with the help of the island midwife in her parent’s home on the west end of the island on January 19, 1927, she’s never strayed far for long. Little visits to the mainland were nice but she always believed that getting back on the island was twice as nice.

And like the tides of the Northumberland Strait that continue to define the shoreline of the tiny nine-milelong island, Lorraine has seen the rise and fall of a community that at its peak was home to more than 200 people who created a microcosm of economy in their little fishing village.

The people worked together, worshipped together, celebrated together and at times mourned together. To say that it was a simple life would not be entirely true. In Lorraine’s words, to be an islander, you had to be ‘rugged’ but she believes that there was honesty in knowing that almost everything you needed you created on your own and when called on, shared with your neighbours. There would be months where the island would be silenced by winter and the only connection to the mainland was an arduous trip over the solid sea by iceboat.

But time has a way of changing things, even on an island where the ocean could only slow down the profound mix of modernity that was happening on the mainland. Changes to education delivery, the fishery and opportunities that opened up with the growth of new industry in Pictou County all took its toll on the island population. With each passing year more island families made the decision to make a permanent “move to town” or

winter and fish from the mainland and keep their island properties for the gentler months.

Today only nine people live year-round on the island; however, the winters are not a sentence to solitude as they once were.

The island mail plane that flies out of the Trenton airport now brings provisions when needed and every now and then a few passengers checking in on their island homes and visiting the hardy winter stock like Lorraine and her son Bill, who is now the only fisherman with a lobster license from Pictou Island.

Lorraine occupies her winters as happily today as she did as a girl when she spent nights with friends and family knitting, rug hooking and playing cards. She remembers waiting with great anticipation for the Eaton’s catalogue and she would flip through the pages until they were all but worn out as she decided on a new dress to order for Easter.

Lorraine has never felt lonely on the island. When she lost her eyesight decades ago she made the best of what she had.

Special playing cards made by a friend on the island, that she can read by touch, make her the undeniable champion of the weekly Auction 45 card party that she hosts for her island friends and as a few of her family will attest, she loves a good chat on the phone.

There is a new and eclectic mix of people influencing the island population and its future, and Lorraine MacMillan knows them all. She is the matriarch of an island that is starting to experience a subtle shift in its identity. With the exception of a few seasonal fishing boats and the all but abandoned trap houses that huddle on the shore, the traces of the stalwart fishing community have almost all disappeared. The fields once farmed by the fishermen and their families long grown over are now being cleared to build summer homes by people who “come from away” and old lobster traps are now painted in lively colours and decorate decks and gardens. Rental cottages, a bed and breakfast and wooden tents now attract a growing number of curious tourists.

Now that summer is here the door to Lorraine’s front porch swings open more often with visits from family and friends. There is a little more traffic on the main road that runs the length of the island and she is hopeful that more people will start to discover what she has known all of her life. |

LORRAINE'S LEGACY

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The North Shore

COVER STORY

LAW OF NATURE

S

arah MacDonald is still hanging on to her winter tan. She has returned home to Nova Scotia after six weeks in the Caribbean and is on her way to the Trenton Airport to hop on a plane with her partner Ed George. They have a quick trip to Pictou Island to take one last look at her property at John Dan’s Cove before the construction of her little cottage gets under way. She wants to make sure that the cottage is stationed just so, capturing her favourite view and connecting her to the memories of two of her greatest joys in life.

In the 11 years since Sarah set foot on Pictou Island she has endured the loss of both her son Josh who died at the age of 11 from Cystic Fibrosis and her best friend Julia Law who passed away last fall after a valiant battle with cancer. Late last summer At Home met with Sarah and Julia to talk about their vision for a remarkable Eco-Retreat. At the time Julia was in the final stages of her disease but she wanted to share her story, show what she had created and reinforce her love for an island that had become her home.

Julia’s Eco-Retreat had become something that makes all islanders proud. This is Sarah’s story of Julia’s legacy as told to At Home on the North Shore.

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When Julia hopped on to the Pictou Island Wharf carrying a flat of Perrier and wearing a pair of Gucci glasses there were likely a lot of islanders thinking, “well this isn’t going to work!” but she quickly showed everyone the stuff that she was made of and she wasn’t afraid of getting her hands dirty. I think Julia surprised people wherever she went. She had an incredible life as an executive

with companies like Coca-Cola and Nike. She travelled the world.

I remember the first time I met her. It was in 2006. We met though a mutual friend at an environmental event at the Wooden Monkey Restaurant in Halifax. We hit it off right away. There was something about her that was so familiar and we eventually figured out that my Grandmother and Julia’s mother were cousins. It was one of

Left: Julia’s vision for her retreat related to the nature around her. In July, her Pictou Island family and friends honour her memory with a celebration of life.

Right: A kangaroo leather couch and live-edge table from Austria are a few of the special pieces that Julia collected on her travels.

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The North Shore

The Pavillion porch. Julia’s island experience kept her connected to the natural world around her.

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Keltic

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those meetings where you think back and say things happen for a reason. My husband at the time and I had just purchased property on Pictou Island, Julia was intrigued and asked if I wanted to go into partnership with her to create something unique on the island.

The original plots of land on the island ran from north to south so you have water on both sides. Julia had designs of making a camping to glamping experience. She thought we could do something where you could hold fundraisers and maybe even do a Cystic Fibrosis camp.

My son Josh had Cystic Fibrosis. Julia and Josh became very close in the few years that they knew each other. My involvement with the partnership started to get complicated when Josh’s health began to deteriorate and my husband and I divorced. Julia continued on with a development on her part of the property and in a few years had created an amazing personal retreat. She travelled a lot when she was working on the plans for the retreat.

Shortly after starting the project she went to Africa and went luxury tenting. I think part of this experience and the experience of all of her worldly travels influenced the design of her project that has become known as the “Pavillion.”

She worked closely with island builder John Ross. They had become close friends while she was living in a farm house on the island. Her family was also spending holiday time on the island and the property near the beach would give her her own space. She started the project with two yurts. John Ross built the platforms and she ordered the yurts from a company in the Annapolis Valley.

The main pavilion came later. It is really one big living space with a lounge area and kitchen inside. She had such an eye for design. She had great style and she collected furniture and art from her travels.

I think my favourite pieces are the live-edge coffee table and the kangaroo leather couch that she brought back from Australia.

Julia was doing some consulting work in 2013 when she was diagnosed with Mesothelioma and she started to travel for cancer treatments but with the help of John Ross, the Pavillion was completed but she never did get to spend the time there that she had hoped for... that we had hoped for. She hosted a couple of corporate events but her idea for the retreat was never realized.

I think Julia will always be remembered for being inquisitive, strong, funny, witty, smart, open and honest. Everyone that met her loved her and she had a way of making everyone feel comfortable.

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The Yurts provide more than a glorified camping experience. Installed on platforms above the ground the Yurts provide privacy and comfort for guests.

The Pavillion was left to her family and I am returning to my own plans for a new life on the island. I am going to be working with the Pictou Island Ferry and Charter Service and I am going to be moving ahead with my own cottage. I am not quite sure what direction everything will go now. A lot of things have changed but one priority is to re-name the lane to my little cottage. I want to call it Josh and Julia’s Way. |

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(902) 396-3387 27 -

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4687 Highway #4, RR#1, Westville, Nova Scotia B0K 2A0

The North Shore

COVER STORY

BUNNIES AND A BUILDER

W

hen Linda Schweitzer and Peter Lauch were putting the finishing touches on their “shunkee” (a hybrid of a bunk house and a shed) they had to go on an unscheduled scavenger hunt to find an elbow joint to complete the installation of a cook stove that would make or break their late autumn visit to their property on Pictou Island.

It was a defining moment in their on-going initiation to island living. If you don’t have what you need when you live a few miles from the main land you wait or you improvise or in this case, cross your fingers and go on the hunt for what you need.

Knocking on at least 12 doors didn’t reveal the sought after elusive piece but it did yield an idea for one more place to try, the community hall where an old stove had been disassembled.

Bingo, they found it.

Maybe not shiny and new like the other components of their new stove but once they cleaned out a few abandoned nests festooned by mice and birds they were able rig up their heating source and get on with the remainder of their to-do list.

The North Shore

For Linda, a professor in the business school at Carlton University in Ottawa and Peter an Engineer currently working on the light transport system in the nations capital, the search for the elbow joint taught them something else about island living—your business quickly becomes everyone else’s business but you have a community that is knit as tightly as a fisherman’s old woolen sweater.

The Schweitzers purchased their Pictou Island property in 2013. They had spent a dozen summers vacationing in Black Point, Pictou County and little jaunts to PEI and Cape Breton when their children Katrina and Max were young teenagers.

They often relaxed on the beach at Black Point and wondered about the little island within eye sight.

“The locals never did a good job selling the island,” says Linda with a chuckle. “We were told that it was hard to get here and once you did get there it was really hard to get around.”

Then one summer Linda and Peter had a hiccup in their east coast vacation plans. The cottage they had rented in Black

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On an island where life usually slows down a little Linda and Peter expedited their build. Linda raises a glass to her builder John Ross.

Point for many years was no longer available but they had a new lead on a rental on that mysterious island.

It was other-worldly, muses Linda on her first visit to Pictou Island. “When we pulled up to the wharf the sun was setting, there were bunnies hopping around, it was just beautiful, we were hooked instantly.”

After renting for a few more summers Linda and Peter were convinced that Pictou Island is where they wanted to be on a more permanent basis. They purchased a piece of land from Ron and Jane MacDonald and started to pull together a plan.

With busy careers and kids entering university their dream to build their summer house would have to take shape slowly but their primer on island construction had begun.

“The well and the shed to hold our gear were the first steps,” remembers Linda. “Peter’s idea was to build something that was long enough to store a 14-foot kayak and our ATV but something that we could also camp in. Everything moved very slowly at this point of the project. We did most of the work ourselves.

We were an unskilled labour pool but we loved our little space. We were pretty cozy there, we eventually built a little bathhouse with a composting toilet and a shower heated by solar.”

Linda and Peter continued to spend a few weeks in their “shunkee” in the summer with their kids and they had a few visits in the spring and the fall. Then one day the local trusted builder, John Ross, stopped in for a visit.

He said, “Here’s the thing. I am 66 years old and if you want me to build this house I need to build it now and not in five years,” remembers Linda.

In 2015, two years after purchasing their beach property, Linda and Peter were putting sonotubes in the ground to provide the foundation for their dream house.

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“This was the biggest build that John Ross had done on the island,” says Linda. “And everything is so much more labour intensive. You have to be really organized, there are more steps to take and everything costs more. You have to have your building materials loaded on the boat in Caribou and then unloaded on the island side and transported to the property.

If you are missing something you can’t just go to the hardware store to pick it up, you have to wait for the next boat.”

Despite the challenges of transportation and weather the cottage build moved along at a steady pace. John Ross engaged a young builder from Tatamagouche who brought a boat load of his own crew. John housed and fed the crew during their weeks on the island.

“When we left for Ottawa that fall there was a floor, when I came back to check on things I was walking on the second storey of the house and the roof was on. I was literally speechless by how much they had accomplished. We worked really hard for the next week to get everything battened down for the winter.

Linda said there was no way they could have accomplished so much without having John Ross as their project manager. “Just having him there and his connection to everyone on the island just made everything so much easier.”

Last year Linda took a sabbatical leave from her teaching position at the University and was able to spend more time on the island and became involved in the finer details of the build.

She and her husband Peter are still a few years from retirement and their plan for living a good part of the year on Pictou Island but they know they made the right decision.

“There is a funny thing that happens when you get on this island—the worst thing is knowing that you have to leave.

Once you do leave, even if it’s only for a day, you just want to get back.” | The North Shore

COVER STORY

TWO IN SOLITUDE

T

he words reclusive and anti-social might come to mind when you think of someone who chooses to live yearround on an isolated little island, but Corinne MacDonald and her husband Ray Docker dispel that myth very quickly. Every nook and cranny of their century-and-thensome old farmhouse near the east end of the island shouts welcome.

Large decks off the back of the house facing the ocean have space for dining in the summer sun, a pergoda under garlands of grape vines create some corner shade and a place for a sip of wine and conversation at the end of the day. Gardens between the house and the beach create another space to linger and pull a few weeds and cheerful adirondacks say, “take a seat and enjoy the view.”

It’s a big house for two people but each renovation over the years made room to accommodate more guests and each iteration has made way for a few more conveniences and technologies, setting them up with many more comforts than the originals residents could have ever imagined.

All summer long Corinne and Ray keep to the rhythm of entertaining family and friends but when the winds start to shift, the ferry stops running and the moon rises in the night sky before supper is on the table, that is the time that the couple really count their blessings. “We enjoy our quiet time and the serenity that

island living in the winter provides,” says Corinne. “We love our time alone together and each other’s company.”

With the exception of the last few years, Corinne and Ray have lived year-round on the island since 2002. They were both educators working in local schools and then abroad for a few years before returning to Pictou County in 1992. Ray said that they knew they wanted to retire to Pictou Island where he had owned the farmhouse since the mid-sixties. Ray had originally purchased the property with his first wife Pat. They had spent every summer on the island with their two boys until Pat passed away in 1987.

“It was our cherished summer home for 20 years,” says Ray. “When I met Corinne and introduced her to the island it turned out that she was as attracted to the island as I was.”

Before making the decision to move to the island full-time the couple spent two winters roughing it. “We pumped water from the well, used the outdoor toilet and kerosene lamps. We enjoyed the warmth of the wood stove with wood supplied by a generous neighbour. We were blissfully happy and we made the decision that when we could, we would move to the island full-time.”

Switching gears from a summer retreat to a “retirement” home called for some significant renovations and improvements to the heating and energy sources. A barn, new windows, roof, indoor

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ah! Summer 2017 - 30

Left: Rules of the Beach created by the grandchildren.

Garden view from the pergoda.

plumbing, solar power, a small addition and a huge deck over the course of a few years eventually brought the house up to a standard where Ray says they enjoy all of the comforts of a modern home.

While solitude is abundant in the winter so are their activities that keep them busy.

When the real cold sets in they take turns getting up early to put some wood in the stove to warm up the kitchen. Rarely would a heavy snow fall interfere with their day as they have no place to go. A narrow path shoveled to the barn for wood and bird seed is all they need and the snow shoes and cross country skies are always near by. “Most days we try to get out for a walk, cross-country ski or snow shoe. We are always cooking something and once a week island residents get together for an evening card game of 45s,” says Corinne, who also completes two or three rug hooking projects throughout the winter.

The quiet has never crept into feelings of isolation. With few exceptions the mail plane makes its regular run and wifi has made it easier than ever to stay connected to the rest of the world. “To winter here, one needs to be organized to ensure that there is enough wood for heat and food,” adds Corinne, “but I can’t think of anything other than maybe live theatre that we really miss. We truly have everything that we want or need.” |

Ray and Corinne, ready to welcome another summer with visits from family and friends.

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ah! Summer 2017

The North Shore

COVER STORY

AN ISLAND AFFAIR

J

ane and Ron MacDonald’s island home nestles in on the top of a bluff and looks out over a swath of white sand that stretches along the south shore. Behind them close to 100 acres connects them to the north side of the island and John Dan’s Cove. They will be headed there a little later in the day for a picnic and to catch the remainder of the summer sun.

But for now there is still a little work to do. It fits into their philosophy on island living where Jane says that they work hard and play hard. There is always something that needs some fixing, gardens to tend to, food to be prepared or a neighbour that needs a little help. They have created a rhythm to their days and to their 33 years of marriage, most of which have been spent on Pictou Island.

Ron is an islander by birth. His father tended to the lighthouse on the west end and his mother was the island nurse who brought more than 300 babies into the world and helped ease almost as many an old islander on their way out. His upbringing is the stuff of legend and folklore with a story line that is coloured with characters and circumstances that he brings back to life on the pages of his private journals.

There have been few days in the 30 years since Ron started to keep his journal that he has not turned to a fresh page to record his observations and recollections.

“He has an incredible memory,” says Jane. “He has a story about everyone that lived under a roof on the island.” When we were

courting he would take me for drives up and down the main road of the island and tell me stories about every house that we passed by and then he would expect me to remember,” says Jane with a happy laugh but who has also accrued her own knowledge and love for the island. While Ron has lots of requests to share his writing publicly he intends to keep them private for now with the exception of a close friend who has been transcribing hundreds of handwritten pages into a digital file.

“The island is a different experience for Jane than it has been for me. Pictou Island was all I ever knew as a young fella,” says Ron. “I came to the mainland in 1953 and it was over 30 years before I went back to live full-time. Life was a lot easier from what it used to be when I returned with Jane.”

It’s hard to tell who or what romanced Jane first, Ron or the island.

Her love affair with both is tightly entwined. When they met, Jane was teaching and Ron was running Harbour Light Campground in Braeshore, lobster fishing and had his hand in a few other ventures.

He had six children from two previous marriages. Cancer had taken both wives. Jane says she remembers a few raised eyebrows when she started dating Ron but it wasn’t long before people realized they were a perfect match. Pictou Island was at the heart of their relationship. From their courtship, to their honeymoon, to the home they would build in 1989 Ron and Jane set their course for island life.

Jane freshens things up.

The MacDonald home on the north shore of the island.

The North Shore

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Jane and Ron taking time out on the multi-level deck with the post-card-perfect view.

A year after building what was intended to be a cottage the couple decided to move to the island permanently. After a brief and fortunately resolved health care crisis of her own Jane knew that she wanted to experience year-round island life and for 25 years that’s exactly what they did.

“Something magical would happen when I was on the island.

I just knew that’s where I wanted to be. Living on the island has been fulfilling a dream,” says Jane. “I was always intrigued by the island. As a girl I would go over on speedboats with family and friends. We would fish for mackerel and pick blueberries. I never dreamt that I would someday live here.”

Being part of the tight-knit community has been the most meaningful part of their island experience. The winters never feel long or lonely with evenings filled with dinner clubs and games nights, the warm glow of lanterns and the cozy heat emanating from the wood stove fuels conversation long into the night. But over the years Jane and Ron’s circle of friends living full-time on the island is getting smaller. The island population is a shadow of what it was when Ron left as a young man and almost every year since their return in the early 90s another family would make the decision to move to the mainland. Two years ago Jane and Ron made their own difficult decision to return to the mainland during the winter months.

Today there are only four year-round households on the island.

“It’s not a lot for a community to survive but there seems to be a bit of a rejuvenation,” says Jane referring to a small influx of

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newcomers to the island in the last few years. Jane believes that technology paired with a desire to live less encumbered lives has created a new allure for places like Pictou Island. “You can pretty much work from anywhere these days and that is something that we should be promoting if we want to see our little community survive. We have an eclectic group of people on the island that makes life here very interesting. There are Ph.D.s, engineers, tech people, teachers, entrepreneurs, pensioners, throw in the local characters and you have a very interesting slice of life. We just need more of these people staying on the island year-round.”

The transition of real estate on the island has been slow. All of the properties are privately held and have been in families for several generations. There are several absentee land holders who picked up properties from bank sales in the 1960s when the island economy was in swift decline; however, there are owners like the MacDonalds who have sold a few parcels of land to “new blood” who they believe will have the same appreciation for the island beauty and its potential.

Living on the mainland for a few months each winter has not softened the MacDonald’s resolve to be islanders for as long as it is earthly possible. For Ron his connection to the island is following a pragmatic natural course balanced by Jane’s continuous sense of wonder. “Something magical happens when I step on this island,” adds Jane with a hint of emotion. “It’s just the place that I want to be. The first thing I do when I return each time is walk our beach.

Until I take my last breath this is where I want to be.” |

The North Shore

COVER STORY

A BOY, A GIRL, A TENT, AND A TREAT

Lorne returns to his roots on Pictou Island. His vineyard has become a new curiosity for island visitors. Inset: Each wooden tent bears the name of one of the last generation that was born and raised on the island.

I

n 1998 Lorne Matheson left Toronto to look for some land on the east coast. He poked around a few properties on the south shore and Cape Breton but on his way back to the city he made a stop to the old family homestead on Pictou Island. He realized that of all of the places he went to see that summer, Pictou Island was hands down the perfect place to be.

As a boy Lorne had spent most of his summer vacation on the island, playing in the woods and on the beaches in the quiet solitude of a young man’s imagination. His mother had been born there and he still had a handful of family either living on the island or close by on the mainland. The following year he purchased a piece of the family property and started to refurbish a tired and deserted trap house into his summer cottage that looks out over the wharf on the west end.

From the beginning Lorne had a bigger plan for his property than just a retreat from the mainland. His return to the island unearthed a stronger connection than he might have first realized. He felt that he had come full circle and while he says that spending more quiet time on the island has not changed him. He has become

The North Shore

reacquainted with his love for the outdoors and his enjoyment of tranquillity. “I can go two or three days without talking to anyone and it doesn’t bother me,” says Lorne with a boyish grin that likely hasn’t changed much over the years.

His love for solitude has not hampered his hope that Pictou Island will some day become more of a destination and strengthen the wilting economy of another small rural community once dependent on its fishing resources. Even since his return in the late 90s he has seen the lobster boats disappear from the wharf. This spring there is only one lobster license on the island. He has also watched the out-migration of the winter residents who had numbered 35 on his arrival almost twenty years ago down to nine this past winter.

His fear, like those of his neighbours, is the maintenance of services like the ferry, mail and roads, to a landscape that could be all but deserted in a few more years if more people don’t chose to spend at least part of their winter on the island. But what seemed like a sad tale of another Atlantic-Canadian community in hospice has been a spark of renewal for the historic little island. In the last few years there has been a new mix of people “from away” with

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and August. Their hours of operation were influenced by the candy a younger generation of people with ties to the community who consumption of the island’s children “We thought it was best if we have returned to create a sort of revival. didn’t have kids running into the store at 9 o’clock in the morning Lorne and his partner Wendy Foley had their own ideas to bring looking for candy, however the adults have been the biggest ones a little lift back to the local economy. In 2016 they opened the for the treats!”

Wooden Tent Company on Lorne’s property. Their original idea And when Wendy is selling Freezies to the big kids, Lorne will be was to open a campground; however’ knowing the challenges of hauling gear onto the ferry they turned their business plan toward a tending to his vineyard that was planted in 2005 and has started to less encumbered experience for their future guests. Their company thrive on the unique island terrain. The vineyard, with more than 600 plants and a mix of marechal foch and L’acadie blanc grapes, provides just about everything a camper would need with the started out as a hobby but it has become a curiosity for island exception of bedding and food. This year the Tent Company will visitors and locals. also have cruiser bikes for rent so guests can explore the island from east to west and north to south.

The campground concept had been a dream of Wendy’s since she purchased her island property 10 years ago. Like most people who find themselves drawn to the island she had her own family history. Her grandfather had once operated a ferry service with his fishing boat. Her mother would spend the afternoons on the beach while her father would ferry people back and forth to the mainland. As a teenager Wendy’s own love affair with the island began. Lots of weekend trips with friends and staying with various families on the island solidified Wendy’s desire to own her own place someday. The summer she was turning 40 she declared that she was going to the island and she wasn’t coming back until she owned something.

“From the very beginning I knew that I wanted to start a campground. The original idea has taken a The “Loo with a View” on The Wooden Tents site. bit of a twist but it is a much better fit with the ferry Because of strict regulations for the marketing and selling of travel,” says Wendy. wine in Nova Scotia, Lorne’s harvest and production is purely for But even before the campground opened its tent flaps to sharing and enjoying with friends and family. His vines yield far customers Wendy got a jump-start on another idea and opened the more than he can use for wine production however both he and island’s first store in decades.

Wendy think there could be other ways to use excess harvest “The store has become a destination. We have a little bit of but until then the Pictou Island Vineyard, The Wooden Tents and everything. We try to keep a supply of ice, lots of treats and penny the Variety Store will be part of a little piece of the new island candies, basic toiletries, and last year added t-shirts and hoodies economy that so many in the community believe is needed for and some consignment art from the locals. Wendy operates the this little treasured island to survive. store weekends only in June and then seven days a week in July

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351 Stellarton Rd., New Glasgow The North Shore

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Friday, June 30 Saturday, July 1 Sunday, July 2

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Welcome to The deCoste Festival of Summer Sounds Phone: 902-485-8848 Toll Free: 1-800-353-5338 www.decostecentre.ca

The best little theatre in Eastern N.S. We always have a great time whether having a date night or going out with friends.

Membership is one of the best entertainment values around and keeps getting better. Thank you for providing a wonderful place for us to enjoy great live shows.

We travel from Dartmouth and back again and it is worth it. We ALWAYS enjoy whatever show we go to see. The staff there are so friendly and you meet the nicest people there. The sound is great, the space is nice. Just an all around wonderful experience, we go quite often and would go more if we could.

– Donna Grinter Negus

– Angela Gardiner

Always enjoy my evenings there! Not a bad seat in the house!

– Judy Rushton-Ross

July 4-5 International Double Header 7:30pm Tickets: $20 The Young’uns won the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards “Best Group” award in 2015 and 2016.

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Buy one ~ Get one!

July 6

Pop Classics—60s Tribute

7:30pm Pictou County Pop Classics has established itself as a musical teleportation experience, with the ability to take audiences right back to the best parts of the 1960s. Audience members are encouraged to join in by coming in costume for a chance to win a prize.

July 11, 12, 13 Summer Ceilidh 7:30pm Tickets: $20

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Buy one ~ Get one!

INTERNATIONAL

Salt and Light Bluegrass is a six-piece family bluegrass band from North Carolina, ranging in age from 11 to 21 years.

Buddy MacDonald— busy touring artist year-round.

Heather Cameron—a new face this year.

Spyder Macdonald— Pictou’s resident music laureate and ambassador.

July 29

9:00am Tournament Kids: $40 Adults: $60 A full NOGI tournament for all ages, taking place on the outdoor patio.

Free admission for spectators.

STEPHEN FEARING Great show for families.

A Canada 150 Show.

Dreamcatchers

July 15

6:30pm Tickets: $45 / VIP $53 Evening featured matches.

FREE

2:00pm

Chokes by the Ocean

August 1, 2

SAM MARTIN July 18, 19, 20 DELTA SUGAR

Curly Strings

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Bluegrass from Estonia

7:30pm Tickets: $20 Curly Strings is a four-piece band from Estonia that draws its inspiration from American bluegrass and their own personal heritage.

Buy one ~ Get one!

INTERNATIONAL

Celtic Ladies 7:30pm Tickets: $20 Ardth & Jennifer Cassie & Maggie Alicia Putnam

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July 25, 26, 27

Pictou: Our Town, Our Story

Tales & Tunes

Paul McKenna, Jimmy Sweeney Tony & Shannon Quinn

7:30pm Tickets: $20 These artists will share their spirited blend of tales and tunes.

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August 3, 10, 17, 24 A theatrical night of music, dance and history 7:30pm Tickets: $20

August 5, 6

August 19 23rd Annual Northumberland Quilt Show and Sale Tickets: $5

Cape Breton Summertime Revue

7:30pm Tickets: $39.50 / $32.50 students / VIP $53 Winners of America’s Got Talent!

August 8

7:30pm Tickets: $48/ $45 members Cape Breton Island has no shortage of talented performers who love nothing better than to celebrate what it means to live there. A stellar cast of performers has been assembled and the music, both traditional and original, speaks to their love of home and the comedy is as sidesplitting as you would expect it to be.

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The Lumberjills 7:30pm Tickets: $20

August 22, 23

New Brunswick Showcase: On Canada’s East Coast there is a time-honoured tradition of fiddling and step-dancing.

The Lumberjills are dedicated to keeping the traditions of their Acadian ancestors alive.

Corporate Sponsors Summer 2017

August 16 JD Fortune—One Night with You 8:00pm Tickets: $45 / VIP $60 Elvis Presley performed by Rock Star INXS (CBS Television) winner JD Fortune. JD’s beautiful powerhouse voice combined with the incredibly talented East Coast “TCB” band of musicians and singers, will leave you dancing in the aisles and screaming for more!

STELLARTON - NEW GLASGOW

INSIDE STORY

TURNING THE PAGE to literary tourism in River John

BY SARAH BUTLAND

R

ead by the Sea has a mission: to promote and foster appreciation for outstanding Canadian writing and literature among residents and visitors of Nova Scotia’s North Shore Communities.

This July, Read by the Sea will celebrate another chapter in their success. The literary festival continues to grow and attract more visitors year after year. For the last 18 years, Read by the Sea attendees have been opening their lawn chairs and sipping their lemonade in the pastoral setting of the village of River John. The storybook setting invites book lovers of all ages to mix and mingle with some of their favourite authors.

“I’m very excited to be among such fine writers at this year’s festival. I’ve heard such wonderful things about Read by the Sea and can’t wait to explore River John!” says author Lesley Crewe who will be presenting at the Festival in July.

Lynne Davey, manager of Coles, is passionate about the annual local festival as she gladly shares the event details and visiting authors to anyone who will listen. Lynne ensures visiting authors are featured front and centre in her store at the Highland Square Mall.

Carolyn Guy of the Atlantic Publishers’ Marketing Association supplied staggering numbers from 2014-2015. She says that it is interesting to know that the Nova Scotia book market is worth $36.3 million but provincial funding in Ontario receives eight times more funding than our own province.

“With that said, 58 books were published by authors in other Canadian provinces while 111 were published during that year from right here in Nova Scotia,” says Carolyn.

With more than 100 titles published in the last year it is no wonder that the Read by the Sea festival continues to blossom. Hundreds of people

will venture to River John on the weekend of July 8th and 9th. They will be buying snacks, visiting other local sights, and invigorating the small businesses that contribute to their tiny community.

“We always get a few visitors drop by our shop and farm on the Read by the Sea weekend,” says Jillian Crawford of Lismore Sheep Farm. “The comments are always that it is such a beautiful part of the province and so much to see and do.

The sheep and the lambs in the barn and the wool and sheep skin products are always a big hit.”

A lot of effort goes into such a festival and the pride shows throughout the community. Sourcing local whenever possible any revenue from the festival remains in the community and is invested in future projects. With free events, this festival offers something for everyone. The festival has become an attraction and a journey for book clubs from as far away as Ontario and organizers say that they have had participants come from as far away as Europe.

Read by the Sea starts on Saturday, July 8 this year with the well-liked event Pitch the Publisher where aspiring authors are invited to read a story to a panel of Atlantic Publishers. There are also days dedicated to children with word play and activities to inspire new readers.

Volunteers from Pugwash to Pictou with a passion for books have turned a new page on the tourism industry in Nova Scotia.

For more on the success story and event schedule please visit www.ReadBytheSea.ca.

HEALTHY AT HOME

Going How a better understanding of our population will improve the health of communities

SOCIAL

BY DEELLE HINES

W

hat’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of health?

I recently asked a group of people this question and the most common answers I received was our health care. While health care is an important aspect of health, it’s only a piece of the puzzle.

Health care will always be one of the greatest challenges to the political agenda. Politicians are consistently promising changes to our system. A promise of shorter wait times in emergency rooms, enough beds for patients, an increase in family doctors in rural areas, etc.

While changes to our health care system are important and needed, what if they shifted some of the focus away from health care and towards improving the health of our entire community?

By doing so, we would start to see a decrease the amount of health care required because people would be healthier.

It’s time for a different approach.

As a community, we must look deeper into our issues surrounding health. We need to demand an approach that focuses on all factors influencing our health, not just a few factors alone. Welcome Population Health the new buzz words that help define a refreshed approach for heath care.

The North Shore

Dr. Aaron Smith, a family doctor in Pictou County, completed his graduate studies in community health and currently sits on the board at the Aberdeen Health Foundation and the Population Health Committee. He says “Population Health is a different way of thinking about health than what most of us are used to; it’s a focus on the factors that help communities maintain their health and well-being as opposed to a focus on treating illness once it has already been diagnosed.”

Dr. Auylane Jeans, Director of the Aberdeen Health Foundation and Chair of the Population Health Committee, says “Population Health initiatives are directed toward improving the well-being of as many people as possible, and not just one, or a few, at a time; they also address the factors that keep us well. One of my colleagues uses the analogy of healthcare being like rescuing people from a river as they are being washed downstream ; a Population Health approach also goes upstream to see why

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they’re falling into the river, and making changes to prevent it from happening.”

The main factors that influence our health are collectively referred to as the Social Determinants of Health or SDOH. Dr. Smith states “the SDOH include factors that affect our lives, our health care, our biology, and our physical environments. The identified SDOH affecting our lives at community levels includes issues like income, early childhood development, education access, social inclusion, race, aboriginal status, food security, access to housing, employment, and gender.”

The Canadian Medical Association breaks down the factors affecting Canadians health like this: • 10% are environmental things like air quality, or civic infrastructure.

• 15% come from biology like genetic influences.

• 25% is the quality and availability of health care.

• 50% have to do with our life circumstances - our income level, education, gender, race, aboriginal status, whether we have safe and nutritious food, our housing situation, our early childhood development characteristics and opportunities, whether we have a disability, whether we experience social exclusion, or feel a sense of community belonging, whether we have a job, and what sort of working conditions we experience, and whether there is a social safety net we can access when needed.

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Dr. Jeans says “the social determinants of health have the greatest influence on our health and well-being, but we don’t always think of them in the context of health care. A Population Health approach considers all these factors.”

The Aberdeen Health Foundation’s Population Health Committee has a goal of supporting individuals and community groups to identify needs, and to enhance collaboration among various groups to implement programs that positively impact the social determinants of health for adults as well as children.

Dr. Smith explains in order to make the health of our community better “the first step is understanding that health in our communities is not primarily produced within the hospital or the doctors’ clinics.

Health is produced and maintained in how we structure our communities from a social, cultural, and economic perspective.”

Like many rural areas in Nova Scotia, Pictou County is affected by high levels of chronic disease such as obesity, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and heart disease. Luckily, there’s a growing interest and discussions concerning Population Health in Pictou County. Many community organizations, municipal organizations, and funding organizations are starting to see the value in a population health approach.

Also, our provincial Public Health Department is now providing information and knowledge support to community groups, organizations, and municipalities seeking to pursue Population Health approaches in developing programs and infrastructure in their communities.

According to Dr. Smith he “would like to see municipalities have a firm grasp of this idea and start integrating strategic health planning into policy and funding decisions. By understanding the determinants of health we can truly start to build healthy communities.”

An example of a population health approach in Nova Scotia is the Annapolis County Alternative Transportation Society, which was designed after the Annapolis County Community Health Board noticed a number of community members were unable to access the health care system, access educational facilities, buy groceries or get a job. They discovered a lack of transportation was the root cause of the problems and put something in place to fix it.

Since many residents in Annapolis County were unable to access transportation, there was an increase in poor health, isolation and lowered selfesteem. The Annapolis Valley Transportation Society

The North Shore

There are a number of organizations in Pictou County collaborating on Population Health initiatives. Many of these projects are supported by local Community Health Boards • Seniors Health Initiatives, creating social opportunities, and educating seniors on topics pertinent to them through’ Lunch and Learn’ events.

• Community Gardens and food mentorship programs that teach food safety and preparation.

• Community exercise programs.

• Programs promoting active lives.

• Health conferences.

• Programs that help to support the vulnerable people in the community. The Aberdeen Health Foundation has the ability to supporting local non-profit organizations and other groups, through the Children’s Aid Endowment Fund. The relatively new fund has a mandate to support transformation programming in the Pictou County region.

was developed to help with the transportation gaps. For an annual fee of $5 and a $5 donation, volunteer drivers offer reliable, affordable, accessible transportation.

Now more residents of Annapolis County are able to get jobs, attend more appointments, have access to healthier food, and attend educational facilities that were otherwise inaccessible, all because of reliable transportation.

The Annapolis County Alternative Transportation Society has played an important role in strengthening self-esteem, building social relationships and giving residents a sense of control over their lives.

Population health requires us to shift our thinking about how health is defined. Our health is not just about hospital care and the absences of disease, it’s a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. This approach allows people to pursue their goals, to acquire skills and education, and to grow as a human being.

When people are given these opportunities, they are able to adapt and respond to the challenges they face in life. They become a better, healthier, more productive person, which creates a healthy, vibrant community.

• The United Way is also supporting projects and organizations with Population Health components in the work they do.

• The work of non-profit and service clubs support many projects that identify as population health initiatives.

The North Shore

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At Home...

inYOUR home...

and online!

read it • share it • love it! www.athomeonthenorthshore.ca

Pathways to

Adventure Hitting the Trails of the Northumberland Shore SALLY O’NEILL, ACTIVE PICTOU COUNTY PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BYRNE

E

xploring trails is a beautiful and exciting way to keep active at any age. Something a bit magical happens when you hear the sound of wind and birdsong, and

the smell of moss and earth. From stunning coastal views, to secluded, mossy woodland, to sweet single track, the Northumberland Shore has something special for every interest. Lace up your hiking boots and hit the trail with this guide to a few great destinations near you.

The North Shore

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JITNEY TRAIL

SIX-MILE BROOK TRAIL

(Pictou waterfront through River John) Pictou to Lyon’s Brook Length: 43km Difficulty: Easy, flat, combination of paved and gravel surfaces Part of the Trans Canada Trail System

Length: 5 km Difficulty: Moderately to challenging, some steep climbs, crossing streams, natural surface Uses: Hiking Part of the Cape to Cape Trail System

Waterfront Trail (3km) Uses: Biking, walking, snowshoe, cross-country ski

Travel along the Six Mile Brook, through mixed woodland, on a historic route once used by highland settlers to access their homesteads on Dalhousie Mountain. Visit the Willis Cemetery at the end of the trail and see the names of these early pioneers. A special feature on the trail is the Jack and Doris McLaughlan Bothy, a cabin where hikers can camp overnight. It is free to use, available on a “first come, first served” basis and a wonderful place to spend the night immersed in woodland seclusion.

The Jitney Trail begins at the Pictou Marina and continues for 3 kilometres along the beautiful Pictou waterfront. The first kilometre of the trail is paved and offers panoramic coastal views, benches and interpretive signage to share the story of the community and the historic railway that once operated along the route. Stop at the historic landing site of the Ship Hector, which brought many of the first Scottish settlers to Nova Scotia in 1773.

Short Line Rail Trail (40km) Uses: Biking, walking, snowshoe, cross-country ski, off-highway recreational vehicles, equestrian At the “Gut Bridge,” a lovely look-off in the community of Lyon’s Brook, the Jitney Trail crosses Hwy 376 and follows the restored Short Line Railway for 40 kilometres as a wide, mixed-use gravel trail. This section welcomes walkers and runners, cyclists, off-highway recreational vehicles, and equestrian riders.

The trail is built and maintained by community volunteers, and passes through several lovely rural communities along its route. The trail crosses ravines and bridges, through shady tree canopy, farms and fields of crops and grazing animals. A highlight of this trail is the 366ft River John Rail Bridge offering outstanding views of the river and surrounding ravine. As part of the Trans Canada Trail, the Jitney connects directly with the Short- Line trail in Colchester.

A great trail for a day’s cycling adventure between Pictou and Tatamagouche.

How to find it: The Jitney Trail can be accessed at a number of points.

Parking areas can be found at the Pictou Marina, In Lyon’s Brook at Haliburton Rd., and at several locations along the rail line. In River John, access the trail from West Branch Rd.

How to find it: Find the trail head by taking Six-Mile Brook Rd, across from Salt Springs Provincial Park. The road turns to dirt, and ends at a gravel quarry.

There is a parking area and sign kiosk to the right, over a small bridge.

Cape to Cape Trail A system of connected hiking trails that, when complete, will be the longest hiking trail in Nova Scotia, and bring hikers on a multi-day adventure from Cape George in Antigonish to Cape Chignecto in Colchester County. A work in progress by a group of dedicated community volunteers. www.capetocapetrail.ca

FITZPATRICK MOUNTAIN TRAILS Length: 8 km Difficulty: Moderate, hills, crossing streams, natural surface Uses: Hiking, biking Part of the Cape to Cape Trail System A scenic climb through historic homesteads where remains of farm equipment and old rock walls can be glimpsed through the forest that has reclaimed the area.

From the summit there is a gorgeous, panoramic view of the Northumberland Strait and Prince Edward Island. The trail also connects to Smith’s Rock Chalets, where visitors can stay overnight in a mountaintop retreat.

How to find it: Park near the Scotsburn Elementary School, 4100 Scotsburn Rd. The entrance to the trail is located just behind the tennis courts at the adjacent park.

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The North Shore

Tick Talk

BY BRENDA STERLING-GOODWIN

T

here is a danger lurking in the ‘green world’ that must be taken seriously—TICKS. The numbers have been increasing as a result of climate change, brutally cold winters are a thing of the past and blacklegged ticks can be now found year round whenever the temperatures are above freezing.

There are things you can do to decrease the risk of being bitten. No tick is a good tick. They can carry Lyme and other co-infections. Not all ticks are infected but risk is risk. Check yourself, your family, and your pets at least once a day: full body checks. Cover up: light coloured clothing, long pants and long sleeved shirts, closed in shoes with pants tucked into socks, use repellents. Walk in middle of trails.

If you get a tick remove with fine point tweezers or a tick removal device and be sure to save the tick. All ticks can be sent for ID and testing to Dr. Vett Lloyd at Mount A, New Brunswick. (http://tinyurl.com/l2795ul) Pay attention to areas where tick warnings are present and take extra caution. If you do get a tick bite watch for signs and symptoms of infection. You can order tick removal kits to have on hand at www.canlyme.com.

Prompt treatment is essential to try and avoid a chronic health problem. The number of cases reported in Nova Scotia for 2014 was 115 and in 2015 it had grown to 245. There are many cases that are undiagnosed/ misdiagnosed and those getting diagnosed outside of Canada are not recorded in Canada. It is also important to check your pets on a regular basis and treat them with a preventative tick medicine and talk to your veterinarian about a vaccination for Lyme Disease.

It is still important to get out and enjoy the outdoors.

Be aware because the ticks are out there!

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SAMPSON AND ALBION TRAILS Total Length: 4.3km (combined) Difficulty: Easy, flat, gravel surface Uses: Hiking, walking, biking Part of the Trans Canada Trail System These two trails make up a popular, connected route from New Glasgow to Stellarton, along the Trans Canada Trail. Following the East River, this route offers ample rest areas with seating, small parks, and expansive views of the river and surrounding landscape. Points of interest on this route include the Town of New Glasgow’s Riverfront Marina and Saturday Farmers Market, the Nova Scotia Museum of Industry, as well as access to downtown shops and restaurants in both communities.

How to find them: There are many ways to access this trail along the route, and ample parking. New Glasgow (Samson) access points are Kinsmen LookOff, Carmichael Park, George Street Pedestrian Bridge, Rotary Park and Duff Cemetery. In Stellarton, (Albion) enter the trail at Bridge Avenue, or behind the ballfield at Foord St.

ROGART MOUNTAIN TRAIL Total Length: 6.2 km Difficulty: Moderate, some climbs, natural surface Uses: Hiking Part of the Cape to Cape Trail System Visit Sugar Moon Farm, a working maple syrup production farm in the Cobequid Hills, and take a step out onto Rogart Mountain Trail. The trail passes through mixed deciduous woods, including many mature sugar maples, of course! Find old stone walls, several brooks and look-off areas, Jane’s Falls, and views of Nuttby Mountain, the highest peak in Nova Scotia.

How to find it: Find the trailhead at Sugar Moon Farm on Alex MacDonald Road, off Route 311 in Earltown.

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SHORT LINE TRAIL AND BUTTER TRAIL

ARISAIG PROVINCIAL PARK

Length: 26 km Difficulty: Easy, flat, gravel surface Uses: Walking, snowshoe, cross-country ski, off-highway recreational vehicles Part of the Trans Canada Trail System

Length: 1.6 km (plus opportunity for coastal walk) Difficulty: Easy, gravel path Uses: Walking, biking

This 25-km multi-use rail trail has numerous access points, and connects directly with the Jitney Trail in Pictou as part of the Pictou to Oxford route on the Trans Canada Trail. It features access to Creamery Square, the Tatamagouche Farmer’s Market, and the Train Station Inn. From the trail, users can view Tatamagouche Bay, and cross impressive bridges over French and Waugh rivers.

The section through Tatamagouche is known as Butter Trail, named after the Tatamagouche Creamery.

How to find it: Parking and access are available at these locations: 24 Station Road, off Main Street, Tatamagouche 29 Creamery Road, off Main Street , Tatamagouche 40 King Street, near Patterson Wharf Park, Tatamagouche Nelson Memorial Park, 153 Loop of Hwy 6, west of Tatamagouche Sutherland Steam Mill Museum, 3169 Hwy 326, Denmark

THE KEPPOCH Length: 40km (various trails) Difficulty: Beginner to Expert Uses: Mountain bike On the site of a former alpine ski resort, Keppoch is a dynamic and exciting series of trails for mountain biking, hiking and winter activities. The facility is open year-round and hosts a variety of activities and events. There are washroom facilities, a well-appointed club house, and a seasonal shuttle that transports bikes and riders to the summit for an exhilarating ride down the mountain.

This 1.6 km loop trail passes through wooded areas, and out to an interpretive viewing platform where visitors can learn about the diverse fossils that are plentiful in the beach rocks below. Another viewing area overlooks Arisaig Brook and a small waterfall. The rocky beach is a perfect place for walking and rock hounding. Powerful tidal erosion has left unique holes in the cliffs. Photo and exploration opportunities abound on this lovely shoreline. Exercise caution when exploring near the actively eroding cliffs.

How to find it: Arisaig park is located at 5704 Hwy 245, Arisaig, Northumberland Shore

Trans Canada Trail “The Great Trail” will be connected from coast to coast…to coast, this year to mark Canada’s 150th birthday. Watch for official opening events locally, and across the nation, on August 26th, 2017.

The Trans Canada Trail links 15,000 communities along 24,000 km, the longest recreational trail in the world. www.thegreattrail.ca

How to find it: 193 Keppoch Rd, Antigonish Co., NS B2G 2K8

CAPE GEORGE Length: 37 km (various trails) Difficulty: Easy to Moderately Challenging Uses: Hiking Part of the Cape to Cape Trail System The Cape George Heritage Trails consist of a series of connected loops and linear sections on Cape George peninsula, overlooking St. Georges Bay. Fantastic panoramic views can be experiences at various points along the trail system. Depending on the trail, the degree of difficulty can range from easy to challenging. Rest benches are available throughout, and the trails are well signed. Enjoy coastal walks, waterfalls and even a bubbling natural spring. A must-hike in Northern Nova Scotia.

How to find it: Trail heads are accessible at the following locations: Cape George Heritage School - 578 Hwy 337, Cape George Cape George Point Lighthouse - 152 Lighthouse Road, Cape George Point Ballantyne’s Cove Tuna Interpretive Centre - 57 Ballantyne’s Cove Wharf Road

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Looking for more trails? Find information here: www.highlandconnect.ca www.hikenovascotia.ca www.cobequidecotrails.ca/trails/default.asp www.colchester.ca/trails www.activepictoucounty.ca/active-communities/trails-2/ The North Shore

ON THE TABLE

BY TRACY STUART

MEDALING WITH MY FOOD Tracy is an Olympic medalist and has a Chef’s Diploma from the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts.

Power up your summer with pea protein smoothies

L

ife is full of demands no matter who you are and how much you have on your plate. As an athlete, student, parent, or world traveler it’s up to you as to how you mitigate these demands to stay nourished and have the energy to thrive throughout the day.

I recently finished a half marathon at Disney World and my sore aching muscles reminded me how important recovery is after a big event. During my many years of training I learned that for optimal recovery it’s important to consume your postworkout meal/drink within 30 mins. I tried many different combinations of foods, but my favourite (and easiest by far) was to whip up a smoothie! The possibilities of flavours and combinations are endless AND I could consume an adequate amount of protein without much effort.

Finding the right protein was my only challenge; being a “lightweight” meant that I needed to maintain a certain weight

The North Shore

and therefore had to be very careful of the foods that I ate and the effects they had on my body. Most of the heavyweight athletes that I trained with used whey protein powder as recommended by our nutritionist, however after several attempts I discovered that whey did not agree with me. So, an alternative needed to be found and that’s when I discovered pea protein. At 15 grams of protein per serving, pea protein powder provides a delicious alternative source of protein for anyone but especially for vegetarians, vegans or those following restricted diets. It is entirely gluten-free, soyfree and dairy-free; it provides an array of benefits for health and fitness. Peas supply a unique array of amino acids, the building blocks of body tissue, muscles, DNA/RNA, hormones, enzymes that help your body function normally, and even your immune system! Being rich in lysine and arginine, pea protein is especially beneficial for active lifestyles.

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So now the fun begins, I challenge you to experiment with ingredients to create the ultimate smoothie (with a little help of course)!

Here is my secret formula:

The Ultimate Smoothie Formula: 1. Choose a liquid base 1 to 2 cups. Some of my favourites are: Water, Almond milk, Rice milk, Kefir, Milk, Yogurt, or Juice 2. Add 2-3 servings of fruits, vegetables, and/or greens.

Some of my favourites are: Fruits Apples, Avocado, Bananas, Berries, Pears, Pineapple Vegetables Beets, Carrots, Celery, Cucumber, Ginger Greens Kale, Spinach, Wheatgrass 3. Add 1-3 teaspoons of nutritional boosters. Some of my favourites are: Honey, Maple Syrup, Tumeric, Spirilina, Acai berries, Seeds, Nuts, Dark Chocolate 4. Place all ingredients (except protein powder) into a blender and blend on high until smooth. Add ice to increase the thickness.

5. Add 1 scoop of protein powder and pulse until thoroughly mixed.

To get you started here are a couple of my favourite recipes:

Pear Pineapple Green Smoothie Makes 2 servings Ingredients • 2½ cups (or large handfuls) of fresh baby spinach (only 17 calories and loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants!)

• 1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple • 1 fresh medium pear, cored and seeded • 1 cup your choice yogurt (I used strawberry Kefir)* • 1 scoop vanilla pea protein powder • ½ cup orange juice or pineapple juice • ½ cup water • 2 Tbsp chia seed • 5 to 10 ice cubes (depending on how thick you like your smoothie)

*Use dairy-free yogurt to make this recipe vegan Banana Split Smoothie Makes 2 servings Ingredients • 1 medium frozen banana* • 1 cup frozen strawberries* • 2 cups strawberry or vanilla yogurt, your choice (I used strawberry kefir)** • 1½ scoops chocolate pea protein powder • Tbsp chia seeds (could substitute ground flaxseed)

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can use fresh fruit instead, but you’ll have to add *1 You to 2 cups ice if you want a thick smoothie.

Make this recipe dairy-free and vegan by substituting ** with a vegan yogurt.

The North Shore

DIYRE-LOVED ROCKER

BY LORI BYRNE

PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

W

hen you have a piece of furniture that just isn’t doing it for you anymore, before you sell it, send it to the landfill or give it away, consider breathing new life into it with a coat of paint. The power of paint to transform a piece is astounding. I’m sure about half the people reading this are cringing­—no, not paint!! But I say go for it! If it has no real value as an antique, you aren’t out anything but you stand to gain a real show stopper. Maybe it’s a piece you picked up at a yard sale or flea market, so your initial investment is usually pretty low, too.

For this rocker, I used Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint in Artissimo, which is one of my personal favourites to work with, but there are lots of paints on the market. The key is to do the proper prep work for the type of paint you’re using and the piece you’re painting.



SUPPLIES: A piece of furniture that is solid wood Paint Brushes Sand paper—220 grit or higher Top coat, if required (I used Miss Mustard Seed Hemp Oil)

STEP 1. If there are any repairs required, STEP 2. Prep your piece – for this rocker and paint

combination, it meant a quick sand STEP 3. Paint the first coat of paint on and let dry.

STEP 4. Paint the second coat and let dry.

STEP 5. Apply a third coat or any touch ups that

are required.

STEP 6. Do another light sand with 220 grit or higher sandpaper.

STEP 7. Apply the top coat as recommended by manufacturer.

STEP 8. Let cure the recommended time.

STEP 9. Enjoy your transformed piece of furniture!

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