At Home on the North Shore Summer 2020

SPECIAL EDITION SPONSORED BY HEALTHY PICTOU COUNTY

A

PLACE SUN

A Cottage to Remember Rob and Monique Sobey build on the charm of Chance Harbour WHY SUNNY COVE HONEY IS THE BEES KNEES YOUR HOUSE, YOUR HAVEN

*Based on availability. Conditions and exclusions apply.

Offer based on minimum three-week stay.

ON OUR COVER: Two lounge chairs wait for someone to find their own place in the sun at the Sobey cottage in Chance Harbour, Pictou County.

The photos were taken last summer.

PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

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Vol. 5 Edition 3

Inside this issue

Summer 2020

Cover Story

The Inside Story

Departments

26

10 Healthy Pictou County

7

Editor’s Letter

A place in the sun for everyone

Charmed at Chance Harbour Rob and Monique Sobey reconnect to the past with a modern take on legacy

A personal touch delivers the docs in Pictou County

18 Modern Cottage

Get cozy with colour

25 Pandemic Projects

A cool contest to celebrate your creativity at home

Healthy at Home 36 Honey, I’m Home

20

Pollinating a sweet business at Sunny Cove Farm

40 Amy Punké

Reconnect to the Earth Has social isolation made you feel more grounded?

42 Nature Calls

Bubbling with excitement. How to follow the new rules and still have fun in the great outdoors

On the Table 46 Tracy Stewart

4 Contributors 14 Thresholds

House to haven

16 Off The Wall

North Shore artist Leilany Garron-Mills

35 The Library

Larkin on the Shore 45 Field Notes

by Sara Jewell

48 The Library

The Tides of Time

50 DIY

A bonfire bench that says bring on the S’mores

45

Ready to roll? Have a ball making homemade ice cream

26

The North Shore

ah! Summer 2020 - 4

World-class facilities, expertise,

Photos courtesy of: Aberdeen Health Foundation, VisionFire Studios, and Dr. Aaron Smith

and a place you can call home

We love where we live and are proud to include so many wonderful health professionals in our region.

As we connect with and welcome those interested in coming to Pictou County, it’s not hard for us to start beaming – we truly have the most wonderful place to practice, commutes are only a few songs on your playlist, and we know that you’ll quickly find out that the only thing warmer than our waters, is our people.

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PHOTO BY NORTHOVER PHOTOGRAPHY

editor’s

LETTER

Privilege: We all deserve the same place in the sun

W

e have felt the ground shift from underneath us many times in these last few months.

When I stop to connect the dots to where we are today from where we were the last time that I sat down to write this message I feel like I have accumulated a lifetime of experiences. However, in many ways I process an odd connection to the events and realities of the last few months and I struggle with the idea that I have been more of a spectator than a participant. For someone who likes to move, to be involved and try to make a difference this was, at first, difficult for me. To feel like I was contributing to the goal of flattening the curve by staying at home took a little getting used to and perhaps there was also a little bit of guilt attached as I watched family, friends, neighbours and colleagues heading off to the frontlines. But as every day passed, I was becoming more comfortable with my bucolic life at home on the north shore of Nova Scotia.

Being a spectator is an incredible place of privilege. In the last few days we have seen this word emblazoned on protest signs carried by young, old, black, white, and every other beautiful colour in between. Privilege. It’s a word that is powerful enough to pull people outside of their safe places where we have been told to ‘Stay The Blazes Home’ to confront another more serious illness in our society, one that is not going to disappear with a vaccine or herd immunity.

The shifting ground underneath our feet has opened up a lot of cracks and there appears to be a rush to the surface with a number of maladies that have been festering for far too long. And remember, I am writing this from my sofa looking out at the blossoms of my crab apple tree drinking a cup of herbal tea, but

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has a global pandemic opened a global Pandora’s box? Is 2020 the year that was projected with so much vision and hope going to go down as one of the most reviled years of recent decades, or do we have time to switch the narrative and start solving some real problems? While I have been left feeling a little helpless in the fight against the pandemic maybe we all have a better chance helping to fight a bigger problem that addresses equality and human dignity.

At Home on the North Shore is a publication that comes from a place of privilege. I often use that word to describe how fortunate I am to be able to meet so many amazing people in our region. Because of the economic challenges and other impacts of flattening the curve, this issue of At Home on the North Shore was not an easy one to pull together and I thank everyone who has made a contribution.

Our connection to you begins with some ideas about how to transform our homes into our little havens and then jump into a bigger story about how community activism can shape our health care delivery and overall regional prosperity.

Then we get to take a little break and a dive into a story of legacy and love for summers at the beach. It’s a story that many of you will be able to identify with as we wondered only a few weeks ago if we would be able to open our cottages or wander the shorelines and trails for an escape from the heaviness of these recent days. I want to express my gratitude to Monique and Rob Sobey for welcoming us into their family cottage. When we took the photos last summer and started to talk about the story and connections to Rob’s grandparents none of us had any idea what our world would be like today.

But it is stories like these that remind us

where we all have come from. We all have a family story that we will pass along to the next generation.

We are living through an incredible moment in history. This is our opportunity to write the next chapter.

A few weeks ago, author Sara Jewell who shares her Field Notes column with us in every issue, interviewed me for a collection of stories that she was writing about the way different people were responding to the pandemic. She asked me about my own response, not as a businessperson but, as a fellow journalist.

My answer really covers both of these aspects of my life. I told Sara that one of the things that I was most curious about and concerned me, was how we as a community and greater society emerge from this period of time. I should have told her that I am starting to gain much more clarity in what our future might hold just by watching my own children.

The events of the first half of 2020 might be the best education they have ever received. As our province begins to open up and I can transition back to my comfort zone as participant I realize that my time as a spectator was not wasted.

I have been given a gift from the people who did answer the call as essential workers and have been privileged enough to watch and listen while I learned a little more about what I need to focus on when life is in full swing again. Until then I will try to find my own place in the sun where all of these ideas have a chance to grow and warm me up after some very dark, chilly days this spring.

The North Shore

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CONTRIBUTORS

LORI BYRNE Summer is a strange one this year but, as long as I can light a bonfire, I’ll be okay. I hope you can find some bits and pieces of wood and follow along with my DIY fireside bench. As long as we are permitted to light a fire this summer I will be ready to bring on the S’mores. At the front of the summer issue, I share a few of my ideas to transform your home into your haven. Stay safe out there.

DEBBI HARVIE I’m so excited for summer to finally arrive. It’s been a long, arduous winter for many and the warm weather and bright skies are my favourite way to lift my mood. Seeing the bees buzzing around preparing to make the best natural sweetener (aside from maple syrup) is a sure sign that summer is almost here. Which is why I was so excited to chat with Sarah and Dave Cameron at Sunny Cove Honey about how bees make honey; check it out in ‘Honey, I’m Home.’

SARA JEWELL In this issue’s ‘Field Notes’ column, Sara Jewell chats with Ontario author Jean Mills about the north shore beach that inspired her latest novel for young adults. Both Sara and Jean have experienced the “healing power” of the rural Nova Scotia landscape. sarajewell.ca

STEVE SMITH First off, I sincerely hope you all are well. As Nova Scotians, we have endured unspeakable tragedy and loss in the past few months. Heartbreaking times.

At Home on the North Shore takes on new meaning this time around. Most of us have literally been “at home” for quite some time now. Our world has changed and continues to change. Hopefully some of the lasting change will be for the better. For now, please enjoy the magazine and a bit of summer sunshine. Both will be good for our collective souls.

HEATHER LAURA CLARKE is an award-winning journalist and columnist who’s been “staying the blazes home” in Truro with her husband and two children.

In this issue, she explores the transition from farmhouse style to “modern cottage” style. She shares stories about living, working and parenting creatively on her blog, HeathersHandmadeLife.com.

TRACY STUART is an active mom who is always looking to create fun for her family.

In this issue, she shares how to blend physical activity with dessert, the dynamic duo that will bring a smile to the whole family. Tracy also holds a Master of Science, Bachelor of Physical Education; she is a twotime World Champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist in rowing. Tracy is also passionate about helping all families thrive and enjoys sharing her knowledge through her role as editor of Our Children Magazine.

SALLY O’NEILL is the coordinator of Active Pictou County, an instructor for Hike Nova Scotia’s Reconnecting with Nature training program, and serves on the Board of the Nova Scotia Trails Federation. She is an avid hiker, occasional cyclist, and passionate advocate for trails and outdoor activities. She is convinced Nova Scotia is the ultimate stay-cation spot, and has a summer bucket list overflowing with local adventures.

No inter-provincial travel? No problem!

PHOTO: STEVE SMITH,VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

DR. AMY PUNKÉ For the past seven years Dr. Amy Punké, has been practicing as a licensed Naturopathic Doctor on the beautiful North Shore of Nova Scotia. With her earlier education in acute care as a Respiratory Therapist, Dr. Punké’s healthcare training has spanned almost 20 years taking her to Arizona, Toronto and now back to her hometown of New Glasgow. Dr. Punké explores how naturopathic medicine can help guide us through these difficult times by reminding us to reconnect with ourselves and our own innate ability to heal.

SARAH BUTLAND Spending most of my life living on the North Shore, it took Doctor Suzanne Stewart, a “come-from-away,” to open my eyes to the pure value of this province. Through reading her book The Tides of Time I discovered farming well beyond my former neighbours hobby farm and you should, too. Jean Mills brought me beachside and reflective of my own teenage years, craving an escape from city life to beachside. Enjoy our own province this summer, I sure will.

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The North Shore

INSIDE STORY

How a community approach to health care and a personal touch deliver the docs

BY CRYSTAL MURRAY

Dr. Deborah Straub

Pictou County Wellness Centre

PICTOU COUNTY, WE HAVE A PROBLEM. This was the message that the executive committee of the Pictou County Medical Staff shared with a board room full of community members at the Aberdeen Hospital in May of 2018. The dilemma wasn’t a surprise to the occupants of the room who all have had their hand in some aspect of wellness and community development for years.

There had been little change to the complement of family physicians and specialists who had been the backbone of health care delivery in the region. Many had worn the white coat for three decades or more and were ready retire. Several more would soon be nearing that point in their career. It would not take much to destabilize a system that was still in need of balancing for the needs of the community.

“We were on the verge of a real human resource crisis and had to do something about it,” says Dr. Brad MacDougall a family practitioner at the Westville Medical Clinic and President of the Pictou County Medical Staff. “At the time, the Nova Scotia Health Authority had physician recruiters but there was only one for our zone from Amherst to Antigonish. We knew that we had to take it upon ourselves to improve the situation. Our physician group was aware of the amount of knowledge and wisdom in our community and we were going to need their help.”

The North Shore

BEST

Murray Hill was one of a dozen or more community members in the room when Dr. MacDougall painted the picture of the future of heath care in Pictou County without quick intervention.

“I never thought about what the medical community was telling us as a crisis,” says Murray Hill, remembering that meeting from just two years ago. “I looked at this situation as a real opportunity to change the conversation about health care delivery in our community. The medical community knew that they needed help.

The real question was, did the broader community have a role to play? It was very clear to the people in the room that an organization already existed that had a proven record to tackle issues like this,” says Hill.

The organization was Citizens for a Healthy Pictou County and got its start much the same way as the initiatives being sought by the physicians when a group of local thought leaders gathered in a board room and agreed that a collaborative effort was needed to institute transformational change to the local health care system.

The building of partnerships with various groups that intersected the health care system was at the foundation of their plan. Their analysis led to the creation of a master plan titled Healthy 2020. The first of the four phases of the plan included the building of the Pictou County Wellness

Dr. Brad MacDougall

Centre, a new state of the art ER and hospital pharmacy and the relocation of services, like blood collection, off of the hospital campus to the nearby East River Road professional mall.

The first phase demonstrated the success of community collaboration, cooperation between municipalities, and a new, more holistic approach to health care with the understanding of how important a wellness hub would be in contributing to the over-all wellbeing of citizens. The Wellness Centre is now one of the most important assets used for attraction and retention across all professional sectors.

“Most of the members of that citizens group formalized in 2008 were at that initial meeting with the physicians in 2018,” says Hill. “We didn’t say yes that night but when we all left that meeting we knew that there was a good plan.”

Hill, who has been engaged in many facets of community development for almost two decades was aware that the physician recruitment plan would be no different than any other community building effort. From the beginning, Citizens for Healthy Pictou County always believed that the people affected should be the people involved.

“The community is part of the team,” says Dr. James MacLachlan who was site lead for the Aberdeen Hospital when the new plan started to take shape. “If

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PRACTICES PHOTOS: ABERDEEN HEALTH FOUNDATION STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

Dr. Tamir El-Tahan

you don’t have that team then it doesn’t work. We have the hospital foundations and all of the pieces to make this work including a community environment that is very supportive of its physicians,” adds Dr. MacLachlan.

The team that emerged ticked off a number of boxes that were deemed critical for success laid out by the Citizens group. First, they wanted at least a five-year commitment creating stable leadership from the physicians group followed by a financial plan that had funds in place. In very short order, 75 funders including all six municipalities, both local hospital foundations, several businesses, and every physician in the county had a financial stake.

The plan would not only focus on recruitment activities but also on the retention of their current GPs and specialists, and they would work on the relationships with Pictou County students, so they recognized their importance in the future of health care in their own communities.

Dr. Pat Craig says that she has been a direct beneficiary of the recruitment program. She has been a general practitioner in the region for 29 years but had an interest in expanding her role in the Oncology Department at the Aberdeen.

“I was able to find someone to come in and take over my practice. I was prepared 11 -

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to handle both jobs for six months but fortunately there was one of the new doctors recruited to the area that took over my practice and I can focus on Oncology full time,” explains Dr. Craig.

The final piece was securing a lead for the entire project. “We needed someone to lead all of this. Someone who saw this same opportunity, leaving us to just push go,” says Hill.

In the summer of 2018, Nicole LeBlanc was hired as the first community navigator for physician recruitment and retention in Nova Scotia, the group now known as Healthy Pictou County is seen as the gold standard in the province.

“If there was anyone that was suited for this job it was Nicole,” says Hill.

In the last two years six new family physicians and five specialists have moved their practice to Pictou County.

“When I finished my residency at Dal, I knew that I would be working in Nova Scotia,” says Dr. Whitney Lum who is originally from British Columbia but attended medical school in England.

“I set up visits all over Nova Scotia to see what was available. I came across New Glasgow and what was unique was Nicole LeBlanc. I saw six or seven other locations and they all showed me the hospital and clinics and talked about my schedule but what Nicole did that was different was to arrange things outside of my work

“The potential return of investment is really lovely on many levels but certainly from the perspective of creating a better community.”

– DR. AULAYNE JEANS

environment. One day not long after my first visit I called Nicole and told her I would be driving by New Glasgow and could I pop in. I don’t know how she did it but she dropped everything and took me around to show me the Y and the local hiking trails. She knew the things I was interested in.”

Dr. Lum now has a practice at the Pictou West Medical Clinic. She started to see patients referred from the 811 list in September of 2019. These are patients who did not have their own family physician.

The North Shore

INSIDE STORY

Dr. Patricia Craig

“I think it is very important that younger physicians make connections outside of work. I was able to connect Dr. Lum with members of Pulse Pictou County. This group is very unique across the province and even the country,” says Nicole LeBlanc.

The PULSE group that was formed in 2014 to build a network for the young professionals in the community, has been an important piece in the recruitment process.

“The peer-to-peer connections are so critical,” says Healthy Pictou County Chairman Murray Hill. “I have yet to meet one of the new physicians on their first visits to the county. If they want to hear what Pictou County is about from the perspective of their grandfather then I am their guy but otherwise it’s the young professional people who share their stories about Pictou County that really matter,” he adds.

A grassroots movement is part of the ethos of Pictou County and has been the key to the success of many community assets in the region.

“The Nova Scotia Health Authority and other communities often contact us to see how we do things. We want to help other communities get caught up. We are ahead of the game when it comes to the community approach. The thing to remember is that we are not in competition with each other. Each community has specific needs and we all have different assets,” adds Dr. MacDougall.

The North Shore

The Aberdeen Hospital Emergency Wing

“I came across New Glasgow and what was unique was Nicole LeBlanc.

I saw six or seven other locations and they all showed me the hospital and clinics and talked about my schedule but what Nicole did that was different was to arrange things outside of my work environment.”

– DR. WHITNEY LUM

The physicians as financial stake holders is another differential of the Pictou County project.

Nicole LeBlanc

“The financial contribution has not been onerous, “says Dr. Aulayne Jeans who has been practicing in Pictou County for 33 years. “The potential return of investment is really lovely on many levels but certainly from the perspective of creating a better community,” she adds.

Jack Kyte, Executive Director of the Pictou County Chamber of Commerce and member of the community recruitment and retention committee believes that business has a real stake in the physician recruitment program and the role it plays in providing exceptional health care in the region.

“It is crucial to the recruitment and retention of today’s employees and their families looking to build their lives here,” says Kyte.

“It has been fascinating for me to see how willing all sectors of the community are supporting this work. As we put our best foot forward to sell our community to prospective physicians, we all get a feeling of pride and realize how great it really is to live and work here.”

While the community is seeing success in their recruitment, retention of medical staff has also been significant.

Both Dr. MacDougall and Dr. MacLachlan have a sense that the collegiality and morale of existing and new physicians is improving. MacDougall who was brought up in Antigonish, attended Dalhousie Medical school and returned to the area for clinical work when he was still a medical student and has been building his

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Residents Day last summer: inviting new docs to

Dr. Whitney Lum and Dr. Simran Ohson

take the plunge in Pictou County

practice in Pictou County for nine years.

“I think that improving events for medical staff and their families, and to be a more welcoming to family and spouse makes a significant difference. We are all busy and sometimes it’s hard to make time for these things, but some of the events, like when medical staff take turns every couple of months inviting their colleagues into their homes and getting to know each other on a more social level, really does make a difference,” says Dr. MacDougall.

Dr. Whitney Lum adds that from a work perspective she could not ask for a better place to be. “As a new grad you are always a little concerned about the support you will receive from other GPs. This is such a collegial group and they are so helpful and supportive,” she adds.

With Healthy Pictou County’s attention to recruitment and retention in the last two years the Nova Scotia Health Authority and its partners have been able to stop the bleed that could have put them in a critical care situation. Even with some

recent retirements and loss of physicians to other areas there are still approximately 60 physicians practicing in Pictou County.

That number puts them in good shape but still a reach to be considered in optimal health. Right sizing to the needs of the population and improved mental health services are on-going priorities for the recruitment group.

Dr. MacDougall believes that the community needs another four or five GPs to address the number of citizens who do not have direct access to primary health care and there is a significant need to address the lack of mental health services.

With the recruitment program in place it will take time, but there is good reason to believe that Pictou County will be able to fulfill the need for GPs, however, the psychiatry specialty has been more difficult to address. MacDougall acknowledges that Psychiatry is in high demand all over North America, but it is very important for healthy outcomes in the Pictou County community. There are other aspects of the

delivery of specialized care that have been able to be enhanced in the last few years, including cancer care.

Nicole LeBlanc is only 18 months into her new role. She reflects on her work and acknowledges that she has a big responsibility to ensure that Pictou County has a health care system that supports the changing needs of the community.

“I have the best job in the world. I get to show other people from all over the world how incredible this community is and share it with them – introducing them to the tastes, sights, sounds, and people that make this one of the best places to live, work, and play,” said LeBlanc. “To be able to be in a role where you get to share with others the community that helped raise you is really special.”

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Setting up a living space on your deck or in your back yard can provide a muchneeded change of scenery.

THRESHOLDS

house to

haven

BY LORI BYRNE

Making a space feel new and exciting can be just the shift in perspective you need.

The North Shore

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We find ourselves in a very bizarre time in history.

We are home so much more than our lives ever allowed before. Our homes are where we shelter from this storm.

But what if your home isn’t exactly the sanctuary you need it to be? What can we do to create an oasis?

Sometimes one of the easiest things to do is to rearrange the furniture in any given space. Making a space feel new and exciting can be just the shift in perspective you need. When you do this, you can also easily shop other rooms in your house for different accent pieces, new art to display or maybe a new rug for underfoot.

If you find yourself among those who used to commute daily to the office and now you’re working from home, you need to create a work station that will let you work from home successfully. Each situation is different, maybe you need to be in the heart of your home so you can also help kids with school work or maybe you need to be need a quiet corner for online meetings – whatever your needs are, try to set up the most functional space that allows maximum productivity. Comfy seating, a desk that has room to spread out paperwork, good lighting, these will all help. And if your cat walks by the screen or your child needs a snack in the middle of a zoom call, we all understand.

If you find yourself with the itch for new paint, new furniture, new plants or new art, check in with some of your local stores to see what curbside or home delivery options they offer. Small businesses are taking a huge hit and could use all the support we can offer. It is too easy to order from the online giants but think about the stores in your downtown, the stores that support the local sports teams, the stores that had to quickly pivot and offer their wares in a different fashion suddenly, they are the ones who deserve our support.

As summer approaches, we have the option of taking our living outdoors so much more. Setting up a living space on your deck or in your back yard can provide a much-needed change of scenery for everyone in your home. String up some patio lights, bring out the cozy seating, add some pillows and throws so you can stay out into the evenings, and then add lots of potted plants.

If you have room for a dining area, too, we all know that dining alfresco makes everything taste better.

We are home so much more than our lives ever allowed before.

Life is different now, there’s no denying it. So let’s make the most of it and truly make our homes our sanctuary. We need to feel both safe and comfortable at home. And we’ll hug on the other side of this.

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The North Shore

Water, Coffee and Paint Reflections of a painter on the Northumberland Shore It’s been said that pandemics bring out the worst or the best in people. What we are experiencing on the North Shore of Nova Scotia is the latter. Music, art and other aspects of culture are influenced by times like these. Artist Leilany Garron-Mills shares her thoughts on how living here on the north shore and in this moment in time is shaping her experience and perspective.

Title: A New Journey Begins | Artist: Leilany Garron-Mills | Media: Acrylic | Size: 30” by 48” | Year: 2018

The North Shore

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Leilany Garron-Mills has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design from the University of Maryland at Baltimore County, USA; a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting and a PostBaccalaureate Certificate in Printmaking, both from the Nova Scotia College of Art + Design University, Halifax. She describes her art practice as multidisciplinary where she is able to combine her endless exploration of design, drawing, painting, printmaking and textiles. Leilany and her husband have a place on the North Shore where she has a private studio.

OFF the WALL At this precise moment on a delightful Sunday afternoon, I am drinking a cup of coffee while I sit on one of our turquoise Adirondack chairs – their eclectic design have always fascinated me – only to contemplate our Northumberland ocean in order to reflect.

Amidst the recent tragedies that our beautiful province experienced and the devastating consequences the pandemic is having on our entire world, it takes me only a few moments to regain some sense of calmness, wisdom, and peacefulness from our ocean, filled with its infinite majestic beauty.

This is a quiet moment I am able to give to myself – every day, if possible – to simply sit and enjoy the beauty of our landscape. Perhaps for all of us these ‘quiet moments’ have increased in our lives while we collectively experience what is happening in the world and, hopefully, while we are able to heighten our sense of appreciation of all the meaningful things that make up our every day lives.

And while I am sitting here, resting, I am aware that there is a painting waiting for me to be finished (somehow, it seems, there is always a painting waiting for me...). This time, this painting strives to capture the beauty I am sharing with you. Painting, like our ocean, tends to be quite unpredictable, sometimes the end result is successfully accomplished and other times may not be – however, the experience of painting – just like the experience of contemplating our ocean – is always a fulfilling one.

And while my coffee lasts and I rest, I recognize that painting also takes a great deal of decision-making, problem-solving and much of one’s energy and time, so I purposely lengthen my sips to make this moment last a bit longer.

As I connect to the ocean I muse about the painting. The wooden boat makes me think of each one of us in relation to this vast body of water, a metaphor for life itself – from the outside we can observe it with all its calmness and beauty but, if we venture a bit further in, we can experience its unpredictable nature in all its fullness. The storms, the rough winds, the lightning as well as the sense of uncertainty to what kind of weather each day may bring us. And how each one of us, just like this Nova Scotian wooden vessel, must resolve in strength and resiliency to be able to face the challenging conditions, if and only, to be able to relish and delight in all its beauty and calmness of sunny days like this.

By now my coffee, unfortunately, is finished and as much as I would like to linger here a tiny bit more – which is the magic of our shore (everyone who has ever been here, feels the same way) I must go back and, somehow, try to finish my work.

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The North Shore

INSIDE STORY

Bye-bye farmhouse style, say hello to

BY HEATHER LAURA CLARKE

“I adopted a ‘modern cottage’ style for our home because I was so drawn to the traditional elements and warmth of a cottage, mixed with modern pieces.”

– JULIA MARCUM

The North Shore

For seven years now, crisp white shiplap and subway tile, rustic wood floors, exposed beams and industrial-style lighting have reigned supreme.

Popularized by Joanna and Chip Gaines in their HGTV series, Fixer Upper, “farmhouse style” exploded onto the home design scene in 2013 and had many homeowners dazzled by its fresh, bright design.

But designers are pointing to an emerging style that just might have you trading your Rae Dunn mugs for earthenware, your stark white sofa for a buttery leather couch and your grey walls for something warmer.

It’s called “modern cottage” style.

Now, here in Nova Scotia, a cottage could mean anything from an old “camp” by the lake to a multi-million-dollar secondary home right on the ocean. But modern cottage style takes its cues from old English cottages.

Straight out of a fairy title, these cottages had a stony exterior, small rooms with arched doorways, quaint little front gates and fireplaces perfect for cozying up in front of with a warm quilt and a cup of hot tea.

But you don’t need to live in a tiny stone home, nestled in the woods, to enjoy the same comfort and charm. In fact, husband-and-wife blogging team Chris and Julia Marcum are turning their home into a modern “cottage” – and it’s more than 5,000 square feet.

“You don’t have to live in the country or on land or have a stone pathway to start implementing a cottage vibe. A cottage is a retreat, an escape from the world,” writes Julia on their popular home design blog, Chris Loves Julia. “I adopted a ‘modern cottage’ style for our home because I was so drawn to the traditional elements and warmth of a cottage, mixed with modern pieces.”

The modern interpretation of “cottage style” is darker and moodier. Shortly after the Marcums moved into the mammoth Idaho home, they painted the walls white with contrasting trim (Farrow & Ball’s Lamp Room Gray). The Phase I kitchen makeover included

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modern cottage

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Investment Advisor

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The North Shore

painting the cabinets a moody charcoal green (Thunderous by Sherwin Williams) and painting the window sashes a dramatic black.

As they fill the home’s many rooms, each new purchase is giving their readers a better idea of how to combine old and new to create a modern cottage vibe – like the soft grey spindled beds in their daughter’s room, paired with black and white floral wallpaper and sloped ceilings.

“To me, a modern cottage is one that pairs a super traditional sofa with a modern lamp (or visa versa). An antique rug warms up a cool credenza. Clean lines [with] warm woods. An antique painting hung on the wall mixed with a modern abstract,” writes Julia. “It’s all the charm of a cottage paired with some of the simplicity of modern design.”

More than 5,000 km away from the Marcums’ modern cottage, Nova Scotian interior decorator Krystal Kristiansen reads their blog and loves their take on cottage style.

She describes modern cottage style as a way of taking the eclectic cottage styles of old, and bringing them together in a contemporary way.

“It’s 60-80 per cent mis-matched, well-loved items – woven baskets, layers of blankets, quilts, pillows, rugs and furniture pieces with a vintage vibe – and 20-40 per cent clean, contemporary lines,” explains Kristiansen, who lives in Enfield.

With Nova Scotia’s farm fields and ocean views, Kristiansen says this is an ideal climate for modern cottage design.

“We have a lot of older homes on the market with more classic ‘cut up’ floor plans, and those are the homes that renovate perfectly into a cottage aesthetic,” says Kristiansen. “Not to mention, we’re surrounded by amazing thrift and antiques stores. There’s inspiration all around us.”

Farmhouse style gave our homes a comfortable, lived-in feeling, but Kristiansen says people seem to be ready for a darker, more soothing approach – trading stark bright whites for creamier tones, and pulling in tans, browns and dark mossy greens.

“We’re starting to see grey walls painted over with warmer neutrals. Wood tones and buttery brown sofas are coming back. Everything is warming up,” says Kristiansen.

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Of course, if you drank the Gaines’ Kool-Aid, don’t despair that you’re stuck with a farm-fresh home that’s going to look dated. Farmhouse style’s classic basics – wood floors, white kitchens, black lighting – aren’t going anywhere.

“White kitchens will never go out of style, but I’m seeing people take chances and shifting a bit to darker kitchens now,” says Kristiansen. “Earthy greens or black cabinets are a favourite of mine.”

There’s also the matter of timing. Since it takes longer for design trends to work their way into the homes of most Atlantic Canadians, Kristiansen says we’re only just starting to see hints of modern cottage style – and it’s likely going to be a slow transition.

Luckily, modern cottage style doesn’t involve anything as complicated as ripping plywood into strips and nailing them to your walls for that must-have shiplap. Kristiansen says all you need is a blank (warm) canvas, and suggests painting your walls a creamy white – like her go-to shade, Benjamin Moore’s Vanilla Milkshake (OC-59).

When you’re ready to fill the space, she suggests looking for antique pieces, family heirlooms or “anything English cottage.” Olive trees are popular in modern cottage decor, especially in whitewashed terracotta pots.

While interior decorating in the ’90s and early 2000s were all about warm, rich tones, the emphasis over the last 10 years or so has been on cooler tones – especially grey – and Kristiansen says we’re already starting to switch it up again.

“I think we’ll continue to see the warming of furniture and finishes, as cooler tones slowly disappear,” says Kristiansen. “I also think we’ll continue to shift from all-white kitchens into bolder colours and lots of character and patina. What’s old is new again.”

Easy ways to incorporate modern cottage style into your home • Warm white walls with contrasting trim • Dark, moody paint colours (cabinets, whole rooms, etc.)

• Antiques and family heirlooms, paired with modern elements • Cozy touches like a basket of quilts • Stonework – exterior stone, stone fireplaces, etc.

• Comfy overstuffed or buttery leather furniture

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

suntime@eastlink.ca | www.suntime.ca | (902) 396-3387 The North Shore

PICTOU IS

SS E N I S U B FOR As we work to flatten the curve, Pictou businesses are adapting and reopening to welcome you.

Restaurants, accommodations, diverse shops, local art and handcrafts, museums and much more.

Open to explore your heritage

What ’s your story?

Genealogy resources available by appointment

Visit the Museum gift shop for unique, distinctive products

Membership and Gift Certificates available

86 Haliburton Road, Pictou NS B0K 1H0

902-485-4563

We have made new changes so you can enjoy a safe shopping and salon experience with us!

Check out our new online shop at shopgiftenjoy.com

www.mccullochcentre.ca

Treats & Shivery Bites Shortbreads Sticky Toffee Pudding Cookies Pies & Cakes Custom Orders Welcome 59 Water Street,Pictou 902-382-1878 mrsmacgregors.com

Photo by Len Cheverie

We are here for you. Please shop local!

Come Stay and Play This is the summer of staycations. By celebrating Nova Scotia and our own North Shore, we can stay safe and healthy while having fun close to home.

Stroll along our busy waterfront and visit the Hector Quay or Northumberland Fisheries Museum and McCulloch House.

Sample great seafood and much more at waterfront eateries and lively pubs.

There is great shopping in unique shops with lots of character. Clothing, jewelry, gifts, handicrafts and much more await.

Within 10 minutes of our historic downtown you can enjoy beautiful beaches (warmest waters north of the Carolinas), multiple campgrounds, hiking trails, great paddling, sport fishing, an award-winning craft brewery and the historic Pictou Lodge.

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Thank you to our loyal clients who have weathered the Covid storm!

Our real estate agents remain available while following Dr. Strang’s recommendations.

Please call us for your real estate needs, we are here to help!

CALL 1-844-376-HOME(4663) 45A Water Street, Pictou sunrisebrokerage.ca

Pictou Business & Marketing Society Student Summer Employment We are currently accepting applications for the position of Pictou Ambassador. Deadline for applications is June 15, 2016. Full job description is available by emailing Barry Randle at randlebarry@yahoo.com . Covering letter and resume should be submitted to: Pictou Business & Marketing Society P.O. Box 617, Pictou, NS, B0K 1H0

Performing Arts Centre

Spring Cleaning took on a whole new meaning in 2020. We kept indoors, picking up a paint brush and updating the to-do list. As we spend more time at home than ever before, “transforming our homes into our havens” has become the new mantra for the “Do-it-Yourselfers” of the world.

We want to celebrate the ways you kept busy and spruced up your special spaces.

Send us your photos and write a short description about your project!

We’ll be selecting a winner for best:

Before and After Organizing Project Backyard and Deck Furniture Makeover Home Office Make-Over Each category winner will receive a certificate for one free 3.64 litre of Beauti-Tone Paint, a one-year subscription to At Home on the North Shore and East Coast Living Magazine, along with a Saltscapes ball cap and an AH! summer boat tote. Winning projects will be featured in the fall issue of At Home on The North Shore, East Coast Living, and Saltscapes print and digital publications.

Anniversary

Please submit your contest entries to CrystalMurray@advocateprinting.com Contest Deadline: July 31, 2020

Contest is not open to employees of Advocate Group of Companies or their immediate families.

COVER STORY

How Monique and Rob Sobey honoured their family’s love for summer at the beach

It was the beginning of a nostalgia-laced legacy that has connected future generations of the Sobey family to the beaches of the Northumberland Strait.

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charmed at Chance Harbour

BY CRYSTAL MURRAY PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

In 1943 Frank Sobey was a hard-working businessperson with six grocery stores bearing the family name, a theatre owner and mayor of the town of Stellarton. Life with his wife Irene and three boys was comfortable. The concept of cottaging was fairly new. A second home was once only a privilege of the upper class but during and after World War II as a more stable middle class emerged, Pictou County families like the Sobeys were drawn the idea of an idyllic little escape by the ocean. The couple purchased a cottage from George Flemming, a good friend who would continue to be their neighbour in the growing Chance Harbour summer community.

It was the beginning of a nostalgia-laced legacy that has connected future generations of the Sobey family to the beaches of the Northumberland Strait.

Monique and Rob Sobey welcome you in for a visit at their summer retreat in Chance Harbour.

Like all cottage owners, the Sobeys had to delay their return to the beach this spring. When the restrictions of gatherings begin to relax, Monique will be happy to reunite with extended family and friends. LEFT: In a photo taken last summer Monique shares a glass of wine with friends Cori Bennett and Lori MacKay.

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The North Shore

COVER STORY

“The original cottage was built in 1930 by Alan Thompson, was sold to George Flemming and then to Frank and Irene in 1943. It passed into the hands of sons Dave and Bill and was eventually sold out of the family in 1978,” says Monique Sobey who did a little digging into the pedigree of the historic summer roost when she and her husband Rob, grandson of Frank and Irene, became interested in purchasing the cottage with the idea of bringing it back to its former self.

“Rob approached the family who owned the cottage and asked if they would be interested in selling. They were not quite ready at the time, so Rob asked them to let him know when they were. A few years passed and in the spring of 2016, we had a deal,” adds Monique with a smile.

The two-storey cottage with a walk-out basement rests on the crest of a gentle slope that banks on the Chance Harbour The North Shore

Beach near the end of Lewis Road. It’s been a tight-knit summer community for over 80 years where properties rarely go for sale and are most often passed along to the next generation. Several of the surrounding properties have transitioned to permanent homes but the majority are still summer-only dwellings.

The cottage was nearing 90 years when purchased by Rob and Monique who live in the town of Stellarton where they have raised two children now in university. By the time the cottage was passed along to Rob’s uncles, his own parents owned a property in nearby Black Point and, as Monique says, where her husband started his own “beach career.” Rob did not spend time at the Lewis Road cottage but the connection to his father’s youth and his grandparent’s cottage were strong and so was the idea of reconnecting to that part of his family’s history.

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“Because it was his grandfather’s and his father would have spent so much time there, there was a sense of place that permeated the cottage for Rob,” says Monique.

The couple rented the cottage for the first two summers after their purchase giving them time to evaluate the project. The initial plan for Lewis Road was a complete restoration but the vintage structure was revealing signs that time and weather had taken its toll. Ancient wiring was another issue and, after a little soul searching, it was decided that a rebuild was the logical approach. There were two very important factors to this decision. First, they wanted to stay true to the original design and, second, they were determined to curtail the disruption to their beach-lane neighbours.

“We really wanted to minimize the break with the past,” says Monique.

“We kept the same foundation and basic style of the LEFT: White shiplap, warm tones of wood home.

Our neighbours really appreciated this and during the finishes, and glass are the predominant design features that create continuity in the décor. build and since many have stopped by with comments about RIGHT: A garden table tucks in along the side of a how happy they were that we respected the original design retaining wall at the main entrance to the cottage that still fits in with the neighbourhood.” creating a perfect place to enjoy a morning cup Also being respectful that most of their neighbours of coffee and chat with the neighbours. were seasonal, Monique and Rob decided to wait until after Labour Day before starting any construction.

On September 17, 2017 the contracting company, led

by Tim Goswell, initiated the tear-down and the family

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MAY 2020

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The North Shore

COVER STORY

bid farewell to the original Sobey summer haven. Because the cottage had been out of the family for several decades there was no memorabilia to collect, however, a welcomed discovery was made prior to the demolition. When contractor Tim Goswell was locating wiring and tearing away gyprock he found the location of the old telephone and party line that ran into the cottage.

Etched in pencil on the raw wood panels were the phone numbers of family and neighbours and notes about the weather on various days and summer celebrations.

“Tim cut out the pieces, we had them framed and we gave them to Rob’s Mum and Dad for Christmas a few years ago. We wanted Rob’s dad to have a piece of the original cottage from when he was a child, ” says Monique.

Tim Goswell has become a trusted professional working on several projects with the couple. “He can anticipate our probable design element. We trust his common-sense approach, candor and, coming up with ideas,” says Monique.

While we didn’t change the footprint of the foundation – it was Tim’s suggestion to raise it up several inches to take into consideration rising sea levels.”

The North Shore

The cottage was nearing 90 years when purchased by Rob and Monique.

Nova Scotia decorator Deb Nelson also worked very closely with the Sobeys from their initial days of the build. Like Tim, Deb had also become one of Monique’s go-to resources for décor and style ideas. Besides the collection of finishes for the Sobey home Stellarton and the new cottage, Deb and Monique have curated a special friendship.

“Monique has incredible taste and knows exactly what she wants. She is so easy to work with. That makes my job so simple,” says Deb. While Deb’s job as a decorator is to work with clients and accommodate all styles, Monique believes that they work so well together because they have very similar tastes.

“We both like very relaxed and traditional styles but with a bit of a modern spin. When we thought about the interior of the new cottage a modern farmhouse theme would be the easiest way to describe it,” she adds.

Goswell’s team worked efficiently throughout the quiet season at the shore. By the spring construction neared completion. They missed their initial target of a May long weekend finish but by July 1st 2018, the re-imagined summer home was complete and ready

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for the next chapter with Rob, Monique and their growing family adding to the story.

Before and after photos reveal how closely the new build mirrors the previous dwelling. True to their vision of the cottage they maintained the exact footprint and square footage. The exterior was modernized with a soft grey shingle with black trim that softens into the landscape. Like its predecessor, there is an expanse of windows and doors on all three levels facing the water, but they installed a floating glass railing to give a new modern edge creating an almost unobstructed vista.

While keeping in step with the original architecture Monique and Rob played with the interior layout and opened up the floor plan on each level. Looking though the backdoor window you can even get a view of the seascape on the other side. Fun and function were important considerations in the layout.

“Frank and Irene did a lot of entertaining. We wanted a space where we honoured that tradition with family and friends,” says Monique.

The main floor is an open invitation from the first steps under the pergola leading down from the parking area to the threshold of a small entry

LEFT: Let the sun shine in. The main living space is open for fun and function.

BELOW: The tempered glass railing allows for an unobstructed view of the beach. A game of backgammon is ready and waiting for the next challenge.

BELOW RIGHT: Canadian contemporary art plays off storied pieces of antiques bridging the gap between the generations.

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in the simple country kitchen. A generous island grounds that space with a few stools that tuck in neatly when not in use and where folks can gather over morning coffee or a glass of wine during dinner prep. The kitchen finishes are not fussy much like Monique’s own personal style that is fresh but refined. A small print of a lobster Anatatomie du Homard Acadien, a gift from one of her girlfriends, hangs on a wall above a shelf of small antique knickknacks and pays homage to Monique’s Acadian heritage. In another corner a print of the Birds of Bermuda that references the family’s connection to the island where Rob’s great-great-grandfather spent time as an English soldier before moving his family to Canada over a century ago.

A small guest bedroom and bathroom swings off the kitchen, the only partitioned walls on the main floor. In the centre of the living space, an elongated sofa and dining table stretch the space towards to the front of the room where another sitting area was incorporated that creates a front row seat to everything happening on the water.

“I tried to re-purpose a few items that we had in my home in Stellarton. The coffee table that Deb had procured from an architect in Chester left my living room at home and is now in the cottage. I love my long narrow dining room table. I purchased it from Angela’s Home Décor in New Glasgow. I think it was actually made by her brother,” says Monique as she describes a few the pieces that she and Deb collected up prior to the new build.

Light became one of the most important design elements. The cottage is drenched in natural light.

The inclusion of white ship lap on the interior walls

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LEFT: A giant lobster claw that Monique found on one of her beach walks rests on the teak fireplace mantle and has become one of her most favourite treasures.

RIGHT: The walkout basement gives easy access to the beach and a lounging area when seeking a little shade or escape from the rain.

The principal bedroom maintains the rustic earthy tones that the couple enjoy and lends to the serenity of their personal space.

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COVER STORY

dramatically enhances the reflection of the sun and keeps the atmosphere bright and cheerful on rainy dark days. “In the wintertime, it is almost blinding in the day light with all of the interior white, the white of the snow on the ground and the ice in the strait,” says Monique.

Deb, who was brought in at the very beginning of the project says that the shiplap was one of the first things that Monique knew she wanted. As soon as the floor plan was ready Deb went to work based on Monique’s wish list.

“She knew she wanted teak accents and we brought that into the kitchen and the fireplace.

She also wanted white oak floors to create a comfy cottage vibe. Rob and Monique are not uptight fancy people. There is nothing in the space that is really high-end or formal. It is meant to be a cottage, a space that everyone can enjoy.

One aspect of the cottage that most would consider high-end is the couple’s collection of Canadian contemporary art. While they tried to select pieces that gave a little nod to a nautical theme Monique says they were also motivated by pieces that just looked so great against the bright

Thank You

for being there.

aberdeenhealthfoundation.ca  

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The Aberdeen Health Foundation would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone working tirelessly to provide essential services and keep life as normal as possible for the rest of us during these difficult times. You are truly the best.

The North Shore

COVER STORY

white shiplap. Mixed with a few pieces from local artists like Luke Naylor, a Pictou County native, they made selections from several artists who have been nominated or won a Sobey Art Award. A framed remnant of a nautical flag by artist Jason De Hann is positioned at the top of the stairs, a testament to the past and leads down to the lower level where a large format drawing entitled Wormhole from Nova Scotia artist Eleanor King tunnels to the future. The two art pieces easily illustrate the ongoing theme of blending past and present.

Character and charm can sometimes be hard to achieve in a new build. They are elements that are earned over time, but Rob and Monique have proven that even when you dismantle the bricks and mortar of the past you can still preserve a sense of place and connection to what was there before‌ and not upset the neighbours.

LEFT: The deck of the bedroom is a favourite place for Monique to hide away with a good book and soak up the summer sun.

BELOW: The new build closely mirrors the original 1930s cottage. Some contouring of the lot and a slight elevation of the foundation gives the new build a little more prominence on the landscape but still maintains the charm and character enjoyed by Rob’s grandparents decades ago.

ABOVE PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS PHOTOS BELOW: SUBMITTED

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THE LIBRARY

TITLE

LARKIN ON THE SHORE

AUTHOR

JEAN MILLS

A perfect summer beach read for those young adults on the North Shore looking for something to occupy their time.

Mills writes of approachable, loveable characters who are real and have dark pasts with a setting we are all so familiar with. While the name of Tuttle Harbour is fictitious, the story refers to places we all know – River John and Seafoam being featured. Tuttle Harbour itself is based on the seaside and, of course, the picturesque village of Pugwash.

Waves started out rocky in Toronto with the decision to have Larkin visit her father’s grandmother in Tuttle Harbour while her father visited her mother’s grandparents on the west coast. Larkin, happy for the reprieve so close to the end of a difficult school year, was hesitant about what she’d do with such a drastic change of pace.

At sixteen years old, travelling alone and to spend time with a grandmother she rarely talked to, Larkin focused on escaping her old life and her sordid relationship with books.

That was until the job her grandmother hired her for involved books and boys, both of which she was trying to avoid.

This story pulls you in from the very first chapter and keeps ahold until the very end with perfectly crafted foreshadowing and escapism, including kayaking with seals.

No matter how self-isolated we need or want to be, seeking refuge on the north shore comes naturally and the salty breeze offers relief and healing no matter how dark the storm.

Mills herself balances her time between Guelph, Ontario and Pugwash, Nova Scotia with her book published by Red Deer Press. It is made complete with a cover quote from Sheree Fitch herself.

Home of the original X ring est. 1922 fine jewellery | watches | giftware

239 Main St., Antigonish | (902) 863-1283 | cameronsjewellery.ca 35 -

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The North Shore

HEALTHY AT HOME

Honey, I’m Home

BY DEBBI HARVIE PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

Dave Cameron spent his early years growing up on Sunny Cove Dairy Farm.

The family-owned farm taught Cameron the joys of hard labour and working with family members to produce something unique, almost magical.

It was on this farm that Cameron grew a keen interest in bees.

About six years ago, while looking around his Little Harbour property, Cameron decided to care for a couple of hives as a hobby.

Shortly thereafter, the Department of Agriculture enlisted local beekeepers to assist in a blueberry pollination program where beekeepers could apply for government funding to expand their operation.

That is when Sunny Cove Honey was born. Working with a blueberry producer, the Camerons were able to turn their hobby into a hive of activity.

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Mommy, where do bees come from?

April begins the busy season for beekeepers. This is when the bees start to become active and prepare for swarming season in order to reproduce. Swarming, however, weakens the colony, so to prevent this from happening, the Camerons feed the bees a pollen substitute and sugar syrup mixture until the dandelions begin to appear.

Once the dandelions are in bloom, the bees come off of their pollen substitution and get to work feeding off of wild flowers.

Cameron says the main streams of revenue for Sunny Cove Honey are blueberry pollination, selling nucleus colonies, and selling honey and bee-related products.

For the nucleus colonies, a portion of bees are taken from the established colonies and are paired with a queen. The Camerons use Saskatraz queens, bred by a Saskatchewan native who moves to California in the winter months to breed them, and then continues breeding the queens in Saskatchewan during the summer months.

“These particular queens weather the winters well in Atlantic Canada,” explains Cameron. “And they are good honey producers.”

Once these nucleus colonies are ready, they sell them to other beekeepers to grow their colonies.

Then, at the end of May or first of June, it’s blueberry pollination season. The bees don’t typically fly at night, so once they are in their hives for the night, the Camerons will transport about 80 colonies to blueberry farms, where the bees will stay for approximately three weeks.

Once blueberry pollination season is complete, the Camerons bring the bees home and harvest the blueberry honey.

By mid-July, the first big nectar flow takes place. This is where the bulk of Sunny Cove’s honey comes from. This is also when the bulk of the work takes place. With approximately 100 hives, consisting of 60,000 to 80,000 bees, the Camerons must do daily checks to ensure the queen has enough room to lay eggs. If she is not happy, the bees will try to find a new home.

This is also when the Camerons have to add boxes (honey supers) to the hives to store all of the honey being produced. In April the honey supers might be two boxes high, but by the height of summer they can be up to six feet tall.

There is a bit of a lull in August and then in the fall, the bees have a golden rod honey flow to end the season.

Once the season is over, the Camerons treat the bees for mites with organic compounds and essential oils to avoid the use of antibiotics and pesticides.

Then the bees are fed and insulated for the winter months.

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HEALTHY AT HOME

Bee Regulated Cameron says that all beekeepers must be registered and there are regulations under the provincial government that include refraining from feeding the bees during the summer months as it would result in the production of a product that could not be labelled honey.

And beekeepers must ensure they are good neighbours, of course.

Cameron says abandoned Nova Scotia farmland makes some of the best homes for bee colonies because of the wild flowers. In fact, Sunny Cove Honey has very few bees on their property, instead they have agreements with landowners with abandoned farmland to house their hives during the honey flow seasons in return for honey.

That mite be a problem The largest threat to bee colonies are mites.

Mites carry diseases and, when they get into bee colonies, can devastate the hives by feeding off of the bees protein in their fatty stores, killing off the hive.

To prevent this, most beekeepers treat their hives with antibiotics and pesticides, but Sunny Cove Honey uses organic compounds and essential oils to prevent the use of pesticides or antibiotics.

That stings!

Dave Cameron says that most beekeepers get stung daily, multiple times a day.

“If you get stung, it usually means you are rushing,” he notes.

When first starting out, beekeepers will use gloves to handle the bees, but gloves mean that you can’t feel the bees under your hands and you often crush them, sending an alert to the other bees, which agitates them and causes them to swarm.

Bees die after they sting, so it is typically a last resort when they feel they are under attack.

So now, the Camerons refrain from using gloves and have gotten used to the stings.

“We used to swell a lot when we first got stung, but now we don’t. I guess we just got used to it,” says Sarah Cameron.

Dave Cameron adds, “If you put honey on a sting it seems to hurt a little less.”

Flavoured by the flowers The flavour profile of honey depends on the wild flowers they feed off of. The abundance of honey comes from goldenrods, but there is some blueberry honey which has a distinct taste, and the summer honey has a much lighter colour than the fall.

But between the honey flows, Sunny Cove Honey typically gets 5,000 to 5,500 pounds of honey.

While not certified organic because of the plastic shelving in the supers, Sunny Cove Honey is as close as can be to organic.

The North Shore

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Recipe Honey Taffee Boil honey down with water until it reaches its cracking stage, about 300 °F. Once it’s ready, pour it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to cool. Once it has cooled enough to touch, pull it apart like taffee.

Honey also makes a wonderful sweetener substitute in banana bread.

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The North Shore

HEALTHY AT HOME

Reconnect to the Earth THE NATURE OF

Naturopathic Medicine

BY DR. AMY PUNKÉ

Dr. Amy Punké is a member in good standing with the Nova Scotia Association of Naturopathic Doctors (NSAND) and the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND). Licensed with the College of Naturopathic Doctors of Alberta (CNDA).

The North Shore

Ancient and traditional medicines have long honoured the change of seasons and the effect they have on our health.

Have you ever noticed how your digestive function changes throughout the year?

This is often reflected in the foods we are drawn to. Our desire to consume raw and fresh produce in the summer months tends to shift to craving warming soups and stews come fall. How about a shift in your energy, quality of sleep, or mood?

Our bodies, minds and spirits respond to seasonal changes. As a Naturopathic Doctor, I am fascinated by how these natural cycles impact our health, and how disease can arise when we become disconnected and fall out of sync with these rhythms. I am reminded of the teachings of one of our elders, Naturopathic Doctor Sat Dharam Kaur, who says, “The solar seasons, the lunar phases, our daily waking and sleeping, our menstrual cycle, our breathing pattern and even our heart rate... these natural rhythms are encoded in our cells and in our genes.” From the changing seasons, to our own hormone levels, we are all connected.

Dr. Kaur explains, “Spring is a time of new beginnings, fertility, conceiving ideas, and laying the groundwork for things to come.” However, this year, just as we were starting to feel this inherent shift in energy, everything came to a grinding halt because of the global health crisis.

Our basic instincts to spend more time in nature to shake off the ‘winter blues’, start new projects, travel and connect with friends near and far during the warmer months, all have been put on hold.

I had an intense headache for the first two weeks of lockdown. The things I relied on in the past for relieving my headaches were closed – seeing my massage therapist, my chiropractor and swimming at the Wellness Centre.

On a professional level, I’ve had waves of despair and helplessness wash over me. At a time when I felt like patients would most benefit from seeing their Naturopathic Doctor, access has been severely restricted. I’ve really struggled with what my role should be as a naturopath and also as a member in our community during this crisis; how could I better use my training in naturopathic medicine to support my own health and that of the people around me?

While it has been difficult, this ‘great pause’ has been an important reminder

– health is not external to us -- the best place to find health is inside ourselves.

I truly believe in the healing power of nature and our body’s innate ability to heal when given the chance – the guiding principles of naturopathic medicine.

For me, health and healing is really all about our connection to ourselves, our community and the Earth that sustains us. And we all have access to this. The irony is that during this time of social isolation I feel connected more now than ever. I have started stretching more to relieve the tension headaches I’m prone to, I’ve committed to a home yoga practice and I’m spending more time with my dog. I have signed up for a CSA

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and let the sunshine in (Community-Supported Agriculture) membership from a local farm and I’m focusing more on cooking recipes that are ‘in season’. I even reached out to a local charity I’ve been meaning to contact for some time and I am hoping to volunteer with them.

I was curious to see how other entrepreneurs and small businesses were navigating through this crisis, too. Keltie and Michael from Small Holdings Farm are heading into their fourth season on the farm in Scotsburn. “We offer a weekly vegetable subscription program – our

unique take on “Community-Supported Agriculture,” aka CSA. It’s a great way to connect with our farm and eat very (very!) well all season long,” explains Keltie. It’s all about supporting one another, “Local eaters buying vegetables from their local farmer and local farmers growing food for their community.”

Sustainable practices and connecting with the land is a way of life on the farm.

“We eat a pretty seasonal diet here on the farm and this time of year,” explain Keltie and Michael. “We are slowly moving from storage vegetables and preserves to fresh greens and radishes. Spring crops are not necessarily glamorous but they come with so much anticipation after a long winter.

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They are delicious – a first taste of the world waking up. Eating with the seasons certainly has its challenges but it is also very rewarding and grounding.”

Dr. Erin MacKenzie, Naturopathic Doctor, hails from the North Shore of Nova Scotia and now runs a busy naturopathic clinic in Cape Breton and is a mother to her young son. She too, has had to adapt her practice to continue to offer support to her patients during this difficult time.

Leading by example and to support her own health, Dr. MacKenzie practices

and teaches ‘Earthing’ (also known as grounding). Earthing refers to walking barefoot outside or sitting, working, or sleeping outdoors to connect to the conductive systems that transfer the Earth’s electrons from the ground into the body.

“Your body is an bio-electric organism that runs on energy generated through the flow of electrons – tiny units of matter that move around elements – the smallest units of material here on Earth,” explains Dr. MacKenzie. “Electrons are used to create the energy currency of your body.

So, extra free electrons will help your body make energy. The Earth’s surface is actually electron-rich so when you are

While it has been difficult, this ‘great pause’ has been an important reminder – health is not external to us -- the best place to find health is inside ourselves.

in contact with it – bare feet or with a thin layer of conductive natural material like leather – electrons will flow in the direction they are needed and your body will connect like a circuit to the Earth.”

According to an article published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health in 2012, researchers reported, “A surprisingly beneficial, yet overlooked global resource for health maintenance, disease prevention, and clinical therapy is the surface of the Earth itself.” So much of our modern lifestyle disconnects us with this important contact with the Earth. Emerging research suggests that this disconnect may be a major contributor to chronic disease. Reconnection with the Earth’s electrons though Earthing has been found to promote better sleep, reduce pain and inflammation and may improve immune function.

Jill Wintersteen, Astrologist and Yogi reminds us, “Summer is the time to develop faith in our life, squash the darkness with light, and trust that just like the Sun, we will rise each day no matter what life brings us.” As the leaves open to the sunlight and warmth, and as nature in all its profusion leaps into the light and warmth, let us take space and time, as best we can, to join in the great dance to which we are invited.

The North Shore

HEALTHY AT HOME

NATURE

BY SALLY O’NEILL

Our favourite indoor activities may be on hold, but nature is always there for us. As we seek to curb the spread of Novel Coronavirus Covid-19, outdoor activities become much more relevant to our physical and mental wellbeing.

The North Shore

Getting outside and breathing fresh air is naturally calming, and with so much wild space in Nova Scotia, we can easily explore and be active without fear of close contact with others.

At the time of writing, Nova Scotia residents are allowed to use trails, parks and beaches for exercise and fresh air with members of their household or “bubble” (two households who are otherwise healthy and share mutually exclusive contact) as long as there are no more than five people in a gathering.

Beaches are wide and open and an easy space for maintaining the two-metre physical distance required to protect against the spread of Covid-19. Trails are a little different, but we can still enjoy healthy, happy, hiking. We need to watch where we’re going, be aware of our surroundings, and always be mindful of others when we walk or run on trails.

Rail Trails are a perfect fit for walking and running while keeping a distance from others, especially when walking with children. Their wide right of way and straight, flat lines make it easy to see people coming, and easy to get out of the way. Use headphones on a low volume, or not at all, so that you can hear people coming and not be caught off guard. Rail trails are often shared-use as well, meaning that ATV’s, bicycles, dirt bikes, walkers, runners and riders on horseback, are all sharing the same trail, so some rules of etiquette apply.

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CALLS Rail Trails on the North Shore: The Great Trail, also known as the Trans Canada Trail, is a series of community trails, connected by road and water, and many miles of reclaimed railway. Our local route includes: • The Short Line Rail Trail from Oxford to Pictou, connecting to the Jitney Trail on the same route • The Samson and Albion Trails that connect New Glasgow and Stellarton • The Old Guysborough Railway Trail These are just a few routes, and lots of other Great Trails connect through parks, bike lanes, fields and forests.

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To find where The Great Trail passes through your community, check here: thegreattrail.ca Hiking trails are a wonderful way to experience nature and wild spaces.

Narrow paths make it a little harder to distance, but it can still be done. The rule of thumb is for the person heading downhill to yield to the person heading uphill. The person who is exerting the most energy (ie: the uphill hiker) should be allowed to keep their momentum.

When someone approaches on the trail, simply step to the side, or off the trail if necessary, to allow two metres passing space between you and the other hiker.

Generally speaking, the rules of multi-use trails go like this: • Pets must be on a leash • No littering – “Pack It In – Pack It Out” • The maximum trail speed is 30 km/hr unless otherwise posted • All wheels yield to all heels (a biker yields to a walker, an ATV yields to a horse, etc.)

• Travel on the right side of trail, pass on the left • Announce your approach well in advance

The North Shore

HEALTHY AT HOME

A word on tick prevention: All this stepping off trails can mean that we expose ourselves to more tick habitat than we might normally.

Ticks will be present anywhere there is long grass, brushy or wooded areas. These are also the places we love to hike!

Make sure to use an approved insect repellent, wear sleeves and long pants, and tuck pant legs into your socks.

Remove clothing as soon as you get home and check yourself and your pets.

Cobequid Eco Trails System and the Cape to Cape Trail System are excellent examples of locally built and maintained hiking trails. Find information about them here: cobequidecotrails.ca | capetocapetrail.ca Both organizations are active contributors to Hike Nova Scotia, a provincial organization that provides safety and training, advocacy and promotion for hiking as a recreational sport in our province. Check out their course offerings, webinar on Intro to Hiking, and Hiker Challenge Badges. hikenovascotia.ca

New Challenge: Pictou County Badge Hike in beautiful Pictou County, known for its sandy beaches, warm community spirit and a fascinating industrial history. To qualify for the Pictou County Badge you must hike just over 30 km along the trails and old rails of this region including the Steeltown Park and the Airport/ Smelt Brook Trail in Trenton, the Jitney Trail in Pictou, Caribou-Munroe’s Island Provincial Park’s Shoreline Hike in Braeshore, the Samson and Albion Trails in New Glasgow and Stellarton, Acadia Park in Westville and the Fitzpatrick Mountain Trail in Scotsburn. This badge is a partnership with Active Pictou County. hikenovascotia.ca/projects-hiker-challenge/

Through these unique times, we appreciate you making our products part of your family bubble!

From all of us at the Pork Shop, Thank You! Both of our locations are now open, serving you all the fresh meats and quality local products you’ve come to expect. Great care is taken to protect our customers and staff through the “new normal”

2578 Westville Road or Denmark (902) 755-3260 The North Shore

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W

hen I returned to visit the East Coast in 2002, for the first time in over ten years, my parents finally owned their own summer house on Pugwash Point near the end of the dead-end road.

That spring and summer, as I transitioned from life in Vancouver to life in rural Nova Scotia, walking on the windswept beach at the end of the road became an important daily ritual for me. To get to the beach, I had to cross a corner of the property that was right on the point. There was a ramshackle cottage hidden behind the trees, but I wasn’t interested in checking it out; all I wanted was my long walk on the shore.

We sold our house in 2011 so I missed the transition of that property on the point from wild and rackety to tidied up and winterized. Now hidden behind the trees is a new, all-season home owned and inhabited by the grandson of the original property owner, whose wife happens to be a novelist.

sandbars and just never stop. Just go into the water and keep going, because anything has to be better than this.”

‘This’ is what the novel explores: escaping and accepting and healing. One of the characters who helps Larkin out of her dark place lives in the old house on the hill. It’s delightful having my family’s former summer home worked into the story because I know what Jean means when she describes that space as healing. That’s how it felt to me when, like Larkin, I landed on the point with my pain and loss and a desperate need to find myself again.

Having lived in urban Ontario her whole life, it wasn’t until she met her future husband and visited his family’s rustic cottage on the Point in 1980 that she fell in love with rural Nova Scotia.

Having written her first novel at the dining room table of their home in Guelph, Jean believes the Point actually makes her a better writer.

Retired for over a year now, Jean Mills wrote her latest novel for young adults, Larkin On the Shore, in that house and says the setting was the catalyst that made the story come alive for her.

She’d had the character, 15-year-old Larkin, in her head for years, but she couldn’t make her original story for the character work out.

“Being here, year after year, and seeing how healing this place is, how soothing, how positive it is to be out there on the shore, I thought maybe I could take that girl, plop her here for a summer and heal her,” Jean told me as we sat at her dining room with its view of the Northumberland Strait.

In the novel, Larkin comes to “Tuttle Harbour” to spend the summer with her grandmother.

“At low tide, there’s really nothing between you and Prince Edward Island,” Jean said. “The book opens with Larkin sitting on the beach thinking she could get up and walk across the

“I do a tonne of writing in my head before my fingers ever hit the keyboard,” she explained, “so I do a lot of my writing on the shore, walking up and down. I walk at home but it’s not the same; the sounds are different. This is uniquely perfect for me to write. It’s a wonderful place, a special place for me.”

Like many of us who discover Nova Scotia after being born and raised elsewhere, Jean said she must have sea in her roots somewhere because of the way it calls to her.

“We all know what it’s like to walk around with our heads full of thoughts, worries and troubles. When you get here, there’s something about the sound and sight of the water, something gets into you and your brain that is very primal. It lifts you out of the dark places. It works for me, and I’ve seen it work for other people too. It’s very restorative.”

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The North Shore

ON THE TABLE

READY TO

Roll

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM

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.

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I’m not sure about you, but these last few months have been pretty tough. With the increase in temperatures and the decrease of restrictions I can feel the sense of playfulness retuning to our household. We are ready for the fun to return, not just the kids, the whole family.

Looking for something fun to do over the weekend, we stumbled upon our Softshell Ice Cream Ball that we picked up last summer. “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream,” we shouted as we busted it out for the first time this season. It was a gorgeous day and everyone was eager to get outside to play, so patience for an elaborate recipe was a non-starter. Luckily making ice cream is one of the easiest desserts on the planet with ingredients that I can guarantee almost everyone will have on hand. In less than five minutes we had our three ingredients in the ball and we were ready to roll, literally.

When I discovered these balls last year I was thrilled. If you’ve never seen them

before the design is very simple and streamlined. One side of the ball opens to a canister that you fill with your recipe and the opposite side houses a canister that holds the ice cubes and course salt.

Take my advice, if you do intend on giving it a try be sure to seal the canisters well.

Seems obvious, but I stress this point only because in our first game my face was splattered with milk, clearly I had not tightened the lid well enough.

The reason that I was so drawn to this ball was that it helps everyone in the family work toward the targeted 60 minutes of moderate exercise that is recommended for greater health benefits (guidelines set by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology) while having a ton of fun together. Not only that but after just 30 minutes of working up a sweat we’ve got a delicious treat that makes everyone happy. I also love the fact that you can take the ball anywhere, to the beach, park, camping, you name it. It’s a win all around, or so it would seem.

In reality after 15 minutes of play this past weekend, the question of, “Is it ready yet?” came out about every 30 seconds, then my husband tapped out because he whipped the ball so hard he thought he sprained his fingers… oops. Despite injury and loss of patience the game had to go on, after all, the final goal was ice cream. The girls got creative; they decided that their slide would be perfect for keeping the ball rolling with less effort. With one girl positioned at the top and the other at the bottom, they still had to catch and pass, but the slide kept the momentum going and energy high. When the timer rang everyone cheered. It was time to reveal (and taste) our creation.

The ingredients and the flavours can change every time which is also part of the fun. This time, we made strawberry ice cream from the last of our frozen berries that we’d picked from Mountain Farm U-pick (in River John) last season.

It was delightful.

INGREDIENTS

PROCESS

1 L milk (can substitute rice milk,

Mix all ingredients together and fill the stainless

almond milk, yogurt, half & half)

steel canister on the ball. Fill the opposite

¼ cup sugar (can substitute

canister in the ball with ice and cover with salt.

honey, or maple syrup)

Keep the ball rolling for 25-30 minutes.

1 tablespoon vanilla (or any other

Open, scoop, top with your favourite ice cream

favourite flavours ie. peppermint)

garnish, and enjoy.

Optional: ¼ cup chopped strawberries (or choice of fresh fruit, chocolate chips, other family favourite additions)

If you do not have an ice cream ball, not to worry, you can simply blend the same ingredients, pour the mixture into a pre-chilled stainless steel pan and pop it into the freezer until it’s ready to serve (could take from 6 to 24 hours).

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The North Shore

Review by Sarah Butland | Photos supplied by Suzanne Stewart THE LIBRARY

STEWART

Prize

The Tides of Time

on, The Tides of Time: A Nova Scotia Book of y labourers whose harvests mark the rhythms welve monthly chapters, each of which tells una fishing, orchard farming, baking bread, up production, sheep farming, beekeeping, ng for wild mushrooms.

ew of the sacredness of time, exemplified in e writing, her book offers a slow, meticulous her own first-hand observations of seasonal

A N OVA S COT I A BOOK OF SEASONS

a refuge from the rush of urban life. It turns n alternative mode of time, which is fluid, close at hand.

Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia n from the University of King’s College in English literature and a specialization in the a literary lens to her observations of rural life.

Suzanne Stewart POTTERSFIELD

ISBN 978-1-988286-62-4

A timeless piece centred around time, The Tides of Time discovers what makes Nova Scotia, particularly the North Shore, a province not only to visit but to write about.

Doctor Suzanne Stewart, Assistant Professor at StFX, begins her book with an explanation of why she did not start in January, as our current calendar suggests we do. Instead she starts in The North Shore

The Tides of Time Autumn, at the beginning of September and travels gracefully through each month and their worth.

It is clear with her inclusion of poets such as William and Dorothy Wordsworth, Emily Dickinson and Henry David Thoreau that Stewart is a romantic at heart and sees clearly magic and love within our province.

Her research interests include

Romantic Period, William and Dorothy Wordsworth, Nineteenth-Century Painting and it is clear throughout this book. These elements and her extensive knowledge add an extra beauty throughout the well-researched journey.

Lesley Choyce, author and owner of Pottersfield Press, understood the importance of Stewart’s non-fiction journey highlighting the farm and rural

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aspect of our province. Stewart was inspired by Nova Scotia itself, moving from Saskatchewan, “I became fond of it quickly in a seasonal way.”

As her journey takes us through each month, Stewart goes behind the scenes of the Antigonish Farmers Market to better understand each farmer and vendor. As someone who moved from Saskatchewan to teach at StFX and live in Antigonish, this author met with farmers in the area, including the late Joan Murray who tended a cranberry farm in Barney’s River, to tell their story.

Or rather, to tell the story of what they cultivated through nature.

September started seaside, talking to Chandra Gavin about her and her husband John’s time fishing. While John was out catching tuna, Chandra stayed back to tell the author firsthand what life as a fishing family is like.

From there Stewart slowly made her way to each local farm both in their off and on seasons to better understand time, weather, and hard work involved in maintaining an apple orchard, maple syrup operation, growing blueberries, and more. Angela, Adam and Frazer Hunter of Knoydart Cheese Farm, a regular at the New Glasgow Farmers’ Market, invited her to their home to talk cheese and cows, even being able to witness the afternoon milking.

Going as far as Cape Breton to forage for wild mushrooms and stay overnight at Chanterelle Country Inn to enjoy some slow food. Earlene Bush, the owner of the inn and disciple of the Slow Food Movement, welcomed Stewart into her kitchen to witness the process and passion that went into each meal made complete with local foods direct from her property or her neighbours’.

Not raised on a farm herself, she was 49 -

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“very quickly humbled” by the resources and knowledge of our local farmers and the preservation of rural life in general.

Stewart’s favourite section shifts with each reader’s personal story and reflection of each farm, telling her how it brought them back or taught her something new about the vendor at the local Farmers’ Market. The richness and complexity plus simplicity to every chapter and farmer offers a bigger picture of a grand richness through our seasons.

“If only one person would see one month or one labour or harvest differently than I would feel most rewarded.” Finding something intriguing in different ways and surprises with each visit, Stewart enjoyed the individuals and human traits with each farmer on top of all of the processes and perspectives during each season.

Classic poets with their poems act as a thread throughout, intermingling time with beauty and rural life throughout the world. Using the labours of the month calendar to suggest that we can still find such a calendar while working with the poetry Stewart adores and connects with life and land today.

“It is an ideal place with so many people living in rural areas,” Stewart comments. “One of the purposes for me are that people speak of a disappearing way of life in rural areas but I felt perhaps there is another story,” and in writing The Tides of Time she proved it. Countering the more commonly heard message of struggling farms and industrialized ways, this book highlights the brilliance behind the growth both through seasons, farmers and the land and sea itself.

“Natural beauty is so important to me, the preservation of rural life and people who live rural have a very rich

knowledge of what they do and their humility sometimes, and dignity – all of that I find very appealing,” and all of that has helped Stewart feel at home on the North Shore of Nova Scotia. “We’re very fortunate to live in that kind of an environment here.”

Reading The Tides of Time and travelling to the farms of the North Shore was an adventure of appreciation for where our foods come from and how farmers depend on the days weather, not the mark of a calendar. A great read for anyone eating in the province, thinking of travelling to the east and for anyone interested in how temperatures effect more than our moods.

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The North Shore

DIY Backyard Bench Marks

STORY AND PHOTO BY LORI BYRNE

To be clear, I am not a woodworker, a builder or anything remotely similar. But I love puttering away with bits of wood and am getting braver with that saw (I still have all my fingers!!) This is the perfect project for someone who likes to create something from some scrap wood who also has very basic woodworking skills.

I’m of the mindset that you can’t have too many places to sit, especially when it comes to having a backyard bonfire or eating area. This little bench is great to pull up to the table for an extra bum or two to sit for a BBQ or pull it over to the bonfire pit for a friend or neighbour to join in for some S’more fun!

These plans were for the size of scrap wood I had at home.

However, this can be adjusted for whatever length of bench you desire. The only piece of advice I offer is to make sure that the base is nearly as wide as the top, or it gets pretty tippy from end to end and the last thing you want to do is send someone tumbling!

SUPPLIES:

DIRECTIONS:

Wood (I used pine but you could use pallet wood or whatever you have on hand)

1. Cut your wood to size being very careful using the saw and wear your safety glasses 2. Rough sand your edges 3. Assemble the legs with the bottom brace on what will be the inside bottom of your leg, pre-drilling all your holes so you don’t split the wood and screw together 4. Attach the top leg brace centred at the top of the leg, again, pre-drilling the screw holes before screwing it together 5. Attach the two sets of legs with the apron flush with the top of the leg, pre-drilling before screwing it 6. Attach the third apron length so it sits on top of the bottom leg brace, pre-drill and screw into the top of the leg brace 7. Attach the top with a small gap, ¼" to ½", making sure it is centred side to side as well as front to back. Pre-drill and screw from underneath, through the top leg brace so there are no holes on the top to hold water 8. Sand the edges and any rough spots 9. Paint with two coats of paint suitable for outdoors and let dry for the recommended dry time between coats 10. Light a bonfire and pull your new bench up to enjoy the warmth of the fire and a toast yourself a few S’mores!

Wood Sizes 4 Legs: 2 Bottom Leg Braces: 2 Top Leg Braces:

3 Apron:

2 Top:

1"x7" at 18" 1"x2" at 14" 1"x2" at 12 ¾" 1"x4" at 29" 1"x7" at 35"

Wood Screws (I used 1 ½" #8) Outdoor Paint (I used Benjamin Moore Porch and Floor paint in 2055-20 Pacific Ocean Blue) Saw Safety Glasses Drill and drill bit for pre-drilling holes Square Tape measure Pencil Paint brush Sandpaper

The North Shore

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We’re helping businesses navigate the new normal www.pictoucounty.com Government Updates and Business Supports

Learning Resources for Business

As a new organization, we are still working to define and broadcast our role within the business community, but our primary mandate is to support and grow a sustainable and thriving economy here in Pictou County. As part of that mandate, we support local entrepreneurs and small business through: • looking to export their products

Manufacturers and Service Providers

Pictou County Businesses available

• help connect with government and other resources that may assist • support businesses in addressing labour market shortages • work to improve employment rates for those in our population who are underemployed or unemployed • promote the reputation of Pictou County as an incredible place to both live and do business.

PHONE (902) 755-2244 | EMAIL AT OFFICE@PCREN.CA

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