Halifax Magazine Jan/Feb 2018

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CONTENTS

Vol. 18 No. 1 | January/February 2018

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7 | EDITOR’S MESSAGE Halifax has enough cheerleaders; it needs cynics

40 | MARITIME GOTHIC A pair of local artists tell Trevor Corkum how they revel in the East Coast’s creepy side

8 | CONTRIBUTORS Meet the writers and photographers who work on Halifax Magazine 9 | CITYSCAPE Harry Bruce says goodbye to Maestro Bernhard Gueller, Jeremy Webb prepares for his biggest role, and more 13 | ENTERTAINMENT The Savour Food & Wine Festival, pro hoops, Letterkenny comes to life, and more 44 | DINING: A WALK IN THE WILD Year-round, Halifax chefs are offering new flavours, thanks to a few diligent foragers 48 | DRINK: 11 BEERS FOR A COLD WINTER’S EVE Cuddle up with these warming winter brews 50 | OPINION: THE MAGIC OF THE OVAL Rediscovering the beauty of a Canadian winter

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14 | THE TRUTH ABOUT CORNWALLIS Many people have opinions about Halifax’s controversial founder, but few know the whole story. Ryan Van Horne digs in

35 | HALIFAX ON A BUDGET Sports, theatre, food, and fashion—enjoy winter on the cheap.

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16 | MEAGHAN SMITH’S REBIRTH When the singer/ songwriter became a mother, she lost her musical team but found a new creative outlet. Alexandra MacRae has the story

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EDITOR’S MESSAGE

We have enough cheerleaders If you’ve ever said “Why so negative?” to a journalist, congratulations: you’re part of an exclusive club that includes pretty much every business person and politician in the world. We hear it from them constantly.

“Why can’t you be more supportive?” “Why do you have to crap on everything we try to do?”

“Why can’t you look on the bright side?” “You’re just a cynic!” “What about the good things we do?” “Negative attitudes like yours hold Halifax back.” “You put the ‘no’ in NOva Scotia.” (Get it?

Tee hee. That woman should write TV shows.)

Those are all direct quotes from messages local business and political leaders have sent me over the last year or so. I don’t understand the attitude that media should cheerlead for local interests.

If you’ve accomplished enough to be a politician or business leader, you’ve been around long enough to understand how naive it is to expect media to just root, root, root for the home team. Surely with that education and experience, people would know that a questioning media is important to a healthy democracy. (A brief look at American politics offers ample confirmation).

But those politicians and business types still expect media cheerleaders.

What they fail to grasp is that their interests already have many cheerleaders. Every government, every large business, has huge wellpaid public-relations teams. In staffing and budgets, those PR teams usually dwarf the media that covers them. And any message they can’t get news media to cover, they can blast out through increasingly savvy and targetted marketing campaigns.

But that’s not enough. They want the news media, whose very job is to be adversarial and question why things are the way they are, on their side too. They love “journalists” who come to their events and parrot their press releases and don’t ask hard questions.

They want positive coverage, happy stories about how Amazon is going to move to Halifax even though there was no chance of that happening (and scant evidence that it would be good for us if it did happen), about how we’re world-class innovators when more Nova Scotians live in poverty every day, about how we’re diverse and welcoming even though racism still simmers unnoticed by the majority.

There is good news out there and it gets the coverage it deserves. But Halifax and Nova Scotia won’t grow and become better, fairer, more welcoming places by ignoring our flaws and embracing our self-deceptions. The cheerleaders are numerous and doing their jobs

effectively. And their job is promotion and rallying support, not necessarily sharing the truth. That’s why we need cynical, questioning, nosey, snarky journalists.

In 2018, I resolve to be more cynical and suspicious, because that’s how I can best serve my city. This year, Halifax Magazine will ask more questions and harder questions. We’ll continue to celebrate Halifax’s successes, but not at the expense of ignoring its injustices. Do you know a story we should be telling? A story we should take a harder look at? Email the editor at tadams@metroguide.ca.

PHOTO: TAMMY FANCY

BY TREVOR J. ADAMS

tadams@metroguide.ca Halifax Magazine @HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine

•••••••••• And in this issue, you’ll find an update on an injustice we’ve been covering for several years: the city’s honouring of its murderous founder, Edward Cornwallis. On page 14, Ryan Van Horne provides some fascinating historical context for the debate, looking at Cornwallis’s history of terrorizing Scots before he exported his skills to Nova Scotia.

CORRECTION In the story “Everything you need to know about local brew” (December 2017), we got the name of Granite Brewery owner Kevin Keefe wrong. See the corrected story at halifaxmag.com. Halifax Magazine regrets the error.

S H E L B U R N E , N O VA S C O T I A

B OXIN G RO CK . CA

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 halifaxmag.com | 7

PHOTO: MIKE DEMBECK

CONTRIBUTORS HARRY BRUCE Cityscape Harry has been a journalist for 61 years, working in Halifax for most of the last 46 years. His many awards include an Atlantic Journalism Award Lifetime Achievement Award.

ALEXANDRA MACRAE “Meaghan Smith’s rebirth” A St. Thomas University’s journalism graduate, Alexandra is originally from Cape Breton and has been a Haligonian since 2010. Her work has appeared on The Billfold and New York Magazine’s Vulture blog.

ANDREA NEMETZ Cityscape Andrea has been writing about news, sports, and the arts for more than 25 years. A lover of adventure, she has done Habitat for Humanity builds around the world, sailed a 68-foot racing yacht across the Pacific, and trekked on horseback in Iceland and Peru.

TREVOR CORKUM “Maritime Gothic” Trevor is a native East Coaster who divides his time between Toronto and the south shore of Prince Edward Island.

His fiction, essays, and reviews appear regularly in periodicals across the country. Set in Halifax, his debut novel The Electric Boy is forthcoming with Doubleday Canada.

TAMMY FANCY Photo for Editor’s Message Tammy has shot for East Coast Living, Bedford Magazine, Profiles for Success, and Our Children magazines, plus two cookbooks from Formac Publishing. fancyfreefoto.com

COLLEEN THOMPSON “A walk in the wild” Originally from South Africa, Colleen is a writer and photographer, plus a wine sommelier. She loves the art of a crafted cocktail and the storytelling that often accompanies it. Her work has appeared in media worldwide. She lives in Halifax with her husband and young son. monkeyweddings.com

ALLIE JEHLE “Halifax on a budget” A journalist and photographer based in Halifax, Allie is a passionate writer who has a particular interest in feature writing. Got a story to tell?

Tweet @alliejehle.

STEVE SMITH Photos for cover, cover story Steve is a photographer at VisionFire Studios in Pictou, shooting for a variety of clients throughout Atlantic Canada. visionfire.ca

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CITYSCAPE OPINION

Farewell, Maestro

BY HARRY BRUCE

If Halifax had an all-star team of comefrom-aways, internationally renowned German maestro Bernhard Gueller would be among its longest-playing and highestscoring veterans but, alas, he’ll soon be just another gone-from-here.

The music director of Symphony Nova Scotia for 15 years, Gueller, more than anyone else, has inspired its blossoming as one of the most skilled, exciting, and versatile symphony orchestras in Canada.

In the opinion of Christos Hatzis, a professor of music in Toronto and noted composer, “Symphony Nova Scotia is not just a regional orchestra, but a national leader.”

Howard Cable, who died at 96 in 2016, agreed. He had an amazing career as a TV and radio producer, composer, arranger, and leader of swing bands, and starred for 30 years as a guest conductor of pop concerts

by Symphony Nova Scotia. “It’s the most versatile orchestra in Canada,” he says. “And unlike most orchestral players, they smile when they play, whether it’s Beethoven, baroque, Celtic, or jazz.”

No one knows that better than Gueller. As a guest conductor, he has repeatedly led orchestras to standing ovations on six continents but, about Symphony Nova Scotia, he says, “I don’t think I have ever come across musicians who more clearly show that they love what they’re doing.”

His style on the podium energetically nurtures this love. As a young cellist with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, he was sometimes led by great Romanian conductor Sergiu Celibidache. Gueller was also his protégé as a conductor and, from both experiences, learned the kind of conductor he did not want to be.

Celibidache was a giant of 20th-century conducting, but at times brutally insulting and dictatorial. “His way of dealing with people was so unpleasant no orchestra today would put up with it,” Gueller says, “and it did have an effect on the music.” In most respects, the music was wonderful, “But musicians must have some freedom in their playing.”

Under Celibidache, they tended to play “like a car being driven with its brakes on.”

No one says that about Symphony Nova Scotia under Gueller. Here we have anywhere

from 37 to 80 different musicians with two dozen or more different instruments, and they’re all playing together to make beautiful music. And out of their superbly precise timing, a kind of united obedience, somehow comes exactly that undertone of joyous freedom the man on the podium wants.

His parents were piano teachers, and as far back as he can remember, he knew he’d be a musician. His intense love of music, early career as a cellist, sheer talent as a conductor and unfailing courtesy all contribute to the rare rapport he enjoys with the symphony musicians.

“His attitude is remarkable,” principal clarinetist Dominic Desautels says. “Every morning, it’s, ‘Good morning, dear colleagues,’ in this very nice German accent.

It makes you want to do your best.”

And Chris Wilcox, godfather of chamber music in Halifax, founder of the Scotia Festival of Music 38 years ago, and before that clarinetist with the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, says, “I have never heard a single bad word about him.”

Before coming here, Gueller was conductor of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra and, by contrast with the rather formal relationship that’s typical between the conductor and the classical music community in a European city, the instant friendliness he found in Halifax—from

symphony musicians, staff, board members and simply strangers who loved classical music—surprised and delighted him.

Conductors rarely stay in a city as long as 15 years but Gueller loves working with Halifax musicians and finds the city “quiet and civilized.” He settled here with his wife, Shirley de Cock Gueller in 2003. For more than 20 years she was a writer, editor, and public-relations consultant in Cape Town, South Africa.

Once the music director and principal conductor of the Cape Town Philharmonic, Gueller has returned to it over and over again as principal guest conductor. It’s to Cape Town that he and Shirley will move come summer. His farewell performance here, next May 12, will be as conductor of the 9th Symphony by his countryman, Ludwig Van Beethoven.

One of the greatest pieces of classical music ever written, its final movement features a choir singing “Ode to Joy.” From a leader who brought so much joy to lovers of classical music here, no farewell gift could be more appropriate. Fortunately, he’ll be back next November as the symphony’s first conductor laureate and, to bring us a bit more joy, will lead it in two concerts. tadams@metroguide.ca Halifax Magazine @HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 halifaxmag.com | 9

CITYSCAPE THEATRE

Jeremy Webb’s newest role

BY ANDREA NEMETZ

Jeremy Webb vividly recalls a night he was starring as Macbeth on Neptune’s studio stage: “A lady on Argyle Street came up to me and says you were wonderful, fantastic, I loved you…as the Clock.”

He recounts the story with a grin. He had just played one of the great Shakespearean roles, and the fan, like many others, wanted to congratulate Webb on his performance as Cogsworth, the tightly wound enchanted clock in Beauty and the Beast.

The gregarious actor actually played the role twice at Halifax’s Neptune Theatre, in 2007, when he was nominated for a Merritt Award for best supporting actor and again in 2016 for the hit production of the Disney musical that has claimed a huge place in his heart.

Soon, people may start recognizing him for another Neptune role: artistic director. It’s a role for which he has been preparing for nearly two decades.

Neptune Theatre was where Webb made his Canadian theatre debut. The memories flood back every time he rides its elevator.

The day after arriving in 1998, the Cambridge, U.K. native took that elevator to begin rehearsals for Blood Brothers, directed

by Linda Moore.

“I was mesmerized,” he recalls. “It was like walking into a movie set. There were the accents, the wide streets. People were walking around with Tim Horton’s cups in their hands and everyone was so friendly. It was like nothing I’d experienced before. Film producers I hadn’t met agreed to see me just because I was new in town. John Dunsworth had me in his casting office doing Shakespearean monologues.”

Back in England, he graduated from the acting program at Bristol Old Vic Theatre,

which counts Daniel Day-Lewis, Patrick Stewart, and Jeremy Irons, among its alumni.

Webb was one of many talented young actors competing for gigs.

In Halifax, he stood out, quickly landing roles as a villain on CBC TV series Pit Pony, as a guest star on the quirky sci-fi drama Lexx, and later in theatres across the province including Two Planks and a Passion in Canning, Valley Summer Theatre in Wolfville, and Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre.

In those early days, he met Elizabeth Murphy, co-founder and co-artistic director of Shakespeare by the Sea. “He’s one of those people who makes his presence known,” she recalls, noting he has starred in a number of shows for the Halifax company which turns 25 this year, including Othello, for which he won a Merritt Award for best actor for his turn as Iago. “Doing Othello

10 | halifaxmag.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

with Jeremy and Troy [Adams, the title character] was magic. He’s a wonderful character actor and you see all these amazing characters parts he plays come together in a very serious role like Iago.”

Murphy, who also calls Webb a friend, says he is a good choice for Neptune because in his heart he’s a great producer and PR genius.

“He’s always thinking ‘how do I let people know this is happening?’ He has his ear to the ground and is friendly with everyone. He’s committed to showing off everything that is good locally and will give Haligonians new experiences they might not have had.”

Webb understands Neptune’s role as a regional theatre and the importance of connecting to community, says general manager Lisa Bugden. “He has a keen interest in creating theatre that is of this place and that speaks to this community.” Though his

Neptune Theatre

THE PITCH

Help 2 Overcome (H2O) In this space, Halifax Magazine invites local good causes to share their stories. Know a story we should share? Email the editor at tadams@metroguide.ca.

five-year appointment began Jan. 1, 2018, he rolled up his sleeves as soon as his appointment was announced at the end of August to begin developing his first season, Bugden adds.

The 2018-2019 season will be announced on Feb. 14, two months earlier than usual. “It’s a love letter to Halifax,” enthuses Webb, who continued to work as Eastern Front Theatre’s artistic producer till the end of 2017, while taking on his new Neptune duties.

He’s also excited to direct Mamma Mia!, the final show programmed by outgoing artistic director George Pothitos, April 10 to June 3. “I’m inheriting one of the most established theatre companies in Canada,” Webb says. “And coincidentally I’m taking over with a new, renovated building...I want to throw open the doors, bring love, heart, soul, and passion into the building. It’s such a great resource for the community. I want to choose plays that will challenge the audience and give them an inspiring night out at the theatre. I have a strong desire to see more diversity on stage. It’s important for the artistic director to have an eye for that.”

One thing he won’t be eyeing is actors’ measurements.

In November, the theatre community rejoiced at Webb’s Facebook post calling for an end to “the archaic, unnecessary practice of having measurements on resumés,” responding with more than 230 likes to his pledge “as Neptune’s new AD, I will ask actors to black out those numbers with a sharpie, going forward, until it’s a thing of the past.”

Ben John is a Nova Scotia plumber who founded Help 2 Overcome (H2O) to deliver plumbing and sanitation to developing world communities. John understands the problem better than most because he grew up in South Africa, in a home without plumbing. He learned his trade so that he could change lives, starting with his own family.

“I remember my mother and sisters having to use the pit toilet at night and being afraid of predators,” he says. “It was really just a deep hole in the ground, located about 400 feet from the house”.

Other threats loom without hand-washing facilities. Cholera, typhus, and polio are among the deadly illnesses caused by poor sanitation. The World Health Organization estimates that some 900 million children live without toilets at home, while more than 2.4 billion people don’t have access to adequate sanitation. Even greater tragedy is that more than 10,000 people will die today because of contaminated water and 315,000 children will die in 2017 due to complications from diarrhea.

And that’s why John wants Nova Scotians to give a crap.

John’s first project with H2O built washrooms for 230 students in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Now he can’t wait to return to this nation, where 70% of the population lives in poverty, to build a sanitation block of 10 compostable toilets and sinks for 325 girls in the African Women Educationalist (FAWE) School.

In developing nations, young women often quit school once they enter puberty because of the dangers and filth in the latrines.

So the new facilities will help them stay in school, get an education, and make a difference in their communities.

We need your help to spread the word that H2O wants to be number one in the number two business. Or we could just say that 325 girls in Sierra Leone desperately need our help. To donate or learn more, surf to help2overcome.org.

tadams@metroguide.ca Halifax Magazine @HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 halifaxmag.com | 11

Something to look forward to this winter...

ECL’s new website launch coming soon

east coast

LIVING growing family, growing home

Inspiring home life in Atlantic Canada

WHEN THIS HALIFAX FAMILY OUTGREW THEIR HOME, THE ONLY CHOICE WAS TO EXPAND

WINTER 2017 | $4.95 eastcoastliving.ca

DISPLAY UNTIL MARCH 11, 2018

2018 COLOUR TRENDS WORRY-FREE RENO TIPS DIY WINTER DÉCOR

ENTERTAINMENT The hottest things to see and do in Halifax this winter

JANUARY 15 TO MARCH 15 A festival of unique events celebrating Nova Scotia’s culinary scene including the Imbibe cocktail tasting (February 1), Decadence food and wine pairing event (February 8), Rare & Fine Wine Show (February 16) Savour Food & Wine Show (February 22), and Craft Beer Cottage Party (March 3). savourfoodandwine.com

PHOTO: KELLY NEIL

Savour Food & Wine Festival

JANUARY 21

Cecilia Concert Series Pianist Jennifer King performs music inspired by the night in a matinee show at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts: selections from her new album O Mistress Moon. ceciliaconcerts.ca

JANUARY 21

Halifax Hurricanes The city’s minor-pro basketball team hosts the London Lightning at the Scotiabank Centre. The Lightning are the reigning National Basketball League champs, having beaten Halifax in the finals last spring. halifaxhurricanes.ca

FEBRUARY 10

FEBRUARY 10, 11

Dartmouth Community Concert Association

Symphony Nova Scotia With Black is Beautiful, conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser showcases black composers and performers like Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Beyoncé, and many more. See the concert at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth on February 10 and Pier 21 in Halifax on February 11. symphonynovascotia.ca

2

VC spotlights the works of Beethoven.

Comprised of cellists Amahl Arulanandam and Bryan Holt, the Toronto-based duo presents artistically challenging yet accessible programs and has performed in venues ranging from intimate pubs to Roy Thompson Hall. dartmouthcommunityconcert.ca

FEBRUARY 27

Letterkenny Live

Nathan Dales and Jared Keeso

Absurd, crass, and hilarious, the Crave TV show Letterkenny has become a Canadian cult comedy hit. Letterkenny Live brings the show to the Dalhousie Arts Centre for an evening of sketches and stand-up comedy. Starring Jared Keeso (Wayne), Nathan Dales (Daryl), K. Trevor Wilson (Dan), and Mark Forward (Coach). dal.ca/dept/arts-centre.html

tadams@metroguide.ca Halifax Magazine @HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 halifaxmag.com | 13

| FEATURE |

The truth about

Cornwallis

Daniel Paul

Rebecca Thomas

John Boileau

MANY PEOPLE HAVE OPINIONS ABOUT HALIFAX’S FOUNDER—FEW KNOW THE WHOLE STORY

If you know Edward Cornwallis’s background and consider Nova Scotia’s Scottish heritage, it’s surprising that more people aren’t part of the effort to get the statue of Halifax’s founder removed from its pedestal in a downtown Halifax park.

Many of the Scottish immigrants who came to Nova Scotia in the 18th and 19th centuries were Presbyterian, settling in Pictou County, but Catholic Scots settled in Antigonish and Cape Breton. Many were descendants of the Highland Scots brutally repressed by Cornwallis and English troops during the Highland Clearances after the Battle of Culloden in 1745.

Cornwallis led a systematic campaign in which his soldiers executed fathers in front of their families, raped and murdered women, burned people alive in houses, destroyed crops, chased off cattle, and fouled wells in a variation of the scorched-earth strategy designed to uproot the Highlanders from their land and force their total surrender to England.

If the scalping proclamation by Cornwallis issued against the Mi’kmaq doesn’t make you think he is unworthy of an honour in a

municipal park, then perhaps the genocidal swathe he cut through the Highlands will convince you.

Many people in Nova Scotia have already joined the Mi’kmaq push to get Cornwallis statue removed from the park. Halifax poet laureate Rebecca Thomas says it’s important to remember the “truth” part of truth and reconciliation.

“Some people are skipping over the truth part because it’s uncomfortable,” she says.

To understand how the Mi’kmaq viewed the British settlement of North America, you need to think of it in terms you can relate to. Thomas says if someone were to come into your home and say “This is mine” and claim all your stuff, but then you said “Hey!” and defended yourself, no reasonable person would accuse you of being the aggressor. “It was an invasion,” Thomas says.

Author John Boileau, chairman of the recently-formed Halifax Military Heritage Preservation Society, suggests otherwise. He acknowledges that there was prolonged conflict between the English and the Mi’kmaq, who were allies with the French, but points to the peace treaties of 1725–26.

BY RYAN VAN HORNE

14 | halifaxmag.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

“[The Mi’kmaq] acknowledged King George as the rightful possessor of the province,” Boileau says and this treaty was reaffirmed in 1749 on a ship in Halifax harbour. Three representatives, two Maliseet and one Mi’kmaq, met with Cornwallis.

The record shows that Cornwallis asked them if they remembered the treaties of 1725–26 and their response was recorded as “some of us were present when it was made.”

Boileau says Cornwallis thought the Mi’kmaq had welcomed him. But not all tribes were represented and the ones that were welcomed him under the pretext that the British would not expand their settlements.

The attackers faced no legal consequences for the actions. This attack is not mentioned in modern times nearly as much as the Mi’kmaq assault on a sawmill in Dartmouth in 1749, which many cite as a justification for the scalping proclamation issued by Cornwallis.

The attacks reflect the fragile truce between the Mi’kmaq and the British of which historians traditionally told a one-sided version until Paul wrote the first edition of his book in 1993.

Still, there are those, such as former Nova Scotian Janice Lori (Kidston) Schmitz, who see that attack on the sawmill in Dartmouth as the opening of hostilities and justification for the scalping proclamation because she makes no

But expansion is exactly what the British had in mind as they offered free land to entice settlers to North America. Mi’kmaq historian Daniel Paul, author of We Were Not the Savages, says the British had already violated the treaties of 1725–26 by sending surveyors into unceded Mi’kmaq territory so that they could give it to “suitable Protestant settlers.”

Paul challenges the notion that the Mi’kmaq welcomed the British; they had lived here for millennia and were content in a thriving society that lived off the land. Though there were treaties and times of peace, the British were essentially invaders in contrast to the French, who adapted to the Mi’kmaq way of life (hunting, fishing, and living off the land, with frequent intermarriage) and assimilated in their new country, much the same way some 21st century Canadians expect immigrants to assimilate now.

Earlier in the summer that Cornwallis arrived, some New England fishermen attacked a Mi’kmaq village near what is now Canso and killed all the women and children. Though not ordered by Cornwallis, it was perpetrated by white, English-speaking people who were subjects of the British Crown.

mention of previous attacks by the British in a letter to the editor published in the ChronicleHerald in September.

“It was Cornwallis’s job to keep those people safe,” she wrote of the early settlers in Halifax and Dartmouth, suggesting that Cornwallis deserves to be honoured for this, among other things such as establishing a system of roads.

One way for Cornwallis to keep them safe was to abide the earlier treaty, as the Board of Trade urged, and not start a war. As Jon Tattrie explains in his book, Cornwallis: The Violent Birth of Halifax, war is expensive and the businessmen wanted to avoid the expense. They frequently criticized Cornwallis for bad financial administration, and going over budget.

The Board of Trade in London also objected to the bounty Cornwallis put on Mi’kmaq scalps.

“The Board of Trade thought such cruelty might organize all the tribes and they would get together to expel the British from North America,” Paul says.

Boileau says that after the raid on a sawmill in Dartmouth “the English were totally flabbergasted” because they thought they had a peace treaty. He says that Cornwallis only issued one scalping proclamation and that the

historical record shows that only one scalp was ever redeemed for the bounty. Paul’s and Tattrie’s books refute this.

One could spend a lot of time disputing history, but for a history that is not well-known and often not fully told, it is better to learn. The Mi’kmaq are happy to have the whole history told as they don’t think it has been fully told by the victors, says Thomas.

Boileau says he has no problem telling the complete history of who founded and settled in Nova Scotia. “Let’s explain the whole story,” he says, adding that he has “absolutely no difficulty” with renaming Cornwallis Park.

His preference is that the statue stays there and additions are made to expand on the story and provide information about Cornwallis and others. For many Mi’kmaq, though, the statue has to come down, say Thomas and Paul.

Boileau says he doesn’t think the statue honours Cornwallis, but Thomas disagrees. “It is an honour,” she says. “All paths lead to feet of Cornwallis who is on a massive pedestal. It says ‘come stand in reverence at the feet of this man.’”

She and Paul would like to put the statue in a museum and inform people about him in a historical context.

There are some who were disappointed that the statue didn’t get toppled this summer, but some think it is better to have it taken down willingly than by force. “If Mi’kmaq activists and their supporters take down the Cornwallis statue before we are given an opportunity to cooperatively forge a better way forward, we will set back progress that is already being made,” Mayor Mike Savage said in a statement.

The statue remains 86 years after it was erected while an expert panel, which includes four Mi’kmaq representatives, will begin deliberations against a backdrop of a sharply divided public. (The Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs and HRM have submitted their nominations for their respective halves of the eight-member committee. Halifax Council hasn’t ratified the picks as of press time.)

Halifax’s “history” survived for 179 years between the time Cornwallis left and the statue was put up in 1931. Thomas thinks it will ultimately come down. “I’m eternally optimistic,” she says. “It has to in order for reconciliation to move ahead.”

Thomas says that anyone who truly wants to reconcile, will welcome the truth. “We want our humanity back and it’s so, so terrible that we have to ask the people who took our humanity away from us to give it back again,” she says. “And for anyone who doesn’t want to participate in that, it makes me so very sad that they can’t see that they hold a part of who we are and if we really want to get better, that they need to be willing to let that go.” tadams@metroguide.ca Halifax Magazine @HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 halifaxmag.com | 15

| FEATURE |

WHEN THE SINGER/SONGWRITER BECAME A MOTHER, SHE LOST HER MUSICAL TEAM BUT FOUND A NEW CREATIVE OUTLET

BY ALEXANDRA MACRAE Meaghan Smith’s plan was to give herself a year to make it as a musician in Halifax, and if that didn’t work out, she’d just move back to London, Ont. About 17 years, several albums, and one Juno award later, she’s still here. “Can I be from here now?” she laughs. “My kids are born here, my husband’s from Tatamagouche.”

She bears the Halifax badge of honour of being able to reminisce about a bar that’s now closed: the Tickle Trunk on Spring Garden Road, where she performed at open mic nights. “It was perfect because I didn’t really know anyone,” said Smith, “If I make a total arse of myself I’ll just move home.” She describes her wicked stage fright, an obstacle she has (mostly) overcome.

Smith has since put down roots in Halifax; she met her husband and musical collaborator on the 34 bus from Clayton Park to downtown, and regularly walks the trails of St. Margaret’s Bay while mulling lyrics.

What else is she up to? Her Instagram feed provides some clues. Smith has a photo series captioned “What my hands are doing”. Things her hands might be doing at any given time: throwing a toonie in a waterfront street performer’s guitar case, strumming a ukulele with one of her sons, tracing a heart on a fogged-up window.

What she’s not doing is touring a new album. Her priority is raising her two sons close to home, a decision that changed the trajectory of her career, and prompted her to find a new way to make music.

After having children, Smith was confronted with a conundrum many working parents face: not having enough hours in the day (and in her case, certainly not enough to do a tour).

Her label was patient and postponed her upcoming tour, but wanted to know when she could get back to work, making her realize it wasn’t a matter of needing more time. She couldn’t envision ever touring with a baby or young child, going from airport to rental car to hotel to venue, and repeat. “I now have this baby and I know what touring is,” she recalls.

“I don’t think I can do that with a baby.”

Rather than postponing the inevitable, she was honest with her label, parting ways with them and her manager. Her voice has no trace of bitterness as she explains the business model of making an album, then promoting and touring it. “I’ve accepted that everyone’s left my musical team,” she says. “Maybe I’m not going to do music anymore, maybe I’m going to work at Chapter’s, or nothing. I don’t know.”

Disconnected from her fans and music career, Smith had to find a way to be creative again. “Everything changed,” she says. “I lost a huge part of my identity which is a touring, performing musician.”

About a year and a half ago, she posted on Facebook asking her fans what they thought she should do. After jettisoning a few suggestions such as crowdfunding for a new album, because again, an album means a tour, she decided she wanted to start telling their stories, and embarked on a

new project called Our Song, writing songs for her patrons, one by one.

She got back to the basics of writing and singing music from home.

Les Cooper, a music producer who worked on her first album, The Cricket’s Orchestra, thinks her songwriting is a rare talent. “She’s a really good writer,” he says. “She’s a great singer, but there’s lots of great singers.

There’s not lots of great writers.”

Singer/songwriter Jill Barber introduced Cooper and Smith. “The second I heard Meaghan I was like Oh wow, I really want to work with her,” says Cooper.

He describes Smith as “intuitively” musical. “I believe she taught herself how to play guitar,” says Cooper. “The music that comes out of her, it’s very pure. There’s no kind of technical roadblocks with her.”

Cooper was never formally trained, he plays by ear, and relates to Smith musically: “She’s one of those people that hears a melody in her head and she picks up the guitar or piano or whatever instrument and she figures out a way to do it.”

What can patrons expect when they ask Smith to write a song? A lot of questions and no guarantee she’ll take them on. Smith has been commissioned to write songs to commemorate anniversaries, weddings, new babies, and even deceased spouses.

But she turns down requests if she’s not able to connect to the story, or doesn’t approve of the motivation. Like a man who wanted a song written as an apology to a girlfriend he had cheated on. “I’m not going to judge people,” said Smith, “But I’m not into emotional manipulation with songwriting.”

Smith’s core philosophy is that we are all connected by the emotions we experience “[If] I can connect with that emotion, the emotional experience you’re having, I can write your song,” she says. “It doesn’t matter the circumstance.”

Candace Berry, a local Halifax photographer and friend of Smith’s, agrees. She commissioned a song for her daughter, Everly, to express what she couldn’t put into words.

“We had a conversation, because she wanted to know ‘what do you want to have this song say? Or what do you really want your daughter to know?’” Berry says.

The song ended up featuring throwaway snippets of their conversation.

In Berry’s case the title of her song “Deep Deep Down” is something Smith quietly picked up on from their interview, but Berry doesn’t even remember saying. She kept her distance during writing, understanding the importance of giving the artist creative licence, and hoped for the best.

As for the reactions from her fans when they receive their song? Smith admits she’s witnessed some powerful emotions on display, and even some ugly crying. “But I think it’s beautiful.” tadams@metroguide.ca

Halifax Magazine

@HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine

MEAGHAN SMITH’S 16 | halifaxmag.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

REBIRTH JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 halifaxmag.com | 17

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Whether you’re considering a long engagement that will see you spending much of 2018 planning your ultimate wedding experience, or dashing through a brief engagement so you can get on with the marriage part, Halifax Magazine’s 2018 guide to wedding planning and advice can assist you in capturing exactly the look and feel you’re after for your big event.

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ATLANTIC CANADA’S LARGEST WEDDING SHOW RETURNS Brides 2018 set for Jan. 21 at Halifax Convention Centre

Atlantic Canada’s largest wedding show is returning to Halifax this month, and couples will essentially be able to plan their entire wedding without leaving the building.

“It’s a one-stop shopping experience with more than 135 exhibitors; the best and brightest in the wedding industry,” says event organizer Debbie Fennell with Eventful Productions.

She says modern couples often turn to the Internet for inspiration and even connections, but shows such as Brides 2018 “bring a tangibility to shopping for these services.”

Fennell says, “Visitors can sample tasty cakes, smell the flowers, feel the invitations, and see the latest

trends in décor. You get to experience everything in person.”

Attendees will have the opportunity to chat with wedding experts in every category, including photographers, cake decorators, florists, wedding planners/designers, invitation printers, caterers, travel agents, hair and makeup specialists, DJs, jewellers, tuxedo suppliers, bridal wear retailers, and more.

Fennell says some couples will instantly click with a vendor and decide to sign with them on the spot, possibly even taking advantage of a show-day special offer. Others prefer to meet lots of different vendors, ask questions, and collect business cards and brochures to review once they’re back home.

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“It’s helpful to have questions prepared in advance, so you’re ready to talk to a potential vendor about what you’re looking for,” Fennell says. “And take notes, or photos, documenting the vendors you liked, or the ideas you want to remember.”

The six-hour bridal extravaganza will include a main-stage bridal fashion show from Chester & Felicity, a massive bridal gown liquidation sale, free gift bags for all brides, and the chance to win a honeymoon trip.

Many of the Brides 2018 exhibitors will be drawing for prizes, so Fennell says it’s handy to bring pre-printed name/address labels. Sticking one to a blank ballot is much faster than writing out all your information at each booth, making it easier to enter all the prize draws.

Just be sure to bring someone with you. Fennell says it’s always a fun day for brides, whether they come with their partner, their mom, their sister, or a good friend.

“It’s extremely helpful to have someone with you to bounce ideas off, or get an opinion you trust,” Fennell says.

Halifax wedding planner/designer Katelyn Hipson, of Elegant Productions, says shows such as

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Brides 2018 are a “fantastic resource” for anyone planning a wedding, whether they’ve been engaged two days or more than a year.

“It’s a great fact-finding day where you can meet dozens of vendors in one place, and gather all of the information you could ever want,” Hipson says. “It takes out the guessing game of who you like, because you can tell who you feel a personal connection with.”

Avril Madore, sales manager with Glow: The Events Store, cautions against hiring wedding vendors until you can meet them in person. She says that’s why attending shows are a great idea.

“Everything’s moving online, and a business may have an online personality, but that’s not necessarily true to the output of that organization,” Madore says. “Personally, I think it’s important to meet your vendors and get a sense of who they are, in person.”

If your wedding date is coming up this spring or summer and most of your plans are already made, Hipson says Brides 2018 is a fabulous place to look for finishing touches.

“You can say hi to the vendors you’ve hired, and get inspiration for little details you may not have considered yet,” Hipson says. “It’s a must-go event.”

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WHAT’S THE IDEAL LENGTH FOR AN ENGAGEMENT? Zoom to the aisle or take your time?

B Y H E AT H E R L A U R A C L A R K E Once the engagement ring slides into place, the first question everyone has is: “Did you set a date?”

But what’s better: the romance of a whirlwind engagement, or a long one with plenty of time to plan?

Katelyn Hipson, wedding planner/ designer with Elegant Productions, says there are pros and cons for each, and she’s worked with hundreds of engaged couples.

“A short engagement is great because it speeds along the planning process and cuts out any hemming and hawing,” Hipson says. “They’re perfect for decisive couples because you have to make quick decisions and then you just move on.”

She says when couples have the luxury of pondering decisions for months, it can make it more difficult to come to a consensus. The bride might choose a wedding gown, but find it hard to resist the urge to keep looking “in case there’s an even better one out there.”

Hipson says a short engagement, naturally, means the big day arrives much faster. That means there’s less time for squabbles to erupt.

“For some reason, when you start planning a wedding, the weirdest drama often comes up between family or friends,” Hipson says. “The quicker your engagement, the less time you have to deal with that drama.”

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On the other hand, there are also benefits to a long engagement. There’s more time to plan, you’re more likely to book your first-choice vendors, and you get to savour the season of “just being engaged,” Hipson says.

“You’re going to date for so many years and then be married for the rest of your life, but there’s this blip when you’re going to be engaged. It’s such a short time.”

Hipson encourages engaged couples to spend time celebrating their relationship and basking in the romance of being a fiancé/fiancée to each other.

“Spend Friday nights and Sunday mornings together. Go on dates! Go to

the movies. Take walks in the park,” Hipson says. “The marriage is much more important than the wedding, so a long engagement gives you time to really work on your relationship.”

Hipson says being engaged can also strengthen your bonds with family and friends, as everyone excitedly awaits the big day.

“My fiancé didn’t care about floral consultations or cake-tastings, so it became an amazing bonding experience with my mom,” Hipson says. “Those afternoons were special, and we shared them together.”

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FIVE HOT WEDDING TRENDS FOR 2018 B Y H E AT H E R L A U R A C L A R K E

From soft blush-coloured gowns to clear lucite menus, modern weddings are putting a fresh spin on classic elements.

If you’re planning to tie the knot in 2018, here are five hot trends you may want to incorporate:

1. ‘Bourgeois chic’ decor Avril Madore, sales manager with Glow: The Event Store, says modern weddings seem to be combining several different styles.

2. Minimalist fashion + muted colours Halifax wedding designer Katelyn Hipson says bridal fashions continue to be “classic and timeless,” and she expects minimalism to continue well into 2018.

“Muted colours are still very popular, blush, gold, grey, soft blue,” Hipson says. “I had one bride who did pastels and her dress was multicoloured and very minimalist.”

“Rustic moved into industrial and now we have what I describe as ‘bougie chic,’ where all of the elements are mixed together,” Madore says. “It’s this bougie vibe mixed with rustic elements, texture, and industrial influence.”

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3. Clear lucite details And while choosing the right colours is important, a complete lack of colour is one of the hottest looks, at least when it comes to accessories.

“We’re seeing a lot of transparent elements, like transparent tents to lucite menus and seating charts done in clear acrylic,” Hipson says.

Madore says discerning brides and grooms are “all about the details,” and the more luxurious the wedding, the more you’ll see layered details and personalization. That’s why standard parquet dance floors are being oneupped by crisp all-white dance floors decked out with marble details and even monograms.

4. Focal point floral installations

5. Large-scale custom decor

When it comes to floral arrangements, Hipson says more couples are creating focal point installations rather than focusing on small centrepieces.

Since Glow has an in-house team of artists, welders, carpenters, and stage set designers, Madore says they work with couples to create large-scale custom components for their big day.

“I always say it’s flowers that turn a room into a wedding reception, and something like a flower wall really draws your eye and makes a statement,” she says. “Flower walls are incredibly extravagant, and we’ve also done floral chandeliers and head table backdrops made from vines of greenery.”

“Last year, we welded giant geometric shapes that hung from the ceiling for one event, and created huge spheres and built backdrop walls with staging for another,” she says. “Couples like having the opportunity to customize their wedding with these statement pieces.”

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| ADVERTISING FEATURE |

BUDGET-CONSCIOUS BRIDES CAN TRIM BILL WITH DESTINATION WEDDINGS

(NewsUSA) — Tying the knot isn’t what it used to be. The wedding industry is as profitable as primetime football, celebrities compete for the shortest, most gimmicky marriages (72 days or less?) and the exotic appeal of a romantic getaway has led to the widespread popularity of destination weddings.

One in every 10 weddings features an exotic locale, or at least a location neither the bride nor groom calls home. While there’s no absolute explanation as to why destination weddings have started a bridal takeover, the hefty price of typical weddings is reason enough for many, especially if Daddy isn’t footing the bill.

Being budget-conscious has become a trend as well, according to Patricia MacArthur, executive director of WeddingStar.com, a go-to authority on all things wedding-related.

MacArthur says more brides are trimming expenses by taking the DIY route for guest favors and some decorative elements.

“If done correctly, destination weddings can be a cheaper alternative for everyone. Guests don’t have to buy expensive gifts, just a ticket. All the money spent on the wedding party, venues, refreshments, cake, reception and decor is significantly reduced if not cut altogether,” says Nini Pardo, a wedding planner at Stay in Costa Rica, an accommodations and rental management company.

For tropical weddings especially, many of the cheaper, DIY options are more easily packed into suitcases. For instance, colorful fabric is being used to replace flowers and native delicacies are replacing towering cakes.

“Some of the cost difference is definitely a result of resorts and hotels capitalizing on the trend. Many offer the full wedding package with wedding planners, musicians, photographers, etc.,” Pardo says. “We’ve found it really appealing to budget-conscious brides.”

An extra tip from the experts: when considering the perfect setting to make your vows and possibly trash the dress, look at locations just one flight away from you and most of your guests.

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WEDDINGS AND SOCIAL MEDIA B Y H E AT H E R L A U R A C L A R K E

From hashtags and vendor relationships to following as many wedding-related social media accounts as possible, here are three ways social media plays a role in modern weddings: 1. Inspiration Wedding planner/designer Katelyn Hipson of Elegant Productions says she encourages her engaged clients to follow the social media accounts and blogs of wedding-related companies. In fact, she says you should follow “as many as possible,” since you’re only engaged for a short blip of time.

“You never know what you might see when you’re scrolling through your Instagram feed,” Hipson says. “It’s an easy way to find wedding inspiration.”

She says many wedding vendors share related images and articles through their Facebook accounts, which expands your inspiration pool even further.

“If someone shares a photo you like, you can follow that page and see the wedding as a whole, with even more photos!”

2. Connections Hipson says it’s fun to use social media to connect with vendors before and after your wedding, because it’s all about building a relationship.

“It creates a little community around the wedding vendors you’ve hired,” Hipson says. “If my clients see work I’m doing on other weddings leading up to their own, it can inspire them and make them feel excited.”

3. Community Many couples choose a custom wedding hashtag for their big day, like #JohnLovesJane, #MeetTheSmiths, or a combination of their last names.

“Hashtags are so much fun, and they’re a great way for everyone to go on social media and share photos they’ve taken at the wedding, or even chat about plans leading up to the wedding,” Hipson says.

Sites such as eWedding.com offer free wedding hashtag generators where you can put in your names and see dozens of options. Then it’s just a matter of punching in the hashtag on social media and seeing if someone’s used it before.

“Sometimes it’s easy to come up with one, and other times couples hem and haw over it for ages!”

What about e-invites and wedding websites?

Many modern couples are choosing to skip paper invitations and reach out to their guests with a digital version, or direct them to a wedding website with the details.

While she isn’t against the idea of e-vites or wedding websites, Katelyn Hipson, wedding planner/designer with Elegant Productions, admits she’s “a paper lover” and prefers beautiful stationary.

“I know we’re in a digital time, but there are so few traditions we’re holding onto, and so few reasons to receive something in the mail that’s actually good news,” Hipson says.

If couples choose to keep their invitations online, Hipson says it’s important to be careful with the information.

“It opens you up to potential risk if the details happen to get forwarded or shared on social media,” Hipson says. “It can be easy to hurt someone’s feelings.”

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Dundee, complete with its 18 hole professional golf course, encompasses 550 acres of pristine wilderness overlooking the magnificent Bras d’Or Lakes. The Resort’s expanded conference and event space, its four star Canada Select rating and readily accessible Atlantic Canada location make it the “jewel of Cape Breton Island” and perfect for your special day. Your family and guests are welcome to enjoy the grounds, our expansive deck, hiking trails, and waterfront. A round of Golf or a day of play at the lake is a must! Browse the Pro Shop, before an enticing meal at MacRae’s Dining Room, or share a yarn at Chanters Pub where Cape Breton talent is often heard. The indoor pool and sauna are available throughout your stay. Dundee Resort and Golf Club offers easy access to St. Peter’s Canal, Le Noir Forge Museum, Marble Mountain Museum and a little further out, the world famous Cabot Trail. Beautiful views of the lake provide picture perfect moments your guests will want to share! Let us help make your Special Day truly memorable! Our Conference & Event Coordinator looks forward to working with you to create a unique experience to last a lifetime. Dundee Resort & Golf course is a beautiful and affordable venue for your special day.

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WEDDING INSPIRATION FROM TV, ONLINE B Y H E AT H E R L A U R A C L A R K E Are you binge-watching wedding reality shows, ripping pages out of bridal magazines, or spending hours scrolling through Pinterest’s wedding boards?

Halifax wedding planner/designer Katelyn Hipson of Elegant Productions says wedding TV shows can help prepare brides and grooms for the various aspects of planning their wedding.

“Shows like Four Weddings are quite interesting because they share the couples’ budgets and showcase what can be done for different budgets,” Hipson says. “Say Yes to The Dress also sets people up with realistic expectations because they look at dresses from a variety of lines and budgets.”

Of course, it doesn’t mean every bride is going to have a ‘Kleinfeld experience’ when dress-shopping. Hipson says these shows often feed off any drama, and, like with most reality shows, the shopping process is different in a city like Halifax.

“There aren’t usually seven ladies sitting around saying ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to each dress. Most couples don’t have to deal with so many opinions,” Hipson says. “These shows can be fun to watch, I watched them all the time before I was married, but it’s rare for couples to get inspiration from something on TV.” So where are modern couples getting their wedding ideas?

Pinterest! Hipson says it’s helpful when her clients pin photos they like, to a private board to prevent spoilers, and then discuss them with her.

But even Pinterest isn’t perfect. Hipson says its biggest challenge is making it harder for indecisive couples to make a choice.

“Some brides and grooms know exactly what they want and what they don’t want, but there are others who haven’t been planning their wedding for their entire life,” Hipson says.

“Pinterest can be overwhelming because there’s so much out there. It can be a struggle for some people to narrow down what they like.”

Avril Madore, sales manager for Glow: The Event Store, says none of her clients mention wedding TV shows these days.

Pinterest and magazines are still the “it” place to look for wedding ideas.

The only trouble is most of those picture-perfect weddings take place in a small chunk of the world.

“The largest influence in decor is from the west coast, specifically southern California. It’s always an interesting challenge for us because the weather there is distinctly different,” Madore says.

Hipson agrees Pinterest can make couples fall in love with visions that don’t always jive with a Maritime climate.

“Everything you’re seeing on Pinterest is the best of the best, the most beautiful photos from the nicest weddings,” Hipson says. “It’s great to look at a wedding that took place in a castle in Ireland or a vineyard in California and want to recreate that look, but you have to remember we’re in the Maritimes. Not every detail can be reproduced here.”

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LOOKING BEYOND GENDER FOR MODERN WEDDING PARTIES Couples are increasingly bucking long-established trends to make weddings uniquely their own. One of today’s more popular tradition-busting trends is not adhering to gender lines when couples select friends and family members for their wedding parties.

Until recently, the majority of wedding couples selected members of the same sex to fill the roles needed for the ceremony and reception. For example, grooms would choose fellow males to serve as their groomsmen, while brides choose other females for their bridal parties.

The wedding resource The Knot says the days of having men on one side and women on the other are gone. Coed wedding parties enable brides and grooms to have their favorite people by their side, regardless of gender.

According to The Daily Mail, over the past year, weddings across Australia and other areas of the world have seen a rise in groomswomen and bridesmen, blurring the lines of wedding traditions. Couples have often said that choosing whomever they desire to stand beside them during the wedding is more authentic than separating people simply because of gender.

Take for example a groom-to-be who is especially close to his sister. Such siblings may serve as bridesmaids, but grooms may want to have their sisters by their sides on their big day.

Foregoing gender roles may make for a unique, customized wedding. However, it does create the question of what wedding party members will wear. Again, there are no firm rules, but coordination can make for better photos. A woman standing on the groom’s side can coordinate with the color of the bridemaids’ dresses, but wear a different style. Or she can wear a dress that matches the color of the groomsmen’s suits. A man standing with the bride can have accessories, such as tie, vest and pocket square, that match bridesmaid dresses.

One of the areas where mixing and matching genders may get a tad sticky is with older, more traditional guests. They may not understand the freedom of choice in the wedding. However, couples can discuss their bridal parties to select people who they think might prefer couples adhere to tradition.

Another possible snag is with bachelorette parties and bachelor parties. A solution to this dilemma may be to simply organize a getaway weekend for the entire bridal party, and not separate parties for each side.

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1. Guest Experiences > All About the Couple Halifax wedding planner/designer Katelyn Hipson of Elegant Productions says there’s been a shift in how brides and grooms plan around their guests.

“It used to be all about the couple, and they did whatever they wanted

without worrying what anyone else thought, but more and more couples are now keen on creating more of a guest experience,” Hipson says.

“They’re focusing on the comfort and enjoyment of their guests, more so than what they’re personally interested in, because they want to make sure everyone has fun and feels taken care of.”

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Since many guests need to take time off from work to attend the wedding, and possibly pay for airfare and accommodations as well, Hipson says more couples are turning their weddings into mini-vacations for everyone to enjoy.

“Halifax has so many great venues, but there are also beautiful places outside the city within a few hours’ drive,” Hipson says. “Couples are keen to give their guests an opportunity to make their travel, and the investment, into attending the wedding worthwhile, so it’s not ‘Ugh, I have to use all my vacation days just for a wedding.’”

2. Plants > Flowers Avril Madore, sales manager with Glow: The Event Store, says 2017 saw more couples choosing interesting textural statements instead of standard floral arrangements.

just floral arrangements in vases,” Madore says. “We’ve had them running along the aisle or installed on an arch, or even formed into circular arches. Circles have been huge.”

3. Unique Fare > Rubber Chicken Dinners Hipson says many modern couples feel strongly about serving delicious, unique food at their receptions, not the standard chicken-potato-veggie medleys or slices of tasteless beef.

“I have a lot of clients who consider themselves foodies and appreciate good food and wine, so they want to prioritize that in their wedding plans,” Hipson says.

She’s currently working with couples who are planning to serve lamb roasted on a spit over coals, smoked brisket, and all-vegan cuisine.

Another couple plans to hire a selection of food trucks.

“Ceremonies have been more about plants and grasses, not necessarily

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| COVER STORY |

PHOTO: STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

PHOTO: DISCOVER HALIFAX, ACORN ART PHOTOGRAPHY

HALIFAX ON A BUDGET

Sledding at Halifax Citadel

SPORTS, THEATRE, FOOD, AND FASHION— ENJOY WINTER ON THE CHEAP

BY ALLIE JEHLE Did making merry over the holidays batter your budget? Did that beer-can turkey for Christmas dinner turn into a beer belly and a turkey neck? Don’t let your wallet be lighter than your spirits! If you’re feeling sad, fat, and broke, here’s a light-hearted guide to budget-friendly activities in Halifax that will knock down that holiday debt and beat the winter blues this season.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 halifaxmag.com | 35

PHOTO: RACHAEL SHRUM

| COVER STORY |

DON’T HIBERNATE

HALIFAX OVAL AT HALIFAX COMMON

With plenty of fun, budget-friendly activities around Halifax, don’t let winter keep you holed up at home.

Free Ice Skating on the Oval at Halifax Common (free rentals with Government ID) A fun family activity, the Oval offers free ice-skate rentals with government issued photo-ID, and you can skate as long as you want.

The rink is open well into March, depending on the weather.

Snowshoe or hike the trails Visit Point Pleasant Park, Hemlock Ravine, Shubie Canal Greenway, Bluff Wilderness Trails, or even the Halifax Common and take a hike through the snow. The Oval also rents snowshoes for free (with government ID).

Sled down the Citadel Hill Sledding isn’t just for the young ‘uns: put on your snow pants and scarf and take a ride down the Citadel Hill. It’s fun, it’s free, and you can head over to The Nook on Gottingen St. and sip some hot cocoa afterwards to warm your insides.

36 | halifaxmag.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Sportfishing Weekend (Feb. 17–19) Avid-fishermen (and fisherwomen!) can fish for free on Sportfishing Weekend. This year will be the 30th year of operation for the McGowan Lake Hatchery, one of three provincial hatcheries. Firsttimers can try sport fishing without a license, so feel free to bring family and friends. For information on locations and allowances, visit novascotia.ca/fish.

Hatfield Farm Take the kids to Hatfield Farm on Saturday or Sunday to enjoy the $15 Weekend Family Round Up. “We have horse wagon or sleigh rides, a rubber rodeo with inflatable games, four zip lines, and AYCE hot dogs and refreshments,” says Haley Green from Hatfield Farm.

No reservations are required and children two years and under go for free.

PHOTO: DISCOVER HALIFAX, ACORN ART PHOTOGRAPHY

THE GREAT INDOORS

HALIFAX LIBRARY

No matter how hard you try, some days you just can’t play outside in Halifax. Here are some activities for the days when you want to stay warm and dry inside.

Pot Yoga with Dave, 5982 Spring Garden Rd.

Neptune Theatre

Yoga and cannabis are both capable of facilitating relaxation and benefiting mental, physical, and spiritual health, so why not do them together? Join Dave for pot yoga every Wednesday until June 27, 2018 for $7 per session at High Life Social Club.

Neptune Theatre has several productions happening over the next couple of months: Jonas & Barry in the Home, Salt-Water Moon, The Mountaintop, and Mamma Mia! are just a few shows over the upcoming months. Neptune’s “Pay What You Can” show (usually) on the first Tuesday of each production is the best entertainment deal around.

Looking for some diverse, live Atlantic music to brighten up the dreary winter weather? Find shows at bars including The Seahorse, Good Robot, and The Carleton. Tickets for this event range from $10 to $150 (VIP tickets) and can be found online through IDOW’s Facebook page.

Brides 2018 (Jan. 21) The new Halifax Convention Centre hosts Atlantic Canada’s largest wedding show and you can attend for just $15 at the door or $14 online! They’ll also have a large bridal gown liquidation sale with up to 90% off, so for the men who will soon “put a ring on it”, you better drop your lady a hint about this event!

Games Night @ All Nations Christian Reformed Church (Jan. 19, Feb. 16) To unwind from a busy day at work or if you have a shortage of board games at home, the All Nations Christian Reformed Church on Robie Street hosts free games nights all year. If you have a specific game request, let them know in advance and they’ll see what they can do.

tadams@metroguide.ca Halifax Magazine @HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 halifaxmag.com | 37

PHOTO: STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

In The Dead of Winter Music Festival (Jan. 18–20)

| COVER STORY |

PHOTO: DISCOVER HALIFAX, ACORN ART PHOTOGRAPHY

FEAST FRUGALLY Holiday feasting is behind us, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want the occasional meal out. Halifax abounds with affordable restaurants.

Mary’s Place Café II, 5982 Spring Garden Rd.

Oasis Halifax, 5661 Spring Garden Rd.

Mary’s Place is famous for its all-day breakfast, and options range from $6 to $12. The basic all-day breakfast includes two eggs, home fries, toast, and your choice of bacon, sausage, ham, bologna, falafel, or baked beans.

Dating back to 1949, this is one of the city’s oldest taverns. Great deals on burgers, beer, cocktails, and wings with some 10 sauces to choose from, head over to Oasis. Everything on their menu is under $20.

Finbar’s Irish Pub, 1595 Bedford Hwy., Bedford Friendly Finbar’s serves “fine food, fine ales, fine scotch and whiskey.” Try the beer battered (with Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale) fish and chips for $16.

Elle’s Bistro, 1678 Barrington St.

Salvatore’s Pizzaiolo Trattoria, 5541 Young St. Classic pizzas, ranging in price anywhere from $11 to $23 with the average price of a medium pizza being around $16. A fan favourite is the Bianco in Stephano: onions, tomatoes, lemon, herbs, and four different cheeses.

Elle’s is a Canadian comfort food restaurant that also offers all-day breakfast. One online review says it offers “the best bang for your buck”. And, for you early-risers, it offers $1 off any breakfast meal priced over $5.95 before 10 a.m.

Your Father’s Moustache, 5686 Spring Garden Rd.

Ardmore Tea Room, 6499 Quinpool Rd.

Tom’s, 585 Sackville Dr., Lower Sackville

Ardmore is a family-friendly historic diner with “the fastest eggs in the East.” Be ready for lines on the weekends, and since it is a cash-only place make sure that plastic is not the only thing in your wallet. Fried egg sandwiches for only $2.99.

Tom’s is a casual all-day kind of restaurant. It offers an AYCE breakfast buffet on weekends from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for only $12.99, or if you’re in the mood for Greek fare, their Greek options are highly recommended.

Dilly Dally Café, 6100 Quinpool Rd. Dilly Dally is a small licensed coffee shop with glutenfree, vegan, and vegetarian options. “The most popular item would probably be the vegan morning glory muffin, or cinnamon buns come out at 9:00 in the morning and are usually gone within the hour,” says Dilly Dally’s Laura Draeger. The muffins are $2.60 and the cinnamon buns are $3.50.

Indochine Banh Mi, 1551 South Park St. A popular Vietnamese restaurant, most of the items on the menu are under $10. Great vegan options, especially the Buddha bowl and bubble tea smoothies.

The Canteen, 22 Portland St., Dartmouth The Canteen has a small but artful lunch menu that varies to showcase seasonal ingredients. It also boasts soups, salads, sandwiches, bowls and desserts for under $20. Open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday.

38 | halifaxmag.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Thursday nights are wing nights, but the burgers at Your Father’s Moustache are arguably the best pub grub in Halifax! They range from $13.75 to $17.75 and include a side of fries, rice, soup, or potatoes.

The Maxwell’s Plum, 1600 Grafton St. Maxwell’s Plum has the widest selection of beer in Halifax with a variety of daily specials. On Sundays, enjoy the $2.99 island blue mussels with the purchase of a beverage.

Niche Lounge, 1505 Barrington St. Niche has some of the best happy-hour deals in the city! From 4:30 p.m. to close, it offers $3.50 18-oz. draft and well shots, plus $4.25 glasses of wine, and from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., half price on selected appetizers!

Stubborn Goat Gastropub, 1579 Grafton St. The Stubborn Goat is a great place to go with friends.

Order a bunch of food to share from the small plates menu and split the bill. Servers bring the food out when it’s ready instead of waiting for everyone’s plates. Sharing is caring!

SAVVY SHOPPING You didn’t like the socks your spouse gifted you. Maybe you prefer the latest tech or kitchen appliances, or maybe you’re going for a “new year, new me” look and want to buy some inexpensive conversation pieces. Shop ‘til you drop without breaking the bank.

Sweet Pea Boutique, 1542 Queen St. Just because the holidays are over, doesn’t mean the get-togethers are… if you’re looking for a new dress, Sweet Pea Boutique has you covered! Their sweet-spot is between $69 and $89 but they often have sales for 30% off or more.

Black Market Boutique, 1545 Grafton St. The Black Market Boutique is a quality place to buy handbags, incense, home décor, Buddha statues, and many other things that won’t empty your wallet. “The owners and managers go on a buying trip every single year, usually to Southeast Asia and South America, and they ship everything back here. The average price of things is around $20,” says employee Rebecca Hartery.

Elsie’s Clothing, 1530 Queen St. Elsie’s Clothing is a consignment store that carries high-quality unique clothing for fair prices. You might have to do some searching to find your new favourite shirt or boots, but it’s definitely worth the time to check out this gem! There’s also a $2 bin if you’re looking for more of a bargain.

Nova Scotian Crystal, 5080 George St. Visit the studio to see traditional Old World glass-blowing techniques. As you’d expect at this quality, many of the pieces are pricey, but you can also find some gems in the double digits, like candleholders, tumblers, and shot glasses. “They are absolutely worth the price,” says local guide Ian MacDonald on Google Reviews. It’s also a fun alternative to staying in and watching How It’s Made.

Jennifer’s of Nova Scotia, 5635 Spring Garden Rd.

PHOTO: STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS

Anyone who loves local artisan pieces and needs to find a gift for someone—go to Jennifer’s! They carry beautiful glass art, bowls, and plates that can start at around $25 and go up as high as $185, as well as other cute little knick-knacks to decorate the house with.

Put Me on Consignment, 1526 Queen St. Located above the Clothes Horse, Put Me on Consignment is a small vintage, second-hand men’s and women’s clothing store.

There is a $5 bin in the back, but other items are a little bit more expensive. It also has jewelry, soaps, and accessories.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 halifaxmag.com | 39

| FEATURE |

Maritime Gothic

Alexander Forbes and Kris Bertin

WITH A NEW COMIC, A PAIR OF LOCAL ARTISTS REVEL IN THE EAST COAST’S CREEPY SIDE

BY TREVOR CORKUM

amazing collaboration, unlike anything I have Kris Bertin and Alexander Forbes have ever seen or read before,” he says. “Bertin and been friends a long time. They met as sixForbes, friends for most of their lives, share year-olds 25 years ago in their hometown a vision that is precise but uncanny, scary, yet of Lincoln, New Brunswick. A mutual OF utterly and disturbingly The story is full friend paired them up because they both EN CASE clear.

THE ISSING M M of suspense and uncertainty—a true mystery.” liked to draw.

E TH es der Forb graduate, Forbes is a NSCADAleUniversity n “We met in the first grade when we were a x d n a in rt Be while Bertin writing at Saint Mary’s Krisstudied introduced by Tony Von Richter, who knew University. Bertin’s first book of fiction, Bad Alex from pre-school,” says Bertin. “We were 62-016-0 s Things Happen, won Gleed Award 8-1-772the Danuta told to become friends and we followed his ISBN 97 ches, 224 page ack in e paperb .5 x 8.5 story for best debut5short instructions closely.” hite, trad collection in Canada. w d an black The Case of the Fast forward a few decades, and Forbes and $20 Missing Men came together slowly, with the first conversations about plot Bertin have brought their creativity and er Novemb occurring about six years lines and characters friendship to a new project, the acclaimed ago. The tempo picked up when the book found graphic novel The Case of the Missing Men. a home with Conundrum Press.

Billed as “Nancy Drew meets David Lynch,” According to Forbes, the most important the hefty comic has a distinct Twin Peaks vibe. thing about the story is that it’s set in Nova It’s a mystery thriller set in a remote and eerie s at turn Scotia. You’ll find references to sailing East Coast village. The story follows a group Men is andrissing and endea M e h se of T Chopper village parades and Price and eerie ted in of young teens investigating a string of bizarre The Ca triguing, lustra in fully il dren’s pulp tery nny,Forbes eauti fu b a mys beaches. il remote local admits that e h occurrences in Hobtown (population 2,006). is c is f nd eastMen and th cent o ing, a issing nd remote minis ncy Drew a fictional le reis f the M while story Hobtown an amalgam of e a o ty It centres on globetrotter Sam Finch, an e g s N h n se a a a T e . ve The C set in a str s lik btown ho ha classic r ed Ho teens wlocations, ys. it Bomight be most outsider searching for his missing father. thrille lage callMaritime ate oung vestig Hardy vil coast a gang of y ess to in n’s biin w recognizable as Chester. s s In his back-cover blurb for the book, to bu ir e e ir v follow e th ti th e of Detec ade it every on . and Bertin spent years For inspiration, e Teen rogram)he Alexander MacLeod, Giller Prize finalist mand as Th and p es are a d each ences fterschool rr ’s stori each u c ets an and growing collection c p o Bertin of d a over g poring a large s — professor of English and Atlantic Canada re in ri h n s p te K zarre e is “ m h is (a reg world of m e down w er n, a triu rk of a Club mall offbeat velatio with the ma ius” ott psid reethnography formal uMaritime Studies at Saint Mary’s University, raves etrfolklore, s b d e lo ir ed g rn e p tu ng gen s Th am nd sts si a st li is ri r n s d e re n re tu new a Richard n andwork h of Helen Creighton), the shed-fi kid(such about The Case of the Missing Men. “[It] is an adven astow Adams to e searc

40 | halifaxmag.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

fe real-li ch comes al case—th so, he Fin t re ing Sam ir firs ing In do in the ther. terrify dthem missing fa le upon a ir b s, we for his teens stum t societie rranean e cre te and th f rural se ology, sub rn men o tu yth world ho can olk m

vid

— Da

Mi’kmaq legends, and reports of unsolved local crimes. The two wanted Hobtown to stand in both for a Maritime anytown, but also as a small coastal community that reads as both exotic and intimately familiar.

Writer Amy Jones (We’re All In This Together), a native Haligonian now based in Toronto, says they succeeded.

“Kris and Alex do this thing where they are able to take a setting that feels very Nova Scotian and imbue it with elements of that familiar mysterious small-town feel we see in other stories emblematic of the genre,” she says. “Like Hawkins or Twin Peaks, Hobtown becomes this almost mythical setting, with its general atmospheric background of creepy burnt-out houses and run-down pizza joints and dive bars filled with old drunks—a place that could be anywhere. But Kris and Alex give just enough clues so that anyone who has grown up in Nova Scotia knows that it is definitely here, and that feels like a secret we are being let in on.”

Andy Brown noticed the artists’ talent for telling a universal tale with a local twist. The publisher of Conundrum is now excited to share The Case of the Missing Men with readers.

“Since I moved to Nova Scotia and focused my mandate to publish exclusively graphic novels I have wanted to find Nova Scotia talent,” he says. “It is important to me as an international press to introduce Nova Scotia authors to the world.

Conundrum now has global distribution so readers in Melbourne and Manila will read of this small East Coast village.”

For Bertin and Forbes, the book was a labour of love. In the early days, Forbes says, it took 12 hours to draw a single page. For a 300-page book, that’s a lot of drawing. They’d tag team on the production schedule, with Bertin mapping out the story while Forbes drew and modified panels.

Knowing one another so well made the project that much easier, as their creative vision for the project was the same—setting a mystery in a small town that is both gorgeous and spooky.

“It’s an untapped setting,” says Forbes.

“Maritime Gothic could be a great export.

Only if you spend time here do you know how creepy it is.”

Fresh off a book tour across Nova Scotia, Bertin and Forbes will hit Brooklyn and then

Montreal for ExpoZine, Canada’s largest zine fair and one of North America’s largest smallpress fairs. A charismatic pair, they’re picking up admirers along the way.

“We have been on tour all this month and they have met lots of fans and are so gracious,” says Brown. “I have witnessed them working together, and their obvious delight in the process and respect for each other is palpable.”

Asked about influences for the comic, Bertin and Forbes mention inspiration and camaraderie at Bearly’s House of Blues on Barrington Street, where they both work.

In many ways, in a comic that’s about outsiders, Bearly’s is a natural audience, attracting as it does such a cross-section of the city. “Bearly’s is a place where millionaires sit next to homeless people,” Bertin says.

“Everyone in Bearly’s can see people in the book they’re familiar with.”

Bertin cites the mentorship of MacLeod, an early instructor in creative writing at Saint Mary’s University and editor of Bad Things Happen, as an important early supporter.

Forbes heaps praise on his instructors at NSCAD, in particular Suzanne Funnell.

Fans eager for the next instalment of the Teen Detective Club may not wait long. Plans are already in the works for a Kris Bertin and Alexander Forbes sequel. The script is nearly finished and hopes are for the new book to be out by 2019.

“I have worked on many graphic novels from artists all over the world and The Case of the Missing Men is one of the most accomplished graphic novels I have ever seen,” says Brown. “Kris and Alex have made a very meaty and significant work, not just for Nova Scotia, but for the world.”

Nancy Drew meets David Lynch in this mystery thriller set in a remote and eerie east-coast village. The story follows a gang of teens who have made it their business to investigate every one of their town’s bizarre occurrences as The Teen Detective Club (a registered afterschool program). Their small world of missing pets and shed fires is turned upside down when real-life kid adventurer and globetrotter Sam Finch comes to town and enlists them in their first real case — the search for his missing father. In doing so, they stumble upon a terrifying world of rural secret societies, weird-but-true folk mythology, subterranean lairs, and an occultist who can turn men into dogs. The Case of The Missing Men is at turns funny, intriguing, eerie and endearing, a dystopian homage to children’s pulp classics.

“The Case of the Missing Men is an amazing collaboration, unlike anything I have ever seen or read before. Bertin and Forbes, friends for most of their lives, share a vision that is precise but uncanny, scary, yet utterly and disturbingly clear. The story is full of suspense and uncertainty — a true mystery — and it will push you forward and keep you flipping even as each one of these images forces you to slow down and appreciate the craft, the timing, the level of detail and care. Every panel frames an entire world and holds it for one second. As readers, we’re lucky this book exists.”

— Alexander MacLeod “Kris Bertin’s stories are a revelation, a triumph — each stamped with the mark of a new and rising genius.” — David Adams Richards

(on Bertin’s Bad Things Happen, winner of the Danuta Gleed Literary Award)

tadams@metroguide.ca Halifax Magazine @HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine

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DINING

A WALK IN THE

WILD

YEAR-ROUND, HALIFAX CHEFS ARE OFFERING NEW FLAVOURS, THANKS TO A FEW DILIGENT FORAGERS STORY AND PHOTOS BY COLLEEN THOMPSON It’s cold and drizzly and I wore the wrong shoes for a walk on the beach with Fred Dardenne. It was a sudden decision to drive to the beach—in between wild mushroom deliveries to chef Culjak of Eliot & Vine and boxes of wild sumac being dropped off at Via Rail destined for picky chefs in Quebec. We head to the beach in search of sea lettuce.

There is no typical day in the life of a professional forager, as a look around Dardenne’s car attests. There are baskets and plastic containers of all sizes, rubber boots, a mushroom knife, cans of soda, and packs of Gauloises cigarettes.

Sea buckthorn mousse and sumac by Chef Lachlan Culjak.

Right: A handful of wintergreen berries burst with flavour.

44 | halifaxmag.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Fred Dardenne forages for seaweed for chefs from Halifax to Montreal.

“You have some very delicious spice behind your head,” Dardenne says as I climb into the passenger seat of his van. An open tray of small, dried catkins called myrica gale perches right behind my ear. Creative chefs will grind it into spice for its sublime aromatics (like rosemary on steroids).

The whole van is steeped with forest smells: earthy, herbaceous, peppery, piney, and camphorous. There are boxes of maitake mushrooms, bags of juniper berries, crates of fresh wild carrot roots, and trays of sumac.

The night before had brought one of the first storms of the season, and Dardenne tells me that this is the best time to forage for seaweed, which is why we’re going to the beach. “Nova Scotia is probably the best place in the world to forage for seaweed,” says Dardenne. “There are around eighteen edible species worldwide and we have about eleven of them and January is the best time to harvest.”

The beach is an intricate woven mat of green and brown strands.

Within a short walk we have already collected an assortment of what Dardenne tells me are by far the most flavourful and sought by chefs: aonori, sea lettuce, nori, wakame, oyster thief and sugar kelp.

“Here, taste this,” Dardenne hands me a few strands of forest-green oyster thief. Salty, vegetal, and complex. “A lot of the chefs used this in the Golden Plate awards this year. It’s a totally invasive species but I can never keep up with the demand for it from chefs,” he adds.

Most of the seaweeds will be dried and provide umami, the elusive fifth taste sensation. It makes us salivate, gets our gastric juices flowing, and adds richness and bass-notes to anything it accompanies.

“There are so many things to do with seaweed,” says Dardenne. “One of my favourite is seaweed caviar—sea lettuce, garlic, olive oil and lemon.

Unbelievably fresh and tasty.”

We take a short walk over the rocks and into what feels like a lunar landscape or a coral reef above ground. Grey boulders have seemingly popped up, out of an otherwise flat landscape, carpeted in alpine conifer.

In between the prickly needles are hundreds of purple juniper berries that burst with flavour like little shots of winter elixir. Dardenne will collect these for craft distilleries that will steep the little violet orbs in spirits and create herby infused gins.

Bright red winter green berries grow amongst the juniper. One nibble confirms the unmistakeable taste of candy canes. As its name suggests, wintergreen is one of the few herbaceous plants found green and happy beneath the snow, even in the darkest days of winter. Kneeling to pick the berries, we are already discussing its potential use in ice cream, root beer, or maybe a jelly.

“A wild food has to fight for its existence, so it’s packed full of life and energy and nutrients,” Dardenne says. “Even when they’re bitter or sour, the foods are intense, super clean, and beautiful.”

Walking with Dardenne is like walking alongside a foraging encyclopaedia, a botanist and a conservationist. He is acutely aware of the fragile ecologies these wild foods are made up of.

Nova Scotia is blessed with many quality edible wild food and Dardenne confirms the rising trend among gourmet chefs: he now supplies 75 restaurants. But he sends most of his ingredients to Quebec with a few clients as far afield as Paris and Dubai.

Dardenne wanders off and fields calls from restaurants, looking for the day’s ingredients. At one point, he has a lively conversation with his distributor about a request for aonori seaweed. He stands, holding

the phone to his ear with his left hand while squinting hard against the smoke from a cigarette between his lips, and elegantly dips down to pick some caribou moss. He’s still at work.

There is almost no one in Nova Scotia that knows more about wild food than Dardenne. Born and raised in the small Belgian village of Honnay-Revogne, he has been, among other things, an economics major, a lawyer, and a carpenter. And all of his life he has been a forager.

“It’s something I just grew up with in Belgium,” he explains. “We lived on a small farm, surrounded by woods and we lived off the land.

We didn’t call it foraging, it was just a way of life for me from a young age. I tried being a lawyer for a while after university, but I knew early on I could never work in an office.”

He started out helping a friend forage for mushrooms in Belgium and ended up taking a course on wild food, where the connection to the land, the concept of terroir and food with a sense of place, all resonated.

His life as a professional forager began.

It’s humanity’s oldest profession.

“People have lost their connection to nature,” he laughs. “When I first started foraging in Nova Scotia, people would regularly stop me and ask if I was OK and if I needed any help.”

The culinary world got a shot in the arm when legendary Chef Rene Redzeppi started foraging the Nordic landscape. In the bleak northern climate, he set an example for chefs to pay close attention to the land.

Young chefs like Lachlan Culjak of Eliot & Vine on Cunard Street took heed. He regularly orders an assortment of wild edibles from Dardenne.

“Wild foods bring a higher nutritional value than cultivated foods and they bring fuller flavour that is distinct to the terroir,” Culjak says. “They add a sense of time and place to a dish.

Seaweed caviar on bruschetta.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 halifaxmag.com | 45

“Seaweeds are my go-to wild food. Whether it’s giant kelp that I use in stocks and broths, roasted dulce as a seasoning, crispy nori for texture or sea lettuce dried or pickled. They add umami and complexity that’s unparalleled,” says Culjak.

He has seen the culinary landscape in Halifax change. Diners are more adventurous, curious to try new tastes. His ever-changing seasonal menu is proof of this. He makes mousse with bright orange sea buckthorn (a spiky coastal plant with berries that taste like tart passion fruit), he slow cooks trout, with chorizo and aenori broth, and roasted wild carrots with elderflower glaze.

Although he has Dardenne as his forager on speed dial, he admits he seeks any excuse to get out of the stressful kitchen environment as often as possible to forage for himself, remaining connected to the food he serves.

Back in the car, swirling with the briny aromas of the sea and the piney scent of the berries, it strikes me that somewhere along our path as humans we chose to value some bizarre things. We don’t like being too cold, or too hot, or too wet, or too dry. We don’t like breaking a sweat or being sore.

So the natural consequence is that we’ve disconnected from those feelings that make us feel alive.

The way back is frustratingly simple: go outside and embrace it. Take a walk in the wild. If you do that regularly, and keep in mind that everything in that ecosystem feeds some organism, you’ll start to see food differently.

tadams@metroguide.ca

Halifax Magazine

Fred Dardenne forages for juniper berries.

46 | halifaxmag.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

@HalifaxEditor @HalifaxMagazine

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11 BEERS FOR A COLD WINTER’S EVE CUDDLE UP WITH THESE WARMING WINTER BREWS

BY KIM HART MACNEILL Many people will ring in 2018 with promises to take better care of their bodies, eat better, drink less. Not me. Winter seasonals are some of my favourite beers, from bracingly boozy winter warmers and barley wines to smooth stouts. Grab a thick sweater and cuddle up with one of these to while away the next snow squall.

1

Goth Stout

Bulwark Winter Cider

Tidehouse Brewing Company Halifax 5.2% ABV, N/A IBU Halifax’s newest brewery will release its first regular bottled beer in mid-January. It’s described as a smooth, well-balanced American stout with subtle notes of chocolate, mocha, and coffee. This full-bodied beer promises to be rich, with just a touch of roasty character. Team Tidehouse says it will be “Darker than the spot where your heart should be.” Find it at the brewery in 750-ml bottles.

Complexified (Baltic porter)

4

Big Spruce Brewing Nyanza, N.S. 10.9% ABV, 41 IBU This big beer spent six months in Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrels at Big Spruce’s seven-barrel aging set-up. You’ll smell its massive alcohol content before you even touch your glass. Your first sip yields complex flavours including roast, bourbon, and a slight background sweetness. The alcohol burn lingers long after your last sip so take this one slow and enjoy.

Sadly, only available at the brewery.

Vanilla Oatmeal Stout

7

Breton Brewing Coxheath, N.S. 5.5% ABV, 0 IBU Don’t let the oatmeal in the name fool you, this stout is thin, but satisfying. Vanilla is the first flavour your tongue will meet, but on the finish you’ll find a sweet (but not cloying) stout that’s easy drinking. This offering is among the Cape Breton brewery’s new seasonal can offerings, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

2 3

Munwin Estate Wines New Ross, N.S. 7% ABV, 0 IBU “Cider is beer” vs. “cider isn’t beer” is a discussion for another time. What’s key here is that if you enjoy a spiced, fermented beverage, this is one to try.

The Annapolis Valley farm and cidery’s Winter blends smooth sweet apples with festive nutmeg and cinnamon to produce a cider that’s different from its year-round offerings.

Find it at the NSLC and private stores.

Grande Cuvée Dopplebock

5

Les Trois Mousquetaires Quebec 8.6% ABV, 30 IBU This series of beers from LTM is known for syrupy, intense flavours, and big ABVs. Dopplebock is the non-lager lovers’ lager, bringing full-body and bold molasses flavours to the table. It’s made with Quebec-grown malts that lend chocolate, biscuit, plum, and orange flavours, with a smattering of spicy hop notes.

Break out the sharing glasses and wait out the storm. Available at private stores.

La Buckdjeuve (dark strong ale)

8

Winter Warmer

Picaroons Traditional Ales Fredericton 7.3% ABV, 35 IBU Dark in the glass with a red hue when you hold it up to the light. This ale packs intense dried fruit flavours and aroma, with winter spices that will perfectly accompany a hearty stew or steak. Or, you know, all by itself on a Friday night. It’s on the sweet side, with toffee and nutty notes from the malts and a warming alcohol finish. Find it at the private liquor stores while it lasts.

Shortest Day Spiced Milk Stout

Les Brasseurs du Petit Sault Brewers Edmundston, N.B. 7.3% ABV, 29 IBU There’s something beautifully nostalgic about sipping a beer from a short stubby bottle, even for those of us who missed them the first time around. This spicy beer offers a medium body with coffee, toffee, and nut flavours, plus a hearty dose of dark, dried fruits.

While it’s edging toward the high side of the alcohol scale, the bottle is small enough that you can keep it all to yourself. Available in six-packs at the NSLC.

48 | halifaxmag.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

6

Prince Edward Island Brewing Co. Charlottetown 5.4% ABV, 0 IBU A new release from Gahan, this brew is the perfect beer for those who appreciate silky milk stouts and spicy winter beers. It pours like black ink with a dark brown, persistent head. Vanilla wafts up out of the glass to your nose. Nutmeg brings this stout a surprising but exceptionally enjoyable seasonal flavour.

Find it in cans at NSLC and the brewery.

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Winter Warmer

9

Garrison Brewing Halifax 7% ABV, 20 IBU A local tradition, this six-pack only appears in the coldest months of the year, when we need it most. Clove lends a unique flavour to this winter ale, while Demerara brown sugar gives it a sweet satisfying finish. Other beers in this style fall prey to fake tasting spice blends, this one stays true and is like sipping on your grandmother’s spice cake. Find it in stores and at the brewery.

Russian Imperial Stout

10

Propeller Brewing Company Halifax, N.S. 8% ABV, 60 IBU Each year I look forward to trying this hometown favourite, but this year even more as I saved a few bottles from 2016 to compare. The option to age and compare seasonals is something of which we in a city of breweries should take full advantage.

This beer’s notable characteristic is that its hop flavours blast through the roasted malts and dark fruit notes.

Grab a few and put some away for a vertical tasting in 365 days. Find it in stores and at the brewery.

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Midnight (strong dark Belgian)

North Brewing Company Halifax, N.S. 10.5% ABV, 25 IBU This is my favourite local seasonal, and a 2017 Canadian Brewing Awards Gold medal winner.

Dark Belgian beers are often aggressively sweet with a satisfying boozy finish. This one is no exception. Watch for dark dried fruit flavours, tart cherry, vanilla, and the lingering flavours of the Glenora Whiskey barrels in which it aged.

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KIM HART MACNEILL Kim is a freelance journalist and editor of East Coast Living.

Read her weekly beer column on HalifaxMag.com and follow her on Twitter. @kimhartmacneill

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OPINION

THE MAGIC OF THE OVAL

PHOTO: HRM

REDISCOVERING THE BEAUTY OF A CANADIAN WINTER

One morning at the pool where I swim, a few old-timers were talking about the winters of their youth.

One recalled regularly skating on the Northwest Arm, which amazed me. I’ve lived in Halifax for almost 30 years and I can only recall one winter in which the Northwest Arm froze over, and that was the polar vortex winter two years ago. Even then, it was so late in the winter and after all the big snows, that the ice wasn’t very good for skating.

Another gentleman mused on the morning’s weather, particularly nippy for early December.

He fondly recalled the December days of his youth when skating conditions were perfect on Nova Scotia lakes. “I used to have my best skates of the winter in December because it was before all the big snows,” he said.

The lakes of Nova Scotia provide better skating conditions, but they are still spotty. They pale in comparison to the skating rinks of suburban Montreal where I grew up. They look just like the outdoor rink portrayed in Roch Carrier’s The Hockey Sweater... at least that’s how I remember them.

I’ve done a few lake skates in Nova Scotia; there’s no better way to enjoy skating. The fresh air and the sunshine of a cold, crisp winter day are so invigorating that an indoor rink is a poor substitute.

That’s why I love the Oval, which is one of the best decisions I’ve seen our municipal government make. It was a no-brainer after it proved immensely popular during a trial period before the 2011 Canada Games, but they could just as easily have stuck to the original plan to tear down the temporary ice pad.

Now, our city has a great year-round recreation facility on what used to be a few seldom-used softball diamonds. There is already lots of room on the Halifax Common for that sport and branching out to provide some other options in the summer is great.

The trump card in this, though, is seeing hundreds of people enjoying the Common in winter, when it used to look like a barren tundra.

At night, it looks like the baseball diamond in Field of Dreams. Lit up like a beacon, it draws people out on cold winter nights. New Year’s Eve at the Oval has become a new tradition for many families and lunch-time skates for downtown office workers are a treat many Canadian cities cannot provide.

I’ve seen some heartwarming moments at the Oval in the seven years that it’s been open. I’ve seen immigrants and foreign students enjoying moments of pure Canadiana that they might not otherwise have experienced. The Oval provides access to skating the way a library provides access to reading.

One night, I saw a group of students from China taking pictures of themselves skating as lazy snowflakes drifted down. The flakes were backlit against the night sky and it surely made a pretty picture to send around the world to their families.

The learn-to-skate programs have made skating accessible to many people and helped them discover other sports such as hockey or speed-skating.

It’s hard to imagine that something as big as the Oval could get crowded, but it often is, even though it has as much ice surface as three NHL rinks. It can be frustrating at times, when you

50 | halifaxmag.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

just want to cut loose and skate a few laps, but I take this opportunity to watch the crowd, and see all the people experiencing something that most places in Canada can only offer with the right weather conditions.

I also remind myself that we’re a province that needs to encourage more people to get regular exercise and anything that gets people outside and moving is money well-spent because a healthier population spends less on health care.

With global warming getting worse and temperatures continuing to rise, the Oval provides an opportunity for up to 1,500 people to enjoy an outdoor skate daily from late December to early March. We’re lucky if we get seven days a winter that we can skate on lakes in most parts of Nova Scotia.

I look out my window as I finish this column and watch the rain gathering in puddles. It’s a far cry from the Decembers of that old-timer’s youth, and mine, and I wonder if the effect that humanity has had on the climate can ever be reversed.

Even the ice plant at the Oval is no match for this, but I’m grateful we have it and look forward to many outdoor skates this winter.

RYAN Van HORNE Ryan is a Halifax journalist, playwright and documentary film director. His work appears in magazines and newspapers from coast to coast and at ryanvanhorne.com.

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