Canning trip

In the June 2021 issue of the Grapevine (p.12) there was a notice of a retrospective exhibit of the work by Dick Groot, photographer at the ArtCan Gallery in Canning. It ends on July 3rd and is open Tuesday- Saturday 10 am – 5 pm.

We took a run up to Canning on Saturday morning.

Dick Groot’s exhibition is titled ‘From Kodak Brownie to Smartphone’. “Dick has been working out of his studio in Wolfville since 2002. His work ranges from tidal landscapes and abandoned mills to street scenes and portraits.”

Dick trained as a survey engineer in the Netherlands. He emigrated to Canada in 1967. He worked at the GSC in Ottawa and later at the ITC, Enschede. As you might imagine our paths have crossed a couple of times, when I was at COGS (1980-88) and later at AGRG (2000-2011).

It was an absolute delight to stop at the ArtCan Cafe ‘Sketch or write in your journal with a drink and dessert’. Browse the books for sale. I could not resist ‘As the twig is bent’ by Russell Elliott. The story of growing up in the 1920’s and 1930’s in rural Nova Scotia (New Ross).

Afterwards, we stepped outside to enjoy Bruce Spicer Park and the Habitant River.

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From the Centre of Local Prosperity News, ‘Climate-induced societal and ecological breakthrough in Atlantic Canada’ a report on the First Dialogue, hosted by the Thinkers Lodge.

“Everything at its core happens locally. And yet all of us live in the same planet. So we must simultaneously be planetarium perspective as well as local perspective. What can we do to facilitate greater engagement by all localities everywhere is to support localities everywhere. So our locality should support your locality, and vice versa.” Scott Leckie.

Acknowledgements

Dick Groot captured the demise of Britex (Centrelea), Minas Basin Paper Board Mill (Hantsport), Windsor Wear Mill (Windsor). Gregory Heming chaired the First Dialogue. Heather and Siqsiq enjoyed the Canning trip. Edward provided the graphics.

References

Dick Groot, 2021, From Kodak Brownie to Smartphone: My Journey in Photography, Gaspereau Press.

Russell Elliott, 1999, As The Twig is Bent, Gaspereau Press.

Centre for Local Prosperity News, First Dialogue June 23,2021, Scott Leckie, Gregory Heming, Rankin MacSween, David Orr.

The Grapevine, June 2021, Issue 18.05, Visually Speaking : sixty five years of Dick Groot’s photography. p.12.

Postscript 1

Alexander Pope (1688-1744) ‘Tis Education forms the common mind. Just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined.’

Postscript 2

Stories behind the lens (Dick Groot)

12A Agricultural Fair (Lawrencetown)

”The Valley has a number of agricultural fairs that are very photogenic. There is a lot of activity with shows of horse pulls, riding shows, show off competitions between youths of their sheep, cows, horses, etc. Though these are all very entertaining to watch, it is sometimes as entertaining to watch the audience. I think the portraits speak for themselves.”