On Friday, I had a zoom call with Greg Baeker. This proved to be a technology challenge for me. Eventually, we reverted to a telephone conversation.
Greg and I worked together to deliver a one-day workshop, Small Town Growth: a creative economy and mapping workshop in Annapolis Royal, 29th. April 2010 (see post Agalinis Neoscotia).
Here we are, fifteen years later.
What has happened since the workshop? I retired from the NSCC in 2011; Greg spent significant time in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) as Director, Cultural Planning and Development.
What has changed in those fifteen years?
Greg provided me with a video from the workshop, as well as links to several other videos. He is now back in Collingwood, Ontario.
A lot has happened in those fifteen years. For myself, except for short periods with Heather in various Canadian National Parks e.g Haida Gwaii, Iqaluit, Churchill, I have focussed my attention on writing blogs related to geography, place and rural Nova Scotia.
Today (Saturday) we went to the Wolfville Farmers market to escape the smoke from the Long Lake fire. Afterwards, we stopped at Dickie Baxter’s Taproom and Bistro in Canning.
Fortuitously, we met Linda Best. Again, I asked the same question, “What has happened to the ‘creative rural economy over the last fifteen years?” Talking with Linda gave me some insight into the status of agriculture in the Valley from her perspective at Farm Works Investment Co-Op.
Talking to John Wightman, later, he voiced concern over the impact of COVID on rural communities. Next week, I hope to speak with Andrew Wetmore, Editor at Moose House Publications on the same question.
Part of the problem, I believe, relates to questions of jurisdiction — and Geography.
Ernest Blair Experiment 