40th Anniversary Celebration: Delap’s Cove Trail (Part 1)

Today (Sunday) was the Fortieth Anniversary Celebration and Amazing Places Designation of the Delap’s Cove Wilderness Trail.

Given the fire ban in Annapolis County, Heather and I were doubtful whether the event would go ahead.

We took our chances, from Annapolis Royal, across to Parker’s Cove on the Bay of Fundy, then the shore road to Delap’s Cove. We were rewarded with a very well-organised, inclusive community event.

Welcome and Introduction
Debra Ryan, Director, Community Development and Master of Ceremonies.

Smudging Ceremony
Dustin Stevenson, Delap’s Cove Black Indian Pioneer Society.

Proclamation
Christine Igot, Town Crier

Remarks
Warden, Diane Leblanc, Municipality of the County of Annapolis
Dustin Stevenson, Councillor, Delap’s Cove Black Indian Pioneer Society
Cliff Drysdale, Vice Chair, Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve Association (SNBRA)
Unveiling of Amazing Places Designation

Cake Cutting

Bohaker Trail Hike
Cancelled, because of fire ban

Music
Lynnea Rose

Heather and I have had a long-time association with SNBRA. This ended when we left for Haida Gwaii, and subsequently, Iqaluit, Nunavut.

We returned to the region in 2000, when I became Senior Research Scientist at the Applied Geomatics Research Group (NSCC,Middleton).

Our ‘sense of place’ has remained strong, over the forty years.

After the community event, we stopped in Annapolis Royal for a coffee at the Sissiboo Café. Returning to Middleton on Highway #201, we turned off at the Spurr Road in Round Hill. I was interested in taking the West Dalhousie road via Gibson Lake to gain a sense of the fire’s extent west of the community. Gibson Lake Cemetery is where Ernest Buckler is buried (see post EBLES Meeting).

The drive served as a reminder of the isolation of the settlements along the West Dalhousie road. The same is true of the road to Delap’s Cove.

Postscript

In the future, when the fire ban is over, we must hike Charlie’s Trail. We have hiked the Bohaker Trail several times. It is one of our favourite trails in Annapolis County.

Acknowledgements

Edward is away, painting in Bear River. As part of the Smudging Ceremony, Dustin Stevenson provided an excellent handout on the First Nations world view.