Author: maherrv

Posted in biographical sketch

An Authors’ Market

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Saturday was a very ‘bookish’ day. After finding it hard to read in these difficult times, I was determined to finish Whit Fraser ‘Cold Edge of Heaven’, in advance of the EBLES event at West Dalhousie next Saturday (15th.). Besides the story relating the relationship of the RCMP and the Inuit on Devon Island in the 1920’s, I was intrigued by the reference to artists (AY Jackson) and scientists (Banting) in our understanding of Canada’s Northern Geography.

Part of our day was to follow up on door prizes for EBLES. We have had generosity from the nursery community (Bunchberry, Thexton’s and Neily’s) as well as the bookstores (Baintons, Endless Shores, MareGold and Gaspereau).

In Annapolis Royal at MareGold courtyard, there were over twenty authors. Many of them I recognized. The temptation was great. At the end of the day, I came away with Bob Bent’s book Ida Red, describing life in rural Clarence in the 1980’s. This was a time when Heather and I lived with three young children between the vanRoestel’s and the Elliot’s in East Clarence.

My second purchase was Geoff Butler’s latest book A Troubadour’s Journey from medieval times to the present day and age. Geoff is a resident of Granville Ferry, but was born on Fogo Island, Newfoundland. In 2012, he was artist-in-residence on Fogo Island courtesy Fogo Island Arts and the Shorefast Foundation. I have been following Zita Cobb at Shorefast as a model of community economic development that may be applied to the Annapolis Valley.

Returning home, after a stimulating day, I received an email from Edward from Footsteps East, including a couple of videos, as well as an update that they can now reclaim their camping gear. The impact of a severe storm in Quebec.

Acknowledgements

To Russell at MareGold for hosting the first Authors’ Market. It will be repeated in August. His bookstore is a dream for those of us who enjoy non-fiction. It complements the fiction across the road at Baintons.

References

Bob Bent. 2023. Ida Red.A love story. Self-published.

Geoff Butler. 2022. A Troubadour’s Journey from medieval times to the present day and age. Self-published.

Whit Fraser. 2022. Cold Edge of Heaven. Boulder Books.

Postscript.

Special kudos to Geoff Butler who combines art, poetry and music.

On Sundays I receive the Marginalian by Maria Popover. This week ‘How people change, Herman Hesse on wonder and how to be more alive, a tender modern fable about reversing the Anthropocene’.

Posted in biographical sketch

Climate Change

Posted on by maherrv

Today, we experienced a change in weather. After several days of rain, we had a hot, humid day. We escaped from the Valley and took a drive along the Bay of Fundy shore from Hampton to Margaretsville.

In the Reader (July 7), I noticed that the County of Annapolis are seeking citizen interest in the new Climate Change Action Plan review committee. From my perspective, as retired Research Scientist attached to the Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS) and the Applied Geomatics Research Group (AGRG), we have excellent Resources in the region..

Here are a couple of examples.

  1. David Colville has established a network of climate stations in the Valley region (Southwest Nova). Interestingly, in the latest issue of the Bras D’Or Lakes Biosphere Reserve, there is a template of the value of this type of network.It was only a couple of years ago that David and Sally O’Grady hosted a display on climate change at ArtsPlace in Annapolis Royal.
  2. Tim Webster at AGRG has been applying numerical models to sea level rise across the Maritimes, including the Bay of Fundy and the South shore.

Hopefully, this citizen science perspective, in conjunction with COGS, will be available to the Municipal Review committee.

Finally, Edward Wedler, and his wife Anne have started their plein air trip exploring the eastern Canadian landscapes that inspired Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven. As a result of the hot and humid weather in La Baie, Quebec they are awaiting access to their campsite. Yet, another example of climate change.

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge the contribution made by faculty and students at COGS and AGRG, monitoring the climate of Southwest Nova.

Reference

Bras D’Or Lakes Biosphere Reserve Newletter. Summer 2023.

Posted in biographical sketch, Book Review

Planting an Idea

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Last Friday, at MareGold bookstore in Annapolis Royal, I found a book by Jerry Apps and Natasha Kassulke entitled Planting an Idea, Critical and Creative Thinking about Environmental Issues.

I also picked up a flier on the Authors Market to be held next Saturday, July 8th at the MareGold bookstore. Over twenty authors will be there in person, with their books, from 12-4 pm in Annapolis Royal.

After reading the Bras D’Or Lake Biosphere Reserve newsletter (www.blbra.ca) I felt that it is time to reconnect with the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve. When we moved to Haida Gwaii, it was not feasible to focus on Southwest Nova.

From my conversations with John Wightman, it seems time to invest in CANMAP. Perhaps we can strengthen the relationship between the COGS Alumni Network and the Mapping Community. One approach would be to encourage past graduates to present a video of their experiences in applying geographic sciences in both industry and government.

From my conversation with Monica Lloyd at COGS, there exists a template produced in 2010 for the Town of Bridgetown. Steve Raftery was able to provide the web link.

This alumni network would reflect current approaches to environmental issues: climate change, agriculture, forest, water, air quality, land use, endangered species, biodiversity. These are all chapters in the book by Apps and Kassulke.

Postscript

Once again, no graphics. Edward and Anne are trying to avoid storms in Quebec.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to John Wightman, Monica Lloyd, Stephen Raftery for helping to develop the idea.

Reference

Jerry Apps and Natasha Kassulke. 2023. Planting an Idea. Fulcrum Publishing.

Posted in Event Review

No Carping

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Edward is away, following in the footsteps of the Group of Seven. Thus, you will miss his handiwork. No graphics.

On Tuesday, Heather and I attended the Clean Annapolis River Project (CARP) annual general meeting held in Annapolis Royal. CARP has been in operation for thirty-three years. Back to the days, when we were seeking Heritage River status.

Besides presentations by Levi Cliche (Executive Director) and Mark Hebert (Board President) staff provided details on several key projects:

Annapolis estuary monitoring and research

Fish passage restoration and habitat enhancement

Habitat and Biodiversity Assessment tool

Living Labs

Annapolis Valley sand barrens stewardship

Wetlands restoration and recreation trail development in the town of Middleton

Natural infrastructure for Stormwater management

Agricultural stewardship

Annapolis River Guardians

CARP has a dozen staff, plus volunteers and numerous partnerships.

Their mission statement :

‘Enhancing the health of the Annapolis River watershed for current and future generations through science, leadership and community engagement.’

It was indeed refreshing to see their focus on the watershed. And to read the Introductory Guide to the Annapolis Valley Sand Barrens. Version 1.
From the Foreword by Sean Basquill.

“ In 1920, Harvard Botanist, M.L.Fernald ( 1873-1950) began the first of two lengthy expeditions to Nova Scotia. As he peered out of the train window from Berwick to Wilmot he noted.

“vast, uncultivated plains carpeted, where dry enough, with a close growth of New Jersey pine barren Corema conradii ; these barrens were the finest we saw.” P.1.

How many of us, have visited this unique habitat ?

Acknowledgements

Heather Stewart and Bill Crossman shared the evening. Edward added the graphics.

References

The Waterstrider Newsletter. http://www.annapolisriver.ca

The Annapolis Valley Sand Barrens. An Introductory Guide. Version 1.published by CARP.

Posted in Book Review

Annapolis County Resources

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Saturday afternoon, I enjoyed my regular beer with John Wightman. John had found a copy of Annapolis County Resources (1990) and thought it might be of interest. Later I checked out the document (74 pages). It contained a good description of the county, based on Statistics Canada census information. At that time Bridgetown was a separate entity.

Reviewing the document with 33 years of hindsight, I was struck by a number of items:

  1. The lack of maps showing the distribution of land use, and land use change.
  2. The lack of references to the role of private industry.

This caused me to check out Dick Groot’s book ‘Closure’. It provided a brief history of BRITEX in Centrelea.

‘In 1970 approximately 240 people were employed’. The company closed in 2004 despite the efforts of Sandy Archibald and his staff.

If the County commissioned a report on resources in 2023, what changes might we see? Would the focus be less on the physical infrastructure and government census data? Would we see a more detailed description of the landscape and its changing use? What about the ‘creative rural economy’? Are there new businesses in the County?

Would we see the new technologies at COGS being used to give an online picture of the available resources? It would include new start-ups, the contribution from the arts and the sciences. Would we see more emphasis on the history, and the sense of community?

Times have changed. Have we?

The best resource in the County is ‘The Bridgetown Reader ‘. Thank you, Lewis!

Meanwhile, go online and check out the Shorefast Foundation on Fogo Island.

Postscript

From the bookshelf, we have Local Logic: How to get there from Here, published by AIRO in February 2017, with survey results and recommendations on the economic future of Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, and its surrounding communities. This is a timely read. We need an update to 2023.

Acknowledgements

John Wightman provided a copy of the Annapolis County Resources. Dick Groot illustrated the changes in the Old Economy. Jane Nicholson’s significant commitment at Annapolis Investments in Rural Opportunity (AIRO). Edward added the graphics.

References

February 1990, Annapolis County Resources, 74 pp.

Dick Groot, 2018, Closure: A Photographer’s Eye on an Old Economy, Cedar Centre, Windsor, NS.

The Bridgetown Reader, www.bridgetownreader.news

Posted in Event Review

As Time Goes By

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Monday evening, we went to ARTSPLACE in Annapolis Royal to hear Ted Lind’s presentation “Kindred Spirits: How Art Transformed Ways to Appreciate the Natural World”.

‘An illustrated talk about three generations of artists who changed public views about wilderness in 19th Century America. Their efforts led to significant new government policies and shifts in public attitudes about nature.’

Lind illustrated his argument with the work of various artists, including Georgia O’Keefe, Emily Carr, and the Group of Seven. Contemporary writers included Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Thoreau, and John Muir.

Lind’s thesis was about the significance of artists, writers, and scientists and their influence on public attitudes toward the landscape.

This resonates with both myself and Edward Wedler. Next week, Edward and Anne plan to follow in the footsteps of the Group of Seven (read blog post “When Worlds Collide“). How will their painting reflect the values and technology of present-day society? Do we continue to regard landscape as a resource, whether it is forestry, geology, fisheries, or agriculture,

or do we see it within the context of ‘Doughnut Economics’ (see blog post “Community Interests“)?

My perspective is Geography: the physical landscape as well as the socio-economic landscape — and the recognition that we possess a strong sense of place.

Postscript

On the weekend, in New Glasgow, Heather and I enjoyed watching ‘As Time Goes By’ on Maine PBS. It is a BBC comedy series, starring Judy Dench, set in London, in the 1970s. An opportunity to reflect on ‘simpler’ times.

Acknowledgments.

I am looking forward to hearing about Edward and Anne’s trip, in the footsteps of the Group of Seven. It should provide an interesting counterpoint to Ted Lind’s talk, based on their Plein Air experience.

References

Ted Lind, Kindred Spirits: How Art Transformed Ways to Appreciate the Natural World. ARTSPACE, June 19, 2023.

Hettie O’Brien, The Power of Doughnut Economics, The Guardian Weekly, June 16, 2023, pp 34-39.

Kate Raworth, 2017, Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist, Penguin Random House.

Posted in Book Review

Pony Express

Posted on by maherrv

Last Sunday, Heather had a Shambala meditation meeting at the Community Hall in Granville Ferry. I decided to take the drive to Victoria Beach.

Victoria Beach Wharf (watercolour by Edward)

At the end of the road, I checked out the gravel road towards Delaps Cove.

On my return, I noticed the historic plaque describing the Pony Express from Kentville to the Atlantic coast.

Two days later, I stopped at Endless Shores bookstore in Bridgetown. I was looking for door prizes for the Ernest Buckler Literary Event Society (EBLES), Reading Where We Live: a celebration of local writing, July 15th, West Dalhousie Community Hall.

On the shelf, I spied Paul Rapsey’s book, Murder on the Pony Express Way, printed by Integrity Printing in Bridgetown. This is his first fictional novel.

The other notable point of interest in Victoria Beach was the Mare Gold retreat. This links to the new bookstore in Annapolis Royal, of the same name and ownership.

After the excursion to Victoria Beach, we returned to Paradise via Highway #201. Heather wanted to check out Spurr Road in Round Hill. We navigated to Gibsons Lake on the old military road. Before turning South at West Dalhousie, back to Bridgetown and home.

Just a simple journey took us to explore the nether regions of Annapolis County.

No surprise then, today at the COGS library, I was fortunate to sign out Harold Horwood’s Dancing on the Shore: a celebration of Life at Annapolis Basin.

It is truly remarkable, the number of writers, artists, and musicians who have discovered their ‘sense of place in this landscape’ ; or, in Raymond Hunter’s favourite expression, ‘Bloom where you are planted’

Acknowledgements.

Without Heather’s meeting in Granville Ferry, we would not have explored the road to Victoria Beach. Without Jennifer Crouse at Endless Shores Books, I would not have discovered Paul Rapsey’s novel. Andrew Hannam facilitated access to the collection at COGS Library. Edward added the graphics.

References

Paul Rapsey, 2023, Murder on the Pony Express Way.

Harold Horwood, 1987, Dancing on the Shore: a celebration of Life at Annapolis Basin, McClelland and Stewart.

Posted in Event Review

SOOF presentation and more

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Nina Newington made a presentation to Middleton Town Council on Monday evening; asking council to send a letter to Premier Houston, asking him to pause all harvesting and road-building activities in forests over 80 years old on Crown Land in Annapolis County until such time as 20% of Nova Scotia’s lands have been permanently protected.

Besides Nina, there were fourteen members of SOOF (Save Our Old Forests) in support of the motion. It was interesting to see the reaction of Council to the amount of clearcutting in the county over the last twenty years.

This prompted the following thought. At COGS in Lawrencetown, we have been providing training in both GIS and Remote Sensing since the early ‘80’s. It should be possible, in collaboration with the Provincial Government’s Department of Natural Resources, to provide detailed maps of changes in the forest cover and type, over the last forty years. This information could be correlated with changes in wildlife populations, forest fires, and other human impacts on the landscape ecology. Another contribution would come from citizen science.

Tuesday, we dropped into Lawrencetown Library for one-on-one technical support. My issue was to fully understand the difference between password and passcode.

To allow me to transition smoothly between my iPad and my iPhone. Greg was able to talk me through the subtleties of the technology. Heather’s issue was running out of space between her mobile phone and the cloud.

This intergenerational support is even more critical with age. The world of Google continues to intrude into our daily routine.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Nina for a succinct and clear message on the state of our Old Forests. Thanks to Greg for his technical advice. Thanks to the Middleton Council for reminding me of the technology tools available at COGS. We will not manage our landscape effectively, without this detailed geographic knowledge and technology.

References

Save Our Old Forests (SOOF) newsletter, June 4, 2023.

Dr Frank W. Morse Memorial Library, Lawrencetown, One on One Tech Help, Annapolis Valley Regional Library.

Postscript

Edward sent me a link to the Canadian Interactive Wildland Fire Information Interactive map, via his wife, Anne.

https://cwfis.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/interactive-map

and in Quebec. where they are about to enter their 5,000 km plein air painting journey “FootstepsEast” (read upcoming blog post).
https://sopfeu.qc.ca/en/maps/

Posted in biographical sketch

Stroll through the Gardens

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Mid-week, we had to drop off books in Annapolis Royal. At the first stop, I left my collection of the writing of Ernest Buckler. At the second, it was the writing of Peter Wyman.

Beforehand, we went to the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. We have season passes.

I had wanted to check out the Dyke Walk. We arrived at 9 am, opening time; not a soul there. After a leisurely walk on the dyke, we re-entered the gardens to check out the rich array of colourful rhododendron blossoms.

On the weekend, we visited New Glasgow. En route, we always enjoy the straight, open road through the Rawdon Hills. At the Saturday Farmer’s Market, I picked up the recent issues of Ah! At Home on the North Shore. In the Winter 2022-23 issue, there was a review of Whit Fraser’s book Cold Edge of Heaven. This led me to Coles at the Highland Mall. I was amazed at the number of empty storefronts. At the mall, I found True North Rising. Cold Edge of Heaven is on the agenda for the EBLES event at West Dalhousie in July.

Acknowledgments

Heather and I continue to enjoy our membership in the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens Society. We visit family in Pictou County, at least once per month. Thank you to Jay, Sandy, and Steve.

References

Whit Fraser, 2022, Cold Edge of Heaven, Boulder Books.

Whit Fraser, 2023, True North Rising, PenguinRandom House.

Posted in biographical sketch

A Walk in the Park

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Earlier this week, we went for a walk at Valley View Park, above Bridgetown.

We followed the Tower Road with a side loop into the park. There were a large number of Spring ephemerals. The green of the beech trees was therapeutic. And no-one else around (see Trail Map Here).

After, Heather wanted to transfer the photographs from her cell phone to my iPad. Unfortunately there seemed to be a technical issue with Google. Today, after Heather’s Bridgetown Walk, we attempted to repeat the experience with my iPad.

We noticed that the Park was closed. Along the Tower Road, we were able to capture. Images of rhodora, lady slipper orchid, Bluebead lily, starflower and trillium.

This week, we enjoyed fresh bread from the Perky Loaf, Brickton, Saturday breakfast at Arch&Po in Annapolis Royal. We found sizeable fish burgers at the Ebb Tide Café in Lawrencetown.

Today, we discovered ice cream at the Bees Knees General Store and bakery in Lawrencetown.

Gradually, more grocery items are becoming available in the village.

Postscript

In the mailbox, I found the 2023 Community Events Guide for the County of Annapolis. Looks like a busy Summer, once we get beyond the wildfire season.

Old Postcard of former Customs Building in Annapolis Royal, now the location of Arch&Po

Acknowledgements

Heather shared in the search and identification of the Spring ephemerals. Edward added the graphics.

References

AE Roland and EC Smith, 1969, The Flora of Nova Scotia, NS Museum.

Edmund Redfield, 2016, Wildflowers of the Maritimes, Nimbus