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We had a busy morning. We wanted to send a parcel to each of the three families in Whitehorse, Yukon ; Port Moody, BC ; and Peterborough, Ontario.

This led to a morning visit to Valley Flaxflour in Middleton.

Traditional and historically important Canadian seeds and grains, including flax, oats, buckwheat and corn are blended to make award -winning Pancakes and Cookie Mix ( Taste of Nova Scotia Product of the 2016 Year).

In the spirit of the Ernest Blair Experiment, I checked the books in the basement. There, I found a copy of Ernest Buckler ‘The Mountain and the Valley’, as well as a Eric Blair (George Orwell) book.

This led to my blog title, the ‘Ernest Blair Experiment’. It’s never too early to introduce family reading (for interest, check out the posts The Mountain and the Valley and EBLES Meeting).

After Valley FlaxFlour, stopped again at the post office. Hope our parcels arrive on time.

In a couple of days, Heather and I will make the run to New Glasgow for the Christmas Day celebrations.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Howard Selig for his help in selecting the Valley Kitchen products, and packing the Canada Post boxes. Edward added the graphic and links.

Yesterday, my horoscope in the Chronicle Herald, December 10th for Aquarius.

“What worked before won’t work going forward. It’s time to change your approach or way of thinking.”

I sent an email to Edward (who shares the same birthday as me). How about?

‘A Centre of Landscape Change and Monitoring’

I wonder whether we should retire COGS (Centre of Geographic Sciences). Instead focus on monitoring the land use, whether agriculture, forestry, mining or fisheries. We have the technology e.g. LiDAR, drones, satellite and aerial photography. It could include climate monitoring.

This thought relates to my latest reading and post ‘Why we remember’ by Charan Ranganath.

Let’s remember what caused us to convert from NSLSI to COGS. Clearly, it was related to changes in technology, e.g. computers, GIS software and now drones and AI.

However, the objective remains the same. How does society manage its relationship to the global environment?

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Connecting the resource and monitoring dots …
On the radio, I heard that the Bragg family is bidding on the purchase of the Scott Paper forested lands. I hope this will lead to reforestation. Perhaps, at the same time, they can clean up the debris from Tropical Storm Fiona.

These thoughts remind me of the days when Andrew, our son, would head west for the Summer to be part of the tree planting crews.

In the Annapolis Valley, there is always the opportunity to visit a bookstore. This week, we stopped at MareGold in Annapolis Royal.

Many subjects match our interests.

This allowed Heather to return to her memories of working for Parks Canada on the island.

My third pick is not really a bookstore but rather the Library at COGS (read posts COGS Visit and Community Engagement). The Librarian orders new books a couple of times a year.

Anderson is Professor of Human Geography at Cardiff University, UK.

Between the three books, we should be able to get through the darkest days of Winter.

References

Charan Ranganath, 2024, Why we remember: Unlocking memory’s power to hold on to what matters, Anchor Canada

Marq de Villiers and Sheila Hirtle, 2004, A Dune Adrift: The Strange Origins and Curious History of Sable Island, MacClelland and Stewart Ltd, Toronto.

Jon Anderson. 2025, Literary Atlas: Plotting a new Literary Geography, Routledge, London.

Acknowledgements

Edward added the graphics. I still remember the time when he and Anne owned The Inside Story. Russell and Geoff manage a remarkable collection of diverse books at MareGold. Chelsea and Andrew maintain the collection at the COGS Library.

This weekend, we made a pre-Christmas run to New Glasgow.

It is the story of the Scott Paper Mill in Pictou. In many ways, it is a continuation of Joan Baxter’s book ‘The Mill – fifty years of Pulp and Protest’ (see post From Pugwash and Pictou to Paradise)

Janet Wallace was at New Glasgow High School around the same time, as Heather and Sandy. The book is a beautiful combination of art and the science behind the eventual closure of the mill. In Wallace’s language it represents ‘a chance to change’.

The story behind Scott Paper and the relationship to the government of Nova Scotia continues to apply today. We see various schemes related to the mining of our landscape, and the removal of the forests. From my perspective, ‘will we ever learn’.

We need to invest in the people of Nova Scotia: the artists, writers, scientists, educators, and the appropriate technology, ie. the ‘creative rural economy’.

Acknowledgements.

Sandy for sharing the book. Edward for his contribution. The voices of Janet and Joan for recognizing ‘the chance to change’. Long overdue.

References.

Janet Wallace, 2023, It is Time: A Chance to Change, Stones’Throw Publications.
Joan Baxter, 2017, The Mill: Fifty years of Pulp and Protest, Pottersfield Press.

Sorting through my papers, I found this article that I wrote for the Chronicle Herald, titled:

Sustaining on Traditional Valley Values

“Paul Colville and his wife, Ruth, immigrated (sic) to Nova Scotia in the early ‘70s. They farmed the land on Delusion Road and over the years developed ColdSpring Farm – a certified organic vegetable/free range poultry operation. They were year-round vendors at the Halifax Farmers’ market for over twenty years.”

Paul and Ruth have lived on North Mountain overlooking the Bay of Fundy, and above the town of Middleton for more than 40 years. Over that period, as he farmed the land and fixed up the buildings, Paul wondered about the original owners of the property.

Paul has recreated dialogue between the settlers, Joseph and Jane Bent.

“Not me, I want to be independent. I want to be on the land. My land. I want to build a farm and provide for myself and my family.

I don’t mind working the forge. Or picking apples or whatever it takes to earn hard money. My father used to say ‘When you hear opportunity knock, be ready with hard money to unlock the door.”

(That sounds like Paul’s credo)

The events described in the book cover the decade 1860-70. Events include the 1864 election, the birth of the Windsor-Annapolis-Royal Railway, the Confederation of Canada, and the Saxby Gale. Paul’s research under the mentorship of historian Barry Moody covers these events and their impact on Joseph and Jane Bent. Paul also benefited from conversations with Linda Bent, who has maintained the family history of the Bent and Mosher families.

His Settlers Story is enhanced by the Foreword from Barry Moody and the Afterword from Linda Bent.

This creative work of fiction shows that each of us occupies a ‘place in space’. To use a term from author Gary Snyder’s “A Place in Space: Ethics, Aesthetics and Watersheds, New and Selected Prose”, it also illustrates a ‘place in time’. “The View from Delusion Road” uncovers the stories behind Delusion Road, the term Bluenosers, and details about the different settler groups — the Baptists, the Irish Catholics.

We can step forward in time and ask questions about the back-to-the-land in the 1970’s or the Buddhists in Nova Scotia.

Paul has made a contribution to our understanding of the local history and geography. He also offers an approach that marries fiction and non-fiction. As a geographer, I wanted to see a map of Port George, Moshers Corner and beyond. But later, I realized that a modern map would not be as effective as Paul’s story map.

The next challenge for Paul is to write the recent history with his own View from Delusion Road. Certainly, I recall living in Clarence when Paul was the local chimney sweep. Our conversations were about the survey school in Lawrencetown and its impact on the local communities and the residents.

First Christmas card arrived yesterday (from my brother). This put me into a frenzy, trying to find street addresses. Then I remembered that through my blog I have a significant list of email addresses. Furthermore, I don’t have to rely on Canada post.

From Shorefast, I received an email ‘Investing in the Places We Live‘.
‘At Shorefast, our work begins and ends with place : the source of identity, care and the foundational site of economic agency’.

Zita Cobb recently shared with Matt Galloway, on CBC’s The Current, a vision for Canada that centres on the places we live (listen here).

From my mantelpiece, I picked up ‘The Spirit of Georgetown award’ from the Georgetown Conference ‘Redefining Rural’, October 2013. Heather and I reminisced, walking from the Annapolis Valley to Georgetown, PEI with Bodhi, our dog, and Edward too. Twelve years ago we were on the Road to Georgetown.

Tonight, on CBC TV ‘Mr Bean’s Christmas.. ‘Tis the season.

Edward is back from Florida. Hence we have graphics and links.

Thanks, Edward.

This week, I finished reading Bob Bent’s ‘Broken Hearts and Longing for Home’. Each short story begins with a classic country song. From Jane Baskwill’s review:

‘These are stories that remind us why we read in the first place – because the right story teller can make us feel at home in someone else’s life and maybe even see our own a little more clearly’.

For myself, there is a real pleasure in the ‘sense of place’. In the words of Mariana Fedyshyn:

‘The narrative is rich with emotional depth and a keen sense of place, with vivid description that brought familiar Nova Scotia settings to life for me .‘

This week, I was listening to CBC Listen. Matt Galloway interviewed Jim Balsillie on his Prescription for Canadian Business. He established RIM in Waterloo, Ontario. This gave me serious ‘food for thought’ about the creative rural economy. In particular, the relationship between the Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS) and the GIS industry in Canada and the United States. It takes me back to Roger Tomlinson, John Wightman and the geostrategic nature of the global economy. e.g. ESRI and ESRI Canada.

If you receive my blog posts, I would appreciate any feedback on these two perspectives. It can be lonely out here, trying to understand education in a rural setting.

Edward’s comment,”we need a mindset to unearth and support our home grown talent.”. Something like the Local Prosperity Institute is trying to promote.

Finally, Edward sent me a link to the ESRI Canada GIS Day presentation.

Here it is:

https://www.esri.ca/en-ca/news-events/events/seminars/past-proceedings/s2025/gis-day

Hope this works for you !

Through inter-library loan, I received Manchan Magan ‘Thirty-two Words for Field. Lost Words of the Irish Landscape’. Next week’s reading.

In the words of Jim Balsillie, who describes himself as an ‘economic nationalist’

“carry the load you can handle”.

After the Saturday, MTRI event (see previous post) it was time for us to get outside on Sunday. We headed to Valley View Park; en route we happened to stop at the Paradise Christmas Craft sale. It was an opportunity to catch up with local authors: Bob Bent, Jane Baskwill and Anne Crossman. I also picked up a second hand souvenir of Evangeline Country by Longfellow and Jane’s ‘Together in Time’ set in Roxbury.

We stopped at the Park for a short walk. Followed by the coastal drive from Hampton , Port Lorne, Cottage Cove, Port George and home.

Later in the afternoon, we needed to pick up British fare – Weetabix and Branston pickles at Sobeys. It was an excuse for a stop at Kingston park for a local walk.

We were in Kingston again, the next day, to drop off snow tyres at Andy’s Tyres. While we waited, we took the opportunity to walk down to the Green Elephant. It was the perfect stop for a coffee and date square, mid-afternoon. We noted that the Kingston library was closed. However we did window shop the restaurants and wine/beer making on the Main Street.

Returning to Andy’s Tyres, we learned that we will need new snow tyres. They can be installed mid-December. Ready for the Christmas run to New Glasgow.

References

Bob Bent. 2025. Broken Hearts and Longing for Home. Self -published.

Jane Baskwill. 2012. Together in Time. In Sych Books.

Anne Crossman. 2025. Commonplace. Moose House Publications.

HW Longfellow. 1952. Evangeline. A Souvenir of the Evangeline Country. Art Multigraphers Ltd.

Postscript.

At the same stand, they had an old copy of Ernest Buckler’s The Mountain and the Valley. I should have picked it up, for old times sake.

Edward is still away in Florida. Sorry, no graphics

Today, we attended the MTRI Biodiversity Conservation showcase at the Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS). This proved to be an excellent agenda at the perfect location. I was impressed by the catering and the familiar facilities at COGS in Lawrencetown. Midway, between the resources at Acadia University and the resources at MTRI, CARP and at Kejimkujik National Park.

Besides the presentations in the AV room. There were student poster presentations in the Gymnasium. I was able to pick up the SW Nova Biosphere Times, Volume 4, Issue 1 and the Clean Annapolis River Project Native Plant Guide for Stormwater Gardens. The only shortcoming , for me, was a lack of presentations on the application of Geomatics technology to our local geography.

Yesterday, we stopped at the ARTSPLACE Gallery in Annapolis Royal. Two exhibitions of interest were the relationship between AI and Art; and Bev Wigney, Rewild: the Art and Science. Unfortunately, I believe the exhibition ends today.

The common ground is citizen science, as represented by Save Our Old Forests (SOOF) Association.

From Round Hill, Wigney shared her experience audio-monitoring of birds, trail cameras, nature journaling and Rewilding a property.

References

September 2025. Restoration in the Biosphere. SW Nova Biosphere Times Volume 4 Issue 1.

Clean Annapolis River Projects’ Native Plant Guide for Stormwater Gardens. Published by CARP.

This week, I visited GekkoTech in Berwick. I needed to replace my iPad. The challenge was gaining familiarity with the new interface. Fortunately, Jason was able to ‘hold my hand’ through the transition.

This morning, I stopped at COGS to obtain information on the 2025 MTRI Biodiversity Conservation Showcase ( November 22nd at COGS).

Congratulations to MTRI and COGS. I hope that we will continue to see integration between Landscape Management science and Geomatics (GIS and RS) technology.

After COGS, we stopped at Bees Knees. I wanted to thank them for securing my debit card. I had misplaced it, in my excitement to go to Kejimkujik National Park (see previous blog).

On the writing front, I was pleased to find the latest book of short stories by Bob Bent. I savoured the first story ‘Wildwood Flower’. It reminded me so much of Heather. As indeed, did last night’s The Nature of Things on CBC, the first person narrative by Natalia Rybzynski

From the Middleton library, through inter-library loan: Dervla Murphy. Full Tilt. Ireland to India with a Bicycle.

At Bees Knees, this morning, I was able to pick up the current Bridgetown Reader. Meanwhile, in the Register, Anne Crossman emphasized the importance of libraries in the Valley ( see this week’s column).

Acknowledgements

Jason at GekkoTech, Nina Newington on the MTRI Biodiversity Conservation showcase, Anne Crossman, Bob Bent, Pam Ellis at the Bridgetown library, David MacLean at COGS.

References

Bob Bent 2025. Broken Hearts and Longing for Home. Digby Print and Promo.

Dervla Murphy. 1965. Full Tilt. Ireland to India with a bicycle. Eland London