Category: Uncategorized

(Edward is unavailable for a few days. I decided to publish without the added value of his graphics and links)

This Fall, I realized that my Canadian passport had expired. Today, it was my top priority to obtain new photographs for the next ten years, and obtain the necessary references. We visited Rick’s Frame and Art in New Minas. Later we stopped at the Service Canada office in Kentville.

Not having a valid passport, certainly focuses the mind. Not that we desperately need to travel, especially to the United States. But if there is a family crisis in England or Europe, we are stuck.

With elections south of the border, but also at the federal ( ?), provincial and municipal level there is a certain drive to understand the impact on the community. In our case, this means Middleton and Annapolis County. In rural Nova Scotia do we really need three levels of government ? How does that address the need for services at the local level ? What we need is more creativity in solving local problems, based on accurate, current geographic information, accessible with today’s technology.

Instead we are being fed centralized CBC coverage, loaded with endless advertising for products and services that do not improve our daily lives.

As a sign of the times, Sunday afternoon, we were enjoying a time-out after collecting up bags of Autumn leaves, when we received a knock on the door from our Premier, Tim Houston with David Bowlby , PC Candidate for Annapolis County in tow.

Meanwhile, I am waiting on three books.

I am waiting to receive my copy of Merritt Gibson, Within the View of Blomidon from the Blomidon Naturalists Society (arrived). From the Inside Story, Christopher Murphy, Far Out, and Bruce Partridge The Joy of Looking from MooseHouse Press.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Edward for finding the time to apply his technical skills(ignore). Heather also needed to obtain a new passport, and shared the journey.

Friday, Heather and I had lunch at the Green Elephant with Paul and Ruth ( Colville) and Cliff and Alice (Drysdale).

Paul was very enthusiastic about a new book by Christopher Murphy, Far Out! The untold story of the ‘60s inspired back-to-the-land migration that changed Nova Scotia. The following day, I was able to put my name on a copy at The Inside Story.

Cliff was able to give me an update on the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve Association (SNBRA). He is Vice-Chairman. SNBRA, in collaboration with COGS, has produced an online Nova Scotia Ecological Science Atlas.

This project was initiated in 2017. It is another example of collaboration between the NSCC and the community. It complements similar efforts with MapAnnapolis (check out past posts Crown Lands, Buffer Zone, and AGRG at 20) .

Earlier in the week, I received a call from Russell at MareGold. He had a book ordered in for Heather, 52 weeks of Socks: Beautiful patterns for year-round knitting. While browsing, I found Geoff Nicholson, Walking in Thin Air. A Life Journey in 99 steps. ‘A profound meditation on life, art, walking and immortality’ — Travis Elborough. Already, I am on #82.

Acknowledgements

Thank you, Ruth, Paul, Alice and Cliff. Heather shared in the conversations and subsequent follow up. Edward added the links and graphics.

References

Christopher Murphy, 2024, Far Out, Friesen Press.
Nova Scotia Ecological Science Atlas
52 weeks of Socks, 2020, Hardy Grant Books.
Geoff Nicholson, 2023, Walking on Thin Air, The Westbourne Press.

Postscript

Sad to hear that Gaspereau Press in Kentville is closing down; one of my favourite stops in the Valley (see “Something we may never see the likes of again here.”

Heather joined Christine Heming and others at Granville Ferry hall for a day of Shambala meditation. (Today, Sunday)

This morning, we had to go to Greenwood to pay the bill for furnace maintenance. At this time of year, buying a new house means ensuring that the heating systems are ready for Winter.

Afterwards, we stopped at the Kingston municipal park for a short but colourful walk (read post Happenstance), then stopped at Gouchers for beets and pumpkin.

Final stop at Spurr Brothers in Wilmot for a morning coffee. I picked up a map of the Nova Scotia Cider Route.

“ Nova Scotia Ciders: as unique and beautiful as the land itself. Apples were first cultivated in Canada by early French settlers in the Annapolis Valley with planted trees appearing as far back as 1633. Enjoying significant geographic advantages including proximity to the Bay of Fundy, the ‘Valley’ enjoys more hours of sunshine without getting too hot, and a longer growing season than most places in Atlantic Canada, creating a perfect ecosystem – terroir – for growing apples for cider.”

Spurr Brothers in Wilmot is a must stop for local products and its agricultural vista.

Acknowledgements

Heather shared the Autumn drive. Edward added the graphics and links

Postscript 1

It’s tough to prepare two houses for the Winter season. Fortunately, we are able to enjoy the ‘terroir’ and its products. Today we voted online for the Middleton town council. Finished the afternoon, driving from Bridgetown to West Dalhousie, and across to New Albany on Highway #10 home. Again, the colours are stunning !

Postscript 2 from Edward

These days, maps come via various routes, as with the Mi’kmaw Place Names Digital Atlas QR code. I picked this up during my visit to the Lunenburg library this week.

This is Mi’kmaq Month in Nova Scotia.

Both Bridgetown and Annapolis Royal have walking groups, They meet on Wednesday at 10 am (see The Reader). Heather has joined the Bridgetown walk on occasion.

Today, we started the day with a walk around Riverside Park.

There you can enjoy benches alongside the river and the colours of the maple trees.

To extend our walk, we decided to cross over the river bridge and make the connection to the South Shore Annapolis Valley trails. This allowed us to complete a one hour walk. Returning via the Family Feed Store on Highway #1, before reaching Tim Hortons, the post office and the bank.

The walk could be extended to include the CARP marsh trail, before returning home.

Sunday evening I received a call from Nick Lasch. Nick used to be Director of Planning, Annapolis County Planning Department, in the late ‘80s. He now lives in Ontario. In March, he had sent me a copy of the Municipal Planning Strategy, dated Fall 1988. I had promised to return it to him, but with our move, the document had languished in a desk drawer.

Now with my interest in a Community Information Utility (CIU) it is a good time to ask the following questions.

What happened to the Municipal Planning Strategy (36 years later)?
Would the community (aka Annapolis County) support the development of a CIU?

Given my recent experience in Pictou, what is the likelihood of a similar collaboration in Annapolis County — to include Annapolis Royal, Bridgetown, Lawrencetown and Middleton?

In the meantime, Heather and I shall continue to explore, by bicycle or by foot, the South Shore Annapolis Valley Trails .

We went to New Glasgow on the weekend to celebrate John’s 95th. Birthday (Heather’s Dad). On the way home we turned off Highway #101 at Berwick. I wanted to check out Harbourville on the Fundy shore.

It is a delightful, isolated harbour focused on crafts and fishing. How many of these communities can be found off the beaten track?

(Harbourville watercolour by Edward)

On our return to the Valley, we passed through Burlington. The site of one of our protests against the spraying with glyphosate (read a previous post: Citizen Celebration in Burlington). It is that season; once again the provincial government ignores the concerns of its rural citizens.

This week GoGeomatics Canada is hosting back-to-school events for the education community.

There will be presentations at COGS in the AV Room, 3-4:30 pm on Friday. Followed by a meet and greet at the Capitol Pub in Middleton, 5 pm onwards. This is an annual event promoted by Jon Murphy and GoGeomatics Canada across the country. Jon graduated from COGS in the early 2000’s, alongside Ted MacKinnon and many others.

My interest remains in the application of these technologies to the local economy, whether agriculture, forestry, fisheries, mining or tourism. Decisions on rural economic development are contingent on current geographic information detailing the local landscape and the people.. Fortunately, COGS (and the NSCC) has access to current technology, faculty, students and researchers, who can apply these tools to our understanding of the modern rural economy.

One of the interested buyers of our Paradise property wanted to take the trail up to the Inglisville Road. Today, we checked out the trail condition and markers.

We made it easily to the powerline. Afterwards, we spent time finding the linkage to the property boundary. Fortunately, we had hired Grant McBurney, surveyor at COGS, to mark the eastern boundary with a series of red posts and monuments. At the top of the mountain, we followed the stone wall field boundary to the Inglisville Road.

The return to our house was simple. Follow the road until you reach the junction with Highway #201. Head east to home.

In the future interested parties can follow our flagging tape or request an escort service. The total trip lasted over two hours. Heather and I benefitted from the exercise, as well as memories of earlier walks. Highlights would be the stands of mature hemlocks, and the rich flora of lichens and fungi.

When the property sells we shall miss the walks. Instead, we shall have to find the equivalent closer to Middleton.

Heather and I have been reading books on the importance of walking on the aging process, especially memory loss.

Today’s challenge was to return to Paradise and walk through Andrew’s property (#6325) down to the Annapolis River and across to the old Lawrencetown tree nursery. We wanted to check on the condition of the trail, as well as any cutting by Nova Scotia Lands and Forest.

After checking the trail through Andrew’s property (now owned by Rob and Sinead) I returned to #6326 and took the Z-track for a drive down to the Triangle field. This will keep the route open for the current owners.

Heather and I used this trail to conduct guided walks through the property (See post Preparing for Experiential Tourism). This was organized in conjunction with Celes Davar, Earth Rhythms. There is a short piece in the September issue of the Grapevine on his work on Regenerative Tourism in the Annapolis Valley.

Given the logistics of the house move, I have had little time for reading. This week, I did manage to finish Paul Colville’s Return to Belleisle. Paul had given me a copy a few weeks ago. In particular, I was intrigued by the historical fiction, where he had added a cast of characters to historical events in the Belleisle region. It made me want to understand in more detail the changes in the population and the landscape and to see a map of those changes over the last 250 years. Today, I see evidence of the earlier Acadian presence, but also the livelihood of Rob Warren and his maple syrup business.

I think our next walk will be from our property on Highway #201 up the mountain to the Inglisville Road. That is for another day. And keep ‘walking the talk’.

References

Paul Colville, 2024, Return to Belleisle, Printwright Printing Services, Bridgetown.

Awakening Regenerative Tourism in the Valley, September 2024, The GrapeVine.

Acknowledgements

Edward added the links and graphics. Paul Colville provided a copy of his new book. Celes Davar commented on Regenerative Tourism in the Valley.

Driving the Morse Road from Bridgetown to West Dalhousie is always a pleasure. It makes me aware of Ernest Buckler’s geography from an earlier time.

Our objective was to attend SOOF—STOCK.

We arrived mid-morning, missing the Old Growth forest walk with Donna Crossland (see also previous posts Saving Forests and Burned: are trees the new coal).

In the hall, I noted the Ernest Buckler Memorial Library and photographed several posters on the history of West Dalhousie: churches, schools and community.

On Sunday, I stopped at the Forest market in Annapolis Royal. Nina Newington provided an update on SOOF-STOCK; Danny Bruce gave an update on the status of agriculture in Annapolis County.

Afterwards, we decided to drive down to the South shore on Hwy#8 to Liverpool, Bridgewater and Mahone Bay. Kejimkujik National Park and Mahone Bay were crowded with tourist visitors. However, Hwy#8 was eerily quiet.

Today stopped at the COGS library and signed out Joanna Taylor’s and Ian Gregory’s Deep Mapping of the Literary Lake District, A Geographical Text Analysis.

Can we imagine Deep Mapping of the Literary Annapolis Valley ?

From Jack Dangermond, by email, a reference to James Follows and Deborah Follows 2018. Our Towns: a 100,000 mile journey into the Heart of America. Off to inter-library loan.

(See also a longer, detailed presentation of Our Towns, HERE)

Acknowledgements

Chelsea and Andrew at COGS Library for the Deep Mapping text. Jack for the reference to the Follows’ book. Edward has added the graphics and links.

Today (Friday) we returned to the house in Paradise. We wanted to weed the front vegetable garden. This allowed us to find potatoes, tomatoes and onions. Later in the day, Lorie, our real estate agent was showing the house. Perhaps the visitors will realize the care and affection we have for #6326.

We decided to walk the Marsh/CARP trail in Middleton to loosen up limbs

Just as we were returning to the parking lot, Heather noticed a small purple flower.

It was Agalinis neoscotica. She had spent her graduate research at the University of Guelph on the genetics of this species.

Energized by our discovery, we went back to the Centennial Park by the elementary school. Again we found Agalinis neoscotica, along the abandoned rail line. This is the type location for this elusive species. It is the only plant with neoscotica as its species epithet (see previous posts, Brier Island , Biogeography, and Middleton False Foxglove)

These discoveries make us feel that Middleton is ‘our home’ too.

I am still thinking about economic development in rural Nova Scotia : the relationship between geography and economy. The most obvious context is the history of geographic information systems and the role of COGS.

For example, in Great Village, Nova Scotia there is the EB House; a writer’s retreat dedicated to Elizabeth Bishop (see post Geography III). Can we imagine a “Geographers Retreat” dedicated to the legacy of Roger Tomlinson? It could be in Lawrencetown or Paradise, supported by the Geographic Information System industry e.g. Esri and Esri Canada.

“The Power of Place” or in Greg Baeker’s terminology ‘the creative rural economy’.

Acknowledgements

Thank you Edward Wedler. His contribution : links, images and research demonstrates the value of collaborative research. Much appreciated.