Posted in Art, Nature, Photo Essay, Travel

Footsteps East  our 5,000 km plein air journey

Posted on by Edward Wedler

Plein air art saved us from disaster — and may have even saved our lives!

A massive, cracking thunderstorm with torrential rain struck our campsite. 

At the time, we were painting about 20 km south; in Petit-Saguenay, Quebec, a fjordic region of Canada. Mountainous landslides washed out the only access road back to our campsite. About 200 campers, their tents and RVs were left stranded. They had to be airlifted/ boated out. Tragically, two were swept out to sea and lost their lives. It took over a week to be safely escorted back to camp so we could retrieve our tent and gear. What a start to our 5,000 km plein air trek through eastern Canada!

We planned to travel through landscapes painted 100 years ago by Canadian artists Tom Thomson and members of The Group of Seven — from Nova Scotia to northern Lake Superior and back — and to explore our painting styles.

In Ontario, we visited quaint towns that offered mouth-watering bakery products and parks made famous for their breathtaking topography. In Killarney we hiked “The Crack”; the most rugged trail in the La Cloche Mountain Range.

And canoed the lakes. We travelled by rail up The Agawa Canyon. In Neys and Pakawaska we painted near a WWII prisoner-of-war camp. On our return, we enjoyed camp-time with our daughter and grandchildren and painted the farmlands of Huron County.

Every day, our Footsteps East journey remains crystal clear — the squeal of soaring hawks, the fragrance of pine-filled valleys, the fresh breath of morning air along the rocky shoreline of Georgian Bay and the many spectacular skies.
 

That’s the beauty of plein air art. Every moment is treasured and fully experienced. Even better is when the journey is shared with art lovers and adventurers; locally and from around the globe.

“Little Island, Petite Saguenay” plein air oil by Anne Wedler

Our trek’s stories, artwork, videos, and interactive map are on our website at Footsteps East.

So what adventures await? 

“Footsteps Farther East” is where we tented and painted the landscapes of Newfoundland and Labrador in the summer of 2024. For 2025 it may be rural France and Ireland — even farther east.

Originally submitted to Plein Air Magazine’s “Postcards on the Road”
(now revised including images) by Anne and Edward Wedler
“A Plein Air Pair”
wedlerfineart.com

Posted in Uncategorized

Odds and Ends

Posted on by maherrv

After the election recount, David Bowlby is the representative for Annapolis County in the majority PC provincial government
(read my post Joining the Dots).

Heather wanted to investigate the view of our property from the South side of the Annapolis River. We crossed over the bridge to Nictaux and found that we could spot our house and the spire of St Monica’s Catholic Church.

We turned off Highway #10 onto Orchard Drive. It is a cul-de-sac. At the end, we spotted a sign to the Scotney Pathway. When the weather improves, we will check out this addition to our local walks.

Yesterday, I went to CORAH for foot care. I had been living in my hiking boots for too many Winter days. For a reasonable sum, I was able to benefit from the attention of nurse Lillian.

Ann Crossman forwarded to me the link for the Nova Scotia Ecological Science Atlas. “It provides online access to ecological and geographical information for public interest, educators, students, researchers and planners”. It is the result of collaboration between students and staff at the NSCC Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS), and in collaboration with UNESCO Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve Association (SNBRA).

They have developed a web-based platform providing easy access to scientific information for our province. HERE is a link to the Atlas as a StoryMap.

Here is a link to the Atlas as a StoryMap (June 2024).

The online chapters include :
Climate, Geology, Topography, Freshwater, Coastal/Marine, Forests, Biodiversity, Protected/ Special Areas, Agriculture, Community, Culture/History.

Finally, today (Wednesday) I stopped by the Inside Story bookstore in Greenwood, I was able to pick up my copy of Christopher Murphy’s ‘Far Out!’: The Untold Story of the ‘‘60’s-inspired’60s-inspired “Back-to-the-Land” Migration that changed Nova Scotia (see my post Playing Catch Up).

Good reading ahead !

Acknowledgements

Ann Crossman forwarded the online link to the Atlas. Paul Colville piqued my interest in ‘Far Out’. Edward added the links and graphics. Heather found the Scotney Pathway sign.

References

Nova Scotia Ecological Science atlas.

Christopher Murphy, 2024, Far Out! The untold story of the ‘60’s-inspired “Back-to-the-Land” Migration that changed Nova Scotia, Friesen Press.

Posted in Common Place, New thinking

Community Geography

Posted on by maherrv

What is the importance of knowing the geography of your community?

What is the difference between rural and urban geography? In the rural environment, it is possible to understand the changes that happen in the local landscape.

What happens when communication is electronic, and it is not related to place?

With these questions in mind, what is the ‘definition of a ‘community college’? On top of that, what does it mean to manage a ‘centre of geographic sciences’ in a community college context, in a rural landscape?

This leads my thinking to CORAH. A Centre of Rural Aging and Health. What exactly is rural aging? Aging in Place? Where does technology fit into the picture? What is the relationship between health in a rural landscape, when compared to an urban landscape?

Certainly, there are many citizens who elect to live in a rural landscape, where it is easier to monitor the changes in the wildlife populations, old growth forests, agricultural practices. Human densities are lower. There are less of the trappings of the ‘built’ environment.

Recently, I have been exploring ‘hidden treasures’ (see posts Hidden Treasures, Landscape and Food, Treasure Hunt and Micro Adventure) in its various forms. Paul Colville informs me that there are painted rocks at the Margaretsville wharf.

Edward has challenged me to define the role of community in understanding our local geography, our sense of place. To complement the role of our educational institutions.

Many years ago, we instituted this relationship with MapAnnapolis.

Perhaps it’s time for a second thought, with CORAH in mind, as well as the changes in access to new technologies.

Certainly, Edward and myself would be happy to join others in the community to see what is possible. We have all the elements. We just need to continue the conversation.

Posted in Travel

Back to our Roots

Posted on by maherrv

Despite snow on the ground, we went for our customary walk in Valley View Park. On our way back home to Middleton, we took Highway #201 through Paradise and drove past our old house, #6326.

We had noticed changes to the garage and studio. There was a sign ‘Back to our Roots’. The new owners had moved from Deep Brook, bringing their business; the making and the sale of candles.

We are encouraged to see small manufacturing moving into Annapolis County.

Having owned #6326 for the last twenty four years, we continue to return to our roots. For me, that is a journey from suburban London to the geography of Canada. That includes living in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta and BC. For Heather, the starting point was Toronto followed by Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland etc.

For both of us, the driving force has been the landscape; especially memorable has been the time in Iqaluit, Churchill, Haida Gwaii and Sable Island. Globally, shorter stints in California, Indonesia, China and South Africa.

Now, we can legitimately say, we have returned to our roots. One of these days, we shall drop in, buy a candle, to light our path.

Acknowledgements.

Thank you Heather and Edward for sharing the journey.

References

Back to our Roots Candles, https://www.backtoourroots.ca

Posted in Book Review, Event Review, Travel

Sustainable Publications

Posted on by maherrv

With a lifetime of books in the basement, I am trying to determine which ones are ‘sustainable publications’ and those categories of books that are no longer necessary.

This set me thinking about newspapers and magazines. In the category of ‘sustainable’ I would include the weekly, Bridgetown Reader, and monthly, The Grapevine.

In the online class, I would include Emergence Magazine, The Marginalian and The Oldie.

This week, we have learned that there will be a recount for the two Liberal ridings held by Zach Churchill and Carman Kerr (see Close Race).

For my last blog, I sent Edward three photographs from the Rotary Riverside Park in Middleton.

They showed the memorial tree placement,

the yoga stations

and the watch that Heather found on the trail and placed on a tree (shown circled). This is consistent with the treasure-hunting theme (see Treasure Hunting).

Acknowledgement

Heather, likewise, has a significant collection of sustainable publications. Edward added the photographs.

POSTSCRIPT
Sunrise over the Annapolis River

Posted in Event Review

Close Race

Posted on by maherrv

On Wednesday morning I sent out an email to the family. Heather and I had voted for the incumbent candidate in the provincial election. Carman Kerr was ahead by three votes. Our votes do count!

Later in the day, I had to change my tune, the final count was David Bowlby by seven votes.

While I appreciate the good work by Carman for the residents of Annapolis County, it may be advantageous that our new representative is with the ruling party. He certainly possesses good credentials.

This week has been hard for rural residents. The media is full of political disputes at all levels—provincial, national, and North American. Combine this fact with the changes in delivery. It is perhaps not surprising that the CBC continues to load up on its advertising as we approach the Christmas season.

We have taken to daily walks at the Rotary Riverside Park. A couple of weeks ago , Heather found a watch on the trail. Perhaps the owner will reclaim it from its riverside perch. More hidden treasures (read Treasure Hunting)!

On the reading front, I found Pico Iyer’s “Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells” at the Lawrencetown library.

What struck me, were the maps of Japan on the inside cover. I do like ‘local’. I do enjoy Iyer’s writing style and content.

Acknowledgements

Heather and I have made it through an intense, political week. Time to head up to New Glasgow, weather permitting. Thanks to Edward for his support and collaboration.

References

Pico Iyer, 2019, Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells, Knopf Borzoi Books.

POSTSCRIPT

Neck and neck.

With just seven votes separating the two front runners in our Annapolis Riding, a recount is required by election rule. It’s not over until the recount is completed in a few days. Alarmingly, only about 47% of eligible voters voted.

Posted in Uncategorized

Treasure Hunting

Posted on by maherrv

We went to Kingston this morning for a walk in the park. There we discovered Roscoe, the rock snake.

Afterwards, on our return, we pulled off Highway #101 to admire the rows of pumpkins, snaking across the field.

On another note, Frank Fox forwarded a YouTube link from England; an interview between James O’Brien and Guy Shrubsole about his book ‘The Lie of the Land‘.

‘Revealing how a small wealthy elite controls half of England’s land while claiming to be custodians of the countryside’.

From GoGeomatics Canada, I received a notice about LiDAR CANEX 2025.

The moderator is Tim Webster, Research Scientist with the Applied Geomatics Research Group (AGRG) in Middleton.

At The Inside Story bookstore in Greenwood, I noticed that most of the books by local authors, referenced in my previous blog post, were on display and available.

Reference

Guy Shrubsole, 2024, The Lie of the Land: who really cares for the countryside, Harper Collins

Acknowledgements

Edward contributed the links and graphics. Frank forwarded the interview with Guy Shrubsole, Jon Murphy, the notice on LiDAR CANEX 2025. Heather shared the discovery of the rock snake and the field of pumpkins.

Posted in Book Review, New thinking, Uncategorized

A Geography of Annapolis County

Posted on by maherrv

Saturday was a dreary wet day. In The Reader, I noticed a book signing at Endless Shores in Bridgetown. It was a good excuse for a short drive. We met Cate Wilding. She lives in Port Lorne and has written three novels.

While at the bookstore, I picked up a flier ‘Great Reading Ideas for the Holidays’. It features Allison Maher’s “The Last of Firsts“, DJ Wiseman’s “Cara Rosa” and Sheila Graham-Smith’s “The View from Errisbeg“.

This set me thinking, about the relationship between authors and landscape and goes back to my abiding interest in Ernest Buckler and ‘The Mountain and the Valley’ (read my post The Mountain and the Valley).

What is the relationship between ‘place’ and our perception of ‘geography’?

Given the physical location of COGS (The Centre of Geographic Sciences) in Annapolis County, would there be merit in a book on ‘The Geography of Annapolis County’? (see earlier post Geobiography and the Annapolis Valley)

How would I define Geography?

Going back to my days at the University of Birmingham, it would include:
Physical Geography: Geomorphology, Biogeography, Climatology.
Economic Geography: Transportation, Settlement Infrastructure, Land Use
Resource Management: Agriculture, Forestry, Mining, Fishing.
Historical Geography, Regional Geography plus the various methodologies: Cartography, GIS, and Remote Sensing.

Saturday evening, I shared my thoughts over a beer with John Wightman. In particular, I was interested in the different trajectories of the towns: Annapolis Royal, Bridgetown, and Middleton, and the lack of a coherent vision.

Annapolis Valley

I was also interested in the definition of the region. What are the real differences between Annapolis County and Kings County? Would it be better to look at the Annapolis Valley as a Bioregional entity? (see also Island of Hope: the Annapolis Valley, Rewilding the Annapolis Valley, A Vision for the Annapolis Region and The Valley Brand)

John, correctly, expressed a concern that today, rather than think in terms of a book, we need to think in terms of an ‘online electronic presence’.

This led me to Bridgetown on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I wanted to photograph the site of the new building at Mountain Lea Lodge.

Photo by Bob Maher

What are the implications for the economic development of Bridgetown? If the Liberal party was successful in the provincial election, would we see a new hospital in town? Could Bridgetown become a centre of excellence in the long-term care for the elderly and infirmed? Would this attract a new generation of healthcare professionals to the Annapolis Valley? Would they be interested in understanding the Geography of Annapolis County? Would this expand the course offerings and the student population at the Annapolis Campus of the NSCC?

As always, comments welcome.

Posted in Common Place, New thinking

Treasure Hunt

Posted on by maherrv

Yesterday, Heather and I walked in Valley View Park.

I did not take my phone or iPad. On the walk, we discovered some interesting stones. One thing led to another.

Today we returned to the Park with my iPad. I took the following photographs.

Can you find the treasure ?

Today, I had a second iteration. I noticed some stones at COGS. Again, this could provide material for a second treasure hunt (or geocache).

Let’s take the concept to a higher level. Imagine you wanted to engage students at COGS in exploring the landscape of Annapolis County. You could locate ‘geocache’ or treasures on various trails, bicycle routes, canoe routes etc. The treasures should be hidden on accessible public land.

Would this be a way to engage students at COGS with the surrounding community? Conversely, could this engage the community with resident students?

The common denominator would be a better understanding of our landscape.

The end result could be a book of hidden treasures of the Annapolis Valley. Ideally, the treasures would be natural features. They could be viewpoints or picnic sites too.

POSTSCRIPT FROM EDWARD

I sent a note to Bob, to include the following link and graphic in one of his posts. He hesitated, then wrote, “Please adapt the blog to include the information. I am biased. I do think the Brits have a better handle on Geography, the discipline than Canada“.

This global survey supports his “bias”.

2024 Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects
in GEOGRAPHY
Note how well the UK schools rank. Seven schools in the top 10 tell me they’re doing something right. Maybe COGS should look closely at this to unearth what makes the UK institutes so strong. Going out on a limb here, COGS could adapt or adopt valuable lessons from this ranking (and invite some UK geography talent?). UBC didn’t do too badly.

Posted in Event Review, Opinion, Travel

GIS Day at COGS

Posted on by maherrv

Today, Heather and I went to COGS to celebrate Esri Canada ‘GIS Day in Canada’.

The keynote speaker was Dianne Whalen, an award-winning Canadian filmmaker, photographer, author and public speaker. The topic was ‘500 days in the Wild’.

She described her experience travelling across the country on the Trans-Canada Trail. The longest trail in the world: 24,000 kilometers. It was completed over a period of six years, and included hiking, bicycling, canoeing and skiing.

It was a memorable presentation, with numerous insights into the history and geography of Canada. It is available online.

David MacLean made the GIS Day presentation available online in the AV Room at COGS. We witnessed Alex Miller, President of ESRI Canada, present the Roger Tomlinson, Lifetime Achievement award to Gord Rasmussen, City of Calgary and the Making a Difference award to Cynthia Bettio on the partnership between the community of Stouffville and the local school. Both are well deserved.

The rest of the day included ‘lightening talks’ on AEC, Land Management, Public Safety and Health, Transportation, Utility and Emergency Management, Climate Change and the Environment.

The most shocking aspect of the day was that Heather and I were the only live audience in the AV room. Dave MacLean was available to discuss any technology issues. Everyone else at COGS was, by definition, online. This raises the question. At what point in the learning environment can be totally online? In which case, what is the future of a small college in rural Nova Scotia?

The contrast between Diane Whalen’s description, insights and experiences travelling through the Canadian landscape, and our experience visiting COGS was palpable. What is the value of gathering people into the same (virtual) location, and comparing their sense of Geography?