Ernest Blair Experiment

Saturday, besides the celebration of the Blue Jays win, was a day to celebrate local.

The owner, Howard Selig, joins the twenty or so attendees at the CORAH men’s fitness class on Friday mornings.

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This week, Heather has been preoccupied with the oak and maple leaves falling onto the lawns. The first task was to take a dozen bags of leaves to the Valley Waste facility in Lawrencetown. Certainly, our leaf pile would make good mulch.

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From the dump to BeesKnees; it seems that they do significant baking on Friday evening for sale on Saturday morning. We purchased sausage rolls for lunch.

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Across the road, the library was open. I found a couple of interesting items: the 100th edition of Atlantic Books Today, published in 2024, but still relevant and free. Also, I checked out ‘Out Home: a step back in Time. A Community History of West Dalhousie, from Military Settlement to Today’, edited by Rachel Brighton. West Dalhousie has been top of mind, with the recent Long Lake fire. Earlier in the week, we took the drive from West Dalhousie to Perotte. The colours were stunning!

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My Keen boots have been wearing out. This required a visit to Maxwell’s Quality Footwear at the Greenwood Mall. I found a new pair, plus laces for the old shoes.

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The final stop, on the way back home to Middleton was Spurr Brothers. They were celebrating everything Halloween, with lots of pumpkins and live music.

We capped off the day with a visit by John Wightman with a growler of Brickyard Red from Lunn’s Mill. The light across the field was fantastic, along with the reds and orange of the oaks and maple.

Acknowledgements.

Thanks to Edward for graphics and links. He will be away for the next month in Florida.

Reference

Out Home: A Step Back in Time: A Community History of West Dalhousie, from Military Settlement to Today, 2011, Edited by Rachel Brighton.

Last Saturday, I attended the NSCC Open House at both COGS and Middleton. The event is designed to provide information on the programs at all NSCC locations in the province.

Aside from going online, my approach was to pick up the one page description for each program. Depending on previous education, a student can obtain a certificate, a diploma or a graduate certificate (click HERE for 2025-2026 program list).

Certificate (2)
GIS Technician
Survey Technician.

Diploma (3)
Geomatics Engineering Technology
GIS – Cartography and Geovisualization
IT programming

Graduate Certificate (4)
Geospatial Data Analytics
GIS – Remote Sensing
Marine Geomatics
Geographic Information Systems

At the Middleton campus I had hoped to obtain an update on the Applied Geomatics Research Group (AGRG) and the relationship to the post-graduate degree in Applied Geomatics at Acadia University. The focus of the open house in Middleton, however, was on the trades and nursing.

At COGS, there were some displays on visualization and the application of drone technology.

My time at COGS covered the period 1980-1988, when the college had three departments: Computer Programming, Surveying and Cartography ( including Planning). Later, I returned to establish AGRG (2000-2011).

With hindsight, it is remarkable that the college has been able to maintain its excellence in GIS, Remote Sensing, Surveying, Cartography at a specialized campus, in rural Nova Scotia, within the NSCC.

The one question that remains for me, as we approach fifty years in the application of geomatics technology:

“Why has this centre of technology education excellence not translated into a centre of excellence in the application of these tools for municipal government and landscape management?”

Through a ‘community information Utility’ or as a part of ‘the creative rural economy‘? We are still missing our ‘sense of place’ and the optimization of our unique landscape/geography.

Postscript

Andrew and Chelsea from the Library put together an excellent historical map display in the COGS board room, based on the Walter Morrison collection. I met David Woolnough, past-Principal at COGS, and Monica Lloyd, Academic Chair at COGS, at the Open House.

Last weekend, we went to New Glasgow. This allowed us to walk in Trenton Park, and along the beach at Melmerby. Every time we visit, we reflect on the need for something similar in Annapolis County (see previous posts A Tale of two Geographies and Pictou Visit).

With the rainfall, the Province and County have lifted the fire ban. We can look forward to those longer walks at Valley View Park, Delaps Cove and Riverside Park in Middleton.

Another regular activity in Pictou County is to visit the deCoste Centre.

It includes a library, theatre as well as an art gallery. Both the park and the Centre are well supported by multiple levels of government funding.

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This morning, a scam to inform me that funds were going to be transferred from my credit card to China. Curiously, I had noticed an increase in blog readership statistics from China.

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On Saturday, COGS in Lawrencetown and the NSCC in Middleton are hosting their Open House. I am always interested in curriculum change since my retirement on 22-11-11: new Geomatics technology, new applications of the tools to a changing global environment.

This morning (Sunday) started with a red fox walking across the backyard. In preparation for Thanksgiving, I shall be making an apple crisp to take to New Glasgow. The apples from Paradise arrived on our doorstep, courtesy of Sinead, who, with Rob, purchased Andrew’s farm and orchard on Highway #201.

On Friday, Heather decided to cash in a gift card from her Dad, at Winners in New Minas. This proved to be a cultural shift from the stores in Middleton. In characteristic fashion, I browsed the books on sale; while Heather checked out clothing and furniture.

I found two relevant texts at bargain prices.

Mark Carney’s, Value(s) Building a Better World for All.
Malcolm Gladwell’s, Revenge of the Tipping Point.

I started with the Carney tome (600 pages). Obviously, my interest was the values espoused by our Prime Minister.

It started out well (p.3) with a parable by Pope Francis.

Our meal will be accompanied by wine. Now wine is many things. It has bouquet, colour and richness of taste that all complement the food. It has alcohol that can enliven the mind. Wine enriches all of our senses. At the end of the feast, we have grappa. Grappa is one thing: alcohol. Grappa is wine distilled.

He continued:

Humanity is many things -passionate, curious, rational, altruistic, creative, self-interested. But the market is one thing: self-interested. The market is humanity distilled.

And then he challenged us.

Your job is to turn grappa back into wine, to turn the market back into humanity. This isn’t theology. This is reality. This is truth.

By page 20, I was stuck on ‘ Perspectives of Value – Objective Value. I will try again after ‘Thanksgiving’.

References

Mark Carney, 2021, Value (s): Building a Better World for All, Penguin Random House.

Malcom Gladwell, 2024, Revenge of the Tipping Point, Little, Brown and Company.

Acknowledgements

Sinead for the apples from the orchard. John Stewart for the gift card. Edward and Heather for their contributions.

Following the 40th Anniversary Celebration, I have had the time to read the various handouts (see post Delap’s Cove Wilderness Trail Part 1).

“The Delap’s Cove Wilderness Trail has been designated an Amazing Place within the UNESCO Southwest Nova Biosphere Region Association. The Amazing Place program recognizes public locations of significance for their beauty, unique natural features, biodiversity, and cultural and historical aspects.”

“Delaps Cove Wilderness Trail meanders through forested ecosystems before emerging along the coastal shoreline of the famous Bay of Fundy. The trail system includes two trails: Bohaker Trail and Charlies Trail.”

“The area surrounding the trail system was once a thriving Black Settlement with, at one time, close to 70 inhabitants. Census records show that the community was in existence since at least 1838.”

From Dustin Stevenson, Delaps Cove Black Indian Pioneer Society, I found it easy to relate to the NORTH quadrant of the Smudging Ceremony handout (see diagram).

Old Age
Purity and Wisdom
Great Place for Healing
Dreamtime
Growing and Looking Deep
Understanding the Wisdom that was given
Stop and Listen
Data Collection. Data Analysis. Writing.

In the centre of the circle: Aboriginal Peoples, Teachers, Elders, Community

Acknowledgements

Edward added the graphic and links. Cliff Drysdale (Southwest Nova Biosphere Region) clarified some of the terminology.

References

County of Annapolis brochure: Delaps Cove Wilderness Trail.
Amazing Places: check: swnovabiosphere.ca

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.

This week our life has been defined by the forest fires.

On Monday, we decided to drive along the Fundy shore to French Cross and Morden. This gave us splendid views of Isle Haute. On driving back down into the Valley, we noticed smoke on South Mountain. This proved to be the beginning of the Lake George fire.

Tuesday, being frustrated by the Fire Ban in Annapolis County, we decided to check out Kejimkujik National Park. Fortunately, we were allowed to walk the Peter Point trail (1.9 km. each way). On Wednesday, we took a short walk on the Kingston trail in Kings County.

Luckily, I had my Men’s fitness class at CORAH with Sandy Murray on Friday.

Later in the day, we stopped at the Bridgetown Library and discussed the walking situation with the Librarian. She suggested van Tassel Lake in Digby County. Fortunately, we had our Nova Scotia atlas in the car. We will save the visit for another day.

Instead, we went up to Valley View Park. The campground was open and we could stop at lookout and enjoy the landscape of Bridgetown, both the agriculture in the Valley, and the forests of South Mountain.

This reminded us not only of Buckler’s ‘Mountain and the Valley’ but also Robert MacFarlane’s ‘The Wild Places’. His chapters include Beechwood, Island, Valley, Moor, Forest, River-mouth, Cape, etc.. Could we identify similar places in Southwestern Nova Scotia? Of course.

After our conversation with the Librarian, Heather suggested we donate a Nova Scotia Atlas to the Bridgetown Library. I had a parallel thought, I wonder how many people know about the maps at COGS (eg the Church maps)? (see also posts Community Engagement, Community Information Utility: Its Time Has Come)

In conclusion, perhaps this blog should be titled ‘Trail by Fire’. When we visited Keji Park it was astounding to see how dry were the leaves of the trees along Highway #8.

References

The Nova Scotia Atlas, seventh Edition, 2019, Formac Publishing.

Robert MacFarlane, 2008, The Wild Places, Penguin Books.

Acknowledgements

Heather shared the travels. Edward added the graphics and links.
Thanks to both of them.

This week my older brother, Peter, came for a visit to rural Nova Scotia. He lives in Toronto.

We picked him up at the airport on Monday; he returned on Friday.

The diversity of species in flower, the well-labelled plants, the carefully raked gravel paths. We stopped at the Elm Tree Café for a morning coffee and treat. Afterwards, we drove up to Hillsburn and enjoyed a late lunch of chowder at the Crow’s Nest restaurant.

In the Valley, we visited the Green Elephant in Kingston, Bees Knees in Lawrencetown, Endless Shores bookstore in Bridgetown, stopped at Hampton Beach and Port George. For local food, we picked up vegetables at Gouchers and Spurr Brothers.

Thursday was a beautiful sunny day. We decided to take Highway #10 from Middleton to Bridgewater. The road was empty. The trees were a mass of red and orange colours.

First stop was Lunenburg. Peter has been in the Canadian publishing business, all of his life.

The combination of new and second-hand books, carefully curated, makes for an enjoyable shop (see post Heading to the South Shore).

I found Robert MacFarlane, The Wild Places (also, see post Orwell’s Nose). Heather found Soren Bondrop- Nielsen and Riley Scanlan, The Wabanaki Forest: Connecting with and Appreciating the Forests of the Maritimes.

We ended the week driving to the airport, and then continuing on to New Glasgow to visit family.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Peter. His visit gave us the opportunity to share memories and make new memories in the rural Nova Scotia landscape. Heather shared details of our life in the country. Edward added the graphics and links, in a masterful fashion.

References

Robert MacFarlane, 2007, The Wild Places, Penguin Books.

Soren Bondrop-Nielsen and Riley Scanlan, 2025, The Wabanaki Forest: Connecting with and Appreciating the Forests of the Maritimes, Blomidon Field Naturalists.

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West Dalhousie Note

For weeks, we have been wondering about the fire damage in West Dalhousie.

Yesterday, (Saturday), we noticed that Morse Road, outside of Bridgetown, was open.

In 1980, Heather, I and our two young sons, Patrick and Andrew, rented the Buckler house from Bill O’Neill. It was at the intersection of the West Dalhousie Road and the Morse Road. Bill and I would car-pool down to COGS every day. I think, once per week, the boys would go to Bridgetown to day-care at Mrs Saunders. A year or two later, we bought a house in East Clarence between the Elliot’s and the van Roestel’s. It is no longer standing.

When we arrived in West Dalhousie, we noticed several houses had been destroyed. The good news was that the Buckler house was still intact (see post EBLES Meeting). We went to the Community Centre. It too had survived the fire.

Around the community, there were stretches of road, with standing fire damaged trees. Fortunately, the fire fighters had been extremely resourceful. There were signs, saying Thank You.

Reassured, we returned down the Morse Road to Highway #201, with a heavy heart, and back to Middleton.

The fire ban still exists in Annapolis County. Yesterday, we went to Kingston to take a short walk in Kings County. Today (Sunday) we pulled out a map of Middleton. I had picked it up at the Town Hall. Produced by Shawn Rea 2021, NSCC COGS. This allowed us to find a pleasant walk to the Rotary Park, and return along Connaught Avenue. Now, if only, we could discipline ourselves to do it every day.

On Friday, I attended the GoGeomatics industry panel at COGS. The panelists were Jon Murphy, Ted MacKinnon, Tim Webster and Colin MacDonald. The technology for in-person and on-line participation was handled by Dave MacLean.

Two things stood out for me, First, Jon’s discussion of data sovereignty. This is significant, particularly, given the relationship between Esri and the application of Arc/Info. COGS has always had a close relationship with the vendor in Redlands, California. Historically, many COGS graduates were recruited by Esri to serve the American market.

The second topic of interest was Tim Webster’s presentation on the application of remote sensing for mapping the coastal zone of Atlantic Canada, in relation to climate change, and Wind West.

Tim also showed a number of satellite images of the Long Lake fire, identifying hot spots and property damage. This certainly added to our geographic understanding of the forest fire.

This afternoon( Sunday), Jeannie Barteaux (Shoveller) will pick us up to see Romeo and Juliette. Stage to Screen at Kings Theatre, Annapolis Royal. This proved be an excellent production.

Acknowledgements

Heather joined me on these excursions. Edward is away in PEI this week.

Yesterday, Debby and Rocky Hebb dropped by our house in Middleton. In preparation, I stopped at Bees Knees in Lawrencetown for some baked goods, i.e. muffins.

Afterwards, I stopped at the Lawrencetown Library to see if it was available. Caleb Miles, checked the catalogue, I could pick it up in Bridgetown.

Today, I stopped at the Bridgetown library before a meeting with Ed Symons at COGS.

On a whim, I again found myself at Bees Knees. The copy for sale was published in 2025. The Library copy was published in 2023. The subtitle for the poetry book is ‘Mother Nature talks; Mankind Balks’.

I stopped at COGS, and checked out new books at the Library.

Tim Marshall, 2021, The Power of Geography: Ten maps that reveal the future of the World, Scribner (see post The Power of Geography).

David Yarnold, 2024, The Geography of Hope: Real-life stories of Optimists; Mapping a Better World, Esri Press.

Acknowledgements

From my conversation with Ed Symons, I look forward to the results from his ongoing Community Mapping project (see Conference Proceedings CCA2018).

References

Joe Beninati, 2025, Shadows I’ve Seen: Mother Nature talks; Mankind Balks, Publisher Joe Beninati.

Jane Baskwill, 2025, Spyglass Secrets, InSync Books.