Category Archives: People and culture

My Big Day Downtown at Argyle Fine Art

This summer I was thrilled to be selected, along some 30 other bloggers, to take part in Big Day Downtown, Downtown Halifax Business Commission’s clever new campaign.

I had $100 to spend any way I wanted in downtown Halifax, “as long as it’s legal” joked Executive Director Paul MacKinnon.

After some consideration, I picked Argyle Fine Art to slap down my VISA card.

I walked in, quickly cased the joint, then walked out.

Walked out!

Was I nuts?

Let’s pause for a second. I resisted the urge to delight my taste buds with the $100 bucks, even passed up the Harbour Hopper (never been) and other fun stuff. Yup, Argyle Fine Art was my pick. So why did I walk out?

I don’t know.

It certainly wasn’t the friendly assistant (Crystal) who was very helpful and sweet. Even when I was trying to remember the name of an artist from Annapolis Valley (duh, like there is only one!) You see, I felt a bit awkward and decided to come back later.

So I went for a walk around Historic Properties,
passed the ferry terminal,
rounded the corner,
and made a bee line for Argyle Fine Art.

Round two.

As soon as I walked through the door Crystal exclaimed excitedly “Ruth Marsh” Yes! That was the artist!

At this time owner Adriana Afford was in the gallery and brought up an email sent earlier from Ruth saying how she was stopping by the store that day to drop off new sketches. That was it. I had to have anything, something of Ruth’s in my possession.

Just as I was mulling over three encaustic tiles (hot bees wax paintings), in walks Ruth with her partner through the door. How awesome to meet this wonderful talented artist! However, things got complicated because Ruth brought the three sketches she mentioned in her email and now it was a toss up between the sparrow, the owl and the rose.

Rock, paper, scissors…Peach Sparrow won (Egg Tempra, Gold Leaf and Encaustic
4″ x 6″).

As my purchase was being wrapped up, I asked Adriana about her 8 year experience as gallery owner and how she started on Argyle Street then moved to the present location in Historic Properties. This gallery has a lot of activity year round, anything from live music performances, short films to art exhibitions can be found here. With a variety of contemporary art by established and emerging Canadian artists, the walls and shelves make you think you should pay admission.

Some of you may be wondering if I went over the $100. Well, I only paid the $15 sales tax.

I learned that this gallery has hidden treasure troves everywhere. With prices ranging from $100 to 6K, tell them what you have in mind and they’ll open up a drawer somewhere and pull out fabulous pieces. Crystal explained that they just can’t display everything so it’s a good idea to give them an idea of what you are looking for and don’t think that what they have on display is only what they have.

I was pleased as punch with my new purchase and my first experience at Argyle Fine Art, topped off with talking to the artist about the meaning behind my painting. This place provides a warm and friendly environment for everyone to enjoy art, learn about art and acquire art.

I will walk in again.

Thanks Big Day Downtown!

Join their very active Facebook page: ARGYLE FINE ART: The ART ADDICTS CLUB

Gallery location:
1869 Upper Water Street, Halifax
902 425 9456 or gallery@argylefa.com

Artist info:
Here’s a picture of Ruth holding Peach Sparrow. Ruth’s work imagines animals in an idealized form and in a sense of despair to motivate us into action to protect them. By portraying them as saints, they are appealing to us for help.

Read Ruth Marsh’s CV.

How to pick mussels

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Important!

Check before you dig! Make sure the area where you plan to harvest shellfish is open. When an area is officially “closed,” it is both illegal and unsafe to harvest shellfish from that area.

Check for shellfish harvesting closures.

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There are many places along the coast of Nova Scotia to pick your very own mussels.

Growing up along the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, picking mussels was one of my favourite pastimes. Some like to keep their mussel patches secret. One wouldn’t want to give away too good of a good thing right? So I’ll explain the “how to”, for now.

Blue mussels can be found in cold and warm waters all over the world, however many of them are found along the coast of Nova Scotia. They are a member of the clam family and are somewhat similar in appearance-except for the blue-black coloring.

Mussels can be picked at low tide. Unlike clams, they grow above the sand amongst seaweed around rocks. One can tell that mussels are in the area by noticing how many empty mussel sheets are lying around. If there are lots of empty shells, then walk to the waters edge, move aside the seaweed around the rocks, and have a look. There is no need to remove the seaweed, it generally stays where you want it to stay. Rocks can be slippery so be careful. If you notice a cluster of mussels, grab one and tug (they can attached themselves firmly to a rock).

In summer-time, mussels’ capacity to filter small particles makes them accumulators of the deadly red tide organism, Gonyaulax. Please check with the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture before mussel picking to make sure your area is safe: aquaculture@gov.ns.ca. Don’t plan on pickin’ until you get the thumbs up!

Once picked, take your bounty home. Wash them well in the sink with cold water and gently tap two together at a time. If they stay tightly closed, they are good to eat. Discard the ones that don’t close and stay open. Now, try this fabulous recipe.

The difference in colour of the meat has nothing to do with a difference in taste. I’m told that the orange meat is a mature female mussel, whilst the pale cream meat mussels are males (or immature females). Yummy.

Blue mussell photo is Courtesy of Sean MacNeill.

Here’s a yummy Curry Cream Mussel recipe

Ferry Boat Tales

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A few weeks ago I met up with a girlfriend for lunch. She works in Dartmouth and I work in Halifax so I agreed to hop on the 12:15 ferry from Halifax to meet her at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth. I had read about a new summer program on the Metro Transit ferry system where actors tell tales of Halifax’s rich seafaring history.

So, on a Tuesday afternoon I paid $2.25 (made sure I got a transfer ticket for the trip back) and caught a Dartmouth-bound ferry. It was a beautiful sunny day so I sat on the top deck to soak in the view and the rays. Minutes after leaving dock, out jumps Jack Tar and his friends. Jumping from seat to seat and telling a story about a battle near Sambro, ferry passengers (once the surprise settled in) soon realized that they were in the middle of an reenactment.

Here we were, in the middle of Halifax Harbour receiving an entertaining history lesson where the harbour itself has been the topic of text books, movies, conversation and so on. Another cool thing was traveling on the oldest salt water ferry service in North America.

It was perfectly choreographed and the length of the story was the exact length of the ferry ride. I didn’t want it to end but I knew my friend was waiting for me and I was hungry.

Ferry Boat Tales is presented by the Halifax Regional Municipality in association with Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Produced by Heritage Explorers and performed by DaPoPo Theatre.

If you go:
July-August – Tuesday to Saturday

To Dartmouth
(Halifax waterfront at the foot of George Street)

12:15 pm 2:15 pm 7:15 pm

To Halifax
(Dartmouth waterfront at Alderney Landing)
12:30 pm 2:30 pm 7:30 pm

Free with transit fare: $2.25 Adult; $1.50 Senior/Child

See more pictures on The Right Coast Nova Scotia’s new Flickr account.

HRM Bike Week 2009

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I love my bike. Last summer I even did a tribute to “My new love”. The challenge of climbing a hill, the thrill of screaming down. Gearing down, gearing up.

Biking to work can be tricky. Halifax streets can sometimes be tough to maneuver but the reward of arriving to work on pedal power feels nice. Coffee tastes better.

So when I heard that HRM Bike Week 2009 is May 29th to June 7th, my pulse quickened like I was biking up Quinpool Road from the Rotary.

There are all kinds of interesting things planned. Like ride your bike to participating small businesses and receive discounts or board any Metro Transit Harbour Ferry or MetroLink bus (certain routes apply) with your bicycle and travel for free during Bike Week. There’s even a Family Picnic on the Commons that’s free from 12:00noon – 2:00pm for people and kids who enjoy cycling in Halifax and those interested in cycling as a family.

Here’s the full schedule for HRM Bike Week 2009.

Watch for the 2009 Edition of the HRM Bike Map – Bicycle Routes and Trails

See you on the street!

NS Eastern Shore boats and buoys

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I grew up in a small fishing village along the eastern shore of Nova Scotia. There where four fishermen in the bay, Guy Boutilier, Jackie Borgel, Guy Power and Peter Connors. Just as the buds on the trees are a sign of spring, so was the launching of the fishing boats in the bay. Men from our community as well from the neighbouring bay were called to help launch the boats from their winter berths to slide down the wooden ramps into the water. Another season had begun.

As kids, we’d set the alarm for 4:30 a.m., head down to the government wharf to meet the fishing crew. My first time was when I was 12. It would also be my last time. I was never so sick in my life. An appreciation for the life of a fisherman was gained that morning as I thought to myself “this must be what it’s like to be near death”. Guy Power was a kind man who thought if he stopped the boat and let me jig mackerel awhile, that I might feel better. Nope.

Driving along the gravel road to Taylor Head Beach lobster buoys dotted the rocky coastline. Locals could tell which buoys belonged to whom by their colour and number.

Two fisherman have since passed away (the two “Guys”) and younger men have taken on the livelihood. Now there are only two boats and they exclusively lobster fish.

2009 Summer Camps in Halifax

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Do you have any plans for the kids this summer while you are at work? Are you a bit like me and panic at the thought of “what am I going to do?” Well, since I don’t have the benefit of an 8 week vacation, here are ideas I’ve gathered and am sharing with you. BTW, this format is similar to one I put together for 2009 March Break Camps.

If I am missing any camps, please let me know and I’ll add it to the list:

Halifax City Soccer Club
Mini Soccer Skills Camp (U6yrs, U8yrs & U10yrs)
Soccer Skills Camp(U10yrs & U12 yrs)
Full day and half day camps at Wickwire Field
Contact: Halifax City Soccer 453-0741

Canadian Parents for French – Nova Scotia
Camp du Soleil – CPF-Dartmouth
Registration info: campdusoleil@gmail.com
Camp Grenouille – CPF-Eastern Passage / Cole Harbour
Registration info: mattandtesa@eastlink.ca
Camp Lac Chocolat – CPF-Halifax Peninsula & Mainland South
Registration info: ardefen@hfx.eastlink.ca
Camp Joli – CPF-Bedford/Sackville
Registration info: cpf_bedford@yahoo.com
Residential camps are being held out of town.

Halifax Recreation
These camps fill up super fast.

Pier 21
Walking the Line
Choose from morning or afternoon (or both) half day camps. Multicultural crafts, games and activities from the hottest countries near the equator.

YMCA Day Camps
Sports, games, and outdoor activities to creative art and special events. Weekly themes add a special touch
Phone: 902-425-9622 ext. 235

Dalhousie Summer Camps
Their recreational camps have been expanded this year to include a variety of climbing camps in addition to the favourites: Aquatic Adventure, Mini University and Shakespeare by the Sea theatre camps. Spaces are limited.
Phone: 494-2002 or 494-2049

SuperNOVA at Dalhousie
I like how these popular science and engineering camps give you their registration status (i.e. 75% full)

Armdale Yacht Club
Youth Sailing Programs
Phone: 477-4617

Saint Mary’s Camp of Champions
Summer Camps for boys and girls
Phone: 420-5429

Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
Summer Art Classes
Students can attend week-long sessions of full or half-day classes. Organized lunch time supervision at a nominal fee is provided for students attending full days.
Phone: 424-7542

Artech Camps at Dalhousie
State-of-the Art fun and high-tech creativity! For kids and youth from 5-16 years old. Choose from adventure camps, video game design, robot camps, animation/ claymation and Flash animation camps.
Phone:1-877-530-3177

MSVU Athletics and Recreation
From Holiday Hoopla to Ready, Set, Get Wet!
Phone: 457-6420

Unicorn Theatre
Summer Drama Camps
Campers will take part in numerous creative activities, and will perform in one of two musical plays for parents and friends each Friday afternoon.
Located at Head of St. Margaret’s Bay
Phone: 857-2121

Discovery Centre
Hands-On Science Camps
Your kids will not only have fun but get a funky yellow bucket hat!
Phone: 492-4422

Mad Science Summer Camps
Calling all Junior Scientists
Phone: 454-0863

Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron Youth Sailing
Junior Sailing Programs
Phone: 477-5653

Bedford Basin Yacht Club
Youth Sailing Program
White, Bronze, Silver Sails
Phone: 832-2292 or 835-3729

Claytime
Summer Camps
Week-long camps include 3-themed ceramic, pottery projects that inspire fun & teach a variety of pottery painting techniques.
Phone: 443-6300

Maritime Conservatory of the Performing Arts
Summer Music Camp
Music Theatre, Young Ensemble, Chamber music, flute, musical mischief, voice, the joy of singing and much more.
Summer Dance Camp
Art and Creative Drama, Dance Intensive, Beatrix Potter Ballet and lots more.
Phone: 423-6995

Camp Fusion
Presented by Green Choi Kwang Do- a self-defense focused martial art. Camps also include swimming, yoga, crafts and games.
Phone: 441-3469

Centre for Entrepreneurship Education & Development (CEED)
Break Into Business Camps
Held in Hammonds Plains, Cole Harbour Place, Spryfield Library and CEED office, Halifax Shopping Centre
Phone: 209-4504

Alderney Landing
Children’s Fine Art & Theatre Camp
Art Camps – The Creative Ocean and Pirate’s Week
Theatre Camps-Stage presence, voice props, and all aspects of theatre.
Phone: 461-8401

Euro Futbol for Champions Soccer Camp
An elite soccer training camp in HRM this summer. They are affiliated with the world famous AC Milan soccer club of Italy and their coaches come directly from Milan to deliver their training technique and philosophy to the youth of Nova Scotia.
Phone: 832-1470

Let’s keep this list growing, send your additions and I’ll add them to the above list. Thanks!

Springing Forward: Atlantic Daylight Time

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Fall Back
Spring Forward

Loosing an hour of sleep is something I can live with because it’s a signal that warm summer days are ahead. If it means that I can get an extra hour to get stuff done during daylight hours, like biking, then that’s okay too.

Which makes we wonder, why do we change our clocks twice a year?

In the late 1700’s, Benjamin Franklin suggested the practice but it took a few years to adopt the idea. In fact, it all started in Germany in 1915.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Daylight Saving Time (DST) accomplishes three things:

1. It saves energy. When we’re awake, we’re more likely to have our TVs, dishwashers, and lights on (among other home appliances). By shifting the hours we’re likely to be awake to correspond with the daylight outside, we’re less likely to have the lights on, so we use less electricity.

2. It saves lives. When people’s waking hours correspond with daylight hours, they’re safer. Traffic accidents, for example, are less likely when it’s light out.

3. It cuts down on crime. Crime tends to happen after dark. As is the case with accidents, people are less likely to fall victim to crime when their waking hours are synced up with the sun.

Moving clocks ahead in the spring can have an opposite effect. There can be more heart attacks in the week after springing forward — especially during the first three days of the week. Also, with the rise of use in air conditioners, that has to have an effect on things somehow.

In 1984, Fortune magazine estimated that a seven-week extension of DST would yield an additional $30 million for 7-Eleven stores. Slurpee’s?

Since 1966, most of Saskatchewan has not observed daylight time and stays on Central Standard Time all year round. Areas of Quebec east of 63 degrees west longitude do not change to daylight time and remain on Atlantic Standard Time year round. Pockets of Ontario and British Columbia do not use daylight time.

Confused between Daylight and Saving?Atlantic Daylight Time is used during summer in Atlantic Canadian provinces (Atlantic Saving Time during the winter). Many other time zones alternate between standard and daylight as well.

I have to admit, I was fascinated with what I found while researching this post. I always thought DST had something to do with farmers. In fact, when Canada started Daylight Saving Time during the First World War, farmers disliked it.

As well as remembering to change your clock on Saturday night, don’t forget to change the battery in your smoke detector.

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Halifax Town Clock photo credit: Darrell Theriault via Flickr

Everything you wanted to know about Nova Scotia

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Last week I started a new job. While sitting at my new desk opening up drawers and leafing through binders, I noticed a book sitting on a co-workers desk. I asked her if I could have a peak at it and she said “sure, it was cleaned out from your desk”.

The book is called “Nova Scotia Book of Everything” and it’s chock full of tidbits, slang words, best beaches, famous Nova Scotian’s etc.

Nova Scotia Book of Everything

Here are a couple interesting things I found while leafing through 176 pages:

* In 1901, Nova Scotia was the first province in Canada to manufacture cars – long before Ontario.

* That lobster was considered a “poor man’s food”, an everyday meal that children grudgingly took in their school lunches.

* The most winter lightning in Canada occurs in an area just south of Sable Island in the Atlantic Ocean.

Now I’m going to give the book back, it’s week #2 and I still have to make a good first impression 🙂

Running in Halifax: My love-hate relationship

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Saucony running shoes in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada I believe that running is a love-hate relationship. Actually, more love than hate because I wouldn’t be pounding the sidewalk if I didn’t get anything out of it. I hate the irritating things like Iliotibial bands and Plantar fasciitis.

In an earlier post I mentioned that I am running in the Hypothermic Half in Halifax. Looking at the forecast for Sunday, the event will live up to its name indeed.

This past week I’ve been thinking about why I run. Here are my top 5 reasons:
1. Feels good – seriously
2. Before run-“Grumpy”, Post run-“Mellow”
3. Weight management
4. Gets you outdoors, even in the dead of winter
5. No gym membership, just need sneakers.

When I’m not running, I obsess about my next run. I try to get out at least three times a week. I am no speedster. I run for me. Though, I kid you not, it would be nice to break my old race times.

Approaching the marathon finish line at the Bluenose International Marathon I credit the Running Room for changing my life (sounds sappy but it’s true). From the Learn to Run to the Full Marathon clinics (I’ve taken them all), they’ve taught me how to run properly and helped me feel good about myself.

This photo is me finishing my first marathon, the Bluenose. There was a time when I watched runners outside my window and thought “they’re nuts”. It is so inspiring to see runners in their fifties and sixties take up running for the first time. By keeping my annoying injuries at bay, I plan to run for a long time.

Looking for a running/walking route?
Gmaps pedometer is amazing and calculates the distance for you.

Upcoming race: The Scotiabank International Bluenose Marathon, the website is now open for registration.

See you on the sidewalk.

The Right Coast Nova Scotia

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The Right Coast is Nova Scotia. “You must mean east coast”, someone once said to me. That too but not exactly. Because I like to make lists, I’ll explain to you what I mean.

Fishing buoys in Peggy's Cove Nova Scotia 1. Geographically, if you’re looking at a map, Nova Scotia is on the right hand side of Canada. BC is on the left hand side. You know, the eye naturally falls to the right.

2. From west to east. I lived on the west coast for eleven years. My husband and I did what thousands of other new graduates do, we moved there to work. British Columbia was beautiful in many ways. Our children were born there, we made lifelong friends who made us part of the family at Thanksgiving, Christmas and other special occasions. My husband and I knew that there was something missing, even with a nice house and really good jobs, our lives were not complete. We realized that we wanted our children to not only see their grandparents and aunt and uncles every two years for a week or two at a time. It’s tough to form a relationship that way, yet alone maintain one. While it was a painful decision to uproot ourselves to move east, we made the plunge. And plunge we did. With no guarantee of a job in Nova Scotia, we quit our secure ones, sold our house and everything we owned. We made a right hand turn and kept going until be bumped our noses on the Atlantic.

3. This is home. I grew up in a small fishing community on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia. I was envious of those who could watch cable television, hang out at an arcade and do all those cool things that a teenager could do. While my city slicker friends were mastering Pacman, I was jigging mackerel from the wharf. While none of these things are not necessarily better than the other, they are different and years later I realize that cleaning a fish is a good skill to have. My childhood experiences were humble yet rich.

Fishing buoy and wharf in Peggy's Cove Nova Scotia 4. The people here are “some” nice. On Twitter I asked the following question: What makes Nova Scotia the “right coast” for you to live? Basically all of the responses made reference to the people. Words like “authenticity”, “warm, kind and fun to be with” came up. Of course, people are nice wherever you go but it’s Nova Scotians who capture tourists hearts and uphold our reputation.

For these reasons, Nova Scotia truly is the right coast for me. What are yours?