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Surfs Up

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Expansions of Lawtons and Home Hardware in Porters Lake

Possible new Recreation Centre in Westphal

Local Student, Madelyn Nielsen places 3rd in international piano composition competition

The Provincial Liberals, at their latest party meeting, passed a resolution

that the provincial government establish a moratorium on the construction of any new C & D Facilities until such time as appropriate legislative
and regulatory requirements are established.

Phone message:
902-281-2345

Content

Surfs Down

Page

News................................................3, 4 & 5

Need more responsible pet owners. Bags of dog poop and loose dog
poop litter Martinique Beach & Porters Lake Provincial Park.

Porters Lake has a large litter problem - along the main drag, off the
exits, in the car pool parking lot, at the community centres .

Musquodoboit Harbours seems to have a litter problem too!

Arts & Entertainment............................6

Community ...... 7 & 14
Local Sports.............................................................8
Active Lifestyle...............9

Advertising Rates, Sizes & Layout Guidelines

Travel.....11
Councillors April Communiqu..............................12
History.......13
April Events PIN IT Up ............................................15
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HRM District 2 Election 2016:

Gail McQuarrie Runs Again

News
APES Talks Fish With MP Sean Fraser

By Richard Bell
position on the dump because doing so
would expose to the city to lawsuits.
McQuarrie says Hendsbee should have
recused himself from voting on the issue
so that he could fight openly for the community. Your opinion as councillor
should be the opinion of your constituents, McQuarrie said.

The election for City Council is still more

than 6 months away, but Gail McQuarrie
of Lake Echo has decided to make a second run for the District 2 seat now held
by Councillor David Hendsbee, who has
served from than a decade as a Councillor. In a phone interview, Hendsbee confirmed that he is planning to run again
this fall.
McQuarrie, who came in 2nd in the election in 2012, told the Cooperator that she
has decided to run again because everything that was a concern in 2012 is still a
concern to me and most of the people I
talk to. Ive spoken with people from
Sheet Harbour to North Preston, and
they all tell me theres been no change,
that the issues we discussed at candidate
forums last time have still not been addressed to their satisfaction.
McQuarrie, who was born in Little Harbour, went to high school at Eastern
Shore, and got a BA in Physical Education
from Acadia. Shes been a resident of
Lake Echo for the last 16 years, and has
worked for Metro Transit as a bus operator for most of that time.
McQuarrie believes that City Council
largely ignores the concerns of the Eastern Shore, and that Hendsbee has not
been doing the job his constituents have
asked him to do, especially with regard to
the dump. (There has been strong community opposition to the proposed rezoning of a parcel on land on Route 7 in
Porters Lake for use as a construction and
demolition debris (C&D) recycling plant.)
The city solicitor has stated that none of
the five Harbour East-Marine Drive Community councillors should take a public

In looking to the future, McQuarrie said

she would also look beyond HRM to the
provincial government for economic
help, like they just did in Yarmouth.
They got $32 million for the ferry.
McQuarrie mentioned the importance of
developing the Shores tourism business,
helping the regions fishermen and lobstermen, and getting better bus service
for outlying areas. The Shore
could be just like Peggys Cove,
she said. Its just as beautiful,
if not more so. Ive talked to
people in Sheet Harbour, and
theyd be happy with a bus 2
days a week, one trip in and
one trip out. Then people could
make their appointments in
town for those two days.
Metro Transit could do thatif
weve got a councillor fighting
for it.
McQuarrie said she was announcing her intentions now in
the hopes of avoiding another
multi-candidate race, when six
candidates split the vote and
Hendsbee won with a 40% plurality. Hendsbee received 3,123
votes, while his opponents collected a total of 4,595 votes.
There were 20,027 eligible voters, but only 39% chose to vote
(7,749). Does it make sense to
have six candidates again?
McQuarrie asked. Absolutely
not. Hendsbee said that he
had talked to several of the
candidates in the previous election, and that Laurie Cook, Will
Gilligan, and Keith Lahey had
told him they were not planning to run again.

By Richard Bell
Members of the board of directors of the
Association for the Preservation of the
Eastern Shore (APES) recently sat down
with newly-elected Central Nova MP Sean
Fraser for a wide-ranging two-hour meeting
on open-net pen aquaculture and the future of communities on the Eastern Shore.

still alive and kicking, and watching any

unfavourable developments especially
carefully . We believe that the model of
feedlot farms in coastal waters is a vision
out of 1958, and not in a good way for
community benefit.

In a report on the meeting, APES said it

was a terrific meeting in all respects and
one which we believe we can build upon
for the benefit of all in the near future.
The group found that the new MP was
clearly well-versed on the topic, and indicated he has (as does the Trudeau government) a keen sensitivity to environmental
and community issues.

APES was very disappointed when the provisional government refused to adopt the
complete package of reforms proposed in
the Doelle-Lahay report in 2015. As APES
spokesperson Wendy Lewis said at the
time, The new regulations have missed
the basic premise that there had to be a
fundamental overhaul of the regulations
which took the concerns of citizens at face
value.

APES also reported that while the issue of

open net fish farming had been out of the
news of late, the organization was

For more information on APES, its activities

and membership, the organizations website is at http:// http://nsapes.ca.

News

www.easternshorecooperator.ca

Musquodoboit Chamber Gets Grants For New Community Plan

By Richard Bell
Thanks to the assistance of City Councillor David Hendsbee, the Musquodoboit
Harbour & Area Chamber of Commerce &
Civic Affairs is already two-thirds of the
way towards meeting its $30,000 fundraising goal to pay for a Master Conceptual Plan for Musquodoboit Harbour.
MHACCCA is raising the money to hire
the Dartmouth firm Ekistics Planning
+Design to build on the 2007 Visioning
Process, and HRMs designation of
Musquodoboit Harbour as a Rural District
Growth Center. On its website, Ekistics
says that the firm focuses on the fields
of planning, landscape architecture, engineering, architecture, and interior design.
According to a February MHACCA publication, Ekistics Planning +Design will help
the Chamber in drilling down in detail
from the vision and policies to identify
specific projects and implementation
mechanisms that will guide the

community and foster economic development over the next 5-10 years.
At a Chamber meeting on March 16, cochair Kent Smith thanked Councillor
David Hendsbee for proving $10,000
from his District 2 Capital Funds. All City
Councillors have discretionary access
over money in what is called District
Capital Funds. According to a June 19,
2007 memo to Regional Council from
then CAO Dan English, the two goals of
the District Capital Fund were: To complete small-scale HRM projects not included in the annual HRM department
operating and capital budget process,
and To provide a simple and responsive
method of providing modest donations
and grants in support of local neighbourhood volunteer initiatives.
In addition, on February 4, 2016, the Harbour East-Marine Drive Community
Council (HEMDCC) recommended that
Halifax Regional Council (HRC) approve a

request from the Chamber for $10,000

as partial funding for completion of a
Master Conceptual Plan by Ekistics Plan
and Design for the Eastern Shore West
Municipal Planning Area with funding to
be provided from the Musquodoboit Harbour Common Area Rate, cost centre
C160. Halifax Regional Council approved
this expenditure on February 23, 2016.
According to a February 8, 2016 letter
from HEMDCC chair Lorelie Nicoll, the
city collected $9,961.49 in 2015 for the
Musquodoboit Harbour Common Area
Fund. Since there was already $22,282.28
of unspent surplus in this account from
prior years, the $10,000 expenditure
leaves a balance of $22,243.77.
The Musquodoboit Harbour Common
Area Rate covers East Petpeswick, West
Petpeswick, Musquodoboit Harbour,
Smiths Settlement, and Ostrea Lake. The
rate is $0.005 per $100 of taxable assessment.

In its January 26, 2016 letter of request

to the HEMDCC, the Chamber wrote that
the Ekistics project carries a cost of
$30,920 +HST for Phase I and an additional $20,040 +HST for Phase II. The
Chambers letter emphasized the roots of
its project in the Musquodoboit Harbour
Visioning Process from 2007: The Master Conceptual Plan, Phase I and Phase II,
will be the visual and financial strategic
plan that brings together over I0 years of
HRM led and approved community visioning (2005-2007).
After the announcement of these two
$10,000 grants, Smith said that he had
recently met with Hendsbee and Councillor Waye Mason, and that they had discussed the possibility of combining the
secondary planning process with the
work the Chamber wants to pay Ekistics
to do. Smith said that the councillors
thought the idea was valuable, and was
worth exploring more deeply.

Feds, Province, and HRM Fund Old School Gathering Place

By Richard Bell
Keeping the Old
School Community Gathering
Place going got
a big boost in
March from a
total of $40,000
in grants from
all three levels
of government.
At a ceremony
at the Old
School on
March 15, Central Nova Member of Parliament Sean Fraser announced that the federal government was giving the Old School $20,000 for
upgrades under the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program. Next up was MLA Kevin Murphy, who
added another $10,000 to the pot from the province,
followed by Councillor David Hendsbee with $10,000
from HRM.
With Tracy Boyer, United Way Community Liaison,Laurie Cook, Sean Fraser, MP for Central
Nova, Kevin Murphy MLA Eastern Shore, David
Hendsbee and Mary Doane

The new funds will pay for much-needed upgrades, including additional exterior painting, electrical rewiring,
sealing of the lower area of the building, kitchen renovations, better built-in storage, and improved outdoor
signs.

.The Old School Community Gathering Place provides valuable community outreach, Fraser said,
promoting the health, well-being and community
spirit of people of all ages in Musquodoboit Harbour
and surrounding areas. In the last few years, this
abandoned school has been rehabilitated to serve a
new generation. Todays investment supports this
important work.
Speaking on behalf of Communities, Culture and
Heritage Minister Tony Ince, MLA Kevin Murphy said
that it was important for Nova Scotians to have access to public spaces where they can foster opportunities to build a sense of community. Thats why the
province is working with not-for-profit community
groups and individuals to enhance key facilities like
the Old School Community Gathering Place.
The decision of local residents to acquire the Old
School from the city and repurpose it grew out of the
community visioning process led by Laurie Cook in
2007. Cook, who is currently serving on the board,
said that the funding would allow the community to
preserve and honour the historic significance of this
facility. This is an essential move to ensure that the
Old School Community Gathering Place can continue
to host community and cultural events, develop
youth-focused initiatives and preserve the rich heritage of Musquodoboit Harbour.

Editorial

Needed: An Immediate Moratorium on C&D Siting

By Richard Bell
The Halifax Council should enact a moratorium on the pending application for
rezoning rural land in Porters Lake for a
construction and demolition debris (C&D)
processing plant. The current controversy is the first test of the Councils 2002
regulations for the siting of C&D facilities.
Only in 2016 are citizens of Halifax seeing
problems emerging from this 2002 effort.
In 2002, the Council could have ordered a
city-wide, staff-led, science-based investigation to identify the best place, or
places, to locate C&D facilities within the
citys borders, with ample opportunity for
public input and feedbackexactly the
kind of approach that Ray Ivany said in
Now Or Never was the only way for
governments to secure the social license for government decisions.
Instead, the Council created a process
that puts the choice of potential C&D

sites into the hands of the very C&D companies who hope to make money off
those sites. Only after a C&D company
has bought the land for a site do the
regulations provide for city officials to
come in and decide whether the site is
acceptable.
By putting the original siting decision in
the hands of private companies, instead
of city officials, the Council inevitably created the David-and-Goliath political
struggle that is now playing out in Porters
Lake, pitting a rural community against a
well-financed corporation.
One of the gritty glories of democracy is
that in the worst cases, if elected officials
refuse to own up to their mistakes, the
voters can replace them. But it should
not take the threat of losing an election
for Councillors to respond to the flaws in
the 2002 regulations that have become

so painfully apparent in the

Porters Lake rezoning case.
Democracy is a process of
trial-and-error. In Porters
Lake, Councils C&D regulations have been tried, and
shown to be deeply flawed,
sparking strong community
resistance. A process that
puts the initiative for siting
C&D facilities in the hands of
private interests will always
have difficulty winning social
license.
What we need now from our
Council is the leadership required to halt all C&D applications, and to put in place a cityled process for finding the best
place, or places, for locating
additional C&D facilities.

EASTERN SHORE LAW CENTRE

1653 Ostrea Lake Road, Musquodoboit Harbour, NS

News
HRM Reschedules Porters Lake
C&D Hearing

Possible New Recreation Facility

HRMs Planning Department has selected Saturday May

7th for its second Open House meeting on the proposal
to rezone a parcel of land on Route 7 in Porters Lake
for use as a construction & demolition debris (C&D)
recycling plant. The rezoning application was submitted
by Kiann Management, owned by Lawrence Bellefontaine.

HRM has received an application by Right and Ready Homes

to enter into a development agreement for lands located at
1224 Highway #7, near the Ross Road and Lake Major intersection, to allow the construction of a commercial recreation facility.

By Gina Dunn

There will be two sessions, one in the morning and one

in the afternoon. Representatives of the Planning Department and Lawrence Bellefontaine and his consultants will be present to review the rezoning application
and answer questions.
If you are unable to attend this Open House, you can
still provide your input to the head planner, Thea
Langille, by calling 902-490-7066. The Planning website
for this rezoning application, Case 19800, is at this address: http://www.halifax.ca/planning/applications/
documents/19800FAQ.pdf
The citizens group Concerned Residents of Porters
Lake, Lake Echo, Preston, and Mineville, which opposes
the rezoning application, has a page on Facebook and a
website at http://nodumponhwy7.org.

The applicant wishes to develop a multi-use recreation facility that

would include 120,000 sq foot facility, the realignment of the Ross Road
and Hwy & intersection, two ice rinks, two indoor turf fields, interpretive
centre, fitness facilities, viewing stands, restaurant and other possible
related amenities such as basketball courts, etc.
A public meeting was held on March 10 at the Black Cultural Centre to
an audience of approx. 75 citizens. The atmosphere was positive for the
project. When asked about employment opportunities, the developer
stated that there would be approx . 10 full time positions and 30 part
time positions created once the facility is open for business. There
would also be jobs in the construction of the facility - no number given
for this. Attendees were most concerned about the traffic issues around
the Ross Road and Lake Major intersections with the #7 as well as
Salmon River Drive cut through (residents want it to be a cul de sac).
Citizens stated that this has been an ongoing issue for at least the last 25
years that both HRM and The Provincial government have ignored and
that the government needs to make sure that this issue needs to be
fixed whether this development goes through or not.
For more info: http://www.halifax.ca/planning/applications/
case20350details.php

Easternshorecooperator.ca

Eastern Shore Cooperator is a

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you to help us tell your stories.
We are always looking for articles, stories, poems, pictures,
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age.
Please send us your submissions, via email, web site,
phone or snail mail.
Our contact info is on page 2.

Arts & Entertainment

Fraser Newcombe: A Shore Musical Treasure

By Nick Carroll
Fraser Newcombe is a
living treasure, one of
the Eastern Shores great
musical ambassadors to
the rest of the world.
And after one look at
Newcombe playing his
unique blazing red lobster guitar, youll know
exactly where Newcombes heart lies.
Newcombes been enterFraser Newtaining country music
combe and his fans and dancers from
famous
his birthplace in MurLobster Guitar phys Cove to TV shows
in Branson, Missouri. Life
in Murphys Cove, where
Newcombe still lives, was full of music. Newcombes mother played the mouth organ. His
father sang the old songs of Jimmy Rogers,
and taught all nine kids how to step dance.
There wasnt much money, and no technology to speak of, but Newcombe describes
those times as being better back then.

He learned how to play the guitar by watching others, like his uncle, who also played the
fiddle. He still has the very first guitar he ever
owned. His early favorites were the songs of
Hank Snow, Boxcar Willie, and Johnny Cash.
Fraser started work at the ripe age of 12,
hauling lobster traps and earning an honest
wage of $84 a month, which he in turn shared
with his mother to keep food on the table.
Newcombes first band was a family affair,
The Newcombeers, with a his sister on guitar and vocals, his nephew on drums, and his
brother-in-law on the fiddle. They played
local events, from the Wildlife Society to the
American Legion.
After playing solo for a while, Newcombe
formed the band he still plays with today,
Fraser Newcombe and the Pick of the Crop,
with Jim Francis and Bobby Chippman. They
played at music festivals and community halls
around Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Ship
Harbours Donald Marks helped them get
some special gigs, including opening for
Johnny Cashs brother at the Halifax Forum in
2008. (The Forum appearance prompted then
-Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Ronald
Chisholm to introduce a resolution congratu-

Fraser Newcombe and his band

for their success in the competitive world of music and the enjoyment they bring to listeners.)
Newcombe thought a lobster
guitar would fit the fishing culture of Nova Scotia, but guitar
makers overseas kept turning him
down. Finally he found Moncton
luthier Don Fitzsimmonds, who
agreed to take on the job. The
guitar has been a hit ever since.
People line up after the show to
get a close look at the unique instrument, and to take a few selfies. But not everyone sees a lobster. Down south in Arkansas,
Newcombe says, They called it a
crawfish!
Last year in September, Mr. Newcombe took a tour of the USA
with bass player Andy Crossan,
where they played several TV
shows in Branson, Missouri. Your
next chance to see Newcombe
play on the Shore will be at a tribute to another great Canadian
musician, Stompin Tom Connors
at Heritage Village in July.

Finding Balance in Yarn and Life

By Deirdre Dwyer
[Editors note: The Eastern Shore is home to a
remarkable community of artists and artisans. Poet Deirdre Dwyer knows this community and its works well. In the first in a series
of interviews, Dwyer says that she aims to
tease out the threads that weave through
these works, the spin of words, ideas and
visuals, the senses and the aesthetics.]

Leslie Hauck of The Spinners Loft in West

Jeddore dresses in teals, purples and lilacs, and her turquoise and purple trim
house and studio are examples of her
love of rich colours and textures. On a
mild winters afternoon, I sat down with
Leslie in her studio to talk about her work
and teachings. All around us were the
raw materials and the products of her
work: there were many-coloured skeins
of wool, silk, Sable Island pony hair, milkweed pod silk, and even dog hair! Knitted
scarves, hats, and necklaces were draped
around the room, plus seven different
sizes of spinning wheels.
Her decades of spinning have shown Leslie that the art can be a powerful metaphor for how to live. In an article called

publications, including Spin-Off, a glossy

American magazine about making yarn
by hand. In 2015, she was honoured to
be chosen as an instructor for a The Year
of the Craft Fibre Arts Conference sponsored by the Newfoundland and Labrador
Craft Council.
Finding Balance: In Yarn and in Life in
Spin-Off, she wrote: In life, as in spinning, we need to let go of our hold on
some things to allow others to unfold.
Leslie started working with fabric early,
taking up knitting at age 8, and sewing
and making clothes in high school. She
studied Fashion Design at Stephens College in Missouri and at the Parsons
School of Design in New York City. She
has been spinning for over 35 years, but
only opened The Spinners Loft in 2006.
Looking east over Jeddore Harbour, Leslie
said she designed her studio to give visitors and students a multi-sensual experience where people can take in the
intense blue of the skyhear the soft
clicks of the spinning wheels, handle the
fibres and much more.

Leslie shares her experience and enthusiasm with anyone who drops in to her
loft, and offers lessons and workshops for
beginner, intermediate, and advanced
spinners. Students can spin yarns from a
wide variety of animal and vegetable fibres, depending on the skill level of the
spinner. But Leslie makes sure that all
visitors get a lesson in the rich history of
textiles, which goes back at least 30,000
years. You can hand card wool, or try
spinning with a drop spindle, a simple
device that started off thousands of years
ago as a simple rock and stick.
Leslies work has been in shows since
1983, and you can find her at events
along the Shore demonstrating the use of
the drop spindle and the spinning wheel.
She has written for a number of

As I was preparing to leave the warmth of

her woodstove-heated studio, I saw
these words on a small poster by the British poet Kathleen Raine: The Earth upon
her celestial spindle winds her ecstasyproducing dance. Leslie Hauck has found
that balance with yarn and life, and the
results that grace the Shore are her colourful knitted goods and her bountiful
teaching.
***
You can find The Spinners Loft at 1626
West Jeddore Road, Head of Jeddore,
Nova Scotia, B0J 1P0, and at
www.thespinnersloft.ca. The website has
details on workshop prices, schedules
and accommodation. Call 902-889-2829
or email info@thespinnersloft.ca.

Community

The Grand Parent Shift: Helping Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

By Richard Bell
The Eastern Shore Family Resource Association (ESFRA)
has been providing families with great programs and services for 21 years. In 2015, ESFRA expanded its slate of
programs to include our more senior population
grandparents raising grandchildren.
Last year, ESFRAs Tracy Cowan, noticed that a number of
the families she was working with consisted of grandparents raising grandchildren parenting the "second time
around". In speaking with other colleagues, there appeared to be a growing trend of grandparents being
solely responsible financially and medically for raising
their grandchildren, sometimes with parents in the picture, and sometimes not.
Cowan and Nova Scotia Health Authority Community
School Social Worker Laury McGaughey started a small
support group in Sheet Harbour in May 2015 for this special group of grandparents to help them deal with unexpected responsibilities. People are dealing with a different type of parenting, Cowan said. Here youve parented your own kids, and all of a sudden, youve got to
do it again. Theyre in a unique position, as Parenting
has changed a lot since they were parents. For their love
of these children, they will do anything.

The group has been meeting monthly at the Eastern

Shore Memorial Hospital in Sheet Harbour, which has
generously donated the use of a room. We follow the
lead of the group, Cowan said. Weve gotten guest
speakers on grandparents legal rights and HRM recreation programs for young people. There was a session on
cyberbullying, and were following up with the RCMP to
do more work about keeping kids safe online.
Word about the Sheet Harbour group has reached as far
as Ontario. I got a phone call from a woman in Ontario
with a national website, Betty Cornelius. She started
working on this issue 20 years ago. Theres definitely a
need for this support.
The spring meeting schedule is: Mondays, April 18, May
16, and June 20, from 10am-12pm. Any grandparents
interested in attending please contact Tracy Cowan, B.A.,
E.C.E: Phone: (902) 827-1462 or email: tcowanesfra@ns.aliantzinc.ca. Or Laury McGaughey, M.S.W.,
R.S.W: Phone: (902) 885-3627 or email:
laurette.mcgauphey@cdha.nshealth.ca.
ESFRAs website is: http://esfamily.org.

MusGo Rider Expanding Services and Coverage

MusGo Rider is becoming a model for solving
some of the long-standing rural transportation
problems in rural Nova Scotia. Starting on April
1, 2016, MusGo Rider will be offering subsidized
rides to seniors and persons with disabilities
travelling to Dartmouth/Halifax for medicalrelated appointments. The subsidies come
thanks to a grant from the Eastern Shore
Musquodoboit Community Health Board.

Meanwhile, people living in Musquodoboit Valley and Sheet Harbour will soon have access to
their very own rural community transit service.
Organizers have submitted a final draft Business
Plan to the Department of Municipal Affairs for
their approval of MusGo Rider Valley-Sheet
Harbour Cooperative Ltd. If all goes well, the
pilot stage for this new service will be on the
road some time in July or August.

Under this new program, seniors and people

with disabilities going in for medical appointments will only pay half the regular fare rate.
This fare subsidy is opened to anyone living
within the Eastern Shore Musquodoboit Community Health Board area, but the departure
point must be within MusGo Riders service
area of East Preston/Lawrencetown to Ship
Harbour. For now, the fare subsidy is only available once per person, due to limited funds. For
more information, or to book a ride please call
Dispatch at 902-483-7433 or email musgorider@gmail.com.

If you have suggestions on meetings or groups

that you feel would be beneficial for the Board
and/or Executive Director to attend in the
Musquodoboit Valley and/or Sheet Harbour, or
surrounding communities within Halifax Regional Municipality, please email Jessie
Greenough at jhlgreenough@gmail.com.
And if you are interested in applying for the
position of Driver for MusGo Rider Valley-Sheet
Harbour Cooperative Ltd., please send a resume
to Jessie Greenough. All drivers have to provide
a drivers abstract and criminal record check.
The driver should be located within the service
area of Sheet Harbour or Musquodoboit Valley.

Submissions Deadline is April 27

escsubmissions@eastlink.ca

Time to book your Annual Servicing now that

the cold weather is here again!
$116.99 includes nozzle and oil filter.

Local Sports

www.easternshorecooperator.ca

Eastern Shore High School Sports Scene

Visit the ESDH website under athletics calendar for a weekly schedule
Boys Hockey - The team went to Provincials in Amherst to end the season. The
team will be saying goodbye to 11 players
as they are graduating Grade 12 this year.

Dance Team - The dance team is off to

Disney World in Florida to attend various
dance classes and to compete against
other schools from around the world.
Good Luck!
Boys Rugby - Currently practicing to defend their provincial banner. Games start
in April.
Girls Rugby - Currently practicing to defend their title. Games start in April.

Send us your sports pictures and scores

escsubmissions@eastlink.ca
or on FB

ES Midget C Mariners
win Gold
U12 ES Ringette wins Silver
at Provincials
Cole Harbour Girls Bantam
A win Provincials over
Eastern Shore in double
overtime
ES Atom C & B teams
(bottom left)

ES Bantam B Boys
team wins the
Canley Cup over
Brookfield taking
the series 3-2.

Active Lifestyles
Should You Ice or Heat an Injury?
Ashley Bellefontaine, Physiotherapist
One of the most common questions
physiotherapists are asked on a daily
basis is whether to use heat or ice following a soft tissue injury. The answer
to this question depends on whether
the injury is acute or chronic. In general, acute injuries result from a traumatic incident such as a fall, twisting
movement or direct blow and can present with localized pain, heat, swelling
and bruising. Chronic injuries tend to
build up more gradually over days,
weeks or longer and are often caused
by overuse or when an acute injury
fails to heal correctly. Chronic injuries
often present with diffuse pain, mild
swelling and stiffness.

ICE: How and when to use it-Ice is

typically applied within the first 24-48
hours following an acute injury, or
later if the heat and swelling persists.
When ice is applied, blood vessels narrow and blood flow decreases, resulting in decreased swelling and inflammation. Skin temperature also decreases and causes a numbing effect
that plays a role in pain management
and reduced muscle spasms. Apply ice
for 10-15 minutes at a time and check
skin frequently during this time to decrease risk of frostbite. Do not use ice
if you have impaired circulation, impaired skin sensitivity, open or infected
wounds or acute skin conditions.

HEAT: How and when to use it-Heat is

typically applied for chronic injuries or
after 72 hours has past following an
acute injury. Heat opens blood vessels,
which increases blood flow and supplies oxygen and nutrients to tissues.
Heat can decreased muscle tension,
increase flexibility and improve range
of motion. Apply heat for 15 minutes
at a time and check skin frequently
during this time to decrease risk of
burns. Do not use heat if you have impaired circulation, impaired skin sensitivity, open wounds, infection, recent
bleeding or still have acute swelling/
inflammation.
If in doubt, contact your local physiotherapist!

The Experience of a Lifetime

By Dustin Baker
This past February, I got to have the experience of a lifetime
through my participation in the Royal Canadian Army Cadets in
Musquodoboit Harbour. The national program put together a
group of 18 Cadets from across Canada for an expedition Torres
Del Paine National Park in Punta Arenas, Chile, from February 9th27th.
I was honoured to be selected as the Army Cadet representative
from Nova Scotia for this Chile International Expedition. The trip
challenged us all both mentally and physically, and I had the time
of my life, hiking, kayaking, and working on a horse ranch.
We hiked approximately sixty kilometres, averaging ten kilometres
per day over rough and even terrain. The hike cycle was six days
long. We got to see what were, without a doubt, the most astonishing views I have ever seen in my life. One of the highlights was
hiking to the base of the Mirador Las Torres.
Our day of horseback riding was one that our entire group enjoyed. The thing that was the most fun about that cycle was getting to experience the culture of living on a ranch in Chile. We
were able to help out around the ranch, cleaning up after the
horses, giving them water and food. After the day horseback riding, we all came back to the ranch and ate a traditional Chilean
barbecue of lamb, salads, and potatoes.

Editors Note: Ashley Bellefontaine is a

Physiotherapist with PhysioLink Porters
Lake
Kayaking was such a great experience! We paddled down the
Serrano River for approximately twenty kilometres. We were the
largest group in history to kayak down the river. The highlight of
the kayak cycle happened when we took our kayaks into a small
lagoon, and kayaked through a field of small icebergs that had
calved off a glacier feeding into the lagoon. We paddled right next
to the glacier, and it was one of the most surreal feelings ever. The
glacier was massive, and really made everyone feel incredibly
small.
After I came back, friends asked me how I felt the hard work, dedicate, and training that Ive put into 6 years in the Cadets helped
me during the expedition. I am an expedition Cadet at heart and
know that physical fitness is extremely important. You push your
body and you push your mind to overcome all of the boundaries
and elements in any expedition. The rewards I have obtained
were by putting my heart and soul into something I believe in,
setting goals and working hard to achieve them.
The Chile Expedition was truly an amazing experience and an honour I will always be proud of and the memories will stay with me
forever.
If you're between the ages of 12-18 and are interested in becoming a Cadet, stop by and check us out. We parade on Wednesday
nights from 6:30 - 9:00 at Gaetz
Brook Junior High. [The Cadets
webpage is at http://
www.2741cadets.org.]
Dustin Baker is Regimental Sergeant Major for the 2714
Musquodoboit Harbour Royal
Canadian Army Cadets

www.easternshorecooperator.ca

Travel

11

Deepest, Darkest Peru!

By Deanna Wilmshurst

Plaza de Armas - Cusco, Peru

We were already up getting set for the big adventure when our 4:00 am
wake up call came in the
form of a real person
knocking on our hotel
room door. Talk about
service! The early departure from Cusco, Peru
made day tripping, albeit
a really long day, to Ma-

chu Picchu a possibility.

After a 1.5 hour bus ride we arrived in the village of Ollantaytambo, where we
boarded the Inca Rail
train bound for Aquas
Calientes. This is the
town where over 1 million annual visitors get
on yet another bus and
switchback up the
mountain for 30 minutes to access the
UNESCO World HeriAquas Calientes
tage Site of Machu Picchu.
I had very high expectations for Machu Picchu and I am
happy to report it exceeded my expectations. Pictures of
this famous Inca site just dont do it justice. As you stand
on the precipice of the site, you see the muchphotographed view. But you also see way, way, down
below a sheer drop on both sides of the mountain to
two raging rivers. You see the large mountain Huayna
Picchu you expected ahead, but you also see a large
mountain to the side and equally large mountains behind.
In fact, as far as you can see in all directions there are
large green mountains. This shouldnt come as a surprise
as we are in the Peruvian Andes, but this 360-degree
vista makes the expected view of the Machu Picchu site
even more fantastic.

We have come in the

rainy season and have
been rewarded with
50 shades, or more,
of green and clouds
of mist that come and
go, adding an additional air of mystery
to the site. At 7, 710
ft. (2,350 m) Machu
Picchu is not quite as Machu Picchu site from the Sun
Gate
high up as Cusco
11,200 ft. (3400 m)
but the altitude is humbling. Ascending even a small
flight of stairs had everyone in the group gasping for
breath.
The Spanish never found this site, so it existed for hundreds of years entombed by Mother Nature like Sleeping
Beautys castle. Hiram Bingham is credited with rediscovering the site in 1911 and telling the world. The fitted stonework on site is remarkable, as is the system of
water works, and the provisions for seismic activity. The
site sits along three fault lines, which it appears the Incas
were well aware of and adjusted their building construction to accommodate.

Machu Picchu was

on my bucket list
and I am thrilled
to have been afforded the opportunity to visit
there. If it is on
your list, make it a
priority! What are
you waiting for?
Descending Machu
Picchu site at closing

PS: I did meet Paddington the

Bear from deepest, darkest Peru
on a cliff top in Lima.

History

13

An Historically Significant Area - the Rail Corridor Between Chezzetcook and Musquodoboit Harbour
By Patricia Richards
The rail bed connecting Chezzetcook to
Musquodoboit Harbour is receiving some
well-deserved attention these days. Many
of us are wondering what will happen to
this corridor and how it can be made a
valuable and well used community asset.
The historical significance of this area is
certainly captivating, but not well documented. Luckily there are some of us who
remember what went before. The Beatles
insightfully said, some things have
changed and some remain!
A place fondly remembered in this area
was my aunt and uncles home, and I often stop and think about them. The Chezzetcook Train Station in East Chezzetcook,
was both their home and a working train
station which they managed. Unfortunately, few photographs remain and I have
found none on the web or at Memory Lane.
Many other stations have well documented
histories and photographs. As an example,
the Musquodoboit Harbour station has
been well researched and restored.

Can you help us remember? Do you have

photos? Did you know the Belleclaire Hotel
(yes it has changed but still remains) in
close proximity to the Chezzetcook train
station? Do you know others who lived
near the Chezzetcook Station and other
interesting pieces of information? Maybe
you do and often stop and think about
them.
My memory of the Chezzetcook Train Station is of a small reddish home (photo provided by Kathleen Bruce) where my Aunt
Dorothy (Dot) (nee Bayers) and Uncle Elliot
Slade lived from 1945 to 1958 with their
four children - two of them are still living in
our communities. Dorothy was my
mothers only sister and she and Elliot were
originally from Musquodoboit Harbour.
In 1916, one hundred years ago, the train
came to the Eastern Shore from Woodside to Middle Musquodoboit. (see photo).
Some of the station stops included:
Musquodoboit, Chezzetcook, Petain Station

(West Chezzetcook), Seaforth, and the train

ran across the marsh (now the #107 highway). It may have stopped in Head Chezzetcook although there was no station there.
People came and went from that station
and also stayed at the Belleclaire Hotel.
Chezzetcookers referred to it as just the
Old Hotel or Jenny Connors place. Many
people remember the owner, Jenny Connors (her relatives still reside locally in our
communities). She was an amazing person
and worked hard to keep the hotel in operation, especially after the death of her
husband. It has seen only three owners
and continues to look very stately and well
maintained, thanks to the current owner.
The Station house is gone torn down in
the 60s, I believe. My aunt and uncle
moved out of the station in 1958 to a
house near the river. The train continued
to operate as a freight train until the mid 1980s.
Do you recall this place? Do you have photos or stories you would like to share?

We would appreciate hearing from you

since we are anxious to display some of this
information. A local association would like
to move along to explore how the rail corridor of Chezzetcook to Musquodoboit could
be upgraded. Your information and recollections will be helpful to preserve this area
as an important historical site on the Eastern Shore as well as an active transportation corridor.
If you are willing to share photos or information, please contact me or take them to
Memory Lane where they will scan them.
We would appreciate hearing any stories or
information you might provide.
Contact information:
Patricia Richards
T: 902-827-2376
E: patricia.richards@bellaliant.net
Thea Wilson-Hammon
Memory Lane
www.heritagevillage.ca
T: 902-845-1937

Send completed puzzle for chance to win a large pizza from Musgo Convenience
in Musq Hbr.
Mail To:
Eastern Shore Cooperator
14 Earl Court
Porters Lake, NS
B3E 1H8
Deadline April 25

March Winner is
Henry VanEe

14

Community

Shirley Hutchinson, still nursing after fifty years

By Janice Christie
Shirley Hutchinson graduated
from the School
of Nursing at
the VG in 1965.
Fifty years later,
she's still nursing.
Born and raised
in Upper
Musquodoboit,
she remembers, as a little
girl, helping to
look after her
greatgrandmother,
Bessie Power.
She told Bessie
that when she grew up she would become
a nurse and care for her.
After graduating high school, Hutchinson
attended Acadia for a year to obtain a 1st
Year Science. She then took three years of
Nursing at the VG and graduated in January
of '65. In June of that year, she married her
high school sweetheart, James. She had
first seen him chasing cattle towards summer pasture on Stuart's Hill and recalls saying, "Wow! He's cute! He can't be from
around here!" By July of that year, she was
working at Musquodoboit Valley Memorial
Hospital, where she remained for the next
twenty-seven years while she and James
raised their three sons in Upper Musquodoboit.

In the 80s, Hutchinson went on three occasions to Kingston, Ontario to attend a foot
care course. "I teach people with diabetes
to look after their feet. It is the best thing I
ever did. I love it. It's not like work to me. I
love the contact and interaction with the
people."
Hutchinson got to deliver one baby during
her nursing career. It was back in Middle
Musquodoboit, and the doctor didn't get
there in time. "I said to the lady, 'Don't you
dare push!'...but she did! It was totally
amazing and it boggles my mind what
comes into your head." It was a heartpounding, shirt-soaking experience. There
was no team from the VG there to help her.
One RN. One CAN. And no doctor. She
smiles now, "The baby's name is Philip Currie!"
She tried to retire once. "It didn't take," she
says with a grin. Hutchinson currently does
Foot Clinic at the Legion in Upper
Musquodoboit and at the hospital in Middle Musquodoboit once a month. She does
two more at the Eastern Shore Memorial
Hospital in Sheet Harbour every second
Friday.
"I am my own boss when it comes to bookings. My patients have made me feel special. As long as my eyes are good and my
hands work, I'll be doing this. I really don't
need legs...I can go on wheels!" she says
impishly. "Nobody ever dies of long toenails...but it is a service!"
Hutchinson and her husband James' three
sons, Randall, Stacey and Cory, have given

them first five grandsons and

then a granddaughter. Sadly,
James passed away a year and
a half ago but most of the family lives close by and Hutchinson enjoys their company.
Along with being a nurse,
Hutchison also lived on a farm.
She often spins tales from the
farm to her patients to amuse
them during treatment. One
such story involved a goat
named Katie who went into
heat and bleated so piteously
that it almost drove Hutchinson
mad. "I tied her to a ring on
the barn floor and then untied
her and tied her to a tree. She
bleated a lot. I thought, oh
shoot! I need a billy goat!" She
called another farmer by the
name of Blades, who said he
had a seven month old billy
goat and not to worry... that
was old enough.
Hutchinson loaded Katie into
the front seat of her Chevy Impala. Eventually she arrived to
the Blades farm where she removed Katie from her perch in the front
seat and left her for three days. Some time
later, Katie became the mom of twins, a
black-and-white billy goat and a brown
nanny goat.

Hutchinson continues to enjoy her career

and maintains her wonderful sense of humour, relaying tales of work, family and
farm life to her patients. She won't be retiring just yet.

Deadline April 25
escsubmissions@eastlink.ca

APRIL 2016
Ongoing Events & Groups
Porters Lake Seniors Group
Wednesday 1:30pm in the Porter's
Lake Community Centre.
Music, games, etc. Everyone welcome!
Contact: Ruth 902 827-2814.
Porters Lake Baseball
Porters Lake Baseball (Hardball) is excited to
announce they will be offering all levels of
baseball this season. (Trained Coaches, Practice plan in place, family discount). For children born 2012 - 2001
Registration Now Open(Our registration is
through dartmouth district minor baseball
association) http://ddmba.net/
Contact Lorri Arnold
at lorriarnold@outlook.com/902-580-2535

Lil Diamond 45s Card Party 7:30pm

Sheet Harbour Legion 23577 Hwy 7
Every 2nd and 3rd Sunday of each month

Wool Fibre Work Group

Lawrencetown Comm. Center, Thursdays 9-3,
$5/d, rug hook, felt, spin, knit, etc. bring your
projects & friends, contact 404-7095,
samma.d@outlook.com
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) Group
Meeting
St. James Hall, Dolby Hill, Jeddore, meets
every
Tuesday evening.
Weigh-in is from 6:00 to 6:45 p.m.
Meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.
Bingo every Monday @ 7:30 held at Sheet
Harbour Lions Centre, 183 Pool Rd.
Books 5.00, specials 1.00, cookie jar 2.00,
jackpot and Bonanza.
Canteen and gift cards. The Lions truly appreciate your support.

BLUEGRASS JAM Bring your instruments or just sit and listen

every second Sunday of each month (April 10 and May 8)
Ecole Des Beaux-Marais (French School) # 7 Hwy, Porters Lake,
Across from the Superstore. 12:30 - 5:00
for more information, Please call Carol 902-827-2604

The Eastern Shore Players is a

community theatre group open
to all ages. New members are
welcome.
For more information on joining
please visit
www.easternshoreplayers.ca.

April 10th 2:00PM

DNR Forestry Complex, Highway 224 in Middle Musquodoboit.
The Moose River Gold Mines Museum Society invites you to an afternoon to honour the
80th anniversary of the disaster in 1936 of the cave-in.
April 16 9:00AM - 1:00PM
MH and area Lions Club
Spring Fling, Flea Market and Craft Sale
Held at the Bingo Hall, ES Recreation Center 67 Park Rd MH
Tables are only $15.
Please call Ken White 889-3160 to book yours today!
April 17th: Musquodoboit Harbour Farmer's Market, 67 Park Road, Musquodoboit Harbour.
Market 9 AM-12 PM. Check our website www.mhfarmersmarket.ca under events for what's
on for free workshops at the market! To book a table, or for more information: 902-2209114,
info@mhfarmersmarket.ca.
April 17th 11:30AM --1:00 PM
Penny Auction and Luncheon, St Denis Hall East Ship Harbour
Drawing at 12:30 PM. $10.00 Per Person

April 23rd 11:30AM - 1:00 PM

PENNY AUCTION AND TEA (sandwiches and sweets) at Petpeswick Yacht Club, East Petpeswick. Draws for auction items will be at 12:30 pm. Sponsored by Shore for African
Grandmothers. Proceeds to Stephen Lewis Foundation to help grandmothers in Africa support their grandchildren whose parents have died of AIDS.
April 24th 10:00AM - 1:00PM
Lake Echo Community Centre.
Lake Echo Lioness Flea Market,
Silent Auction and Bake Table.
Tables are $8. Admission $1.
Door prize.
April 24th 2:00PM4:00PM
Mooseland Country Jamboree
Cute as a Button and Company
With Guest Players.
Hot Dogs and Drinks available
$8.00 a person.

April 24th 1:00PM

Penny & Silent Auction Gaetz Brook Legion
We are raising money to help spay/neuter abandoned and
feral cats/kittens on Eastern Shore.
View us on Facebook as East Coast Cats. We invite you to a
penny & silent auction event; lots of new, exciting items up
for grabs.
April 25th and May 30th.
7:00 PM
Neighbour Hood Watch meeting at Oyster Pond Fire Hall
Everybody welcome, Bring a Friend or Neighbour.
For more info call
902-845-2587

April 29 - May 1
Introduction to Permaculture: The BIG Picture
The Deanery Project, Lower Ship Harbour
Course, Meals & Accommodation $220 ($200 w/o accommodation)
Beyond agriculture or architecture, but borrowing from both, permaculture is a
comprehensive design tool that can be used to better our communities, gardens, and lives.
By mimicking nature to heal broken systems (both ecological and social) permaculture
provides a variety of approaches for positive change. In this introductory weekend, Graham
Calder of P3 Permaculture will walk participants through the basics of permaculture
philosophy and design.
The weekend is designed to equip participants with the confidence and ability to identify
and overcome design problems that surround us. The first day of the course will focus on
the history, ethics, and principles of permaculture, as well as provide an introduction to its
design methods. Examples of permaculture projects from around the world will provide
useful case studies. On day two the group will put theory into practice: together going
through the steps of implementing a permaculture design, from observation to the
generation of appropriate design strategies.
NOTE: The introductory presentation on Friday, April 29, 7:00- 9:00 is open to the public (by
donation). It is preceded by a potluck dinner at 6:00. For more information or to
register: www.thedeaneryproject.com
Phone: 902-845-1888 Email: info@thedeaneryproject.com.
April 29 7-9pm
Old Schhol Musq. Hbr.
Coffee House All Welcome

May 1st 11am - 1pm

Early Mother's Day Brunch,
St Denis Hall East Ship Harbour $7.00 PP

May 2 7:30pm
Sheet Harbour Legion
Partners Crib $7

May 7 2 - 4 PM
A Very Special Old Fashioned Mother's Day Tea!
In celebration of Mother's Day this year why not treat yourself and Mom!? You will be served
tea or coffee, scones with clotted cream and jam, finger sandwiches and scrumptious
sweets. Take a step back in time and enjoy a special afternoon with an old fashioned
flair. Hats and gloves may be worn if you like!
St Barnabas Church Hall, Head of Chezzetcook. $8 Adults $3 Child (10 and under free).

7907 Highway 7, beside the bank

(902)889-3322