By John Moore, Columnist
Recently, my wife Elaine and I set out for a getaway weekend in the Annapolis Valley mainly centered around Wolfville. On the morning we were to leave I was shocked to see a letter to all Nova Scotians penned by Premier Tim Houston on the front page of the Halifax Herald. Basically, the letter was a clarion call to all Nova Scotians to make Nova Scotia more self-sufficient and to use our natural resources to the maximum best way possible. That includes natural gas, lithium, and uranium to name a few. We need to harness our wind and hydrogen to produce more energy, the letter went on to say. In addition, the premier requested we stop saying no and we need to lift bans where necessary. In short, we all need to work together to make this happen. He also emphasized we need to make sure any new developments are safe, and the environment won’t be compromised solely for economic reasons. I thought what a refreshing turn of events. Maybe President Trump’s threat of a 25% tariff is going to be a blessing in disguise for Nova Scotia.
With all this in mind we set off on our journey. Our first stop was the land of Evangeline, Grand Pre. We went for a hike on the Harvest Moon Trail. A short way in we stopped to pay homage to American poet Longfellow’s iconic heroine Evangeline forever enshrined as a beautiful statue. The memorial Acadian Church was in the background. I thought how fitting was this given the Premiers powerful message. We need to forgive the sins of the past, learn from our mistakes and celebrate all that is great about our history and what could be coming our way. A good way to kick start this coming golden age is to consider staying and buying local. Given our low Canadian dollar, it’s to our great advantage to do this. Nova Scotia, as well, being a top tourist destination, will likely see an influx of tourists from away this coming season given the attractiveness of our low dollar.
It is important to remember 3 of Canada’s 6 largest banks, Bank of Nova Scotia, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and the Royal Bank were all founded in Halifax. The inventor of the world’s first paper making process from wood pulp took place in our community in the 1840s at Moir’s Mill in Bedford NS. That’s how Paper Mill Lake got its name. His name was Charles Fenerty. Going back to the Acadians some say the best part of one of the greatest singing sensations in the world, Beyonce, has Acadian blood owing through her veins. Maybe she’ll come home to visit her roots some day and even put on a concert. Wouldn’t that be something?
We went on to Wolfville where we had lunch at Tim’s. After that we went to a few of the nearby fruit and vegetable markets then we went to the famous look off at Cape Blomidon. It was spectacular as always. It was then time to register at Old Orchard Inn. We were greeted with the delightful sounds of many children who were staying there. They were participating in various sports tournaments nearby. After checking in we went to the Lightfoot and Wolfville winery where we had a wonderful meal accompanied by great surroundings. We then returned to the Old Orchard Inn. We were a little concerned as our accommodation seemed to be in the center of all the children’s exciting activities. There was no need to be concerned, because as soon as 10 pm arrived it was lights out . When we awoke the next morning amazingly there wasn’t a sound. Very impressive parenting indeed. Upon checking out, the staff members told us of the expansion plans that will be taking place including completely revamping the dining room and making the lobby more user-friendly using podiums rather than the big check-in desk. After doing some more touring we then went back to Tim’s for lunch. We were starting our lunch when the gentleman we spoke to earlier happened by and sat at the same spot he had the previous day. This time we had a much longer chat. It turns out he’s the owner of the Independent Grocery Store in Wolfville, a few doors down. He employs 45 people, and the business is a going concern. He currently has 10,000 square feet and will be expanding this spring, adding another 7,000 square feet. He said there are many new people moving to Wolfville. He thinks nearby Windsor is really going to boom because of its proximity to Halifax. He introduced himself as Carl junior. Here’s to you Carl Junior and all those like you. Upon leaving I had the distinct feeling Nova Scotia’s “Golden Age” had already begun. God Bless and Happy Valentine’s Day.
Photo credits to: https://lookbeforeyoulive.com/?p=17726
