These Boots are Made for Walking

Digby a stop on 3000-kilometre walk
Emily Forrest.
Published on May 27th, 2010
Emily Forrest plans to walk into Digby on June 1 as she makes her way around Nova Scotia’s 3,000-kilometre coastline of Nova Scotia this spring and summer.

Topics : Brigadoon , Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia , Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion , Nova Scotia , Nova Scotians , Sydney
The 88-day trek, which she calls Forrest Walkabout, is meant to raise awareness of Brigadoon, a camp for children with chronic illness, and also the Heart & Stroke Walkabout.

"I invite all Nova Scotians to join the www.walkaboutns.ca website, start logging their steps, and to arrange to meet and walk with me when I come to their area, joining me for as long or as short a distance as they like," Forrest said.

"I want to remind folks how essentially healthy and enjoyable walking in their communities can be."

Brigadoon is a not-for-profit, year-round residential camp facility being built in Nova Scotia for children and youth living with a chronic illness.

Heart and Stroke Walkabout is an initiative of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion and Protection, and the Ecology Action Centre to work towards a revitalized culture of walking in Nova Scotia.

"We are especially pleased that Emily will be promoting the Walkabout Program as she circumnavigates Nova Scotia and we feel that Emily's journey is a perfect opportunity to motivate more Nova Scotians to incorporate walking into their daily lives," says Melinda Norris, Walkabout project manager with the Heart & Stroke Foundation.

Forrest will continue along Tourism Nova Scotia's Scenic Travelways, reaching Digby on June 1, Truro on June 12, and Sydney by July 16. For details on all daily walking routes, to contact Emily, for more information on the project or how to make a donation, Google ‘Forrest Walkabout’.

For information about Brigadoon, visit www.brigadoonvillage.org

Choral Festival

Choral festival soars to a closing note at St. Bernard
Malcolm Bradley conducts the 120-voice mass choir at the High Cs Festival choral concert in St. Bernard. Karla Kelly photo
Published on May 30th, 2010
Published on May 30th, 2010
By Karla Kelly FOR THE DIGBY COURIER NovaNewsNow.com

Topics : Saint Bernard Church , Summerside Community Choir , Dartmouth Community Singers , New York , Atlantic Canada , Berwick
The third annual High Cs and Digby Choral Festival ended on a high note May 23 with a choral concert featuring the mass choir of 120 singers at the acoustically renowned Saint Bernard Church in St. Bernard.

The concert also highlighted the choir Les Voix Dans L’Vent from Clare and the Summerside Community Choir from Prince Edward Island.

Malcolm Bradley, conductor of the Dartmouth Community Singers and Grace United Church Choir, was artistic director for the weekend festival, as well as conductor for the performance at St. Bernard.



View the gallery
Richard Probert, music director of the Sackets Vocal Arts Ensemble in New York, taught a master class in English diction in choral singing.

Festival director Richard Treleaven said the weekend was a great success and it was a pleasure listening to the concert Sunday night.

“Listening to a great concert with three choirs was a pleasure and bringing the mass choir together was a masterful feat on the part of the conductor,” said Treleaven.

The festival was not intended to be an all work and no play event for the choristers. - Festival director Richard Treleaven
“What was even more fun was watching the mass choir come together in the relaxed atmosphere we tried to create. The festival was not intended to be an all work and no play event for the choristers and I believe we were successful in accomplishing that.”

Bear River & Area Community Health ClinicClinic Hours: Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pmEmail: bear.riverclinic@ns.sympatico.caWebsite: bearriverandareaclinic.caPhone: 467-3611Fax: 467-3339
June 2010Acupuncture – Traditional Chinese Acupuncture by Joe Kubinec. Traditional Chinese Acupuncture by JoeKubinec is available on Wednesdays unless otherwise posted. This treatment is good for back pain,arthritis, menopause, headaches, insomnia, stop smoking and many other conditions. Appointments arebooked through the Clinic.

Audiology – Neil Hackett is in every other Friday to help with your hearing needs. Please call 1-866-299-2016 to book appointment.BodyTalk System –Jocelyn incorporates balancing techniques using muscle testing. Your body determineshealing priorities. Book appointments through the Clinic. For further information call Jocelyn at467-0771 or visit www.bodytalksystem.com

Counselling/Clinical Hypnotherapy – Gayle Allen is in once a month, beginning the 18thof this month, tohelp you with a great number of concerns. Call the Clinic to book appointments and for more info.You can also call Gayle for more info at 526-2850.

Electrolysis – Ronda Best is in once a month for all your hair removal needs. Call 1-902-791-0953 formore information or to book your appointment.Esthetics –Charlene Decker is in monthly for waxing, manicures and pedicures. To book an appointmentor for more information, call 1-902-362-2137.

Juniper House Outreach – Lori is available to see clients at our Clinic. Please call 245-4789 to book yourappointment.

Physician Services – Dr. Roy Harding is seeing patients by appointment only. Due to high patientnumbers, Dr. Harding has had to limit his practice to those he has already seen here at our Clinic.

Senior Services – Nurse Practitioner, Dianne Corbett, RN specializes in concerns specific to the elderly,such as memory loss, complicated medical conditions and poor coordination/balance. For moreinformation or to book an appointment, call the Clinic.

Note: Times and dates are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

You are invited…Ladies’ Prayer Meeting at theAdvent Christian ChurchThursdays at 10:30 amAll are welcome!Remember:If you have time to worry about ityou have time to pray about it

Relay for LifeJoin us at the Digby Baseball Diamond at 7:00 pmfor the Relay for Life 2010 events.Thanks to all who sponsored or donated to theB.R.A. CHiCs.We will be walking from 7 pm Friday night todaybreak Saturday morning.Luminaries will be lit at 10:00 pmBoard meetings are the first Tuesday of each month and are open to the public.Please note the Board does not meet in July and August.

NOTICE: The Board of Directors for the Bear River & Area Community Health Clinic is in need of newBoard Members. Please consider getting involved in decisions about our Community’s health!

Fire and Injury In Lequille on Friday

Blogger's Note: The Annapolis Choir's concert in Annapolis Royal Friday evening had extra accompaniment to the vocal performance. Many barely muted sirens and wails and the sound of lumbering heavy vehicles told of another event taking place in the area. It was worrisome, wondering what emergency was taking place nearby, and if anyone was in peril. Indeed there was.

Valley fire victim critically burned
Landlord lauded as hero for pulling man from blaze
By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE Staff Reporter
Sun. May 30 - 4:53 AM


A Bell Aliant technician works Saturday to repair telephone service knocked out by a house fire at 94 Old Trunk 8 in Lequille, Annapolis County, on Friday night. All that remained of the home was a pile of burnt rubble. Reports say a man who was renting the home was pulled from the flames by the owner of the property, who lives nearby. (Bill Roberts )





A burn victim is in hospital in Halifax and his landlord is being praised for pulling him out of an Annapolis County house fire Friday evening.

The victim, who is in his early 60s, is in critical condition after sustaining injuries in the blaze that destroyed the home he was renting in Lequille, an RCMP spokesman said Saturday.

Const. Dale Guy said the man was saved by his landlord, and friend, who pulled him from harm’s way at risk to his own safety.

Television news identified the rescuer as Kevin Daniels.

The officer told CTV News the dramatic rescue occurred under harsh, frightening conditions.

It happened at about 7:30 p.m. in a house at 94 Old Trunk 8.

Guy said the rescuer "quickly ran maybe 150 feet (45 metres) to the burning structure, checked inside (and) found the victim lying on the floor. Through a hail of smoke and flame (he) went inside and pulled him" from the fully engulfed home.

Daniels made it out unharmed, CTV reported.

Neighbour, Janet Berry, said it didn’t take long for the home to burn.

"The whole house was engulfed in flames — there was black smoke everywhere," Berry told CTV.

She said "for (Daniels) to actually go in there and pull him out to safety was amazing."

Another neighbour, Joanne Nash, said she lives two doors away but was at work at the time of the fire.

"When I came home from work (Friday) night there were a few fire trucks still up there and that was after midnight," she told The Chronicle Herald.

Nash said the small, two-storey house was one of the older properties in the area.

"I knew what had happened before (returning home) because you could see the fire trucks going by from where I work, and then one of the nurses that came in said the house was on fire," Nash, who works at a nursing home, said.

Guy said the victim was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to the burn unit at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre. He said the man "has severe burns to the upper portion of his body."

The victim’s name hasn’t been released by police.

Nash said remnants of the gutted home are in a debris pile at the fire scene.

"When I went by it (Saturday) morning the house was still standing, but it was totally burnt. When I came back this evening, the house was down — somebody tore it right down today."

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

( mlightstone@herald.ca)

The EDC Says...

NS: Nova Scotia will lead nation in export growth, says EDC
By Jennifer Taplin, Metro Halifax

Source: Metro Halifax, May 27, 2010

[HALIFAX, NS] — Nova Scotia’s exports will not only rebound but outperform the rest of the country by next year, according to Export Development Canada (EDC).

The EDC is predicting a 12 per cent growth for this province’s exporters and 17 per cent growth in 2011, which is better than any other province. Nova Scotia’s exports shrunk by 26 per cent in 2009.

“Nova Scotia’s strong performance is based on improved demand from the United States, which translates into a broad-based rebound of Nova Scotia’s main export sectors including natural gas, fish, tires, and newsprint,” said Peter Hall, EDC’s chief economist, in a release yesterday. “Natural gas exports in particular will drive the province’s exceptional export growth in 2011.”

He’s predicting the energy sector will grow 21 per cent this year and a whopping 57 per cent in 2011.

But this province’s biggest export sector remains agrifood, which has less impressive growth numbers (two per cent in 2010 and eight per cent in 2011).

“Although EDC does not anticipate a dramatic rebound in prices for lobster or crab, ground fish, herring and shrimp stocks have remained stable and crab has increased,” Hall said.

Earlier this month, Clearwater Seafoods reported first-quarter sales of $62.7 million. The company, one of the big exporters in the HRM, said strong volumes, price increases and lower costs helped to offset the impact of a high Canadian dollar.

It should also be a busy year for the Michelin plant in Waterville. Hall said high sales activity together with low inventory levels will drive demand for tire exports.

“As a result, we expect the Michelin plant should operate at full capacity starting this year,” he said.

Growth on the rise:
• Canadian exports are expected to grow by 11 per cent in 2010 and 7.6 per cent in 2011.
• National economic growth is expected to hit 2.5 per cent growth this year and 2.9 per cent next year.
• Globally, economies are expected to grow by 3.7.

Deforestation Prevention Funding

Rich countries pledge $4B to stop deforestation
By IAN MacDOUGALL (AP) – 2 days ago

OSLO, Norway — Developed nations pledged more than $4 billion Thursday to finance a program meant to help poor countries protect their forests and slow global warming.

An agency monitoring the aid will be up and running before U.N. climate talks start in Cancun, Mexico, later this year, the European Union's climate commissioner said at a conference on deforestation in Oslo.

Also, Indonesia agreed to a two-year moratorium on issuing new permits for forest destruction as part of a $1 billion deal with Norway that would pay Indonesia a fixed sum per ton of CO2 emissions reduced through rain forest preservation. Norway has had a similar deal with Brazil since the mid-1990s.

Deforestation, the burning of woodlands or the rotting of felled trees, is thought to account for up to 20 percent of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere — as much as is emitted by all the world's cars, trucks, trains, planes and ships combined.

The new program — called REDD Plus, for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation — will encourage rich nations to voluntarily finance forest-protecting projects while coordinating that aid to avoid waste and ensure transparency.

It was approved — but not implemented — at the U.N. climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December.

In Oslo, Germany, France, Norway, the U.S., Britain, Australia and Japan pledged $4 billion to finance REDD Plus through 2012, with Denmark and Sweden adding $73 million more to the effort on Thursday.

The new monitoring agency would oversee individual agreements between countries to fight deforestation and educate local populations who live off forests — estimated at more than 1 billion worldwide — to do so in a sustainable way.

EU climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard said the new agency, and a comprehensive database that will help streamline aid combating deforestation, were tangible results that would build momentum in climate talks ahead of the Cancun summit.

Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the new agency would "decrease a trust deficit" that has stymied progress in wider climate talks, as wealthy countries express concern about how aid money is used in poor nations.

"Forests are worth more dead than alive. Today we commit to change that equation," said Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who was co-chairing the conference with the Indonesia president.

A political agreement at the U.N. climate summit in Copenhagen last year called for warming to be kept from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels by 2020 — which scientists say could trigger a climate catastrophe. But the Copenhagen conference disappointed many in failing to produce a legally binding deal for countries to limit emissions.

Thursday's meeting was the last on REDD Plus planned before Cancun, with work now starting on establishing the agency's infrastructure.

Britain's Prince Charles agreed that transparency was key in brokering a binding global climate agreement.

"In this period of increased stringency, governments will need to know that every dollar made available will be spent wisely in order to avoid any unnecessary duplication," he said in a speech.

While the $4 billion is only two-thirds of the $6 billion Brazilian Environment Minister Carlos Minc said he hoped would be in place by the Oslo conference, environmentalists said it was a good start for the fledgling program.

"For early phases, the kind of money we're talking about is probably sufficient," said Mark Tercek, the head of U.S. conservation group the Nature Conservancy.

Greenpeace welcomed the pledges of financing but warned that it remains unclear how the funds will be spent.

The funding so far comes exclusively from government budgets, and Stoltenberg called for "voluntary contributions" from private sector and industry players. He also said that ultimately "the most important source of money will be carbon pricing" — from carbon trading and carbon taxation schemes.

About 32 million acres (13 million hectares) of forests are cut down each year — an area about the size of England or New York state — and the emissions generated are comparable to those of China and the United States, according to the independent U.K. Eliasch Review on forest loss.

Quarry Expansion

NS: Municipal Enterprises faces backlash over quarry expansion
By Christy Marsters, Transcontinental Media

Source: The Hants Journal, May 26, 2010

[HANTS CO., NS] — Earlier this year, Panuke Road residents received notification of a proposed extension of a nearby quarry.

Municipal Enterprises Limited plans to combine the existing Panuke Quarry with the operations of a Hants County Aggregates Quarry Project increasing the size of the existing four-hectare quarry to nearly 14 hectares.

Municipal Enterprises’ David Clifton says the desired extension will begin, “as needed, upon approval.”

He says measures to protect the environment and community around Panuke Road will be taken “as required by environment department and as need arises.”


Panuke Quarry — Hants Journal Photo

According to a project information sheet provided by Municipal Enterprises, an environmental registration document — currently being prepared by environment consulting firm Stantec Consulting — will minimize the environmental effects of the project with appropriate mitigation and monitoring.

Elements to be evaluated in this document include: surface water resources; rare and sensitive flora; wetlands; groundwater resources; socio–economic environment; archaeological and heritage resources; wildlife; atmospheric environment, including considerations of dust and noise.

Panuke Road resident Garth Hazel says safety and lifestyle are already being interrupted by these quarries.

The community has put up with the noise, dust, dirt, fumes, trucks and pollution long enough, Hazel says.

“I do not think it should be allowed to continue unless [concerns] are addressed.”

There are no sidewalks on the shoulders of the narrow road, half paved and half dirt, he says. “I can’t open my window without dust and fumes from the trucks getting in.”

At one time, the road handled only local traffic and, occasionally, people going back and forth to the lake, Hazel adds.

“I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else , but, with all of these trucks going now, I might as well live in Halifax.”

Watershed protection should be considered a concern as well, he says.

“As of now, the water is fine but over time pollution builds up and we are going to have to have to pay for it in the end.”

At Panuke Road Recreation Park, not far from Panuke Quarry, there is a basketball court, a baseball field and a small playground.

Nobody wants kids traveling up and down the road though… it’s so dangerous, Hazel says. “From 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. trucks and trailers are constantly hauling. It’s driving the values of our homes down and down.”

A petition with over 200 names on it proves a high percentage of residents don’t want the quarries expanded, Hazel adds.

“Nobody, in any other community, would accept it. There’s been no consideration for people living in this area.”

Warden Richard Dauphinee says a letter was sent off to the Minister of Environment, shortly after April 13, to address safety issues on Panuke Road.

These properties are on a narrow street and a lot of the buildings are set close to the road, Dauphinee says.

“We could set up an area rate, but then they’d end up paying for their sidewalks and that’s not really fair,” he says.

“The municipality is trying to represent the people and I’ll take their side on this issue. It is up to the provincial government to do something here; it’s just getting worse and worse.”

A liaison committee should be established between the company and community, to improve communications, he says.

“It’s frustrating. The residents just want somebody to talk to.”