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Festive 

Favourites 

Lunenburg County’s love for holiday traditions, new and old 

L i g h t h o u s e M e d i a G r o u p n D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9

Festive Favourites, Tuesday, December 22, 2009 

www.southshorenow.ca 

The most wonderful time of the year 

A celebration of South Shore holiday traditions, new and old 

We certainly do love our 

traditions here on Nova 

Scotia’s South Shore. 

The rituals which we 

consider to be important 

often take on many different 

appearances in our lives. 

There are the daily and weekly traditions 

many of us enjoy regularly — from 

eating at our favourite restaurants, to 

sharing a drink with friends, to going to 

church on Sundays or the hockey game 

at the local rink on Friday night. 

There are grander traditions, ones 

that often transcend cultures and groups 

within our region — we are known, for 

instance, by and large as a region that 

takes heed of old superstitions, paying 

close attention to lessons to be learned 

from tales of the past. 

The fact that the works of authors 

and researchers have so often focused 

intensely on the spirits and superstitions 

of our region — and that those books 

still draw interest today — stands as evidence 

that we hold such traditions in a 

place of value. 

But holiday traditions — those are 

still an altogether different matter entirely, 

placed upon an entirely different 

pedestal. 

Photos and 

stories by 

Patrick Hirtle 

unless otherwise stated. 

Regardless of religious denomination, 

each of us can point to a tradition of the 

holiday season that we hold near and 

dear to our soul. 

While Christmas Day itself is a Christian 

celebration, the entire month of 

December is ripe with days of religious 

significance for Jews, Hindus, Muslims 

and others. 

And those who aren’t religious find 

plenty of excitement and fun through 

their own cherished, secular traditions, 

such as participation in parades, community 

dinners and holiday season concerts. 

There is something unquestionably 

magical and special about our holiday 

season traditions. 

Part of it may be the bubbly, excited 

spirit that those involved are displaying; 

part of it may be the hint of snow in the 

air and its promise to paint the earth 

anew in a pristine coat of white; part of 

it may be the dedication and planning 

of those who make our events special 

by working toward them the whole yearround. 

In this year’s very special Christmas 

supplement, the staff at Lighthouse 

Media Group have set about the inspiring 

task of trying to convey a little bit 

of what our holiday traditions, both new 

and old, here on the South Shore are all 

about. 

We feel that we have managed to capture 

at least some small aspect of a tradition 

that’s representative of everyone 

on the South Shore, and while we could 

not possibly cover them all, we sincerely 

hope that in this small snapshot, you 

find a little bit of you and yours. 

Merry Christmas, happy holidays 

— and a wonderful, new year! 

Those who attended the 2008 Lunenburg Community Christmas and were delighted by 

some live entertainment can expect more on display this year. The community Christmas 

dinner is fast becoming a modern tradition enjoyed by residents in many communities 

throughout the South Shore. 

Name: Indian Garden Farms 

Width: 14p7.5 

Depth: 55.999al 

Color: Black 

Wishing everyone 

a safe and happy 

twelve days of 

Christmas with 

family and friends. 

Thank you for 

your patronage 

this year and 

we hope to 

see you again 

next year. 

IndIan Garden Farm 

Glen and Marilyn Hebb 

Hwy. #3, Hebbville 

543-1979 

Name: Robar Countertop 

Width: 14p7.5 


Color: Black 

Wherever you go 

this holiday season, 

our fond wishes are with you. 

All the best to our many friends 

throughout the area! 

This has been a great year for us, 

thanks to your generous support. 

Closed December 21st 

Reopening January 4th 

RobaR 

CounteRtops 

MacCulloch Rd., Bridgewater 

543-7149 

Name: R & R Junk Removal 

Width: 14p7.5 


Color: Black 

R R 

Junk 

Removal 

Ron and the staff wish 

to thank all our customers 

for their business in 2009. 

Merry Christmas, 

and we look forward 

to serving you again 

in the new year! 

530-Junk 

(5865) 

Name: Dayspring Electric 

Width: 14p7.5 


Color: Black 

It is with deepest gratitude 

that we extend our holiday greetings 

to our loyal customers, neighbors, 

associates and friends. 

Knowing people like you makes 

doing business a genuine joy 

for us all year long. 

Happy Holidays 

from 

DAYSPRING ELECTRIC LTD. 

Plumbing and Heating 

36 Hirtle Road, Dayspring 543-4723 

 

Name: Davidson Insurance Ltd. 

Width: 30p3 


Color: Black 

 

 

OUR STAFF OFFERS “ ” SERVICE 

Same-Day Quotes • No Voice Mail • Experienced Staff 

• Stable Financial Companies • Local and Family-Owned Business 

543-5800 Fax 543-9559 

Wishing everyone 

in the 

Name: Municipality of the District of 

Width: 30p3 


Color: Black 

Municipality of Chester 

a safe and very happy 

holiday season. 

The Councillors & Staff of the 

Municipality of the District of Chester 

• incorporated 1879 •


Festive Favourites, Tuesday, December 22, 2009 

And food on every plate 

Nova Scotia Building Supplies is proud to help local food bank’s efforts 

“The measure of a life, after all, 

is not its duration, 

but its donation.” 

— Corrie ten Boom 

It is, without doubt, a challenge for many 

a family at this time of year to find the 

means necessary to keep food on the 

table and bellies full. 

Each holiday season, many local food 

banks see a rise in the demand for their 

services and that can often make keeping up 

with the need difficult. 

It is, in a sense, a sad tradition, but one that is 

often inescapable and necessary. 

But while that sorrow is present, so too is a 

sense of joy and an appreciation for the human 

spirit and its generous nature — its willingness 

to help others in a time of need. 

For each year there are organizations out 

there who hold major campaigns which help 

keep the doors to our local food banks open. 

One such company that has made, in recent 

years, a tradition out of supporting their local 

food bank during the holiday season is Nova 

Scotia Building Supplies in Blockhouse. 

In 2008, the staff and management at Nova 

Scotia Building Supplies decided to do their part 

to help out the Mahone Bay Area Food Bank by 

serving as a drop-off point for food donations 

during the month of December. 

The idea was first conceived by employee Tim Foran, 

who felt that it was a great way to help out the less fortunate 

during what can be a very difficult time of the 

year. 

Steve Patterson, the paint and advertising manager 

for Nova Scotia Building Supplies, said that the company 

thought it was a great idea and another fantastic 

way to add to their charitable contributions throughout 

the greater Lunenburg County community. 

In total, more than 250 pounds of food was collected in 

Tim Foran and Randy Wile place the first bag in the collection box for Nova 

Scotia Building Supplies’ 2009 campaign in support of the Mahone Bay 

Area Food Bank. 

2008, a figure that made Mr. Foran very proud — but, he 

and many other employees wanted to do even more. 

“This year we [wanted to] step it up,” he said. 

So, between December 1 and 19, Nova Scotia Building 

Supplies again served as a drop-off point for food bank 

donations — but this year, with a twist. 

Following up on a suggestion by employee Randy 

Wile, the company will be matching pound for pound 

any donations it receives from the community. 

“Tim and Steve worked on that and put it together 

last year, and it went quite well for us,” manager Wayne 

Nelson said. 

“It’s always good to support associations like 

this all the time,” he added, “but these things 

have a tendency to come to the forefront mostly 

around the holiday season.” 

By adding the pound-for-pound component to 

this year’s drive, Mr. Wile said that he was hoping 

it would motivate more members of the community 

to get out and give — as last year, much of 

the support for the Mahone Bay Area Food Bank 

came from company employees. 

That’s not a bad thing, Mr. Wile said, but it 

was his hope the public would be encouraged to 

do more. 

“We’re hoping we’re going to be able to get 

more people to bring [food], because they’re getting 

twice the value,” he said with a smile. 

Not only did Nova Scotia Building Supplies 

serve as a drop-off point for non-perishable food 

items, but Mr. Patterson also noted that folks 

were welcome to donate more than just food — 

that hats or mittens or similar wintertime items 

were welcomed as well and that the company 

and its local, charitable partners will make sure 

those goods get to the people who need them 

most. 

Mr. Nelson said that for Nova Scotia Building 

Supplies, the campaign in support of the Mahone 

Bay Area Food Bank is one of just many goodwill 

efforts they make throughout the year. 

“We do a fair amount of donations … for 

many associations during the year — we don’t 

broadcast that and we don’t promote it, because 

we’re not looking for recognition that way,” he 

said. 

“We believe in supporting the people in our backyard 

and in our area … and, where we can, we like to help all 

the associations we can afford to help.” 

Mr. Nelson said the tradition of helping out the Mahone 

Bay Area Food Bank has such immediate and visible 

results that he sees no reason why it won’t continue 

indefinitely. 

“I’m quite confident we’ll do it every Christmas for 

sure,” he said. “Our company and our staff believe in 

doing what we can to help.” 

Name: Vicki Conrad MLA (office) 

Width: 30p3 


“Cherish this time 

over the holidays 

with friends 

and loved ones.” 

Color: Black 

Ad Number: 61190 

Name: Cross Small Engine Repair Ltd. 

Width: 30p3 


Color: Black 

Ho, Ho, Holiday 


Greetings 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best wishes 

for a joyous 

holiday season 

from your 

local MLAs! 

 

 

Delivering wishes, merry and bright 

to all of our friends, neighbours & 

customers at Christmastime! 

With sincere thanks for your loyal 

support, we wish you and yours a 

very merry Christmas! 

Cross small 

EnginE rEpair ltd. 

69 Conquerall Road, Hebb’s Cross 

Phone: (902) 543-9683 

Holiday Hours: Closing at 12 noon Dec. 24, 2009 

Closed Dec. 25, 2009 to Jan. 3, 2010 

Regular hours resume Jan. 4, 2010



“There is no ideal Christmas; 

only the one Christmas you 

decide to make as a reflection 

of your values, desires, 

affections, traditions.” 

— Bill McKibben 

Coming back to the table 

Lunenburg Community Christmas ready to celebrate second year 

It’s amazing how little time it can 

take for a community to embrace an 

event and make it its own. 

Such is the case in Lunenburg, 

where the Lunenburg Community 

Christmas became, in just one year, 

a highly anticipated Christmas Day event, 

complete with its own traditions and special, 

warm feelings. 

One of the organizers behind the Lunenburg 

Community Christmas, Graham Pratt, 

said that there were some stumbling blocks 

around the inaugural event last year. 

Chiefly, there was some confusion over who exactly 

the dinner was for — many mistakenly assumed it to be 

for those in economic need, but Graham said, it was in 

fact conceived to be an event for the entire community, 

including those with emotional and financial needs, but 

also those simply looking to find a communal environment 

in which to share Christmas dinner. 

“Last year, what we did was take a bit of a shotgun 

approach and I don’t think initially we really accurately 

identified what we were trying to do,” he explained. 

“We weren’t quite sure whether we were trying to 

do this for people who couldn’t afford it, or who had 

emotional needs as well as financial needs, or if it was 

simply for people who didn’t have the opportunity to get 

together with others for Christmas dinner.” 

In the end, he said, “I think we delivered the message. 

This year, we decided that our raison d’être is to go for 

those people — and it may not be singles, it may be couples 

or a family of three or whatever — but people who 

Name: The Knot 

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Color: Black 


Volunteers Jenny Hook, right, and Lynn Gillard were among the gallant volunteer crew 

who served up dinner during the 2008 Lunenburg Community Christmas. 

would benefit from, or enjoy the Christmas celebration 

in community.” 

On a personal level, Graham said that he initially got 

involved with the Lunenburg Community Christmas in 

2008 because he and his wife thought it was a positive 

way that they could volunteer during the holiday season 

— and it just so happened that they got something very 

valuable out of it too. 

“One of the reasons is maybe that both my wife and I 

have been involved in different levels of volunteering in 

the past,” he said. 

“I was involved in the local board for Habitat for 

Humanity when we were living in Ontario … and we 

recognized that we were probably a couple that fell into 

that category as well— having the rest of our family 

away, because our children still live in Ontario,” Graham 

explained. 

It was a decision on their part, he said, that when they 

moved to the community that they would get involved 

— that there’s a need to do that to actually 

get the full benefit out of living here. 

“Initially, I think all of us responded to 

an article or an ad in the paper last year, 

and decided to give it a shot and it was successful 

— there were a lot of positive comments 

and many people asking if we would 

do it again this year, so here we are.” 

One of the things that Graham said 

many seemed to enjoy about the community 

Christmas last year was the sense that 

the dinner could be a valued and prized 

community tradition unto itself, going forward 

for years to come. 

“I’m not sure we have [much] tradition 

yet, but I guess [the hope] is to get the 

community side of Christmas back again. 

I think, normally, what we’re getting is a 

lot of people do their own little thing, but 

lose the opportunity to be in community,” 

he said. 

“Judging by people’s faces last year, and 

talking to them, that’s what they were looking 

for as well,” Graham added. “We’re trying 

to get that tradition of Christmas and 

being a community back into the Town of 

Lunenburg — not that it’s completely lacking, because 

you have all sorts of other events, but in terms of an 

actual sit-down Christmas dinner … something that’s all 

inclusive, we want to do that.” 

There were about 130 people who attended last year 

and Graham said that he and the organizing volunteers 

are expecting the fire hall to be at its capacity of about 

150 people when the dinner starts at 1 p.m. on Christmas 

Day. 

“We max out at 150 people, because that’s all the fire 

hall will allow, which is a good number — we had a lot 

of fun last year with 130 people, plus another 20 or 30 

volunteers,” he said. “We’re hoping to sell the full 150 

tickets.” 

And for those looking to get tickets to the dinner, 

unlike last year, there is no deadline — something that 

Graham said he hopes will encourage those making 

the last-minute decision to come, to get out and join the 

community. 

We’d like to toast all our good 

friends as we offer our heartfelt 

gratitude for your loyal support. 

Merry Christmas! 

Denise 

and the Gang 

at 

The KnoT 

Pub 

L u n e n b u r g 

Plates were emptied, stomachs were full and a good time was had by all at the inaugural 

Lunenburg Community Christmas, enjoyed by more than 130 people, on Christmas Day, 

2008. 

Name: Economy Appliances 

Width: 14p7.5 


Color: Black 

Merry 

C hristmas 

May you and yours 

enjoy this 

Holiday Season. 

We're grateful 

for your patronage 

over this past year. 

Economy AppliAncE 

Repair & Services 

13879 Dayspring, Hwy. 3 

527-2024 

Have A Safe 

& Happy Holiday! 

Name: Fairway Insurance 

Width: 14p7.5 


Color: All Daphne, Black 

Patty, Dan, 

Brad and 

Dave want for 

Christmas is to 

thank our loyal 

customers 

for their 

generous support. We hope this 

holiday season brings you many 

blessings in the company of family 

and friends! 

FAIRWAY 

INsuraNce servIces INc. 

www.fairway.ca 

129 Aberdeen Rd., Bridgewater 

530-3990 1-888-245-4741


Gingerbread memories 

Building on good tidings and great taste 

“And I had but one penny 

in the world. Thou should’st 

have it to buy gingerbread.” 

— William Shakespeare 

On November 28 and 29 and 

December 5 and 6, the community 

kitchen at the Mahone 

Bay Centre became 

a hotbed of gingerbread 

activity, as it played host for 

the fifth year to the annual gingerbreadhouse 

decorating event — one of the 

wondrous activities of Mahone Bay’s 

Father Christmas Festival. 

Initially, the gingerbread house event 

was conceived as something specific that 

children could get involved in during the 

Father Christmas Festival. 

While there were all sorts of activities, 

from craft demonstrations to drink 

sampling events being planned for a more 

mature audience, there was a need for 

something that was especially designed 

to give kids the chance to get into the 

Kaia Hobson shows off her newly decorated 

gingerbread house on November 28. 

holiday spirit. 

That’s where the idea of a gingerbreadhouse 

decorating activity came into play. 

“And it has grown quite a bit over the 

past five years. Between the two sessions 

we do today and we’ll do next Saturday, 

we’ll have 85 or 90 children — many, many 

gingerbread men,” explained Wilma 

Stewart-White, one of the event’s co-ordinators. 

“And it’s by donation, so it’s not prohibitive 

for parents with large families,” 

she added. “So, what we primarily find, 

is it’s parents coming and bringing their 

grandchildren.” 

One of the things that has really struck 

Wilma during her time helping to co-ordinate 

the gingerbread house event is that 

the young people coming to the Mahone 

Bay Centre to participate are, more often 

than not, not visitors from afar attracted 

to Mahone Bay for the festival, but rather, 

locals. 

“I find that you advertise festivals so 

that people will come from Halifax or the 

Valley or whatever, but predominantly, 

I find here, it’s people from here who 

come,” she said. 

“They walk in the door and you recognize 

them; they’re people from in your 

church or down the street or grandchildren 

that are visiting,” she said. “So, 

they’re predominantly from Mahone Bay 

and area, which is kind of nice.” 

And, she added, it is an event that has 

clearly become a holiday-spirit-building 

tradition, that many youth are using as a 

way to help kickstart the Christmas season, 

as many of the same children come 

back year after year. 

“Little ones will come and say, ‘I’m 

big enough to do this better,’ [this year] 

or ‘I remember last year you had whatever,’ 

so they like to come back and do 

it,” she remarked. “It’s getting to be a 

seasonal thing they do with their families 

or grandparents, so it’s good.” 

There’s no question that the younger 

children among the crowd are most interested 

because of the chance to get 

their hands on as much candy as possible 

— that much is evident to any visitor to 

the event, Wilma said. 

“Oh, it’s the candy,” she said with a 

laugh. “There’s like, $150 worth of candy 

and we try to look for different shapes 

and then you watch and see what they 

make with it.” 

This year, she noted, organizers added 

licorice bits and cinnamon sticks to the 

menu so that the more artistically inclined 

among the participants could make 

chimneys. 

“The older children get really creative,” 

Wilma said. “Younger ones, it’s just sort 

of, ‘How much can I get in my mouth?’ 

and, ‘How often can I lick my fingers?’ 

And then they just pile it on. But the 

older ones get really creative— we’ve 

even got cousins who are having a competition.” 

This year’s event even attracted six 

students from Saint Mary’s University in 

Name: South Shore Fuels Ltd./Wilson’s 

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Season's Greetings 


Color: Black 

Halifax. 

The group, a half-dozen Japanese exchange 

students, participated as a way 

of broadening their understanding of 

Canadian culture. 

“Their professor read about this, and 

this is part of their way of getting to 

know the country that they are visiting,” 

Wilma explained. “So they’re coming and 

they’re going to decorate with us. I’m 

not quite sure if they’ll take this tradition 

home to Japan, but it’s a good way 

for them to try something totally different.” 

Name: The Garden of Readin’ 

Width: 30p3 


Color: Black 


Mateo Crocker gets to work preparing his gingerbread roof for some candy-coated accents. 

Organizers of the Father Christmas Festival’s gingerbread-house decorating event were 

sure to have plenty of different, delicious, decorative choices on hand for young, would-be 

gingerbread architects. 

There are about a dozen volunteers 

each weekend who help make all the 

decorating possible, from overseeing the 

deployment of candy to whipping up lots 

of icing and preparing the gingerbread. 

And, ultimately, not only is gingerbread-house 

decorating fun for the participants, 

but it can also be an especially 

rewarding experience for those bringing 

the children in for a visit. 

“It’s a fun activity,” Wilma said, “because 

I think sometimes grandparents 

aren’t aware of how creative or artistic 

their grandchildren are.” 

To our valued customers, 

neighbours and friends. 

Keeping you warm all winter! 

24-7 EmErgEncy SErvicE 

 

FUrnAcE SALES & LEASing 

(902) 527-0009 

www.wilsons.ca 2984 Hwy. 325, Wileville



“Thousands of lights were burning 

on the green branches … 

the little maiden stretched out 

her hands towards them when 

the match went out. The lights 

of the Christmas tree rose higher 

and higher, she saw them now as 

stars in heaven.” 

— Hans Christian Andersen 

For many folks, getting a Christmas 

tree each year is part of the tradition 

of the season. 

The task can be as simple as going 

down to the corner store or a roadside 

dealer and picking a tree out of a 

lineup. 

Sometimes, however, it can be more complex 

— a procession or pilgrimage of sorts to a distant 

region in search of the perfect tree. 

Often, it is not the tree itself that makes the 

lasting memory, but the journey and the quest 

to find it. 

Such is precisely the experience for Blaine 

and Erin Carr. 

In 1989, when first moving to Nova Scotia from 

Prince Edward Island, Blaine’s parents began 

a tradition of trekking to Rocky Top, near New 

Ross, each year to bring home a Christmas tree. 

“It reminded my mother of going to get a 

Christmas tree with my grandfather when she 

was little,” Blaine explained. 

“Blaine's mom told us about going to a tree 

farm in New Ross to get her Christmas tree, and 

we thought it sounded like a fun day trip,” Erin 

added. “So, in December of 2006, off we went. 

We got lost on the way, but it was a beautiful day 

for a drive and we were in no rush. We’ve only 

missed one year since then.” 

The first year that he and Erin spent Christmas 

together was also the last year his mother 

went to New Ross for her tree, “[and] I guess we 

just carried on from there,” Blaine added. 

Today, Blaine and Erin reside in Porters Lake, 

on the outskirts of the Halifax Regional Municipality 

— but the trip to New Ross each December 

has become a staple of their Christmas traditions, 

despite the distance. 

Not only that, but in the past two years, the 

duo has become a troika, with the birth of their 

son, Mackenzie, creating a Christmas tree-getting 

experience that is all the more memorable 

for them — and something that they hope their son will 

one day cherish as well. 

“It’s definitely something Mackenzie will remember 

as he gets older [and] it also reminds me of what Christmas 

was like when I was a child, so it feels very much 

like we’re passing on something we were given and 

didn’t even realize it was a gift.” 

Before Mackenzie came along, Erin added, they made 

the annual New Ross pilgrimage because it was a fun 

outing for the couple. 

“Now that we have Mackenzie, it's more for him — to 

Oh, Christmas tree 

Annual voyage brings back old memories, creates new ones 

Erin, Blaine and young Mackenzie Carr were able, after a short 

hillside romp, to find their ideal Christmas tree at Rocky Top on 

December 5. 

establish a tradition and memories for him,” she said. 

“Not that he'll remember it now, but the years to come, 

he will.” 

The logistics involved these days are, naturally, more 

complicated, Erin admitted, with concerns about working 

around nap times, feedings, dirty diapers and the 

cold weather. 

“But none of that took away from the experience,” 

she said. 

Sometimes, Erin observed, repeating an activity can 

be a little disappointing, as it is often difficult to recreate 

the magic and atmosphere of that original experience. 

“But something like this is different every 

year. It’s the same idea, but the elements change,” 

she said. 

The first year they went to New Ross to select a 

Christmas tree, the pair were engaged and there 

was no snow, so they took a tractor and wagon 

back to the tree lot. 

“The second year, the farmer remembered us, 

we were married and I was pregnant, there was 

snow so we were taken to the lot in a horse-drawn 

sleigh, and I felt Mackenzie move for the first 

time while we were there,” Erin said. 

And last year, she added, no snow again, but 

we had Mackenzie — which made it an entirely 

different thing. 

“No two years will be the same, so every year 

will have its own special memory. This year, I'm 

hoping for snow so we can pull Mackenzie in his 

sled around the tree lot. If there's no snow, then 

it'll be fun to watch Mackenzie just run around.” 

When she was growing up in Dayspring, Erin 

noted, her family didn’t really have any specific 

traditions centered around getting the Christmas 

tree. 

She recalled that they would either go choose 

one at one of the lots in Bridgewater or that her 

dad would go outside and reappear dragging a 

tree in tow behind him. 

“I guess the only tree tradition in our house 

was that I was known to be very picky about the 

tree,” she said. “My dad would always have to add 

branches here and there until I was satisfied that 

it was perfect. When we go to the tree farm, I can 

be as picky as I want to be and find a tree that's 

naturally perfect.” 

Blaine said that during his youth, he and his 

family would head out in a horse and sleigh, similar 

to the New Ross experience that they enjoy 

each December today. 

“It usually took much longer as our farm was 

spread out more and the horse and sleigh ride 

was a bigger part of it,” he noted. 

“[But] it’s a family event, one that makes us 

feel closer to each other and also to the past 

— maybe brings a bit of the awe back into an 

otherwise hectic season.” 

A little bit of rough terrain won’t hold back anyone, young 

or old, dedicated to finding the perfect Christmas tree. 

Blaine holds Mackenzie up for a view of the farm at Rocky 

Top during a wagon ride out to the heart of the tree lot. 

The following is a guide to selecting a Christmas tree as provided by the government of Nova 

Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources. 

Plan ahead 

Examine the room where you want to put 

your tree. Trees have a way of looking “taller” 

when you get them home so be sure to measure 

ceiling height and floor space beforehand. 

Nova Scotia growers produce a variety of tree 

shapes, so with a little research, you can find 

the perfect tree for the spot. 

Cutting your own tree 

Contact a grower who operates a “choose 

and cut” lot. For a fee, you and your family can 

have the fun of selecting and cutting a cultivated 

or natural tree. But resist the temptation 

to simply head to the nearest woods with a saw, 

you may be trespassing and stealing! 

Picking a tree lot 

Look for an established, reputable grower 

or retailer. Someone who can help you select 

the best tree for your requirements and who 

will be there tomorrow if you have a question 

or concern. 

Check for freshness 

Lift the tree a few inches off the ground and 

then drop it on the stump end. If outside green 

needles fall off, the tree may not be fresh. However, 

some needle drop is normal and is not the 

sign of an old or dry tree. 

Handle with care 

Protect your tree from sun, wind and salt 

spray on the drive home. If you won’t be decorating 

for a few days, keep the tree outdoors, 

away from the drying effects of wind and sun. 

Make a fresh, straight cut across the trunk 

about two centimetres up so the tree can absorb 

water and plunge the trunk into a container of 

water so that the end of the trunk is covered. If 

the water level drops below the fresh cut, a seal 

will form and reduce the absorption of water. 

Get ready 

Bring the tree into a partly heated area 

such as a porch or basement, the night before 

decorating. This will help it adjust gradually to 

warmer temperatures and allow the branches 

to “relax” to their natural shape.



“As I grew older, I realized that 

it was much better to insist 

on the genuine forms of nature, 

for simplicity is the greatest 

adornment of art.” 

— Albrecht Durer 

For Christians, one of the lasting, 

enduring, sacred scenes associated 

with the Christmas season is the 

Nativity scene. 

The coming of Mary and Joseph 

to the Bethlehem stable where Jesus 

was born has been revisited time and time 

again — it is a moment locked in time that 

is often recreated each year in households 

throughout the world through a display of 

figurines. 

Bridgewater resident Gloria Hubley counts 

herself among those with a very personal connection 

to a special nativity scene. 

“It started when my daughter was three 

years old, and that was over 40 years ago,” 

Gloria said. 

“We had had an Advent wreath every year 

before, but that year I decided that I wanted a 

nativity set.” 

Gloria’s husband, the late Maurice Oickle, 

built a little stable as the basis for the household 

nativity set out of some simple, wood 

pieces. 

The stable was given life with the addition 

of figurines of Mary and Joseph, which were 

purchased from what was then Bill’s Store in 

Mahone Bay — but they didn’t appear in the 

stable right away. 

Rather, Gloria set up a procession, in which 

the Mary and Joseph figurines would begin 

The ancient procession 

Gloria Hubley shares the story of her special nativity scene 

their journey to the stable from elsewhere in the house, slowly making their way a bit 

closer each day through the course of the Advent season. 

Over the years, other items were added to the collection, including a donkey alongside 

Mary and Joseph for their journey. 

“And when my son was born, he was brought up with the same tradition — the first 

Sunday in Advent, Mary and Joseph and the donkey would start their procession from 

wherever seemed to be logical in wherever we were living at the time,” she said. 

“Each year, things changed a little bit — we added to it, changed the route or something.” 

Years on now, both of her children are grown up and on their own, but the traditional 

procession to the Nativity is something that still continues each and every year. 

“My granddaughter is almost 18 now and she grew up with the same thing,” Gloria 

said with a smile. 

“My children’s father has passed away, but my second husband and I still do it 

Gloria Hubley has many different nativity sets, but this one is very near and 

special to her heart; its annual display has become a wonderful, personal tradition. 

— even though there aren’t any little people 

around at all any more.” 

And, she noted, baby Jesus, even this year, 

will not arrive until after her husband goes to 

bed on Christmas Eve. 

“He’s there on Christmas morning, but not 

before,” she said. “Then, after that, the wise 

men and their camel start their procession in 

the same way and get there before January 6.” 

There are many different and personal reasons 

why each of us keep our traditions going 

across the years, carrying them on through 

different homes, different loves and different 

phases of our lives. 

For Gloria, she said that keeping that nativity 

tradition, that has become so personally 

valuable, alive has been driven by her belief 

that we should be thankful for each day that 

we have. 

“I think, for me, it’s a reminder that every 

day is a new day in each of our lives,” she 

said. 

“By having the stable set up and some movement 

every day during Advent, it’s a reminder 

of how thankful we should be and the promise 

that each of us have.” 

And, she added, while she has a wealth of 

other nativity sets and figurines collected from 

over the years, each of those sets go out on display 

all at once — none of them have the same 

majesty and seemingly magical procession as 

that first, very special set. 

“This one continues that same [original] tradition, 

and I really enjoy doing it,” she said. 

What’s most remarkable about this simple, 

little nativity scene, Gloria said, is its ability 

to endure the test of time. 

“When Maurice built this, it was just out of 

scraps of wood that were laying around and 

it’s amazing that it has lasted — it doesn’t look 

40 years old, but it is,” she said. 

“I think, again, it’s a reminder that something 

so simple and so inexpensive — because I 

think when I started collecting these figurines, they were maybe 59 cents each,” Gloria 

added, “Life can be plain and simple and very, very worthwhile for very little cost.” 

Name: Edwards Denture Clinic 

Width: 30p3 


Color: Black plus one 


Name: Peter We Langille’s truly appreciate Plumbing & Hea 

Width: 30p3 your support as 

customers and friends. 

Thank You and Happy Holidays! 

We look forward to working 

with you in 2010. 

Peter LangiLLe’s PLumbing & Heating 

and LangiLLe’s VinyL signage 521-2251 

E-mail: ptlangille@ns.sympatico.ca 

Name: Gows Home Hardware 

Width: 30p3 



All the Best Holiday Wishes 

to Your Family from All of Us 

at Gow’s Home Hardware! 

543-7121 Visit our website: www.gowshomehardware.ns.ca 

 

 

 

 

Edwards 

dEnturE CliniC 

New location 

220 Dufferin Street, Bridgewater 

902-543-5067



A time to give 

Now is the perfect time to start a workplace campaign tradition of your own 

“I have found that among 

its other benefits, giving 

liberates the soul of the giver.” 

— Maya Angelou 

Heather Fralic has seen the 

wonder that a little bit of 

giving on a large scale can 

create. 

A branch manager for 

Scotiabank in Bridgewater, 

Heather has witnessed just what a small, 

regular deduction from one’s paycheque 

can mean to an organization such as the 

United Way and its ability to do good on a 

very local, very personal level. 

“Ever since I’ve worked for the bank — 

the bank was really involved with the 

United Way in Ottawa — so it’s always 

been something that I’ve done,” she explained. 

“The bank thinks so highly of it and, in 

turn, I’ve learned a lot about it. We even 

lent a district vice-president to be the 

chair of the Ottawa association, so that’s 

sort of how ingrained it is in what we do 

here [with Scotiabank],” she continued. 

“I moved back to Bridgewater three 

years ago, and it’s like, ‘There’s no workplace 

giving — what’s going on?’” 

With the knowledge of how beneficial 

to the community the United Way can 

be, Heather set about getting in touch 

with the co-ordinator of the Lunenburg 

County chapter of the United Way, Michael 

Graves. 

“When I met Michael, he invited me 

out to one of their showcases, where they 

show off all the funded agencies,” she 

said. 

Heather then set about the process of 

kick starting a workplace campaign at 

her Scotiabank branch and, this year, she 

is proud to announce that all 14 employees 

have signed on to make a small donation 

off of each pay which is automatically 

earmarked for the United Way. 

“My branch is done and we have 100 

per cent participation this year — I’m so 

proud of these guys, they really stepped 

up and contributed, and then the bank 

does a corporate donation to Lunenburg 

County’s United Way as well,” she said. 

“It’s one great way of doing it and you 

touch so many places without having to 

be involved in them all.” 

And, Heather added, during the holiday 

season when people are often considering 

making a generous gift to benefit 

local charities, signing up for the United 

Way’s workplace campaign could be the 

start of a great tradition of giving for 

you, as an individual and as a member of 

a wider, workplace team. 

“It’s a really easy way to touch a whole 

bunch of things without having to be 

asked by everybody,” she said. 

And, perhaps most importantly, this 

type of giving is something that has an 

impact year-round and is not just a oneoff 

give during a specific time of year for 

the benefit of one worthy group. 

“People are probably in a more charitable 

mood right now, and this is a way to 

budget it much more effectively for you 

over the course of a year,” Heather said. 

“We definitely need more and more 

businesses to become involved in getting 

the word out about what United Way does. 

And getting the word out, too, that groups 

can draw from it — they just have to be a 

registered charity and they can go to the 

website and download the applications. 

We’ll be going through the process again 

shortly,” she added. 

“It’s simple, it’s easy, it’s effective.” 

Michael said that the current economic 

realities of the world make this an ideal 

time to give a small, weekly contribution 

that can go a long way. 

“I think that now, more than ever, the 

United Way of Lunenburg County is in a 

unique position to make positive things 

happen right here in Lunenburg County,” 

Michael said. 

TIME, continued on page 10 

Name: DMR Financial Services 

Inc. 

Width: 14p7.5 


Delivering 

Our Best 

We are grateful to our readers, advertisers and customers. 

In appreciation, we have made a monetary donation 

to the United Way to help benefit our community. 

 

 

 

Goodwill and good faith to all! 

We hope your holiday is warmed 

by the spirit of friendship! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Baine’s Automotive 

Limited 

Width: 14p7.5 


Season’s Greetings 

from 

Baine’s 

automotive 

Limited 

All the best for 

2010! 

50 Dufferin St. 

902-543-4353 

For all your 

Rust Check 

undercoating and 

complete 

automotive repairs



Faux Snow 

Old family tradition can still whiten your Christmas 

When Christmas bells are swinging 

above the fields of snow, 

we hear sweet voices ringing 

from lands of long ago.” 

— Ella Wheeler Wolcox 

One of the atmospheric blessings of the 

season that most children — and many 

adults — dream of having is a white 

Christmas. 

Even these days, when it seems our 

Christmas days are more often green 

and brown than sparkling and white, there are still 

ways that you can add that snowy, Christmasy feel 

inside your home, without having to necessarily 

worry about shovelling a foot of snow outside. 

Marie Harlow, a native of Walden who resides in 

the Halifax Regional Municipality, recalled recently 

that one of the longest-enduring family traditions 

she holds dear involves the creation of fake snow 

— not the kind that comes today from a spray can, 

but rather a variety that is much gentler on one’s 

skin. 

“It goes back to the days when every household 

had a box of Lux for washing woolens,” Marie recalled. 

“The Lux was whipped with warm water until 

very stiff and applied to the tree. And what a sparkle 

it added to the holiday decor.” 

As Lux went off the market, Ivory Snow became 

the soap powder of the hour until its demise a few 

years ago, she added. 

But, that doesn’t mean that, with a little creativity, 

one can’t get the same effect today. 

Marie explained that by adding two cups of very 

warm water to a half cup of a finely grated Ivory 

soap bar, one can achieve a similar effect. 

You whip the mixture with electric beaters until 

it becomes very stiff, she said, and then you “apply 

lightly to the tree to resemble a light dusting of snow, 

or heavy to look like the first major snowfall of the 

season.” 

The “snow,” she said, helps to keep the tree fresh 

and the room smelling crisp and clean, as though 

you stepped straight into a winter wonderland. 

“The snow,” she added, using cake colouring dye, 

“can also be tinted to match a specific decor.” 

A soft shade of pink, she added, on a pine tree 

resembles lace. 

Marie recommends to avoid using Ultra Ivory 

Snow, as it won’t have the desired effect. The same 

thing goes when using an artificial tree — the application 

of the snow won’t cover in the same fashion 

that it does on a natural tree. 

And, she said when using electric lights to brighten 

your tree, you should apply the lights first and 

take careful note to avoid the connections and outlets 

when applying the snow. 

Marie Harlow applies some homemade Ivory soap “snow” to her 

Christmas tree in preparation for the most wonderful time of the 

year. 

Name: Provincial Hearing 

Width: 30p3 


Color: Process color 


Share this special time 

of the year with the 

ones you love 

Annette Cross, BC-HIS (owner) and son, Cole, BA-HIS. 

From our family to yours, 

a very Merry Christmas and 

a Happy New Year! 

Provincial Hearing ServiceS 

4 Hillcrest Street, Bridgewater 

543-5872 or toll free 1-888-323-4111 

Thank you for 

making Christmas 

on the LaHave a 

huge success. 

We could not have 

done it without 

you and the 

following 

community-minded 

companies and 

organizations. 

Special thanks to: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas 

on the Lahave 

Also, thanks to our 

presenting sponsors: 

Christm as 

Danny carey 

inSurance agency 

southshorenow.ca 

Gary 

ramey, 

 

 

MUNICIPALITY OF THE DISTRICT OF LUNENBURG 

King Street 

MerchantS aSSociation 

All the best in 2010 

INC. 

1879 

Name: Gerald Keddy M.P. Constit. Offi 

Width: 61p6 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

Please drive safely this holiday season. 

Gerald Keddy, MP 

1-888-816-4446 www.geraldkeddymp.ca

10 Festive Favourites, Tuesday, December 22, 2009 www.southshorenow.ca 

TIME, continued from page 8 

With governments at all levels in deficit, the 

ability of local community groups and organizations 

to maintain or raise funds for much-needed 

projects and programs will, he said, likely be 

reduced. 

“However, with the increasing financial support 

from our Lunenburg County business community 

and their employees, the United Way of 

Lunenburg County can help level the playing field 

and provide additional financial support to those 

organizations that need some additional financial 

security,” Michael explained. 

This is why the workplace campaigns that 

encourage participation in the payroll deduction 

programs are so important, he noted — it is the 

employees’ support of this deduction program 

that is making a meaningful and measurable difference 

every day for people right here in Lunenburg 

County. 

And how big an impact could the workplace 

giving campaign have? 

According to Michael, if every, single working 

person in Lunenburg County invested just 

15 cents per day, the United Way of Lunenburg 

County would have more than $1.1 million dollars 

each and every year. 

“This is money that would be invested right 

here in Lunenburg County in prevention programs, 

children, teens, families and seniors,” he 

said. “We could enhance recreation, cultural and 

safety programs. It could be used to increase or 

establish programs that fight violence, promote 

learning or self-esteem, independence or mobility.” 

Currently, Michael added, there are hundreds 

upon hundreds of Lunenburg County workers 

who are contributing to the United Way through a 

workplace campaign. 

“It’s just something I’ve always believed in 

— it’s easy, it’s a one-step give. It comes off my 

paycheque and I don’t miss it,” Heather said. “I 

couldn’t write a one-time cheque for the amount 

of money I give to them, but I certainly don’t miss 

it off of each pay.” 

For more information about programs funded 

by the United Way of Lunenburg County, and to see 

a video about the workplace campaign, please visit 

their website at www.lunenburgcounty.unitedway. 

ca. 

Decking the halls 

Marie Harlow recalls preparing the house for Christmas 

“Christmas renews our youth 

by stirring our wonder.” 

— Ralph Sockman 

Many among us hold the traditions associated 

with preparing the household for Christmas 

in high regard. 

It is something that, yes, we must do each 

year, like a chore — but it is unique in that it 

is done with a spirit and a zest that is seldom 

duplicated in any other annual ritual. 

Marie Harlow, a native of Walden who has in the years 

since her youth relocated to the Halifax Regional Municipality, 

is one such person who holds those dear memories 

of Christmases and special Christmastime traditions near 

and dear to her heart. 

Ms Harlow recently recalled, via e-mail, that she had 

never seen a Christmas tree so wondrous as that which her 

aunt Martha would prepare each year. 

“Growing up in rural Lunenburg County, I always believed 

Aunt Martha had the most beautifully decorated 

Christmas tree in the whole world,” she said. 

It all began the day before Christmas, she explained, 

when her uncle Diego would go into the woods and cut 

down a large spruce tree. 

“Upon inspection of the tree by both Aunt Martha and 

Uncle Diego,” Marie said, “it was usually agreed that one 

more branch was needed to make this tree the perfect 

Christmas tree.” 

Diego would then very quickly attach a branch at the 

base of the tree and Martha would be very protective of the 

branch when decorating. 

The tree was then secured in a wooden stand, anchored 

to the wall of their small farmhouse kitchen and, only then, 

was it ready to be decorated. 

“Those were the days before electricity,” Marie said, 

“so needless to say, there were no Christmas lights on the 

tree.” 

But, she added, part of what made the tree so special was 

that it didn’t really need any lights — when it was decorated, 

she said, “It shone like the Star of Bethlehem.” 

Aunt Martha always began by hanging a large star at the 

top of the tree. 

“She had the most beautiful ornaments of all sizes and 

colours,” Marie said, “but, somehow, the gold ones seemed 

to outshine them all.” 

Among the collection of ornaments was one especially 

important item — a large cluster of grapes that had once 

belonged to Grampa Lou. 

Today, Marie said, that ornament would be 125 years old, 

at least — she admitted to often wondering what became of 

Grampa Lou’s special ornament. 

Martha had old-fashioned lead icicles hung from the 

trunk of the tree to the tips of the branches and all the ornaments 

were accented to a shine with tinsel and rope. 

Often, several special Christmas cards from loved ones 

near and far were placed on the tree as well. 

Under the tree, gifts usually wrapped in papers of red 

and green would eventually be found, decorated with 

Christmas Seals stamps, waiting for Christmas morning to 

arrive. 

“Aunt Martha continued decorating throughout the 

kitchen and dining room,” Marie said. 

“Red and green crepe-paper streamers criss-crossed the 

ceilings, gathered at the centre, with large red and green 

bells,” she recalled. 

On windows throughout the house, one would find 

wreaths hung just so and various traditional Christmas 

ornaments were tastefully put on display throughout the 

rooms. 

“When Christmas Eve finally arrived, this small farmhouse 

had been transformed into a Christmas wonderland,” 

Marie said. 

Throughout all this, there was one special year, she 

added, that will never be forgotten. 

Martha was sick the day before Christmas and Marie 

remembered wondering who would decorate the tree. 

Her grandmother, she said, suggested exactly what Marie 

had secretly been hoping for — that young Marie and her 

cousin Phyllis trim the tree. 

“What a treat this was,” she exclaimed. “Aunt Martha 

was able to supervise, which wasn’t necessary, as I had 

spent many hours over the years admiring her tree, that I 

knew where almost every ornament belonged.” 

And, of course, in the tradition of olden Christmases, 

Martha and Diego always kept their tree up well past 

Christmas and into the new year. 

“I never tired,” Marie said, “[of] admiring this special 

tree.” 

Name: Kinburn Pharmasave 

Width: 30p3 



KINBURN 

W 

Name: Bridgewater Hearing Aid Centre 

Width: 30p3 



Thanks for your 

patronage during 2009. 

We're here to help 

service your needs 

regarding hearing 

health, and we invite 

you to visit us again 

soon in 2010! 

Styles may come and go, 

but old-fashioned values 

like courtesy and kindness 

remain a special priority 

for our valued customers. 

Warm wishes for a healthy, 

happy holiday season. 

Mahone Bay 624-8347 

Bridgewater Hearing aid Centre Ltd. 

10-B Dominion Street, Bridgewater 

543-2111 or Toll Free 1-888-879-5404 

Name: South Shore Tire 

Width: 30p3 



A TEAM YOU CAN TRUST 208 Dufferin St., Bridgewater 527-2222 or 1-800-259-1114 

Season's Greetings! 

During the Holiday Season, we would like to take 

this opportunity to express our thanks for your 

confidence and support given to us year-round. 

Name: Maughans’ Construction Inc. 

Width: 30p3 



Delivering Our Thanks 

Maughans’ Construction 

wishes to take this 

opportunity to express 

their sincere thanks to all 

customers for their 

patronage. 

Best wishes to our friends 

and colleagues for a 

healthy and prosperous 

new year. 

~ All The Best ~ 

Phone: (902) 543-4004 

www.maughans.com

www.southshorenow.ca Festive Favourites, Tuesday, December 22, 2009 11 

Made from scratch 

Bridgewater Community Christmas set to pioneer new seasonal tradition 

“The merry family gatherings 

— the old, the very 

young; the strangely lovely 

way they harmonize in carols 

sung. For Christmas is 

tradition time — traditions 

that recall the previous 

memories down the years, 

the sameness of them all.” 

— Helen Lowrie Marshall 

It’s never a bad time to start a new 

tradition, especially one that involves 

a wide swath of people, one 

that captures the imagination of 

a community, one that serves to 

inspire and inspires to serve. 

And it’s that manifestation of something 

new and vibrant and wonderful for 

the community that Cate Trueman, Brian 

Braganza, Trina Mitchell, and the small 

army of volunteers who have gotten behind 

the inaugural Bridgewater Community 

Christmas, are hoping to achieve. 

When the invite was first issued to 

see if there was appetite in Bridgewater 

for a community Christmas dinner on 

Christmas Day, Cate said that she wasn’t 

sure exactly what kind of a response to 

expect. 

“We put out a call — just a few posters 

and phone calls — and had something 

like 35 people come to our first meeting,” 

she recalled. 

“We were just blown away by the people 

who were there and how on the same 

Carolyne Shaw was proud to do her part to 

help promote the Bridgewater Community 

Christmas as part of the team that readied 

eye-catching displays for the event’s walking 

float in the Christmas on the LaHave 

parade. 

Nolan Cannon and Cate Trueman prepare a tabletop addition for the Bridgewater Community 

Christmas walking float, which participated in the Christmas on the LaHave parade 

on November 30. 

page we seemed to be,” she said. “Right 

away, we felt like the idea was bigger 

than just our little seed and that people 

really felt it was time for this to happen 

in Bridgewater.” 

After it was clear that there was a swelling 

of support behind the community 

Christmas idea, Brian said that the next 

step, in order to begin building toward a 

successful event, was to take advantage 

of the expertise found in nearby communities 

that had already experimented 

with such events. 

“We talked to Lunenburg and Tatamagouche 

and had really good conversations 

with them,” Brian recounted. 

“Lunenburg invited us down to their 

first volunteer meeting earlier this year, 

so they were really supportive in giving 

us information.” 

For their first year, Brian said, the 

expectations were somewhat modest and 

they weren’t expecting to have a participation 

level even close to the 250 which 

Tatamagouche anticipates annually for 

its community Christmas event. 

“We were keeping expectations at a 

reasonable number … not really thinking 

we were going to be where we are now,” 

Brian said with a laugh. 

By early December though, it became 

clear that the event had grown well beyond 

all expectations. 

Organizers were, at that time, boasting 

a group of about 150 volunteers and 

anticipating in the neighbourhood of 400 

people to turn up for the dinner on Christmas 

Day. 

“It speaks to the excitement of the 

community — to come together and do 

something for the community, by the community, 

I think is pretty rare and people 

are excited about that,” Trina said. “It’s 

almost palpable.” 

One might think that a surge in numbers 

of that magnitude would pose havoc 

with having enough food on hand or 

enough supplies at the ready, but, Brian 

said, if anything, it’s exactly the opposite 

— that the widespread, diverse interest in 

the Bridgewater Community Christmas 

has helped to solve some of the logistical 

issues. 

The organizers said, in fact, that they 

believe that the fact the Bridgewater Community 

Christmas is not keyed toward a 

certain organization or demographic has 

appealed to a lot of donors. 

“We’ve been really conscious and specific 

in our language in how we present 

this,” Brian said. “Cate and I both have a 

background in community development 

and looking at the strengths and gifts a 

community has — it’s an approach that 

Wishing our neighbours, 

Name: Dan’s Ventilation & 

Heating 

Width: customers 14p7.5 & friends 


a warm & happy 

holiday. 

Dan’s 

Ventilation & Heating 

530-2647 • 212-1333 (cell) 

dansventilation@eastlink.ca 

looks at what’s really working.” 

“The support we’ve received from the 

community, in terms of food and money 

to support this, it’s been incredible,” Cate 

added. “People really feel like this is a 

worthwhile celebration and is something 

that’s for everyone.” 

People have been willing to put their 

own skills and connections in the region 

to work to ensure that the Bridgewater 

Community Christmas goes off without 

a hitch. 

“We’ve got farmers who are making 

connections for us that we would never 

have about getting turkeys processed and 

things like that,” she said. “People are 

using their strengths to contribute to this 

and it’s really wonderful.” 

And, Trina, Brian and Cate agreed, 

the long-term potential for the Bridgewater 

Community Christmas to have a 

ripple effect in the community is huge 

and could manifest itself in everything 

from simply having proceeds from the 

event reinvested in the community, to the 

emergence of a dedicated volunteer core 

going forward. 

“I’ve been in the area for 14 years and 

I’ve noticed a shift happening, both at a 

municipal level and among citizens as 

well,” Brian said, referring to a swelling 

sense of civic pride and commitment to 

community in Bridgewater and the surrounding 

area. 

“So, I think it’s a shift that has kind 

of been building, and so the community 

Christmas is a tangible thing that starts 

to bring all that together,” he said. “It’s a 

tangible thing that people can get.” 

“This is one meal on one day,” Cate 

said, “so it’s a lot of work for a very short 

event, and what we’re really hoping from 

this is that, in multiple ways, there will 

be spinoffs.” 

Name: Over The Top Hair 

Loft 

Width: Celebrate 14p7.5 


The 

Holidays 

In Style! 

Thank you for spending some time with 

us in 2009. We look forward to helping 

bring the best out in you in 2010. 

Over The Top Hair Loft 

597 King Street, Bridgewater 

543-5944 

Season’s 

Greetings 

The Mayor, Councillors and Staff 

of the 

Town of Mahone Bay 

Name: Town of Mahone Bay 

Width: 14p7.5 


Color: Black 

Whether you’re 

celebrating in 

the country or 

in town, 

we wish you 

a very 

Merry Christmas 

and a Happy 

New Year! 

Thanks for Your Generosity! 

In the spirit of the season, we’d like to express our 

deep gratitude for the support you’ve shown us all year 

long. It’s the kindness and generosity of folks like you that 

R 

make our community and our world a better place. 

Thanks, and best wishes for a happy holiday! 

From the staff and residents of 

Ridgewood 

A Unique Assisted Retirement Living Facility 

372 Aberdeen Road, Bridgewater www.ridgewoodbridgewater.ca 543-9304


WarmHolidayGreetings 

 

 

Mae Weagle 

Merry Christmas to all 

my family and friends. 

Evertt Hubley 

Merry Christmas to my sister, 

Polly, & my daughter, Sharmalyn 

Ruby North 

Merry Christmas to the dietary 

staff who is so good with my food. 

Phyllis Levy 



Mary Osbourne 

Merry Christmas to my 

wonderful family. 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Thelma Swinimar 

I wish Merry Christmas to 

all my family and friends. 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Neil Levy 



Sponsored by 

 

 

Donald Reed 


friend, Sylvia. 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Ray Bond 

Merry Christmas to all my 

family and friends. 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Ervin Dorey 

I wish all my family a 

very Merry Christmas. 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Jadwiga Shopian 

Merry Christmas to my friends 

at Shoreham Village 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Ruth Croft 


wonderful husband, John 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Bertha Hudson 


to all 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Patricia McKinley 


daughter, Cheryl Bernier 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Margaret DeMone 

Merry Christmas to family & 

friends & a very special 

greeting to grandson, Stephen 

Sponsored by 

 

Alva Tanner 

Holiday Greetings to Gwen 

MacDonald, Leslie Tanner 

& Maxine 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Margarite Oickle 

Merry Christmas to all my 

friends & family 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Bruce Colp 

Merry Christmas to my wife 

& all my girlfriends 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Clifford Brown 

Best Holiday Wishes 

to all my family & friends 

Sponsored by 

 

 

June Joudrey 

Merry Christmas to family 

& friends 

Sponsored by 

 

 

Catherine Richards 

Happy Holidays to all my 


Sponsored by 

 

Dorothy Dauphinee 


children, grandchildren & 

great-grandchildren 

Sponsored by 

 

Amy LaChance 



Sponsored by 

 

 

Gerald Rodenhiser 

Merry Christmas to my wife, 

Sheila, and my children, 

Darrell, Dwayne and Clarise 

Sponsored by 

 

Vind White 


family and friends 

Sponsored by


WarmHolidayGreetings 

 

 

Marti Walker 

Holiday wishes to my 

2 children, Sherry & 

Marjorie 

Rita Rose 

Merry Christmas & Happy 

New Year to my daughter, 

Brenda 

Earl Corkum 

Happy Holidays to my brother, 

Phillip & wife, Margaret 

Corkum at Shoreham Village 

Jean Mosher 

Greetings to my children, 

Carolyn, Sylvia, Marie, 

Sandy & Bernie 

John Woodruff 

Merry Christmas to 

Marilyn Monroe 

Doris Veinot 

Greetings to my brother & 

sister in England & my son & 

daughter & families 

Margaret Cleversey 

Merry Christmas & Happy New 

Year to daughter, Ruth, her husband, 

Bruce & grandson, Christian 

Janice Knickle 


New Year to my sister, 

Marie 

Margie Carmicheal 


New Year to my nieces, 

Terry & Alexis 

Lorraine Gray 

Holiday greetings to my 

sister in New York, Margot 

& Dana 

Iona Colp 

Merry Christmas & a 

Happy, healthy New Year 

to my family & friends 

Helen Silver 

Merry Christmas & 

Happy New Year to 

all my family 

Gertrude Veinot 


family of 7 children & many, 

wonderful grandchildren 

Gladys Zwicker 

Special Christmas 

Greetings to all 

Blossom McGuigan 

Wishing everybody a 

Merry Christmas, especially 

Tina & Chris 

Edison Robar 

Merry Christmas everyone, 

especially my special 

lady friend 

Celia Mader 

Merry Christmas & 

Happy New Year to my 

family & friends 

Minerva Dewar 

God bless my son 

& daughter 

Happy Holidays 

Wilfred Garland 


to everyone 

Pauline Cleveland 

I want to wish everyone 

a Merry Christmas & a 

Happy New Year 

These greetings brought to you in the spirit of Christmas and Community by: 

 

 


from your friends at 

Kinley Drug Co. Ltd. 

Your Community Pharmacy 

264 Lincoln Street, Lunenburg 634-4437 

kinley@eastlink.ca


Emily Conrad came out sparkling 

as a bright, green Christmas 

tree for the Christmas on 

the LaHave parade. 

Welcoming the season 

Bridgewater shines in 2009 as Christmas on the LaHave celebrated 

“Christmas is not in tinsel and lights 

and outward show. The secret lies in 

an inner glow. It’s lighting a fire inside 

the heart. Good will and joy a vital 

part. It’s higher thought and a greater 

plan. It’s a glorious dream in the soul 

of man.” 

— Wilfred A. Peterson 

For many years, the idea of a 

Christmas festival or major 

event in the middle of the 

LaHave River Valley had been 

kicked around. 

The notion of a November 

or December event to usher in the winter season 

and give people a reason to celebrate had long 

tantalized. 

In 2005, the most modern incarnation of this 

vision crystallized in the Town of Bridgewater 

— that was that year that the inaugural Bridgewater 

Shines took place. 

The first Bridgewater Shines, ironically 

enough, kicked off what was a month-long celebration 

on a rather balmy December evening. 

The festivities included, of course, a grand 

street parade, lots of great food and entertainment 

and the town’s official tree-lighting ceremony. 

And, over the next three years, around the beginning 

of each December, hundreds to thousands of citizens, 

from Bridgewater itself and far beyond, would 

gather on King Street for the spectacle of a parade 

which began at Shipyard’s Landing and ascended to 

the parkade areas along King. 

This year, however, it was time for a change — a 

break from one tradition and the start of a new one. 

Bridgewater Town Councillor Bill McInnis revealed 

earlier this fall that the name of Bridgewater 

Shines would be changed going forward and that, beginning with 2009’s celebration, 

the event would be known as Christmas on the LaHave. 

The name change was conceived by the committee behind the event as a way of 

making it more inclusive — so that people from throughout the LaHave River Valley 

region would feel welcomed and encouraged to descend upon Bridgewater and immerse 

themselves in the holiday festivities. 

Along with the name change came a change in the parade route, this time with the 

festive floats lining up at the South Shore Exhibition grounds atop Dufferin hill. 

And, as has been the tradition, there was no shortage of turnout for 2009’s Christmas 

on the LaHave. 

Despite a slight postponement of events because of poor weather on the original 

date, Bridgewater’s King Street was nonetheless lined on November 29 with a wealth 

of people. 

The crowd, which numbered in the thousands across all demographics, waited with 

anticipation on the chilly, clear evening for the descent of colourful floats down Dufferin 

hill. 

The most reverence, of course, was reserved for Santa Claus himself, who, fortunately, 

was able to adjust his schedule to accommodate the change of date. 

Following the parade, the official town tree-lighting ceremony and a waterfront 

display of fireworks took place, exploding above the LaHave River. 

Like stars bursting large across the night sky, it was the kind of display that burns 

itself into the memories of those in attendance — especially those looking at the world 

through young eyes, lasting for years to come. 

Members of the Bridgewater Baptist Church, including Mary Elana Sumerau, prepare to 

make their parade procession through Bridgewater. 

Name: Silvers’ Garage (2008 Limited) 

Width: 30p3 


Color: Black 


Staff and Management 

wish all our customers, 

friends and neighbours 

a Very Merry Christmas 

and a 

Happy New Year! 

We’re grateful for 

your valued business. 

It’s been a real 

pleasure serving 

you throughout 2009. 

We look forward to your 

continued visits in the new year! 

A special thank-you to all of our staff. 

cLosInG noon - December 24th 

cLoseD - December 25 thru 28th 

reopen - December 29th & 30th, regular Hours 

cLosInG noon - December 31st 

cLoseD - January 1st 

reopen - January 4th, regular Hours 

Silvers’ 

Garage (2008) Limited 

(Since 1915) 

InternatIonaL trucks, aLL makes, parts & servIce 

273 North Street, Exit 12 

Bridgewater, N.S. B4V 2V7 

Bus.: 902-543-7126 Fax: 902-543-6114 

www.silversgarage.ns.ca 

Name: Langille’s Plumbing & Heating L 

Width: 30p3 


Color: Black 


To all those who have 

lightened up our year, we 

give our very best wishes for the 

brightest holiday season ever. 

We couldn’t have done it 

without all of you. Thanks! 

Langille's 

Quality Work With Customer Satisfaction 

261 York St., Bridgewater 

543-4897 • Fax: 543-4041 

www.langilles.com


Hark the herald 

Angels usher in guests at 

annual Holy Trinity Anglican Church tea 

“The soul at its highest is found like God, 

but an angel gives a closer idea of Him. 

That is all an angel is: an ideal of God.” 

— Meister Eckhart 

There are many symbols that 

we, as part of the greater 

Western culture, have come to 

associate with Christmastime 

and the holiday season. 

One such icon is the angel. 

In a host of different varieties, whether 

a doll, figurine, painting or another 

artistic creation, angels have come, in all 

shapes and sizes, to be part of the collected 

works of our holiday season imagery. 

It should come as little surprise then 

that, when planning for their annual 

Christmas tea, the members of the Holy 

Trinity Anglican Church’s Anglican 

Church Women (ACW) group conceived 

the idea of having a decorative display 

for their tea based upon angels. 

Gloria Hubley, one of the organizers 

of the annual event, said that, in fact, 

the idea evolved altogether naturally and 

certainly sparked excitement. 

“Last year, when we had our tea, I suggested 

that we have a display of nativity 

scenes that different people brought in,” 

Gloria recalled. 

The event was a huge success, she 

noted, remarking that, “We had one wall 

just totally covered with scenes so that 

people coming to the tea could look at 

them.” 

This year, at one of the tea planning 

meetings, Gloria pitched the idea of getting 

people to bring in their angels, “And 

when I mentioned it,” she said, “I could 

hear the hum around me — ‘Oh, I have 

angels!’” 

Last year, the Nativity scenes took 

more space to display each one, but this 

year the ACW members had all sizes of 

angels and more in numbers,” she said 

with a smile. “We have good participation 

and, when we have our tea, the people 

who come really enjoy looking at different 

things.” 

Sylvia Lonergan, for instance, brought 

a very special angel that was given to her 

by a dearly departed friend many years 

ago. 

“I had a pen pal in the United States for 

many years,” Sylvia recalled. 

About a decade ago, Sylvia received 

an angel one Christmastime from her 

pen pal and, it was always, from the very 

beginning, a very special, very personal 

gift. 

“[Then], one Christmas, I didn’t hear 

from her. Then, in January of that year, 

I had a letter from her grandson and included 

were come crochet patterns that 

she wanted me to have and a plaque with 

a verse that was read at her funeral. She 

had passed away from leukemia,” she 

explained. 

“So I treasure that and that angel would 

be the only one of that type here. It was 

kind of a special thing — I have many 

remembrances of her. Certain things 

Diane Mason, left, and Margaret Prudence share a laugh while getting ready for the Anglican 

Church Women’s annual Christmas tea on November 27. 

mean more to you than others — you do 

appreciate the other things, but it’s the 

memory that’s there.” 

In total, more than 100 people attended 

this year’s Christmas tea, held on November 

27, enjoying the tables of angels on 

hand, as well as scrumptious sandwiches 

and sweets. 

To make the tea accessible to as many 

people as possible, both Senior Wheels 

and volunteers worked together to help 

bring those who didn’t have the ability to 

get to the tea on their own. 

But the angelic army, sweet delights 

and great tastes weren’t all that was there 

to catch the attention of visitors to the 

ACW’s Christmas tea tradition. 

“We have a peacemakers group, and 

they have made jewelry and different 

things, and we had a bake table and some 

of the Christmas puddings that we reserved 

for today,” Gloria added. 

There were a wide variety of crafts on 

display, including many recycled items 

such as tin cans that have been given a 

new lease on life as finely painted multipurpose 

jars. 

Even old church bulletins were given 

new life by crafty design, as they were 

incorporated into a vibrant, beaded necklace 

and earring set, the colour for which 

came from the shredded paper bulletins. 

“Those are church bulletins that are 

cut in strips, rolled around a little bead 

and glued fast — a lot of work goes into 

something like that,” Gloria said. 

In addition to being a great time each 

November for patrons, the tea also is a 

wonderful fundraiser for the ACW — 

money raised goes to the ACW which 

then does a lot of different things with 

the funds, including donating a good portion 

of it back to the church for their 

regular fund. 

Name: CIBC Wood Gundy 

Width: 30p3 




Christmas – 

a time to 

celebrate with 

family and give 

thanks for life's blessings. 

Name: Triple-S-Holdings Limited 

Width: 30p3 




Thank You and Merry Christmas 

from CIBC Wood Gundy 

Sitting (left to right): Hugh Wilson, Greg Flinn. Standing (left to right): Mary Jane 

Craft, Judy Estey, Sarah Richard, Trevor Sinclair, Krista MacInnis, Dale Lohnes, 

Christine Chase. 

Proud SuPPorterS of CIBC MIraCle day! 

37 Pleasant Street 

Bridgewater 

543-9882 

(back row L-R) Linwood Rice, Kelly Hubley, Sean Ross, Jean Lees, Kevin Stockley and Vanessa Skinner 

(front row L-R) Curtis Swinimer (owner), Vanessa Merry and Rick Hebb. 

Christmas is our favourite time of year ... 

no time is more fitting to say 

thank you to our friends, 

our family and our customers. 

We wouldn't be here without you. 

We sincerely wish you a happy holiday season 

and a new year of health and happiness! 

Your locally owned and operated 

furniture & appliance store 

Bridgewater plaza


A Taste Delight 

Yuletide Gourmet Market has become part 

of tasteful holiday traditions 

Evelyn Friedrich talks about The Herb Garden’s products with visitors to Mahone Bay’s 

Yuletide Gourmet Market. 

Name: Bridgewater Pharmasave Limited 

Width: 30p3 




Warm Holiday Wishes From All of Us 

at Bridgewater Pharmasave! 

Cameron Cochrane 

Susan Cochrane 

Kim Roy 

Stephanie Barry 

Tammy Stevens 

Daphne Hartley 

Donna Booth 

Julie Jesso 

Sharon Conrad 

Corrina Bird 

Rosemary Cook 

Candace Conrad 

Barb Heisler-Croft 

Matthew Garland 

Connie Roy 

Angel Tufts 

Megan White 

Jenna Ernst 

Natalie Skoczylas 

Mel Falkenham 

Melissa Lohnes 

Jim Himmelman 

Laura Hirtle 

Ashley Skinner 

Lesley Smith 

Stacy Joudrey 

Dawn Fancy 

Sue Hubley 

Shawna Henderson 

Jenna Boudreau 

Karen Weagle 

Gayle Hannam 

Dennise Daly 

Anna Silver 

Tina Mosher-Eisner 

Trent Churchill 

Stephanie Tanner 

Dan Ramey 

Lisa Lowe 

Brenna MacPhee 

Sarah Everett 

Kathy Labour 

Ryan Veinot 

Marcia Taylor 

Faye Ramey 

Natasha Jackman 

Tari Mansfield 

“I wish we could put up 

some of the Christmas spirit 

in jars and open a jar of it 

every month.” 

— Harlan Miller 

You could tell by the smile on 

Evelyn Friedrich’s face, as she 

greeted visitors on November 

28, that she was happy to finally 

have the Christmas season 

underway. 

Evelyn was one of about a dozen local 

food producers on hand at the Yuletide 

Gourmet Market at the Father Christmas 

Festival in Mahone Bay on November 28. 

This was The Herb Garden’s fourth 

year participating in the Yuletide Gourmet 

Market and it’s something that Evelyn 

said she wouldn’t miss because of 

both the spirit of the Father Christmas 

Festival and the wonderful sense of 

Christmastime community that it helps 

to manifest. 

“We’re from Chester and we like to 

make sure that the local people are familiar 

with what we do,” she said. “It’s festive, 

it’s cheerful, you meet lots of people, 

you get to show off your product. It’s a 

tradition.” 

The Herb Garden is a small business 

that is run in conjunction with Bonny 

Lea Farm. 

The microbusiness, Evelyn explained, 

“is a work project for our clients at Bonny 

Lea and they participate in the gardening 

aspect of it and the production of the 

food products. So, it’s an all-year-round 

project.” 

The Herb Garden’s products are organic 

and natural, “And we focus on simple 

products that can be used daily, that anybody 

can use, that are tasteful and quality 

oriented.” 

Evelyn said that The Herb Garden used 

to focus on doing out-of-town types of 

events, but recently they have become 

more and more focused on the South 

Shore and making sure that people are 

familiar with all the great things they do. 

“We found that fewer and fewer people 

knew the products that we produce that 

are right next door [for them],” she said. 

“So, we thought we’d get back into the 

community — and that’s really important 

to us, and I think to more people now — to 

know your community.” 

It’s equally important, too, to stay in 

touch with the demands of the community 

they serve. Hence, Evelyn and The 

Herb Garden crew are always trying to 

stay ahead of the curve in terms of popular 

offerings. 

“We try to make sure we stay current 

with our flavours, so that whole marketing 

aspect of things is part of the project 

as well,” she said. “And, because of the 

gardening aspect of it, there’s a therapy 

component to it, so it’s really a win-win 

project.” 

The Herb Garden and other similar 

local food vendors were exactly the kind 

of establishments that organizers of the 

Father Christmas Festival Yuletide Gourmet 

Market were hoping to promote and 

encourage when the idea of the market 

first came on the scene. 

“It’s been a part of the festival as long 

as it has been going on,” explained organizer 

Mimi Findlay. 

“I organize the gourmet food barn [here 

at Suttles & Seawinds] and sell cider and 

this year, marshmallows for toasting to 

raise some money for the festival.” 

Co-ordinating the Yuletide Gourmet 

Market is no small task. 

In addition to the planning and decorating 

with local producers, Mimi also 

put about 40 hours of work into the Enchanted 

Forest upstairs in the barn — 

a new attraction at this year’s Father 

Christmas Festival. 

“It’s another way that we’re trying to 

raise funds,” Mimi said. 

“And that may sound like a lot of 

hours, but if you compare it to Vicki Bardon 

[and other organizers], they probably 

put in 200 or 300 hours to make the real 

magic happen,” she added. 

“But because I’m a design person, this 

is the part that appeals to me —whether 

it’s in selling local food, or thinking up 

ideas, just to let people see that you can 

have pleasure from things that cost nothing.” 

That, she said, is part of the attraction 

to the Yuletide Gourmet Market and to 

the Father Christmas Festival as a whole 

— it represents, in a sense, a return 

to traditional Christmastime values and 

gives families, friends and loved ones an 

event that they can come to year after 

year, thus building their own traditions 

in the process. 

“The idea of the gourmet market appeals 

to me as a food person. I like to 

celebrate the local traditions of food —of 

making, of harvesting, of showing people 

what you can do with it, and I think it’s 

so great that we have these local vendors 

that make this food that is grown here 

and processed here,” Mimi said. 

“That’s really nice and the more that 

people know, year after year, things are 

here, they plan their weekend around the 

things that we’re doing and that’s a nice 

feeling.” 

Bridgewater Pharmasave 

Bridgewater Shopping Plaza 

543-3418 

Mimi Findlay pours some hot cider for visitors to the Yuletide Gourmet Market on November 

28.

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