NOW LUNENBURG COUNTY_MAGAZINE_56PGS_JUNE2018

LUNENBURG
COUNT Y
nova scotia
LUNENBURG, LUNENBURG COUNTY
fish & feastP. 19

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CONTRIBUTORS
DONNA LEON | chester basin
STACEY COLWELL | bridgewater
GLENN DURNFORD | middle lahave
MARGARET HOEGG | petite rivière
TINA HENNIGAR | mahone bay
TIM MERRY | mahone bay
JENNIFER NAUGLER | hebb’s cross
TYLA CAREY | martin’s river
HEATHER MACKENZIE-CAREY | martin’s river
BÉATRICE SCHULER | new germany
KRYSTLE RETIEFFE | mahone bay
TONY LANTZ | bridgewater
ASHTON RHODENIZER | new germany
JOHN MERCHANT | mahone bay
ADVERTISING
LYNN HENNIGAR | TINA HENNIGAR
PUBLICATION DESIGN
SKYSAIL BRAND MARKETING & DESIGN
NOW LUNENBURG COUNTY TEAM
ELSPETH MCLEAN-WILE
LYNN HENNIGAR
MICHAEL BELLIVEAU
HEATHER MACKENZIE-CAREY
VICKI MACDONALD
WAYNE FULCHER
PAUL BELLIVEAU
MARY-ANN HILTZ
TINA HENNIGAR | coordinator
LUNENBURG
COUNT Y
fish & feast
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ABOUT THE COVER
COVER PHOTO BY BÉATRICE SCHULER
TAKEN DURING
THE ANNUAL SOUTH SHORE COLOUR FESTIVAL
BRIDGEWATER, NOVA SCOTIA
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
No parts of this publication can be used without the written permission of the publisher.
PUBLISHER NOW LUNENBURG COUNTY
lunenburg county, nova scotia 2018
NOW LUNENBURG COUNTY WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2014
AND ITS PURPOSE IS TO BUILD PATHS TOWARD A VIBRANT AND SUSTAINABLE LUNENBURG COUNTY ECONOMY
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WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN OUR WORK? REACH OUT TO US. HERE’S HOW:
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NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 3

ELLIOT WAJCHENDLER and HANNAH COOK
nova scotia
PINEGROVE, LUNENBURG COUNTY
breaking new ground BY
JENNIFER NAUGLER
Submitted photo
FARMHOUSE RESTORATION
CREATES YOUTUBE FAME
Living in Toronto and having recently finished school, Hannah
Cook and Elliot Wajchendler began working in their respective
careers as interior designer and architect. After some time and
circumstance, not feeling especially satisfied with their jobs,
they eventually began talking about where their careers and
lives were headed. More importantly, where they wanted to be.
Hannah grew up in Lunenburg County with her parents and
three siblings on a chicken farm, and was feeling the pull to
come back home. Elliot was open to coming to Nova Scotia and
loved the idea of living in an area with so much nature and
space. After some deliberation, Hannah packed up all their
things and moved to NS with Elliot joining her six months later
after finishing a temporary job out west.
Their original plan was to build a tiny home to live in, but
until that happened they were staying in the 100+ year old
farmhouse on the Cook farm property. The interior designer in
Hannah and the architect in Elliot, started peeking around the
old home and immediately felt inspired to start doing some
restoring and renovating.
They started in the living room and began recording some video,
mostly for their own purposes to document the process. When
they finished, Elliot spent some time editing and then decided
to upload the video, entitled Farmhouse Restoration- $300
Living Room Reno, to YouTube and Reddit. Within 24 hours, they
had received 800 subscribers. At the one-year mark, that first
video now has over 400,000 views.
Receiving so much positive feedback, they decided to keep
going and began dedicating more time to the video process.
Renovating the farmhouse, and sharing that experience, they
have built up a large following. They currently have close to
60,000 subscribers and 2.4 million total video views. With the
money they make from ad revenue, Elliot is now a full-time
YouTuber, while Hannah has a full-time job and her own cake
decorating business on the side.
Leaving Lunenburg County for a while and coming back has
given Hannah a whole new respect for the area. When you are
young, it’s easy to say there is nothing to do here, but Hannah
says if you go looking, there is lots to do, mentioning the
beautiful trails and recent addition of craft breweries. Blown
away by the space, nature, and the convenience, the longer Elliot
is in Pinegrove, the more he loves it. They both enjoy the slower
paced lifestyle and the sense of community.
Elliot describes these times as “ground-breaking” in that there
is so much potential online. There is still work to do, but you can
really do that work from anywhere. Hannah and Elliot are both
glad this new reality allows them to build their lives, living and
working in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia.
YouTube- Wabi Sabi-E- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe34EfG32ae981lvYBKpgdg/featured
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/wabisab_e/
Hannah’s Cake Designs- https://www.facebook.com/hannahscakedesigns/
4 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM

ETHAN HILTZ
nova scotia
MAITLAND, LUNENBURG COUNTY
Tyla Carey photo
thriving trades
BY HEATHER MACKENZIE-CAREY
MANUFACTURING A CAREER AND
A LIFE IN RURAL NOVA SCOTIA
There is something even more genuine than Ethan Hiltz’s
infectious smile. It’s his love of Lunenburg County.
Ethan grew up in Mahone Bay, graduated from Park View
Education Center and completed post-secondary education
without ever moving away. He works at ABCO in Lunenburg in a
job he loves, living where he loves.
keeps him there. In less than three years, Ethan has moved into
a management position.
Metal fabrication might not sound that exciting, but as Ethan
tours me around his workplace, I can see how proud he is of
what he’s doing, and for good reason. It is really cool stuff! This
is not some “factory job”.
Ethan isn’t going anywhere. He doesn’t feel he’s missing out on
anything. In fact, still in his 20s, Ethan just bought a house in
Maitland, in the center of Lunenburg County easily accessible to
just about every community that makes up the place he grew up.
His life is great!
Perhaps that shouldn’t sound so unusual but Ethan knows
people think it is. He has lots of friends that felt they needed to
move away to pursue careers, although he is quick to add they
all intend to come back once they have established themselves.
Ethan also has many friends who stayed. He points to lots of
opportunity in the trades.
Perhaps it’s because we have a proud Nova Scotia history of
providing quality university experiences only an hour away, that
we seem to push our youth from high school to university. Ethan
thinks that may be a mistake. He encourages people to consider
the trades that are thriving in Lunenburg County.
Ethan wasn’t sure what he wanted to do after leaving highschool.
Looking through the NSCC course catalogue he hit on
something that intrigued him. When Ethan graduated from the
2-year Architectural Drafting program, he landed an interview
at ABCO and, despite the job being more mechanical drafting
than architectural drafting, the company saw a good employee,
a community spirit and a great fit. Ethan’s friend got him the
interview. Ethan’s training, talent and flexibility got him the job.
It’s the encouraging workplace and sense of community that
902-624-6378
LOCATED IN THE OLD MADERS WHARF BUILDING
643 MAIN ST., MAHONE BAY
THEMUGANDANCHORPUBLTD.COM
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 5

ckbw.ca
cjhk.ca

BURT WATHEN
nova scotia
LUNENBURG, LUNENBURG COUNTY
Submitted photo
performing arts BY
DONNA LEON
LUNENBURG ACADEMY
OF MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Burt Wathen has found the perfect groove in a great Victorian
building, and he couldn’t be happier.
From stunning strings to smokin’ hot jazz, there’s rarely a quiet
moment at the Lunenburg Academy of Musical Performance
(LAMP).
On the third floor in a light-infused classroom, teachers and
students warm up by singing Italian madrigals. Down the
hall, two young tenors sing a duet about getting coffee. In the
kitchen, a visiting tenor unpacks a meal of authentic Korean food
he intends to share with new friends.
Wathen is founder and artistic director of LAMP. Born in Sydney
and raised in New Brunswick, Wathen is a renowned viola player
who has taught and performed on three continents.
“Burt’s goal was to create a future for this building”, says
Susan Corkum-Greek, LAMP’s general manager. “He wanted
to assemble a world-class performance school that would be
embraced by the community, and that certainly has happened”.
“LAMP can be life-changing for young artists”, says Wathen.
“It’s a place where these performers can grow, a place where
they can discover their full artistic potential”.
The building’s 200-seat auditorium overlooks Old Town
Lunenburg. The high ceilings, the wooden detailing, large,
airy practice rooms and a state of the art recording studio are
impressive. You can see the Atlantic from most classroom
windows.
Young artists from 25 countries have studied at LAMP under the
guidance of sought-after Canadian and international performing
artists. Volunteers assist with everything from airport pickups to
food and housing. Many deep bonds have been created within
these hallowed halls.
“Every artist that comes here to teach or perform has agreed to
return”, says Susan Corkum-Greek. “They love the space, they
love being beside the ocean, and they adore the community.
It’s really been a gift”.
Burt Wathen echoes that sentiment. He knows he has created
something unique with LAMP, and he’s proud to call Lunenburg
home.
Since 2014, the grand building that sits majestically above the
Town of Lunenburg has been the Academy’s home. The former
school is a Canadian architectural treasure, the only intact 19th
century academy building surviving in Nova Scotia.
LAMP offers advanced studies in performance and interpretation
in a variety of musical disciplines and styles that range from
Renaissance to Contemporary, piano, strings, chamber music,
voice and opera, composition, world music and jazz.
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 7

DONNA LEON and ROBERT RISKIN
nova scotia
CHESTER BASIN, LUNENBURG COUNTY
urban to rural
BY DONNA LEON
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
Donna Leon and Robert Riskin love to tell the story of how they
found Lunenburg County.
Donna left Cape Breton after high school to study journalism
at university in Ottawa. Robert lived in Vancouver since he was
a young adult. Both former college professors and television
directors, they knew one another for 20 years before getting
together as a couple.
Donna moved west, but after four months in Vancouver, she
grew tired of the rain and heavy traffic. They bought a home
near the lake in the sunny Okanagan, but the lifestyle didn’t suit
them. So three and a half years after that move, they sold their
home and its contents, and drove across Canada. The couple
temporarily settled near Donna’s mother in Waterloo, Ontario.
Donna Leon photos
“Our goal was to find a place to truly call home”, says Robert.
“We searched properties in the GTA and eastern Ontario. But we
didn’t find the right fit”.
Midway through the year, they were offered an opportunity
to housesit a villa in Spain. It came with a cat named Bootsie.
They jumped at the chance. The two thought living in a foreign
country for three months should be enough time to figure out
their next move back in Canada.
“Few people spoke English where we were housesitting, so we
were literally on our own. We had very weak internet in the
village, so I bought a roaming package on my phone and began
to search real estate sites. I stumbled upon a listing that was
comparable to our Kelowna home, only on the east coast, and far
less expensive. We looked at one another and said, “Let’s go for
it!”, Donna recalls.
What the couple found online was a listing for the QEII hospital
Lottery’s 2017 Dream Cottage, which the winners had decided to
sell. It had been on the market for only a few weeks.
Donna quickly enlisted a cousin and her husband to travel from
Dartmouth to Chester Basin to inspect the house. They Facetimed
with Donna and Robert during a walkthrough while the
couple watched on their iPad via WiFi at a pub 5,000 kms away.
Two weeks later, and a month before their return to Canada, the
deal was done.
“I still can’t believe we bought our home without seeing it in
person, in an area neither of us knew”, says Robert. “We had to
GPS our address the day we moved in”.
They knew the transition from urban to rural would be a
paradigm shift, but after living in the Spanish countryside all
summer, they were ready for the change.
8 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM
Robert says Spain conditioned them to the rural lifestyle.

“In the countryside where we stayed, we got to know the local
community, we explored the culture, visited the markets, met
the locals and found absolute authenticity and charm. The South
Shore is appealing in the same way”.
The real estate deal included the contents of the ‘cottage’, much
of which are handcrafted and custom items selected by the
home’s architectural designer.
to visit family and friends, and love hosting dinners with new
and old friends.
“We really feel as if we have won the lottery,” says Rob.
Donna echoes that sentiment. “This is a dream come true”.
“We arrived with only our luggage and my spices. I love to cook”,
says Donna. “Our home at Skipper Hill is gorgeous. We take our
coffee to the community dock and just watch the world go by.
It’s so calming. And the sunsets are stunning.
Robert says they’ve become stargazers too. “You don’t see as
many stars anywhere near a large city because of light pollution.
We walk onto the deck and are in awe of the constellations. It’s
mesmerizing”.
Nine months after moving in, the couple keeps in shape by
swimming laps at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre and
bicycling on the many trails nearby. They travel to Halifax often
“THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE”
Donna Leon
Something for Everyone at the Market!
Farm Market | Market Kitchen | Bakery | Event Hosting
Classes | Garden Centre & Greenhouses | Picnics & Catering
www.wilesfarmmarket.com
WILEVILLE, NOVA SCOTIA 902.543.6082

The Mahone Bay Centre
45 School Street, Mahone Bay, NS
SERVING THE GREATER MAHONE BAY COMMUNITY
MEET & GREET | ORGANIZE | CREATE | DANCE | LEARN | GET FIT
ENTERTAIN & BE ENTERTAINED... AND MUCH MORE!
Governor General David Johnston visited Mahone Bay Centre in
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, on Wednesday, May 14, 2014.
In his address to the community he said the Centre is
“both the right thing to do and the bright thing to do”.
We gratefully acknowledge the Town of Mahone Bay, the Municipality of the the District of Lunenburg, the Province of
Nova Scotia, and the Government of Canada for their kind and generous support of our citizen-owned-and-operated community centre.
We also acknowledge the generous donations of our citizen supporters.
The Mahone Bay Centre has been granted Charitable status by Canada Revenue Agency.
mahonebaycentre.org | 902 624 0890

DR. PETER WEST
nova scotia
CONQUERALL MILLS, LUNENBURG COUNTY
Submitted photo
healthy living
BY Margaret hoegg
HOW ONE SOUTH SHORE DOCTOR
IS GROWING A PREVENTATIVE
HEALTHCARE MODEL
“Live a little more slowly, produce healthy food, and produce
healthy humans.” These are words to live by for Dr. Peter West.
Five years ago, Dr. West was working overtime at the Saint
John Hospital in New Brunswick, dividing his time between the
intensive care and medical teaching units. It was intense, and he
periodically suffered burnout.
Things changed suddenly for his family when their farmer left
the area. Secure access to healthy, fresh food had become even
more important with two young children to consider.
“We had been really interested in food before we came
down,” said Dr. West. “I had worked in the obesity clinic in
Saint John and so I had an interest in food that would make
people healthy.”
Then a friend sent them a link to the perfect house on a fertile
drumlin in Lunenburg County. “It’s close to the ocean, close to
Halifax, and then we discovered ... how amazing this part of
Nova Scotia is,” said Dr. West. “So yeah, we just totally lucked
into it really.”
He easily got a job at the hospital in Bridgewater - just 15 km
from their new home.
“The work environment here is lovely,” he said. “Once you get
out of the city and into communities....all of a sudden if there’s
not that power disparity, there is a more collegial relationship.”
He now works part time as an ER Doctor and homesteads with
his wife and three children. They grow vegetables and fruit, raise
livestock, preserve what they can, and buy the rest from the
many local farms and food producers along the South Shore.
“We had a loose idea of, ‘we want to start growing our own food
and work a little bit less,’ but it sort of progressed,” said Dr. West.
He sees his work as a Doctor and on his homestead as
connected, just at opposite ends of the spectrum. “What I’m
trying to do here is to grow healthy children,” he said. “When
children grow up in this type of environment, eating healthy
food, they will be healthy.”
In his work, he spends much of his time treating preventable
illnesses - obesity, diabetes, and a multitude of other conditions.
He sees preventative health care as the key to a better
healthcare system.
“SO YEAH, WE JUST TOTALLY LUCKED INTO IT REALLY.”
Dr. Peter West
As a health care professional and parent, he leads by example.
He hopes that by demonstrating the benefits of biking or
walking to work, growing your own food, and finding life
work balance, he can make a positive impact. He is encouraged
by the growing community of like-minded people in
Lunenburg County.
“There seems to be this migration of young families here,”
said Dr. West. “And the reason that they’re here is the same
reason we’re here. They’re interested in getting out of cities
and growing food and living healthily and being part of the
communities that humans are really kind of supposed to
grow up in.”
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 11

BRUCE THOMPSON
nova scotia
GOLD RIVER, LUNENBURG COUNTY
on the water
BY MARGARET HOEGG
TRADITIONAL BOAT BUILDING
MAKES A COMEBACK IN RURAL
NOVA SCOTIA
It’s a trade with a long, romantic history on Nova Scotia’s South
Shore. Today, it’s a niche industry in high demand.
At Tern Boatworks in Gold River, Nova Scotia, owner Bruce
Thompson’s boatyard is so busy that he has a backlog of projects
and a shortage of skilled tradespeople.
“It’s not only boat building,” said Thompson. “Every trade that I
know is lacking skilled people.”
Thompson hires some employees through the apprenticeship
programs run by the Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association. Half
a dozen apprentices have completed their program working
alongside his crew.
Thompson’s own apprenticeship was more informal. With just a
photo of the boat he built in his parent’s garage, he approached
Covey Island Boatworks, then in Petite Rivière, to express his
interest in learning the trade.
To his surprise, they hired him on the spot. “So that’s it,” he said.
“I packed everything up in the city and moved down to the South
Shore.”
“IT’S NOT ONLY BOAT BUILDING, EVERY TRADE THAT
I KNOW IS LACKING SKILLED PEOPLE.”
Bruce Thompson
12 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM
Submitted photo
Thompson mentored with talented builders to learn the handson
skills and filled in the written end of things through night
courses. In five years, he had the skill and confidence to start his
own company.
“My passion to put out good work is kind of what pushes
everything,” he said. “The whole business end of it just kind of
fell in place, but it’s been a steep learning curve.”
Tern Boatworks steers clear of specializing in a single niche
aspect of the trade. He said, “we’ll do traditional boat work, we’ll
do composite boat building, and we’ll take on something that’s
completely off the wall.”
This kept his company open to opportunities such as The
Enigma, a new 34’ International One Design Class wooden
racing boat, and more unique projects, such as the 45’
submarine playground structure for Halifax Waterfront
Development Commission, which they built using the same
strip-planking method used in the Bluenose II restoration
project.
This kind of creativity and diversification is what helps his
business stay on an even keel, even in a turbulent economy.
Thompson said there is renewed interest in “new builds”.
People are looking for something handcrafted and high quality.
Traditional boat building is “an artisan trade in some ways,” he
said. “It’s something that can be beautiful and functional at the
same time.”
Lunenburg County turned out to be the perfect location for his
business and also ideal for raising a family. He and his wife live
in LaHave with their two young children.
“It’s not a community that’s dying, it’s a community that’s
thriving,” said Thompson. “I think there’s a comeback to rural
communities, especially on the South Shore.”

ANDREW BUTTON
nova scotia
BRIDGEWATER, LUNENBURG COUNTY
Tina Hennigar photo
startups wanted
BY MARGARET HOEGG
MASHUP LAB PROGRAM A
CATALYST FOR RURAL
ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT
Andrew Button is less concerned about the type of business
someone wants to build, and more about empowering them
to see themselves as entrepreneurs. “I’m not working with
entrepreneurs with business ideas. I’m working with people with
business ideas,” he said over coffee at his co-working space in
downtown Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.
Button has worked with over 1000 entrepreneurs in rural
communities through his Mashup Lab business. His Dream
Business Incubator Program gives participants like me a six
month runway on which to launch a viable business.
The first six week “boot camp” provides us with tools and
coaching that help us develop a strategic and dynamic business
plan.
Most programs offer a traditional approach structured around
writing lengthy business plans. While it works for some sectors,
Button doesn’t feel it serves the other 95% of businesses in rural
communities.
Instead, Button has taken some of the tools and ideas proven
to be successful for digital and technology startups and looks at
how to apply them to traditional types of businesses.
“The intellectual property of Mashup Lab exists in that
translation of some of these tools,” he said, “and helping to
frame them up in the context of the businesses that most people
are trying to build in rural communities.”
A real world business needs to be responsive - when something
is no longer effective, you need to be open to trying new things.
About his own business, he said “I’ve fallen in love with the
problem I’m trying to solve. I haven’t fallen in love with the way
in which I’m trying to solve it.”
How do you know when something won’t work? When I ask
him questions along those lines, Andrew’s answer is: “your
customers will tell you.”
We meet weekly for the first six weeks, then bi-weekly for 60
days until the moment of truth: Pitch night. This is when we
each stand up in front of an audience and speak for five minutes
about our business and where we are headed.
For those who continue into the final 90 day phase, there’s also
a chance to access up to $5,000 worth of startup services, from
branding strategy to digital marketing.
The program has expanded through a recent partnership with
NSCC that allows Button to offer the Dream Business Incubator
program for free to ten people each session. Furthermore, all of
Mashup Lab’s services are accessible online, which opens it up
to almost anyone, anywhere.
Button’s innovation and elevated mindset offers something
unique and progressive in the Atlantic region. With the rise of
new technology, there is an opportunity for people to create
their ideal job and build resilient, thriving rural communities.
“All of those dynamics are putting Mashup Lab in a position to
really light a fire under some of that entrepreneurial potential
and introduce a new way of exploring business ideas in rural
Atlantic Canada.”
Find out more about Andrew Button and Mashup Lab at
www.mashuplab.ca
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 13

Bridgewater Farmers Co-op Ltd
is in the business of helping
Lunenburg County Grow!
Grow Food
Help Farmers
Sustain Communities
BRIDGEWATER FARMERS CO-OP LTD
123 Elm St, Bridgewater, NS
(902) 543-2471

SAMIR UPADHYAY
nova scotia
BRIDGEWATER, LUNENBURG COUNTY
here to stay
BY MARGARET HOEGG
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT FINDS
OPPORTUNITY AND CONNECTION
IN LUNENBURG COUNTY
How did Samir Upadhyay, a young business student from India,
find himself waist deep in snow in St. John’s, Newfoundland?
“If I tell you, you won’t believe me,” said Upadhyay, “but I
literally opened [a] map and ended up going there.”
“I came to Canada as an international student in 2010,” he
said. “I finished my studies in Toronto…[and] I wanted to move
somewhere outside of Ontario to start my life after my studies.”
Tina Hennigar photos
said Upadhyay. “I try to make them feel the same about what I
feel about this town. I tell them about how welcoming it is.”
Connecting with newcomers comes naturally for him, since he
understands many of the challenges they face. He helps them
decide the best area to live, find suitable employment, and
settle their children into school.
He tells them about multicultural festivals, cultural gatherings,
and invites them to meet other newcomer families. People move
here from India, China, Germany, Russia, Mexico, and other
places - when they connect with new and familiar communities,
he said, “they get a good feeling.”
When one of his clients wants to start a business, Upadhyay
supports them however he can. He has helped someone open a
laundromat in Bridgewater, an Indian restaurant in Caledonia,
and has a client who wants to open a Syrian restaurant in the
area.
Upadhyay has lived in Toronto, Newfoundland, Halifax, and
Ottawa. His career advanced quickly in Halifax, but he wanted to
live in a smaller town.
So, when he was offered an opportunity to manage a cell phone
business in the Bridgewater Mall, he decided to give it a try.
He stayed for two years by himself, returning to India to get
married, and eventually was able to bring his wife to live with
him in Bridgewater. They both enjoy the town and the friendly,
welcoming community.
Upadhyay enjoys connecting with people and giving back to the
community. His third job is substitute bus driver for the public
transit service in Bridgewater, and he recently joined the fire
department as a volunteer.
Community connections make all the difference for newcomers
who are deciding whether or not to stay. “When you see that
someone is new,” said Upadhyay, “it doesn’t harm to just say ‘Hi.
Hello. How are you?’...It always helps.”
Every day Upadhyay meets locals and newcomers who come to
his mall kiosk to get set up with cell phones. This is where he
connected with a woman who worked as an Outreach Settlement
Staff person with the YMCA. She was about to go on maternity
leave and suggested that he apply for the position. It was a
perfect fit.
“My work is to provide a settlement service to the newcomers,”
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 15

SARA WHYNOT
nova scotia
MAHONE BAY, LUNENBURG COUNTY
Donna Leon photo
life is a highway
BY DONNA LEON
COMMUTE TO HALIFAX
NOT SO BAD
Sara Whynot knows carpool karaoke.
Whynot loves to belt out rock ‘n roll tunes while behind the
wheel on the highway every weekday. And she has plenty of
time to sing along to local radio. It’s exactly 86 kms from Sara
Whynot’s driveway in Mahone Bay to her office in downtown
Halifax.
“My carpoolers are not remotely musical”, jokes Whynot.
She and two other women leave Mahone Bay at 6:15 sharp most
weekday mornings. Commuting takes about three hours out of
her day, and she admits it’s not for the faint of heart. But she
loves her job, so the back and forth is worth it.
“Really, there are days that I don’t even realize the drive, and
suddenly, exit 10 pops into view. That always spurs that last
cleansing breath of the work day”.
Whynot’s personal road to Mahone Bay is the stuff of romance
novels. In the summer of 1982, she was working as a medical
researcher in her home state of Virginia. Norman Whynot was
a deckhand on Bluenose ll. The couple met in a bar. They dated
long distance for five years before Sara agreed to marry Norman
and move to Canada.
“Moving away from my family in Virginia was difficult at first, but
Norman’s life was here and he didn’t want to leave. I loved him,
so I moved North. It was a fresh start that allowed me to make
my own friends and become part of the community”.
Sara Whynot’s skills in academic research were transferable
from the U.S. to Canada. She quickly landed a job as a medical
researcher at Dalhousie University in Halifax. That was 30 years
ago.
“If you want to come to Mahone Bay to live, it is your choice
where you work”, says Whynot. “I get to travel to international
conferences and events, and Norman gets to work close to home.
For us, it has been the best of both worlds”.
Sara Whynot credits her husband with her success. The couple
has raised two children, now young adults, in their sprawling
historic property overlooking the bay.
“I would not have been able to just drop and go had Norman
not been there to play the role of both Mom and Dad on more
than one occasion. I owe a lot to him”.
For Sara Whynot, the commute is just distance. As she sees it,
living in picturesque Mahone Bay is like going to the cottage
every day after work.
“When I drive across the Kedy Bridge and look at the three
churches, I feel as if I’m home. I get to drive into a postcard. How
lucky am I?!”
“WHEN I DRIVE ACROSS THE KEDY BRIDGE AND LOOK AT THE THREE CHURCHES, I FEEL AS IF I’M HOME.
I GET TO DRIVE INTO A POSTCARD. HOW LUCKY AM I?!”
Sara Whynot
16 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM

PAUL AUCOIN
nova scotia
PETITE RIVIÈRE, LUNENBURG COUNTY
Submitted photo
the view from here
BY MARGARET HOEGG
SMALL BUSINESS OWNER
ENJOYS THE VIEW IN
PETITE RIVIÈRE
The pace of his work hasn’t changed, but the view from Paul
Aucoin’s desk is completely different. From his basement office
in Toronto he would see people’s legs go by; now, from his
studio office in rural Lunenburg county, he watches foxes and
deer across a meadow.
It’s a quality of life that he “could have never afforded in
Toronto,” Aucoin said. “To have that window - that’s something
that’s only available here.”
Aucoin and his young family recently moved from Queen
Street West in Toronto to Petite Rivière, a village on the coast
of Lunenburg County with a steadily growing population of full
time and seasonal residents.
“Petite Rivière is so incredible as is the whole area,” said Aucoin.
“The community lived up to all expectations...It was everything
it was advertised to be and more.”
He appreciates that his two young sons will grow up in a strong,
vibrant rural community. “I’m so excited for my son for the Fall.
The school’s got a chicken coop!” he said. “[The kids here] are so
spoiled in a good way.”
Aucoin grew up in Halifax and began studying music in Nova
Scotia, which, he boasted, “has a world-renowned music
education system batting way above its average.”
He moved to Toronto in his twenties and spent the next fifteen
years touring and recording with bands such as the Sadies
and the Hylozoists. He went on to perform on recordings
with everyone from the Constantines and Feist to Blue Rodeo
and produced records for the likes of John K Samson of the
Weakerthans and Ron Sexsmith.
Aucoin’s music made way to television and film by way of the
National Parks Project, for which he worked as Musical Director
and Music Producer. Then his career took a surprising turn.
Aucoin’s years spent writing grants in the music industry led
him to small business bookkeeping and production accounting
in film and television. Today, he runs an accounting business
with 100 clients and several employees.
“WHY NOT MOVE SOMEWHERE THAT HAS SO MUCH
SPACE AND SUCH GREAT COMMUNITY?”
Paul Aucoin
The transition from Toronto to rural Nova Scotia was, he said,
“shockingly seamless.” It helped to have a job on the right side
of supply and demand. He also switched to a paperless system,
which made remote work not only possible but more enjoyable.
“I would hope there’s a renaissance of all of those skill bases
that don’t take being in the same spot,” said Aucoin.
But there is still more work to be done on rural internet.
It surprises Aucoin that more people don’t take advantage of it.
“Why not move somewhere that has so much space and such
great community?” he said. “The space is what I enjoy most.
There is so much space for life.”
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 17

902 ATHLETICS
nova scotia
BRIDGEWATER, LUNENBURG COUNTY
health & fitness
BY
TINA HENNIGAR
Tyla Carey photo
COMMUNITY DISGUISED AS A GYM
When Joel Holland moved back to Lunenburg County from
Calgary, he joined a gym. It was fine, but he was looking for
more. Joel was looking for a community who challenged him
and who he could challenge too.
CrossFit is a branded fitness regimen that is taking the health
and fitness world by storm and Joel loved it. He believed there
was a space for this regimen in Lunenburg County. Joel started
CrossFit in his garage with a group of friends. When word
caught on, he had to rent a space and soon even that wasn’t big
enough for his growing community. And make no mistake; it is
a community.
902 Athletics is on 446 York Street in Bridgewater and Joel’s
community is growing every day.
“Our members are amazing. They inspire me,” Joel has an
intensity when he speaks that just makes you believe him. Their
membership is a mix, comprised of the super strong and those
just getting started, kids and those who’ve long retired. There
are mothers, and grandmothers, teenagers and athletes and
people who just want to lose a few pounds. They workout right
along-side one another; one lifting 200 pounds, while the other
sticking with a 10lb bar. And at the end of the workout of the day
they slap sweaty hands as the team they have become.
“We have amazing people here in Lunenburg County,” Joel
says of his staff, again with conviction. He talks of the team of
coaches that make up the 902 staff as if they’re family. “Don’t
for a second think that you have to compromise to live and
work and start a business here.” Joel credits his team and his
members for helping him create this space.
18 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM
The new space is comparable to any CrossFit Gym in the country,
much different from his early days in the garage when people
brought their own gear. Joel remembers bringing in Matt Van
Waychen as a CrossFit Coach. “He was so knowledgeable, and I
knew I needed him, and I knew I couldn’t pay him what he was
worth,” Joel said of Matt. Eventually, as 902 grows, he hopes
that will change. “Everyone here plays an important piece,” Joel
said. “I’m really lucky to have them”

ARTHUR GARDNER and SARAH ALLEN
nova scotia
LUNENBURG, LUNENBURG COUNTY
Stacey Colwell photo
fish & feast
BY STACEY COLWELL
A LUNENBURG COUNTY COUPLE
THINKS THEY MAY HAVE THE BEST
WORKPLACE IN THE WORLD.
Married couple Arthur Gardner and Sarah Allen fish
commercially together off the Atlantic coast near Lunenburg.
“There are beautiful sunrises and beautiful sunsets, the scenery
is always changing and you see the most amazing things,” said
Arthur Gardner, who fishes with his wife, Sarah Allen, off the
coast near Lunenburg.
“It’s heavenly out there. We call it a church. It’s hard to explain,
but when you get the right sunrise it will almost take your
breath away,” said Gardner on a chilling April morning as he sat
on his dock in picturesque Second Peninsula.
“It’s also a calming place. You’re alone with your thoughts a lot
and you can contemplate a lot of things about your life.”
In fact, he doesn’t even consider fishing a job.
“Some people get up and say, ‘I don’t want to go to work today.’
I never, ever feel that way … I’ve found something I love to do
and I’ve made it work. Life is too short.”
Their days on the ocean include scenes that could rival anything
you’ll see on the Discovery channel, from watching hundreds of
tuna and dolphins chase herring around the boat to having gulls
sit beside them and eat from their hands.
“Every now and then you see a seagull you just know is not a
bird,” said Allen, adding it sometimes feels like she’s looking at
someone’s lost soul.
“‘I think, ‘You’re somebody coming to visit.’ It’s a spiritual thing,
you can just kind of tell.”
The couple thinks more people need to spend time in nature
and disconnect from the world.
“Lunenburg County is great for that,” said Allen.
“Here, you could go to the beach and be the only one there.”
Gardner supplements his fishing income by working in forestry,
and Allen said she took over the family auto repair business
after walking away from a good, well-paying professional career
because it worked better for her lifestyle.
“I wasn’t 100 per cent happy doing what I did anymore, and I
said, ‘You know what, I live in the most beautiful place in the
world, I have a wonderful life partner, so why am I not happy?”
She ultimately made the shift because it allowed her to spend
more time with her husband and be closer to home.
“I get to meet so many awesome people, even just going to the
grocery store and knowing everyone,” said Allen.
“There’s such a nice sense of community here. I think that’s
pretty special.”
“THERE’S SUCH A NICE SENSE OF COMMUNITY HERE. I THINK THAT’S PRETTY SPECIAL.”
Sarah Allen
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 19

RHYS HARNISH
nova scotia
HUBBARDS, LUNENBURG COUNTY
a shore thing
BY DONNA LEON
IT’S OPENING DAY OF
A NEW SEASON, AND
RHYS HARNISH IS BUSY
Servers scurry past with menus, tables are being reset, and
there’s a lineup of customers at the door. Harnish deftly handles
the crowd. He knows the drill.
Roy Harnish built the Shore Club in Hubbards in 1946. Roy was
a dairy farmer, and this new venture was a dream come true. He
and his wife Lois reveled in the camaraderie, the food and the
dancing. On Saturday nights, the Club was the place to be.
Three generations later, Roy’s son Rhys and his family run the
show.
“I’ve been involved in the Shore Club since I was eight. I used to
stack lobsters and scoop ice cream”, says Harnish.
of three shows sold out in nine minutes. Rhys Harnish is proud
of the fact that performers keep coming back.
“Matt Minglewood has been playing here for 50 years. How
many musicians can say they’ve played the same venue for half
a century? And how many clubs can say they’ve hosted the same
performers for that long? He loves it”.
The venue itself hasn’t changed much in 72 years, from the
shiny hardwood floor to the large stage, or the crew out back
cooking pots of lobster and mussels. Harnish credits much of the
Club’s success to his dedicated staff.
“They’re loyal, and they rise up to the challenge of busy days. I
remember a tour bus showing up one day and we had no idea
they were coming. But we pulled it together in an hour with
some amazing stickhandling.”
The Shore Club has served more than a million suppers since
the summer of ‘46. Gentlemen don’t don their ties and sports
jackets anymore, and the ladies no longer wear their frocks to
the dance parties, but the Club’s original charm remains.
And Hubbards on a Saturday night is still the place to be.
Submitted photos
Rhys, his two sisters and brother pitched in to help their parents
keep things running smoothly. On Saturday nights, Rhys would
sneak into the crawlspace above the dance floor to watch the
band play.
“My grandfather’s house was directly across from The Shore
Club, and just behind that was a pink house that my father built
in the 40’s. We wintered there and summered above the club
when he rented out the pink house. That’s why it was easy to get
into the crawlspace,” recalls Harnish with a laugh. “It was pretty
exciting to grow up there.”
Maritime music legends play the Shore Club at least one
Saturday every year. Award-winning rocker Matt Mays’ weekend
20 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM

GREATNESS IS
AN ATTITUDE.
The future is written by the doers, makers and
creators. Those who are eager to get things
done and make their mark. The world belongs
to those who never settle. And NSCC is for
those who Strive.
Start your future at nscc.ca/lunenburg

firmly planted
BY TIM MERRY
FINDING MEANING IN
LUNENBURG COUNTY
I recently found this in my diaries from 13 years ago. The year
I moved to Nova Scotia. “The world is not going to get better.
The current global chaos is going to increase. The madness we
see now will only continue to escalate, I suspect, until we hit a
massive ecological crisis. I believe human intervention has gone
too far globally to be remedied - the battle is lost. The opposite
of despair is not hope for me; the opposite of despair is action.
Nova Scotia works for me as a place to begin this new action in
my life. It is on the fringes of the madness; what has infected so
much of the world has not really hit Nova Scotia yet. It still has
slowness and simplicity in its nature. When a pond unfreezes, it
is the edges that melt first. I believe that as the world descends
further into chaos, that we will need places which hold good
human wisdom and practice.”
It felt a bit strange to read it to be honest. It does feel to me like
the chaos has only increased over the last 13 years: the number
of ecological disasters, increased economic uncertainty, massive
social unrest, the breakdown of trust between citizens and
governments, corporate greed running rampant … you don’t
need me to continue the list!
That got me to thinking about why Lunenburg County is such a
great place to be. In the midst of all this madness we can watch
from the edges and make our own decisions. It is like we are part
of it but not fully in it all. We are safe. Thank goodness. More
from my diary:
” ... a place where people can get out of the craziness of the
rat race and see the bigger picture, connect to meaning and
purpose in life, break the illusion we are being sold daily and
re-enter life with a clear insight and compassion.”
For me, that then begs the question: what are we going to do
with the relatively privileged position of safety in a globally
tumultuous time? What opportunity do we have here in
Lunenburg County to forge a way of life that is informed by the
craziness around us but not driven by it?
22 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM
There are already some great examples of citizens rising to
the occasion right here in Lunenburg County. The tech startup,
Woodscamp, for example. They are disrupting the Forestry
Sector across Nova Scotia with a model that could have impact
in Forestry across North America and Europe. NOW Lunenburg
County has launched a strategy to create population growth
across our region. What we learn here could have implications
for how rural communities everywhere deal with population
decline and stalling local economies. The Lunenburg Academy of
Music Performance is bringing some of the world’s top classical
and jazz artists to us and training performers who will travel the
world with the DNA of Lunenburg county in their art. I recently
heard of an initiative to bring some of the world’s top executives
to Lunenburg County for pivotal strategic retreats. The idea is
that the culture of this place and its natural beauty will influence
these executives’ ability to be more genuine with each other and
make better big picture decisions.
These are just some of the things I am aware of—there is so
much more. Individuals, neighbours, who are stepping up to get
something done at all levels of scale. All it takes is a simple step,
as Mother Teresa said, “do small things with great love”, and
“I want my kids to grow up in A place as unpolluted
as possible by all the bullshit in the world”
— Tim Merry

TIM MERRY
nova scotia
MAHONE BAY, LUNENBURG COUNTY
have jobs available in our economy and we have elders actively
supporting the next generation. It’s all here. Right now.
Submitted photos
then follow them forward with a next step. More from the diary:
“I want to be involved in creating the new, set the new patterns,
experiment on the edge of human potential. I do not want some
hippy commune; it has to be REAL, rooted in the real problems
of the world, working together with local community. So much of
what is happening in the world leaves people feeling powerless.
What would it mean for us to create a place which restored
people’s sense of dignity and power? A place that makes visible
peoples’ greatness to themselves and their communities.”
I want my kids to grow up in a place as unpolluted as possible
by all the bullshit in the world. But not cut off, not a separate
little haven, a place which learns through its dealing with the
larger world. A place which learns by meeting the madness
and using it as a mirror for its own growth. Learning from the
faults of the larger world, to create a different pattern. Today,
I am firmly planted in Lunenburg County. I have created a life
that’s beginning to reflect the aspirations of my diary. Both my
wife Kate and I are able to work from home. Kate, has a thriving
accounting business while today, I am working and collaborating
Continued on page 24
It is all very aspirational isn’t it? Maybe even a bit naive? As
I read these diaries now I realize that I have had much of my
vision tempered by the reality of trying to get change done in
a pretty conservative province. However, I can’t help but find
a part of me stirring in response to my younger voice. That,
in essence, what I was pointing at here, is true and good. We
do have an opportunity here in Lunenburg County that is not
afforded to many places. We are small enough and isolated
enough to do something audacious. Why not?
And why not start here in Lunenburg County? This incredible
gem of a place within the bounds of Nova Scotia. We are 47,000
people living and working within the inspiration of outstanding
natural beauty. I am surrounded daily by creative artists,
entrepreneurial business people, active community leaders and
deep spiritual practitioners. We have kids in our schools, we
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 23

Continued from page 23
with my business partner, Tuesday Ryan-Hart, who is based
in Columbus, Ohio. We have clients in Canada, the USA and
Europe where we help collaborators and problem-solvers get
unstuck with unforgettably pivotal events, capacity-building, and
strategy that sparks significant change and moves toward equity.
Since I left my parent’s house I have lived many places in the
world and had many homes. I have always been happy to pull
into the driveway or open the front door and relax. Now though,
for the first time since I left my Mum and Dad’s village in the
UK, I turn the corner, see the three churches of Mahone Bay, and
feel at home in the town, not only the house I pull into a few
minutes later.
Tim Merry is an engagement specialist and systems change
facilitator who works with organizations from all over the world
to lead break through change. For over 20 years Tim has helped
major international businesses, government agencies, local
communities and regional collaboratives to create the conditions
for people to organize together and solve their own problems.
This piece originally appeared in the daily newspaper Chronicle
Herald and the community newspaper LighthouseNOW Progress
Bulletin.
Your local MLAs welcome you to
Lunenburg County
HUGH MACKAY
MLA, Chester - St. Margaret’s
HUGH@HUGHMACKAY.CA
902.826.0222
SUZANNE LOHNES-CROFT
MLA, Lunenburg
LUNENBURGMLA@EASTLINK.CA
902.531.3095
MARK FUREY
MLA, Lunenburg West
MARKFUREY.MLA@EASTLINK.CA
902.530.3883

KARA TURNER
nova scotia
MAHONE BAY, LUNENBURG COUNTY
Callen Singer Photography
volunteerism
BY TINA HENNIGAR
THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY
It was December and Matt Hall and Kara Turner had only just
moved into their quaint, heritage home in Mahone Bay when
they heard a knock on the door. On the other side of their door
was Allan O’Brien, who for decades had welcomed countless
new families to his town. “Come with me,” he said, and he drove
them to the Ernst Christmas Tree Lot where they picked out their
first Lunenburg County grown Christmas tree.
Although no longer with us, Allan was often the first point of
contact for families, making them feel welcome and urging them
to get involved in the community. He was often their very first
friend in Mahone Bay.
“It was harder for us to get involved and make friends in big
cities,” Kara said of her time in Calgary, Norway and London.
“But it’s far easier here.” Kara noted that an hour commute in
Calgary made it hard to find friends that weren’t colleagues.
Here, Kara got involved right away by volunteering with the
Home and School Association which seemed a perfect place
to begin for the mother of three young children. Kara quickly
became involved in many festivals in town and her circle of
friends continued to grow.
“People ask me all the time, what are the drawbacks of living
in a small town, and I honestly can’t think of any. I thought I’d
miss shopping in a big city, but I don’t. I buy less, and I care
more about what I buy,” she insisted. “As you get older you
realize, loving where you live, with friends that you love is far
more important than having stuff,” Kara said.
Kara and her family were invited to a community potluck event
at the Mahone Bay Centre, where around a hundred people had
gathered to share a meal. “They asked all the new people to
stand and introduce themselves, and then the community gave
them one big welcome,” Kara recalled with a laugh. “I couldn’t
believe it. I turned to my new friends at my table and said, ‘Can
you believe this is happening?’”
“What I’d say to new people is the more you put in the more
you get out of it. Join in. Sign up to be a part of something
and you’ll automatically meet a group of interesting, engaged
people, and you’ll feel like you’re giving back while you’re
learning about the town.” Kara urged.
Our Dementia Care Specialists have studied with Teepa
Snow, one of the world’s leading dementia experts. We
specialize in the Positive Approach® to Care philosophy on
how to communicate, approach and connect with a person
living with dementia so your loved one will experience a
better quality of life. Struggling with an issue? We offer
complimentary dementia consulting services for our clients.
Our Services include but are not limited to:
• Companionship
• Meal Prep & Groceries
• Personal Care
• Medication Reminders
• Housekeeping
• Transportation & Errands
• Respite Care
• Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care
• Attendant Care
• Palliative Care
• Nursing Care
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 25

WHO WE ARE
The Lunenburg County Community Fund (LCCF) was established
by a group of citizens who are committed to ensuring a sustainable
future for Lunenburg County.
Through the LCCF, residents,
HOW WE MAKE organizations and businesses can
keep their wealth in Lunenburg
A DIFFERENCECounty and use it to provide an
The LCCF supports initiatives immediate that impact on a specific
help sustain and improve our cause shared or create a legacy on behalf
quality of life. LCCF has supported of the residents. For example, in
the work of NOW Lunenburg 2016 a Lunenburg County donor
County and other projects contributed such as: $1 million to the LCCF for
• Livewires 4H – A grant
the
was
clean-up
provided
of the LaHave River.
for building and sign improvements to
the building used HOW for Achievement YOU Day CAN HELP
and other The LCCF’s 4-H activities. goal is to create an endowment fund of $4
• Second million. Story Women’s Annually, Centre the LCCF – The grants funds based on the
grant interest money supports earned creating from the a position endowment to to projects that
coordinate support transportation our mission. and partner All gifts, with regardless other of size, are
community valued. groups to provide access to reliable
transportation Your gift for can women. come through regular contributions,
• Bluenose as a Coastal one-time Action donation, Foundation or – as In a partnership legacy gift
with Acadia through University your and estate Michelin, or life BCAF insurance delivers outdoor
based policy. environmental If you wish education you can at the control Morton where Centre on Heckman’s Island,
Lunenburg your gift County. has All impact programs by designating take place outdoors it to and aim to provide
participants a specific with community, opportunities project to enjoy or experiential cause. learning, science,
discovery, The LCCF and being is overseen active in nature. by a local board
of directors. Your donations are tax
deductible. Speak HOW to your financial YOU CAN HELP
advisor or estate planner for advice.
Annually, the LCCF grants funds based on the interest
earned from the endowment to projects that
MANAGING support our YOUR mission. GIFT All gifts, regardless of
The LCCF is managed size, are by valued. the Community Your gift can Foundation come through
of Nova Scotia regular (CFNS), contributions, a member as of a one-time Community donation,
Foundations of or Canada, as a legacy a network gift through of 191 your community estate or life
foundations across insurance the country policy. If who you are wish all you working can control
to make an impact where your in their gift has communities. impact by designating Together, it to a
Community Foundations specific community, of Canada, project CFNS and or cause. the LCCF The LCCF
provide the knowledge is overseen and by a support local board for communities,
of directors. Your
charities and donations citizens are to tax realize deductible. their individual potential
and collective possibilities.
For For more information
or or to to donate to the LCCF
visit lunenburgcountycommunityfund.squarespace.com
visit lunenburgcountycommunityfund.ca
or contact board
or contact
chair Elspeth
board chair
MacLean-Wile
Elspeth McLean-Wile
at 902-543-6082
at 902-543-6082
and emwile@ca.inter.net
and emwile@ca.inter.net
26 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM
Taking the pulse of our County
2013
THE POWER OF A COMMUNITY
FUND: INNOVATION AND LOCAL
GIVING FOR LOCAL CAUSES
Submitted photo
A community fund is the perfect way to give back to your
community. Donations of all sizes are pooled together in a
single fund to support local charitable causes, and since it’s a
permanent endowment fund, the giving continues forever.
The fund is designed to be open and flexible to address the
ever-changing needs and priorities of your community, from
environmental concerns to social change and more. It’s also
developed by members of the community for the community, so
you can be certain your investment stays local and is directed to
where it’s needed most.
The Lunenburg County Community Fund is overseen by a local
board of directors with the financial contributions managed by
the Community Foundation of Nova Scotia. What started with a
small group of concerned citizens in 2009 has since committed
$1 million to support the clean-up of the LaHave River, sparked
the launch of NOW Lunenburg County and the hiring of
Tina Hennigar, a full-time population growth coordinator, to
spearhead the initiative inspired by findings in the Ivany Report.
The Community Foundation of Nova Scotia hosts a growing
network of community funds across the province. Atlantic
Canada’s First Nations Communities have just established
the Ulnooweg Indigenous Communities Foundation. The
Community Foundation of Nova Scotia’s long-term goal is to see
a community fund in every economic centre in Nova Scotia.
View a full list of our funds at cfns-fcne.ca/en/ourfunds. You can
also find out more about the Lunenburg County Community
Fund at lunenburgcountycommunityfund.squarespace.com.

LUNENBURG COUNTY TRAILS
nova scotia
LUNENBURG COUNTY
Submitted photo
tracks & trails
BY GLENN DURNFORD
YOU CAN TELL A LOT ABOUT
A COMMUNITY BY THE
PEOPLE WHO RUN IT
I am not talking about politicians or other people in charge
of making infrastructure work, I am talking about those who
actually run on the roads and trails that crisscross Lunenburg
County.
In an area famous for so many things such as scenery, history
and great food, it is important to recognize a culture that is
focused on fitness and, in particular, running as a wellness and
social activity. This is a great indicator of the quality of the place
we call home and how people in our region are getting the most
out of living here.
As someone who took up running later in life I can attest to
the fact that success in my new sport was the result, in part,
of the great running community I found all around me. There
were lots of beginners like me running their first 5k at the
famous Lunenburg Heritage Muffin Run, where participants
who number in the hundreds are all treated to home-made
muffins when they finish. There’s also a fun, family focused
Reindeer Run in Mahone Bay in December. There are many
dedicated runners chasing elusive personal bests in other races
in the region and beyond. Lunenburg County is home to many
seasoned marathoners, some who have run well over a hundred
marathons. These veterans welcome the chance to mentor fellow
runners to encourage them to run one of the many half and full
marathons available in Nova Scotia or to perhaps achieve the
ultimate goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon.
Running in the county allows you to get to know the locals,
learn more about the area and see some of the greatest scenery
in the province at a pace that allows you to really soak it all in.
Our backroads twist along the shore and the traffic is always
light, our trail system enables you to cross the county in many
directions and is accessible to runners most of the year. We even
have great beaches to run on if you want to get really close to
the ocean! When the weather turns nasty, which it does every
now and then, we wait a bit for the road salt and sun to melt the
snow or we head indoors to our local indoor track which is part
of the HB Studios Sports Centre.
There are numerous locations to get a good run in around the
county. What could be better than a 5km run through the Town
of Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Interested a
longer route? How about a 10k run on the trail from Bridgewater
along the LaHave river towards New Germany, rural and
scenic! Fancy going a bit further, how about a 15km run from
Lunenburg to Sunnybrook and back to get some great ocean
views! Or you can run the LaHave Islands, Chester, Mahone Bay
to Indian Point, the list goes on!
The other great thing about the running community here is that
it is made up of locals as well as many people who have chosen
Lunenburg County as their new home. The diversity on some
local long weekend group runs is great for conversations and
runners have a chance to share stories and laughs along the way,
all the time building friendships with people who are connected
only by running.
IF YOU ARE A RUNNER, OR WANT TO BE,
LUNENBURG COUNTY OFFERS A COMMUNITY OF
ENTHUSIASTS TO GET OUT AND RUN WITH
Bluenose Striders Running Club on Facebook
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 27

THE HUB SOUTH SHORE
nova scotia
MAHONE BAY, LUNENBURG COUNTY
a better way
BY TINA HENNIGAR
WHEN MATT HALL DECIDED TO
MOVE HIS FAMILY TO LUNENBURG
COUNTY, HE WASN’T ENTIRELY SURE
WHAT HE’D DO FOR A LIVING.
After a small moment of panic followed by the calming
reassurance of his wife, Kara, he knew he’d figure it out.
As a geologist, Matt felt fairly certain he would be able to do
contract work in his field, working from home. Mahone Bay
has high speed internet, after all, and Lunenburg County is
accessible to the International Airport. These advantages are
two of the reasons he wanted to move here for a simpler life,
watching his children grow up, working closer to his young
family.
Working alone and from home also has its challenges. It was
Tyla Carey photo
during a conversation with a couple of mates who also worked
from home, when together they decided there was a better way.
Around that same time, co-working spaces were beginning to
emerge, so the three, Matt, Tim Merry and Dave Thomson, all
living and working at home in Mahone Bay, decided to follow
a similar model. They invited others to join them and quickly
outgrew their space.
They moved from a room in the Mahone Bay Centre to Main
Street, leasing the whole ground floor of Mader’s Wharf, under
the Mug and Anchor Pub. Their members are diverse. Lawyers,
editors, animators, creators and writers, if you can work from
home, you can probably work out of The Hub.
“If you don’t wish to be disturbed the universal sign is to put
your headphones on. But often you’ll see people chatting and
collaborating and working out a problem,” Matt said.
“It’s really great,” Matt said of the atmosphere of the trendy
space. “There is space to do things like this here; to solve
problems and make an impact. And we’re just downstairs from
a pub, so after-work we can have a pint,” he laughed. “Pretty
amazing really.”
“YOU’LL SEE PEOPLE CHATTING AND COLLABORATING AND WORKING OUT A PROBLEM” Matt Turner
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ANNEKE VAN BOMMEL and CAMERON MACKEAN
nova scotia
CONQUERALL MILLS, LUNENBURG COUNTY
Jason Moreland photo
crafting a life
BY MARGARET HOEGG
TORONTO ARTISTS CRAFT
A BEAUTIFUL LIFE TOGETHER
IN LUNENBURG COUNTY
Anneke van Bommel and Cameron MacLean dreamed of
someday buying a century home with enough space for their two
studios.
“We are both artists and designers that run the majority of
our businesses online,” said MacLean, “so we really could be
anywhere...we started to think, why not Nova Scotia?”
They planned a destination wedding on the South Shore and
“literally a day after the wedding during our honeymoon we
found ourselves driving closely behind our real estate agent,
looking at homes,” said van Bommel. “When we saw the home,
something clicked.”
Anneke van Bommel is an artist and educator who works
primarily in jewelry design and metalsmithing. She creates
whimsical minimalist pieces that explore themes of memory,
home, and identity.
Cameron MacLean is a certified furniture maker who creates
mostly smaller scale, minimalist interior pieces for the home,
both original designs and custom collaborations.
The two entrepreneurs started their businesses, Touchthedutch
and Offcut Studio, in Toronto in the early 2000s.
Between their studio work, their creative collaborations, and
their ongoing project of restoring their century farmhouse, the
couple dedicates their life together to their crafts and love of
design.
They love that the calmer pace of their new life allows them to
spend more time together. “We have zero transit time now,” said
van Bommel. “No subway or bike rides through gnarly traffic to
contend with. A calmer start to our days, most definitely.”
They grow their own vegetables in the summer and love having
access to small farms and food producers year-round. Van
Bommel participates in The Lunenburg Farmers Market, which
gives her opportunities to connect with her new community.
The couple takes full advantage of all Lunenburg County has to
offer. From checking out live music at the Old Confidence Lodge,
to exploring the coast, visiting antique shops or art exhibitions,
or grabbing a pint at a local microbrewery, there is always
something interesting and fun to do.
“There is a fantastic energy here, a vibrancy that is tricky to
pinpoint,” said van Bommel.
They have been surprised by some more unique Lunenburg
County traditions, such as horse and ox pulls, community
suppers, and generous neighbours. Van Bommel said, “our
neighbour has left us lobster, wine and smoked fish on our
doorstep on a number of occasions...that’s always wonderfully
surprising!”
“We were drawn to the welcoming arts community, the fantastic
farmers’ markets, the landscape and the entrepreneurial
momentum that we experienced. I would definitely encourage
others to take the leap! It’s a much calmer lifestyle and Halifax
is only an hour away!”
You can find Anneke van Bommel at touchthedutch.com and
Cameron MacLean at offcutstudio.com
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 29

MANUFACTURING
nova scotia
LUNENBURG COUNTY
tradition meets innovation
Bridgewater Metal Industries photo
BY GLENN DURNFORD
MANUFACTURING GOING STRONG
IN LUNENBURG COUNTY
We often hear from our political leaders, manufacturing is
critical to the success and vitality of any economy or region.
Manufacturers take raw materials, specialized skills and
initiative to add value to create finished products that can be
sold at a profit. That profit is returned to the region in the form
of good wages and a solid tax base.
Manufacturing takes vision, a great work ethic and smarts
to build something that is unique or of higher quality than
the competition to achieve success in local, national and
international markets.
The South Shore, and Lunenburg County in particular, is no
stranger to success in manufacturing. With a history steeped
in traditional resource-based manufacturing, the towns of
Lunenburg and Bridgewater were famous as far back as the
19th century for their products. Wooden ships, salt fish, marine
engines and propellers and lumber were some of the products
that made their mark around the planet and drove the economy
for years.
But as they say, time changes everything and so is the case with
manufacturing in Lunenburg County. Sure, we still build ships
but now many of them are made of aluminum and composites.
We produce lumber, but we do it now with a volume and
efficiency that would be the envy of any region and we do it
sustainably. We still harvest and sell fish, but now we invest
more in it and add greater value selling top quality processed
fish to a growing global client base with a strong focus on
sustainability.
30 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM
After a couple of hundred years we have diversified
manufacturing in the region which has put a greater demand on
finding the skills needed to build the exciting and exotic things
now shipped out of here.
Some examples of other products being manufactured locally
in the 21st century include robust scientific deck machinery
for oceanographic vessels, passenger and light truck tires,
engineered wood siding to clad houses with a traditional look
hiding a hi-tech material, world class plastic thermoforming
equipment that utilizes unique processes reducing energy
consumption, cutting edge technology to produce carbon fiber
components for aircraft parts that are used by major aircraft
manufacturers as well as components for use on communication
satellites.
But why stop there? Some of the best video games in the
world are created in Lunenburg County, cutting edge scientific
equipment which is used to measure changes in the world’s
oceans, and we now produce value added products from locally
grown fruit and berries that line the shelves of stores across the
nation.
This focus on creativity while maintaining our love of
craftsmanship allows local manufacturers to sell to and in some
cases dominate international markets. Clients see our products
and innovation as critical to their operations. Being ideally
located on Canada’s East coast we are near one of the greatest
deep-water harbours in the world, a busy international airport
and our place in time has us saying good night to European
clients as we say good morning to clients on the west coast and
Asia.
The result of all this activity is a stable economy, with good
paying jobs and lots of spin off activity in the region.

IMAGINE...
Imagine a fuller, more authentic life, closer to nature
in a warm and welcoming community. One that offers a better
chance to find that elusive work/life balance.
The District of Lunenburg is the third largest in the province
occupying just over 1700 square kilometers. Rural in nature, the
District surrounds the Towns of Bridgewater, Mahone Bay,
and Lunenburg.
Here, small business is BIG business and you’ll find a community
of inventive, industrious people - filled with entrepreneurial spirit.
There is a good startup culture and the more relaxed way of life
means people have time to talk and collaborate. This enables a
cross-pollination of ideas on a scale not always available in larger
urban centres.
There are 135 communities in the District bearing names
handed down from French, Mi’kmaq First Nations, German,
Swiss, British, Irish, Scottish, and other early settlers who
immigrated to our area over the span of some 400 years.
A story which continues as newcomers discover the District,
and in many cases decide to make it their home.
When we lived in the city we would try to go
to the ocean once a week but that often became
once a month. Here we go once a day.
BAY OF FUNDY
Kentville
Halifax Stanfield
International Airport
Digby
Mahone Bay
Halifax
Dartmouth
Yarmouth
Shelburne
Bridgewater
Liverpool
ATLANTIC OCEAN
Lunenburg
www.LunenburgDistrict.com
District of Lunenburg

MIKE and AMELIA BISHOP
nova scotia
MAHONE BAY, LUNENBURG COUNTY
rediscovering paradise BY
TINA HENNIGAR
Submitted photo
MAHONE BAY COUPLE
SERVE UP MORE THAN
JUST COFFEE
It’s 6 pm and I’m setting up to interview Mike and Amelia
Bishop, the owners of The Barn Coffee and Social House in
Mahone Bay. They’d already put in a full day, and were balancing
their cash, when a lady poked her head in through the door that
was not yet locked.
“Oh, are you closing?” she asked in disappointment, anticipating
their answer.
“Yes, sorry,” Amelia apologized. “We close at 5,”
“Wait,” Mike stopped her before she left. “You want a coffee?”
He asked, holding up the pot. “It’s just going to get thrown out
anyway.
The lady and her friend gratefully added their fixings to their
coffees and left happy.
I sat back on the oversized, brown leather sofa in what feels
more like a cabin than a coffee shop, and watched the couple
continue to work in unison as we listened to The Illuminators
over their speaker. They’re a team, Mike and Amelia, and what
they have built together is very special. Over the next hour
“THIS IS MORE THAN JUST A BUSINESS TO
US, AND WE WANT TO DO MORE THAN
JUST MAKE MONEY.”
Ameila Bishop
32 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM
I would grow to love them, and this place even more than I
already loved their coffee.
“This is more than just a business to us, and we want to do
more than just make money.” Amelia said of The Barn and what
they’ve managed to do here. “We want to give everyone an
experience and make everyone feel like family.”
It seems to have worked. Every day since opening has been busy.
Mike and Amelia could feel the support from the community
almost immediately, through the lineups in those early days.
They keep anticipating a slow down, but aside from a few major
snow storms, it hasn’t yet. The duo credits the social media
savvy of their team who work at The Barn. But that alone will not
create a successful business, they caution. “You can’t just have
the sizzle. You need to have something they want,” Mike insists.
“We try very hard to make people feel welcome; like they’re in
our home.”
Mike spent his childhood in Truro and later moved to Boston. He
was visiting his sister in Kentville when he met Amelia. With a
background in education and an entrepreneur at heart, he found
similar qualities in Amelia who worked in the non-profit sector,
assisting other entrepreneurs.
‘You’re opening another coffee shop? You’re not going to make
it, especially in February,’ was the advice they were given when
they announced their plan to create a coffee shop in the old barn
housed on the property beside the iconic Suttles and Seawinds
retail shop in Mahone Bay.
“We knew what we were doing was going to be special. We’re
thankful for every single person who comes through the door. As
confident as we were, it’s still surprising.” Mike said of the buzz
of The Barn.

They offer more than coffee. On the menu you’ll find specialty
coffees and decaffeinated beverages such as locally made
kombucha, as well as baked goods from local bakeries, soups
and light fair from neighbouring restaurants. Mike doesn’t see
The Barn as a competitor to other restaurants and coffee shops,
but rather, as a partner.
“IT’S LIKE REDISCOVERING PARADISE
EVERYDAY.”
Mike Bishop
“No-one is coming to Mahone Bay for a cup of coffee. They come
to shop and eat and experience all that we have to offer, so we
have to all do well,” he insists. “So many people come in and
want a restaurant, but we’re not a restaurant, so we share with
them [information] on all the other cool restaurants.”
“There is really something special happening. I feel incredibly
grateful and thankful to be here at this time and in this place,”
Mike said of living in Martin’s River. Mike said that when Amelia
began taking him around the province and they were exploring
Lunenburg County he really grew to fall in love with it. “Hirtle’s,
Queensland, and Carter’s Beach, I mean, they’re just incredible.
I said, wow, it’s like rediscovering paradise every day. It’s like
having corn flakes for the first time,” he laughed.
“WE TRY VERY HARD TO MAKE
PEOPLE FEEL WELCOME; LIKE
THEY’RE IN OUR HOME.”
Mike Bishop
Submitted photo
When you look around The Barn on any given day there are
many different types of interactions happening. A group of
school kids might be enjoying gourmet hot chocolate while a
neighbouring table is sipping an espresso. You’ll find groups
having a meeting and others sharing simple pleasantries. It
was when I was leaving that Amelia shared something rather
profound with me and I didn’t want to edit one single word. She
said, “There are people who underestimate young people. It’s
troublesome at times. But I’d love people to know that there
are a ton of us who are young and fully ready to get this job
done and just want to put their hearts and souls, our ideas,
creativity and passion and everything we’ve got into helping
to make these communities thrive. We want to do this for you.
Let us love you!” She implored. “Do you know what I mean?”
she continued, apologizing for being tired and perhaps not
articulating her thoughts as intended. But I knew exactly what
she meant. I’ve seen it. I’ve felt it myself.
It seemed like a perfect place to end it. I went home and
couldn’t sleep, and it wasn’t from drinking coffee after 6pm. I
was inspired. We are in amazing hands with these new, young
people in our community who are doing great things, creating a
new cultural vibe here. We have to support them. Let’s get out of
their way and just let them go. We need to let them love us.
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 33

DESIREE GORDON and STEFAN KIRKPATRICK
nova scotia
WEST DUBLIN, LUNENBURG COUNTY
water buffalo farm
BY STACEY COLWELL
Stacey Colwell photo
PASSIONATE ABOUT LOCAL FOOD
LOCAL PRODUCTION
Desiree Gordon has some advice for anyone who’s ever thought
about leaving the rat race behind and opening the business of
their dreams in a quiet, close-knit community by the ocean. “I
would say do it, but don’t expect to get rich,” said the 31 year
QUALITY AND INNOVATION SINCE 1947
A leading supplier and
manufacturer of engineered
metal products for processing
and marine industries.
old expectant mom who has a two year old son and works with
her husband, Stefan. “What we do is as much about lifestyle as it
is about work.”
Desiree spent a number of years in Montreal as a baker and also
tried her hand working at a sail loft, while Stefan studied fine
art and also was employed as a boat builder. Then, the couple
began what may be Nova Scotia’s first water buffalo farm in
2015 in the tiny coastal community of West Dublin. “I was on
parental leave with our son, so we thought it was as good a time
as any to become workaholics,” joked Desiree. Still, it’s been a
welcome change.
“We both wanted to be able to avoid a long commute to work
and be able to be with our son and future children as much as
possible during their formative years. We also like to take time
off in the winters and are working towards being able to travel
in the winter more.” The family always has time for lunch and
dinner together, and after their son goes to bed, Desiree and
Stefan usually eat ice cream and watch The Wire.
Last year, they opened a bakery and dairy bar in a charming old
general store that had been dormant since the 1960s. “Basically
we have to work like crazy here in the summer months when
the going is good. Then in the winter, we have to be careful with
money, but we have much more time to relax with friends and
family, said Desiree”
LUNENBURG, NOVA SCOTIA
WWW.ABCO.CA
34 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM
“I love living here,” said Desiree. “Most of my friends are
entrepreneurs and artists. A lot of people balance working and
pursuing many other passion projects such as farming and
gardening. Also, people are highly active in working to keep
where we live a sustainable and thriving place.

MARLEAN RHODENIZER
nova scotia
BARSS CORNER, LUNENBURG COUNTY
a perfect fit
HOME FOR A REST
We’re Waiting
For You
Submitted photo
BY JENNIFER NAUGLER
Who knew 20 years ago that a vacation on the West Coast would
result in a new local business opening in Lunenburg County
serving all of Atlantic Canada…but that’s exactly what happened
to Marlean and the late Robert Rhodenizer. After visiting the
Murphy Wall-Bed dealer Marlean and Bob came home and began
designing and manufacturing the authentic Murphy Wall-Beds
for all of Atlantic Canada and Hide & Sleep Beds Ltd was born.
Hide & Sleep Beds was established as a family business in 1995
and continues to this day with Marlean, her daughter Debbie
and her husband Sterling Zwicker all working together in their
office and production facility in beautiful Barss Corner. Over the
years they have participated in over 150 home shows all over the
Maritimes and have enjoyed assisting their customers with the
design, delivery and installation of their Murphy Wall-Beds.
A Murphy Wall-Bed includes a standard sized mattress that tilts
effortlessly away into its own cabinet using a spring system, for
either residential or commercial use. Wall-Beds can turn any
room instantly into a place to sleep, thereby creating a dualpurpose
room. Your home-office, spare room or yoga studio can
quickly transform into a comfortable place for guests.
After bringing Murphy Wall-Beds to Lunenburg County demand
grew so quickly that, within five years, it became clear to the
Rhodenizer’s that they were going to need their own production
facility. Designed by Bob and located across from the farmhouse
where they used to live and raised their family, is now the
showroom and production facility for all the Hide & Sleep Beds
that are ordered in Atlantic Canada.
Murphy Wall-Beds are a perfect fit for those looking to downsize.
They offer a space for the grand kids to sleep-over and are a
great option for cottage owners and anyone who has guests
and not enough beds. In the age of minimalism, down-sizing,
tiny homes and more… recognizing the need for people to repurpose
spaces in their homes, cottages or office … it seems as
if Hide & Sleep Beds have been ahead their time.
It was inspiring to visit with Marlean and hear her story of the
vision and drive that created the Hide & Sleep Beds business
here so many years ago. Seeing their continued success from
their location in the middle of beautiful farm country is just
one of the things that makes living in Lunenburg County so
appealing.
Come join us as we build a healthy community
together. Our Pharmasave team is active in
building collaborative services with other health
care practitioners – we are currently engaged
in an exciting Collaborative Care Pilot
with our local physician.
If you want to be actively engaged in promoting
and providing health care in your community –
come and join ours – see you soon!
KINBURN PHARMASAVE
MAHONE BAY 902-624-8347

Submitted photos
won't you be our neighbour
BY TINA HENNIGAR
THE POWER OF THE INVITATION
In 2014 the Nova Scotia government released the report it
commissioned on the economic state of Nova Scotia, referred
to interchangeably as the “Now or Never Report” and the “Ivany
Report”. This report like so many that came before it was a
sobering look at Nova Scotia’s current economy and its future
trajectory. Elspeth McLean-Wile had a visceral response to this
call to action. Elspeth owns and operates Wiles Lake Farm Market
with her husband Peter.
Faced with a situation where she didn’t know the answer,
Elspeth chose to invite other business people she knew or knew
of to create a core-team willing to think and act differently and
figure out a way to create a better life in Lunenburg County. Now
known as NOW Lunenburg County, this group began meeting
weekly at 7:30 am, before they all went off to run their own
businesses and deal with the 101 other things that they did
36 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM
in their regular lives. In those meetings they discussed how
to address some of the challenges that are facing Nova Scotia
generally and more specifically Lunenburg County. A half dozen
well meaning, passionate people can’t change the future of an
entire community alone.
So NOW Lunenburg County’s core-team also began inviting
people. They invited them to be a part of the solution; to be
part of the process, they invited them to a series of community
meetings where folks were asked to be part of the future of
Lunenburg County by rolling up their sleeves and getting to
work.
Residents, in accepting their invitation, decided that they’d
had enough of complaining about how things are and instead
demonstrated their willingness to do something about it.
Community members submitted their ideas for projects that
required support, and then they too hosted conversations where
more people joined in. Ideas such as public transportation and

more access to daycare, providing lectures for lifelong learning
and youth retention were championed. These public events,
large and small, eventually lead the NOW Team to population
growth as their key strategic direction. They began to imagine
what our community could look like if we had more people;
people to increase our talent pool, people to provide daycare
services and host lectures, more students to fill our classrooms,
and more people to ride the bus. In 2016, with a strategic
direction, determination and private funding, and not much
more than a title of Population Growth Co-ordinator, NOW
invited applications for their first paid position.
This is where my story begins: I participated in a number of
the community meetings and they left me inspired. There is
something about the vulnerability of stepping into the unknown
that excited me. I was happy with my life and in my job as a
Development Officer for our hospital foundation, but the pull to
have a positive impact on the future of Lunenburg County for my
children was bigger than me.
We had one year and not a lot of money to try and grow the
population of Lunenburg County. And I knew we wouldn’t be
successful waiting for folks to come to us. We had to be out in
the community. I wanted to work out of a mobile office, and I
had found a 1976 Boler camper that would do the job!
By the end of that first meeting together, my mobile office had
grown into a plan to travel across the country for Canada’s 150th
Anniversary, stopping in towns and cities to talk to people and
invite them to learn more about our amazing county. We had
created NOW’s first tangible project: A 36-day cross Canada Tour.
Collectively we decided that we would raise as much money as
we could and we would go as far as the money would take us.
We did make it across the country.
Our business community stepped in with sponsorships and
citizens also donated. Almost everyone wanted to be a part
of this crazy, audacious project, ultimately helping us raise
$50,000 in cash and the same in-kind, making it possible for
us to drive over 12,000 kms across our great country. We spent
36 days telling our fellow Canadians about our affordable real
estate, jobs and business opportunities. I told them about our
beaches, our incredible lifestyle, our amazing people, and the
opportunities awaiting newcomers here.
We announced our tour with lots of fanfare! However, not
everyone was bringing out bottles of champagne to help us
christen our 1976 Boler trailer. We had our share of critics, as do
all things, and cynics too! I recall a town official saying to me; “I
don’t know how welcoming I’d be if some other town drove in
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and wanted to park in my town and take our people. I think I’d
have you thrown out.”
In fact, no community threw me out. I met with town officials
and asked them what’s happening in their communities - where
should I go? They generously shared their community with me!
They introduced me to Chambers of Commerce, business leaders
and youth champions. I had dinner invitations, I was offered
booths at markets and even had a police officer redirect traffic
for me, so I could drive the wrong way down a one way street.
I gave out real estate guides, information on our schools,
athletics, locally produced wine and beer and lots of dog treats.
As a result, I met thousands of amazing Canadians. I met Laura
who lost her parents and now there’s nothing keeping her in
Edmonton anymore. She wept as she told me that she now feels
lost in this big city, and so I told her about some of the people
she’d find in Lunenburg County. Folks like Paula who moved
to Petite Rivière from Toronto. She’s a nurse, a volunteer firefighter,
and she loves her new life. Her friends visit from Toronto,
watch the sun set on the beach and say, “I wish I could do this.”
She told me how scared she was when she moved to Nova
Scotia; she laughs now “Life hasn’t been all that easy for me.
Living here has been the easiest.”
I met Liz in BC who makes and sells her own gluten free cookies,
which were amazing. She asked me how the gay and lesbian
community are treated in Lunenburg County. I connected her
with a good friend of mine who is in a long term same-sex
relationship, and hoped she’d give our community a good, but
honest review of how she and her partner are treated. I feel like
she’s respected, appreciated and loved in my community, but
does she feel that way? To my relief, she does.
And I met a lady in my hotel lobby. She was in line behind me,
eyeing my t-shirt which read; “Follow Me to Lunenburg County
Nova Scotia.” She had a warm, kind, shy smile and a bright
blue and yellow hijab covering her head. I turned and asked
her if she was familiar with Nova Scotia, and I told her about
Lunenburg County. I told her about our incredibly supportive
Muslim community. I told her about the Alis’ and the Sodes’,
two families who have several businesses and have built a small
but mighty mosque in our community. She gave me a puzzled
38 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM
“...NO, IT’S NOT AN ECONOMIC BOOM, IT’S A LIFESTYLE BOOM”
Tina Hennigar

look, and I worried I had somehow insulted her. For a moment I
regretted being an extrovert.
“I’ve never been asked to move to a community before.” She
informed me in a soft voice, “I’ve only been asked to leave it.”
Her response both startled and alarmed me. Both of our eyes
welled-up and we hugged. “Well, we’d love to have you,” I
assured her. I invited everyone to create a life they love in
Lunenburg County; the young and the old, families and singles.
I asked retail workers in the mall, servers in restaurants and even
that police officer who stopped traffic for me. I asked reporters
who interviewed me, road construction workers when I was
stopped in traffic and truckers at truck stops.
And it turns out, if you invite enough people, someone is bound
to accept!
My job since my return is to reconnect with those folks I met,
and those who heard or read one of my 19 media interviews. I’ve
met people who are in the beginning stages of moving here and
even some who have arrived and are now unpacking. I consider
myself their first friend. And as any friend does, I try to ‘hook
them up’ with what they need. “You need daycare? You should
call this person.” “You need a job in the financial sector? You
need to call that company.” And “did you check out the farmers
market? The general store? What about the firemen’s breakfast?
You simply must go to the next one!”
Lunenburg County isn’t perfect, but we’re working on it. There
are still some gaps and issues, things that we all need but not
everyone has - yet. Affordable, reliable internet in some parts
of Lunenburg County is one, and more doctors is another. We
know that whether you’ve just moved here or if you’ve lived here
forever, these are two basic necessities that we all deserve. NOW
Lunenburg County is working with our communities and inviting
people to come together to work on these two issues. We’re
thinking creatively, strategically and working toward solutions.
“I’VE NEVER BEEN ASKED TO MOVE TO A
COMMUNITY BEFORE.” SHE INFORMED ME IN A SOFT
VOICE, “I’VE ONLY BEEN ASKED TO LEAVE IT.”
And that brings me to today. This magazine was born of a need
to have a gift to give people we meet. We needed something to
tell people about our industries, and our entrepreneurs, and to
show off our beaches and farms and to introduce folks to what
we believe is our best resource: our people. We hope you read
this and get a small sense of who we are. And then we want you
to give this magazine to someone else with your invitation to
them to consider life here.
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 39

Inevitably, there will be amazing people and places that we
failed to cover in this magazine. We can’t possibly do a story on
everyone, we just have too many great people! That’s where we
need our community to help. It’s up to you, and me, and every
other person in Lunenburg County to tell our own story. I am
inviting you to tell the people you meet what you love here, tell
them about our new skate park, our amazing walking trails, our
new businesses, and our thriving arts and culture community. Be
welcoming!
Tell them about the people who are doing amazing things;
people who have started businesses and created services and
experiences. Speak up and be proud of what’s going on here.
Tell people that our traditional industries are spawning new ones
such as the advances we are making in Ocean Tech. Share with
them our connection to some of the worlds most recognized
brands such as Michelin Tires, EA Sports video games, High Liner,
and Clearwater. Be proud that Stelia manufactures parts that
are found in outer space. Sing the praises of our arts and culture
community. Who better than us to tell the world who we are?
I INVITE EVERYONE TO CREATE A LIFE IN LUNENBURG
COUNTY THAT IS AS FULL AS YOU WANT IT TO BE.
Tina Hennigar
People on tour have said to me, “Why are you doing this? Are
you promoting your community because you’re experiencing
an economic boom?” I explain, no, not an economic boom, it’s
a lifestyle boom. When I interviewed dozens of newcomers
to Lunenburg County, many used the same word to describe
their new life here: “full”. Lunenburg County is full of beauty,
volunteer opportunities, things to see, places to go, and
people to connect with. You can choose a full calendar or a full
bookshelf or both.
I invite everyone to create a life in Lunenburg County that is as
full as you want it to be.
IF YOU SUCCEED,
SO DO WE
With respect, integrity & professionalism, we
relentlessly pursue high standards of
excellence in everything we do, everyday.
We are learning, we are changing and we strive
for continuous improvement.
The success of our employees, clients and
community is our measure of achievement.
Together we create a safe, accountable and
rewarding environment with a bias towards
action and high performance.
BMI ltd. is seeking
talented Skilled Trades, Labourers,
Production Operators & Administrative
professionals to join their team.
ARE YOU READY?
We are committed to
finding your best fit in our team,
so that everyone is successful.
Apply online via www.EmploymentNOW.ca
or send your resume to jobs@bmiltd.ca
For more information:
Visit: www.bmiltd.ca
Phone: 902.543.2446
Email: info@bmiltd.ca

BARRY STEVENS
nova scotia
MAHONE BAY, LUNENBURG COUNTY
bigger picture
Submitted photos
BY HEATHER MACKENZIE-CAREY
GLOBAL BUSINESS
BALANCED LIFESTYLE
Barry Stevens, the founder of Stevens Solutions and Design
(SS&D) a proudly Indigenous Company, has a secret he’s willing
to share
As a determined kid making money managing a trap line,
working in a mill, and providing farm labor, Barry learned the
art of self-reliance in Lunenburg County. With a passion for
electronics and technology design, Barry braved the culture
shock of Toronto fresh out of high school and trained as an
Engineering Technologist. He became a specialist in a small
niche market offering technology solutions to clients across
North America and beyond.
They focus on helping businesses reach their global potential
by creating customized short films, video, and websites using
3D imaging, animation technology and communication
tools. There’s a big market for this. Barry describes a web of
entrepreneurs, consultants, and industrial manufacturers that
ship product from Lunenburg County. You won’t see these
businesses. They don’t have store fronts or high-rise offices.
Unless you’re an employee, you probably don’t know where the
factories are located. With an international airport, ports and
multiple shipping options all within an easy commute, global
connectivity is alive and well in Lunenburg County.
Barry’s secret? In today’s virtual world, you can thrive in small
communities and work globally. SS&D provides a model for the
power of virtual business not only for indigenous communities
but for anyone who wants a balanced lifestyle.
https://www.stevens-solutions.com
The return home was a conscious decision. Barry portrays a sense
of awe when he describes how one doesn’t have to be wealthy to
live a lifestyle rich in free recreational pursuits all within a short
drive. Having traveled all over the world, Barry realizes what
long-term residents of Lunenburg County may take for granted.
You can kayak to remote islands, spend the afternoon on a
sailboat, be an hour’s drive or less from critical core industries,
and be a big player in the global marketplace.
Stevens Solutions and Design has grown into a family business
supporting three highly skilled people and two generations.
IN TODAY’S VIRTUAL WORLD,
YOU CAN THRIVE IN SMALL COMMUNITIES
AND WORK GLOBALLY.
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 41

RACHELLE
nova scotia
LAHAVE, LUNENBURG COUNTY
riding into a new life
BY MARGARET HOEGG
DREAMS COME TRUE
ON THE EAST COAST FOR
VANCOUVER NURSE.
Rachelle fell in love with Nova Scotia while visiting on an East
Coast bike trip.
Something told her to stay a while, so she applied for a job in
Lunenburg. She got the job, intending to return to Vancouver
after the contract. Seven years later, she’s still here.
“The job just turned out to be wonderful,” said Rachelle. “I
had great colleagues, I had great connections, and had the
opportunity to continue on by extending my contract and then
eventually it became a permanent job.”
As a nurse, she has found lots of job opportunities in Lunenburg
County, and that’s what’s allowed her to stay. She has worked in
the community with Public Health, in the hospital, in the college
setting, and now works for a non-profit.
Her current job with VON takes her all over the county. She said,
“I’ve met a lot of really interesting people. I’m always quite
amazed at how kind people are and how friendly and open they
are. It’s been really lovely.”
Rachelle reached out to the local triathlon club before moving
here. “It was so wonderful because it was a group of people who
met regularly who were very welcoming,” she said. “It’s really
easy to meet people once you make a little inroad - it seems like
it just blossoms from there.”
These connections led her to some unique opportunities, such as
wooden dory racing in Lunenburg harbour and building her own
kayak by hand.
She also bought a cottage on Cherry Hill Beach and now owns a
house on the LaHave river with her husband, who she met here.
Owning property on the water was, she said, “a dream come true
considering where I lived in Vancouver. That would have been
such a pipe dream.”
Rachelle is continually amazed by how easy it is to access the
water. “Just being able to be on the water in so many ways,” she
said, “and it’s not just for people who have a lot of means to own
a membership at a boat club...that part I love.”
She found herself invested in the success of the place she
quickly grew to love and enjoys watching the community grow.
“You know you really see the growth and you think this is so
exciting to be part of,” she said. “It’s that sense of, let’s grow this
place!”
“I would say I’m glad I took the risk of moving across the country
for a temporary contract,” she said. “I literally expected to be
here for nine months, and I haven’t been able to tear myself
away. So, taking that chance was the best thing I did.”
“I LITERALLY EXPECTED TO BE HERE FOR NINE MONTHS, AND I HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO TEAR MYSELF AWAY”.
Rachelle
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 43

ERIC and MARGARET POLKOWSKI
nova scotia
NEW GERMANY, LUNENBURG COUNTY
Tina Hennigar photo
a radical departure
BY TINA HENNIGAR
LUNENBURG COUNTY COUPLE
‘LIVING THE DREAM’
Eric and Margaret Polkowski packed up all they owned in their
camper and reluctantly left Fort McMurray, Alberta, bound
for Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia. They knew they were in
for a lifestyle change. What they hadn’t anticipated was the
friendliness of the people, the abundant local food, community
breakfasts, and the proximity to fishing and hunting they’d find
here.
Eric and Margaret were doing meaningful work as engineers
when the aftermath of the Fort McMurray forest fires forced
them to buy a camper as temporary housing. That’s when they
decided it was time for a change. It was difficult to leave, but it
turned out to be the right decision for the young couple who are
working on Margaret’s family farm.
“It was not an easy decision to leave. We really loved it! We
especially loved the people. But we wanted to leave the office.
I really didn’t see myself doing that for the rest of my life,”
Margaret said. They penned a farewell email to their co-workers,
titled: Radical Departure, and then set out on an adventure
where Margaret would move back to her hometown and Eric
would make it his. “Our co-workers were super supportive.
‘Good for you guys! Living the dream!’” Margaret said from their
peaceful rented home surrounded by sprawling fields, lined with
trees and a clothes line.
The desire to live rurally is what brought them here. It’s the
sense of community that they hadn’t anticipated. Their eyes light
up as they talk about their new life and the experiences they’ve
44 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM
had in just the short time since moving here. “I’d been here
before, to visit. I just don’t remember it being this pretty,” Eric
said of his new community.
“We pick up bacon from the local butcher. We get fresh eggs
down the road. Our neighbours give us the garlic that they
grow in their garden.” Margaret said with a smile. “And the
community breakfasts,” Eric chimed in. “They’re amazing!”
The two have become regulars at the Parkdale Maplewood
Community Breakfast, insisting it’s the best breakfast they’ve
ever eaten.
“I’D BEEN HERE BEFORE, TO VISIT. I JUST DON’T
REMEMBER IT BEING THIS PRETTY.”
Eric Polkowski
Eric noted that he believes there is a fair bit of opportunity here.
“But it’s a lot of work too. We’ve always been active, but even so,
this new line of work [farming] is physically challenging.”
The young, newly married couple remarked on how close
everything is compared to what they’re used to. “Here you can
get from your office to your home in the country in around 20
minutes.” Margaret remarked how that might be a big selling
feature for young people tired of the long commute. And since
they like to fish, they’ve been exploring the many good fishing
holes close by. In Alberta they were known to drive hours to find
a good hole.
“We were really satisfied with our work, in Alberta.” The couple
insisted looking at each other with a sense of pride for taking
this leap and moving to Lunenburg County. “But we don’t miss
it.” They gazed out at the horizon and smiled. “Not at all.”

DR. HUGHIE FRASER
gastroenterologist
moved to lunenburg co.
in 2010
HERE YOU CAN PRACTICE
MORE THAN MEDICINE.
we are looking for doctors to join our community!
to practice here, to care for us and become part of our community.
in exchange, you can have a full life here. you will experience our
amazing beaches and trails, eat our incredible food, enjoy our lively
arts and create a life you love in lunenburg county, nova scotia.
are you intrigued?
learn more by going to:
nowlunenburgcounty/practiceherenow
or by emailing: welcome@nowlunenburgcounty.com

46 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM
Picture yourself
here!

AMANDA RHYNO
nova scotia
BRIDGEWATER, LUNENBURG COUNTY
Tina Hennigar photo
nourishing a business
BY TINA HENNIGAR
GROWING A BUSINESS IN A SMALL
AREA HAS IT’S ADVANTAGES
Feeling trapped and like there was no room for change, Amanda
Rhyno left Lunenburg County after graduating high school.
Amanda traveled the world and came back to Lunenburg County
occasionally to visit her parents who still lived here. While she
always considered this home, it was later, when in her 30’s,
she felt an undercurrent of change happening. There was an
excitement you could feel in the air.
“There was a new vibe happening. It still felt familiar, but it
was the perfect blend of home and the town entering the cusp
of being recreated, and I wanted to be part of it,” Amanda said
from her Bridgewater home that she shares with her daughter
and where she grows her home-based business. Amanda creates,
markets and exports a full-line of natural products called
Nourished Natural Self-Care.
spectrum of supports. From top quality branding to … support
from Acadian Centre for Small Business. We’re really fortunate
because in smaller communities these services are easier to find,
and we don’t have to wait like you might have to do in larger
cities.” While Amanda credits Lunenburg County for its ease of
doing business, and the ability to get where you need to go in
just a few minutes, she does caution that the business hours are
limited. “It’s hard to do business after 5 pm here.”
“This is a great place to be, with an influx of multicultural events
and an emerging music scene.” Amanda insists. And she should
know. She’s traveled all around the UK, Asia, and South America.
“I’ve never met friendlier people. People want to make you
comfortable here. Why wouldn’t you want to live in a place like
that?”
“Being pregnant made me more aware of what I put on my body.
Everything I make is what I use. Turning it into a business was
a natural step,” she said, noting that once her daughter was
born, working at a job that was someone else’s dream was not
appealing to her.
“Growing a business in a small area has some advantages,”
Amanda believes. Lunenburg County is packed with a full
“IT WAS THE PERFECT BLEND OF HOME AND THE TOWN ENTERING THE CUSP OF BEING
RECREATED, AND I WANTED TO BE PART OF IT.”
Amanda Rhyno
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 47

ADAM SARTY and DEVIN FRASER
nova scotia
BRIDGEWATER, LUNENBURG COUNTY
Stacey Colwell photo
craft brewing
BY STACEY COLWELL
ENTREPRENEURS FLOURISHING
IN CRAFT BREWERY BUSINESS
Business is booming in Nova Scotia’s craft beer market.
The province’s liquor commission reported sales increased by
more than one third last year to over $10 million. Nearly three
dozen small, independent breweries are thriving, mostly in rural
communities and small towns, including Bridgewater.
Adam Sarty and Devin Fraser opened a craft brewery on
Bridgewater’s main street in 2017.
“You can feel the energy coming back, there’s lots of good
things happening on the street and good ideas,” said FirkinStein
Brewery co-owner Devin Fraser as he points across the road to
an old-fashioned diner ready to open in a renovated building on
the main street of the South Shore.
“You can feel the vibe here change, a younger crowd is starting
to come around.”
The town has been growing steadily, with a population increase
of about 1,000 over the past 15 years.
FirkinStein has benefitted from that growth, along with the
community investing millions in a downtown renewal project.
In addition, Fraser and co-owner Adam Sarty have been received
with open arms by other microbreweries, much to their surprise.
“In the very beginning I honestly thought it was going to be a
competitive market,” said Fraser.
“But the moment we started, right from Day 1, it was the
extreme opposite. Every brewery is out to help you. They all want
each other to succeed because it’s not us against every other
brewery, its all us little breweries against the big guys.”
The industry encourages innovative ways to get people through
the doors, and at FirkinStein that means not only a laid-back
daytime scene and live music every weekend but everything
from dance lessons to a retro Duck Hunt video game night.
“It’s all about people just looking to have a good time,” said
Sarty. “And from what we’ve seen, there’s tons of people here
who love having a good time.”
The co-owners, who also work together at Bridgewater’s Michelin
tire plant, agreed the most surprising thing about opening their
brewery has been all the amazing people they’ve met.
“Yet that was so low on my radar,” said Fraser. “I never really
considered it at first, but in hindsight it’s been one of my
favourite parts. We’ve met pretty awesome people.”
Fraser grew up in Montreal, and said there’s simply a different
pace of life in Bridgewater.
“When I go home to visit now, I notice everybody is wound tight.
I come back to Nova Scotia, here on the South Shore, and it’s
like, ‘Let’s relax a little bit, take a second to think about things.’ I
love that. That’s my favourite thing about living here.”
“YOU CAN FEEL THE VIBE HERE CHANGE, A YOUNGER CROWD IS STARTING TO COME AROUND.”
Devin Fraser
48 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM

AMANDA RING
AMANDA RING
nova scotia
CORNWALL, LUNENBURG COUNTY
Tina Hennigar photo
a satisfying life
BY TINA HENNIGAR
LOCAL PRACTITIONER FINDS A
DEEPER MEANING TO HER LIFE
WHILE HELPING OTHERS
Minutes from the hustle and bustle of the 103 Highway that
connects Lunenburg County to its neighbouring counties,
you’ll find an unassuming dirt road lined with trees and nature
in all its serene glory. There you’ll find healing, peace and
reconnection. There you will be warmly greeted by Amanda Ring.
Having worked in Occupational Therapy in Ireland and
Newfoundland, Amanda’s journey brought her back here, just
outside of Mahone Bay. “It’s a safe, quiet space, where we’re
surrounded by nature. People come here and automatically feel
lighter; comforted,” she explains more about the setting she
practices yoga, Reiki and energy healing. “It’s as though you’re
stepping into another world.”
It’s a world you won’t want to leave, which might explain, at
least in part, why Amanda’s practice is doing so well.
Lunenburg County has proven to be a fantastic place to
practice. She’s booked months in advance and she’s always
expanding what she offers.
After maternity leave and struggling to find work in her
field as an Occupational Therapist, Amanda set out to offer her
gifts of healing. “People are asking questions. growing open to
mindfulness, to self-worth and self-love.” Amanda explains.
“Life coaching has evolved in this area, what is happening here
is people who are seeking greater health and healing, to live
with less pain, to have a better sleep and a deeper connection.
People are following the conventional route and not feeling
better over time; not getting at the root [cause],” Amanda speaks
of her work. “We’re so used to doing. We’ve forgotten how to
be.”
With Amanda’s help, people are rediscovering how to “be”.
Satisfying is how Amanda describes her life here - her work,
her home, her special piece of paradise in Lunenburg County,
in nature, surrounded by trees, and her yurt. She’s happy the
choices her children have had with education. Amanda’s son
and daughter participated in the Waldorf school until grades 5
and 7 when they decided they were ready for a more traditional
setting and are now attending Bayview Community School.
“Both have been amazing,” Amanda explains. The Waldorf
school offered a unique approach to learning that she believes
provided them a greater depth of empathy. “I believe that has
enabled them to transition more easily into the traditional
education setting.”
Amanda came back to Lunenburg County to find a deeper
meaning to her own life, and in turn, she is helping others to
rediscover more meaning in their own. Her commitment has
only grown, insisting, “everyone can experience a greater sense
of wholeness.”
“We have really good practitioners here, and I believe that we
can make opportunity wherever you are - if there is a need for
what you have to offer, people will find you.”
“IT’S A SAFE, QUIET SPACE, WHERE WE’RE SURROUNDED BY NATURE. PEOPLE COME HERE
AND AUTOMATICALLY FEEL LIGHTER; COMFORTED.”
Amanda Ring
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 49

BLAIR and MONICA HODGES
nova scotia
CHESTER, LUNENBURG COUNTY
love and marriage BY
TINA HENNIGAR
Submitted photo
OF THE STREAMS TO IMMIGRATE
TO CANADA, THERE IS ONE THAT
GETS TO THE HEART OF THE
MATTER, AND THAT IS MARRIAGE.
Blair Hodges of Chester met and fell in love with Monica Lama
at the beach home of their mutual friends while vacationing
in El Salvador. It was 2006 and while neither was looking for a
relationship, they couldn’t deny their connection from the first
moment they met. They stayed in touch, emailing back and forth
when Blair returned home to Nova Scotia after his vacation.
They continued their relationship over the next number of years,
Blair visiting Monica and her family many times, and everyone
growing fond of each other. Blair’s children traveled to El
Salvador to meet Monica. It was a great match all around.
Monica and Blair got married in 2011 and now live in Chester.
“Finding Monica and marrying her was the best thing I’ve done
and worth all the difficulty that it took to bring her here,” Blair
said of the years of paperwork. Together they are a team and
look after Blair’s 90 year old mother.
Blair said, “it’s not for the faint of heart. You have to really love
each other. These marriages don’t last if you’re not compatible
and don’t give the relationship the proper amount of time and
effort to get to know each other, and if at all possible, in each
other’s environment. It can feel like a constant holiday if you
don’t live ‘real life’ together”.
“Monica’s English is excellent, but even so, it’s easy for people
who don’t speak English as their first language to misinterpret
words. English is a difficult language to learn,” Blair said. “Words
can have more than one meaning. I’d encourage everyone to be
patient with someone who is new to Canada.”
Monica was visiting her family back in El Salvador when I
interviewed Blair, but he wanted us all to know that, “Latin
people are very warm and friendly,” he said of his wife. “I’d
really encourage everyone to get to know her. She’s added so
much to my life,” Blair said. “We’re all really lucky she’s here.”
50 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM

NICK ORLOV OTTER and CHARLES OTTER
nova scotia
MADER’S COVE, LUNENBURG COUNTY
Tina Hennigar photo
pure goodness BY
TINA HENNIGAR
INCREDIBLE PEOPLE, CANADIAN
EMBASSY, REAL ESTATE AGENT, BANK
MANAGER, ALL INSTRUMENTAL IN
HELPING COUPLE START THEIR LIFE
IN NOVA SCOTIA.
It wasn’t initially Charles Otter and Nick Orlov Otter’s goal to
move to Nova Scotia. The agent at the Canadian Embassy in Kiev,
Ukraine, suggested Nova Scotia after the couple shared what
they wanted in their next move.
They did their research, drew a circle 100 kilometres around the
Halifax International Airport and called a real estate agent they
discovered online to help them find their new home.
“We told her what we wanted, and she totally got us,” said Nick.
They bought the house having only seen pictures of it. As Nick
drove up the long tree lined driveway in the seaside community
of Mader’s Cove, he knew it was the perfect house for them. “We
wanted a big house with lots of land with a view of the sea,”
Nick said in an interview from their private home that overlooks
beautiful Westhaver’s beach. “
Nick is from Russia and Charles from New Zealand, the two have
lived all around the world. It’s this community that they now
call home, they hope never to leave. They got married on their
property shortly after arriving. Charles’s vast experience in Hotel
Management enabled him to plan and pull off an event none of
the 45 guests from 16 different countries would soon forget.
“…after the wedding, we invited all our neighbours to join us for
a BBQ, and every single person showed up,” Charles said. “It was
incredible, the warmth and support we were shown.”
“WE NEED IMMIGRANTS IN NOVA SCOTIA.
WE NEED NEW PEOPLE, THEIR IDEAS AND
WHAT THEY BRING.”
Nick Orlov Otter
Nick and Charles are part owners of Oh My Cod restaurant
in Mahone Bay. Charles works in economic and community
development and Nick is an entrepreneur who runs his own
business in IT. Both play a significant role in the community,
volunteering for festivals and the Chamber of Commerce.
“We need immigrants in Nova Scotia. We need new people,
their ideas and what they bring.” Nick and Charles credit the
community for helping them. “At every turn we were connected
to all the right people, from our bank manager who helped us
with our mortgage, our agent who helped us find a home, even
our first taxi driver at the airport who, instead of charging me
50 dollars for a short taxi drive, put me in a hotel shuttle,” Nick
said of the kind people he’s met in this province. “It was pure
goodness.”
AFTER THE WEDDING, WE INVITED ALL OUR NEIGHBOURS TO JOIN US FOR A BBQ, AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON
SHOWED UP. IT WAS INCREDIBLE, THE WARMTH AND SUPPORT WE WERE SHOWN.”
Charles Otter
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 51

start your life in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia
HERE’S HOW
Nova Scotia’s provincial immigration programs are designed to help fill labour needs, grow the economy and build vibrant communities.
Immigration strengthens and grows the economy, grows our population, helps employers fill persistent labour gaps, revitalizes communities and
adds to Nova Scotia’s diversity. It is key to building the province and keeping communities dynamic, vibrant and strong.
novascotiaimmigration.com/move-here/
Once you are ready to move to beautiful Nova Scotia you will want to apply to a Nova Scotia Nominee Program stream.
Through the Nova Scotia Nominee Program, prospective immigrants who have the skills and experience targeted by Nova Scotia may be
nominated to immigrate. Review the different Nova Scotia Nominee Program streams to determine if you qualify:
ATLANTIC IMMIGRATION PILOT
• The Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) is a three-year pilot project
that launched in March 2017 under the Atlantic Growth Strategy.
The AIP help addresses persistent labour gaps across the province
and provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen Nova Scotia’s
economy and grow the population through recruiting and
retaining skilled workers.
• Interest in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot is strong and continues
to grow.
• The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is one option that can be used by
employers and those who wish to immigrate through the Provincial
Nominee Program.
• The Atlantic Immigration Pilot lets Atlantic employers hire qualified
candidates for jobs that they haven’t been able to fill locally. You can
be living abroad or be in Canada temporarily. You must have a job
offer before you can apply.
• You and the employer must meet requirements. If you and the
employer meet the requirements, you’ll get permanent resident
status. This means you can live and work in Canada.
• novascotiaimmigration.com/help-for-employers/atlanticimmigration-pilot/
• canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/
immigrate-canada/atlantic-immigration-pilot/how-to-immigrate
• Physician Stream facts/figures:
• This new stream makes the immigration process easier and faster
for internationally-trained doctors who have approved job offers to
move here, and live and work in our communities.
• An eligible candidate
can be processed
under this stream in
as few as five to ten
days as compared
to an average of 30
days under other
existing immigration
processes.
• It is easier and faster because this stream targets family doctors
from countries with recognized training equivalency with the
College of Family Physicians of Nova Scotia. That means we can
rely on the assessments the College of Physicians and Surgeons
of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Health Authority and the IWK have
already done around education, language ability, certification, and
credential recognition and eliminate duplication.
• The new stream is part of a broader national and international
physician recruitment strategy. Immigration provides an excellent
opportunity to help fill labour gaps – including addressing the
need for more doctors.
• The Physician Stream is only open to General Physicians (NOC
3112) and Specialist Physicians (NOC 3111) with signed approved
opportunities with the Nova Scotia Health Authority or the IWK
Health Centre. Do not apply for this stream if you do not have a
signed approved offer from the Nova Scotia Health Authority or the
IWK Health Centre in NOC 3112 or 3111.
• novascotiaimmigration.com/move-here/physician
52 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM

ENTREPRENEUR STREAM
The Entrepreneur Stream is for experienced business owners or senior
business managers who want to live in Nova Scotia. They must start a
new business or buy an existing business and must actively participate
in the day-to-day management of the business. After operating the
business for a year, the entrepreneur may be nominated for permanent
resident status. Application to the stream is by invitation only.
To apply you must:
• be 21 years of age or older;
• want to live permanently in Nova Scotia while owning and actively
managing a Nova Scotia business;
• have a net worth of at least $600,000 CAD;
• be able to invest at least $150,000 CAD of your own money to
establish a business in Nova Scotia;
• have at least 3 years’ experience actively managing and owning a
business (1/3 ownership
minimum) OR more
than 5 years’ experience
in a senior business
management role;
• have a score of at least 5
on the Canadian Language
Benchmark in speaking, listening, reading and writing in English or
French;
• complete an online Expression of Interest;
• receive an Invitation to Apply from the Nova Scotia Office of
Immigration.
• novascotia.ca/sns/access/online-services/immigration/eoientrepreneur.asp
• novascotiaimmigration.com/move-here/entrepreneur/
INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE ENTREPRENEUR
The International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream is for recent graduates
of a Nova Scotia university or the Nova Scotia Community College.
They must have already started or bought a Nova Scotia business and
operated it for at least a year. If they intend to settle in Nova Scotia, the
graduate may be nominated for permanent resident status. Application
to the stream is by invitation only.
To apply you must:
• want to live permanently in Nova Scotia while owning and actively
managing a Nova Scotia business;
• have at least one year’s continuous experience actively managing
and owning your current Nova Scotia business (100% ownership
minimum);
• have completed a degree or diploma after at least 2 academic years
of full-time, in-person study at a university in Nova Scotia or the Nova
Scotia Community College;
• ,have a valid postgraduation
work permit;
• have a score of at least 7
on the Canadian Language
Benchmark in speaking,
listening, reading and
writing in English or
French;
• complete an online Expression of Interest;
• receive an Invitation to Apply from the Nova Scotia Office of
Immigration.
• novascotia.ca/sns/access/online-services/immigration/eoiinternational-graduate.asp
• novascotiaimmigration.com/move-here/international-graduateentrepreneur/
SKILLED WORKER
The Skilled Worker stream helps employers recruit foreign workers and
recently graduated international students whose skills are needed in
Nova Scotia. An employer can only hire foreign workers for positions
they have been unable to fill with permanent residents or Canadian
citizens.
To apply you must:
• have a full-time permanent job offer from a Nova Scotia employer;
• have 1 year of work experience related to the job. (Semi-skilled and
low-skilled workers must already have six months’ experience with
the employer.);
• be 21 to 55 years old;
• have a high school diploma;
• have the appropriate
training, skills and/or
accreditation for the
job;
• prove language ability
equal to Canadian
Language Benchmark
(CLB) Level 5 if you are a skilled worker. If your first language is
English or French, that is enough proof. Semi-skilled and low-skilled
workers must have test results to prove they meet CLB 4 even if their
first language is English or French;
• show enough financial resources to successfully settle in Nova Scotia.
novascotiaimmigration.com/move-here/skilled-worker/
NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM 53

NOVA SCOTIA DEMAND: EXPRESS ENTRY
The Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry stream selects highly skilled
individuals who wish to live in Nova Scotia permanently. Applicants
must have a good chance of quickly finding a job in Nova Scotia’s
labour market.
The Nova Scotia Office of Immigration reserves the right to consider
only certain types of occupations for nomination, depending on current
labour market needs.
Applications will only be accepted online.
Category A (for applicants with a job offer) will remain open.
To apply under Category A, you must:
• have a profile registered in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Canada’s Express Entry system;
• score 67 points or more on the stream’s six selection factors;
• have a job offer from a Nova Scotia employer for full-time skilled
work that lasts at least
one year after your
permanent resident visa
is issued. For a job offer
to be valid in Express
Entry and receive
points, employers will
usually need an LMIA
from ESDC. There are a few exceptions: cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/
skilled/exempt.asp;
• have 1 year of skilled work experience related to the job;
• have a Canadian high school credential or equivalent;
• prove language ability in English or French at Canadian Language
Benchmark 7;
• show enough financial resources to successfully settle in Nova Scotia.
novascotiaimmigration.com/move-here/nova-scotia-demand-expressentry/
NOVA SCOTIA EXPERIENCE EXPRESS ENTRY
The Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry stream selects highly skilled
individuals who wish to live in Nova Scotia permanently. Applicants
must have at least one year of experience working in Nova Scotia in a
high skilled occupation.
To apply you must:
• have at least 1 year of work experience in Nova Scotia;
• be 21 to 55 years old;
• have a Canadian high school credential or equivalent;
• prove language ability in English or French on the Canadian
Language Benchmark (CLB). You need CLB 7 for skilled work in the
National Occupational
Classification (NOC) 0
and A. You need CLB 5
for NOC B positions;
• have a profile
registered in
Immigration, Refugees
and Citizenship Canada’s Express Entry system
novascotiaimmigration.com/move-here/nova-scotia-experienceexpress-entry/
SUPPORT FOR YOUR MOVE!
If you are getting ready to immigrate to Nova Scotia, or have just
arrived here, this is the place to start. Nova Scotia Start offers you
information and support to:
• Develop your communication skills
• Settle into your new community
• Work in Nova Scotia
• Information about how to qualify to work in your field
All our services are free of charge and they are available both before
and after you arrive in
Nova Scotia. Start here
and start now!
novascotiastart.ca/
Apply through Canadian
Government canada.ca/
en/services/immigrationcitizenship
Create a life you love in Lunenburg County!
54 NOWLUNENBURGCOUNTY.COM

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