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DOWN EAST HOSPITALITY, AULD’S COVE STYLE BY KURT ESSEY PEOPLE ARE OF TWO MINDS WHEN IT COMES TO AULD’S COVE SHOPKEEPER JOHN PETTIPAS: THEY THINK HE’S EITHER A LUNATIC, OR HIS BOMBASTICALLY UNBALANCED SHTICK IS A WELL- HONED GIMMICK ENGINEERED TO SEPARATE CUSTOMERS FROM THEIR MONEY. OFFERING NOVELTY LOBSTER PLACE MATS TO TOURISTS IN A NORMAL TONE OF VOICE JUST ISN’T THE SAME AS SHOUT- ING AND WAVING THEM WILDLY ABOVE YOUR HEAD. Whether his persona is fact or fiction, nobody I know has ever seen the gregarious proprietor of Pettipas Market and Auld’s Cove Lobster Suppers, located just steps away from the Canso Causeway, out of character. For those who haven’t had the pleasure, his tone and cadence bears more than a passing resemblance to Bill the Butcher, the charismatic crime boss from Gangs of New York portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis at his scenery-chewing best. Come to think of it, the wildeyed souvenir peddler also reminds me of another recent Day-Lewis role, namely his Oscar-winning turn as Daniel Plainview from There Will Be Blood. Next time you see Pettipas, ask him to shout “I Drink Your Milkshake!” at the top of his lungs. Like anyone with such a strong presence, Pettipas is not universally loved. Don’t get me wrong; his in-your-face charm has earned him plenty of admirers far and wide. A few years back a trio of vacationers from New England were so struck by the man they created a Facebook group, Pals of John Pettipas. At press time there were 338 members. But I can tell you the name of one man who I guarantee will never join, come hell or high water. Calgary resident Jon Kommes has written a letter of complaint to the N.S. Tourism Dept. and the Terry Fox Foundation about Pettipas, alleging that he was thrown out of the store during a brief visit last month after politely refusing to make a donation to the charity. Pettipas is the self-declared largest contributor to the cause in Nova Scotia, and famously solicits everyone who comes through his doors. “(Pettipas) ... came up to me with some paper and pen telling me I had to contribute to the Terry Fox Run,” writes Kommes in his August 3 missive. Kommes claims Pettipas became enraged when he explained that he already donates through relatives who live in Port Hood. “That is when (Pettipas) said, ‘All you Albertans are so cheap, nothing but tight asses and drug addicts who work three months a year and scratch your arse for the other nine.’ This was followed with, ‘Get out of my store’ and ‘Don’t ever come back’.” As if their alleged ouster wasn’t enough, Kommes also says that when he and his wife refused an offer of a styrofoam cup of orange juice upon their arrival, Pettipas declared that 14 ATLANTIC CANADA FRANK SEPTEMBER 28, 2010 it’s just as well they didn’t take any because he had “pissed” in it. Kommes estimates their entire visit took three minutes. Declaring that Pettipas is not representative of the majority of Nova Scotians they had met on their travels, Kommes writes that Pettipas is a “definite liability” to the tourist trade of the province. Pettipas himself, reached by telephone, says he hasn’t the foggiest what I’m on about. Claiming that he’s right in the middle of something, possibly shouting about a post office box, he bade me farewell and hung up in my ear before I could ask him about Komme’s allegations. So I called him back. “Is this a joke?” he asked, when I finally managed to explain to him about the contents of the letter, adding, “I don’t know nuttin’ about it,” before launching into a diatribe involving N.S. Finance Minister Graham Steele’s brotherin-law Srini Pillay, a gambling addict legal disgrace sent to jail last year for bilking his clients. When I assure Pettipas that Komme is not accusing Srini Pillay of cursing at him and throwing him out of a store in Auld’s Cove, Pettipas switches gears and asks me to come in so I can make a donation to the Terry Fox Foundation. I kid you not. “Whatever-you-can-afford-is-much- John Pettipas appreCIATED!” he sputters. I take an opportunity to ask him how much he gives to the foundation on an annual basis as a result of his daily efforts. “I’m asking YOU to donate. I’M the solicitor. Anything you want to give!” he declares. I give up. Tourism Dept. spokesthingy Sherrie Hoddes confirms that the department did receive a letter of complaint about Pettipas. Although she says she can’t talk about particular cases, she tells me that protocol dictates that the shopkeeper would be contacted and asked to respond. However, Sherrie admits that since Pettipas has no affiliation with the provincial government, he could just as easily ignore their request and face no recourse. Terry Fox Foundation provincial director Barbara Fickes tells me she’s aware of the letter, but passed me along to national mouthpuppet Fred Fox, Terry’s older brother, for comment. Reached on his cellphone in Yellowknife, Fred tells me that due to scheduling constraints he wouldn’t be able to gather the information necessary to provide a comment before my deadline, although he promised to follow up with me at a later date. Does Frank Know? atlanticfrank@eastlink.ca
A FRIEND IN NEED OF AN ENDOSCOPY IS A FRIEND INDEED BY BEN DOVER UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF ODDBALL FETISH, WAITING AROUND ALL MORNING FOR A STRANGER TO SHOVE A CAMERA DOWN YOUR THROAT OR UP YOUR ARSE ISN’T YOUR IDEA OF A GOOD TIME. It’s a good way to ruin your day, is what it is. But, Capital District Health Authority mouthpuppet John Gillis is now confirming that FLORIFAMOUS NEVILLE FIRED ME, CANCER PATIENT CLAIMS BY ROSE PETALS DOREEN SEMADENI, THE FORMER MANAGER OF MY MOTHER’S BLOOMERS, SAYS SHE’S SHE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE N.S. HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION AGAINST FLOWER SHOP OWNER NEVILLE MACKAY, ALLEGING THE CELEBRITY FLORIST FIRED HER ONE WEEK AFTER SHE RETURNED TO WORK FROM BREAST CANCER TREATMENT. Doreen tells me Neville dismissed her on August 5, after three years of employment. She was not on salary. Originally hired as a floral designer, Doreen was promoted to manager some two years ago, following Vance Carroll’s departure. Doreen claims she received no earlier warnings, or any indications from her fastidious and flamboyant petal pushing boss that he was dissatisfied with her work. “I was in charge of the store, obviously, when he was away. And he was away a lot.” Doreen says she returned to the Spring Garden Place flower boutique on July 27 after three weeks of unpaid recuperation, following her initial surgery. “I still wanted to work. I really liked my job, and I do need to make a living. Now I have nothing,” the 61-year old tells me. Married to former Delta Barrington hotel manager Peter Semadeni, Doreen says she cashed in her holiday pay to cover her extended absence from work. Diagnosed in June, the Scottish native tells me she informed Neville she planned to work around her treatments. “I worked right up until my surgery,” she quietly notes. Shelburne native Neville was “very shocked” by her diagnosis, she adds. Known for his tireless charitable work, and regularly featured on C- 100, Breakfast Television, and between the sheets of the wedding publication Duly Noted, Neville is a prominent local fundraiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Each November he hosts the star-studded “An Evening with Neville and Friends,” to raise awareness and thousands of dollars for breast cancer research. He has a well-deserved reputation for his many philanthropic endeavours. According to Doreen, Neville told her to “take all the time I needed, and to take care of myself,” and sent her flowers at home while she recuperated. Neville’s mother sent her a card as well. The indefatigable Neville was in Mississippi at a trade show, but gave not only will a visit to the Endoscopy Clinic at the VG ruin your day, but somebody else’s as well. John advises that starting earlier this month, the CDHA introduced a new policy dictating that those undergoing endoscopy procedures will be required to have a friend or family member wait with them. If a patient arrives without a minder, I understand that the procedure will automatically be rescheduled for another day. HEALTH & BEAUTY John says that nurses found they were collectively spending up to six hours per day trying to track down rides home for patients. “It’s certainly a resource issue,” he tells me. A similar policy, says John, has been enforced in other departments, like oral and opthamology, for years. Neville MacKay word via his new shop manager that he had received my detailed email, and promised to contact me before deadline. But at presstime I had not heard Neville’s side of the story. In late August, Doreen underwent radiation therapy, a development she describes to me as “unexpected.” In a recent case before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, a property management company in Toronto was ordered to pay $20,000 to an employee, a single mom with breast cancer, who was fired after she revealed her diagnosis. Does Frank Know? atlanticfrank@eastlink.ca SEPTEMBER 28, 2010 ATLANTIC CANADA FRANK 15
Page 1 and 2: HUMAN RIGHTS COMPLAINT TARGETS NEVI
Page 3 and 4: ATLANTIC CANADA FRANK HALIFAX, NOVA
Page 5 and 6: GET READY FOR RUSH HOUR BY RALPH KR
Page 7 and 8: INDIAN NEWS FOR INDIANS BY MICK MAC
Page 9 and 10: WHO YA GONNA CALL!? THE CTV COMMUNI
Page 11 and 12: TAKE COLLEEN JONES ... PLEASE! I KN
Page 13: THE DUDESTER IS A DADSTER I’M OVE
Page 17 and 18: DANCING WITH THE STAR: Dr. Hosein w
Page 19 and 20: WHAT HAPPENED TO SWSDA’S MONEY? B
Page 21 and 22: Michael Patriquen BY MARY JAYNE WHI
Page 23 and 24: KEEP THE TUNES & CHAT, BUT CUT THE
Page 25 and 26: Oddly enough, Antigonish used to ha
Page 27 and 28: LETTERS Miss Fran with her Romper R
Page 29 and 30: 19 27 20 26 21 30 28 23 29 22 25 24
Page 31 and 32: FAX ANYTIME: (902) 423-0281 LETTERS

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