Lise's Ramblings

Today, it operates as a national museum of immigration, but in its heyday, Halifax’s Pier 21 was Canada’s ocean gateway, welcoming more than a million new immigrants and refugees to our shores. (For my American readers, Pier 21 was our Ellis Island from 1928 to 1971.)    While I’ve walked through the museum’s collections and exhibits, I, like one in five Canadians, also share a personal connection to Pier 21. In October 1941, my grandfather , along with his fellow Royal Canadian Air Force servicemen, other military personnel and plenty of frozen mutton, shipped out of Halifax on the HMT Mataroa to support our allies.  Years later, my British grandmother was one of nearly 50,000 war brides who sailed to Canada for fresh starts with colonial hubbies they met during the Second World War. I believe Mom-mom arrived on Cunard’s RMS Mauretania , before she passed through the doors of Pier 21’s immigration shed. Pier 21 marked a transition point for so many. I can only i...

It's easy to lose track of time in the aisles at Chapters/Indigo stores, spend hours surfing Amazon, or disappear for a day in a library, but I encourage you, whenever possible, to choose to support independent bookstores too. Chances are high that inside you'll discover well-informed staff who are passionate about books. Many independents differentiate themselves from discounters and the competition through specialization and quality, rather than quantity of sales. You can find independents with outstanding collections of children's literature, works by regional or local authors, comics, poetry, spiritual texts, gallery-worthy art books and even rare books.  My favourites: The Bookmark : Maritimers recognize this independent bookstore. After opening in Charlottetown in 1972, the owners expanded to open a Halifax store. Book signings, local content and much more. My source for Moleskin notebooks and bibliomania novelties. Nicholas Hoare : Be...

The Bay of Fundy region presents visitors with breathtaking vistas and memorable experiences. For those of you who are right-brain dominant, who can resist these wonders: fossil cliffs, reversing rapids, the world’s highest tides, incredible trails and lookouts, diverse wildlife, quaint lighthouses, Hopewell Rocks and other geological treasures, tidal bores, covered bridges, the world's oldest Red Spruce tree, waterfalls and much more. If you’re driven by the left side of your brain, then below you’ll find numbers pointing out how lucky we are to have the Bay of Fundy . 100 billion tons of water flow in and out of the Bay of Fundy twice every 24 hours 1 billion years of geological evidence making up the 300 million years ago the Joggins Fossil Cliffs formed 2,500 square kilometers – size of the Fundy Geopark (Stonehammer) – North America ’s only UNESCO recognized geopark   350 migrating bird species feed along the Bay of Fundy’s Nova Scotia shore...