Recently, President Pauline Thomson and I were invited to join the Cumberland County Heritage Network at their fall meeting hosted by the Age of Sail Heritage Museum (http://www.ageofsailmuseum.ca/) in Port Greville.It was a first visit for me to this site and it proved to be another little gem tucked away in rural Nova Scotia.
This was also the first opportunity for me to go out on the road, visit sites and meet with museum workers. CCHN has an active group of participants who had lots of questions and concerns to air. All good "grist for the mill" and surely a large part of the purpose of going out and speaking with the people who resolutely and loyally run the museums of Nova Scotia.
Its encouraging to see partnerships forming more and more in the museums' community. There is certain strength in numbers and we achieve great things when working shoulder to shoulder.
On my return trip to Halifax, I visited Dave Dewar and staff at the Wallace & Area Museum (http://www.wallaceandareamuseum.com/) . They are celebrating 25 years of community heritage work in the area with an exhibition of special finds in the collection. The site is an amalgam of original farmhouse, new facility, beautifully kept gardens and grounds that must serve as a tremendous asset to the community. I remember attending the opening ceremonies for the site some years ago and the strong impression the evident pride and connection the community felt for their new museum made upon me.
After leaving Wallace, I travelled to The Creamery Square (http://www.creamerysquare.ca/reamerysquare.ca/) in Tatamagouche - Nova Scotia's newest museum facility and home for the collections and activities of five heritage groups in the area. It stands as a testimony to creative and responsible reuse of a heritage property as well as the benefits of combining interests towards a common goal. I was treated to a thorough tour of the facility and met several of the community leaders who have worked towards the successful opening on June 20 of this year and continue their dedicated efforts into the future. Congratulations.
Here's Floyd & Dale in the ship building gallery of Creamery Square.
Road side trip
This is just bound to happen as I go along so I think I'll just accept the fact and start right now - degressing from the main theme that is....
Both my travel days on this recent trip were perfect early fall days and definitely the sort of days when you positively relish living in this part of the world. My drive along old route 209 towards Port Greville was grand with the spicey scents of sea salt, woodsmoke and fall foliage filling the car while I passed roadside banners beautifully illustrated with local plants and themes. The seafood chowder lunch at Age of Sail Heritage Museum cafe was tasty and conversation was peppered with that favourite of Maritimers - tales of rum running. Wonderful stuff.
