Political Action in Bear River

Main street, Bear River

Dear Friend of Bear River,

There is a current community push to deal with our critical village infrastructure issues around:

• Water and Sewage
• Parking & Road Restrictions
• Sidewalks/Boardwalks and Snow Removal

Two letters have been forwarded to me from Rick McMullen and Rob Buckland-Nicks and they will give you some background as to what is being proposed to deal with these issues. Your voice is critically needed to put some pressure on the powers-that-be to help us access some of the Federal infrastructure monies that the Harper government is currently distributing to communities in need. – Flora Doehler

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Letter from Rob Buckland-Nicks to our community:

Bear River’s difficulties come not from its beauty or rich heritage, nor from its proud and hard working residents or its many volunteer driven community groups and churches; or from the thousands of tourists so happy to have discovered us. Our difficulties come from being overlooked by the two dominant counties on whom we rely for political leadership.

Geography and bureaucracy have dictated that one side of the Bear River is in Digby County and the other side in Annapolis County. The towns of Digby and Annapolis have Municipal structures. Bear River is not incorporated, and having no Town Council must rely on its neighbours for some form of local governance. In short, we are sometimes reduced to searching for crumbs from two well set tables.

There are enough determined individuals to still get things done but when it comes to infrastructure, our pockets are simply not deep enough to deal with our current urgent problems. We are in desparate need of our share of infrastructure money from the federally allocated funds for “Shovel Ready Projects” in West Nova.

Greg Kerr, our Conservative government member in Ottawa, had agreed to meet with the people of Bear River provided that an Agenda be sent to his Constituent Offices and that the two Municipal representatives from Digby and Annapolis be invited to attend. When this was received he and his staff would confirm a date. We have heard nothing and yet the required materials were sent to him several weeks ago.

It is vitally important that our concerns and wishes be heard at this time, as it is unlikely that there will be this much infrastructure funding available for some time. I would ask everybody to write or Email to the Honourable Greg Kerr and politely ask him to come here and meet with us.

The Honourable Greg Kerr, M.P.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs 

House of Commons,
Ottawa (613) 995-5711
(613) 995-9857
kerr.G@parl.gc.ca
 
233 Water Street
Yarmouth, 902) 742-6808 
(902) 742-6815 (Fax)

Head of the Tide in Bear River.

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Suggested Agenda to Greg Kerr by Rick McMullen & friends

Mr. Greg Kerr MP
233 Water Street
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
B5A 1M1

Kerr.G@parl.gc.ca

Dear Mr. Kerr,

It has been confirmed with your constituency office that you are willing to come and meet with concerned citizens of Bear River as well as representatives of both Annapolis and Digby counties to address issues and concerns that we would like brought to your attention and we thank you for your time. A meeting of residents, businesses, and community groups and organizations was held on Wednesday, January 28 in Bear River to discuss an agenda in preparation for our meeting with you. In light of the infrastructure funding being made available through the upcoming federal budget as released on Tuesday, January 26, 2009, the following is what we would like to discuss with you at your earliest opportunity.

Water and Sewage: Although there is partial service in the town on both points, there are grave concerns that downtown has no consistent fresh water which has led to the temporary closure of the only currently operating restaurant in Bear River. Another entrepreneur and commercial property owner attending the meeting stated that they have plans to open their own restaurant within the next few months; for such a venture, the current lack of water is very disconcerting.

A minimum of twelve residences were also identified as having both the environmentally and socially unacceptable situations of directing their wastewater either towards, or directly into, local waterways. This is despite having collecting sewer lines within meters of the homes. In recent years, one stretch of houses had the material delivered awaiting the heavy equipment, only to have it later removed and the project annulled. With the current global concerns regarding the environment, this is an unacceptable situation in when a solution is within grasp with minimum effort.

Sidewalks/Boardwalks and Snow Removal: Although the Dept. of Highways from both Annapolis Royal and Digby service the roads in Bear River regarding snow removal and salt/sand distribution, the roadsides that should function as walkways are left to receive the snow plowed from the roads. It should be noted that Bear River does having an aging subsection of its population that, as a result, are left to walk on the plowed roads. All the residents at the meeting identified this as a safety concern and a strong motivator to have sidewalks installed, and to initiate a plan to provide employment to a resident in the form of sidewalk maintenance and snow removal.

Community volunteers clearing snow and ice for Winter Carnival.

Hand in hand with this, is the current disrepair of the boardwalk on the Annapolis side of Bear River. This necessary restoration would not only provide a boost to local employment, but also bring this community asset back to a safe and aesthetically pleasing state. It was also discussed that extending this facility provides an additional tourism draw. Tourism is a very strong component of the Bear River economy.

Parking & Road Restrictions: In conjunction with the sidewalk situation identified above; road markings for parking, and placing weight restrictions on particular roads and streets can be an initiative towards making the community more friendly to both residents and tourists alike.

Note that in the email containing this letter is an attached file from ACOA.This file is an assessment of Bear River that was done in 2007 commissioned by the now defunct BRIDGS organization. I trust the file may provide some further background to the issues addressed above.

I, those attending this initial meeting, and the residents and business owners, look forward to discussing these issues with you in Bear River to develop a plan to access the funding opportunity being initiated by the government you represent at a time of your earliest convenience. Once we have a date and time settled, we will make announcements to the community and the counties of Annapolis and Digby so any resident, business interest and local representatives may attend at a location in Bear River.

Thank you for your time and efforts in addressing these concerns.

Sincerely,

Rick McMullen

Fun in the Village

Did you ever go for a drive through the countryside and think:

Wow, this sure is beautiful, but soooo isolated. I wonder what people do out here for fun?

It’s something that I used to wonder about when I lived in the city, so I thought you might be interested to know what Larry and I do for fun, when we’re not ripping down plaster or gardening.

I’ve mentioned before in this blog about the wonderful music nights here in the village. Last night a local group called Windsong played.

Greg Peck and Rose Meuse

It is so cool to go to events that showcase local musicians. My enjoyment is enhanced when the performer has a personal connection to the community and is able to make that part of the performance. The First Nations Mi’kmaq community in Bear River  lived in this region a few thousand years before France and England colonized this continent. The musical group Windsong weaves Mi’kmaq history and stories into their songs.

The coffee house seats up to 50 people and like every other social activity and event in this community, it’s all run by volunteers.

Nathan Waterman and Krista Peck

Because we know so many of the people who show up, it can feel like we are sitting in the living room of a friend. It’s a great chance to catch up, to say hi, to drink Fair Trade coffee and to eat home-baked goodies…..all for a donation. The entrance fee is less than $10, so it is an affordable evening that nurtures the local community in every way. Not only does my financial contribution pay the musicians who perform, a part also goes towards rent at the Oakdene Centre, the community-run centre where we maintain our art studio.

Take shoes from Frenchy's and add sparkles. Viola!

Last weekend we went to a costume halloween party. Many of the party goers walked there…another advantage of a small town.

Some flew in by broomstick

The week before there was a dance with fiddle music and an auction to raise money to pay for heat at the Oakdene Centre.

Bidding up for a good cause

Lots of people bid on items and I came home with a collection of antique bottles that will feel right at home in our new house. I also am the proud owner of a lovely hand-made doll by local craftswoman Carol Little. The doll depicts Gabriel Dumont, a Metis leader who led the 1885 Battle of Batoche, a defense of local government by Saskatewan Metis against the encroaching British colonialists. Gabriel will come to our new house to remind us of the passion behind a community’s need for self-determination.

A few days before the auction/fundraiser, Bear River film maker Tim Wilson screened his latest NFB film, Griefwalker. Tim had just returned from the Montreal film festival where the film was premiered. Here in Bear River, it was shown at the Bare Canvas, our local art gallery cooperative.

Simone and Tim Wilson prepare for the screening

The room was packed with 100 people and the discussion that followed this film spilled out into the community and entered many talks I had with friends all through the following week.

This Tuesday, an informal group of Bear Riverites will carpool to Annapolis Royal to see the movie Up the Yangtze. This film is part of the King’s Theatre fall program.

In between there are potlucks with fabulous food.

Yum, yum!

There are also a host of other social events that happen here that I haven’t been to like church suppers, and Royal Canadian Legion dances.

What all of these have in common is that people take the initiative to create opportunities to get together, to entertain and feed each other, and to exchange ideas. Mostly if there is an entry fee, it is just enough to cover expenses. It is probably like this everywhere in small town Canada, but even after a year living here, it is still very novel for me. 

The many events would not be possible without the level of volunteerism that exists in small towns. People give of themselves every day and apparently it’s always been a norm here.  

Building on Stilts getting some TLC

I honestly cannot see at present any evidence of federal or provincial community funding here which is such a shame. Many of the public buildings in town are in bad need of repair or upgrading. There is still no municipal water source in town and we don’t even have our own local government representation. Bear River doesn’t exist as a legal village. Instead, the river that flows through town divides us into 2 counties so there are even separate garbage days and different norms for how to separate the recyling. This artificial construct of 2 counties makes it even harder for Bear RIver to present a united voice that impacts with political entities.

To their credit, both Digby and Annapolis Counties have at times combined efforts for Bear River. As well, there are residents here who fear that village status would create a new level of local government that would raise taxes.

Still, I’ve heard people joke MANY TIMES about the idea of declaring Bear River an independant republic. After all, many feel we are in a forgotten valley, not even in cellphone range. Kind of like a rough-around-the-edges Shangrila.

Behind the Oakdene Centre

I am so glad to be able to attend cultural events here but I don’t think it’s fair that there is no government funding that trickles down to these events or to the fabulous buildings that house them. In the past 10 years Nova Scotia has given up most of its youth to toil in the Albertan oil fields. I have an idea. Maybe the Albertan government could spot us some money to paint the back of the Oakdene Community Centre. I wonder what Gabriel Dumont would have to say about that.

If you feel like sending a donation to the Oakdene, please send your cheque/check to

The Oakdene Centre Fundraising Committee
c/o Robbie Bays
Bear River, Nova Scotia
B0S 1Bo

Cherry Carnival – Volunteer Extravaganza

note: The 2009 Cherry Carnival will take place on Saturday July 25th and Sunday July 26th.

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The big event of the year in Bear River is the July Cherry Carnival. It serves as a fundraiser for the Volunteer Fire Department, but it’s much more than that.

It’s an opportunity for people to participate together. There are karaoke competitions, woodsman competitions, canoe races, pie-eating contests, and a 4 course dinner at the firehall. There was so much going on and such crowds of people like I have NEVER seen before in Bear RIver, that I had to walk up to the studio and take a break in between events…….it was as if 100’s of people woke up and said to themselves; “why let’s take a drive out to Bear River today and, while we’re at it, let’s take the kids and our best friends too.”

 

In fact, there were so many activities taking place, that I can’t even list or show them all. Instead, I’ll show you some of my favorites.

The day starts off with a parade led by the Volunteer Fire Department.  Yes, I said Volunteer. I think it’s pretty amazing that people are willing to risk their health and lives to help fellow community members and to do it for free! Of course this is the reality of rural Canada where community funds are spread far too thin. It is still shocking for me that our ‘first-world-country”—no, make that “world-class” does not have universal fire services or universal potable water in every community.

 So, the Fire Service here sponsors this annual event to raise funds, awareness and to hopefully sign up some more volunteers. There must be a certain number of volunteers in order to receive funding for basic equipment and training from the Province. Should this number drop below a certain amount, the station must close. So really, you could say this is a high-stakes event!

 

This first video clip begins with the Fire Fighters’ megaphone message. Note that when the van drives past, the speaker is driving AND reading his script. Talk about multi-tasking!

Next comes the Legion, veterans, and cadets. The Maritime provinces have a long tradition of offering up their youth to Canadian armed and peacekeeping forces. This seems to me to fly in the face of the laid-backness of Nova Scotia, but economics and a very long coastline have been, I’m guessing, decisive factors in this. At any rate, there is a lot of respect and pride shown here for the men and women who offer themselves up. 

my police escort and me

What I found very charming about the parade was the home-made floats by some of the local family businesses. Note in this clip the float with the crashed plane in the trees. Peck-Aero, in true “can-do” Bear River fashion, buys broken float planes, fixes them and resells them. The signs on the back of the float say: “Maybe we should have asked Gramp before we took the plane” and “Never let the kids fly!”

This year, for the first time, there was a show of recent and antique canoes. I’d love to see these on display at a major Canadian museum. They were beautiful examples of fine craft. The theme was “The Story Behind the Canoe” and I think you would have been touched by the writings and the woodworking. 

8 Foot Pack Canoe
(on loan from Duff Wilson)
These canoes were built for or by fur trappers and were used to cross meadows and streams to check trap lines.
This canoe is believed to be built by Lewis Jeremy, a well known Mi”Kmaq from Lequille.
Notice the hand made ribs. 

I simply love the colour! It may not be the original, but it evokes some of the colourful buildings you see in Atlantic Canada.

This canoe, made by R. Muise is made from woven split ash. What an unusual, fine-looking piece of art! It was, I think, my favorite one.

I was most touched by this home-made sign on a hand-made canoe:

Richard McKinnon Milton, Queens County
This style canoe is of the Dene People that traveled the Great Slave Lake area called a Dog Rib Canoe. When this canoe was built in 2002 I got my brother and his 2 children and my 2 children to help build it. This is 1 of 3 birch bark canoes I built. I would like to thank my father Donald McKinnon to show me how to get the bark.
Murray Moores lent me a really good book on birch bark canoe building.
John Francis Sr. showed me things of the old days that inspired me to build a birch bark canoe. These 3 men and Vernon Fraser with their stories of the old ways of living made it easy. Thank you!

 

You can look at the rest of my canoe photos on Flickr.

Over in the Fire Hall parking lot, there was a ‘Woodsman Competition”. This is a throwback to the days when lumber and shipbuilding were king in Bear River. I did see a woman in the axe-throwing contest and I wished that I had the ability and courage to try it out! Maybe next year.

Well, if canoes and parades aren’t your thing, you could have been tattoed by Lynn…

or discussed NDP politics with George…

or chatted with neighbours…

Marge and Charles Couper, Larry and Lucky.

The carnival has a long tradition and has even outlasted the long-ago Cherry Tree blight that wiped out most of the trees in Bear River. That’s why the fire department has to sell Ontario cherries!

There was a lot more that happened – a cherry-spitting contest, a greased pole walk, and spectacular fireworks. You’ll have to imagine those. 

All in all it was a hectic, wild day and so strange to see so many people descend on this little town. I hope the fire department did well. They sure put on a great show!

Gallery Opening and the Secret Ingredient

We woke up to rain on Saturday, which was a relief for the garden. We were saved from an afternoon of painting the kitchen because we remembered that today was the GRAND OPENING of the Bare Canvas Gallery and Studio in Bear River and so we dressed in our favorite Frenchy’s finds and drove the 4k to the event.

While we were there, I talked to another recent-arrival and she commented about what a magical place Bear River is. She was trying to put her finger on exactly what it is that is the ’secret ingredient’, but couldn’t quite decide what it is that feels so right.

One ingredient has got to be the level of volunteerism here. Like almost everything in this town (Firehall, Oakdene Centre, Music Society, Historical Society and more) The Bare Canvas co-op is run by volunteers and is funded through fees from participating artists. The enthusiasm of the members is positively inspiring and the vibe in the place was wonderful. Most of the credit for the organizing is due to the persistence and drive of Simone Sleeth-Wilson.

Simone is married to filmmaker Tim Wilson, who has a wonderful collection of excerpts of his documentaries online. They are jewels and many of them have Bear River content. Together Simone and Tim have 3 young children so it is even more amazing that she’s been able to do so much for the Bear River arts community.

The opening coincided with their youngest son’s 4th birthday, so in true eclectic Bear River style, a happy birthday song was sung for Sammy.

If you couldn’t make the opening/birthday, here’s a little video of Simone’s tour through the building. You will hear her say that ALL Bear River artists, even those who are not yet members of the co-op, are welcome to come in for coffee and to browse the art books. How very Bear River.

Afterwards, we crossed the street to a new craft store, recently opened called “The Hobbits Hollow”. The back wall of the store is a huge, natural rock outcropping. This inspired the owners to go for a ‘hobbit’ look and feel to the store.

We wandered farther along the main street and wound up watching fish jumping in the river eating bugs. We also watched a cormorant who was fishing in the river. We ran into several friends in our wanderings and stood talking with them at the river and watching the tide come in.

In this small town of 800, it is still such a wonderful novelty for us that anytime we are ‘downtown’….a mere block long collection of shops, gas station and post office, that we ALWAYS run into people we know, and most importantly, people we want to talk to. I once worried that I would feel isolated here, but in many ways, I feel less isolated here than in the big city. This is logical…the odds of running into someone you know here are way higher than in a large populated place. That ‘knowing people’ thing also helps to build community identity.

I don’t really understand the ‘why’ yet, but in some way the small size of this place seems to increase the volunteerism that exists here. Perhaps people feel more of a buy-in when they can see the direct and immediate effect of their work and when they can identify most of the members of their community. Certainly the absence of a larger bureaucracy here is freeing. Hmmm. Bear River as anarchist state? Maybe that’s the secret ingredient?