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Events in Truro and Colchester County, NS

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Volunteers Needed!

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Our community needs your help! If you have any spare time this summer why not give a helping hand to some of our community in need. PLUS Volunteering looks fantastic on your resume! 

Below is a list of organizations in need:

Lotus center:

A form on the website to apply. Don’t have set hours for volunteers, but rather whatever time you can volunteer. Office open Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30, occasionally some special events in the evenings and weekends.
Sandi Dunbar- Administrative Assistant 902-895-4295 ext 1

SPCA:

Not currently looking due to COVID. But will need volunteers when they can bring new people into the building again. Typically 4-hour shift and no night shifts.

United Way:

Will be looking for workplaces or groups interested in helping with the Back to School Campaign. Help with school supply and backpack drives. Additionally this year they want to include masks for kids heading to the classroom. Last year they supported 300 students. Anyone interested can email ed@colchester.unitedway.ca

Truro Homeless Outreach Society:

Different positions are available. Each position has it’s the onset of requirements and duties. All volunteers must follow COVID policies.

Shelter Attendent: shifts are daytime, 6:30pm-12am and 12am- 8am.

Shift Manager: 6pm- 10pm on call until 12am. Must have 3 months experience in the shelter attendant position.

Meal Prep Volunteer: prepare meals for 16-20 people using what is available. Hours vary but generally 5 pm-7 pm. Meals can be prep ahead of time or off-site.

Cleaning and Maintenance Volunteer:

No set hours. Responsible for cleaning and maintenance to keep the house in good condition.

Donation Sorting Volunteer:

Day position. Sorting food, clothing, and personal hygiene donations.

Lead Donation Sorter:

Keep accurate and up to date inventory of all donations. Weekly or biweekly visit to the shelter.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Colchester:

Looking for individuals and couples to be “Bigs”. Have a new project that will be launching soon with all contact being virtual for those at higher risk of COVID. Can apply and get more info on the site. https://colchester.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca/what-we-do/community-matching/

Slate Youth Centre:

Reopening in Sept with new COVID policies. Still a bit unsure of all positions that will need to be filled but will definitely need volunteers for after school and early evenings. Commitment is 8 hours/month as they are trying to limit the number of people coming and going. For more information contact crystal@slateyouth.ca.

The Great Deck Rebuild!

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With help from our friends at Hubcraft Timbermart, we redesigned and built our ultimate outdoor oasis!

Our deck was past its prime: dried out, rotting, and there was a lot of damage from a pool that had been taken down years ago. Not to mention, the wasps and other bugs that were making the hollow rotting boards their home! To say we weren’t enjoying our outdoor space to the fullest was an understatement! After being in this house for 6 years, it was time to have a deck that we wanted to spend time on!

The size of the deck was ok for us but we didn’t think we were maximizing the space we had to its full potential. Do we build the same as what’s there? Do we change the layout? How do we get started? We had so many questions!

Driving along Pictou Road one day, I see ‘It’s Deck Building Season!’ on the marquee outside of Hubcraft Timbermart, and figure it’s time to consult the experts.


We showed Jim and Marissa our pictures and chatted about what we thought we wanted our deck to look like. He was so thorough with his questions to help us determine the kind of deck we wanted – from the height and size, to functionality of the space, we covered all the bases! Jim did up a sketch, presented lots of different material options ( I had NO idea there were so many), and we made a plan! I can’t believe how easy the process was when we came in with no ideas.

Jim did up our material order and we arranged delivery- SO EASY! With that, we were off to the races! Of course, the demo revealed lots of fun surprises – like a vent hole under the patio door, which is why the deck was two different levels, and a wasp nest the size of a football!!! We chose to build the deck ourselves, but Timbermart also has a list of trusted contractors they can recommend to you!

Once our deck was demoed, a community garden project reached out to us to up-cycle some of the old wood for their garden boxes! It was great to see the wood reused to help such a great initiative!


After a lot of sweat, and only a little blood from me (I am so accident prone..), our beautiful deck project was complete!

We had a great debate on which side to have the pergola! After much debate, the left side won, and its the perfect spot for our hammocks!


We couldn’t be happier with our new deck and outdoor space. Hubcraft Timbermart was so easy to work with and helpful, we couldn’t have done this project without their help! For all your reno and building needs, be sure to check this amazing local business out!

Summer Bucket List

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Contest Alert! Summer’s not over yet so we asked what’s on YOUR summer bucket list and this is what came back! We want to see you checking off your own summer bucket list! If you need suggestions, check out this list of must do’s before the leaves start to fall! Read through to find out how to enter!

Chasin’ Waterfalls
Hiking a new Trail
Cheers to Beers and Cocktails
Ice Cream Dreams
Tidal Bore Rafting
Have a meal on an outdoor patio
Plan a day trip -exploring, eating, site seeing!


Chasin’ Waterfalls
I know TLC told us not to, but you’ve got to go chasin’ waterfalls when there are so many practically in our own backyard!

1. Hidden Falls is located at the edge of the Cobequid Mountains in Five Islands near Parrsboro. You’ll hike past 3 smaller falls before coming to Hidden Falls which is around 21 meters high. Hidden Falls is on private property, but the owners allow access to the public. Click here for directions.
2. Economy Falls is found between Upper and Lower Economy, east of Parrsboro. This is one of the most visited falls in Nova Scotia. It is part of a trail system and is protected within the Economy River Wilderness Area. The trail is easy, but the long staircase (186 steps) can be tiring. There are benches (for resting) as you make the climb. Click here for directions.
3. Wentworth Valley Falls is a full bridal-veil falls. It’s beautiful and easy to get to. There’s no deep gorge to scale unlike other falls in this area. This falls is located in the Wentworth Valley, north of Truro. The trail is not part of a trail system, but should be easy to access. If you have children they might like to splash around at the base of this falls. As always, make sure it’s safe before allowing your children to play in the water. Click here for directions.
*Sourced from www.storyteller.travel. Check this page out for more Falls

Hike a New Trail
We literally want you to go take a hike. There are so many trails throughout Colchester to choose from, no matter what level of hiking you enjoy.

1. The Mi’kmawey Debert Interpretive Trail is a woodland trail with several stream crossings. Interpretive panels, with beautiful artwork by Dozay Christmas of Membertou Mi’kmaw Community, tell the story of the First People in Nova Scotia and their life in Debert.
2. Gully Lake – Nuttby Hiking Trail System is a 34-km wilderness hiking trail system, developed and managed by Cobequid Eco-Trails Society, is situated in the Cobequid Mountains near Earltown and Kemptown. It currently consist of three independent loops ranging from 6 km to 10 km, plus linear connector trails. Highlights of the trail system include Gully Lake Wilderness Area, Caribou Lake Brook, Taylor Lake, Earltown Lake and Rogart Mountain. The trails also pass by or near numerous waterfalls and ecologically sensitive marshes.
3. The Stewiacke River Park Trails are the “river trail” and the “upland trail”. Along the “river trail”, stroll under hemlock and pine trees beside the river. Benches along the trail provide places for rest and relaxation. Along this path you will also pass the playground, picnic shelters and washrooms. The “upland trail” follows a mowed path through mixed forest in the upper section of the park, away from the river. Watch for bald eagles, song birds and white-tailed deer in the park. In spring, look for woodland wildflowers, including trout lily and lady’s slipper. 
4. Rogart Mountain Trail at Sugar Moon Farm is 6.2 km. long, starting at Sugar Moon Farm, wanders through white spruce woods, stands of sugar maple and yellow birch, and, at its highest points, gnarly dwarf beech and old growth forest lichens. The trail passes old stone walls, 3 brooks, 4 look-offs, Jane’s waterfalls, 3 foundations, and 17 interpretive points. Though this trail has many steep climbs, the falls can be accessed on flat terrain by doing a shorter trip counter clockwise.
Click here for even more trails throughout Colchester.

Cheers to Beers and Cocktails
Nova Scotia is full of award winning craft breweries and distilleries. We’ve got a few in our own county you won’t want to miss! You might just discover your new favourite summer beverage!

1. Tatamagouche Brewing Co is a family owned and operated microbrewery where they make small handcrafted batches of organic beer. Over their 6 years in business, they have expanded 3 times and brewed over 45 kinds of beers. In 2018 they were voted Craft Brewery of the year by the Atlantic Brewing Association. My favourite is their summer brew of Rushton’s Peach Sour!
2. Uncle Leo’s Brewery produces fine ale in the traditional style of craft breweries. Their beer is made from various malts, hops, yeast and water with no added fillers or preservatives. Uncle Leo’s is one of only a few breweries that make beer from fresh well water. You’ve gotta try their smoked porter!
3. Salty Dog Brewing Co is brewed in the heart of Nova Scotia, with the Bay of Fundy and Cobequid Mountains in our backyard, this handcrafted beer
​embraces the spirit of adventure and living in the moment. I can’t go very long without grabbing a pint of their rhubarb wheat!
4. Coldstream Clear Distillery has expanded! Have you been to their new location at Mastodon Ridge in Stewiacke? They’re in the same building but larger location for shopping and sampling! Try out a flight of their cocktails and take your favourite mixes home! I can’t get enough of the peach iced tea!
5. Raging Crow Distillery features all-natural, small-batch, locally-sourced and handcrafted products. They have many unique products including their Spruce Tip Gin, Dill Pickle Vodka, Cajun Chocolate Liqueur, Haskap Gin, Nova Scotia’s only potato vodka, and Honey Liqueur. You’ll truly find something for everyone here. If you’re a caesar fan, the dill pickle vodka is not to be missed.

Beach Combin‘
Did you know we have the warmest waters of all the beaches in Nova Scotia? Check out these tips for finding sea glass!

1. Melmerby Beach, Little Harbour was named after the barque “Melmerby” which sank off the beach on October 12th, 1890 returning from Quebec City. Its one of the warmest and busiest beaches. It has flush toilets, showers and a life guard on duty during the day.
2. Blue Sea Beach, Malagash is a wide, 1.4 km long beach located in Malagash, on the Northumberland Strait. Great place for bird-watching and snorkelling. It is also a stop on the Out of Bounds Foodie Tour!
3. Rushton’s Beach is located in Marshville, east of Tatamagouche. It features wide sandbars (low tide) and a salt marsh that is home to many varieties of birds. There is a wheelchair accessible boardwalk to the beach and sheltered picnic area.

Ice Cream Dreamin‘
I can’t let a sunny day go by and NOT get some delicious ice cream. Lucky for me (unlucky for my waistline) there are lots of places to grab this tasty treat!

1. Tatamagouche Ice Creamery is new this year to Main Street, Tatamagouche and these handmade artisanal ice creams are worth the drive!
2. Fundy Scoops, formerly Molly’s Dairy Bar, is a social enterprise for the Big Brother’s Big Sisters of Colchester, meaning every dollar spent goes right back to programs for children and youth in the community!
3. Noveltea Bookstore & Cafe now also offers Ice Cream!

Tidal Bore Rafting
This is a time honoured tradition in this part of the province with options for the nervous first timers and the seasoned thrill seekers! This is on MY summer bucket list!

1. Shubie River Wranglers www.gotidalborerafting.com 902-456-2673
2. River Runners https://riverrunnersns.com/ 1 800-856-5061
3. Shubanacadie River Adventure Tours http://www.shubie.com/ 1 (888) 878-8687

Have a Meal on an Outdoor Patio
This year we have more outdoor patio areas than ever! The weather is hot, the drinks are cool and the food is incredible! Check out this blog on outdoor patios in Colchester County! Bonus points if it’s a restaurant you haven’t tried before!

Plan a day trip!
There are so many awesome places you can visit in a day around northern Nova Scotia full of scenic views and delicious local treats!

1. Explore Great Village and Economy with the Artsy Antiquey tour! This is great for families and couples alike! Check out hidden treasures a Great Village Antique Corner while enjoying a coffee and treat from the newly opened Wayside Cafe & Gallery in the historic St James United Church Building. Explore the monuments at the Veteran’s Memorial Park before heading to the Dutchman’s Cheese Farm to enjoy samples of their house made cheese. You’ll love exploring their animal and nature park where you can interact with and feed the animals! After that, you’ll grab your lunch or upper from Diane’s restaurant and head to Five Islands Lighthouse Park to enjoy your meal with beautiful seaside views.
2. Go Mud Sliding in Maitland! This Nova Scotia rite of passage is not to be missed this summer! Grab your kids, bubble families and friends and enjoy some local treats from Coldstream Clear Distillery and Made with Local along the way! You’ll be surprised how smooth (and fast!) the muddy banks can be!
3. Eat and drink your way through Tatamagouche on a Foodie Tour! You’ll want stretchy pants for this day trip! It’s full of local products like handmade chocolates and ice cream, locally brewed craft beer and roasted coffee, sumptuous seafood chowder and MORE! Not to mention a trip to Blue Sea Beach (mentioned above). This is the ultimate day of local indulgence!
4. Bike your way through Truro! Sure, you’ve seen the town but have you ever biked from downtown to the Fundy Tidal Centre to see the tidal bore come in? Enjoy Truro on two wheels and see it as you’ve never experienced it before. You’ll also get shopping discounts from downtown locations!

To Enter our Summer Bucket List Contest: Tag Truro Buzz in your post and use the hashtag #tbsummerbucketlist and we’ll draw a winner of a Truro Buzz Prize pack on Aug 31! (*note: if your account is set to private, we won’t be able to see the tag. You can email your entry pic to info@trurobuzz.com and we’ll share it on Truro Buzz!)




Patio Season is Here!!

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Summer is here, and we can FINALLY go places, eat sit down meals and just enjoy life again! We wanted to take the time to compile a list of restaurants that have outdoor patios. We recognize the importance of physical distancing and being outside is just an amazing every opportunity we can get!

Downtown Truro Area

Hub Grub in Downtown Truro
  • Hub Grub
  • Nook & Cranny Brew Pub
  • The Blunt Bartender
  • Sauced Woodfire Pizza
  • NovelTea Cafe & Book Store
  • Bistro 22
  • Great British Grub
  • Dairy Queen
  • Engine Room Pub
  • Jimolly’s Bakery Cafe
  • Parichat’s Asian Thai Restaurant

Truro Area

BellyUp BBQ & Grill
  • Old Road BBQ
  • Cheese Curds / Habaneros
  • Boston Pizza
  • Frank & Gino’s
  • The Patio Lantern
  • BellyUp BBQ & Grill
  • Greco / Cpt. Submarine
  • Mary & Larry’s Diner & Take Out
  • McDonald’s
  • Deluxe Fish & Chips
  • Bistro on Prince
  • Roadside Willies

Stewiacke Area

Whistler’s Pub and Grub
  • Whistler’s Pub and Grub
  • KFC, Mastodon Ridge, Coldstream Clear all have a common area
  • Fox Hollow Golf Club
  • Dairy Queen

Tatamagouche Area

Chowder House
  • Sugar Moon Farm, Earltown
  • Big Al’s at 30
  • Chowder House
  • Tatamagouche Brewing Company

Masstown – Five Islands

Catch of the Bay Fish & Chip Boat
  • Catch of the Bay Fish & Chip Boat, Masstown
  • That Dutchman’s Cheese Farm, Economy
  • Diane’s Restaurant, Five Islands
  • Briny Bay Cafe, Five Islands

We sure love eating “Al Fresco” as they in Italy, and with all these options to pick from, it makes eating out a great experience. Not only does it increase your mood, its great for the restauranteur by allowing more seating area.

Physical Wellness at home!

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Jess Browne, Physiotherapist offers up some helpful hints for our ‘new’ daily routines!

Many of us have found ourselves working from home or not working at all, and this can seriously impact our bodies. Or maybe its just the lack of our massage therapists, chiropractors and physiotherapists that has us feeling less than our best. Here are some resources to help you out!

6 Tips for setting up your work station – Workplace Safety and Prevention Services

How to stay physically active during self-quarantine

Here are some YouTube Channels you can check out to help get you moving:
Yoga with Adriane
The Fitness Marshall
Jessica Smith TV

If you’re keen on Pinterest boards, try using these keywords:
At home Cardio
Body weight exercises
HIIT Circut
Walking program
Running Program

How to refresh your home!

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Lori from Costandi Designs gives tips on how to refresh your home during the pandemic.

We are spending a ton more time in our homes these days. And I can’t be the only that is looking around with a critical eye and see all the things I’d like to change. But what can we do? We’re in the middle of a pandemic!!!
I’ve laid out a few ideas to help you make some changes in your home without breaking protocol!

  1. Rearrange the furniture – sometimes simply switching around a room can be enough of a change to scratch the itch.
  2. Shop your home – by looking around your home to see what you can borrow from another space, whether it is furniture, a rug, art or accessories, you can create a new look without leaving the house.
  3. Paint your walls – some of the local stores are still taking paint orders, like Chase’s on Prince Street, and they can mix it up, take payment over the phone and do a contactless pick up
  4. Paint your furniture – if you haven’t tried painting a piece of furniture, now is the time, I’ll warn you, it’s addictive! Give Phillips and Chestnut a call and make arrangements to get the right
    paint for your project!
  5. Contact your favourite local shop or artist – lots of small businesses and artists would be thrilled to sell you their wares and then you can create a new look in your home.
  6. Set up a virtual consultation – here at Costandi’s, we are offering virtual consultations if the project you want to tackle is something you need some expert advice on so feel free to give me
    call!

Let’s do our part the #flattenthecurve while still creating a safe sanctuary for our family.

Business Cash Flow Forecasting Tool

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The Truro & Colchester Partnership for Economic Prosperity is here to help small businesses analyze their needs.

It’s important to assess your cash flow during this Covid-19 time of crisis. Jason Steele, Business Development Officer (jason@tcpep.ca), created an excel spreadsheet tool that may help you in doing such an analysis, which needs to be much more specific compared to a normal cash flow forecast.

This tool will help you to drill deeper in assessing the impact of Covid-19 on your revenue losses, continuing and deferrable expenses and provide a gap analysis that could then be used for supporting funding applications. This forecasting tool can also help in determining how you might pivot your business in the short-term to make up for net cash flow losses (depending on your business situation).

This tool is meant to help those who are:

– Needing guidance on how best to assess the cash flow impact on your business from the COVID-19 crisis
– Looking for a tool that auto-calculates and outlines what you may need for funding support
– Looking for alternative revenue opportunities for your business during this crisis and/or how best to prepare for the rebound period post-crisis

If you missed the Live @ the Hive walk through on how this tool works and how to use it, you can view the video here.
To Download the spreadsheets, click here.

Get your gardens ready!

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Spring is here (we think) and we’re encouraged to social distance at home! Sounds like a great time to get the ol’ lawn and gardens cleaned up! Check out these helpful hints from our friends at Lands Best Friend Landscaping!

Spring Clean Up: Any of the following tasks can be completed provided there is no snow and the ground isn’t too frozen.

  • Clean up flower & shrub beds, Spring prep
    • Cut back last year’s perennials
    • Remove last year’s annuals
    • Clean up & remove leaves and branches
    • Add soil amendments, manures, organic matter, etc. 
    • Cultivate and prep for summer planting if required
    • Mulch beds
  • Shrubs Pruning
    • Remove dead, damaged and diseased branches
    • Remove crossing & rubbing branches
  • Assess tree health
    • Now is a great time to look over your trees. With the leaves being off, you can see damage that has occurred, or maintenance that should be attended 
  • Lawn clean up
    • Rake lawn to remove leaves, sticks and excess thatch
    • Prepare any areas that require over seeding
    • If weather permits, aerate and dethatch
    • It’s a bit cold yet, but get ready for spring liming and fertilizing
  • Spring, Summer or Fall DIY projects
    • With the extra time on your hands, start planning now!
    • If planning a vegetable garden, now is a great time to start seeds in seed trays indoors.

Landscape Projects

If you plan on hiring a landscape professional for your projects, now is a great time to consult with them. Get estimates completed early to beat the spring rush. 

Here are a few tips for hiring landscape contractors:

  • Ask questions – ensure you’re getting what you want
  • Make sure you have a contract that states what you’re paying for
  • Check their credentials, references, websites, social media accounts, client reviews, BBB rating, memberships to professional associations, etc.
  • In addition to company credentials, ensure skilled workers will be completing your project
  • Make sure they carry liability insurance

Easy crafts at home!

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Jane Atkinson of the Colchester East Hants Public Library whipped up these great suggestions for keeping the kids (and adults) busy and creative at home!

At this time we all need help keeping our little ones occupied while isolated from friends and schoolmates. Here are some fun simple crafts and activities that can be made with things you probably
have at home.

  1. Using Up Those Empty Toilet Paper Rolls

Bunny Stencils

  1. Take 3 TP rolls and flatten 2 of them a bit to make an oval shape.
  2. Tape the 3 rolls together with the round one on the bottom with the two oval ones attached like large ears.
  3. Dip the end of this in the paint colour of your choice and press onto a sheet of paper. You’ll see the shape of a bunny’s head.
  4. Use different colours to make a lot of colourful bunnies!
  5. Using a marker or pencil, draw in the eyes nose, mouth and whiskers.
  6. You can colour or paint in grass around the bunny heads to make it look like they are in a field

Napkin Holder

  1. Take a TP roll and cut in half 
  2. Paint it with pretty colours or decorate it all over with markers.
  3. You can add glitter if you have it, or stickers/stick-on gems.
  4. Glue on frilly ribbon or lace – whatever makes them pretty!
  5. Slide a napkin through it and use at the supper table to glam it up!
  1. Cloud Dough (a sensory activity)
    1. Take 4 cups of flour in a large bowl and add ½ cup veg oil. 
    2. Mix until combined and holding together ( you may need to add extra oil depending on the dryness of the flour).
    3. Mold it to make your own creations. 
    4. Can store for one month in a plastic ziplock bag.

            (Another recipe calls for 2 cups cornstarch and about ¼ cup hair conditioner, which smells great!)

  1. Mandela Rocks
    1. In your backyard – or on a social distancing walk – find a smooth stone.
    2. Wash the rock and let it air dry. 
    3. You can paint a base coat with the colour of your choosing, or you can just add the Mandela dots to the natural surface
    4. Paint dots all over the stone using a variety of colours in a certain type of pattern or just do free painting.  It’s your unique creation!
  1. Monster/Animal Heads
    1. Using a cereal box or another type of cardboard box you might have on hand, cut out eyeholes that line up with your eyes when the box is put over your head (you may need an adult’s help with this).
    2. Use paint or markers to make a scary face or an animal face.
    3. Tape on shredded paper to the top of the box for hair or tape on antennae made from extra cardboard pieces.
    4. Have fun creating your own animal or scary monster head!
  1. Bow Tie Pasta Butterflies
    1. Use markers to colour bow tie pasta. Add designs on the pasta to look like colourful insects.
    2. Glue the pasta onto paper.
    3. Use a dark marker add antennae. 
    4. You can draw a scene around the butterflies and have them flying around flowers, etc.
  1. Window Painting
    1. Paint on your windows with washable paint to make a cheerful scene or message for your neighbours.