Truro Buzz

Events in Truro and Colchester County, NS

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Tell Me What’s A-Happenin’

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Get Real About How You Feel

In Colchester and East Hants, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and Hospice Society have always had to find ways to navigate around topics that nobody seems to want to talk about. Grief, mental illness, death, loss, anxiety… Since the first week of May is both Mental Health Week and Hospice Palliative Care Week, these two organizations have joined forces to get some of these topics out in the open.

Stigma, a fear of judgment, and a desire to not make others uncomfortable often prevent us from opening up about difficult topics, including our feelings. The past year – where everyone collectively feels varying degrees of fear, uncertainty and despair – has helped level the playing field a bit when it comes to having tough conversations about how we feel, but we still have a long way to go.

“This past year has been tough in ways we could never have imagined,” says Susan Henderson, Executive Director of the Colchester East Hants branch of the CMHA. “The impacts of COVID and the heaviness of the grief our community has experienced made the partnership between us and the Colchester Hospice Society a natural fit. This year’s Mental Health Week theme is ‘get real about how you feel’, which takes a lot of courage. Many of us automatically say we are fine when we are not. When we open up and share our feelings with others, the burden we carry can seem a lot lighter.”

For Stacey Harrison, Executive Director of the Colchester East Hants Hospice Society, the opportunity to collaborate offers many benefits. “Every day, our team does whatever we can to create a safe and accessible space for our clients and communities to come together to understand and navigate their grief. This is another chance to get people talking about the impacts of grief, when it isn’t generally a topic people want to talk about. Collectively, we are also able to extend our reach and provide support resources to our community. Having our teams come together also allows us to continue to build our own support networks.”

Though CMHA and Hospice had planned to host an event encouraging people to get outside and take their lunch break with them this week, the recent provincial shutdown prevented that from happening. The event would have involved gathering safely, checking out the resources offered by both organizations, grabbing a to-go lunch, and taking a stroll to stay active. Despite this necessary shift, they are still encouraging people to get out and stay active this week. 

As we all work our way through the next couple of weeks and months, it is important to go easy on ourselves. According to a recent article by Alexandra Efthymiades, our fight, flight, or freeze response (FFF, or acute stress response) has been activated in relation to the pandemic, which affects our ability to think clearly. One of her recommendations to achieve calm in conflict is to move your body. “Any movement helps to decrease stress hormones, and different forms of physical activity work for different people,” says Efthymiades. “For some, it may be running, dancing or yoga. For others, a walk in nature or around the block.”

Even if it’s simply taking a quick walk through your neighbourhood with your family in the morning or on your lunch break, every step helps on your path to improving your mental wellness. And it may just make it a little bit easier to have some of those tough conversations too.

Join us as we chat with Susan Henderson from CMHA: Colchester East Hants and Stacey Harrison from Colchester East Hants Hospice Society Live at the Hive on Wednesday, May 5 at 7:00 p.m.

Tell Me What’s A-Happenin’

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Woman of the Year

You may have seen that Truro Buzz’s very own Alicia Simms was nominated in this year’s Man and Woman of the Year campaign. And you might be wondering: What the heck is that?

According to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada, the Man & Woman of the Year campaign is “an intense 10-week philanthropic competition amongst top leaders in local communities across Canada.” After the ten weeks are up on June 3, the man and woman who raise the most funds across all cities will be titled the Man and Woman of the Year and will be celebrated across the country for their contribution towards the blood cancer community.

“I was completely humbled to be chosen in such great company and out of all of the possible candidates,” says Simms. “As the only person outside of the HRM who was nominated in Atlantic Canada, I really wanted to use this opportunity to showcase how many great businesses we have here on the north shore of Nova Scotia.”

The owner of three businesses in Colchester county herself – Truro Buzz, Secret Nova Scotia and Rolling Sea Tattooery – Alicia demonstrates leadership in an authentic, compassionate, and infectious way. We can only assume that Alicia was chosen for this campaign based on these leadership skills, as well as her incredible passion for her community, and her ability to connect people and motivate others toward a common goal. 

As we have seen so many times before, our community can come together like no other when it comes to accomplishing great things for a great cause.

Alicia Simms

Cancer is something that affects so many of us in different ways, so I was excited about the chance to partner with some of my connections and friends in the business community to give back.”

As expected, the local businesses really stepped up to help support Alicia with her campaign. The community support is incredible and there is truly something for everyone. From beer to chocolate to custom events, there are lots of ways to get out and support this important cause.

For more information on Alicia’s campaign, community partners, or to make an online donation, please visit http://secure.llscanada.org/goto/aliciae or follow Truro Buzz on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Tell Me What’s A-Happenin’

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Celebrating Rotary Week

It’s Rotary Week and, despite having a challenging year like no other, the Truro Rotarians have a lot to look back on and celebrate this week.

“With COVID-19 disrupting the way we have traditionally done things, our club was forced to rethink our initiatives in many ways,” says Jane Gourley-Davis, Rotary Club of Truro President. “Our club immediately went to Zoom weekly meetings, allowing us to stay connected and engaged; our Bollywood event became the community’s first take-out fundraiser, raising $10,000 for us to give back to our community; and (though) all travel-related initiatives had to be postponed, our Rotary Yearbook, was able to continue, largely unchanged.”

The Rotary Club of Truro turns 95 this year and continues to work hard to solve real problems in our community through effort, commitment, and vision. Their main focus locally is to support youth and individuals with disabilities. For example, they have provided a significant donation for the construction of the Colchester Community Workshops Rotary House, as well as providing on-going hands-on support towards operating the facility. Local club members also serve as directors on the Workshop and Foundation boards.

Club members are also involved in operating the Christmas Index program in Truro, which supported 620 families and 825 children this past year. In addition, the Club provides thousands of dollars annually of financial assistance for specialized medical treatment, adaptive equipment or other costs (not covered by MSI or private insurance) to local residents who are in need.

The members of the Rotary Club of Truro are always looking for new ways to connect with the community and make an impact. Each year, the Club provides thousands of dollars in bursaries to students and to organizations and groups to provide services, spaces and resources, primarily for youth. In addition to sponsoring youth to attend Camp Tidnish, assisting with facility upkeep and supporting the CMHA building campaign, this year saw the development of the Portapique Build Up Project and Debert Elementary School Playground Project in response to the tragedy that took place in our communities this time last year.

Many hands at work on the Portapique Community Build Up Project, including involvement from Portapique residents.

The major fundraisers for the Rotary Club of Truro are the annual Rotary Yearbook, which raises thousands of dollars that goes directly back into the community, and Bollywood Night, which has raised close to $85,000 for the community over the past seven years. This year a cheque for $3,500 was presented to the Colchester East Hants Hospice Society to be used for new child and youth grief programming.

The reach of the Rotary Club is both near and far. It is worldwide and it is close to home. Rotary members are community and business leaders representing different professions, experiences, and perspectives but with a shared desire to connect with others to address the challenges affecting our community and communities around the world. We are so lucky to have passionate members in our community working hard every day to improve conditions for those in need.

“What I’ll recall of my time as President during this year, in which we were distinctly close to home, is Rotary’s commitment to our local community,” says Gourley-Davis, “and (initiatives like) our annual Yearbook’s ability to very clearly show just how dedicated our community continues to be.”

To find out more information about the projects of the Rotary Club of Truro or, if you would like to look into becoming a member, please visit www.rotarycluboftruro.ca or follow them on Facebook.

Tell Me What’s A-Happenin’

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Sexual Assault Awareness in the Spotlight

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the Colchester Sexual Assault Centre (CSAC) is taking the opportunity to emphasize the importance of talking about sexual assault, particularly after this past year of uncertainty brought on by the pandemic. 

  • Jamie Matthews – Executive Director, CSAC

“Sexual Assault Awareness Month is a great opportunity for organizations like ours to shed light on a topic that often gets overlooked,” says Jamie Matthews, CSAC Executive Director. “Sexual violence affects everyone, but since there are so many myths (see below) and negative perceptions that deter people from getting the support they need, not everyone realizes how widespread it actually is. Sexual Assault Awareness Month, particularly the 2021 campaign, is even more important because cases have been steadily increasing since the pandemic first began.

“Call volumes into our Community Resource Centre have quadrupled over the past year due to the isolation and instability the pandemic has caused.”

As CSAC celebrates its 25th anniversary, the staff and board felt that now was the perfect time to introduce their new program, Aftercare: Journey Program. Dedicated to supporting those impacted by sexual violence in a gender-equitable, compassionate environment since 1996, CSAC will continue to provide up to twelve individual counselling sessions free of charge for those impacted by sexual violence. After completing this initial offering of twelve sessions, clients will now have the opportunity to “graduate” into the Aftercare: Journey Program to further support their healing journey. 

There are five distinct themes that make up the aftercare program: understanding self-esteem, identifying values, boundaries and healthy relationships, effective communication techniques and self-forgiveness. Once the aftercare program is completed, either in person or virtually, clients will be given a tool kit filled with applicable resources and can be referred to other local organizations from the CSAC’s list of referral partners in the community who offer complimentary services. 

“We are incredibly proud to unveil this new program to our clients across Colchester, East Hants and Cumberland counties,” says Matthews. “We are confident that our highly trained and specialized team of counselling therapists can deliver the highest quality of care to our clients along their healing journey. That’s what Awareness Month means to us. We’re not just bringing awareness to the issue, but we’re bringing awareness to the resources that are available, and (letting people know) that the Colchester Sexual Assault Centre is here to help.”

Because sexual violence impacts everyone, CSAC remains open and available to everyone. The highly trained, diverse and specialized team of five masters level counselling therapists have experience directly supporting women, men, youth, 2SLGBTQI+ and all gender identities, as well as minority and marginalized groups in need of support. Through counselling, education, prevention, awareness, and advocacy, CSAC is working to help strengthen and empower those impacted by sexual violence, while working toward its prevention.

For more information on programs and services offered by the Colchester Sexual Assault Centre, or to safely and securely book an appointment, please visit www.colchestersac.ca, phone 902.897.4366 or email info@colchestersac.ca. You can also follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. All requests and conversations are treated with the highest standards of confidentiality and will never be share with anyone without your consent.

Stop Asian Violence

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Hi everyone! My name is Reyna Bilby and I’m a 4th year sociology major at Dalhousie University. Last  time you saw me, I joined Truro Buzz in a conversation about Black Lives Matter and being an ally to the  community. This time I’m back because for the first time in a long time my community is under attack. My  parents raised a proud Filipino Canadian woman and I’ve always shared my identity with pride. But with the  recent increase in violence against Asians, I’m scared, and I know other Asians are as well.  

Due to the association of covid-19 with China, many people have been taking their anger out on  members of the Asian community. Recent statistics from the US have shown that there have been 500 attacks against Asians in the past 2 months. These attacks range from verbal abuse on the streets, to a Filipino man being  slashed in the face while traveling home, the murder of 8 Asian women in American this past week. 

This isn’t the first time Asians in Canada and the United States have experienced a radical increase in  hate crimes. These increases were seen during World War II, the Korean War, and during the war in Vietnam.  But I like to think, as a society, we are better now then we were then. It’s easy to get sucked in by the media and have our opinions swayed when we’re presented with very compelling false information. However, picking a  fight with the Asian community will not solve the pandemic nor is it productive in any other way.  

Attacking Asians is not the solution to any of your problems. 

Attacking Asians will not stop the spread of covid-19.  

 Attacking Asians will not cure the disease. 

We are not your scapegoat. 

We need to prevent a normalization of racism against Asians. In Truro we have some amazing Asian owned and operated businesses and now is the time to show your support. In addition to showing love to  members of our community, be sure to take some time to investigate the information you may come across on  the internet. This will prevent the spread of misinformation that has been contributing to the hate crimes. Finally,  I just wanted to take time to remind everyone that placing the blame for the corona virus on a single race of  people will not bring any good into the world. During such uncertain times the world does not need more hate.  We need to lift each other up because we’re all in this together.

Blog by : Reyna Bilby – 4th year Sociology major and proud member of the Asian-Canadian community.

How To Stay Fit and Healthy During Covid -19

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Blog by : Stephanie Hayward of mylifeboost.com

For more great articles that showcase how we live, work, and play in Colchester County, visit Truro Buzz!

Photo via Rawpixel

How to Continue to Stay Healthy and Active During COVID-19

If you’re an active individual, you may be having a difficult time adjusting to the changes brought on by COVID-19. Restrictions are in place at our gyms, yoga classes, and community rec centers. Despite these changes, it’s incredibly important to eat well and stay active during a time like this. Taking care of your body will help you stave off illness and boost your mental health, so you can make it through this difficult time. Check out the following resources home workout ideas and other wellness tips!

Find a Full-Body Workout Plan

Crafting your own full-body workout program will help you make the most of your at-home workout sessions. Just make sure you have the right equipment!

Full Body vs. Split Training: What the Science Says

How to Build Your Home Gym on a Shoestring

Five Tips for Working Out at Home

Design a Home Yoga Studio

Practicing yoga is a great way to improve flexibility and range of motion to prevent injury during your workouts. Yoga also has several mental health benefits! 

How Doing Yoga and Stretching Benefit Your Overall Wellbeing and Mental Health

Create Your Own Home Yoga Studio & Practice

13 Best Yoga Stretches to Do Every Day to Ease Stiffness and Pain

Bring More Mindfulness Onto the Mat

Maintain a Healthy Diet

Eating a variety of healthy foods will support your immune system and help you stay energized during those long days stuck inside.

Work With a Wellness Professional for a Customized Nutrition Plan

What to Eat Before and After Your Workout

Best Online Grocery Delivery Services

30 Best Foods That Give You All-Day Energy

8 Easy Tips to Make Your Weekly Meal Prep a Breeze

Get Enough Sleep

Good quality sleep is important for muscle repair and growth following a strenuous workout.

This Is What Getting 8 Hours Sleep Does for Muscle Growth

Stress About COVID-19 Keeping You Awake? 6 Tips for Better Sleep

How to Make a Bedroom Environment Sleep-Friendly

The coronavirus outbreak has caused some serious disruptions to our lives. While you may not be able to attend your favorite fitness classes or hit the gym, you can still stay active and healthy in the comfort of your own home. Design a home workout plan, set up a yoga studio in your guest room, get in the habit of prepping healthy meals, and find ways to improve your sleep. With a little hard work, you’ll come out of quarantine healthier than ever!

WE ARE HIRING!!!

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Truro Buzz Secret Nova Scotia Tour Coordinator

Are you an outgoing personality comfortable with leading a group? Do you like to entertain as well as educate? Truro Buzz has an amazing opportunity for you to spend your days exploring the North Shore of Nova Scotia! As the Secret Nova Scotia Tour Coordinator, you will guide tourists through all the hot spots on single day excursions sampling the best of the rural communities in this area!

Your primary focus will be the day-to-day operations of booking tours and being the engaging guide that leads them! Our goal is to accurately showcase the greatest local places to dine, visit and experience!

The position will have a starting wage of 15.00/hour for a minimum of 30 hours/week with the opportunity for 40 hours/week as the tour season progresses.

Job Responsibilities are:

  • Booking of tour packages and coordinating with clients.
  • Guiding small tour groups on our packaged tours while describing points of interest along the way, as well as being able to answer questions.
  • Be able to stick to a strict itinerary and time table
  • Available to work weekends
  • Be sure waivers are signed and collected
  • Some administrative duties 
  • Future Tour development

Qualified Candidates must:

If you meet the criteria above and would like to join our team, please submit your resume to alicia@trurobuzz.com. Check out trurobuzz.com and oobounds.ca for more info on the businesses!

Tell Me What’s A-Happenin’

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Celebrating Women.

By Sam Madore

I like any day where I have an excuse to celebrate all of the incredible women in my life.

For International Women’s Day this year, the theme is two-fold: challenging gender inequality when we see it and celebrating the achievements of women everywhere.

I don’t know about you, but I’m on board for both of those things.

In Colchester county alone, I can think of dozens of women who are working hard to improve our communities. Bringing people together, inspiring change, supporting one another…

I dare you to think of a committee or a cause or an activity where there isn’t a hard working woman behind the scenes helping to make it all happen.

Some may think: “We’ve come so far, why do we even need an International Women’s Day anymore?”

And, to that, I say: “Yes, we’ve come a long way, but there is still such a long way to go.”

If you think that there isn’t any more work to do, just remember that, just this year, there was controversy when the then president of the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee, Yoshiro Mori, chastised women for talking too much during meetings. In a CBC article, he is quoted as saying, “If we increase the number of female board members, we have to make sure their speaking time is restricted somewhat, they have difficulty finishing, which is annoying.” 

(Pause for shuddering)

Thankfully, he has recently been replaced (by a woman). But, for this type of dialogue to still be happening in 2021, we have a clear sign that our work is ongoing.

If you need an example of why we still need a day to celebrate women and to call out inequality that’s a bit closer to home, just do a quick google search on the increase in human trafficking that’s taking place right now in our area and in our province. 

I think our instinct is often to think, “This isn’t happening here. At home. In 2021.” We can call it some form of self preservation and turn a blind eye, but the reality is that it is happening. And we can help by educating ourselves, offering our support and action, and calling out the dangers that are taking place behind closed doors in our own backyards. 

Day to day, women continue to face a wage gap, stigmas around having children, not having children, breastfeeding, not breastfeeding, maternity leave, menstruation, menopause, aging, standing up for yourself, not standing up for yourself, and the list goes on… Simply calling yourself a feminist carries a stigma, for heavens sake. As if there is anything wrong with advocating for equality.

Luckily, there has been a shift. Luckily, there are so many women and men who are advocates, who are feminists, who “get it” and who are working together to bridge the gap. Luckily, we have days like International Women’s Day where we talk about how incredible women are and encourage people to have these conversations every. damn. day.

And, if you need help finding a woman in our local area who is doing amazing things and is worthy of celebrating on any day, but especially on International Women’s Day, feel free to reach out to me. I have a very long list to pull from… 

Fun March Break Ideas

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Now that it’s March it’s hard not to wait impatiently for the snow to melt and the flowers to bloom. Hard not to think about longer days and taking leisurely walks outside. Another sure sign spring is around the corner is March Break (any one else with kids have PTSD from last years ‘extended’ March Break?). For many, March Break allows children – or entire families – to take a much needed break. 

Check out some of the fun activities going on right here in Colchester County, during the week of March 15th-19th, that will help keep everyone active and entertained.

March Break Fun in Bible Hill!

Would you like to get out and have some fun this March Break in Bible Hill?  Come on out to our free events being held each day!

  • Monday March 16 – Come try snowshoeing, 2pm to 4pm at Bible Hill Recreation Park, Guest Drive
  • Tuesday March 17 – Shamrock Scavenger Hunt, 2pm to 4pm at Pat Mahaney Mountain Bike Trail, Warren Drive
  • Wednesday March 18 – Free Skate, 12pm to 2pm at Deuville’s Rink, Harmony Road, and, Free Swim, 2pm to 4pm at Scotia Pool, Dr. Bernie MacDonald Drive
  • Thursday March 19 – Sledding Party, 2pm to 4pm at Bible Hill Recreation Park, Guest Drive, and, Free Swim, 2pm to 4pm at Scotia Pool, Dr. Bernie MacDonald Drive
  • Friday March 20 – Free Skate, 12pm to 2pm at Deuville’s Rink, Harmony Road, and, Free Swim, 2pm to 4pm at Scotia Pool, Dr. Bernie MacDonald Drive, and, Free Bowling, 3:30pm to 5pm at Bible Hill Bowlacade, Jennifer Drive

Plus, all week:

  • Outdoor skating and hockey is available at Meadowland Avenue Park, Meadowland Ave, until 10pm
  • Bible Hill Recreation Park is available for sledding and snowshoeing, Guest Drive, until 10pm (snowshoes available at Village Office, 67 Pictou Road)

Outdoor activities are weather permitting.  Obey ice surface signage.  

Questions? 

Contact: Josh Kennedy, Parks and Recreation Director
Phone: 9028938083
Email:  josh.kennedy@biblehill.ca

Get ready for March Break at Clay Cafe Truro!

OPEN EVERYDAY through March Break Week from 12-6pm. Paint in our studio and reserve your table now for March Break or paint your pottery at home March Break with a TO GO KIT. 

FREE 1 day TO GO KIT rental and FREE Delivery is available.

Get all the details on our popular TO GO KIT and rent yours for March Break or make your table reservation to paint in our studio. 

You can do it all in our online shop.

https://www.claycafetruro.ca/shop/

Happy Painting!

It’s Hard Coming Up With New Ways To Entertain The Kids – Inn On Prince

Package options starting at $124 for March Break (or ANY night you want to get away with the family). 

Simply call 902.895.1651 and ask for the Family Fun Package–includes a $25 Greco card, a bag of yummy treats and a glorious 2pm check out. 

Of course, all rates include our Grab & Go breakfast, parking, wifi and access to our pool and fitness centre (based on availability).

SPONSERED BY The Village of Bible Hill

Tell Me What’s a-Happening

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Breaking the Cycle of Violence

Sam Madore

The goals of the Third Place Transition House are simple, not easy. They aim to break down the stigma of abuse within families, continue to partner with local organizations to best support survivors, and improve the overall wellbeing of families by breaking the cycle of violence. During Family Violence Prevention Week and beyond, it is essential to shine a light on the violence that takes place within families, and to let those experiencing violence at home know that, not only are they not alone, there are safe places and people closeby they can lean on.

“Violence against women is a pervasive and complex social problem,” says Emily Stewart, executive director of Third Place Transition House. “We understand that choosing to leave an abusive situation is never easy, but we are here to support through it. Our services are non-judgemental and… we work to create a safe, supportive environment where healing can begin.”

Serving the Truro, Colchester and East Hants regions in Nova Scotia for nearly forty years, Third Place provides shelter and support services all year, around the clock. Services are free and available to any woman over sixteen who is fleeing abuse of any kind – family, domestic, or intimate partner violence, or abuse from a roommate or landlord. Children often accompany their mothers and have access to a large outdoor playground and an indoor playroom full of toys. 

Confidentiality and safety are key. If you are someone looking for shelter, a stay typically lasts six weeks and includes food, toiletries, and other basic necessities. If you are looking for someone to talk to, to answer questions, or to access resources without looking for shelter, there is not even a need to leave your name. Here are some of the many different ways the Third Place Transition House provides safe, essential community support:

  • A 24-hour crisis support line (902-893-3232) that you can call at any time to talk to someone about your situation or to make a plan to change. 
  • If you are looking for shelter, a staff member will do a phone assessment with you and create a safety plan for leaving. 
  • If you are not looking for shelter, Third Place also provides public education through outreach or family support services. 
  • Staff are available to meet one on one to provide counselling, court accompaniment, assistance with paperwork, applying for emergency protection orders, providing referrals to income assistance, subsidized housing, legal aid and parenting supports, and other essential services.
  • As a service provider working to protect the wellbeing of children, staff at Third Place have a duty to report any abuse. If you have stayed at the shelter and then choose to return to an abusive situation, staff will encourage you to contact child welfare, or will do so on your behalf. 

“We believe that families thrive and grow within a healthy environment,” says Stewart. “And healthy relationships build healthy families, which create healthy communities. We look forward to being part of more advancements in keeping women and children safe in their homes for years to come.”

To find out more information about the Third Place Transition House, its services and staff, visit www.thirdplaceth.ca.