Time for a change...

On the advice of a Geek greater-than-I, I have switched my blog to a new site with more features.

You may find me henceforth at www.happyannapolitan.wordpress.com.

Visit often... you never know, I may actually have something important to say!

An Un-Happy Annapolitan!

The Tidal Power Generating Station - a flagship facility for the generation of green power, an international draw, and a great asset to Nova Scotia Power, the community and for Nova Scotia. Yet this facility is now at the centre of a controversy that threatens the very existence of our tiny little town, the World's Most Liveable Small Town.

For those who aren't familiar with the problem, one of the best explanations is available through the following article written by a local reporter:

http://www.novanewsnow.com/article-284982-Annapolis-Royal-budget-crisis-uncovers-longstanding-conflict.html

In short: in a sudden, unannounced and so far undocumented move, the Town of Annapolis Royal stands to lose more than 25% of its annual operating budget in one fell swoop. This drastic cut is associated with Nova Scotia Power - and the redistribution, by the Province of NS, of a large "grant in lieu of taxes" that NSP pays each year.

I have huge issues with many aspects of this whole issue. I was Deputy Mayor at the time the Town finally succeeded in negotiating some form of tax revenue for the Tidal Power facility. At that time we fought for fairness, and it appears this community is once again having to fight for fairness. For a little more on how this all came about, read the following letter written by then-Mayor John Kinsella: http://www.novanewsnow.com/article-288098-Kinsella-baffled-concerned-over-new-NSPI-assessments.html

To me, the root problem in all of this is the fact that the Province of Nova Scotia has been continuously meddling in the issue of property taxes for one single company, Nova Scotia Power. It is normal practice for a property owner to pay property taxes, and these taxes are paid directly to the municipality in which the property is assessed. In the case of government-owned properties, said government pays the municipality what is called a "grant-in-lieu" rather than commercial taxes. But in every case, the municipality directly deals with the property owner in collection of taxes. So why, in this one case, is the Province collecting the "grant-in-lieu" instead of it going straight to the municipalities? What business does the Provincial Government have negotiating property tax payments? This is not the practice with other businesses in Nova Scotia, nor should it be with NS Power.

And to add insult to injury, only 1/3 of the "grant in lieu of taxes" that the Province collects is actually distributed to the municipalities in which these properties are assessed! How is that fair?

The Town is seeking answers, but so far none are forthcoming... no doubt there are many more chapters yet to be written in this story.

Through the Eyes of a Stranger

I'm currently attending a workshop on experiential tourism in Cornwallis, led by two tourism professionals from other parts of Canada. The information is overwhelming, and invigorating. There is no shortage of ideas and enthusiasm when you assemble a group of local tourism operators and add a couple catalysts like Celes and Todd!

But what never ceases to amaze me, is how the well travelled tourism and experience professional from away views our part of the world... to hear Celes and Todd talk about the opportunities we have here; to hear them talk about that special local person they encountered, a unique gem, the one we simply call "neighbour"; to watch them create a new excitement among us - it renews my pride in the area and fans the flame in me that wants to share my special world with others!

What we have here is truly amazing to those not priveleged enough to call this home, even though it seems normal to us. We must remember that... always!

Windows into the past...

I've spent some time ruminating about windows lately. Vinyl inserts, wooden inserts, aluminum storms... there's a whole world of modern inventions out there, yet we are reluctant to use them in heritage buildings. It's such a wide ranging debate, and there are so many things to consider...

The heritage purists feel that "vinyl inserts" are not acceptable, even if the heritage style is mimicked. They are passionate about their beliefs and truly there are a lot of good arguments in their favour. Those who don't care about heritage at all will say "who cares? We own the building and can do what we want". If that attitude prevails we will have no heritage left to be passionate about. Then those of us whose beliefs lie somewhere in between... well, we just don't know what to do. We want to maintain our built heritage, but are we expected to turn our back on modern conveniences forever?

What are we protecting? Just the look, or the whole makeup of the building? The inside, or the outside? If we are replacing something within the walls that will never be seen, is traditional material still desired? Or only if it is something visible/exposed? There are so many issues.

Compromises have been made over time, allowing for modern materials but trying to maintain the heritage integrity as much as possible. We use engineered wood to stablilize a building, we use asphalt shingles on 150 year old rooves, most houses have power and phone lines coming to them, and many have an antenna or satellite dish. How do we determine which modern conveniences are acceptable, and which are not?

So as a middle-of-the-road type of person, I guess I have to ask why is it okay to have asphalt shingles on a 200 year old building, and seamless eavestrough, but not vinyl or fibreglass window inserts that are styled after the original windows? I truly am confused!

Debate is a wonderful thing, so please feel free to weigh in on the issue!

Of Christmas Shopping trips...

I took off to the city yesterday for a bit of early Christmas shopping. Although I buy 80% of my gifts at home, Christmas shopping for me is never quite complete without a trip to a mall somewhere - the Christmas music, decorations, hustle & bustle - it's a pre-Christmas treat for me. This early in November, with a pretty short list of errands in hand, the trip should have been a relaxed excursion. But evidently, I'm not the only person who sees the value in taking off Nov 10 to create a "long weekend", and most of these like-minded people were at MicMac Mall yesterday!

So as I wandered through the crowded mall, or stood in a long line at Toys'R Us, I thought again of the advantages of shopping at home. The quiet. The atmosphere. The lack of lineups at the cash. The great gift selection in all the various stores. The Season Passes, or Theatre tickets, as a useful and unique gift. Shopping among friends - as they say on Cheers, "where everybody knows your name"...

Of course, the reality is that there are things (like Toys) that do require a trip to a larger centre, and shopping hours are pretty limited in any downtown core compared to a mall. But for the most part, the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks, and supporting our own local economies to the extent possible is pretty important. So I will continue to consider Annapolis Royal my primary shopping destination, with a sidetrip to a mall each year just for fun. And next year, I'll try to be more strategic in picking a day to "relax" at MicMac Mall!

OYEZ! OYEZ!

No Blog about Annapolis Royal would be complete without mention of our Town Crier.

Annapolis Royal has been fortunate in recent decades to have the services of a Town Crier for official functions. Several community minded individuals have filled this post, the most recent being Peter Davies. Peter has been an extremely dedicated Town Crier, and added a new-to-Annapolis element when his wife Valerie donned a costume and became his official "escort" much of the time.

Centuries ago, a Town Crier would read proclamations and news to citizens in the village square. Their cry traditionally starts with "OYEZ", meaning "Hear Ye". Peter cries in a traditional manner, attending functions from very formal Town events to business grand openings, to private parties. He cries at the Farmer's Market every Saturday morning in the summer, announcing upcoming activities and events and much of the time serves as a roving ambassador for the community. It's wonderful to have this element of tradition in the town, and Peter and Valerie have been exceptional in their roles. Recently a number of accommodations and friends presented Peter & Valerie with a painting of themselves in costume as a thank you for all they do.

Music in a small town...

As I sit here killing a few minutes before band practice, I once again think about how fortunate I am to have the musical opportunities available to me that I have... thinking of bands in particular. Local concert band opportunities include the schools (Beginner, Junior and Senior Concert Bands, and Senior Jazz Band), and the Community Bands (Adult Beginner Band, Intermediate Class and the Annapolis Basin Community Band). Then there's the Annapolis Big Band, a group of 18 musicians playing the Big Band standards for dances and other events. It is great for the school band kids to see thriving adult bands... instilling hope that they will someday have the opportunity to play in a band once they've settled into life in a community. And it is rewarding for the adults to see a thriving school band programme... knowing the students of today will be the adult musicians of tomorrow. All these bands, centred in a Town of less than 500 people, and the communities nearby. It's actually pretty remarkable when you think about it...