A look at some Christmas trees from a previous Trees in the Park event. (Liverpool Adventure Outfitters on Facebook)
Freeman Lumber will be taking over Trees in the Park, the annual fundraiser that features Christmas trees decorated by local businesses.
The South Queens Chamber of Commerce had announced in early November that it would stop organizing the event. Freeman Lumber stepped in to ensure it continues.
Businesses, organizations or individuals buy a tree for $75 and decorate it however they like. The trees are displayed outside at the Queens County Museum and on the Liverpool waterfront.
All proceeds go to a local charity. That will be announced shortly, according to a notice from the chamber.
The chamber is still hosting the annual tree lighting ceremony at the Astor Theatre along with the Region of Queens and the South Shore Multicultural Association.
Stephanie MacKenzie is the co-chair of the 2025 Queens General Hospital Hustle. (Rick Conrad)
A popular fundraiser for Queens General Hospital in Liverpool is back and organizers hope it will be bigger than ever.
People will be able to go to the hospital hustle in person for the first time since before the pandemic.
Stephanie MacKenzie, the co-chair of the 2025 Queens General Hospital Hustle, says the last time the fundraiser was held was an online version in 2021.
“The hospital hustle is just the community getting together to raise funds for extra equipment at our hospital. It was an annual event for 40 years until 2019,” MacKenzie explains.
“This is really important. It’s been a labour of love for us to try to bring it back and we want to make sure everybody knows it’s back, because it’s something that people really look forward to.”
The hustle this year will be held at the Liverpool Curling Club on Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s organized by the Queens General Hospital Auxiliary, which also runs the hospital’s gift shop.
MacKenzie says the popular yard sale-style setup will return, along with food served by local Kiwanis Club members and doctors from the hospital. And nurses will be on hand to perform checkups on the little ones’ dolls or teddy bears.
“And we’ll have baked goods for people to buy and take home as well, and preserves, all the normal tables we have with jewelry, books, the big white elephant table, tools and we’re having a craft table as well.
“It’s hoped to be a family event and a lot of fun for the communtiy but an important fundraising event for the hospital. It’s important to show support for our hospital because it’s so very important to our community.”
Organizers are also planning a silent and live auction on the day of the hustle at the curling club. And for the first time, there will be an online Facebook auction, which will begin on Sept. 2, with items donated by local businesses.
All money raised this year will go toward buying a special cardiac monitor and a linear probe for the hospital’s new echocardiogram machine.
“This is an additional probe that will allow it to do more things. So people won’t have to go to Bridgewater to get these more specialized tests.”
MacKenzie says they hope to raise at least $20,000.
“But we think that we can raise more. In most of the recent years, we’ve raised $20,000 or more.”
They have about 30 volunteers helping out this year. But MacKenzie says they could always use more.
“Where we really need volunteers is on Sept. 7, we are moving all of the treasures that have been donated and stored at Milton Hall to the curling club. We have rented a moving truck to do that and we’re hoping to have enough people that we can stand there and pass the boxes along and just make it happen fairly quickly.”
Anyone who wants to volunteer at this year’s hospital hustle or donate any auction or sale items can email organizers at queenshospitalhustle@gmail.com.
You’ll also be able to buy raffle tickets to help. Volunteers will be selling them on Saturday at the Sobeys in Liverpool from 10 to 4.
Queens County Transit says the success of a recent fundraiser will help them keep their vans running. (Rick Conrad)
A recent fundraiser for Queens County Transit roared past all the group’s expectations.
The rural transit charity based in Liverpool held its first major fundraiser last Saturday. They teamed up with the Yuk Yuk’s standup comedy tour for a show at the Astor Theatre.
Gil Johnson, chairman of the Queens County Transit board, said it was a “huge success.”
“We had a good turnout and everybody seemed to enjoy the show and now the end result was is that we made a little over $13,000.”
Organizers were hoping to raise $10,000 from the show and a 50/50 draw. Johnson thanked the sponsors and community for their support. And he credited fellow board member Tara Smith with making it all happen.
“Tara Smith has been the driving force behind this fundraiser and if it wouldn’t have been for her, it wouldn’t have happened. She put a team together of volunteers and made this the success that it is, so the rest of us were just along for the ride.”
The service began seven years ago with one used accessible van and a team of volunteers. Its fleet has grown to eight vans, five of which are accessible. It also employs 11 people. Nine of those are drivers.
It’s one of 23 rural transit services in Nova Scotia.
Johnson says the success of the fundraiser shows people appreciate the services that Queens County Transit provides.
“It is now part of the infrastructure of Queens County. That service of moving people, keeping people connected one ride at a time. And people are starting to understand that we are there to serve.”
Johnson says the money raised will go toward their vehicle replacement fund.
“Right now, we have an immediate need to replace one of our older vehicles that’s costing us as much in the garage as it does to get it down the road.”
If you need a ride on Queens County Transit, they ask that you contact them at least 24 hours in advance by contacting them at 902-356-2670, by email at info@queenscountytransit.ca or message them on Facebook.
Kendra Shot is the organizer of Santas for Seniors Queens County. (Rick Conrad)
UPDATED DEC. 4, 10:30 A.M.
Even though the Canada Post strike is continuing, the organizer of Santas for Seniors Queens County says seniors will still get their gifts in time for Christmas.
In previous years, organizer Kendra Shot has mailed out the cards. But this year, she says that she and some other women will hand deliver more than 300 envelopes with gift cards to seniors around Queens County.
“We’re going to make sure they get out before Christmas because I know a lot of seniors wait for this to help with their Christmas dinners,” Shot told QCCR.
On Tuesday, Shot got some great news that somebody wanted to adopt 50 seniors.
“I’m feeling very, very happy about it because last year at this time, we had to add another week to get all the seniors adopted and by the looks of it, I’m praying we’ll have everybody adopted by Friday.”
This is the fifth year for the volunteer-led program, which helps low-income people 55 and over celebrate Christmas.
Anyone could nominate a senior, or seniors could nominate themselves. They gave Shot the person’s full name, age and mailing address. People told Shot what they’d like, whether that’s a gift card for groceries, gas or other goods.
Donors buy a holiday greeting card and include the requested gift cards. They put a stamp on the front of the envelope and the number of the senior on the back. People can drop them off at three locations in Queens County – Exit Realty or Route 3 Cellar Taproom and Grill in Liverpool, or Stew’s Corner Convenience and Gas in Greenfield.
Over the past four years, more than 1,200 seniors in Queens County have been adopted.
Shot said despite people feeling the pinch this year, they’ve still found a way to contribute.
“I’ve noticed even with the people adopting this year, they can’t do as much as they’ve done in previous years, but they want to help,” Shot says.
“This kind of puts a jump start in my step, because I’ve got my Christmas shopping done, my cookies done, my baking, and the presents wrapped. It puts a little fire in me to get up and get going, but now I do get to sit back and relax.”
Kendra Shot is the organizer of Santas for Seniors Queens County. (Rick Conrad)
The organizer of a local program that helps seniors over the holidays is hoping for a little Christmas magic this year.
Santas for Seniors Queens County connects low-income seniors with others who want to help them have a good holiday. And it relies on Canada Post to help make it happen.
Organizer Kendra Shot says this year, she’s worried about how the postal strike may affect the festive fundraiser.
“I’m hoping by the end of the week that maybe they come to some terms and settle this strike. I will put them in the mail but there’s no way we can hand deliver because we have mailing addresses for the seniors, and not home addresses.”
This is the fifth year for Santas for Seniors Queens County. Since it began, it’s helped hundreds of Queens County seniors each year.
Anyone can nominate a senior, or seniors can nominate themselves. People tell Shot what they’d like, whether that’s a gift card for groceries, gas or other goods.
All nominees are anonymously posted to the Santas for Seniors Queens County Facebook group. If you want to add any Queens County senior to the list, contact Shot with the person’s full name, age and full mailing address.
“55 and over, low income, need a little extra help this winter. That’s what we’re here for,” Shot says.
“You adopt your senior, buy a holiday card, buy your gift card, there’s one or two usually listed per senior, you don’t have to buy both of them. Put it in your holiday card, seal it, on the back of your card write your number, on the front of the card, place a stamp.”
Completed cards can be dropped off at Exit Realty or Route 3 Cellar Taproom and Grill, both in Liverpool, or at Stew’s Corner Convenience and Gas in Greenfield.
Shot says she’s seeing more seniors from Greenfield and Caledonia participating this year.
As of Tuesday, 328 seniors are signed up, with 158 adopted so far. Last year, a little more than 300 took part.
Seniors can be nominated until Dec. 1. Shot says all cards need to be dropped off by Dec. 15 so that she can mail them out in time for Christmas.
“Basically 90 per cent of the people that are nominated do not even know that they’re nominated. So, they’re going to get a card in the mail from a complete stranger with a little extra help. There’s no set denomination for amounts. We’re all feeling the crunch of the increased prices it’s more so the thought that counts.”
Shot and her volunteers used to collect gifts from donors and deliver gift bags to as many as 400 seniors. She said they changed it to gift cards during Covid.
They also used to work with local service organizations and other groups to identify seniors in need, but because of confidentiality rules, they had to stop doing that.
Despite that, more than 1,200 Queens County seniors have been adopted in the past five years.
“It makes me feel good because No. 1, to give back is the best feeling at Christmas for me. Gifts aren’t Christmas, it’s how you actually make somebody feel.”
This year, Shot says she’d also like to get more businesses involved in the fundraiser. The managers at White Point Beach Resort got together and adopted 12 seniors.
If you want to be nominated or if you want to nominate somebody else, message Kendra Shot on Facebook, or call her at 902-646-0265 or email her at kendra_shot@hotmail.com.
Spend a day at the beach with Jane Dunlop-Stevenson for Hands Across the Sands, a fundraiser for the Queens County Food Bank on Sunday at Summerville Beach. (Rick Conrad
You can help turn a day at the beach into a work of art this weekend, and raise some money for a local charity.
The idea is to draw 30-foot tall stick figures on the beach at low tide. You make a $20 donation to the Queens County Food Bank for each figure. And Dunlop-Stevenson and other volunteers will help you bring your beach art into the world.
“It started with a gentleman saying to me it would be neat to see people being drawn on the beach,” Dunlop-Stevenson said in a recent interview.
“And that led me to think of a picture of all these stick people and what we could do with it and it just evolved into let’s charge some money and help out the food bank and create this great picture.
“The original goal was to draw 150 30-foot stick figures at $20 a piece which would then (be) $3,000 to the food bank. We’re at a third of that right now. So that’s really good. I’m pleased with that. Just to envision 77 30-foot stick drawings is incredible across the beach, all holding hands, … with their feet in the water. It’ll be really neat to see the tide coming in and touching their toes.”
After everybody has drawn their figures, Dunlop-Stevenson will take drone footage of the whole scene and post it.
This is the first time she’s created sand art at Summerville with so many other people. But she’s a veteran virtuoso at creating striking short-term sand art.
Probably her best known work was a 120-foot-by-60-foot tribute to Olympic shot putter Sarah Mitton before this summer’s games. That one featured an 85-foot Eiffel Tower, a Canadian flag and the Olympic rings.
Dunlop-Stevenson created this tribute to Sarah Mitton this summer at Summerville Beach. (Jane Stevenson photo)
She’s also recreated the logo for the Liverpool International Theatre Festival. And she’s taken small groups to Summerville to create mandalas and other images.
But Sunday’s event promises to be her biggest group effort yet. She and some other volunteers will sketch out the heads of all the stick figures ahead of time.
And participants just have to bring their own rakes to help give their pieces texture, so that they show up against the smooth sand.
“And they will rake the head and choose their design however they want it, however simple or dressed up they want their little person to be, it’s totally up to them. No perfection is necessary. If you have your little picture drawn and you know what you want to put in the sand, it will probably take you 20 minutes maybe to draw a stick figure. So it’s very possible to draw a few.
“Nothing has to be perfect. It’s all just for fun and to see this really cool art.”
Dunlop-Stevenson has set up a Facebook event, which includes a link to a Google registration form. You can go by yourself or get a team of five together.
Julie Babin crochets one of the items that will be up for auction at the LRHS Japanese exchange art auction on Friday night at ADJA Studio and Gallery on Main Street in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)
It will be the first foreign exchange trip for Liverpool high school students since before the pandemic.
And they and their parents are holding a fundraiser on Friday night to help get them there.
Ten students from Liverpool Regional High School are planning a cultural exchange next year with kids from a high school in Yokohama, Japan through the Nova Scotia International Student Program.
Julie Babin is one of the parents organizing a silent auction and fundraiser at ADJA Studio and Gallery on Main Street in Liverpool, from 7 to 9 p.m. It will feature local visual art, crafts and baked goods donated by people from the community.
“There will be anything from knit items, photographs, stained glass, paintings, jewelry, all kinds of cool stuff to help these kids get their goal met and get to Japan.”
People will be able to bid on items at the gallery on Friday night. And the auction will continue on Facebook next week.
Babin says the students are working hard to reach their fundraising goal for the two-week trip.
“They’ve been working their little fingers to the bone to try to fundraise for the past six months. They’ve been doing beef jerky fundraisers, we have a fudge fundraiser going on, 50/50 tickets, bottle drives.”
She says the Queen’s Enviro Centre in Brooklyn is accepting donations of bottles for the trip. People just have to tell them it’s for “the Japan trip”.
The group has to raise $5,000, with each student expected to pay another $3,500.
Babin says they’re pretty close to their group goal. But any money raised above $5,000 will help lower the students’ expenses.
“If we can get that, the kids feel pretty good. … It’s exciting for them to see it slowly go up. We have a couple of more things on the horizon but we’re really hoping that this fundraiser gets us to that goal.”
Her 16-year-old son, Desmond Danylewich, is one of the 10 students going on the trip next July.
She said he’s excited to experience Japanese food and culture first-hand.
“It’s an opportunity of a lifetime to go and get to just immerse yourself in the culture of Japan. He’s looking so forward to trying real sushi and real tempura. It’s going to be exciting for him.”
Babin said it will also be interesting for students and parents to host 20 Japanese students in Liverpool for 10 days in April.
“So every one of our students will have two Japanese students come stay with them. See what eating Canadian food is like, going to school in a Canadian school. And then they’ll also get to go on excursions.”
Babin says they’ll be accepting art and craft donations for the auction right up until Friday evening.
“If you made it, we will appreciate it.”
And she says most of the kids going on the trip will also be at the fundraiser on Friday.
“7 to 9, come by, see the art, maybe lay a couple of bids, meet the kids. They’re pretty stoked to talk about their hopes for it and they’re really excited for the Japanese kids to come here.”
The LRHS Japanese exchange art auction begins at 7 p.m. on Friday at ADJA Studio and Gallery at 177 Main St. in Liverpool. You can leave donations for the fundraiser at the gallery. And you can also follow the event on Facebook.
Melanie and Bruce Inglis organized Queens Hockey Fights Cancer on Saturday at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool. It has raised more than $16,000 so far for cancer research. (Rick Conrad photo)
A charity hockey game in Liverpool on the weekend raised more than $16,000 for cancer research.
Queens Hockey Fights Cancer was hosted by Memories Cafe & Eatery and Inglis Kassouf Financial Solutions at Queens Place Emera Centre on Saturday.
It was organized by Bruce and Melanie Inglis of Liverpool, who own Memories and Inglis Kassouf.
“Cancer is close to everybody one way or another and for us this year, it’s been pretty challenging with some various people that we know that are fighting different kinds of cancer at different ages in life,” Bruce Inglis said Monday. “It was a case where we thought we could make it so the community could show them how much they care.”
“We are always great at doing hockey game fundraisers,” Melanie Inglis said. “We’ve done several so we knew that would be a good one for us. We did a silent auction, with the help of Karleigh Huskins who was terrific at getting a lot of businesses to chip in.”
They also raised money through donations from individuals and businesses, a 50/50 draw and admission to the game on Saturday. The winner of the 50/50 draw, Danny Whynot, donated the pot back to the cause.
The Inglises say they’re thrilled with the result.
“A final tally isn’t done yet, but we are a little over $16,000 right now,” Melanie says. “I think it surpassed our expectations for sure.”
“I think we knew that the community would come together,” Bruce says. “We knew that we would do $5,000, hoped that we would do ($10,000). But anything above 10 I think is pretty remarkable.”
The hockey game featured the under-18 Queens County Midget Cougars going up against another group of players who suited up for the Inglis Kassouf All-Stars.
Admission was $10 and about 300 people showed up to watch the all-stars win the game in overtime on a goal by 14-year-old Eric Hanley.
The Inglises said the big tally is even more special given the relatively small population of the area.
“It was a nice crowd,” Bruce says. “And that’s on a busy Saturday in the summer when there’s lots going on. There were a lot of people who did send donations, and saying, ‘Sorry we can’t be there’.”
“We’re thrilled,” Melanie says. “It’s fantastic to have the community rally together behind us to support the people that we love in the community.”
The couple organized the event in honour of a couple of friends going through their own battle with cancer.
Jack Stephenson is a student athlete at Bates College in Maine. He spent part of his childhood in Queens County. The son of Jay and Renee Stephenson is currently undergoing treatment for sarcoma.
Anthony MacDiarmid of Liverpool is also battling cancer. A longtime supporter of hockey and community causes, he coached the all-stars to victory.
Hospital hustle committee members Gary Levy, Linda MacKinnon, Jennifer Hutchins Conrad, and Karen McGee. Photo contributed by Linda MacKinnon
There will be no hustle for Queens General Hospital this year.
The annual hospital hustle event coordinated by members of the Queens General Hospital Auxiliary has been put off until 2023.
Auxiliary president Linda MacKinnon says several reason factored into their decision to call off the 2022 edition.
“COVID, we’re just not sure what’s going on with that or what will be in September. We also need a new chairperson. We don’t currently have one to do it,” said MacKinnon. “Really it needs a little more planning than to start in June or July so we felt it would be better to postpone it.”
The hospital hustle traditionally raises between $20,000 and $30,000 which is turned over to the auxiliary to buy equipment for the hospital.
Like many fundraisers, the hustle went online in 2021 bringing in over $20,000 to buy an EKG machine.
The hospital received that equipment earlier this year and it was immediately put into service.
MacKinnon says auxiliary members were glad to be able to hold the hustle online but don’t feel they could go that route again this year.
“Most of our ladies are, we’re older and we’re not as savvy with the online as our younger folks are.”
She also heard concerns from some of their older supporters they weren’t aware the hustle was even happening because they don’t participate on social media and aren’t comfortable moving money online.
MacKinnon says with COVID restrictions lifting the hospital auxiliary is aiming to reopen the gift shop at Queens General in September.
They are looking to attract new members to help raise money for the hospital.
When it comes to the hustle, people can invest as much or as little time as they’d like, but every bit helps.
“There’s a lot of different types of things. You could be involved one day, you could be involved maybe a week or so just before and after or you could be involved in the actually planning, five or six months ahead,” said MacKinnon.
Anyone wishing to join can contact the Queens General Hospital Auxiliary directly.
North Queens Community School graduating class of 2022. Photo South Shore Regional Centre for Education
Communities across Queens and Lunenburg counties are working to give the 2022 North Queens Community School grads a safe send off.
A group of parent volunteers has been hosting several fundraisers over the past weeks to provide students with a safe grad.
They launched an online auction at the beginning of the month posting items donated by businesses and residents alike.
Over 60 parcels are up for grabs, ranging from collectables and clothing to gift certificates for services.
Marie Gernon, the parent spearheading the latest effort, is confident given the support so far, the group will reach their $9,000 goal.
“For me, that’s one of the highlights is just seeing the community come together and supporting,” said Gernon. “It doesn’t matter if it’s my community or Bridgewater or Liverpool, everybody’s coming together.”
The money is being used to support safe-grad, a drug and alcohol free, all-night outing for the graduates.
The students decided after receiving their diplomas they wanted to head into Halifax and spend the night at the Putting Edge, Playdome and Get Air.
Money raised will cover those fees plus the cost of a bus and driver to bring the grads back and forth to the city before they return to the school for an early morning breakfast together.
Gernon says because of COVID it’s been two years since there’s been a safe grad and it’s important to acknowledge the difficult situation the students have come through.
“Let the kids know that hey, you guys have done an amazing job and this is, as parents and community, this is our way of saying good job, here’s something that you guys want to do,” said Gernon.
Astor Theatre, Liverpool, Nova Scotia. Photo Credit: Ed Halverson
An all-day concert to support people fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine will go ahead.
The event, Queens Care Day for Ukraine, was scheduled at Liverpool’s Astor Theatre April 30 but was postponed after several performers became ill.
Astor Theatre General Manager Jean Robinson-Dexter says a new date for the event will be announced shortly.
Robinson-Dexter says after hearing the stories about the suffering in Ukraine she and a group of volunteers decided they had to do something.
“I guess it’s over a month ago now when they said that a theatre, a children’s theatre was bombed in a city in Ukraine,” Robinson-Dexter. “And that just kind of hit me to the core that places that people come together because they love theatre and they love the arts, and for that to happen…”
While Robinson Dexter and fellow organizer Ashley Goodwyn work to find a new date for the performances, Deborah Raddall, Melanie Inglis and Charmaine Stevens are spearheading efforts to raise money through a hybrid online and live auction.
The auction will then go live, in person at the Liverpool Town Arts and Cultural Centre from 5:00pm to 8:00pm and the winners can claim their prizes that night.
Local artist Roger Savage will be painting portraits on-site that day and donating all the proceeds to the fundraiser.
Savage has agreed to take sittings this Saturday as well which must be scheduled in advance by calling the Astor Theatre box office.
Robinson-Dexter says the group has set a goal of donating $10,000 to the Red Cross Ukraine Appeal.
She says the effort is the result of many people bringing their talents together for a good cause.
“What can we do? Well let’s do what we can do best and have performers on our stage and bring our community together to do what we can,’ said Robinson-Dexter. “So often we feel helpless when these things happen in other parts of the world.”
Two nurses show a new gynaecological cart donated by the Queens General Hospital Auxiliary. Photo contributed by Queens General Hospital Auxiliary
The President of the Queens General Hospital Auxiliary is worried without an influx of new members, they may not be able to offer as much support to the hospital.
Linda MacKinnon says coming out of the pandemic the auxiliary is looking to bring in people who want to expand on their work.
“New ideas, new thoughts, and just some fresh energy to help us keep our group going. We’ve been there for so long that we’d hate to see it fold up. Hopefully that won’t happen,” said MacKinnon. “But if we don’t get new members we’ll certainly be curtailed as to the things that we can do.”
MacKinnon says there are currently just shy of 20 members, and she would like to see another five or 10 people sign on.The group has already cancelled plans to host the Hospital Hustle this year after the chairperson stepped down.
The annual event usually raises over $20,000 which the auxiliary uses to buy medical equipment and furniture such as beds, bedside tables and waiting room chairs for Queens General Hospital.
MacKinnon says it didn’t make sense to host the Hustle when faced with dual issues of not having a dedicated chairperson along with lingering concerns about the pandemic.
“An in-person event that’s large, like it is, we have it at the curling club and it’s wall to wall people. So, we’re not sure that this year is the right time to do that,” said MacKinnon. “Certainly, we’re promoting good health and we don’t want to do anything that would endanger anyone’s health.”
McKinnon says along with teas and other smaller events, a major source of revenue for the auxiliary is the gift shop they operate inside the hospital.
Sales from the volunteer run shop bring in another $10,000 each year.
Those doors have remained closed during the pandemic, but MacKinnon is hopeful as foot traffic increases at the hospital they can reopen.
In the meantime, the auxiliary is exploring new ways to support Queens General Hospital and says any new faces with fresh ideas are welcome.
To volunteer with the Auxiliary, please contact Bea Delong at 902-354-4676
Danna Winters exhibit. Photo Liverpool Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre
A couple of local organizations will get a boost from the sale of works by a local artist.
Close to 40 paintings created by the late Danna Winters are currently on display at the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre in Liverpool.
General manager Jean Robinson-Dexter says the idea to sell the paintings came about after the collection came to the owner of the Liverpool Buy and Sell, Colleen Baggs.
Robinson-Dexter says Baggs wanted the artwork to benefit local organizations, “And wanted to share them with the community which is a wonderful gift on her part.”
Robinson-Dexter says the paintings are all priced under a hundred dollars and proceeds will be evenly split between the Liverpool Arts Society and the Liverpool Firefighters Association.
She says most of the paintings have a distinctly local flavour.
“Scenes, primarily, from in and around Queens County, with a few exceptions,” said Robinson-Dexter. “There are winter scenes and there are water scenes and there are ocean scenes and lake and that kind of thing. A really beautiful variety of work.”
Robinson-Dexter says the exhibit has been successful so far, even expanding to include more of Winter’s art.
‘When Colleen came and saw the arts up on the walls in our downstairs gallery, she then donated the quilt,” said Robinson-Dexter. “ Then a few days later they returned with this great box of Christmas ceramic figures.”
Robinson-Dexter says a third of the paintings have already sold.
The exhibit will run until the first week of January.
The group running the Jack Fancy dog park in Milton wants to turn calendars into comfortable seating.
Queens Community Dog Park Association is selling calendars featuring pictures of member’s pets in the hopes of raising $4,000 towards the installation of new shaded benches along the park trail.
Association president John Simmonds anticipates the calendars will be in high demand.
“We have a lot of people in Queens County and South Shore generally, where, they’re not into smart phones and computers and what not,” said Simmonds. “They just love to have a calendar up on the wall.”
Since the dog park was officially opened last September the number of members has fluctuated between 50 and 100.
Simmonds says the park was designed for pets but has also allowed their owners to come play.
“The thing with the dog park, I’ve found, is it becomes a social gathering place for the owners,” said Simmonds. “The dog is almost an excuse for the owners to get out and have a chat with their friends and the dogs benefit as well.”
Simmonds says production of the calendar was paid for through advertising, leaving all the proceeds to go directly to the park.
They will be sold at retailers throughout Queens at a cost of $15.
Xaver Varnus and his newly installed pipe organ. Photo contributed by Xaver Varnus.
A musician bringing Bach to his venue in Brooklyn is hoping the public will help repair the building.
Organist Xaver Varnus bought the former pilgrim church in Brooklyn last year to transform it into a live music venue.
He has already installed a pipe organ and has now set his sights on restoring the exterior to its former glory.
Varnus has been gathering pictures from the early 1900s showing the church clad with brown brick instead of the white vinyl siding it has today.
“I really don’t understand why this fashion came in the 60s and 70s to cover most of the Nova Scotian churches with this, kind of, white condom but it’s terrible. Maybe it’s very good against the weather but it’s terrible for the look,” said Varnus.
However, before the siding can be replaced, there are some structural issues to contend with as time has caused the walls to go out of alignment.
To date, he has raised over $6,000 of his $48,000 goal.
Varnus credits his popularity on YouTube for the number of donations he is receiving from around the world.
“I get donations from everywhere, from New Zealand, from Japan, from Korea, everywhere,” said Varnus. “And now I can realize how many people are listening to the YouTube recordings because the people are mostly reacting because of the YouTube Videos.”
The organ master has more grand plans for the former church including installing a clock in the tower, something that was not part of the original design.
Varnus says the work he has done on the newly christened Varnus Concert Hall is not going unnoticed by the classical music world’s elite.
“One of the most famous string quartet of Europe at this time is the Kelemen Quartet and they are coming to Carnegie Hall, to New York, at the end of August,” said Varnus. “They just called me two weeks ago and they said after the Carnegie Hall concert they are coming to visit me in Nova Scotia for a week and they want to play two concerts here in my church.”
Depending on what COVID restrictions are in place, Varnus is planning to hold a concert on March 21. Besides being the start of spring, the date is significant for him.
“I always play the great concert on the twenty-first of March because that is the birthday of Bach,” said Varnus.
He understands it can be difficult for someone who hasn’t been raised on classical music to find it accessible. But that’s a perception he hopes to change.
“Maybe I can take a little part of, for local people to opening the gate of the beautiful country of classical music for them.”
Preliminary proposed design of park. Contributed by Queens universally designed play park committee
The Queens universally designed playground committee is closing in on their fundraising goal.
The committee is looking to raise $450,000 to build a playground that is accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
The group received an unexpected $5,000 donation this week from the South Shore chapter of Autism Nova Scotia.
Chairperson of the Queens universally designed playpark committee Debbie J Wamboldt says she had no idea the money was coming, despite the fact she is a member of the local Autism NS chapter.
“I didn’t have any say in this,” said Wamboldt. “It was something that the chapter wanted to do. They’ve supported the park from the very beginning and of course, our mandate is inclusion.”
The committee has raised $356,000 of the $450,000 needed to build the play park. They’ve received funding from three levels of government totalling $260,000, private donations of $10,000 from Telus and $50,000 from the J and W Murphy Foundation and approximately $36,000 from local community groups and individual donors.
The Region of Queens also donated the land at 72 Old Cobbs Barn Road, which will situate the play park next to the skate park and across from Queens Place.
Wamboldt says because the site is close to amenities but away from traffic and water it’s ideal for autistic children like hers, who may wander off.
It was a drive with her son a few years ago that motivated Wamboldt to push for the inclusive play park.
“When you’re a kid and you see all the other kids playing, we had a moment in the car where we drove by and he was crying in the back seat, asking me why we can’t go and we can’t play at a park with his friends. Because the parks are not safe for children with flight risks or children with disabilities,”said Wamboldt.
She says the group plans to break ground on the park sometime this spring.
They still need to issue a request for proposals, but Wamboldt says once a builder is selected, construction shouldn’t take longer than six weeks.
She admits the group is a bit concerned about starting work on the site without having the full amount in hand but says the support they’ve received to this point gives them confidence the funding will come through.
“You know, we’re throwing a Hail Mary and we’re really going for it,” said Wamboldt. “Behind the scenes we’re pushing, we’re looking at grants, we’re looking at who can we approach, who would be interested in having a hand in building this.”
Wamboldt says as far as she knows, the universally designed playpark will be the only one of its kind in Atlantic Canada, making it a draw for people from all around.
She’s excited the park will serve as an example of what inclusive design can mean.
“Once you make things accessible to people with disabilities, you make them accessible to everybody.”
