Two Bluenose deckhands meet. Kate Smith of Sydney, N.S., is currently part of the Bluenose II crew. Craig Harding of Liverpool was a deckhand on the ship in the 1960s. (Rick Conrad)

The Brooklyn Marina rolled out the red carpet for Nova Scotia’s sailing ambassador on Tuesday evening.

A few dozen people turned out to meet the crew of Bluenose II at the small clubhouse as it visited the Liverpool area in its first stop on a tour of southwestern Nova Scotia. 

Others drove down the small wharf in Brooklyn or towards the breakwater to get a look across Liverpool Bay to where the schooner was anchored near Port Mersey Commercial Park.

Volunteers at the marina had food and drinks ready for the crew and fans of the Bluenose.

Capt. Phil Watson was one of the dozen or so crewmembers who shuttled from the sailing icon to the marina.

“We haven’t been here in a long time and we were developing a a cruise along Southwest Nova and so Liverpool it is. There’s great alumni support here and community support and the club has always been good to us so it’s pretty easy to put Liverpool on the list.. … It’s good to come back to this side of the province again.”

The tour of southwestern Nova Scotia was hatched after the Bluenose crew cancelled an early September trip to Gloucester, Mass. Instead, they said they’d do what so many other Canadians are doing this year, stay closer to home and support local tourism.

Kate Smith, a deckhand from Sydney, N.S., is spending her third summer on the Bluenose. It was her first visit to Liverpool.

“I love it. It’s great. People are sweet. It’s super awesome,” she said of the Liverpool welcome. “We really like going around this area and we figured we’d go on a little staycation basically around the south coast.”

Liverpool’s Craig Harding sailed on the schooner as a 20-year-old from 1968 to 1969.

“I’d been on fishing boats on draggers and so on but I’d never been on a sailboat until that year and I learned to sail on it,” he said. “I’ve been connected to the Bluenose ever since. Hard not to be. Really, really happy to see the support. It was beautiful to see her come in.”

The last time the Bluenose II was in Liverpool was in 2021 when the ship celebrated 100 years of Bluenose history. 

Jamie Frankel of Massachusetts just happened to be at the marina when he heard about the Bluenose’s visit. He and some others arrived on his boat The Sea Quester a couple of days before to wait for a weather window to continue their journey through the Gulf of Maine.

“None of us knew she was going to be coming at the time, so this is an incredibly welcome surprise. … As the sailing ambassador for Nova Scotia I think everyone loves her but in addition, she has beautiful lines as a ship and as a tall ship of that size I’d say that it’s always a wonderful event to be someplace where she comes in and it’s the splendor of old sailing ships and old-style sailing ships.”

Capt. Watson says the Bluenose always draws a crowd. 

“It’s bringing a fishing schooner back to a fishing community. You know all these communities have shipbuilding, fishing heritage and these schooners, whether it was a fishing schooner or a cargo schooner, they all have that history there, so to be able to put a thing in place in the harbour where you can then talk about it and you can talk about, ‘oh those schooners used to be here all the time’ or ‘they used to build them over there’, it’s a chance for the community to talk about the history of their communities and share it with them themselves and hopefully they’ll come and share it with us as well.”

The Bluenose II left Liverpool on Wednesday afternoon, sailing around Port Mouton to its next stops in Clarks Harbour, Yarmouth, Digby and Lower West Pubnico.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

David White is president of the Queens County ATV Association. (Rick Conrad)

ATV riders in Queens County are hoping to connect off-road trails with public roads and streets in the municipality so that operators can more easily use local services and support local businesses.

David White, president of the Queens County ATV Association, and vice-president Greg Wigglesworth made a presentation to regional council this week outlining various options to make that happen. 

“In this case, we’re asking the Region of Queens for assistance with some connection within the township,” he said in an interview after the meeting.

“The whole goal here is to make a trail that connects across Queens County as well as providing economic advantage by bringing off-highway vehicle users to be able to access things like gas and accommodation and restaurants and that sort of thing.” 

This isn’t the first time White has proposed a connected network through Queens County for users of off-highway vehicles.

The association spoke to council last July about the idea, shortly after the Nova Scotia government passed the Road Trails Act. That would allow OHVs on provincial and municipal roads, with certain conditions.

Both levels of government must first grant ATV access to those roads. In the Region of Queens, that would require a new bylaw. 

White and Wigglesworth presented councillors with various options to create a road trail near Queens Place Emera Centre, the Best Western and businesses around the intersection of Milton Road and Route 3 that would connect with the Trestle Trail. They also outlined options for a road trail to connect the Trestle Trail to White Point Road and from the trail to the lower parking lot downtown.

It’s part of the group’s vision to create a destination riding area in Queens for ATV users. White told councillors it would attract more business to the area from riders in the municipality and beyond.

“Our ultimate goal is to create the connectivity, to be able to go from the Lunenburg-Queens County line to the Queens-Shelburne line. Other ATV groups in other areas are working to make those connections as well.

“We’re looking to do it in a way that has minimal impact on residents. Our ultimate goal is to improve the connectivity, to enhance the trails for everybody, so it’s better quality trail for off-highway vehicles, walkers, cyclists and other users, as well as to make sure we have that economic impact, and to make sure we’re maintaining a safe environment for everyobdy.”

White said the group has been canvassing property owners and businesses. So far, he says, the response has been positive. He said Yarmouth has already allowed access to off-highway vehicles on Water Street in their downtown core.

“It’s very well travelled and they’ve been having a lot of success with that.”

Councillors appeared supportive of the idea. District 2 Coun. Ralph Gidney said he’s excited by the proposal.

“I think this is a very good idea, and what it’s going to do for our community is fantastic.”

District 3 Coun. Maddie Charlton said she’s happy to see the group provided so many different options.

“I look forward to everyone coming together and finding a way forward with this.”

Councillors asked for a staff report on allowing the vehicles to use municipal roads. 

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to Thursday’s news update below

A DNNR helicopter is unloaded in a field near the South Horseshoe Lake fire. Photo Communications Nova Scotia

Crews battling the forest fire near South Horseshoe Lake in Yarmouth appear to be getting it under control.

A statement from the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables released Thursday evening indicates the fire is 60 percent contained.

What started as a 25 hectare fire when firefighting teams arrived on-site Monday grew to over 3,100 hectares by Wednesday.

DNRR expressed concerns Thursday afternoon about the potential for the fire to spread due to dry conditions.

But just hours later, DNRR officials announced firefighting crews made up of two helicopters, one water bomber and 40 DNRR personnel were able to keep the fire from spreading past 3,100 hectares.

Officials have yet to determine the cause of the fire.

As a result of the ongoing dry conditions the entire province is under burning restrictions.

Yarmouth, Shelburne and Queens counties currently have a full burn ban in place.

DNRR firefighters will continue efforts to extinguish the fire on Friday.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

Water bomber dropping its load on part of a wildfire near South Horseshoe Lake, Yarmouth County, Photo: Communications Nova Scotia

Provincial officials say the forest fire in Yarmouth County tripled in size and is burning out of control.

A statement from the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables says the fire grew from 1,000 to 3,100 hectares on Tuesday, spreading from South Horseshoe Lake west, in the direction of Rushy Lake.

Distance between South Horseshoe Lake and Rushy Lake. Photo Google Maps

Natural Resources and Renewables Minister Tory Rushton says, “Conditions are still adverse, so the fire may continue to spread. However, at this time, we do not see it reaching communities and the province’s response is being managed by highly trained professionals and fire crew members who are ready to respond at a moment’s notice to keep us safe in case of emergency.”

Since Monday, the contingent fighting the wildfire has grown to include 40 provincial fire crew members, two helicopters and a water bomber sent from Newfoundland and Labrador.

Officials says Tuesday’s wind and low humidity are driving the spread of the fire.

Air quality alerts have been issued for Yarmouth and residents are asked to keep windows closed.

Conditions continue to stay very dry across the province, and a burn ban remains in place for Queens, Shelburne and Yarmouth counties.

DNRR will provide regular updates on the Yarmouth forest fire on their Twitter feed today.

The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

Yarmouth forest fire seen from DNRR helicopter. Photo Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables

A water bomber from Newfoundland and Labrador has joined Nova Scotia’s ground and air crews to fight an out-of-control wildfire near Horseshoe Lake, Yarmouth County.

Ground crews pulled back as the CL-415 bomber dropped water until dark Tuesday night.

The fire has grown quickly with Department of Natural Resources and Renewables estimates increasing from 50 hectares Tuesday morning to over 1,000 hectares that night.

The water bomber joins two helicopters and 12 provincial fire crew members from Shelburne and Yarmouth counties who have been fighting the wildfire since Monday.

DNRR officials say winds and low humidity are factors in the spread of the fire.

Yarmouth area residents are encouraged to keep their windows closed as smoke from the growing fire has prompted air quality alerts.

Conditions are very dry across the province, and a burn ban is in place for Queens, Shelburne and Yarmouth counties.

Nova Scotians should check burn restrictions online or call the toll-free phone line at 1-855-564-2876 (BURN) before starting a fire.

DNRR will be providing regular updates on the Yarmouth forest fire on their Twitter feed.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.