Cultural Roots/Routes
The Alliance in Canada’s Ocean Playground

On the Cruise

Round Table

On Thursday morning, Camille Fife in one of her last tasks as President, reported Board meeting highlights to the membership. John Zvonar marked the change at the helm by providing a Powerpoint retrospective of Camille’s tenure as President; Cari Goetcheus will assume the President’s duties. Birthday wishes were sung for Marie-Claude Quessy and papers presented by Nancy Brown, Diana Painter, Carrie Gregory, and Luc Berard, followed by the requisite ’round table’. The inaugural poster session punctuated the lunch period.

The Halifax Citadel tour was enthusiastically led by a Sgt. Adams. Notwithstanding the rains, heavy at times, we completed the afternoon with a tour of the Halifax Public Gardens with landscape architects Cari Vollick and James McKee.

Halifax Public Gardens

Uniackle State

The Friday morning program began with a presentation by Wendy Shearer; Ian Doull and John Johnston helped to provide the background story of Grand-Pré which we would visit later in the day. With lunches in hand, we climbed onto the Markie motor coach and headed towards Grand-Pré.

The first stop en route was Uniacke Estate, on the earlier Windsor-Halifax Great Road and boasting the country’s only known ‘ha-ha’; interpretation was provided by Martina Murphy. A visit to Grand-Pré National Historic Rural District brought to life the morning’s presentations. A quick pit stop at Tim Horton’s in Wolfville for a “double double”, then on our way to Annapolis Royal, taking in the burgeoning valley and its defining north and south ‘mountains’. Arriving in Annapolis Royal, all settled into their respective B&Bs. Following supper, a candlelight tour of the Fort Anne garrison cemetery led by Allan Melanson brought this busy day to a close.

Anne, Hugh, Wendy

Allan Melanson

Saturday dawned with papers by Janet Coleman and Cari Goetcheus, and a tour of the themed Historic Gardens. Following a fabulous lunch, we were whisked off down the old Granville Road to the Port Royal Habitation, a story dating to 1605, and (one of) Canada’s oldest reconstructions (1939). The distinctly more subtle archaeological site of the Melanson Settlement was next; the afternoon ended with a visit to Fort Anne, Canada’s first national historic site (bestowed in 1917). All sites were interpreted by Parks Canada personnel.

Annapolis Historic Gardens

Port Royal

The Nova Scotia meeting of the Alliance officially came to a close with a dinner at Hillsdale House. The maple syrup-glazed salmon was only outdone by the presence of Peter Davies, the Town Crier, and his wife, Valerie. Beyond providing descriptions of their 18th c. attire, they awarded all of the (non-Nova Scotian born) attendees with the Order of Good Times, a tradition dating back to 1605 and Samuel de Champlain.

Presidents

Organizing Committee

A leisurely return to Halifax on Sunday morning, and a mass drop off at the airport, effectively brought this event to a close. And, although the weather was less than cooperative, spirits remained high over the four days. A hearty thank you is extended to Tom Gribbin, Achim Jankowski, Wendy Shearer and John Zvonar for their conception and execution of this meeting. And a grand thank you to the host province, Nova Scotia, Canada’s ‘ocean playground’!

Ian, Sherda, Carrie, Lori

Marianne & Nick