Continued Articles

Professor’s Perspective: Moving Right Along in the Company  of Elders

Afternoon tea and cookies at the kitchen table of 94 year old Mi’kmaq Elder, Dr. Elsie Basque, was the classroom setting for some students in my classes on 22 September.   Some of my students and I had traveled to Kejimkujik in the company of Dr. Don Julien, the Executive Director of the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, for what’s become an annual overnight ‘On the Land’ retreat to learn more about Mi’kmaw traditional knowledge systems, ways of being, epistemologies, and political and policy issues perspectives.  Precious moments with Elders, who represent “libraries of knowledge” in the words of one student, help us together, as a class, move past stereotypes, dig deeper into the issues and ideas and approaches presented in the books we read together, and inform and inspire us to have richer dialogues.   Our kitchen table class provided students with reflections and insights that fill in some of the gaps in the literature, and illustrate and bring deeper meaning to the words in our texts.

In my experience, community service learning (CSL) (or ‘engaged learning’) opportunities contribute to students` willingness and ability to make meaning from the literature they read and the lectures they hear.  For me, community-based learning initiatives evolved as a response to a growing challenge to pique my students` interest in Canadian politics and policy, and a growing unwillingness to address human rights and social justice issues in our own country.  This challenge involved a developing process of unlearning the stereotypes many students bring into the classroom, about African Canadians and First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.  The option was to ignore these issues, or merely mention them in passing, or find ways to address them in a safe learning environment that provides students with opportunities to get out of their comfort zones.  The lack of safe drinking water in northern communities, homelessness in the Arctic, violence against women, the shrinking of the middle class, underfunding of our healthcare and education systems, and environmental racism, are among the political and policy issues I couldn’t ignore in my Canadian politics and policy classes.

Most of the courses I teach require me to build–quickly, at the outset of a course–a trust-based learning environment in which students are challenged to (re-)consider their own assumptions, presumptions, and values.   I am joyful at the number of students willing to do the work, which can be difficult on so many levels.   Indigenous pedagogical approaches involve four dimensions–intellectual; spiritual; emotional; and physical–and it surprises me to find that this more holistic approach is sometimes evident in our community when you see my students on a peace march or inviting you to join us planting trees in the woods up the street from the Irving Centre.  Last year, on Thanksgiving, when we were planting 500 trees as part of the local www.350.org event we organized, Pump it for the Planet, a student working alongside our local MLA, Ramona Jennex, looked up, and said, “I didn’t know these woods were here, they’re so beautiful.”  When we went to the sacred MI’kmaq sites at Keji last year, the students understood Gerald Gloade, a Mi’kmaq artist, naturalist, and storyteller, when he observed during our evening fireside chat that he had heard the “pine needles sing” earlier in the day on our hike.

We hear about a lot of deficits and downers these days:  democratic deficit; trust deficit; compassion fatique; wilful blindness; information overload and more.   My students have told me that what they appreciate most from Elders is their sometimes blunt evaluation of the world around us…and the hope that they inspire.   I think that including Elders in the classroom is helping my students become more informed, and more resilient, and in my opinion, this is part of the responsibility of our education systems.

I have learned a great deal from Indigenous Elders.  For example, in 2005, I co-hosted an international symposium, Nunavut at 5, at Acadia University, where students and faculty heard from Inuit policy makers, Elders and community leaders of Nunavut about their research priorities.  My students helped respond to their priority of connecting Inuit youth to Elders, and our collaboration took us from writing a successful major grant application, to traveling by ship in the Eastern Arctic, to co-developing the first-ever interactive film with our Inuit partners and website (in Inuktitut and English) that allows all Canadians and the world to take up the opportunity to learn from Inuit about environmental stewardship, consensus-based decision making, sustainble community and much more [www.InuitQ.ca].

My Inuit friends and colleagues have been appreciative by the generous and warm welcome of our local community, who have attended the many special public events my students and I have co-organized over the years.  At the beginning of November, Dr. Peter Irniq, an Elder and cultural teacher will come to visit Wolfville again to talk about his travels with the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  He is keen to meet again the friendly and engaging people he’s met in Wolfville over the last decade.

I’m working more closer to home at the same time that my ties to the North are deepening.  An historic Memorandum of Understanding between the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq (CMM) and Acadia University was signed in April 2011, and I’m serving on the Acadia University President`s Aboriginal Affairs Ad Hoc Committee, which is working to breathe life into the MOU.   This summer, Acadia students who are Mi’kmaq together with CMM advisors agreed that Welkaqnik, which means a place of good feeling in the Mi’kmaw language, is a good name for the new Native Gathering Space and Resource Centre at Acadia, and community members are most welcome.  The Mi’kmaq Nation flag is flying over University Hall on campus throughout October, Mi’kmaq History Month.  I hope we might see you at Welkaqnik events throughout  the month and all year long.

In my experience, building relationships based on mutual trust and respect are prerequisites to engaging in research with Indigenous peoples.   Overwhelming, my students’ enthusiasm, preparedness, and perspectives have made them excellent ambassadors as we build strong relationships with diverse communities of interest.   There are a lot of engineers and teachers in my family, and my dad wanted me to be an engineer…I’m happy to be a part of the process of building bridges of understanding.   From an holistic perspective, my work is based on a healthy curiosity, a nimble ability to make connections between seemingly disparate issues and ideas, peoples and places, and given my work with diverse peoples and their communities across Canada who still experience the intergenerational effects of colonialism, an open-mind and an open-heart.

Indigenous peoples across Canada and elsewhere in my research travels have taught me the importance of an holistic, integrated approach to understanding the world.  Acadia University has provided a work environment in which I have had the opportunity to integrate seamlessly the three dimensions of academic life–teaching, research, and service.   I feel so fortunate that these streams of activity coincide and overlap fluidly and hope that my work has helped, in some way, to provide opportunities to deepen democracy.  Whenever I see local community members at my students’ special events, it makes my heart sing.  I feel very, very fortunate to be so deeply involved in so many beautifully diverse communities.

Dr. Cynthia Alexander teaches in the Political Science Department at Acadia University.  She is joyfully married to Mohammed Barrah who owns and operates The Ivy Deck Garden Bistro in Wolfville.  Beyond hanging on words for a profession, she enjoys anti-gravity yoga, depends on pilates, rejuvenates in the garden, enjoys baking vegan and other delights, and has never seen an ugly day in this beautiful Valley.

Dr. Cynthia Alexander 

Angela Johnston reviews: -
Heard it Through the Grapevine: The Mellotones at Muir Murray Winery

The Mellotones, one of Halifax’s most popular dance bands, performed a fantastic show
at Muir Murray Winery on Saturday July 16th. The Mellotones can usually be found at the Sea Horse Tavern downtown Halifax on Thursday nights, where they play sets of funk, jazz and blues, covering artists like Al Green, Van Morrison, Booker T and the MG’s, Bob Marley, James Brown, Kool and the Gang, and the Bar-Kays. On Saturday night, the nine-piece ensemble took over Muir Murray’s marquee and played three full sets late into the night.
The small but energetic crowd was up and dancing on a makeshift dance floor a few
seconds into the first song. Although Muir Murray created a relaxed atmosphere by lining
up tables in front of the stage, it unfortunately did not provide enough dancing space. It
was almost impossible to stay seated as lead singer Jeffery Mosher and his four-piece
horn section played funky breakdowns. However, the lack of dancing space was made
up for by the winery’s prime location. If you weren’t feeling like busting a move on the
dance floor, you could take a stroll in the winery’s green fields overlooking the beautiful
Cape Blomidon and the Minas Basin.
The three sets became gradually more fast-paced, and by the end of the night, almost
everyone was up front dancing. The atmosphere was fun, and relaxed. The Mellotones
ended the night with a great cover of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.”
The event was advertised on Groupon, a deal-of-the-day type of website that features
discounted gift certificates redeemable at local (or national) companies or events.
This groupon advertised the Mellotones concert at half price ($10 instead of $20) or two tickets for $18. A complementary glass of wine and a free one-year wine-club membership were also included in the deal. 48 Groupons were purchased and judging by the small crowd, the majority of the audience used these discounted tickets.
For more information on the Mellotones, visit http://www.limelightgroup.com/mellotones. To find out more about Muir Murray Winery’s summer concert series, visit http://www.muirmurraywinery.com

Letter to The Grapevine in regards to renaming of Clock Park…

With respect to naming the “clock park” the “Mona Parsons Memorial Park,” I would
like to disagree. I question the reasoning in choosing a person to honour in such a way.
Our sagacity in making such a selection can be controversial and inappropriate.

Andria Hill-Lehr has researched Mona Parsons, written her book and play, and become
very passionate about this lady – whose exploits certainly were remarkable. However,
Mona lived here when she was young, spent her active years elsewhere, and spent a very
quiet old age with us. During my 50 years in this town she was probably only known to
those people who “discovered” her and recorded fascinating visits at her home.

There have been other remarkable citizens. For unique service during World War II,
one might suggest Connie Hayward, who did exciting work with refugees, and left
a substantial bequest to Acadia University. Ester Clark Wright was an author who
added colour and prestige to the community. George Nowlan served six years as
Finance Minister of Canada – I suspect that his funeral was the “biggest” ever held at
the Baptist Church. Dr. Malcolm Elliot played an immense role in the well-being of
this community. He was mayor of this town, Chair of the Board of Governors of Acadia
University, and Founder of the Eastern Kings Memorial Hospital. The service and
dedication of this man is very worthy of recognition.

The “clock park” is built around a clock, so a person I might recommend would be John
Frederic Herbin, a poet, whose works exalt our unique dykelands and countryside,
and are included in various Canadian anthologies. He touched so many facets of our
community. Born to a Hugonaut father and an Acadian mother, he had a vision of
establishing a memorial to the Acadian settlers. He acquired the land for a park in Grand
Pre Park and wanted Acadians to take on the project. When this could not be done, he
turned his lands over to the DAR, and the Grand Pre Park was established. While a
student at Acadia, he was an athlete, and he led the campaign to build Wolfville`s first
gymnasium. Later he helped organize the building of Raymond Field. For these reasons
he is placed in the “Sports Hall of Fame” at Acadia University. He was elected mayor of
the town on the issue of providing sewers for the community. He also founded the clock
and watch business that still bears his name.

Another suggestion might be “Evangeline Park.” Evangeline was Longfellow’s
mythical heroine in the poem by that name, a literary work that was studied in all Nova
Schools in the early 1900’s. In addition, the site once was occupied by the Evangeline
Inn, a historic hostelry that, in its later years, was used as a residence for veterans who
studied at the University after the war. “Evangeline Park” would fit well with our tourist
initiatives.

Yes Mona has had a movie made about her life but there have beenother Wolfville people who
have had TV pieces made about them. My own daughter, Dale Kavanagh, was featured in an
hour-long documentary on the Bravo series named something like “Women musicians of the
world.”

Jack Sheriff did a lot for our cultural profile, as did Michael Bawtree. It is a good debate! I
still am nervous about honouring people in this way.

I write to Grapevine merely to open eyes and consideration to significant options from
Wolfville history. I question the efficacy of acclaiming Mona in this way.

Shirley Skinner

Mona Parsons Memorial Park?

Editor’s Note:  You’ll be hearing more about Mona this summer as the Wolfville community gathers support through petitions to honour her with a renaming of Clock Park.

Mona Parsons never wore a uniform and never carried a gun, but she was willing to put her life on the line to support Allied efforts during World War Two and to resist the Nazi occupation of Holland. Although her parents hoped that she would become the “genteel” young lady that an education at the Acadia Ladies Seminary was supposed to provide, Mona blazed her own trail — first as a chorus girl with the Ziegfeld Follies in the 1920s, then as a nurse in 1930s New York. After meeting and falling in love at age 36 with Willem Leonhardt, a Dutch millionaire, she moved to Holland, where she married him.

After Holland was occupied by the Nazis in May 1940, the Leonhardts joined a informal network of Dutch citizens from every walk of life whose purpose was to collect downed Allied airmen and get them safely back to England. Their efforts paid off, but just over a year later, Mona was arrested by the Gestapo. She was one of the first and few women to stand trial in a military court in Holland and was condemned to death by firing squad. The calm demeanour of this wealthy socialite so impressed the tribunal that she was permitted to appeal her sentence. She was sentenced to life at hard labour and was transported to Germany.

In March 1945, the 44-year old Mona escaped with a Dutch baroness, 22-year old Wendelien van Boetzelaer. For three weeks, the two women walked through the cold and wet, heading for Holland. Mona used her acting skills to pose as a mentally challenged woman with a cleft palate (to avoid speaking Canadian-accented German), while Wendelien used her linguistic skills and intimate knowledge of Germany to parlay their way out of some tight spots. They exchanged labour for food and lodging, and eventually made their way to Rhede, on the Dutch/German border. There they were separated, much to Mona’s alarm.

In early April, during a bombing raid, Mona moved with villagers across a field and into Holland. Back on safe ground, she told a Dutch farmer that she needed to find British troops so that she could contact her father — whom she’d last heard from in October 1943 through a Red Cross parcel. Taken took what they thought were British soldiers, Mona identified herself as Canadian. One soldier regarded the filthy, begraggled Mona who, at 5′ 8″ now weighed only 87 pounds and asked suspiciously, if she was from Canada, where was she from? Mustering all the dignity possible, she replied, “I’m from a small town in Nova Scotia, called Wolfville.” He swore softly and said, “I’m Clarence Leonard, and I’m from Halifax — and we are the North Nova Scotia Highlanders.”

But even so, they could not take her at her word. She was taken to a field hospital, where she was given food and a medical examination, but where she would also be questioned by Canadian Army Intelligence. The doctor who treated her at the field hospital was Capt. Kelly McLean. The two had acted together at Acadia University. Not only could he vouch for her identity, he found two other officers who would offer their support. One was Capt. Vincent White, whose cousin lived across the street from the Parsons when they’d lived on Acadia Street. The other was Capt. Robbins Elliott, the son of the Parsons’ family physician in Wolfville. For her bravery in helping Allied servicemen evade enemy capture, Mona received citations from Air Chief Marshall Lord Arthur Tedder of the Royal Air Force, and General Dwight Eisenhower, Commanding General of the American Forces in Europe. Canada made no such recognition.

Although her war ordeal was over, Mona had more woes in store. Her husband, who survived a camp, was changed after the war. Sullen and surly, he drank and was occasionally verbally abusive, as witnessed by Mona’s brother and sister-in-law during a visit in the early 1950s. Mona did her best to smooth over the troubles although she suffered much. She was completely unprepared for revelations that followed Willem Leonhardt’s death in April 1956. He had left one-quarter of his multi-million guilder estate to his mistress — the wife of his best friend. A few days later, his son — whom he’d told Mona was neither his nor still alive — turned up to claim his, under Dutch law, rightful portion of three-quarters of the estate.

Devastated and in ill-health, Mona moved back to Halifax, where she met a childhood friend, retired Major General Harry Foster. They married in June 1958 and were happy until Harry’s death from cancer in August 1964. When she was denied survivor benefits on Harry’s military pension, her two stepsons, plus and Admiral and a General went to Ottawa to plead her case. When denied, they argued that she should at least receive the Commander, Officer or Member of the British Empire. That, too, was denied. Canada has yet to make any official recognition.

She returned to Wolfville in 1970 to live out her remaining days. Suffering from emphysema and TIAs (mini strokes), which often affected her memory, her speech and her balance. some assumed that she had a drinking problem. While working for the Kings Historical Society in 2003, a fellow confided that, while the efforts by me and Robbins Elliott towards gaining recognition for Mona were laudible (if perhaps a bit obsessive), there were a few who remembered her from that time and didn’t think she should be recognised, having, as she allegedly did, “a drinking problem”. Further, he challenged, what had she done for the community? She had done her work in Holland, not Wolfville. Even if her TIAs had been alcoholism, who could blame survivors of Nazi prisons and camps if they’d had a drinking problem? Or perhaps disapproval was because drinking isn’t ladylike? After all, Sir John A. MacDonald’s drunken antics are some of the best-known anecdotes! And as for what she’d contributed to this community, I’d say she did about as much as my father, and other veterans of WWII did when they volunteered to go to war.

When Mona died in November 1976, her surviving brother buried her in the family plot in Willowbank Cemetery. Her epitaph would do nothing to elucidate Mona’s wartime contribution. It reads:

Mona L. Parsons

1901 – 1976

Wife of

Major H. W. Foster

C.B.E.  D.S.O.

Harry Foster’s decorations are recorded on Mona’s headstone — and he’s buried with his first wife in Kentville. Mona, on the other hand, was to be remembered for all time as simply someone’s wife. She deserves more.

Please support an initiative to name the clock park for Mona Parsons. People have written letters to Bob Stead and Roy Brideau in the past, after reading my book about Mona’s life, asking why there’s no memorial to her. Bob and Roy forwarded those letters to me, and I know that Town Hall has talked about it a few times, including when Gwen Phillips was mayor. Hopefully with a formal proposal, supported by WOW, this will finally be realised.

Ingrid Vandenhurk and I have created a website, which you can view at www.monaparsons.ca. The site is still under construction, and Ingrid waits on me to provide more material and images that she can craft into an interesting and informative site.

Thanks for reading!

~Andria Hill-Lehr

MEET SONGWRITER AND MUSICIAN, JENS JEPPESEN!

On Friday night of the Charlottetown East Coast Music Awards, Jens Jeppesen had been up late playing his music. The last thing he had expected was a Saturday morning call from the Deep Roots Music Cooperative, because he was in a “Deep” sleep (quite a coincidence).

Although barely awake, in a very congenial way, Jens Jeppesen allowed an interview to begin almost immediately, knowing an audience is looking forward to seeing him perform Saturday May 28^th with fellow award-winners Matt Anderson and The Hupman Brothers Band, at Acadia University Hall in Wolfville. Jens received 2010 nominations and won an award from Music New Brunswick. His good friends, the Hupmans, won E.C.M.A.’s Best Blues Recording award for 2010. And with great timing, another friend, this year’s International Blues Challenge winner, Matt Andersen, was about to be awarded 2011’s Best Male Artist and Best Blues Recording E.C.M.A. honours that very weekend. Good company for a man from a farm in New Denmark, New Brunswick.

Deep Roots Music Cooperative: What is your musical background, and what are your musical influences?

Jens Jeppesen: As a teenager, I listened to the Tragically Hip, and Big Sugar a lot, and as an adult, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Doc Watson. I have been playing guitar since I was thirteen. I sometimes play the banjo, but have been performing for 6-7 years on acoustic guitar in a roots/folk style. For the last 5 years, I‘ve made a living just from that.

Deep Roots: What is the “Newgrass” style you’ve been said to play?

Jens Jeppesen: It combines fiddle music with bluegrass, breathing life into old Appalachian Mountain music to make it more palatable. A lot of people don’t like bluegrass’s nasal tones and harsh-sounding mid-range instruments, and turn up their noses. So I try to put my own life into the style, to bring to the table something people will enjoy. And they love it–when it’s played with modern instruments, a modern sound, and not out-of-tune. Bluegrass is really technicaI: I love the stuff, and want to share it – with more of life in it and with a different take. I make it my own, so that people can enjoy it.

Deep Roots: What do you think of your fellow performer on May 28th, Matt Andersen?

Jens: It is awesome to see someone do so much with just a guitar and voice! Good will come forever from the footprints he is leaving in the music industry for others to fill: he’s proof that hard work will put you on the map.

I was working on an arts grant, recording songs by kids in remote Milleville, New Brunswick, when I told those kids that the community you come from has nothing to do with your ability to succeed. Being from a small town was never a stumbling block for Matt. He is amazingly dedicated, and someone to be proud of.

Deep Roots: You will also be sharing our Wolfville stage with Ryan and Scott Hupman, and The Hupman Brothers Band. What are your thoughts?

Jens: You’re not going to find better bluesmen than the Hupman Brothers—they are absolutely incredible. Ryan is a fantastic fella, and Scott and I are dear friends: he played bass on two tracks of my CD “Miles to Go” that received a Music New Brunswick Award. I visited them in their beautiful spot from their song “Up on the Ridge”—and anytime we get together, it’s always a blast. I am really looking forward to this show!

Deep Roots: So are we! Before we finish –are you encouraged by what’s happening in today`s music industry?

Jens: Maritime music is growing, and whether it`s country, folk, bluegrass, blues, or rock, the next great artist is going to be from the Maritimes.  We have talent that is out of this world. With The Allman Brothers playing the Harvest Jazz Festival —the Hupman Brothers could do equally as good a job. The Divorcees` music is old-time, but new –and incredible.

West Coast Canada has lots of great artists, like Corb Lund and Tim Hus. Great music is everywhere, — but we have a concentrated amount of talent right here!

Come for the Blossoms –stay for the Blues!

To see Jens Jeppesen, The Hupman Brothers Band, and Matt Andersen Sat. May 28^th, in their 7 p.m. Blossom Blues Concert at Acadia University Hall, Wolfville, go to: www.ticketpro.ca , telephone 1-888-311-9090 toll-free, or www.deeprootsmusic.ca .

Other Deep Roots Notes:

Thursday September 22nd’s pre-festival events are double the fun this year! Ron Hynes will be with us at the Al Whittle Theatre in Wolfville to share with us the award-winning film about him “Man of a Thousand Songs”. Search that on YouTube for the official trailer.

Food Plans: The Festival Committee Hospitality team met recently to discuss ways to feed our performers and volunteers at this year’s festival. If you have any ideas to share with us about how to feed 100+ people on a shoe-string budget, please contact:  lisa@deeprootsmusic.ca

Until the end of May you can still buy “early Early Bird passes” to Deep Roots Music Festival 2011, directly from Deep Roots for the ridiculously low price of $65!! (From June 1st till July 1st Early Bird passes will be available through Ticketpro for $75 plus handling fees.). Contact: office@deeprootsmusic.ca

Professor’s Perspective: Richard Cunningham

I was hired to teach sixteenth- and seventeenth-century literature at Acadia University, but the majority of my research is in the multi-discipline known as Digital Humanities. “Discipline,” in the academic context, has two prevalent meanings.  In the first place, “discipline” refers to what most people would call a “major,” which is an abbreviation of the longer phrase “major field of study.”  As an undergraduate I majored in English and philosophy for a while, but as I was doing my philosophy homework one evening I decided that the philosophy department in which I was working did not offer the kind of education I sought, so I cut my ties with that department and pursued an Honours degree BA (Hons.) in English.  In Canada, a BA (Hons.) in English typically requires students to take several more hours of instruction in English than are required simply for a BA.  The extra exposure is considered to provide better preparation for graduate school, and for many, if not most, Canadian universities’ graduate programs in English an Honours degree is required for admission.  In the absence of the Honours degree students are usually required to take extra courses at the undergraduate level before being fully accepted into grad school.  I earned my BA (Hons.), and after spending a year back in construction—my field of employment for a decade between high school graduation and the start of my undergraduate degree—I began a Masters program at a different Canadian university.  After completing my MA in English, I went on to earn my PhD in English at Penn State University.

The second prevalent meaning of “discipline” in the academic context might be best described as a pattern or mode of thinking, perhaps even a way of being in the world.  For example, I have been disciplined to think like an English professor.  This is done gradually, over the course of the various degrees one earns.  The process is so gradual, that a lot of people do not seem to understand or even be aware of the process.  There are many academics who do not realize that they see the world differently than you do because they have been disciplined to see it in particular ways.  And to be disciplined in this very insidious manner is a genie that cannot be put back in the bottle.  The working of this form of discipline on academics means that two professors from different disciplines can look at the same piece of evidence and arrive at two very different conclusions.  This is not because one is blinded by ideology and the other clear-sighted, it is not because one is naturally less intelligent than the other, and it is not because one discipline is a so-called “hard” discipline and the other, by implication, a “soft” discipline; it is because each has a very disciplined pattern of thinking, and according to the processes deemed correct or most fruitful by each discipline the thinker is led toward certain conclusions.  That is what it means, to speak precisely, to be a member of a disciplinary community, or, to speak more in the manner in which people really do speak, to be a member of, or part of, a discipline.

I think it is important to understand the concept of “discipline” to make sense of the digital humanities, the field in which I do the majority of my work, despite my love of and interest in literature of the early modern period.  “Early modern period,” by the way, is what those of us who see more similarities than differences between the cultures of sixteenth-, seventeenth-, and eighteenth-century England and the contemporary Anglo-America world call our period.  The sixteenth-century in England has also been called the Renaissance, which places greater emphasis on the period’s renewal of acquaintanceship with the Greco-Roman world, especially the humanistic world view of the Greeks, than on the foundation the period laid on which has been built the world we now inhabit.  But I digress.

The continuation from The Grapevine article begins here

To say that digital humanities (DH) is a multi-discipline is to say two things: 1) no one discipline controls DH; so far no particular pattern of thinking has been accepted as the correct or most productive pattern for DH, and 2) DH foregrounds something that has been lost in the academic discussion of “interdisciplinarity,” that being the need for a different disciplinary perspective, and the value of collaboration across disciplinary lines.  In DH, it is extremely rare for anyone to undertake a major project alone.  One of the research projects of which I am a part has 35 participants from multiple disciplines from anthropology, computer science, English, information studies, public administration, and more, at 21 institutions in Canada, the US, Britain, and Ireland.  Another has five of us, from four different disciplines, in Canada, the UK, and Germany.  Yet another has six of us from three disciplines at four universities, all here in Nova Scotia.  This last project, if it proves successful over the next two years, is likely to lead to a Canada-wide initiative in which the number of disciplines could easily double.  Staying closer to home, I am working closely with a faculty colleague in psychology, and a student in English and a graduate student in psychology.  None of these projects would be possible without the intellectual richness brought to it by the co-mingling of disciplines and the disciplined thinking of everyone involved.

I started teaching hypertext mark-up language, or html, the basic communicative structure of the World Wide Web, in the mid 1990s while a PhD student at Penn State University.  I did so because it was already obvious then that the means of communicating was going to change from the typed letter or the typed academic article to something a lot more dynamic.  Even the word processor as it then existed was woefully archaic by comparison with html.  But, as Donald Tapscott has written “vested interests fight change” and so while teaching students this new, vastly more dynamic, way of communicating I was little more than a voice in the wilderness, met by open hostility by some colleagues and by quiet resistance from others.  Even some students resisted, but more saw the potential and the historical significance of the new, digital, paradigm.  That was in the 1990s.

Now, students know more about the online world and the big wide world than ever before, and they do so without even being aware they are more and better informed than those who occupied their seats as recently as ten years ago.  And therein lies the need for DH in the university classroom: students need to be taught to think critically about how media and message complement each other; they need to learn how to use the computational power so readily available nowadays to analyze, speculate, and communicate; they need, now more than ever, to understand the importance of bringing to bear on all aspects of science and culture the lessons offered through the study of art, history, literature, and philosophy.  The near-ubiquity of devices that bring computing into every aspect of our lives demands that universities provide students the critical acumen to understand how information can be shaped by the medium across which it travels, and DH provides a means of showing them both how to develop that acumen, and that they need not, and arguably should not, try to reach final conclusions on their own.

The students who are currently in university classrooms across Canada have never known a world in which any fact they wanted to access was not virtually instantly available to them; they’ve never been taught that Windows is a metaphor, and that what they see on the screen is not the thing itself but a representation of the thing; bits and bytes create their world just as surely as do concrete, steel, grass, and sea.  So in my job as an educator I try to encourage students to see the invisible means of mediation through which information comes to them, and to respond intelligently to the pressures and pleasures of the digital age.

A Look Back at a Tall Ship’s Last Voyage – Part I

On the morning of February 17, 2010, the SV Concordia was 500 km off the coast of Brazil in route to Montevideo, Uruguay, on a journey that was to see the teaching sailing ship cross the south Atlantic to Cape Town, South Africa and other ports of call. The sky was overcast, rain showers were expected. The winds and seas were forecast to increase throughout the day. The sails were diminished in anticipation of the deteriorating conditions. None of this was out of the ordinary. We had been through such squalls before.

On board were 64 people – 8 professional crew, 8 teachers and 48 students. I had sailed with the Concordia back in 2007, joining the ship in Copenhagen for the fall teaching term in the Baltic and the Mediterranean. As it turned out, this past sailing experience was important, for along with about 15 of the students (and one other of the teachers) I had come aboard the Concordia only two weeks earlier on its present voyage.

At 2:10 in the afternoon I was lying on my bunk ‘below decks’ doing some reading and preparation for a 3:00 pm class. The winds had ‘freshened’, the seas were running at 2-3 meters but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. As we were on a port tack, and my bunk was on the port side, I was comfortably wedged against the outer wall. Suddenly I was alert to the changing ship ‘attitude’. The Concordia heeled to port with a gust of wind, then – as expected – began to right itself, stopped in this correction and resumed rolling to the left. I was conscious of the shifting of objects above me, the smashing of dishes, pots and pans (my cabin was below the galley and mess), the crashing of computer terminals in the little teaching space just outside my cabin door to the left, and voices raised in alarm. My cabin went dark, the only light coming from the lone porthole in my cabin which was now under foot, as the ship was on its side, and taking on water through open doors and hatches above deck.

At this point, each of the 64 aboard would have their own very specific story to tell. About 30 of the students were in the mess and the classroom, the two main teaching areas; some were on ‘day watch’, also above decks. A few of us – students, teachers and ‘pro’ crew – were in our respective cabins.

One cannot know in advance how one will react in such a crisis: fight, flight or freeze. As the abandon ship code was blaring from the cabin speaker I felt relatively calm. Obviously I had to get above deck to the open area at mid-ships where a number of the life-pods were stationed. This strategy would require me to climb up my cabin wall to the door (which was where the ceiling used to be), crawl right a few feet on the companionway wall, open the door to the mess stairs on the other side of the companionway (again where the ceiling ought to be), climb up the stair railing (now the floor) to the mess, then finally make my way to the starboard mess door to see what awaited me outside.

Part II – From ‘Blow Over’ to the Life Pods

The Concordia, a three-masted 188 foot barkentine, was lying on its side in the south Atlantic, 500 km off the coast of Brazil. It had fallen victim to a ‘micro burst’, an intense 10 to 15 second near vertical wind of 125-150 km/hr, a rare meteorological phenomena associated with cold fronts. The ship would not recover. As we discovered later, the elapsed time from ‘blow over’ to the Concordia turning completely upside down was 18 minutes. The 64 persons on board were in great peril.

I was starting my climb up the 12 feet or so from my bunk to the cabin door (above my head, with the ship on its side) when one of my fellow teachers shouted a greeting from the companionway above me. He urged me to hurry, but I did take the time to put my running shoes on as sock feet were not providing the traction I needed to scale the wall. I managed to reach the cabin door by going hand-over-hand up the coat hooks on the wall and open the door with my friend’s help. Together we made our way to the mess hall at deck level above. We found it to be completely filled with water to the left of the stairway. Text books, laptops, and miscellaneous personal possessions could be seen in the murky mixture; the space had been a classroom minutes earlier. Above us, to the right, a pair of students had positioned themselves in such a way as to be able to grab our hands as we emerged from below decks and help propel us through the starboard mess door opening to the top side of the ship.

It was raining hard when I joined the crowd outside. The winds were intermittent; the temperature was about 25C. The handing out of life jackets and survival suits, kept in lockers at mid-ships, was well under way. The students, organized for sail training purposes into watches (six groups of eight), had ‘counted off’, discovering they were all present but one. This student arrived ‘topside’ about two minutes after me. She reported that the water entering the mess was now cascading down the stairs to the living quarters. It was a near thing.

The Concordia had eight life pods – inflatable 20-passenger, covered rafts. This was just as well: two were jammed and could not be deployed at all and one, upon inflation, became entangled in the shrouds and blew up. The other five were brought into play in the water on the lee side of the ship between the ship’s masts, thus utilizing the calmer conditions but with the complication of possibly snagging on lines, sails and other debris all about. The seas were running at 10-15 feet.

The scene I am describing seems dream-like even now. We had conducted abandon ship drills many times, but those were – well – drills, and not really designed for the ship while on its side. The captain and the first and second mates were very busy coordinating the evacuation of course. The teachers could be seen helping out and offering encouragement. The students were well organized and disciplined .There was some hugging and crying but no panic. I remember at some point asking the first mate about ‘exit strategy’ protocol – students first, presumably. At almost that exact instant the Concordia shuttered and rolled another 15 degrees to port. She was going to turn completely over, soon.

With real urgency, and little regard now for who went first, we started sliding down the masts (which were at a playground slide angle with the sea) and either jumping or falling into the water near the life pods, or jumping into the pods directly.  Once more my footwear came to my aid (virtually everyone else was bare foot). I ‘crabbed’ down the mast until I was near the water but slightly above and to the left of a raft. I jumped and rolled, landing in one of the pods. One of the students came down on top of me a second later.

Part III – Forty Hours in a Life Raft

The life raft into which I tumbled was soon occupied by 21 of us. Our little craft, along with three others, was bobbing along between the masts on the lee side of the sinking ship. We proceeded to push away from the hull toward open water, avoiding sails and ropes and other debris. We would discover that the pods contained enough drinking water for about seven days, some emergency rations, signal flares, an air pump, bailers and a first aid kit. We had no paddles or communications equipment. A pod was like a small tent covering a child’s backyard swimming pool. The covering was held in place by an inflated arch and could be peeled back for ventilation purposes. Fresh air was welcome, but had to be traded off against sea water spray; the pod seemed stable enough, but sat very low in the water.

Before we abandoned ship we were certain that everyone had been accounted for. After the scramble down the masts – with many falling into the water first then being pulled into the life boats – we couldn’t be sure. As we now drifted away from the doomed Concordia we were able to rope three of the pods together. The fourth was too far away to capture and, in the heavy seas, was lost to view in a short time. From our pod we watched the Concordia turn completely over; I could see the barnacles on the hull. Just as we were loosing sight of her, she slipped under the surface and was gone.

Looking around our raft I saw that, along with students, we had the captain and five other teachers.  One of the other pods in our group of three contained the medical officer. Ironically, he was the only person who had sustained a serious injury in the abandon ship exercise having suffered a separated shoulder and cracked rib and was in considerable pain.

It rained off and on for the next several hours but the winds and sea conditions were bearable. It became very warm in the confined space. A number of individuals were seasick – several had swallowed seawater in the escape to the rafts. As the immediate shock wore off there was more conversation, some crying, even singing. We were in very close quarters –my legs overlapped the person across from me.  ‘Calls of nature’ were answered as best we could. There was lots of ocean to accept contributions, but ‘positioning’ was tricky and – in the beginning – ‘stage fright’ was a complicating factor.

As afternoon turned into evening we began to wonder if anyone was looking for us. The EPIRB, an emergency beacon linking ships with a satellite tracking system, had been deployed as the ship went down. Our position should be known. The seas had calmed a bit but the general conditions in the pod did not make for a restful sleep and it seemed a long time before Thursday morning dawned.

In mid-morning one of the other rafts had a valve fail in the lower flotation ring which resulted in this pod settling much lower in the water. The occupants had now to bail constantly to stay afloat. The injured medical officer, an occupant of this pod, was transferred to our craft, a necessary but very risky maneuver. As the hours passed and early evening arrived, morale was at a low point.

It was then that we heard the sweet sound of a plane approaching our position at low altitude. We had been discovered!

Concordia, Part IV: Rescue

The plane came in from the west, the drone of its engines building with each passing moment. The change in mood in our life pod in those few minutes was remarkable. Signal flares from our emergency supply were quickly readied and fired into the darkening sky. The plane, now clearly visible, changed direction and came directly overhead. From off to starboard another flare was spotted – the fourth life pod was just a few hundred meters away!

After several passes the plane departed, leaving us in high spirits and wondering what was in store. Our exact position now established, how close was a rescue ship? The evening wore on with lots of conversation. Some tried to sleep – it was now more than thirty hours since the sinking and we were weary. I dozed off, to be awakened at about 3:00 AM, with the reporting of spotlights from a huge merchant ship close at hand. The Hokuetsu Delight, a 700 foot freighter heading from China to Brazil had been diverted to pick us up.

As it turned out the next few hours were the most difficult of all. The ship was not equipped to take aboard persons at sea level. Their deck was 70 feet above us. They had to maneuver very carefully as the life pods could easily be overturned and the seas were running at 10-15 feet. A rope ladder was lowered to just above our pod and two of the students managed to jump and catch hold. They scampered up to the deck but the danger inherent in accomplishing this feat, in the dark, convinced our captain to delay any further attempts for transfer until first light. So we settled in for our second night at sea, with the Hokuetsu Delight standing off to windward.

By dawn the swells had lessoned. The ship came in close once more. Each of us waited our turn: stand up (in itself not an easy task, after 40 hours seated), move to the edge of the pod, time your jump (from a spongy ‘floor’) so as to grab for the ladder as the waves lifted the pod to the nearest point. Miraculously we all made it. The students went first. The medical officer was hoisted up on a back board. Fittingly, our captain came last.

The rope ladder took us to within 15 feet or so of the deck. At that point we climbed over to a companion way ‘bridge’ that sloped up to the top. A number of the crew positioned themselves along this path way to help us up; it took most of us a few minutes before our ‘land legs’ could be found.

The crew members of the merchant ship were wonderful. They gave us their clothes, their showers, their cabins. We ate chicken noodle soup, wrapped in blankets in their lounge. For the entire journey to Rio de Janeiro – a day or so – we had the run of the ship.

Lots more could be said, but I will end by answering four questions frequently asked: We saw no sign of sharks during our lifeboat experience. The Concordia is unlikely to be revisited – it lies in 3.3 kilometer deep water. To this point no satisfactory answer has been put forward to explain the Brazilian authorities’ tardy response to our distress call – after all, we were spotted within three hours of their finally commencing the search. And sure, I would love to go to sea in a tall ship once more, but my family agrees that I have had that particular adventure!

~Maurice Tugwell

Professor’s Perspective:What does a mathematician do?

“You do math research?  So, like, you discover new numbers or something?”

Historically, my profession has been very bad at explaining what it is that we do.  What do mathematicians study?  What does math research involve?  Isn’t math all known already?  Actually, no!

Let me first answer the question, “what do mathematicians study?”  Instead of physical objects, we study mathematical objects, which include sets (sets of numbers, sets of geometric shapes, or more abstract sets) and mappings between sets (operations such as addition and multiplication, relations such as “is less than”, functions that map one set of numbers to another set of numbers, and so on).  Often the mathematical objects that we study model something from the real world.  However, since the objects that we study are ideas, we need to give them very precise, technical definitions.

Suppose we start with the very applicable question, “how should a group of people select one option from a list of possible alternatives?”  The B.C. citizen’s commission that recommended switching from a “first past the post” system to the “single transferable ballot” learned a little bit about mathematical voting theory as part of their process of deciding on a voting system to recommend, for example.  How does a mathematician look at voting?  Let’s suppose that we have a set A of possible options, and that each voter makes a preference list ranking the options in the set A with no ties.  A voting procedure can be defined as a function that takes the collection of preference lists as input, and outputs either a single alternative (when a single winner is needed) or a subset of A (for example, when a group of voters elects three board members from a pool of, say, five candidates).  So now we are studying mathematical objects: sets together with an order relation (like “is less than”, but representing voters’ preferences in this context), and functions mapping the collection of pairs of (A, <) for each voter to a single copy of (A,<) that represents the collective ranking of the options in the set of alternatives A!

Now we can ask, what does mathematical research entail?  What properties of mathematical objects do we study, and how do we go about it?  Four properties that are often considered important for voting procedures are:

• The Pareto Condition: if everyone prefers option x to option y, then option y should not win;
• The Condorcet Winner Criterion: if option x wins over each other option in any pairwise contest, then option x should win overall;
• Monotonicity: if option x wins, and one voter moves option x up their preference list (decides that they prefer option x even more than before), then option x should still win;
• Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives: suppose that option x wins and option y is not selected, and then one or more voters change their preferences, but not their relative preferences for x and y (that is, if a voter prefers x to y, but changes how they feel about a third option z), then option y should still not be selected (maybe option z wins instead of x, but option x still beats out option y).

There are many different types of voting procedures, with new ones being thought up regularly.  Mathematicians study which of these properties hold for a given voting procedure, when a voting procedure is susceptible to manipulation such as by voters who don’t vote according to their actual preferences, as well as what combinations of properties arbitrary voting procedures could exhibit.  For example, a major result in the area of voting theory is Arrow’s Impossibility Theorem: if A consists of at least three alternatives and if the set of voters is finite, then the only voting procedure that satisfies the Pareto condition, monotonicity, and independence of irrelevant alternatives is a dictatorship, where a single special voter (the dictator) chooses the winner or subset of winners.

Mathematical results are expressed as theorems, like Arrow’s Impossibility Theorem.  Every theorem has two parts: hypotheses (the “if” part), and conclusions (the “then” part).  If the hypotheses are satisfied, then the conclusions are always true, in every single possible case.  To show this, a mathematician has to give a proof of the theorem – that is, an argument explaining why the conclusions must always follow from the hypotheses.  Mathematical research involves coming up with new theorems and proving them.

Proofs have a bad reputation.  The first time I encountered something that was called a “proof” was in high school geometry, where we had to make a list of steps (angle-side-angle, side-angle-side, and so on) to show that two triangles were congruent.  This was pretty tedious and not at all creative.  In real life, proving theorems often involves lots of playing around with specific cases, testing hunches, sketching pictures to help visualize the problem, following false leads for a while, revising the statement of the theorem that we’re trying to prove, and not a small amount of creativity and intuition!

The proof of Arrow’s Impossibility Theorem is too long to include here, but the picture next to this article gives a fun proof of another well-known theorem.  The Pythagorean Theorem states that if a and b are the lengths of the two sides of a right triangle and c is the length of the hypotenuse, then a² + b² = c².  We can think of c² as the area of the big square shown.  Try adding up the areas of each of the four triangles plus the little square in the middle!

Let me finish by giving you an example of an open problem – a question that mathematicians don’t know the answer to and are still researching – called the “3x+1 problem”.  Start with any integer, x₀.  If x₀ is even, divide by two to get the next number, x₁.  If x₀ is odd, multiply by three then add one.  Repeat to get a sequence of numbers.  For example, if you start with x₀ = 3, this is odd, so the next number is 3(3)+1 = 10.  Since 10 is even, the third number in the sequence is 10/2 = 5.  Since 5 is odd, the fourth number in the sequence is 3(5)+1 = 16.  Our sequence continues with 16/2 = 8, 8/2 = 4, 4/2 = 2, and 2/2 = 1.  Try this with a few different starting points x₀.  Do you always eventually get down to 1, or are there some starting points x₀ where the sequence of points can go on forever?

Mathematical voting theory is very immediately applicable.  The 3x+1 problem, on the other hand, looks like just a little puzzle.  In fact, it has connections to other results in number theory, that have more immediate applications to computing, cryptography, and related areas.  However, sometimes mathematicians are just motivated by an interesting and challenging puzzle.  Fortunately for us, such “pure” results have a habit of turning out to be useful 50 years after they are originally studied, so government funding agencies still give us money to work on all sorts of mathematical problems.

Eva Curry, Mathematician at Acadia University

From Camp to Class:  Head Lice and Crabs

School has begun in earnest by mid-September, but some of you may be dealing with the aftereffects of summer camp, perhaps long time aftereffects in some cases.  I am speaking of the not-for-polite-conversation occurrence of head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) infestation often picked up from the clustering of children during the summer holidays.  And there is the also a similar conviviality that transmits unpleasant visitors in the form of Phthirus pubis (crab lice).  If you are in the throes of facing these unwelcome facts of life, or if you are interested in prevention, here is the result of some recent research and experience uncovered by the writer.

One of the first places one tends to look for information is the web.  There is indeed a lot of information out there, but in as much as there is good fundamental information, there is also quite a lot of misinformation regarding this subject, and a lot of outdated information, so before you sink your money, time, and misery into experimenting with bogus solutions, it would be well worthe your time and effort to do your homework first.  At the end of this article I have sited some reliable web sites to explore, so I won’t waste time repeating information that you can look up for yourself.

When I started this article a number of weeks ago, I really tried to keep an open mind.  I did use standard drug store pediculicides, (Learn the lingo: “Pediculicides” are the parasite treatment found behind the counter at the drugstore, some by prescription) but was willing to experiment with “other” home or different remedies.  Based on my own experience I would say that the first and best line of defense is to make an appointment with your physician, or go to a clinic.

Theory, scientific articles, and information are good, especially when enhanced by practice and experience.  You can read about the life cycle and nature of lice from the web sites listed at the end of this article to get the former, and read the content here for some of the latter.  There are any numbers of things instructions just don’t tell you, and since the topic of lice is one of those unmentionables, I thought that it might be useful to present information that might be helpful to others in this situation.

Head lice move around on your scalp pretty darn fast.  They don’t jump or hop or fly, but they are marathon crawlers and you need to work fast with a nit comb to catch them.  They do have one positive feature though – they pretty much stick to your head and don’t venture off the beaten track.  One exception though is ears.  They like both insides and out – so if you’re treating yourself you need to be aware of that.  They reproduce like crazy and you can have a population explosion in a surprisingly short period of time.

Crab lice are another matter entirely.  Compared to head lice these went to university to get a degree.  They are clever and opportunistic.  They really do like any hairs on your body other than the ones on your head, so think about it.  If you shave off those hairs, they adapt and will use any dark, moist area on your body, and between any skin folds.  They are not as fast as head lice, but are adventurous.  They don’t multiply as quickly, but when you have them long enough you will have just as large a population problem as head lice.  Compared to head lice these are more difficult to get rid of simply because of their location.  One more thing – they are masters at hiding.

Treatment Options

What Doesn’t Work

Here are some methods out there that some suggest work, but I disagree and explain why:

Olive oil, mayonnaise, hair gel and Vaseline:  The premise for using these is to suffocate the lice.  That just isn’t true.  They tell you to apply it over night with a shower cap on your head, and then wash it out the next day.  What actually happens is that the lice very much dislike these gooey substances, and will squirm out of that area and move to another part of your body.  Try these methods and you will find bites on your bare skin in other parts unaffected by lice, and I promise you that it won’t be pretty.  It will encourage them to set up camp elsewhere on your body and you will end up with a bigger problem than when you started. The olive oil, mayonnaise and Vaseline melt with your body heat and while they are not easy to take out, they are much easier to remove than stiff hair gel/wax.  In all cases your best bet to remove these fats and oils is to use Dawn detergent for dishes.  It is a strong degreaser and will require about three repeats.  There are some people who think suffocants work if you apply  these in a very thick layer.  Know this:  Lice can play dead.  They can go into a catatonic state long enough for you to think that they’re dead when they aren’t.  Don’t ask me to go into the physiology of this – it’s complicated.

Rubbing Alcohol:  In the days before we sold little bottles in the drugstore for lice, down home people used kerosene (Petrol – which is where our term for it came from) to treat lice.    Kerosene is extremely flammable and exceedingly strong skin irritant.  Along these same lines, they say that 99% rubbing alcohol will kill both the lice and their eggs, but again, it is highly flammable, and frankly, one of the reasons you don’t see this advocated anywhere is that whoever recommends it would fear being sued.  That, and inexperienced people would not use it correctly, and horrible accidents would occur.  I really can’t imagine the mechanics involved for soaking the head or groin with alcohol to treat lice, because topical application results in rapid evaporation.  You would need to submerge the area.  In addition to that the vapours are mighty strong – making it difficult to breathe.  In my opinion, an exceedingly dangerous and impractical method for questionable results.

Listerine:  The first ingredient of this mouth wash is Eucalyptus, which is a smell some say lice do not like.  The usual recommendation is to apply it and place a plastic bag over your head for 2 hours, then wash out.  Well, they certainly do not like it.  If you use a large size freezer zip lock bag, it will fit nicely over your head and suffocate them, or make them really dizzy by the time two hours is up.  The tasty blue and green mint flavours will stain your face and fingers.  Listerine won’t kill them, but it might make it easier to catch them with a nit comb.  Personally, I wouldn’t waste my time with this method.

Vinegar:  There are a lot of people out there attesting that vinegar dissolves the adhesive used by lice to attach nits to hair.  The idea is to soak your hair with the vinegar (cover your eyes please; it is an acid) and leave it on your plastic covered head for an hour or so.  Then rinse and nit-pick. I have tried this often enough to say that personally I’m more than sceptical.  Didn’t make a dent.

What Does Work

Shaving:  In addition to removing their hatching environment, shaving reduces the temperature and  head lice are not inclined to hang around. It’s too chilly for them, and they don’t like it.  If you have head lice and shave yourself bald, you will not have any more head lice. Period.  Don’t let anyone fool you about this.  No hair, no lice, end of story for head lice. (One caveat however; you need to keep it bald until there is no possibility of reinfestation.  You’d be surprised how fast healthy hair grows.  It may need to be done every other day.  Keep it up for at least two weeks.)

This is not the case for crab lice though, I’m afraid.  If you have crab lice, shaving will at least get rid of some of the eggs if you are careful enough with the razor to get as close to the hair shaft as you can because crab lice lay eggs (nits) close to the scalp.  Crab lice are a problem, because the pubic area is an awkward place to reach, and you really can’t use a nit comb there.  Pediculicides are the best answer for these.  All accounts say not to shear the head of a child however.  It can be mighty traumatic and a source of bullying and harassment for a child to be bald, especially a girl.

Pediculicides. There are those who object to the fact that pediculicides contain insecticides (they do) and thus are dangerous for your health.  That is not strictly correct.  They’ve been developed with a reasonable amount of safety so long as they are used according to instruction, and not overused.   And it depends which kind you use on what kind of a person (adult or child, for example).   Now I won’t say that insecticides are great for your health, but frankly, after having tried almost every single “other” remedy out there, I cast my vote for the pediculicides because they work.   I would say that right now there is widespread tolerance to lindane and 1% permethrin shampoo.  You would have better luck with the 5% permethrin lotion or creame.  Isopropyl myristate (Resultz) is a new Canadian developed product that kills lice by causing them to lose water and become dehydrated.

There are other treatments for stubborn cases of lice that can only a physician can address.  There are antibiotics and antiparasitic normally used for worms, but these last are really  limited to cases that prove resistant or advanced.  There are side effect considerations for these, so co-operating with your physician using standard measures is imperative.

In terms of pediculicides, you will need to apply the treatment twice.  Follow the instructions for shampoos, which usually mean leaving it on 10 minutes.  As for the lotions and creams, the standard time is 12-14 hours.  You need to make sure all of your body, excluding your eyes, is covered, and  if any of it washes off, you need to re-apply at that site.  (Women who have crab lice are at a disadvantage in terms of urination.  You will need to reapply there after every instance.)  The treatment needs to be repeated again in 7 – 10 days, depending upon the treatment instructions. Bottom line though, after you have applied the first treatment, you will have the bugs crawling all over you anyway.   That is because when you apply a pediculicide, it only kills the adults and nymphs (an immature adult – that is, it can’t lay eggs – yet).  It does not get rid of the eggs (nits).  Not much kills the eggs.  Nature works that way.  That’s why a lot of things are still hanging around.  Eggs get a high protection status.  In addition to being difficult to kill, the glue used by lice to stick their eggs onto your hair shaft is very hard to dissolve, although we have researchers working on that.  As the nits hatch, the nymphs run around moulting on you (they go through three of them before maturation.)  The good news is that they aren’t laying eggs.  It’s a good idea to catch and kill the nymphs and pull out the eggs between the first treatment and the second.  How to do that?  There are a few things (a very few actually) that may help with that.

Before I launch into those, let me give you some advice:  The instructions in tiny print on these solutions supply you with a limited amount of information.  In terms of  the 5% permethrin cream, you are instructed to “wash” off the treatment after 12 hours.  To maximize the removal of lice debris your best method is to bath, not shower.  You really do need to get as many of these off your body as soon as you can, and showering is not going to do that for you.  Take a hot bath instead, using bath oil, and scrub, vigorously.  Then shower, suds down, rinse and towel off.  That should leave you in pretty clean.  (Note: You’ll need to disinfect the tub afterwards.)

Between Treatment Methods

Manual nit combing:  One way to catch nymphs and eggs is to wet your hair (some say to apply conditioner first, or some product that will make the hair slick) and use a specially designed long toothed steel comb called a nit comb and run that through your hair in at least 60 passes, combing in as many directions as you can.  Two excellent nit comb products are:  the LiceMeister (obtainable at some area drug stores) and Nit free Terminator (available online, and it arrives fast from the marketer.)  Not all nit combs are created alike, and the difference between the cheap or free models and the good ones is striking.  I would shell out the money for this, because nit combing is important.  Do this twice a day, morning and before bed.  When you use this you need to have either hot running water in front of you or a pot of steaming hot water.  After each pass of the comb through your hair, you need to take a look at what’s there, and rinse through the hot water.  Change the water every so often.  (Have an electric kettle on standby.)  When you are done, soak the comb in alcohol by completely covering the tines.  This method is tedious and you need to be vigilant.  It will not get rid of the lice, but it will help.

Electrocution Device: Robi-Comb (available at Walmart and online) is a battery operated nit comb that essentially electrocutes the lice when it meets one when you run the comb through your hair.  This kills the mature adults (if you can catch them, because they’re fast) and nymphs (slower, but smaller).  It works pretty well, as I bought one and tried it.  It will also catch the odd egg.  It is a fussy device though.  You have to use it on dry hair (no oils in it at all, nor sprays), and you need to clean it carefully.  As with the nit comb, it will not kill the lice, but does help.

Coping Mechanisms

If you are using pediculicides, and between treatments of the same, and so long as the product you are using does not specifically state that its effectiveness is hampered by washing, oils, or other substances, then here are some things that will make life somewhat tolerable, and maybe decrease the surplus population:

Tea Tree Oil:  There are strong advocates of using Tea Tree Oil (100%) to treat lice.  Some claim that it kills the lice and eggs, but no serious scientific studies have been held to validate that theory.  What I do know about it is that lice dislike it and will use it as an excuse to wonder around and find a Tea Tree Oil free piece of your skin to access the blood supply they need.  So you end up with a lot of bites on your body outside the affected areas.  It didn’t kill any of mine or their offspring.  There have not been enough studies done to determine the effects of undiluted Tea Tree Oil on the body.  It is an astringent, strong, and skin sensitizer.  It stings when you apply it.  But I will say this for it – if you apply it head to foot, lice hate it and will spend a great deal less time wandering around on your body.  You can’t miss any spots though.  I’m not advocating this ok?  You can get yourself a pretty good rash this way.  Look – you can spend a lot of sleepless nights with this ailment, and it made my life easier.  Make your own decisions, or trust your physician.

Essential Oils and Sachets:  The theory is that spraying your bedding and clothing with scents that lice dislike will help to make them either leave you or the place alone. Some essences they dislike are:  Rosemary, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Rose Geranium.  Some use neem and coconut oil (I have not used either.)  I used the sprays on my bedding and clothes, and sachets in pillows and bedding.  You can find these in health food stores.  The only advantage to using these, that I found, is that if you spray them on your outer and inner clothing, you don’t have such a great “wandering” problem, but is not a great deterrent.

One exception to this is a product called HairClean 1-2-3. It is an herbal product whose ingredients are essential oils: anise oil, coconut oil, ylang ylang oil and isopropyl alcohol.  There are some who attest that HairClean 1-2-3 works as well as permethrin, but it is a product that I have not tried, so I cannot comment.

Nit Dissolvers:  Various products on the market claim to dissolve the glue that sticks the nit to the hair shaft (example: Lice Guard; Neon Nits), or the nit shell.  Although the ultimate egg removal product would dissolve the secretion that binds the egg to the hair shaft, this has not been achieved yet and most chemical and natural products assist in the removal of eggs by making the hair more slippery. Among the products out there are:  formic acid, acid shampoos, acetic acid, vinegar (diluted), enzymes, conditioners and vegetable oils which are claimed to be effective in detaching eggs and nits from the hair.   These can be useful between pediculicide treatments if you are trying to get rid of nits and nymphs, so long as the use of the product doesn’t interfere with the performance of the pediculicide.  Read product information sheets to find this out.

Blow drier:  There is a company called The LouseBuster that operates clinics in the United States and uses a tool that blow dries your hair in a controlled fashion until all the lice is killed.  On a similar principle, after you shower and shampoo your hair, try blow drying your hair on the highest setting for as long as you can stand it.  Again, you will succeed in eliminating a few, but as I said, they’re fast and pretty good at hiding.

Hot water:  Lice have a narrow comfort zone.  They hate hot water (any temperature over 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit.)  Knowing this, when you shower, use water as hot as you can stand it in those areas where you have a problem.  You might succeed in wiping out a few, but because they are good at hiding, this is really not a meaningful deterrent.

Cold: Lice do not like cold temperatures.  If crab lice are keeping you up at night by wandering about on you, throw off the bed clothes and expose limbs to cold air.  They will run to where it is warm and stay put.

Light and Movement:  If you sleep with the lights out you are going to spend some sleepless nights, as these creatures seem to come alive and hold a barn yard dance in the dark.  They don’t like light though, so if you keep strong lights on when you go to bed, you won’t be free of irritation, but it won’t be as bad as it could be.   Again, this is just a coping method.  Another thing – they seem to “get” the idea of prone, horizontal quiet as an excuse to go into full gear.  Sometimes it just pays to get up, turn on the lights and move around or sit up, because the alternatives are just not worthe it.

Calamine Lotion, Cortisone cream, and Polysporin: Your skin can get really itchy and/or bite ridden.  Don’t scratch!   You will make it worse, I promise.  A good itch stopper is the original version of Polysporin, because it is a gel, but the cortisone does a super job.

Laundry, Clothes, and Quarantine

It is unfortunate that this is one of those problems that doesn’t go away without a certain amount of aggravation.   Anything you wore the day the problem was discovered and up to three days before that needs to be laundered or sealed away.   You will need to quarantine the mattress used before you discovered the problem, and bag both it and the box spring in air tight sealed plastic.  Move to another mattress which you will also need to seal before you use it.  Be prepared to wash all the linen and blankets (everything) you use on that mattress on a daily basis.  (When you are removing the sheets, be careful to remove them pulling and folding inwards.  Don’t just rip them off.  You do not want nits or lice falling onto the mattress, right?)  Laundry needs to be washed at the hottest setting, and you would be wise to either soak it 30 minutes before the wash cycle, or run the same load through twice.  You will need to dry everything on the hottest setting the drier runs, and for at the very least 20 minutes.

All of your clothes, every day, will need to be washed.  If you have crab lice do not wear shorts unless they reach your knees, otherwise you will be infesting chair seats.  For head lice, give up on hat wearing for the duration, unless you have washable ones that can be laundered daily.  You will need to dry clean or plastic bag (for at least two weeks to a month) anything that you have sat on, or rest your head against, that cannot be laundered.  The plastic bagging advice is one of those issues where the policy has recently been revised.  The latest advice is to focus on your clothing, bedding, pillow cases, towels and seating, and not too much on furniture.  What they say is that any nits or any lice seen on chairs, pillows or sheets are dead, sick or are the cast skins of lice, and that they are not infectious after being away from the body for a few hours.  Personally I wouldn’t walk around barefoot.  They say that vacuuming where you spend your time “is advisable”.  Absolutely do not fumigate.  There is no need for this, and it doesn’t work anyway.

You need to sit somewhere.  Resign yourself to wood or plastic chairs.  If you really must use a cloth chair, buy yourself the largest plastic bags you can and pull them over seat backs and seat bottoms.  In terms of car seats, during the high heat of summer, a closed car will heat the interior higher than 120-130 degrees.  Lice have a narrow window of temperature tolerance in terms of survival, and the intense heat of the car in the afternoon will kill whatever is there. You won’t get this break during the colder months though.  So you will need to vacuum and use removable covers.

Which brings up the question of quarantine.  Lice are highly contagious.  Personally, I would not visit friends or acquaintances in their homes.  Going to essential places where you are not sitting should be fine.  As far as children are concerned, you will need to check with the policy set in place by the authorities at schools or day care/nurseries.

Prevention

Be careful where you sit in public places or private places that you are uncertain about.  Whenever you can, chose a wood or plastic chair rather than cloth (however uncomfortable it is.)  Brush off anything that doesn’t look ok.

Wear clothing that covers your crotch and bottom to your knees when you sit.  In other words, long skirts or dresses, or pants.  If you do wear short clothing from the waist down, then wear some kind of stocking/legging to protect yourself underneath.

When you come home from said public places where you have actually sat in unfamiliar seating, change your clothes, and if you if in doubt, shower.

Do not lay your head back on stuffed, high backed chairs.  On buses or planes, make sure that those little papers for your head rest have been changed.

If you are going to a beauty salon, electrolysis or spa and they want you to lie on a table, make sure that you trust the proprietor, or ask for sterile sheeting (paper or cloth) to be placed over the table.  These items are easy (albeit an expense) for them to purchase, and they really should be doing it.  Doctor’s do it, right?  So should those people dealing with your body.

Try to avoid the back from summer camp and back to school season at walk in hair cutters during the months August through November.   If you have children it might be a good idea for you to learn how to cut their hair.  Cheaper too.  As for adults – you figure it out.  Hair dressers use towels to dry your hair, right?  They stick napkins around your neck, right?  They are using razors, combs, and brushes on your hair right?  You had better hope that everything has been washed and dried at high heat, and that utensils are disinfected.

When it comes to using the facilities, men have one up on women in terms of urinating.  However, there is a piece of equipment for women joggers you may not know about that can be purchased from the Mountain Equipment Co-Op (they have two versions) which allows women to urinate from a standing position.  In terms of sitting –  please!   Look at the seat!   Cover it with tissue or use tissue toilet cover. Carrying alcohol wipes for the seat is another option.  Some say this is pointless.  Yah, well, not if you are in there directly after somebody just used the place and you are next, right?

Children need to be coached about sharing clothing (hats, scarves, mittens, etc.), and combs and brushes, towels, or anything that could transmit parasites.

If you have a choice, hang up your coat, jacket, scarf, hat, etc. on an actual hanger, or hold onto it yourself.  Never use coat hooks in public places.  Why?  Head lice populate the three inch area between your neckline, ears, and just above the ears.  Coat collars are in close proximity to this area.  So…what do you expect gets on the hook?

If you use a pool, and especially if you use a pool in a place populated by sexually active individuals, take your own towels from home, and use caution with any seating.  That goes for gyms or places where people sweat and sit.

If you use a school/university locker and share it with anyone, be mighty careful about things like brushes and combs, or towels.  There are clothing hooks in there, right? Get your own and wait a few days before you use it.

Final Word:

Be prepared for a long slog if you’ve picked this up from – very likely – you don’t know where.  See your physician and co-operate.  It will take vigilance, attention and a lot of tedious cleaning.  You might need more than one kind of treatment.  Finally, once you get rid of the parasites, I would keep up the routine for a couple of weeks or the whole thing will come back and you will need to start all over.

Web Sites

General

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Lice Wikipedia site

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treatment_of_human_head_lice More from Wikipedia

Governments

http://www.gov.ns.ca/hpp/publications/Head_Lice_Guidelines_for_Treatment.pdf Nova Scotia Guidelines for the Treatment of Head Lice, NS Health Promotion and Protection

http://www.environmentalhealth.ca/lice.htm Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia

http://www.toronto.ca/health/hl_index.htm Toronto Public Health, on Head Lice

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/headlice.html MedLinePlus, A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland

http://www.cdc.gov/lice/ U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Human Services, Lice.

http://www.cyh.sa.gov.au/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=243&id=2273&np=292 Teen Health Site, Government South Australia

Associations, Societies, Academies, Organizations

www.headlice.org Site for the National Pediculosis Society

http://www.cps.ca/english/statements/ID/id08-06.htm The Canadian Pediatric Society, Head Lice

http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;110/3/638

The American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Report: Head Lice, Barbara Frankowski, MD, MPH; Leonard Weiner, MD; the Committee on School Health; and the Committee on Infectious Diseases

www.insectresearch.com/ps­_crablice.htm Medical Entomology Centre, Insect Research and Development Ltd., Cambridge, UK, Lice

Universities

http://identify.us.com/ Harvard School of Public Health, Identify Us

http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/lice/ University of Nebraska, Lice

http://www.jcu.edu.au/school/phtm/PHTM/hlice/hladd.htm James Cook University, Australia, Lice Information Sheet

Medical Professionals

http://www.lice.ca/basics/what_are_lice.html SkinCareGuide: Diverse and synergistic group of experienced entrepreneurs with extensive knowledge and achievements in clinical, academic and business aspects of Dermatology, Canada.

www.slate.com/id/2129213/ Dr. Sydney Spiesel, MD, Newhaven, CT,  Pediatrician. When he worked as an assistant prof for the Pediatrics unit at Yale, this doctor actually developed a shampoo that makes lice nits glow.

www.patient.co.uk/health/Pubic-Lice.htm Patient UK; health information provided by GPs and Nurses, Lice

Size, truly, doesn’t matter…

A little over three years ago, I left the smog and bustle that hustles of Toronto, to seek out the calm of the ocean, the salt of the air and the frame of mind that embodies the Maritimes. Since arriving in Halifax I have tried to immerse myself into all things Eat Coast.

I have paddled the lakes of Keji, picked the apples of the Annapolis Valley, wished the hills of Martock were higher, and dodged moose on the winding roads of the Cabot Trail. I have swam in warm lakes and braved frigid coastlines, all in the pursuit of capturing the spirit of the Atlantic.

However there was one quintessential element of Nova Scotia that, until recently, I had not yet experienced…the lobster boil.

Now let’s get something straight before I go any further, (and for those impatient gear heads out there, I will start talking toys soon), I have had my share of lobster since arriving on the Salty shores of New Scotland, I just hadn’t done it right yet. I, like many others, have paid too much for a lobster – that was still knee high to a grasshopper – in a restaurant that screamed tourist trap. What I hadn’t done was, go to the beach, fill my pot with ocean and allow the beloved, delicious, crustacean, to say its last words while I licked my lips and looked for butter.

I was having a friend visit from Ontario. This was to be Joe’s third visit out east, he had swiftly fallen in love with the right coast. This time he was bringing his girlfriend, and he wanted to show her a true Mari-time. Steph insisted on being shown something genuinely Nova Scotian. Joe called me up and a hint of panic hung in his voice, he asked “what the heck can we do that’s Nova Scotian?”

“You mean besides drink Propeller in my kitchen?” I pacified Joe’s panic with the thought of hoppy IPA’s and went on to suggest a lobster boil on the beach.

“Perfect!” Joe hung up the phone with-out saying “goodbye”. I took this as a sign of excitement and decided not to be offended. So the plan was in place: lobsters on the beach. Now all I needed was a pot big enough, a place to get lobster, a beach to boil them on and a stove to boil them with.

I had no idea where to begin, but, living in Wolfville has its advantages. It took me all of three seconds to find out where to get the lobsters. I asked the first customer that came into the shop the next morning, where I could buy some live lobster to cook on the beach.  My customer looked at me as if I had just asked which end of the kayak paddle goes in the water.
“Halls Harbour is where you want to be son, for sure.”  I could tell by the tone in which the customer responded, he wasn’t just telling me where I could buy lobster, but how foolish it was of me not to have known.  The venue was set, and my credibility as a Maritimer, only slightly tarnished.

So a few weeks went by, I lost track of the date, and hadn’t given two more seconds of thought towards Joe and Steph’s visit. I got a call on my cell phone, saw the 519 area code on the caller ID and realized that tomorrow was the day I was supposed to have the cookout and I had literally no ducks in a row to pull it off. I answered the phone, assured Joe all was in place for his picturesque dinner on the beach with his best pal and gal and that all he needed to do was come get me.
I hung up the phone, and got to work. I called one friend, got a pot. Called another, and got a refresher on how to get to Halls Harbour. I hadn’t been there since the winter to ice climb. I spent the duration of that trip, sleeping in the passenger seat, taking my friend (who woke up at five in the morning to come get me), completely for granted. (I love you Nate). Once the pot and directions were in place, all I needed was a stove.

Now being an outdoorsmen, which I consider myself to be, I have three stoves. Three single burner camp stoves that usually heat up beans, noodles or some other freeze dried delight. My typical menu is lightweight and all together a LOT smaller than a pot full of lobster. I looked at my small but mighty burners…then called ten other people looking for something, anything, larger and mightier.

Joe and Steph had arrived with hunger behind their eyes.  It was go time.  I hadn’t found anything else to cook with.  I told them to wait in the car and I would bring out the cooler and everything else we

needed. As I stood alone in my room, I looked at my Whisper Lite and gave it a little pep talk.

The Whisper Lite I had selected for this outing was a gift.  The stove was purchased used, on line. The MSR logo on the pouch it came with was blue, which indicates the stove was at least ten or fifteen years old, and I hadn’t used it once since it was given to me. The amount of variables that could potentially go wrong with this aging, flame throwing, BTU spewing relic, were unnervingly abundant.  The success of this entire outing, hung on the reliance of some strangers unwanted gear.
“Alright dude, I know your reputation, and people tell me you got what it takes. You may be a little out of practice, and I’m sorry if your last owner didn’t have much need for you. But I am here now, and I do need you. Let’s see what you’re made of.  DO YOU HAVE A LIFETIME WARRANITY OR DON’T YOU!” I jammed the stove into its stuff sack and ran towards the car with my fingers crossed.  I could tell we were both charged up from my speech.

We made it Halls Harbour no problem. We picked out our lobsters and went through the process of making peace with the fact that we had to kill them ourselves. This was tough for Steph. She had just finished watching a lady take a few lobsters out of a tank to show some on looking children how to tell if they were “girl lobsters” or “guy lobsters”. The lobster lady was about to start naming everyone’s dinner and giving them favorite colours, so before anyone changed their minds, we grabbed a handful of salt water taffy for dessert off the counter and headed for the beach.

We settled on the sand. Joe got to work unpacking the cooler and uncapping some beers and I got to work setting up the stove. I could tell Joe had his doubts when I pulled out the Whisper Lite. “That’s the stove we’re using? The tide will be in and our plane will be taking off by the time anything is ready with that little thing!” Subtlety was not his strong suit.

I assured Joe, despite my own doubts that everything would be fine, and he should worry about having room in his stomach for all it would cook. There was already a little circle of stones to place the stove and pot in, to protect them from the wind. I pumped the canister full of air, said a little prayer and primed the stove. Joe leaned over the circle of rocks to see how this puny little burner would fare.  After the ball of flames (that I intentionally didn’t warn Joe about) died down, I cranked open the burner and the Whisper Lite was roaring. Joe counted himself lucky for still having eyebrows and Steph buried her nose in her book to distract her from memories of Disney characters that resembled her meal just a little too much.
So did I have enough fuel? Did we have enough sunlight? Was there enough power underneath that pot? Hells yes. I can’t tell you how impressed I was with that stove. In a half hour we had cooked, to perfection I might add, potatoes corn and lobster. The Whisper Lite brought everything to an efficient boil and bore the weight of the pot no problem. We watched the sun dip towards the approaching tides and heaved chunks of butter drowned lobster meat into our mouths while muffling the words, “this is awesome” to each other.

It all just kind of came together. I will never again doubt the capabilities of the that little stove. I will hum the opening theme to Mighty Mouse as I prime it every time. All in all the dinner went smoothly and the gear did what it needed to. My friends flew back to their land locked home province, with salt water in their veins, lobster in their guts and Joel Plaskett on their IPods. Now I can pack my seasoned Whisper Lite away for any camping trip knowing full well, there ain’t nothing I can throw on it, it can’t cook.

Brian Conoley
Store Manager (Wolfville)
Community Programmer
The Trail Shop
697-3115

WHAT ABOUT THE BOOT?

FRITZ’S rooftop boot in New Minas may soon be shaking off its guy wires and taking a walk, as business owners Frieda and Gerd Burger start planning for retirement.

NEW MINAS, AUGUST 13, 2010—Where is the boot going?

After more than 30 years as a local landmark, the big yellow boot on the roof of FRITZ’S in New Minas may be looking for a new home. Owners Frieda and Gerd Burger have decided it’s time to take things a little easier. They’ve sold the building and the Enviro-Depot recycling division although not the business itself.

“We don’t know yet what will happen to the boot,” Frieda says. “The future of the store is undetermined at this time.”

The tentative closing date is September 30^th, with a closing-out sale starting in August.

Many local people have grown up with the boot, using it to get their bearings since childhood. Justin Flemming, manager of Andy’s Tire Shop in New Minas, remembers car trips with his parents to visit family in Kentville.  “As a kid I always wanted to know, ‘Are we there yet?’ But instead I’d ask my dad, ‘Are we at the boot yet?’ I knew that once I saw the boot, we were nearly there.”

Back in the 1970s, when Frieda and Gerd moved to the Valley from Toronto to take over the business from Frieda’s mother, FRITZ’S was a working-man’s store, specializing in clothing, footwear and accessories for the working man. That’s when they had the boot made; it was dark brown for many years before being painted yellow.

But the business actually goes back much further than that. It was started in 1942 by Frieda’s parents, Joseph and Aida Fritz. “My mom and dad started it in recycling, and after the war my mother began the store as a war surplus, because that was all that was available back then,” Frieda says. “And then it developed into a family outfitter store.”

Frieda and her two sisters grew up in New Minas, but she was the only one who worked much in the business as a child. She liked it. “I started out in the bottle exchange when it was down in the back building,” she says, “and then as I grew older, my father sent me upstairs to dust the shelves.”

Back then, when they packed the bottles and shipped them, they took them by truck down to the railway siding in Kentville. They loaded them onto a boxcar, and Frieda would sit on top of the load. She doesn’t remember exactly how old she was, just “knee high to a grasshopper,” she says with a laugh. “And if anyone slacked off, I let them know they were supposed to be working. They called me Little Joe, a pint-sized version of my dad.”

After she finished high school, Frieda went to Toronto to study at Ryerson. She ended up staying for 14 years and working in the government Health Insurance office. While in Toronto she met Gerd, who had emigrated from West Berlin in the late 1950s and was working as a skilled painter/decorator.

Frieda and Gerd came to the Valley in 1975 to check out the business with an eye to buying it from her mother. Her father had passed away a few years earlier, and her mother was ready to retire. They bought the business in 1976. Then, in the recession of the late 1980s and early 1990s, a lot of their suppliers went out of business. “It was really bad,” Frieda says.

They closed the store in 1994 with the intention of staying closed. But that didn’t last long. “Our customers came in and said, ‘We can’t get this. Could you get it?’ I started back as a special-order service,” she says. That set the tone for the new store, FRITZ’S ‘Just for You,’ serving the needs of her customers.

Frieda describes FRITZ’S as having a unique mix of products. The footwear section has only two types of footwear: natural rubber and waterproof footwear, and moccasins and slippers. But they have the second largest selection of Laurentian Chief moccasins in Nova Scotia and one of the largest selections of hats, rainwear, rubber overshoes and wool pants.

Over the years, Frieda and Gerd have received wide recognition for their commitment to the community. In 2002, the business received the Small Business of the Year Award from the Eastern Kings Chamber of Commerce. In 2009, Frieda was awarded the EKCC Lifetime Achievement Award. And in 2010, FRITZ’S was voted the Best Clothing Store in Kings County as part of EKCC’s Best of Kings event. Gerd belongs to the Lions Club, and Frieda belongs to the Rotary Club, the Valley Women’s Business Network, and is Chairperson of Valley Business Connections. Their business is part of EKCC and a Charter Member of the Eastern Recyclers Association. “You can take what you’ve learned, and you can pass it on to someone and maybe help them grow,” she says.

They’ve raised funds for the Valley Regional Hospital Auxiliary, Camp Brigadoon, and the Victorian Order of Nurses among other causes. “When my mother passed away in 1998 at age 87, I set up a fund in her honour,” Frieda says. “Aida’s Fund raises money for VON palliative-care training.“

Now it’s time for Frieda and Gerd to slow down a little. Maybe.

But what will happen to the big yellow boot? Turns out it has been on the move before. “It used to be right here on top of the store,” Frieda says. “Then we changed the flat roof to a peaked roof and had to find a new home for it, so we moved it next door to the flat roof above the Enviro-Depot.”

Could that mean this boot was made for walking?

# # #

ABOUT FRITZ’S

Joseph Fritz Enterprises Ltd. is two businesses located in one building serving New Minas since 1942. FRITZ’S ‘Just For You’ is a practical store for practically everyone with a country store environment featuring quality products with a great selection of sizes & styles at reasonable prices. The store carries Canadian-made whenever possible. It has the second largest selection of Laurentian Chief moccasins in NS as well as the widest selection of hats in the area, from a sou’wester to fur. (www.nslocal.ca/fritzs)

The other part of the business, now sold, is FRITZ’S Recycling, operating an Enviro-Depot as well as buying and selling non-ferrous metals & selling wine bottles.

CONTACT: Frieda Burger, FRITZ’S “Just For You”
902-681-4796 • fritzi@eastlink.ca • www.nslocal.ca/fritzs

PHOTOS: Rachel Cooper
902-582-3251 • rachel@inotherwords.biz • www.inotherwords.biz

Gaspereau Valley Artesian Well, The Saga Continues

The Gaspereau Artesian Well, Part 1

In June last year, Patrick Bazinet wrote an article about the popular roadside artesian well located on Greenfield Road in Gaspereau that many people use as a source of drinking water. At that time, there was some concern about the safety of the water for drinking. As a result, Patrick initiated an effort to assess the water quality, and undertook a bacteriological test of the water. To assist this effort, I volunteered to undertake chemical analysis of the water to determine whether it contained any dissolved constituents at concentrations that would be of concern from a health or environmental perspective. The following article, presented in several parts, describes the progress that has been made in assessing the quality of the water in the Gaspereau artesian well.

The Gaspereau artesian well was originally drilled approximately 30 years ago by Walden and Howard Coldwell to supply water to their dairy farm in Gaspereau. The well is approximately 55 meters deep and immediately after completion, water started flowing from the well head, and has been ever since. Many people collect water from this well, for either drinking, domestic use, or to water their animals, and it is known to contain very ‘tasty’ water. In fact, this well has proven quite a godsend when recent failures in the domestic water supplies of nearby Hantsport and New Minas forced residents to find their water elsewhere. Many of those affected collected water from the Gaspereau artesian well at those times.

The Gaspereau well is an artesian well because it flows continuously without the necessity of a pump to extract the water. The flow from the well occurs because the source of the water, located at recharge points where precipitation seeps into the ground on the north (and possibly south) side of the Gaspereau Valley, are higher than the well location (this vertical distance is called the ‘hydraulic head’). As a result, after seeping into the ground, precipitation flows downward through a permeable aquifer (the Horton Bluff sandstone). Because the rocks above and below this aquifer are relatively impermeable, this water is forced by the hydraulic head to flow out of the ground where the aquifer has been breached (at the Gaspereau artesian well). The associated cross-sectional diagram of the Gaspereau Valley illustrates the geometrical relationships responsible for causing the Gaspereau well to be an artesian well.

Because the flow of the Gaspereau artesian well is ultimately from the precipitation we receive, variations in flow rate are apparent throughout the year. Less flow from the well occurs both in the summer, when it is dry, and in the winter, when precipitation is frozen and thus doesn’t seep into the ground. More flow occurs in the spring and fall when cyclonic storm fronts move through our province, providing significant precipitation. Groundwater recharge uphill from the well likely occurs on both the north and south slopes of the Gaspereau valley, and this is probably ample to ensure continuous flow from the well even under the most severe drought conditions (there is 30 years of continuous flow as evidence of this). As a result, this well will likely serve as a reliable source of water in the near and distant future.

Given the above background regarding the hydrogeology of the Gaspereau artesian well, in the next Grapevine issue I will address the bacteriological testing that has been undertaken on the waters from the Gaspereau artesian well, what implications that has for its water purity, and any associated public safety concerns that might exist for the well.

The Gaspereau Artesian Well, Part 2

Late last year, Patrick Bazinet briefly reported the results of a bacteria test of water collected from the artesian well on Greenfield Road in Gaspereau after local residents expressed concern about the well’s water quality. In this issue, I will expand on the bacteriological results obtained by Patrick, and discuss what other water quality assessment initiatives are underway.

Water collected from the well in late August of 2009 was examined at the Valley regional Hospital laboratory to determine whether potentially hazardous bacteria were present. Two measurements were made, one for total coliform bacteria, and one for fecal coliform bacteria (notably Escherichia coli, or E. coli, some strains of which can cause significant health problems). Coliform bacteria are common in surface water, soils and on vegetation, whereas fecal coliform bacteria occur principally in mammal and bird feces (including human feces). The presence of these bacteria in water indicates that there may be pollution and/or sanitary water quality concerns. Total coliform bacteria are not likely to cause illness, but their presence indicates that the water has the potential to be contaminated by more harmful micro-organisms. Moreover, although fecal coliform bacteria may cause gastroenteritis (the swelling of the gastro-intestinal tract), their presence indicates that more harmful disease-causing pathogens, such as other bacteria, viruses, and parasites, are likely to be present. The bacterial counts obtained by Patrick from the Valley Regional Hospital laboratory revealed that the Gaspereau well water has zero counts of both total coliform bacteria and zero counts of fecal coliform bacteria. As a result, this water meets the Canadian drinking water quality guideline for potable water, and thus is safe to drink from a bacteriological perspective.

Unfortunately, this is not to say that the well water will remain safe to drink, as activities associated with the nearby street (e.g., an accidental road salt spill on Greenfield Road), changes in the local farming practices in the Gaspereau area (e.g., changes to crops requiring more intense fertilization or pesticide/herbicide applications, such as grapes), or changes to land use uphill from the well (e.g., logging) could impact the groundwater accessed by the well. All of these activities could undermine the well’s water quality. The very close proximity of Greenfield Road to the well is of particular concern from a water quality security perspective.

Environment Canada guidelines suggest that private domestic drinking water sources undergo bacteriological testing every six months. Given the large number of Kings County residents who collect and use water from this well, testing of the Gaspereau artesian well water at the regular intervals suggested by Environment Canada is probably appropriate.

In addition to the bacteria tests already undertaken by Patrick, water samples are being collected to measure the concentrations of dissolved solids in the water. These samples will assess whether the water contains elements at concentrations levels that can have harmful health or environmental impacts. Unfortunately, testing a water once to determine the dissolved element concentrations within it is not necessarily comprehensive. Seasonal temperature and precipitation changes can impact water quality. For example, in a typical Nova Scotia summer, only minor precipitation occurs and evaporation is enhanced by the warm temperatures. As a result, many groundwaters typically become more saline, and dissolved element concentrations increase, enhancing the risk of a health or environmental hazard. The more intense precipitation experienced by Nova Scotia in the fall and spring dilutes the groundwater, reducing the dissolved element loads, and thus mitigating these risks. Interestingly, in the winter, the cold temperatures prevent what precipitation that does occur to recharge subsurface water reservoirs, and thus groundwaters again become more saline. As a result of these seasonal changes, water sampling to assess dissolved element concentrations needs to be undertaken seasonally, at least at first, in order to obtain a baseline for future ground water quality comparisons.

Consequently, Nate Stanley, a grade 10 student at Horton High School, has been collecting duplicate water samples of the Gaspereau artesian well every month since August, and will continue this for another 12 months. Nate had also measured the temperature, pH (a measure of the water’s acid-base balance), and electrical conductivity (a proxy for salinity) of the waters. Samples already collected have been preserved and stored frozen in the Centre for Analytical Research in the Environment (CARE) laboratory at the KC Irving Environmental Science Centre at Acadia University. Once 18 monthly sets of duplicate samples have been collected, Nate will analyze the samples for a variety of elements, including heavy metals, as part of his future 2011 science fair project. Last summer, Nate volunteered in the CARE analytical chemistry laboratory of Dr. John Murimboh (Dept. of Chemistry) and learned some of the procedures he will need to employ to analyze these samples next year, once they are all collected.

The Gaspereau Artesian Well, Part 3

In the last two issues of the Grapevine, I presented a description of what was known about the hydrogeology and bacteriology of the Gaspereau artesian well, and the plans in the works for investigating the chemistry of the well water. In this and the following issue, I describe what is already known about the element concentrations in the Gaspereau artesian well, given that a complete analysis will not be available until March 2011, when Nate Stanley completes his science fair project and reports his results.

Fortunately, there are some, mostly qualitative, element concentration data available for samples from the Gaspereau artesian well. These were collected and measured over the past several years by the Hydrogeology class of Dr. Ian Spooner of the Dept. of Earth & Environmental Science at Acadia University. Every other year, when this course is offered, students are asked to analyze ground and surface waters from the Gaspereau Valley in one of the course laboratories. Fortunately, the Gaspereau artesian well was sampled as recently as March 2009, and students measured a number of parameters that assess the aesthetic appeal and quality of the water. Results are not published and, because the analyses have been performed by ‘first time’ analysts, they can only really be considered semi-quantitative. Nevertheless, they do provide us with some insight into the chemistry of the water.

The pH of the water, measured by both Nate Stanley (monthly, since August) and the Acadia Hydrogeology Class, ranges between 5.6 and 6.8. This indicates that the water is only slightly acidic, with values between a pH typically observed in rainwater (5.2) and a neutral pH (7.0). These pH values suggest that the well water, which probably originally started as rainwater before soaking into the ground, has been partially buffered by reactions with minerals as it flowed through the ground, increasing its pH and producing a water that is neither acidic enough to corrode (dissolve) Cu pipes in a domestic plumbing system, nor clog up those pipes with scaley residue (mostly calcite – calcium carbonate, CaCO₃, and Fe-oxy-hydroxide minerals – ferrihydroxide, Fe(OH)₃, goethite, FeO.OH, and hematite, Fe₂O₃).

The electrical conductivity of the water has also been measured monthly by Nate Stanley. Electrical conductivity is a proxy for the water salinity, because dissolved ions in the water are responsible for conducting electricity through it. The electrical conductivity of the Gaspereau artesian well water ranges from 119 to 282 micro-Siemens per meter (uS/m). This indicates that the water is relatively dilute, and has a salinity (dissolved solid concentration) that is significantly lower (a good thing) than many high quality drinking waters (which typically range between 500 – 50,000 uS/m; note that these are also much lower that the electrical conductivity of seawater, which is approximately 4.8 ´ 10⁶ uS/m). As a result, the overall low electrical conductivity (and thus dissolved solid concentration) of the water means that there is a low probability that this water contains concentrations of potentially harmful elements that are elevated enough to cause health or environmental impacts. It also suggests that the residence time of the water in the ground is relatively low, a feature consistent with the inferred hydrogeology of the well (its recharge zones are relatively short distances – within 500 m – uphill from the well, and so the rainwater that provides water to the well hasn’t resided in the ground for extended periods of time, preventing it from reacting with and dissolve minerals in the ground, and thus becoming significantly saline).

In the next issue of the Grapevine, I will describe some of the other water parameters measured by Dr. Spooner’s Hydrogeology Class, what these mean in terms of water chemistry, and what they can tell us about the Gaspereau artesian well.

The Gaspereau Artesian Well, Part 4

In the last issue of the Grapevine, I presented the first part of a description of what was known about the chemistry of the Gaspereau artesian well water, mostly based on measurements made by Dr. Ian Spooner’s Hydrogeology Class at Acadia University. In this issue, I continue this description using other measurements made by Dr. Spooner’s Hydrogeology Class.

In addition to the pH and electrical conductivity measurements addressed last week, Dr. Ian Spooner’s Hydrogeology Class also analyzed several other water parameters that can be used to identify contamination by surface waters and agricultural run-off (notably phenols, orthophosphate and nitrate) in a ground water. Phenol concentrations in the Gaspereau artesian well water are un-detectable (too low to be measured; in this case less than 0.01 parts per million, or ppm). Phenols are a class of organic molecules with a common molecular structure that are common in the natural environment. In surface waters, phenols derive largely from decaying plant material (mostly tree bark) and animal carcasses. Low phenol concentrations in the Gaspereau artesian well water indicate that surface waters that likely contain phenols, have probably not contaminated the well.

This observation is also important given that a cemetery exists uphill from the Gaspereau artesian well in the well’s recharge zone. Leachate from the cemetery could enter the ground water aquifer, and thus could contaminate the well. Undetectable phenol concentrations in the Gapereau artesian well water suggest that if leachate from the cemetery was entering the ground water aquifer, the flow of ground water through the aquifer to the Gaspereau artesian well is sufficient to filter it and remove any organic contaminants it might have picked up, producing a safe and potable water at the Gaspereau artesian well head. The zero fecal coliform counts measured in these waters also supports this hypothesis.

In contrast, orthophosphate (PO₄^-3) concentrations are 0.3 ppm. Health Canada does not identify a ‘maximum allowable concentration’ for orthophosphate, but this concentration is much higher than background orthophosphate concentrations typically observed in un-contaminated surface waters (typically, 0.005 – 0.05 ppm). Nevertheless, this concentration is lower than the maintenance dose of orthophosphate commonly added to drinking water by municipal water authorities to prevent corrosion of the pipes in water distribution systems (0.5 to 1.5 ppm), and also is far lower than the 100 ppm concentration typically found in carbonated cola drinks (Coke® and Pepsi®). As a result, these levels are neither considered harmful nor strongly indicative of significant agricultural contamination, although the Acadia Hydrogeology Class has conclusively demonstrated that some surface water in the Gaspereau Valley typically has much higher orthophosphate concentrations, probably due to significant agricultural – fertilizer/manure – contamination.

Gaspereau artesian well water nitrate (NO₃^-) concentrations are 0.8 ppm. Although this concentration is similar to that of surface water draining low intensity agricultural land, and thus could represent low grade nitrate contamination, it is far lower than the Health Canada ‘maximum allowable concentration’ for nitrate in drinking water (45 ppm). High concentrations of nitrate in drinking water can cause methemoglobinemia, a blood disorder whereby a certain type of hemoglobin incapable of transporting oxygen becomes prevalent, leading to hypoxia. Infants less than 6 months of age are particularly susceptible to this disease (also called ‘blue baby syndrome’), but the nitrate concentrations observed do not suggest that the water poses a risk in this regard.

In addition to the above parameters that can indicate contamination of water from agricultural wastes and other surface contamination sources, Dr. Spooner’s Hydrogeology Class also analyzed other elements that were likely dissolved in the Gaspereau artesian well water. The water sample from the Gaspereau artesian well had manganese (Mn⁺²), iron (Fe⁺²), sulphate (SO₄^-2) and chloride (Cl^-) concentrations of 0.2 ppm, 0.03 ppm, 4 ppm and < 0.01 ppm, respectively. The very low Cl concentration in this water (0.01 ppm is the lower limit of detection) is consistent with its overall non-saline character, a feature of this water discussed in a previous Grapevine issue. Health Canada’s ‘maximum allowable concentration’ for sulphate in drinking water is 500 ppm, so the very low sulphate concentration observed also supports the conclusion that this water is relatively fresh. Unfortunately, Health Canada has not set ‘maximum allowable concentration’ limits for Mn or Fe (whatever they will be, they will likely be very high relative to the concentrations observed), but ‘aesthetic objective’ concentrations of 0.05 ppm and 0.3 ppm do exist. As a result, although the Fe concentration of the water meets the aesthetic limit, the Mn concentration does not. As a result, if this water was supplied to a domestic water system, it is possible that a black stain could occur over time in porcelain sinks and toilets due to the precipitation of black Mn-oxy-hydroxide minerals (mostly pyrolusite – MnO₂; triggered by the oxidation of the Mn due to mixing of the water with atmospheric oxygen). Because most of the local residents who use this water for drinking purposes dispense it from plastic water cooler systems, this potential for staining plumbing fixtures is likely not a problem.

In summary, if you have been following the articles in previous Grapevine issues, you will know that, at this point in time, the Gaspereau artesian well water has no bacteria counts that could suggest contamination problems within the well, and that the dissolved element concentrations in the well that have been semi-quantitatively measured so far are mostly very low and likely do not pose any health or environmental risk.

At the same time, there is no guarantee that the well water will remain safe for drinking. As a result, Environment Canada guidelines suggest that private domestic drinking water sources undergo bacteriological testing every six months and that testing of dissolved constituents be undertaken every two years. Given that many Kings County residents collect and use water from this well, testing of the Gaspereau artesian well water should be undertaken at intervals recommended by Environment Canada.

Cliff Stanley, Ph.D., P.Geo.(N.S.)

Professor of Applied Geochemistry

Dept. of Earth & Environmental Science

Acadia University

OUTDOOR OUTLOOKS

DISCLAIMER!!! Hey everybody, I have a feeling this e-mail may be a long one, but I would appreciate it if everyone took  a few minutes to read it.  It is long overdue, and also very exciting.

That being said, grab a coffee, a comfy seat, put some Radiohead on in the background (personal preference) and read on, here we go….

The Great Canadian Backyard Campout (GCBC from here on out) is on it’s way.  For those of you who don’t know what this event is all about, this e-mail is for you.  For those of you who are familiar with this event, keep reading, lots of updates, growth and developments to discuss too.

So in a nutshell the GCBC is all about exposing new families and demographics to the joys of camping.  Whether it be in your own backyard, or in  a National or Provincial Park, we want to let people know how easy, fun and healthy camping can be for you and your family, whatever shape or form your family may be.

Last year was the 1st year for the GCBC.  We partnered with Citadel National Historic Site, Keji, Sierra Designs Uncommon Grounds, and Families United By nature and threw one hell of a campout.  Here is how the event works.

We get Sierra Designs to get about a dozen tents.  These tents are 4 person and up tents that families get to use sleep in during the camp out.  They can also bring their own tent if they already have one, or choose an old canvas tent from the Citadel Regimental Society to sleep in.

During the event we run things like: Victorian Games, led by Citadel’s staff, camp cooking workshops and camp games, led by us, and there is also a bunch in interpretive drop in programming from Keji, Citadel and other groups like F.U.N.  People arrive, go through the programming blocks, eat dinner, provided by the event as part of the registration cost, then a campfire, songs, skits, stories, whatever.  Go to bed, wake up early,  have a nice breakfast donated by a local, fresh, organic source, pack up, and then hopefully….go camping in their backyards or parks or where ever, forever, until the end of time.  The End.

Not quite….

After the event we ran a contest.  Send us your backyard campout story for a chance to win  a Sierra Designs TENT!!! About ten families did this.  We gave out a tent,  we sold all the tents we brought to the event,  it was a real big hit!  So this year we are growing the event to Wolfville,  and extensively broadening the contest.  Here are the updates for this year.

We are in Wolfville now, duh, so it made perfect sense to bring the GCBC to our new home,  SIDE NOTE! Anyone who wants to spend some time in Wolfville, whether it be at the store itself or in the town.  I have a big yard, a few tents and would love to invite you all to come to the Valley whenever you can,  open door policy,  this is your shop too.

So in Wolville we are having the event at Willow Park on July 17th.  There will be 75 participants.  The Blomidon Naturalist society, Tan coffee, Just Us Roasters, The Town of Wolfville, The Gaspereau Scouts and a few others are our current partners.  The event in Halifax takes place at Citadel Hill on July 3rd, and will host 135 participants.

Here is what you guys need to know about the event as far as logistical questions and store procedures.

The only place to register is at a trail Shop.  People can download the registration forms off of the website (backyardcampout.ca)  or come by the shop to pick them up.  The registration forms are attached below.  They are only for the Halifax Event.  I will send along a Wolfville specific one later today.

Once a registration form has been filled in we take all the payment through our ebit machines or cash registers.  I will write an independent e-mail to Lisa (HI LIsa!) to get an item number set up in retail pro,  so ringing through  a registration form is as simple as pie.  I need someone to make a file with all of the registration forms for the Halifax Shop.  This folder should be kept at the front cash,  and every few days, totals should be sent my way so I can get a handle of how full the event is.  Anyone who wants responsibility for this please step forward now.  I’ll be your best friend and smite all your enemies if you step up.  I will also love you and I give good….hugs.

This year the contest giveaway is a huge deal.  We are making it a huge deal, because, even though the event itself was a tremendous success,  the radiating of that event into peoples backyards, creating their own experiences needs to be greater!  We want people freaking camping it up!  So here is whats going down.  C100, ourselves, sierra designs, Keji and Citadel have joined forces to bring a huge prize package to the public.  We will be giving away  a discovery card, good for access into any provincial or national park, a tent from SD, and money for groceries and gas and everything else for a weekend camp out in Keji,  the value is about $1000 bucks.  People have all of July to write in their story.  Who is eligible to win?  Anyone.  Whether you camped at Willow Park in Wolfville, or Citadel in Halifax, or somewhere on your own.  Write in your story, send us a pic and you are entered.  The two places stories can be submitted is on the Facebook group (coming soon, or through the GCBC website, backyardcampout.ca. The story acts as a ballot into the contest.  We are not judging the stories and picking a winner.  A pic is needed for proof,  so some smoother larcenous obsessed laureate can’t pull the wool over our generous eyes.  The radio spots for this contest and both events starts some time this week, so listen for the spots on C100.

I am also looking for any interested parties to help me facilitate some activities during the two events.  If you want to take part in any shape form or fashion, PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP! I do need some support here and I am sorry the ask has not been made earlier.  There will be posters printed for this event shortly that will get dropped off to the shop in Halifax that are full of info as well.  You can also go to the website for FAQ’s and general info if my on line ramblings are incoherent.

I have a meeting in the city this week with the GCBC committee at Citadel and will be by the Shop (FIIIIINALLLLY I MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH) to talk about it, check in, and Gush about how I love Wolfville,

that is all for now, please get back to me with any questions, concerns comments ideas or anything!  If you wanna chat about it on the phone, you know the number,  902 697 3115.  Thanks for reading everyone!!!

Brian Conoley
Store Manager (Wolfville)
Community Programmer
The Trail Shop
902 697 3115 (Wolfville Store)
902 687 3110 (Fax)
brian@trailshop.com