Christmas Parade

Friday, December 2nd  2011

Liverpool Nova Scotia ,

Below is a rundown of the full slate of events for that evening in Liverpool from 5:00pm -10:00pm.   You will see that this evening is packed with festive activities, including a Newcomers Christmas Reception at Queens County Museum from 7.30 – 9.00 p.m.  

             

The Christmas Gift Gallery (Local Artists) at 254 Main Street on both Friday and Saturday evenings beginning at 5 p.m.                          

Christmas Parade – Bristol Avenue and Main Street 6 p.m.                           T

Tree Lighting Ceremony outside the Sherman Hines Museum of Photography on Main Street, afterwards younger participants can sit on Santa’s knee in the Astor Theatre7.30 – 9.00 p.m.           

Newcomer Christmas Reception at Queens County Museum (109 Main Street). Those of you who attended the event at the Queens County Museum last year know that it is a veritable Santa’s Grotto of Festive Fun!!  Mark the date on your calendar and bring your Christmas Shopping list with you, as there will be lots of opportunities to buy those special Christmas gifts.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL

Nova Scotia Clams



Digging clams is a popular pastime around the world. In Canada clams may be harvested all year round, though shellfish closures may be enforced in particular areas at particular times due to changes in water toxicity and the spread of pollutants.

Recreational clam digging is done by digging or picking them out of their habitats by hand. When clams are relatively close to the surface they are often retrieved with a long-tined rake. When they are positioned further below the surface they can be dug out with a short garden-type fork or "clam hack." Razor clams may be dug with a short-handled, thin-bladed shovel. Commercial clam harvesting is typically done out in the waters off the coast using mechanical rakes.

Clam Digging Instructions

• Use clam tongs to harvest your own clams and shellfish. These are meant to be used from a boat in about 10 ft. of water (or the length of the tongs.) They work as scissors and scrape the sand on the bottom of the ocean floor digging just a couple of feet down to unearth the clams. The clams are then trapped in the metal toothed-grid.

• Try using a scratch rake. A scratch rake is meant to be used in water that is waist high. You simply rake the ocean floor and uncover clams. Be sure to bring a floating bucket for your clams.

• Go treading for clams. This very old school method requires no equipment. The fisherman simply feels the ocean floor with his feet and searches for clams. As he digs with his feet a few inches below the ocean floor and feels clams or shellfish, he simply bends down and picks them up.

• Scour the ocean floor with a shinicock rake. This rake is short and meant to be used at low tide when the ocean floor has receded. Simply walk out on the wet sand and rake away. Once you uncover some shellfish, toss them in the bucket.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada:

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/commercial/shellfish-mollusques/clam-palourde/index-eng.htm

  

Liverpool .... for food from the sea

UNESCO Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve

   Blanding Turtles Conservation          

The Southwestern region of Nova Scotia was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2001. It is one of only 16 ecosystems in Canada with this special designation. Our work at the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve Association supports the three elements of biosphere reserves: conservation, sustainable development, and capacity building for research and education. Located in the boreal needle leaf forest biographical region, it includes rolling plains, river plains, glacial plains, hills, drumlins and coastal cliffs.

The Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO designated and internationally recognized region of natural and cultural heritage. The SNBR spans the 5 counties of Annapolis, Digby, Yarmouth, Shelburne and Queens County and is one of only 15 biosphere reserves in Canada. 

The biosphere reserve is a hot spot for biodiversity and is home to 75% of Nova Scotia’s species at risk. It encompasses many terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems including the Acadian Forest, rolling plains, drumlins and coastal cliffs. The core of the biosphere reserve is the largest protected wilderness area in the Maritimes. The surrounding counties are touched by the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Fundy which add to the distinct natural landscape.

                                                                          UNESCO website:

 http://www.unesco.org/mabdb/br/brdir/directory/biores.asp?code=CAN+11&mode=all

Southwest Nova Scotia Biosphere: http://www.swnovabiosphere.ca/

Preserving Nova Scotia together for future generations

Carroll Tri County GM

Queens County's local GM dealers, early beginnings, go back to the early 1920s and has been known for their quality service in serving their customers ever since. The company has had several owners during the past 89 years and is still referred to at times as Rossignol Sales.

The company began as Thompson Brothers Ltd. named after the first owners. It was later changed, with influence from T.H.Raddall Sr, to Rossignal - after the first known French fur trader in Queens County area. Over time the company saw several different owners and those known to me were: C. (Charles) Smith, Eric Manthorne and Carman Pierce, Ralph Minard and David Jones, Gary Forbes, John Carroll and now the present owner Scott Carroll.

The company was firstly situated on Main Street and then later moved to the large building next to the town bridge. In the early 70s a new building was constructed on the current site, where Carroll Tri County GM is located today.

There have been many long term employees over the years, working along side  those many previous owners, and still today there are staff with more than 30 years of loyal and dedicated years of service. The people of Liverpool and Queens County still depend on the friendly, reliable service connected with Carroll Tri County GM. Over the past 14 years Steve, myself and our entire staff strive to provide and maintain the high quality of customer service that our customers deserve. As a result our customers have placed Carroll Tri County GM as one of the top seven dealerships in Eastern Canada.

Since I joined the company in 1979 I find the experience to be very rewarding. Thank you for your continued trust and support.

David Whynott

General Manager

CARROLL TRI COUNTY GM

Ship Building in Nova Scotia



“ Congratulations to Irving Shipbuilding and all of its employees for proving that Nova Scotia is ready to build the best . This is a defining moment in Nova Scotia's history. The future starts here. ” 

This multi billion dollar project will certainly see a major change in the demographics of all of Nova Scotia, including Liverpool. In the past hundreds of Nova Scotia's youthful citizens migrated west for employment; with their new learned skills and certifications there are great career choices for them to return home to.

Quick Facts

• The contract, estimated at $25 billion, will help the province turn a corner on 20 years of slow economic growth in Atlantic Canada.
• It will mean an additional 11,500 jobs for Nova Scotians and will increase the province's GDP by almost $900 million during peak production years.
• The Canadian economy is expected to grow by $1.5 billion, and 4,500 jobs will be created outside of Nova Scotia.
• The merits of Nova Scotia's bid were clearly outlined in the Ships Start Here campaign, designed to build support across the country and awareness locally.
• More than 10,000 people across the country pinned messages of encouragement for Irving's bid on the canadianshipsstarthere.ca map, and thousands of lawns were marked with Ships Start Here signs.
• The campaign websites received close to one million views.
• The premier also thanked the leaders and organizations within the Ships Start Here partnership for their united support of Irving's bid.
• The partnership, made up of 70 organizations such as Nova Scotia Community College, Greater Halifax Partnership, and the Federation of Labour, will now mobilize to ensure the province can make the most of this opportunity and meet the demand for labour.
• Irving Shipbuilding will enter contract negotiations with the federal government with hopes of starting shipbuilding production as early as late 2012.
• Halifax Shipyard has been in operation since 1889.
• Irving Shipbuilding has built tugs and offshore supply vessels for clients at home and around the world, as well as 80 per cent of Canada's current surface combat fleet.

NOVA SCOTIANS BUILDING THE FUTURE TOGETHER

http://www.irvingshipbuilding.com/irving-shipbuilding-home.aspx

Nova Scotia Scallops

Scallops are bivalve mollusks and are one of Canada’s most important commercial shellfish species. The scallop is possibly best known for its beautiful and distinctive circular-shaped shell that can reach up to 20 cm in size.

Sea scallops are found densely concentrated on sandy, gravel bottoms. Sea scallops can be found in waters at depths as shallow as 10 metres and as deep as 384 metres. The harvestable offshore concentrations are found on banks at depths between 35 metres to 120 metres. On average, sea scallops need four to five years to reach commercial size. Sea scallops can live up to 21 years.

Sea scallops are suspension filter feeders and their diet consists mainly of plankton. Before settling on the seabed, scallop mortality is high as scallop larvae may be eaten by larger organisms, including zoo plankton and fish, or transported away from favourable habitats by currents. The main predators of adult sea scallops are sea stars, crabs, lobster and various ground fish.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada website:
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/sustainable-durable/fisheries-peches/scallop-petoncle-eng.htm

Pan seared Digby scallop with apple butter 

Enjoy this treat for your taste buds — pan seared Digby scallop with apple butter.
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
12 ea 10-20ct Digby scallops
Sea salt and pepper to taste
2 ea medium gravestien apple
1/4 lb butter
8oz apple ciderYield: 12 ea H’ors D’ouevres
1. Peel one apple, cut in quarters and place in a small pot with the apple cider and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the apple and puree in a food processor. Set aside to cool.
2. Dice the second apple into 1/8 inch pieces, leave the peel on.
3. Blend 1/2 of the pureed apple and butter together.
4. Heat a medium cast Iron pan for 2-3 minutes, add the olive oil and scallops. Sear for 1-2 minutes without moving the scallops, turn them over, add 1 tablespoon of apple butter and sear for another minute.
5. In a second pan sauté the apples for 2-3 minutes on high heat with 1 tablespoon of apple butter.

Pan Fried Scallops - You Tube: http://youtu.be/Q-fIjFrPjJU

Bon appeti with food from the sea.

Retire or semi-retire in Liverpool by the sea

Lobster Season

The lobster season in Queens runs from November to May, but you can find this delectable meat on our menus year round.  Lobster traps are commonly used as lawn decorations in the Maritimes  and our many harbours are filled with colourful boats, racks of lobster traps and buoys ready for the next voyage. Lobster is very low in fat, but not suitable for low sodium diets. One common way of serving lobster 'tail' (actually the abdomen) is with beef, known as surf and turf. Lobsters have a greenish or brownish organ called the tamale that performs the functions of the liver and pancreas in a human, i.e., it filters out toxins from the body. Some diners consider it a delicacy, but others avoid it because they consider it a toxin source or dislike eating innards.

The lobster industry is regulated to protect the lobster industry for future generations. Every lobster man is required to carry a lobster gauge. This measuring device gauges the distance from the lobster's eye socket to the end of its carapace. If the lobster is less than 3.25 inches (83 mm) long, it is too young to be sold and must be released back to the sea.

Red lobsters are red usually due to the cooking process however there is a 1 in 10 million chance of a  red lobster being caught. Blue lobsters are rarely caught (one in every 2 to 5 million) and the only reported catch of the blue lobster was in 2009 in New Hampshire and in 2011 two were caught in PEI and one caught in New Brunswick. Blue lobsters are blue due to a high quantity of a particular protein.  Even rarer is the yellow lobster (one in 30 million), with one caught in 2010 in Gloucester. But most rare of all is the albino lobster, which is without pigment at all and estimated to number one in every 30 million caught.

Liverpool for life by the sea.