“spreading the good news in our...

Clayton Park/Clayton Park West/Fairview/Bayer’s Lake Park/Rockingham/Birch Cove/Armdale Vol 3 No 1 October 2015

“Spreading the good news in our community”

Bayers – Westwood Community Dedicate Children’s Community Garden To Queen Elizabeth II

By Bruce Holland

On September the 9th, 2015, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II became the longest reigning British Monarch and Canadian Sovereign in history, break-ing the record set by her Great-Great Grandmother, Queen Victoria. Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne at the age of 25 in 1952 and she has reigned for the past 63 years and 7 months.The members of the community of Bay-ers – Westwood thought that this was a great accomplishment to commemorate with their new Community Children’s Garden for Queen Elizabeth II. It was dedicated to her reign in a ceremony held on September 10th, 2015, at the location of the garden just off Roman’s

Avenue.The Honourable J.J. Grant, Lieuten-ant Governor of Nova Scotia and the Queen’s representative here, was in attendance with many other elected Federal, Provincial and Municipal of-ficials to formally dedicate the Garden to Queen Elizabeth II and to thank the volunteers who made the Garden/Park a reality.Councillor Linda Mosher, who was instrumental in securing funding for the project said, “Over the years, thanks to the tireless efforts of many volunteers and in particular the volunteerism of Tina Raftus, the Bayers – Westwood Park has developed into what you see today. A place for recreation and com-munity development. With the addition

Halifax West Warriors opening game has fans on edge of their seatsBy Bruce Holland

In a nail biter of a football match, the Halifax West Warriors lost their open-ing game of the season to the J.L. Ilsley Judges with only 5 seconds left on the clock.The stands were packed with over 600 fans at the beautiful artificial turf of C. P. Allen Field, for what turned out to be an exciting defensive battle between two closely matched teams of Titans.The Warriors threatened several times to pull ahead and put the game out of reach, but each time the Judges man-aged to fend them off and keep the game close. With only 5 seconds left on the clock the Judges pushed the ball into the end zone to take the hard fought game of 9 – 6.

of new playground equipment, soccer nets and now the Children’s Commu-nity Garden, the Park will provide the children with the opportunity to learn life skills, cooperation, patience and community building. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this a reality.”Queen Elizabeth once said, “I know of no single formula for success. But over the years I have observed that some at-tributes of leadership are universal and are often about finding ways to encour-age people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm and their inspiration to work together.”When you walk through this Park and the New Garden it becomes very obvious that this community has come together to succeed in the very way The

October 2015 • Parkview News

Publisher:Bruce Holland [email protected]: 902-452-7472Fax: 902-479-1613Editor:Nicole [email protected] Manager: Eric [email protected] Sales: Bruce [email protected]: 902-452-7472Dawn [email protected]: 902-488-2498

Paul [email protected]: 902-456-0664Circulation:20,000 copies, 70,000 readershipAgent: Canada PostPrinter: Transcontinental$1.00 eachLetters to the Editor/Editorial Inquiries:Letters should not exceed 200 words and must include the writer’s full name and telephone number. Letters are subject to editing and are printed at the discretion of the publisher.

Email to: “The Editor” [email protected] News: P.O. Box 25031 Clayton Park PO, Halifax, NS, B3M 4H4Notice: The publisher and the production service assume no responsibility for the contents of any advertisement or editorial materials. Any warranties or representations made by any printed material contained herein are those of the advertisers or writers and not those of the pub-lisher or the production service. The publisher reserves the right to refuse, edit or cancel any advertising or editorial submission at any time and for any reason. Materials can be reprinted only with the expressed permission of the publisher.© 2015 Parkview News, Clayton Park, Nova Scotia

A guy walked into an entertainment centre the other day and a game of bowling broke out. Well, that’s not exactly how it happened, but things appear to be moving in that direction. Today’s modern bowling centres are a far cry from those of the past and have sparked something of a renaissance with the public, for both the avid and casual bowler. Contemporary, bright spaces with a comfortable social seating area, big screen TVs, sprawling arcades and ex-panded food and beverage services have replaced poorly lit bowling alleys of the past that featured “snack” bars. Bowling enterprises that haven’t embraced this transformation have disappeared, while other operators have invested in diversi-

fying their product to attract discerning consumers who expect value for their entertainment dollars.Leading the way on the investment side is Bowlarama, with six Maritime loca-tions. In Nova Scotia: Spryfield, Bayers Road, Dartmouth; and New Brunswick: Saint John, Dieppe and Bathurst. The completely remodeled Spryfield centre is the flagship for Bowlarama’s facilities of the future.“We wanted to build an Entertainment Centre for the community. So we’ve in-vested a substantial amount of time and energy to create a place for the com-munity,” says Bowlarama’s Managing Partner Arthur MacMillan.One of Bowlarama’s proudest accom-plishments in this new era of entertain-

ment is just getting people to look up from their smart phones and really socialize.“It’s a place for people to come together to socialize, exercise and enjoy them-selves,” Mr. MacMillan added. And burning a few calories at the same time doesn’t hurt either.In addition to re-outfitting its enter-tainment centres with modern decor and expanded activities and services, Bowlarama has worked hard at keeping its pricing affordable. It wants to provide a great option for families, groups or in-dividuals simply looking for inexpensive way to get out and have fun. The “Bowlarama Bundle” offers a set price per person, steering away from the extra costs of shoe rentals and ad-ditional games. The bundle part refers to bringing along or “bundling up” with friends, which allows you to bowl even longer for the same set price.“Our customers are very pleased with the new bundle pricing,” says Spryfield Bowlarama Manager Ivan Irwin. “It has had such a positive response and made planning an evening of bowling so simple. We welcome people to come out and give us a try.”

Spryfield Bowlarama Flagship of the New Entertainment Centre Experience

Parkview News • October 2015

Taking a Bite Out of HungerBy Canada Games Centre

We have all been there: you are hungry, so you grab anything in sight, some-times not really thinking about the nutritional value of what you are putting in your mouth. This is the reality for thousands of Nova Scotians every day, only they do not have a choice. They make the decision out of necessity.In 2012, Statistics Canada noted that approximately 1.1 million families ex-perienced food insecurities, with Nova Scotia being one of the provinces with the highest rates. In 2014, Food Banks Canada recorded that 19,664 Nova Sco-tians had accessed food banks, with an increase of 9.6% in households assisted for the first time. For a country as rich as Canada, these are startling statistics, statistics that Feed Nova Scotia is work-ing hard to decrease.At the Canada Games Centre, we strive to inspire healthy and active living and recognize that nutrition (or lack there-of) can play a big role in one’s overall health and activity levels. With this in mind, the Food Run was created in 2013 as a way to celebrate healthy and active

is now available at the following locations!

Smitty’s Family Restaurant, Lacewood Dr.

Keshen Goodman Public Library, Lacewood Dr.

Canada Games Centre, Thomas Raddall Dr.

Lower Deck, Clayton Park

Body Life Atlantic Health Centre, Joseph Howe Dr.

People of Our Community: Remembering Maggie McFarlane

We would like to use the People of Our Community column this month to honour the memory of Maggie McFar-lane. We were blessed for a brief time to have Maggie as our layout editor here at the paper. She was not only great at her job, but a joy to work with. In my short experience with her I enjoyed her sharp wit and easy-going demeanor; she made me laugh many times. She was well loved by her family; husband Mark Lewis and children Daphne and

Lachlan, as well as everyone else in her life. This is evident through the Face-book group created for her simply titled “Maggie is Awesome.” We were truly sad to hear of her passing on September 10, 2015. Maggie's life was much too short, but she lived it fully. She was most happy learning and had an extensive ed-ucation, including a BA in English and History, an MA in History, a Master of Library and Information Studies and an Advanced Diploma in Public Relations. She was just starting her PR career when her illness interfered. Maggie loved reading and it is reported that she would read absolutely anything. She left behind a fully stocked library for her children that ranges vastly in genre. She also enjoyed talking politics, cooking and travel. I have learned that she had a re-ally special place in her heart for a glass or two of wine! Here at Parkview news we are very sad to see Maggie go, but

Below are song lyrics, shared by Maggie's husband, that describe her aptly.

I had a match,But she had a lighter,I had a flame,But she had a fire,I was bright,But she was much brighter,I was high,But she was the sky

grateful that we got to experience what it was like to know her. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her friends and family at this time. If you would like to make your own online condolences, please visit www.atlanticfuneralhomes.com. Donations can be made in her name to the IWK Children’s Hospital.

Free Legal Clinics Now Avail-able in Halifax By Diana Whalen, MLA for Clayton Park West

Since becoming Minister of Justice, I have had the pleasure of meeting staff in all areas our justice system. I’ve met crown attorneys and judges; police of-ficers and sheriffs; corrections officers and victims services managers. All of us have a role to play in improving access to justice – that is, in making our system more effective and easier to navigate. One of the barriers we want to over-come is the cost of legal counsel. Legal Aid offers excellent services and recently expanded its reach: some assistance is provided to Nova Scotians in the areas of criminal law, family law and social justice. This is great news, but for a lot of Nova Scotians, legal representation is still financially out of reach. In light of this I am so pleased to tell you about free law clinics now being of-fered at the Halifax Law Courts. People who want to resolve their legal prob-lems in court can meet with a volun-teer lawyer and a law student for legal advice and information specific to their circumstances. Appointments are one hour long and take place on Thursdays at 1815 Upper Water St. This service is open to everyone – re-gardless of your financial situation - for civil law and family law (appeal level) matters, not criminal law. For example,

living within the community and sup-port the local food banks. Now heading into its third year, the Food Run fea-tures a free 2.5k/5k walk-run and com-munity festival in which participants donate 1kg of food or a cash donation to Feed Nova Scotia instead of a regis-tration fee. After the running portion of the event, participants can connect with local community groups, win prizes and partake in family activities, including pumpkin carving, bouncy castles and food sampling booths. Last year the Food Run collected 1,030kg of food and $654 for Feed Nova Scotia, doubling its results and par-ticipation from the previous year. The Run will take place this year on Sunday, October 18th. Continuing to welcome participants of any age or ability, we hope this year’s Food Run will be an even bigger success. For more informa-tion about the Food Run or to register, please visit the page dedicated to it on our website at www.canadagamescentre.ca/special-event/3rd-annual-food-run.

PARKVIEW NEWS

if you have been to small claims court and want to appeal the decision, you could meet with a volunteer lawyer to discuss how an appeal can be brought forward.This project is being spearheaded by Chief Justice MacDonald, who launched a pilot project last spring to gauge need and demand. I want to thank him for taking this important step. I also wish to acknowledge the many lawyers who will be volunteering their time to make this possible, especially David Cameron (Burchells), Brian Casey (Boyne Clarke) and Robert Grant (Stewart McKelvey). Other partners include the law firms of Wickwire Holm and Blois, Nickerson & Bryson, Legal Aid and the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. These partners offer an important ser-vice to the public and will also provide an exciting mentorship opportunity for law students who will accompany the volunteer lawyers. In all, we estimate that 50 lawyers and law students will be involved, allowing for 200 sessions over a 50 week period. For more information on the free legal clinic, please visit http://www.courts.ns.ca/Self_Reps/NSCA-NSSC_Free_Le-gal_Clinic.htm. Remember that you must schedule an appointment in


Do you know of an event happening in our community? Contact Bruce at (902) 452-7472 [email protected]

Plan to attend an Open House to learn more about the future of the Mainland Linear Trail as an Active Transportation corridor here in Mainland North and linking to Bedford. This 4.5km route, often called the Power Line, has been used over the years to travel to school or work or for a healthy walk, run or bike ride. Halifax North West Trails Association members, along with consultants from WSP and Halifax staff will be on hand to discuss and discover what needs to hap-pen to upgrade this route. Come with your ideas on Wednesday, October 7 at the Canada Games Centre Community Room, between 6:30 and 8:30 pm. Missed the Open House? Give your feedback at: www.Halifax.ca and go to Shape Your City. Consider joining the board of HNWTA, your skills are needed. Help shape the future of trails in our region.

Halifax Trails News & Updates

Mainland Linear Trail Planning Study

October is Trail Challenge Month

by Wendy McDonald

Community Facility Master Plan Study (CFMP)

Halifax is calling for your participation in a study: Community Facility Mas-ter Plan (CFMP). When responding, indicate that trails are an important component of community recreation assets and accessible to all as part of a healthy community. With input from residents, more trails may be planned. www.halifax.ca

Open Forrest Day on Oct 24 Open Forest Day, organized by the De-partment of Natural Resources to take place on Saturday, October 24, is a new event for our region. Over 30 groups will be hosting walks and information sessions at the Maskwa Aquatic Club from 10-3pm. A 1 km gentle loop walk will help you learn more about our forest habitat and experience the Blue Mountain - Birch Cove Lakes Wilder-ness Area. Watch for posters with more details.

Hike Nova Scotia-sponsored hikes con-tinue during October; check the sched-ule at www.hikenovascotia.ca

Sponsored Hikes by Hike Nova Scotia

The local Walk and Talk weekly walks hosted by the YMCA continue this month. Meet at the Keshen Goodman Library on Wednesdays at 1pm.

Local Walk and Talk

Check out www.halifax.ca/rec to find out about free workshops on family Play in Nature taking place in the fol-lowing locations:Fleming Park – Oct 18 and Shubie Park – Oct 25, 2 - 4 pm.Both parks have interesting trails with historical and nature exploration op-portunities, great for family outings at any time. For info on other trails check out www.halifax.ca/trails

Family Play In Nature Free Workshops

Halifax Parks and Recreation invites you to get out and get active on the many local trails. Expand your horizons and choose a trail that is new to you and perhaps in a neighbouring community. After your trail adventure, go to www.halifax.ca/rec under “2015 Trail Chal-lenge” to enter. Prize categories include Individual/Family, School, and Commu-nity Group.

Indoor Yard Sale, Silent Auction & BBQTrinity Anglican Church321 Main Ave., HalifaxSaturday October 3 from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.www.trinitychurchhalifax.ca902-423-7077

Seriously Independent Travel with Dr. Nancy ChesworthKeshen Goodman LibraryWednesday, October 14 at 7pmRegistration is required (902) 490-6410

Community Events

Canadian Crime Writer, Peter Robin-sonKeshen Goodman LibraryWednesday, October 21 at 7pm

Haunted House (Ages 5+)Keshen Goodman Library Thursday, October 29 from 6-8:15pm

Preschool Halloween Party! (Ages 0-5)Keshen Goodman LibrarySaturday, October 31 from 10:30-11:15am

Curbside Give AwayOctober 17 and 18, 2015www.halifax.ca/curbsideShare your treasures:facebook.com/halifaxrecycles@hfxgov and #hfxcurbside

Women’s YogaFree community women’s Yoga Fridays 10am -11 am at the Fairview United Church (3524 Dutch Village Rd).Beginner’s level/suitable for all ages and abilities. Contact Ruth at 902-443-9569Line #1

Clayton Park West and Fairview Neighbourhood Watch MeetingIn partnership with Halifax Regional Police, the next meeting of the Clayton Park West and Fairview Neighbour-hood watch will be held Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at 7 pm at Royal Canadian Legion Fairview Branch,50 Hillcrest St, Halifax, NS (note new-location!) We look forward to seeing you and thank you for your support!


Even if you haven’t been to The Salt Room yet, you may have heard the chat-ter. Dry Salt Therapy, or halotherapy, has become a popular therapeutic and wellness option world-wide. It is gain-ing awareness and being embraced for its restorative and preventative health benefits.We are all familiar with taking care of our teeth by regularly going to the dental hygienist. Likewise, we have many rituals and practices to take care of other aspects of our well-being. We clean out and change our air filters in our home because of the dust, aller-gens, pollutants and bacteria in our environment. But what do we do for our lungs and respiratory system? Dry Salt Therapy is hygiene for your respi-ratory system. As the micro-sized dry salt particles are inhaled, they move down our respiratory system absorb-ing mucus, reducing inflammation and killing bacteria. This in turn helps you breathe better. Halotherapy benefits children and adults of all ages who have

The Scoop on Dry Salt Therapyrespiratory conditions such as seasonal allergies, asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis and others. Athletes can experience increased lung function which improves performance and endurance. Having your skin exposed to dry salt therapy also improves the skin’s microcircula-tion, rejuvenates the skin surface, and is beneficial in treating eczema, psoria-sis and acne. Today, more people are learning the benefits of taking time to just breathe by participating in activi-ties such as yoga and meditation. Try dry salt therapy as part of your ‘breathe deep – breathe well’ routine. Halotherapy has finally made its way to Halifax! We warmly invite you to The Salt Room, at Body Life Atlantic Health Centre, where we harness the natural healing powers of salt to create a thera-peutic environment like no other. Relax in the sterile and serene atmosphere where there are thousands of pounds of mineral-rich rock salt from the Dead Sea on our walls and floor. Take a half an hour out of your busy day, sit back in one of our comfortable recliners, and listen to peaceful sounds of nature while enjoying the benefits of the dry salt air. You will leave with an energized, uplifting feeling… and happily looking forward to another visit!Sue Terry operates The Salt Room at Body Life Atlantic Health Centre on Jo-seph Howe Drive. Sue has over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and is very pleased and proud to be the first and only provider of Halo-therapy in Atlantic Canada.

Everyone has been to the local phar-macy, but do you really know how the pharmacist can help you on a daily basis? Minor ailment and prescribing is one area that pharmacists help more and more people every day.All pharmacists are trained to recognize many minor conditions and can give advice and where appropriate, medicine to help clear up the problem. Some of these medications are only available with a prescription. Conditions like cold sores, mild eczema or indigestion some-times require medications that require a prescription. A pharmacist can do an assessment and determine what medica-tion is best for your situation.If your problem is more serious and needs the attention of your doctor, your pharmacist will recognize this and ad-vise you to see your doctor instead. Patients provided feedback about this

service in a 2013 Nova Scotia study. One person enrolled in the study comment-ed: “I was really thrilled with this as it was an ailment that I had before and knew how well the Rx worked. It was going to take ages to see my family doc-tor and a large piece out of my day for a non-life-threatening illness that never-theless makes me completely miserable.”So if you have a minor ailment, a trip to your local pharmacy is an option. Your pharmacist may be able to help you with anything from indigestion, to joint and muscle pain, to smoking ces-sation.Pharmacies currently charge for this service. However, the provincial govern-ment is evaluating this important ser-vice and people with Pharmacare may be able to receive the service for free to be part of the demonstration project. Ask your pharmacist if you qualify.

The Medicine Shoppe: Pharma-cists Can Assess and Prescribe for Minor Ailments


Mike’s No Frills SupportsDunbrack U18 Girls Soccer Team with Fundraising EffortsBy Bruce Holland

If you ever go to Mike’s No Frills look-ing for owner/operator Mike MacIntyre, don’t look for him behind a desk in the office. You are more likely to find him in an aisle stocking shelves, out in the receiving dock unloading an order, or helping a shopper to find a product. That’s just the kind of guy he is.He is also known for perhaps being the most generous, community-supporting businessman in Halifax. Recently he supported the Dunbrack U18 Girls Soccer Team with their fundraising ef-forts so they can represent Nova Scotia at the upcoming Nationals. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. He helps out everyone from the Boys and Girls Club to the Spryfield Urban Farm to the local Harvest Festival and of course the huge community party held by Councillor Linda Mosher on Natal day each year at the Dingle Park, to name a few.Mike managed the store for five years as Atlantic Superstore and took over as the owner/operator in 2010 when it was converted to a No Frills store. No Frills stores are affiliated with the Superstore chain, but are owned and operated by independent business people like Mike.

Shoppers come to the store from as far away as Tantallon, Timberlea, Ter-ence Bay, Prospect, Sackville, Bedford and Central Halifax to purchase fresh produce and other groceries at the best prices, without the "frills" of more expensive stores. You get to pack your own groceries in free boxes if you like. Anyone who has ever moved knows that No Frills is the prime spot to get your packing boxes, while reusing in the process.“I have been a member of the business community in the Spryfield and sur-rounding communities for a decade now and am proud to support my neighbours,” MacIntyre said. “It is a pleasure to offer fresh, affordable and nutritious food for area families and our store is pleased to give back to the com-munity in a variety of ways”MacIntyre also serves as a Board member on the Spryfield and District Business Commission and freely shares his vast knowledge with other budding entrepreneurs. Interesting fact: when he does have free time, he is a stock car racing enthusiast!


Update from Councillor Linda Mosher

Update from Patricia Arab, MLA Fairview-Clayton Park

Previously I wrote about the reinstate-ment and upgrades to the Chain of Lakes Trail after the Halifax Water Lakeside Diversion Project. Halifax Water planned to erect a chain link fence several kilometers along the lake to protect the watershed. While I agreed that protecting the watershed is criti-cal, I was disappointed with the lack of consultation with HRM, their pro-posed length of fencing, and that they wanted to install it adjacent to the paved trail. It would not feel like a natural, urban greenway. I brought the matter to Council who agreed to direct staff to work with Halifax Water and ensure this did not occur. Our Urban Forester, other HRM staff, and I met and walked the trail many times with Halifax Water to discuss alternatives. In the end it was determined no fencing was required.The Chain Lakes serve as the emer-gency water supply for Halifax. Recent upgrades to the Chain of Lakes Trail by Halifax Water have made the trail more popular than ever, which is great! However, with this increased usage came concerns about the rising number of swimmers in the lakes and the associ-ated impacts to water quality. With the very warm temperatures this summer, hundreds of swimmers were identified as using the Chain Lakes requiring Hali-fax Police and Halifax Water to continu-

ally monitor the area. Maintaining the water quality in the lakes is important as is the safety and security of residents. In order to minimize risks to the water supply and residents, Halifax Water will be installing a chain link fence running from the Chain Lakes dam along the north side of the Chain of Lakes Trail. This risk mitigation is regulated by the Nova Scotia Department of Environ-ment for the protection of watershed areas under their Source Protected Environment Plan. Work is starting in September and should be completed by the end of November. The trail will remain open during the construction. Most of the lands are on Halifax Water property and the fence will be installed very close to the lakes and will be buffered by vegetation. A couple sec-tions must be on HRM property due to rock faces and topography. Our Urban Forester and I walked the trail with Halifax Water’s Watershed Engineer to ensure that the vegetation and natural feel would remain. The fence will be black to better blend into the natural environment. There is a new look off and benches on the trail overlooking the Chain Lakes. It includes an interpretative panel de-scribing the importance of the water-shed and its history.

September has been another beautiful month, showing us that summer isn’t ready to leave us just yet. We have had a lot of wonderful events take place this month that, once again, highlight our amazing community.For starters I would like to send out a huge congratulations to the students and staff at Halifax West High School for their amazing dedication and hard work in hosting a very successful Ca-nadian Student Leadership Conference. This talented group of organizers and volunteers showed students from across the country just how fantastic our city and province are and they should be commended for such an exceptional job.September also saw the opening of the Childrens Commemorative Garden in Westwood Park. His Honour Brigadier-General The Honourable J.J. Grant, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia and Her Honour Mrs. Joan Grant were

on hand to make the opening official. A very special shout-out to Tina Raftus and all of her community volunteers who helped get this project off the ground. It was certainly a job very well done.Sunday September 20th marked the official opening of the Mount Royale parkland and playground area. The need for this safe green space for the children in the area has been a passion of the residents there since the subdivi-sion first opened. I am so happy that in collaboration with the municipality, through Councillor Reg Rankin, we were able to make this space a reality. As we head into autumn, we have many more happenings to look forward to and, as always, I am here to help in any way that I can. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office with any com-ments, questions or concerns.

Let’s Talk with Geoff Regan, MP Halifax WestLater this month we have an opportuni-ty to elect a new federal government and ensure there is real change in Ottawa. The Liberal Party of Canada has a plan to strengthen our economy, create jobs and grow the middle class.A Liberal government under Justin Trudeau would make one of the most significant infrastructure investments in Canadian history: $60 Billion dollars in new funding over ten years. Why is this important?Halifax is seeking assistance to improve the transit system and needs to find billions of dollars to upgrade water and wastewater facilities. Communities throughout Halifax West are trying to improve recreational and cultural facili-ties. Everyone knows what it's like to be stuck in traffic on the Bedford Highway or the bridges.Smart infrastructure investments create jobs and growth in the short term, while

building a more competitive economy that can sustain good-paying jobs and stronger growth - well into the future.

A Liberal government will also look to the future to support the growing green economy. We would not shy away from the exploration of economically and environmentally sustainable solutions. We would support climate-resilient energy infrastructure, clean energy and the modernization of our wastewater facilities.A Liberal government would provide the tools and support so that more Ca-nadians than ever could join the middle class. At the same time, we would not forget about assisting those who are al-ready there. We would prioritize afford-able housing and child care. We would provide a substantial, tax-free monthly benefit to families to help them offset the increasing costs of raising their kids.

We would also focus on creating op-portunities for younger Canadians. The Liberal Party is committed to revers-ing the chronic lack of good jobs and opportunities for our young people that has become synonymous with the Harper regime.A Liberal government will invest $1.3 billion over three years to create em-ployment opportunities for young Canadians so they can get a strong start in life. It has been an honour to serve you in the past and I am asking for your vote to continue to be a strong voice in Ottawa for Halifax West. We have achieved success together through our hard work and our shared belief that government can always do better. By electing a Lib-eral federal government on October 19, we can put Canada on the path to real change.


A Bright IdeaBy Angus MacCaull with AA Munro

I hope you enjoyed “Jamie and The Fire” over the last three issues. That story is based on a true insurance claim. It’s a good illustration of the importance of proper supervision for kids. This month, I have another story about fire safety. The moral of this month’s story is a little different. Some years ago, on a hot Saturday after-noon in rural Nova Scotia, a fisherman was enjoying a barbecue with his family. His boat bobbed gently in the water nearby, tied up at the wharf. Sounds from the neighbours drifted in the light breeze. Pretty much the whole village was out in their backyards, grilling. You could put us on a postcard, the fisher-man thought, grabbing a cold one from the cooler. His mother-in-law, Gladys, was visiting for the weekend. She was teaching the kids how to draw pictures of horses. The backyard of the family homestead sloped down a few hundred feet to the shore. Tucked away in one corner of the lot was an old boathouse, a big shed re-ally. The fisherman used the boathouse to store extra nets and gas. And he kept his boat there over the winter. Gladys had the kids concentrating on

their drawings at the picnic table. The fisherman’s wife dozed in the ham-mock—they were expecting another baby after Christmas. The halibut steaks were almost ready when Gladys called over. “Is the boathouse supposed to be smok-ing?” The fisherman looked. Damn, he thought, Grampy’s old tools are in there. He ran down to the shore. The neighbours from both sides arrived at the same time. There was a car rolling slowly—and suspiciously—along the access road away from the shore. One of the neighbours ran to call the fire department and the RCMP. It was impossible to save the boathouse or the contents, but the fisherman’s insurance covered everything, which eased the loss. And the RCMP picked up two of the dimmest thieves in Nova Scotia before they made it too far out of the village. The thieves had been siphoning the fisherman’s extra gas. They couldn’t see if their gas can was full—it was dark inside the boathouse. One of them took out a Bic lighter to check. A lot of fire safety is just plain common sense. But common sense isn’t always as common as we think!

Snowbirds & Travellers!

Home Safety

By Maria CainesSome people love winter! Skiing, skat-ing, snowboarding and sledding are great fun for the whole family. But many will be yearning for a glimpse of more southern climates with beaches and palm trees. Once your excursion is booked, the checklist begins. Passports, immunizations, new swimsuits, a kennel for Fido and find someone reliable to check on your home.

Insurance companies include a clause in their home and tenant policies that require someone to be in your residence while you are away. That can mean for as little as a long weekend, but how often will depend upon your policy and the time of year. You will need someone that you can count on to check your home and handle any situation that may arise.

There are many scenarios that could arise in your absence that could present the unfortunate event of an insurance claim. In the winter frozen pipes are the most common problem, while the spring may see flooding. A power out-age could result in a refrigerator failing to restart and becoming a giant, smelly mess. Having your home checked can-not guarantee that those things will not happen, but at least you will have some-one to deal with it before it gets worse.

A trusted neighbour, friend or family member could be the answer. However, if you are new to your area or all of your friends and family are going with you, then you may need to hire a service. The nominal fee that most companies charge will more than offset the value of an insurance claim that may be denied if you have not taken the necessary steps to control the damages.

Make sure that the company you choose has a criminal record background check available for you to see, business insur-ance or bonding and references. Review the services that are offered to see if they meet your needs. Your services should be kept on record for summer cottage trips, work conferences, or just plain getting away.

One last tip: do not post on social media that you are going to be away. Insurance companies are checking to see if you’ve tipped off the burglars! If you did, you won’t be covered for break and enter.

Now you can relax on your hard-earned vacation, instead of worrying about the state of your home when you return. If only you could just leave your cell phones at home!


A warm breeze rustles through the array of orange, yellow and red leaves as I walk down the fairway on a sunny autumn day. The familiar smell of decaying leaves teases my nose as I look for my ball amongst the fallen foliage. To me, this is the best time of the year! I adore the autumn season and I love to golf. It is evident “there is a time to build up and a time to tear down”; whether you credit this to King Soloman many years ago, or recall it from Cat Stevens’ popu-lar song. With the closing of the season, I prefer to focus on opportunities to improve my game in the offseason.

Here is my advice as you transition this year:

Shoes: Give your shoes a thorough scrub and polish, inspect the spikes and tighten them. Replace any that are miss-ing or worn down. Clubs: Give your clubs a good washing. Don’t’ forget to dry, you don’t want rust. Inspect your grips; a new grip helps your club feel like new (and costs much less). Look over your clubs and iden-tify any additional wants or needs (last year’s clubs are often on discount in the winter). Body: This is your most important piece of golf equipment! It is the only one that you use on every swing, an idea championed by the Titleist Performance

The Fall of One Season, The Rise of Another

Institute (TPI). There are three main ways to work on your body and swing: 1 - Talk to a golf teacher about making swing improvements. The off-season is great time for this, as you aren’t playing frequently. 2 - Consult a health pro-fessional like a physiotherapist about resolving any nagging injuries or stiff-ness that bothers you. 3 - Consult a golf fitness professional about creating an off-season program to prepare you for next year

Here are a couple of general golf-fitness tips:

Golf is a sport of rotation; focus on exer-cises specific to trunk and hip rotation. Golf is a sport of speed not resistance; focus on exercises with low weight, and once mastered you can increase the speedwIf you are interested in learning more about golf-fitness or about the TPI screening process and the set up of a customized exercise program, Nathan King is a TPI certified Medical Profes-sional 3 and would be happy to help you improve your golf game by getting your body in top golf shape.

Submitted by Nathan KingPhysiotherapist at LifeMark Sports Medicine and Health CentreLocated inside the Canada Games Cen-tre 902-404-3888

Fun, Food and Fashion at Halifax’s First Ever Pakistan Fest!By Nicole Holland

This year Bruce and I had the pleasure of attending Pakistan Fest at the Spatz Theatre in Citadel High. It was a great time including food, colourful art and textiles, a wedding fashion show, did I mention food?! I love food and cultural festivals involving food are one of my favourite things. I was heading to a wedding myself later in the day so it was perfect timing to get a beautiful henna design on my hand. I also learned of

a wonderful tradition that takes place at Pakistani weddings, in which guests shower the newlyweds with money. The couple then gives the money to the poor, in hopes that sharing the wealth with those in need will bring blessings to their marriage. Cultural diversity is an amazing part of our Nova Scotian identity and it is traditions like these that enrich our community and make for a more positive experience.


The Halifax Armdale Report by Hon. Lena M. DiabI would like to thank those who came to the Halifax Community Conversa-tion on Immigration. The NS Office of Immigration held 8 immigration conversations throughout the province this summer. Our objective was to bring community members together to talk about current areas of strength and challenges. We also encouraged each person to talk more, share information and pool resources. By working togeth-er, we will push our province forward. Things are happening at the Nova Scotia immigration office. Our Provincial Nominee Program is healthy and grow-ing. We were successful in negotiating an increase of 300 nominations. We pushed the federal government to in-crease our immigration quotas and they responded after they saw our proactive consultations with business and our success at filling our initial allocation on Express Entry aimed at highly skilled immigrants. This nearly doubles the province’s total allocation for 2015 to 1350 from the 2014 cap of 700. We ap-preciate the positive public and private sector response to our focus on wel-coming and keeping newcomers. This is unrelated to our ongoing open-ness to assist Canada’s efforts to resettle refugees and that work will continue, as it must. Many people have expressed their concern over refugees; we remain open and willing to accept refugees when the federal government gives

approval. There is a has a new page on the website providing information on supporting and privately sponsoring refugees: http://novascotiaimmigration.com/support-for-refugees/September in and around Armdale showcased our community’s diversity. I celebrated culture at the first ever Pakistan Festival, South Indian Cultural Assoc. of the Maritimes’ ONAM Festi-val, Lebanese Chamber of Commerce, and Halifax welcoming reception for international students at Pier 21. I was happy to celebrate Eastern Chebucto Hub Organization’s 1st year anniversary with 17 partners, attend Springvale Under the Stars community fundraiser, Chain of Lakes Trail Association’s park picnic, 1st Armdale Scouts’ Great Ca-nadian Shoreline Cleanup at Horseshoe Island Park, renaming dedication of the Cowie Hill Connector to Peter Saulnier Drive in honour of a man who was Santa for 29 years at the local Spryfield parade, Spryfield Village Harvest Festi-val, and Take Your MLA to Work Day at the Mumford Sobeys pharmacy. My office door is always open to listen to your concerns. You can contact me at 902-455-1610 or email [email protected]. Like my page on Facebook and follow me on Twitter to stay up to date with my latest activities and communi-ty/provincial news. Thank you for your continued support.

Everyone Plays!

After a successful first year, our Every-one Plays! program helped us to get even more kids on the field. The pro-gram helps caregivers offset fees so their children can play. Through the fundrais-ing efforts of volunteers and donations from partners, we have been able to get dozens of kids on the field who wouldn’t be there otherwise.

HDSC Ratomir T2 Tournament

Our 22nd annual club tournament, named for former Club Technical Di-rector Ratomir Kovacevic, was a huge success. Each June we host around 100 teams for a weekend of great soccer at the Mainland Common and Harbour East fields. This year, with O’Reagan’s Kia as a title sponsor and lots of help from the Bluenose II restaurant, we raised money and celebrated the game with teams from all over Atlantic Canada.

Women’s World Cup

HDSC was extremely fortunate to send nearly 30 of our youth to the World Cup as Flag Bearers and Captain Escorts. We also organized a bus for members to attend the Columbia vs. France and Mexico vs. Columbia matches. It was great soccer and a way for others in the club to get to know each other!

Community Soccer Initiatives

With financial support from Sport NS, a donation of equipment from Soccer NS and YMCA assistance, we were able to run a six-week soccer program in the Fairview/Clayton Park area. Com-munity Soccer initiatives targeted new Canadians and through ISANS, we also brought in more kids to be instructed by our qualified coaches and technical staff. Overall, we saw nearly 200 new Canadi-ans participate in our various programs this summer.

Summer of Champions

The primary goal of our club is to see all players develop their full potential in

Dunbrack Summer Soccer Recap & Winter Registration

SURVEY SAYS ATLANTIC CANADIANS ARE LOOKING FOR MORE THAN JUST GROCERIES FROM THEIR LOCAL GROCERY STOREAccording to the NO FRILLS® Custom-er Choice Survey conducted by Ipsos Reid, sixty-nine per cent of Atlantic Canadians surveyed said they feel good about shopping at a grocery store that invests in community programs, the highest percentage of any region in Canada. The new generation of shop-pers feels even more strongly – Cana-dians aged 18-35 place an even higher value on giving back, with 74 per cent indicating it makes them feel good.Eighty per cent of Atlantic Canadians agree it is important their grocery store offers locally grown and produced items, which is slightly higher than the

national average (77 per cent). Fifty-eight per cent of those surveyed in Atlantic Canada also look to their local grocery store to stock products that al-low them to make their favourite foods from around the world. “Store employees and owners are pas-sionate about making contributions to their communities," said Michael Venton, senior vice president. “Often our store teams undertake incredible ef-forts to help their communities, every-thing from fundraising barbecues and sponsoring community organizations, to supporting communities in times of need. They are truly the heart of their

communities.” Over a period of two weeks in Septem-ber, NO FRILLS® customers had the opportunity to purchase a $2 icon in store in support of President’s Choice® Children’s Charity, which supports chil-dren with special needs and childhood nutrition programs. All money raised in a specific province stays in that province to support local families and nutrition programs. Additionally, administration and operation costs are fully funded by Loblaw Companies Limited, ensuring 100 per cent of every dollar donated goes directly to helping kids.

a safe environment, but winning is fun too! This summer saw great success in our leagues. All six of our Tier 1 teams qualified for Provincials, as well as four of our Tier 2 teams and several Senior teams.

Our U18 Tier 1 girls and our Premier Women are both going to Nationals for the second straight year, along with Our U18 Tier 1 boys. Our Senior B men won the Provincials and we finished strongly in the Tier 2 level as well.

What’s Next?

Right now we are preparing for the winter season - and I don’t mean getting shovels ready! Our online registration is open at www.dunbrack.ca. We are work-ing very hard with our friends at Soccer NS to develop a new training model for our younger players so that we can grow the game in the province.

HalloweenSafety TipsHalloween is right around the corner. Here are 5 tips that can help keep chil-dren safe as they trick-or-treat.

1. Make sure masks fit properly so chil-dren can see clearly when walking.

2. Have children carry a flashlight or wear reflective tape while trick-or-treat-ing so drivers can clearly see them as they walk up and down the street.

3. Ensure costumes are the right size and fit properly. Ill-fitting costumes can lead to tripping and falling while trick-or-treating.

4. Check costume accessories such as swords or magic wands to make sure they are soft and flexible.

5. Test halloween make-up before the big night in case it irritates your child’s skin.

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