Celebrating a strong, creative, resilient Lunenburg County
NOW, MORE THAN EVER...
 Story by TINA HENNIGAR
Sarah and Cameron Fleck were having a great year. Cameron was expanding his business, Culligan Water, from its location on North Street in Bridgewater to Logan Road. Sarah was expecting their first child together, and they were planning their wedding in New York City. The excitement leapt from Sarah’s Facebook page. People were anxious to read her next post, each more exciting than the last as the days grew closer to baby Hudson’s arrival. When it was clear that Sarah was in labour, her close group of friends and everyone who knew her grew excited, then anxious when the updates didn’t come soon enough. There was something wrong. After a dramatic delivery, a number of tests and even seizures, Sarah revealed that baby Hudson had been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a disease that she knew very little about. After dropping to the floor crying when hearing the news from the doctors at the IWK hospital, Sarah picked herself up and headed to Google to get educated on what they were in store for. Hudson’s life would now involve daily enzyme pills before every feeding. He was only 3-weeks old when they started feeding him applesauce so that he could get the enzymes down. He has to eat within a half-hour after receiving his enzymes or the process must be repeated. Hudson is now up to 5 pills before every feeding. He also has percussion treatments twice a day, where his back is ‘thumped just so’ in order to release the thick mucus from his lungs so he can breathe. Hudson, for as much as he has had to endure, has exhibited a pretty enormous amount of character. “He’s always smiling,” Sarah beamed about her son. “It’s all he knows, but still, it didn’t take him long to catch on to the routine. Now he only cries during his treatments. But it’s getting easier. I like to do it first thing in the morning because he’s so happy to greet the new day.” Sarah said that it’s her husband, Cameron, who has been her backbone through it all. “He gives his family 100%, even after he’s given his business 100%. I really don’t know how the man does it,” she said, getting emotional. “In those moments when my emotions are taking over, he is fully engaged, asking the doctors all the right questions, taking notes. He’s been incredible through it all,” Sarah uses social media daily, not just to update everyone on how Hudson’s doing, but to educate people on CF, including herself. She belongs to several CF support groups online and follows other people’s journeys, including one young girl in the US waiting for new lungs. But despite Hudson’s strength and all the family support that she’s received from her parents and step-parents, all who she said have been such a gift, it’s the community who has surprised her the most. “People baked us baked goods, brought us meals, they offered to clean my house. This community has been incredible to us. We are really lucky to live here.” Sarah shared a story of being in the grocery store when an employee gave her a fifty dollar bill. “She didn’t ask for a receipt. She didn’t want recognition. She just wanted to contribute to the CF fundraiser which raised over $7,000 in just over a month for CF. “Family’s with CF children have reached out, even people living in our community with CF, and that has been really encouraging to know he can still have a long happy life,” she said. “Hudson’s going to write his own story,” Sarah said, of her first born and Cameron’s third son. Seeing his bright eyes and electric smile that lights up his entire face, I can’t wait to read it. Visit cysticfibrosis.ca
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 Story and photo by MARGARET HOEGG
Lynda Flinn did what most New Zealanders do after high school graduation – set out to travel overseas. What made her adventure different is that it never really ended. At age twenty, Lynda headed off to explore Asia and Europe and met a woman named Susie from Chester, Nova Scotia on her first flight to Singapore. The new friends travelled together through Malaysia, and even after going their separate ways, would meet up frequently for short trips around Europe. On a visit to New Zealand to see family, Lynda planned a side trip to Nova Scotia to visit Susie. Not only did she visit in October, a gorgeous season on Canada’s East Coast, she also met Steve, the man who would become her husband. Soon after, she returned to Chester, but this time in February. “I witnessed some things I’d never seen before,” she said, “ like seagulls standing on the frozen ocean and big expanses of what I thought were farming fields but were actually sea ice.” Lynda then bounced between Europe, Nova Scotia, and Auckland, where she did her culinary training inspired by her time in Rome where she worked as a companion and discovered a love of cooking. Soon after, Steve followed her to New Zealand to propose and she moved permanently to Canada. That was thirty years ago. Lynda worked in restaurants and, after having her first child, started a catering business. It quickly outgrew her kitchen, so she bought a space in Chester with a larger kitchen and a little cafe on the side. The cafe quickly took off and The Kiwi Cafe opened its doors to the community in June 2004. Now in their 16th season, Lynda tells me, they’re busier than ever: “We’re thriving. Every single year we’ve increased in volume.” The colourful cafe serves fresh, healthy Nova Scotia classics alongside her own family recipes and has become a community hub attracting locals and travellers alike, something Lynda really appreciates. She says, “People are genuinely caring about other people - super kind and generous, and welcoming. And people want you to be happy here. And everybody here loves sharing everything, showing them unique places. We’re like the tourist bureau sometimes.” Lynda is proud to create employment opportunities for locals as well as newcomers and travellers. As a Red Seal chef, she accommodates apprenticeship programs and recently applied to a government pilot program that designates specific employment opportunities for landed immigrants. With the airport only an hour away, and Europe just a direct flight across the Atlantic, Lynda is easily able to make her annual pilgrimage to Italy every March, to rekindle her romance with food. On a recent trip, she studied pizza making, which motivated her to open a Roman style pizzeria in Chester this summer. Even with years of international travel under her belt, Chester remains her perfect home. After a long day in the cafe, she can pack a picnic and sail out to the islands with her family to relax and swim. It’s a low-stress lifestyle she wouldn’t trade for anything.“There’s no traffic jams, there’s no big queues, there’s no horrible commutes, it’s very clean, there’s no pollution. When you go to the post office, if anything it just takes you too long just chatting to everybody. Which is nice. It’s a community. I just like the ease of living here.” Visit: www.kiwicafechester.com  Story by TINA HENNIGAR
It’s not uncommon for a youngster to want to be a firefighter when they grow up. Brandon Wentzell of Bridgewater is turning that desire into a reality. The grade 10 student entering Park View Education Centre already has his sights set on the Holland College Firefighting program in Prince Edward Island when he graduates from high-school in 2022. “I love everything about it,” he said. “The adrenaline, being with the firefighters.” Brandon admits he even likes the training. The heavy gear doesn’t bother him at all. “The training is fun,” he said of the junior firefighting training that takes place annually in Lunenburg. “The toughest part is having to wait until I’m 19 to be able to fight actual fires.” Brandon has been around firefighters his entire life. His father, Andy, is the Deputy Chief in Bridgewater. “People joke that I’m better than he is,” Brandon laughed. “But I love working with him.” Brandon expects to learn his trade, and then go off to get experience. But he assures us that he’ll be back. “I’m a homeboy. I like it here. I’d love to come back here,” he said of Lunenburg County. His father Andy said the junior fire fighter program is integral to the department. “They gain so much knowledge from the program. Some stick with it, some don’t, and that’s ok. Keeping volunteer firefighters is always a challenge,” Andy said. Of 10 volunteer firefighters, 5 will last more than a year. Of those 5, only 3 will stick with it. Brandon thinks anyone thinking of joining their local fire department should give it a shot. “Just try it out,” he urged. “If you don’t like it, that’s ok. Just don’t go back.” But Brandon suggests that like him, you just might find something you love, while making a bunch of new friends. “Doing something great for the community is just a bonus.” And in the case of the Wentzell family, it just might run in the family.  Story by TINA HENNIGAR
Photo by Ian Selig If you find yourself enjoying the homemade seafood chowder or the Cape LaHave chicken at The Old Fish Factory overlooking Lunenburg harbour, you might enjoy it even more knowing that your meal may have been created by a kitchen team who have one less stress this summer. Housing in Lunenburg is tough, especially for seasonal workers who need accommodations in the busy UNESCO town during its busiest months. Restaurant owner Mike Mawhinney knew if he wanted to attract chefs he needed to create a way to offer them a solution to this problem. “Last year we had four individuals coming, two from Ontario, one from the Bahamas and the other from Halifax. So that’s four people coming who are unable to find adequate housing,” Mike said, recalling the challenge before him. He decided to look for a house, purchase it and offer staff housing in the 4-bedroom split entry home he found. Mike managed to secure the funding and ensure that his housing alternative was allowed under the regulations of the town. He felt confident that what he was doing was the right thing to do. Still, what Mike did to help secure housing for members of his team came at great personal risk. As a year round resident he wasn’t sure how his idea would be met in the community. “They’re representing their schools so they know to be respectful of the neighbours. Sure, they partied a bit, but they should. We want them to enjoy the summer, while at the same time, be mindful that they live in a residential neighbourhood,” Mike said after his first year being a landlord. “They enjoyed where they worked. They enjoyed the accommodations. They fell in love with Nova Scotia and the whole way of life.” Mike explained that people working in the hospitality business work long, hard hours, and that it’s important for them to enjoy what we have in their limited leisure time. “I encourage them to enjoy our beaches, the food, the wine, and especially the people.” Mike notes that two of the four are returning this summer to work at The Old Fish Factory. “We try to hire locally first, but when that doesn’t meet the demand, we have to look elsewhere. Gone are the days of putting an ad on social media. We’ve gone to certain culinary schools and pitched our property and sold them on coming to Lunenburg.” Buying a staff house might not be possible for all small business owners, but the move to solve the housing burden for these seasonal workers has proven to give The Old Fish Factory a bit of a competitive advantage. And even that can’t match the extraordinary Lunenburg view, the fun atmosphere where you work among friends, and in some cases, roommates. Visit oldfishfactory.com   Story by TINA HENNIGAR At first, I assumed that the story I’m about to share with you was a local urban legend. But I can assure you, there is nothing fictitious about it. I heard it straight from the source one sunny afternoon while drinking beer on the patio at the Saltbox Brewery. The story goes something like this… Moira (“Mo”) Devereaux and Dea (pronounced “Day-a”) are a dynamic duo living in Mahone Bay. Mo is a physiotherapist, and the couple moved from Ontario in 2011 so that Mo could purchase and run a small physiotherapy clinic in town called “Fluid Motion Physiotherapy”. A few years later, Dea opened up “Sprig” the coolest gift shop and “apothecary” right next door to Mo’s. With plant-based soaps, lotions, cleaning products, succulents, fresh flowers and unique home décor items, it’s like something straight out of Real Simple magazine. The couple are fondly known around town as “the happiest couple you’ll ever meet” and you’d often run into them volunteering, walking their Aussie-shepherd dog “Gabe”, or gardening in the yard of their most adorable house on the corner that looks like a classic, wood-shingled country cottage. Mo would take Gabe to the clinic with her where he would frequently greet her clients, and often sit next to those who seemed in need of additional comfort during their rehab sessions. One day Mo was in her yard putting the final touches on a wooden fence she’d been repairing. She offers up a wry grin as she recalls receiving a myriad of neighbourly advice about how best to fix the fence. “Folks would see me alone out there with my tool belt and my power drill and wanted to make sure I had a handle on things,” she tells me. On this particular afternoon, she remembers seeing out of the corner of her eye a gentleman ride by on his bike and turn around to circle back to her. “Oh no,” she thought, “not another man offering the little lady some fence-building advice.” The man got off his bike and walked over to Mo. “Hi there,” the man greeted her. “You don’t know me,” he said, “but my name is Art and my wife used to walk by your house and admire your dog in the yard.” “Oh!” replied Mo, somewhat surprised. “Yes, that was Gabe.” “You don’t have your dog anymore,” Art stated more than asked. “No,” said Mo sadly, “he passed away suddenly last year”. “Yes, so I heard,” said Art. “So did my wife.” Mo was a little stunned. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “Well, the thing is,” Art carried on, “I have to sell my house now and I’m moving into an apartment where they won’t take dogs.” As Art started to tear up a bit he continued. “And I’ve heard in the neighborhood that you and your partner are nice people, and…and…I’m wondering if you would take my dog.” Mo was taken aback and somewhat overwhelmed by Art’s emotional plea. Without thinking she put her hands on his shoulders and blurted, “Of course! Of course, we’ll take your dog!” Art in return seemed stunned by Mo’s sudden acceptance of his offer. “Oh great! I can’t believe it! That’s such a relief! How great!” He turned around and hopped on his bicycle. “I am so grateful. I’ll be in touch to introduce you to the dog!” And off he pedalled. Needless to say, Mo was a bit perplexed. As Art suddenly rode off, she realized she had no idea where he lived, how to contact him, or what she’d actually committed to. When Dea arrived home that evening, she asked Mo how her day had gone. “Great,” said Mo. “I finished the fence, I mowed the lawn, and I got us a dog.” “What do you mean you got us a dog?” Dea said wide eyed. “What kind of dog?” “I don’t know!” said Mo, just as wide-eyed. “How old is the dog?” asked Dea? “I don’t know!” said Mo. “Where is the dog?” asked Dea. “I don’t know!” Mo then relayed the story about what had happened in the yard. The next day, Art re-appeared at their front door. He lived only a few blocks away, having moved to Mahone Bay to retire with his wife Marty. She had passed away suddenly from a stroke within the same year. Their dog “Kaha” (a New Zealand Maori word meaning “brave one”) was a 75 lb. golden doodle full of energy and affection. Dea and Mo agreed to start walking Kaha during the three weeks prior to Art’s move. By the time Art was ready to leave town, Kaha’s transition to Mo and Dea’s care was an easy one. It didn’t take long for that big dog to wiggle his way into the couple’s everyday existence. If he didn’t go to work with Mo in her clinic, he could be found curled up behind the sales counter in Dea’s shop. Passersby would often see the fluffy white dog bouncing lightly across the distance between their two businesses. Kaha soon became a part o f both their establishments; people would enter the front door and ask, “Is Kaha here?” Parents would bring their kids to sit on the floor with him. Out-of-towners would post pictures of themselves with him. Dea and Mo would forward Art the photos of Kaha being lovingly embraced by the local community. When Kaha eventually passed away the grief washed over Mo and Dea like a giant wave. “Our sadness was palpable. But the outpouring of compassion and support we received from our friends and neighbours was overwhelming,” said Mo. Dea added. “We feel so lucky to be a part of this place. It’s really one of the reasons we moved here...to feel more connected to a community”. I asked Mo and Dea if they were thinking about getting another dog. Mo takes a long, reflective pause, “The poet Robert Frost once wrote ‘fences make good neighbours.’ I think he meant something different than our experience. All I know is, it’s time for me to build a new front gate. We’ll see who passes by...”   Story and photos by DAVID SORCHER
Raised in Hebbville, Cory Lorman was well aware of what he was leaving behind when he relocated to the West Coast. A maritime engineer by family legacy, Cory applied to crew on the Bluenose and to join the Navy in 2007. When he received approval for both the Navy won out. “It was a full-time career while the Bluenose was just seasonal.” The Navy bounced him back and forth between coasts, first to Victoria for training where he met his wife Cari, then back to Halifax. Cari followed, but Halifax didn’t really suit either of them, so they were happy when Cory was then stationed back in B.C. in the Submarine Corp. By then they had started a family. Daughter Ava was born in 2009 and son Rylan tw o years after. They began looking for places for their growing family to live, but everything out west was far too expensive. “We looked at trailer homes on Vancouver Island that were practically sitting on top of each other for $350,000. And then you still pay monthly maintenance fees on top of that.” In 2016 Cory transferred back to Halifax . They knew the city wasn’t for them, and since Cory would soon be leaving the Navy, he and Cari decided t o buy a house further afield in Middle LaHave. “Cari wanted to stay in B.C., but she does now say that Lunenburg County is the next best thing to Vancouver Island,” Cory joked, “But for me it’s home.” After leaving the Navy Cory landed a job a t the Lunenburg Foundry Shipyard. He quickly moved on to his current position as an engineer on the LaHave Ferry. “I wanted to be on water. I could have gone into fishing or found a maritime job in Halifax, but I didn’t want the commute and we certainly didn’t want to live in the city. This is just the perfect job for me. On the water you get such great views and you talk to people all day. I’m my own boss and I get the run of the deck. When I landed this job it was like I won the lottery.” “Sometimes I feel like a bartender. You know, people talk about their day and where they are going. If they are having a bad day, they might even share their troubles.” So, next time you need some sage advice from a friendly face or you just want to save some travel time, enjoy the scenic LaHave River crossing and keep an eye out for Cory. Maybe he will be your ferryman  Story by TINA HENNIGAR
Photo by . Ian Selig I first met Alex and Margaret Pearson for coffee at No. 9 Coffee Bar in Lunenburg just after starting as the Population Growth Coordinator for NOW Lunenburg County. After exploring our community from Halifax for day trips, and lamenting the drive home to the city, they asked themselves, “Could we create a life here in Lunenburg County?” During our coffee, I got to know them. Alex and Margaret are a creative duo with hustle and an entrepreneurial spirit. I had no doubt they’d be just fine here. Fast forward a year later, I was delivering our first edition of this very magazine that you’re reading. I poked my head in a new, cool store on Lincoln Street in Lunenburg called Ametora Supply, a vintage shop specializing in Canadiana and Americana, with a focus on vintage denim and heritage brands. Lo and behold, there were Alex and Margaret, the proud owners of the shop. And my instincts were right. They were doing just great. “We were trying to figure out what we were going to do,” Margaret said. The shop came about because we’ve always been thrifty. Alex used to do pop-ups and sell online. Alex said that he’s been thrifting since he was a kid, buying stuff that was too cool to leave behind. That led him to selling on the Internet. “We weren’t sure we could open a shop here until our neighbour suggested that we were thinking of Halifax retail rates,” Alex shared. They found an affordable space and went shopping for merchandise. “We’re really lucky that we owned a substantial personal collection,” he said. Margaret credits a collegial business community who work together who have helped them along the way. “Lunenburg is really great for that. If you need a thing you just put out the word, and all of a sudden you have half-a-dozen people helping you get the thing into the shop,” Margaret said, referring to their hunt for a 12-foot church pew. “The next day, we had a pew in our shop. We didn’t know any of these people before we moved here.” Ametora Supply is size and gender inclusive and is a favourite place to a diverse group of local people and tourists alike. Teenagers are always in their shop, and older people come in to share their memories of their time with that vintage item. “We really sell stories,” Alex shared. A surprise even to them is that Ametora Supply has become a safe space for teenagers. “They come to hangout here. We even had a mother come in to make sure we were legit,” Margaret said of being a place where everyone feels comfortable. Alex and Margaret take pride in that. As a photographer and social media guru, Alex has created an engaging online presence for the shop. “It all starts with a photo and I let that image tell the story,” Alex said of his posts. The couple has discovered one pitfall to living in Lunenburg, and that is housing. They found a good rental, but before that the couple was very concerned about where they’d live. It’s a barrier that almost forced them back to Halifax. “We really lucked out here,” they said of their situation. “Housing is a challenge here.” Alex and Margaret could have moved anywhere to open up their shop. They chose here, Lunenburg County, to live, plant roots and start their business. Their passion for this place is apparent. “We wanted a fresh start-a heart reset.” Alex said. “We can’t think of a better place we’d rather be.” Visit ametorasupply.ca  Story by DAVID SORCHER
Photo by VERONICA SORCHER What makes an American photographer leave a comfortable life in Cincinnati, Ohio for the rural lifestyle of South Shore’s Lunenburg County? For me it was simply a matter of love at first sight…twice! The first time was when I met Veronica in 1999. Though she was living in Montreal at that time, she is Nova Scotian born, raised in Lunenburg County. Her family moved to Halifax when she was a teenager, but from there she followed a similar pattern of many of her peers. Longing for brighter lights and broader horizons she struck out for the bigger cities of Central Canada, though in the back of her mind she always remained true to her Nova Scotian roots. I first saw the South Shore in 2000 and suddenly love at first sight struck again. I mean, what photographer could resist such natural splendor? After we got engaged Veronica decided to come live with me in the States. We made Cincinnati our home for nearly two decades, but always made the annual sojourn to her homeland for visits. I looked forward to those vacations with greater and greater anticipation. We spent hours exploring the craggy coastline with our cameras, enjoying the company of friends and family, and delighting in the amiable culture of small maritime communities. And every time we came we found it harder to leave. Of course, the one stumbling block was a common one. How could we make our living here, especially if we chose a rural location closer to both Veronica’s parents and the wonderful beaches that we loved so much? We didn’t want to wait until retirement age to make our move. Finally we adopted the mantra, “If not now, when?” and decided the only way to do this at all was to just do it. So we adopted a second mantra. “We are moving to Nova Scotia, where together we will thrive and prosper.” So in 2017 we bought an old Cape Cod in P etite Rivière. We arrived with our moving truck late one night in September 2018 after three very long days of travel. I became a permanent resident that October and immediately landed some freelance work with LighthouseNOW. I hope to continue growing my photography business throughout the coming year, focusing on journalism and portraiture. Veronica has found work as a bookseller and freelances as an editor and proofreader. The community here is just fantastic, and I already feel part of it. Most importantly though, we both feel we are finally home. View David’s portfolio on his website: https://dsorcher.wixsite.com/sorcher-photography See images of his new neighborhood on his photo blog: http:// davidsorcherphotography.blogspot.com  BY JENNIFER NAUGLER
Living in Toronto and having recently finished school, Hannah Cook and Elliot Wajchendler began working in their respective careers as interior designer and architect. After some time and circumstance, not feeling especially satisfied with their jobs, they eventually began talking about where their careers and lives were headed. More importantly, where they wanted to be. Hannah grew up in Lunenburg County with her parents and three siblings on a chicken farm, and was feeling the pull to come back home. Elliot was open to coming to Nova Scotia and loved the idea of living in an area with so much nature and space. After some deliberation, Hannah packed up all their things and moved to NS with Elliot joining her six months later after finishing a temporary job out west. Their original plan was to build a tiny home to live in, but until that happened they were staying in the 100+ year old farmhouse on the Cook farm property. The interior designer in Hannah and the architect in Elliot, started peeking around the old home and immediately felt inspired to start doing some restoring and renovating. They started in the living room and began recording some video, mostly for their own purposes to document the process. When they finished, Elliot spent some time editing and then decided to upload the video, entitled Farmhouse Restoration- $300 Living Room Reno, to YouTube and Reddit. Within 24 hours, they had received 800 subscribers. At the one-year mark, that first video now has over 400,000 views. Receiving so much positive feedback, they decided to keep going and began dedicating more time to the video process. Renovating the farmhouse, and sharing that experience, they have built up a large following. They currently have close to 60,000 subscribers and 2.4 million total video views. With the money they make from ad revenue, Elliot is now a full-time YouTuber, while Hannah has a full-time job and her own cake decorating business on the side. Leaving Lunenburg County for a while and coming back has given Hannah a whole new respect for the area. When you are young, it’s easy to say there is nothing to do here, but Hannah says if you go looking, there is lots to do, mentioning the beautiful trails and recent addition of craft breweries. Blown away by the space, nature, and the convenience, the longer Elliot is in Pinegrove, the more he loves it. They both enjoy the slower paced lifestyle and the sense of community. Elliot describes these times as “ground-breaking” in that there is so much potential online. There is still work to do, but you can really do that work from anywhere. Hannah and Elliot are both glad this new reality allows them to build their lives, living and working in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia. YouTube-WabiSabi-E Hannah’s Cake Designs  BY DONNA LEON Donna Leon and Robert Riskin love to tell the story of how they found Lunenburg County. Donna left Cape Breton after high school to study journalism at university in Ottawa. Robert lived in Vancouver since he was a young adult. Both former college professors and television directors, they knew one another for 20 years before getting together as a couple. Donna moved west, but after four months in Vancouver, she grew tired of the rain and heavy traffic. They bought a home near the lake in the sunny Okanagan, but the lifestyle didn’t suit them. So three and a half years after that move, they sold their home and its contents, and drove across Canada. The couple temporarily settled near Donna’s mother in Waterloo, Ontario. “Our goal was to find a place to truly call home”, says Robert. “We searched properties in the GTA and eastern Ontario. But we didn’t find the right fit”. Midway through the year, they were offered an opportunity to housesit a villa in Spain. It came with a cat named Bootsie. They jumped at the chance. The two thought living in a foreign country for three months should be enough time to figure out their next move back in Canada. “Few people spoke English where we were housesitting, so we were literally on our own. We had very weak internet in the village, so I bought a roaming package on my phone and began to search real estate sites. I stumbled upon a listing that was comparable to our Kelowna home, only on the east coast, and far less expensive. We looked at one another and said, “Let’s go for it!”, Donna recalls. What the couple found online was a listing for the QEII hospital Lottery’s 2017 Dream Cottage, which the winners had decided to sell. It had been on the market for only a few weeks. Donna quickly enlisted a cousin and her husband to travel from Dartmouth to Chester Basin to inspect the house. They Facetimed with Donna and Robert during a walkthrough while the couple watched on their iPad via WiFi at a pub 5,000 kms away. Two weeks later, and a month before their return to Canada, the deal was done. “I still can’t believe we bought our home without seeing it in person, in an area neither of us knew”, says Robert. “We had to GPS our address the day we moved in”. They knew the transition from urban to rural would be a paradigm shift, but after living in the Spanish countryside all summer, they were ready for the change. Robert says Spain conditioned them to the rural lifestyle.  “In the countryside where we stayed, we got to know the local community, we explored the culture, visited the markets, met the locals and found absolute authenticity and charm. The South Shore is appealing in the same way”. The real estate deal included the contents of the ‘cottage’, much of which are handcrafted and custom items selected by the home’s architectural designer. “We arrived with only our luggage and my spices. I love to cook”, says Donna. “Our home at Skipper Hill is gorgeous. We take our coffee to the community dock and just watch the world go by. It’s so calming. And the sunsets are stunning. Robert says they’ve become stargazers too. “You don’t see as many stars anywhere near a large city because of light pollution. We walk onto the deck and are in awe of the constellations. It’s mesmerizing”. Nine months after moving in, the couple keeps in shape by swimming laps at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre and bicycling on the many trails nearby. They travel to Halifax often to visit family and friends, and love hosting dinners with new and old friends. “We really feel as if we have won the lottery,” says Rob. Donna echoes that sentiment. “This is a dream come true”.  |
Click on the Magazine image to read!Stories and photos from NOW Lunenburg County's magazine "Create a Life you Love in Nova Scotia"
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