Snowman Wall of Fame 2019
Here are the latest snowmen to enter the 3rd annual Snowman Contest 2019.
Tag: Activities
Antigonish Winter Activities & March Break Activities 2019
Looking ahead to March break and other fun winter activities, here’s a compiled list of what’s happening in the Antigonish area so far.
Andrews Hockey March break camp. If your kids are into hockey check out this program. This is considered a growth camp focusing on forward specific, defense specific, skating, puck skills and scoring skills for children born 2006-2011.
And they also offer a Goaltending March break camp where each goalie receives exclusive goalie ice time! For more information click here.
X-Chem Outreach has partnered with WISE Atlantic (Women in Science & Engineering) to host a Girls Science Retreat for girls in Grades 7-10. The girls will explore hands-on STEM activities (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), as well as sessions with local female role models working or studying in STEM fields (ex: paramedic, chemical engineer, math professor, plus more). How cool is that!
The cost of the retreat is only $10 and includes pizza for lunch. For more information and to register click here.
Also by X-Chem, check out the Saturday STEM workshops on March 9th from 10am-12pm. There will be a STEM activities workshop for Ages 5-8, as well as a Codemakers workshop for Ages 9-13 with our friends from the Department of Math and Computer Science. See the attached flyer and visit http://www2.mystfx.ca/chemistry/x-chem-outreach/about to register online.
The Arts House full-day camps feature Dr. Seuss’ crafts, up-cycling projects, sticker making, sock monkeys & monsters, and much more. For more information and to register click here.
Other fun activities offered this winter…
Paint Maud Lewis’ house! Children can decorate a cardboard version of Maud’s house at the Antigonish & County Library. For more information click here.
Kids can join the Minecraft Club, also offered at the Antigonish & County Library. For more information click here.
Try ice fishing on Gillis Lake! Enjoy the Antigonish Free Family Fishing Derby 2019 scheduled for February 16.
Attend the Keppoch Winter Fun Day 2019 scheduled for Sunday March 3, 10:00am-4:00pm. This year’s theme is ‘Winter Wonderland’.
Enjoy free swims and free skating on the weekends:
And free gym play time on Sundays:
Take advantage of the Town and County’s equipment loan program to stay active:
Looking for more local activities?
Check out the local Winter programs HERE, Year-round programs HERE and other fun activities HERE.
And there’s still time to enter the 3rd Annual Snowman Contest. Click HERE for details.
Most recent add-ins:
For more details, see the ‘Activity Details’ pages at the end of this post.
[jetpack_subscription_form title=”Sign up with Country Parent for activity updates” subscribe_text=”Enter your email address below to receive updates and similar posts (it’s free & your email address will not be published)” subscribe_button=”Sign Me Up”]
A Review of Metamorphoses
by Barry Taylor,
I saw the preview performance of Metamorphoses at the Bauer Theatre the other day.
The play is a collection of ancient Greek myths and heroic legends, drawn from the epic work of the Roman poet Ovid, modernized and re-interpreted by playwright Mary Zimmerman as an exploration of the uncontainable power of love. Here, love itself is a metamorphosis: a life-altering, sometimes painful rebirth into someone different and new. To lend substance to this theme, the stories play out around, above, and mostly in a pool of water that covers most of the stage. How cool is that?
The nine stories in the play explore love in all its dimensions: paternal, matrimonial, romantic, erotic, worldly, uplifting, forbidden, corruptive. Members of the large cast, mostly students, play multiple roles, appearing as a Greek god in one scene, perhaps a sailor in the next, and a narrator in a third. The pool too serves multiple purposes, according to the story. People walk in it, float in it, bath in it, wash clothes in it, sail on it, drown in it, pass out in it, and have sex in it. Water, the great transformer, is everywhere (including, sometimes, on audience members seated in the front row. Talk about an immersive experience).
The stories themselves are as varied: some comic, some tragic, some familiar, some strange, some set in modern times, others timelessly classic. A drowned sailor and his grieving wife are transformed into sea birds; Orpheus bravely descends into the underworld to rescue his bride from Hades; the gods punish a disrespectful man by consuming him with hunger.
It’s all very metaphorical, and I have to say, at times a little bit strange. But there was no mistaking the strong emotional reactions of last night’s audience. I recommend you go see it, if you have the time. Metamorphoses represents a great deal of work by a troupe of dedicated people, under the steady hand of Artistic Director Andrea Boyd, and the result is a powerful and engaging piece of theatre.
You can get tickets here or at the door.
Barry R. Taylor, Associate Professor
Dept. of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University
Pumpkin Carving Contest Photos 2018
Did you submit your carved Halloween pumpkin photo yet?
Enter the contest for a chance to win great prizes by The Wheel, DQ, Subway, Pita Pit and Goji’s!
Take a look at these wonderful creations for some inspiration.
Green glowing pumpkin by Sherry & Cohen MacLean
Patches, all ready for his dentist appointment! by Katie MacDonald
Werewolf pumpkin by Katie MacDonald
Toronto Maple Leaf pumpkin by the Bell family
Angry pumpkin by Danny Hunter
Ghost pumpkin by Mackenzie Gormley
Ghost pumpkin and Jack-o-lantern by Mackenzie Gormley
Jack-o-lantern and Carrot pumpkin by the Bouchie family
Cat pumpkin by Emily Spears.
Creepy glowing pumpkin by Azel Noceja.
Happy pumpkin by Bria MacHattie.
Scary pumpkin by Jared MacHattie.
Scary shark pumpkin by Patrick MacGillivray
Cat pumpkin and vampire pumpkin by Lilah and Nellie Hallett (and Vincent Hallet)
Buck pumpkin by Mitchell.
Howling wolf pumpkin by Bria.
Skull on fire pumpkin by Lauren.
Ghost saying ‘BOO’ pumpkin by Angel.
“Ahhhhh! Don’t eat me!” hungry pumpkins by Greylen and Myca Ash
Happy pumpkins by Tigh and Nola DeYoung
Yoda “Hmm, Happy Halloween you must have” by Amy Harris
Happy vampire pumpkins by Bridget, Darren and Danielle Murphy
Happy pumpkin by Simon MacDonald
‘Optimus Prime is ready to roll out the treats’ by the Tate family
‘Mr.Sucker Head is feeling sweet for Halloween’ by the Tate family
Bob the minion pumpkin by Gavin Dort
Anchor pumpkin by Jenna Dort
Foster cat pumpkin by Ashlyn MacDonald
Abstract art pumpkin by Grace MacDonald (“who at 20 months old wanted to join in on the fun!”)
Charizard pumpkin by Easton Poirier
Demers family creations by (top to bottom): Zach, Karlie, Marcus and Clara.
Family of cat pumpkins by Hazel, Evelyn and Constance
Griffiths’ family pumpkins
Pumpkin in the Emerg. by St. Martha’s ER 🙂
Kitty and Owl pumpkins by Jase Melanson
‘E.T. phone home’ by Aimee
Would you like to enter the contest too? CLICK HERE for the details.
Fun Fall Activities in Antigonish
Looking for activities to do this Fall?
Take a look at these fun activities happening in our area…
October 1 – October 28
Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest 2018
Carve a pumpkin, then submit your photo for a chance to win great prizes!
For more information click HERE!
Sunday, October 14
Fall Colours Fun Day At Keppoch 2018
For more information visit their Facebook page
Sunday, October 14
X-Chem Nintendo Switch Labo Workshop
For more information see below
October 19
3rd Annual Halloween Harvest Bash 2018
For details see poster below
Saturday, November 17
Vikings Day Camp
For details see poster below
And throughout the Fall
Beautiful Local Trails
Enjoy the Fall colours by taking advantage of the many local trails available for free in our area, like the Antigonish Landing, Arisaig Provincial Park, Beaver Mountain Provincial Park, Brown’s Mountain, Cape George Lighthouse, Fairmount Ridge Trails and Chez Deslauriers Pomquet Acadian Trail.
Happy Fall!
[jetpack_subscription_form title=”Sign up with Country Parent to receive similar posts” subscribe_text=”Enter your email address below to receive similar posts (your email address will not be published)” subscribe_button=”Sign Me Up”]
Find more local activities here: Fall & Winter Activities
The Benefits of Being an Air Cadet
Have you ever wondered what the Air Cadets are all about? Here is some information on this wonderful program aimed at youth ages 12 to 18.
The 875 Antigonish Lions Royal Canadian Air Cadets squadron is based in Antigonish and named after its sponsor the Antigonish Lions Club.
The organization promotes leadership, fitness and teamwork. Considering there are 8660 air cadets in Atlantic Canada, let’s see what it entails.
What to expect when you join?
In a nutshell, the program provides mandatory cadet training sessions once a week (from 6:00pm to 8:30pm on Mondays, September to June), and optional training sessions for biathlons, marksmanship, band, drill team marching and ground school for flying lessons.
One of the best parts of the program is the summer camps. Albeit optional, these camps offer cadets specific training and at different levels. There are 24 camp opportunities offered including sports, fitness, first aid, survival, music, navigation, aerospace, communications, airport operations. Here’s a glimpse of just a few:
The General Training camp provides cadets with an introduction to camp life and a variety of fields of interest, e.g. airport operations.
The Sports & Fitness camp prepares cadets to become as an assistant sports instructor and develop personal habits to maintain a good fitness and healthy living.
Band camp develops the cadets’ competence in music and prepares them to support their local cadet band.
Survival camp develops the cadets to become a specialist with the skills and subject matter knowledge required to be an instructor and team leader for aircrew survival activities within the Air Cadet Program.
Glider Pilot Camp includes a series of theoretical and practical lessons to train student pilots without previous experience in flight to obtain their glider pilot license.
Do cadets have to join the air force or military afterwards?
No. The Air Cadets are not, and never have to become, members of the Canadian Armed Forces. They simply learn about the different opportunities available and are exposed to various hand-on activities that promote an interest in the Royal Canadian Air Force such as the activities mentioned above. But they do not have to join the service once they are done with the program.
Beyond the training
Aside from their regular training, the cadets participate in many other fun activities. Some of the activities done in the past include movie night, Halloween party, winter ball dance, laser tag, March break trip, Get Air NS, mini-putt, and swimming.
March break trip to Halifax
Cadets and our community
Air cadets are actively involved in the community; from volunteering with the Canada Day celebrations, Highland Games and Mayfest, to taking part in RK MacDonald Nursing Home Bingo nights, to street clean-ups and much more. They also participate in the annual Remembrance Day events, Christmas parades, and flag parties to name a few.
Air cadets participating in the Canada Day celebrations
Cadets helping out at the Antigonish Highland Games
Other Benefits?
There are numerous benefits of being an air cadet:
♦ Important life skills and experiences that will help them thrive as young adults
♦ Air cadets can apply to earn an elective credit counting towards their high school graduation
♦ Countless career opportunities
What does all this cost?
Absolutely nothing! Yup, the program is completely FREE!
What about the uniform? Free as well! With an added bonus of your child learning to iron his/her own shirt & pants and shine his/her shoes!
What about the summer camps? Free!! And get this… not only are they free, but the cadets get paid a stipend for attending!
Cadets returning from summer camp
I personally cannot say enough good things about this all-inclusive program. It teaches youth responsibility, respect, camaraderie, team work and more importantly self-confidence (during the odd pre-teen-teenage years) which is paramount for shaping them into self-assured young adults.
Here are some testimonials from local cadets
“It’s fun!”
“It’s a great place to make friends and socialize!”
“We learn a lot of skills and new things.”
“I feel comfortable being myself.”
“It’s just the right amount of discipline for my age.”
“I like doing drill and being on parade.”
…and from their parents
“My child’s confidence level has definitely increased since he started the program.”
“It fits him, and he fits in.”
“My child has expanded his commitment to the community through volunteer opportunities.”
“I feel proud seeing my daughter confidently on parade amongst her peers.”
“My child continues to make friends with similar core values.”
Intrigued?
For more information and to register visit the Air Cadet website or visit their Facebook page.
Hope you join us!
[jetpack_subscription_form title=”Sign up with Country Parent to receive similar posts” subscribe_text=”Enter your email address below to receive similar posts (your email address will not be published)” subscribe_button=”Sign Me Up”]
Antigonish Farmers Market New Building
by Michael Dickson
Hello Everyone! If you haven’t heard yet the Antigonish Farmers Market is growing and we need your help. We currently have $211,572.15 of our goal of $700,000. We recently held a very successful Gala fundraiser which consisted of amazing food donated by our very generous vendors, entertainment of the highest quality from local musicians with unrivaled passion for performing and of course the community that came out to show support to the Farmers Market and the local businesses that they love so much!
The support from the community has meant the world to the Board members of the Antigonish Farmers Market and to the vendors who’s business has continued to grow. We are so excited with how the fundraising is going and are inspired to work even harder to make this new building become a reality for everyone. We are also working on something very exciting for when the Special Olympics make their way to Antigonish.
Why is this new building such an important project for the community?
The amount of customers that the market has seen this year has grown so much over previous years that in order to effectively serve the consumers we need to expand! We need:
♦ More space for new and exciting vendors to serve the customer base that has been constantly growing
♦ A year-round Market for everyone and a second market day during the week to support the amount of people that we have coming into the market!
Michael Overmars, Overmars Garden
Mac Brown, The Martha’s New Garden
♦ To remain the hub for healthy eating and to support local producers which will benefit not only the overall health and wellness of the community, but will help the Market to serve as an incubator for more small businesses. This will in turn encourage the development of more small farms, local artisans and food vendors to provide the community with products of the highest quality.
Angela Bowles, Food Matters Catering
Wild Flour Bakery
♦ A provincially inspected, commercial kitchen available for a broad-based community usage to help support projects outside of the market. And of course with adding all of these positive things together, the economical impact this new building will bring is going to be massive.
With additional focus being put on the economy, it is now important more than ever to support home. With a growing number of people leaving, we need to do more to encourage people to stay here in our humble community of Antigonish, and being the number one Farmers Market in Nova Scotia is one of the best ways to not only create more local jobs to support people living in our community, but we will also continue to support a healthier lifestyle for everyone!
Seabright Gardens
How can you donate to make this building a reality?
♦ You can click on this image:
♦ Or go to www.antigonishfarmersmarket.ca, then click on the Donate tab at the top of the page.
♦ You can donate in person at our Farmers Market on Saturday from 8:30 to 1pm.
♦ You can also contact the market manager Michael Dickson by email at manager@antigonishfarmersmarket.ca or call at 902.867.7479.
Show your support, Like us on Facebook at Antigonish Farmers Market Association and Instagram @Antigonishfarmersmarket
Thanks again everyone for supporting your local Antigonish Farmers Market!
Michael Dickson, Antigonish Farmers Market Manager
Beginner’s Guide to Running
by Eric Gillis
Running is a wonderful activity because it’s something we can do straight out our front doors, alone, or with friends. Everyone is genetically built to run no matter the age, or athletic ability.
The key is to manage expectations when you first begin. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Proper pacing
Proper pacing is a runner’s best-friend. I like telling beginner runners, and reminding experienced ones, that you can’t go ‘too easy’ on an easy run.
For pacing an easy run, you should be able to comfortably hold a conversation with someone and not feel winded at the end of the run. Most of my training is done at this easy run pace, 75-80% of all miles run. If you’re like myself, and many other runners I know, you’ll have to remind yourself to slow down. Speeding up is a treat we give ourselves only a few times per week.
Location is key
For your first run, it’s best to pick a location like a track, where you feel comfortable with your surroundings. Starting on a track is pleasant because it has consistent footing, and no hills 😀 You can more easily control variables and work on proper pacing.
Set a goal
Have a goal time or number of laps in mind before starting. With running, it’s easy to bite off more than you can chew, which can be discouraging for your next run. So, like a lot of things, less is more! If you can bike moderately for an hour, but have never ran before, start with 15 minutes, a sensible length of time for a beginner run.
Use the ‘run-walk’ technique
You might find that it helps to break up the 15 minutes into run-walk intervals: run for 3 minutes, then walk for 1 minute. Run for another 3 minutes, then walk again for 1 minute. Repeat this 5 times.
Recovery time
Getting back on your bike the next day, or simply walking, is a great way to recover from the previous day’s run.
Final thoughts
I’ll leave you with this quote, which I really like. I heard Alex Hutchinson, a running/science journalist say it in an interview:
“Most beginner runners overestimate what they can do in the short term, and underestimate what they can do in the long term” – Alex Hutchinson
Run easy and run for fun my friends 😀
Eric Gillis
Marathoner & Olympian
Cross Country and Track & Field Head Coach
St. Francis Xavier University, Athletics Dept.
You might also like:
[jetpack_subscription_form title=”Stay up to date” subscribe_text=”Enter your email address below to receive your weekly blog post!” subscribe_button=”Sign Me Up”]
AND
Click HERE to Like the Facebook page!
World Oceans Day 2018 Sneak Peek
The StFX Biology Department will be hosting their 5th Annual World Oceans Day 2018 on June 9!
World Oceans Day, a global ocean celebration, promotes Ocean awareness through exploration, education, conservation, initiatives and beach clean-ups around the world.
This year’s theme is: Preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean.
What to expect?
There will be lots to see and do during the event. Be prepared to touch unusual sea critters, interact with the presenters and learn about local and tropical marine organisms.
There will be displays of preserved specimens (including whale bones, sting rays, cuttlefish, octopus) and many live microorganisms including sea anemones, sea urchins, sea stars, a variety of crabs, and our famous blue lobster!
Also on the list, a sea-weed station, make-your-own fossil print station, face painting, ocean themed crafts, and much more.
Participating Organizations & Special Guests
♦ StFX Aquatic Resources Dept.
♦ Department of Fisheries and Oceans
♦ Nova Scotia Salmon Association
♦ Eastern Region Solid Waste Management
♦ The Sydney Odditorium
…Stay tuned, as we will be adding more to the list!
See you there!
[jetpack_subscription_form title=”Stay up to date” subscribe_text=”Enter your email address below to receive updates!” subscribe_button=”Sign Me Up”]
Hike it Baby Antigonish
by Kendra MacEachern
I’m a new mom to an 8 month old and I love hiking, so back in the Fall I started a hiking group for parents and their kids. I was going for walks and hikes with my baby every morning but it was getting lonely. I was hoping to meet more parents like myself who wanted to get outside with their kids.
We started in the Fall and went on walks to the Keppoch, Beaver Mountain, Bethany and around town. I recently changed the group to Hike it Baby which is an international community of parents who hike with their kids. I decided to go ahead with the Hike it Baby because the community already has loads of resources for getting outside with kids and they also publish stories of other parents and their journeys to getting outside. I found it very helpful and inspiring to be part of bigger community because although getting outside and hiking has practically always been a big part of my life, doing it will a baby was scary.
About the group
Hike it Baby Antigonish is group dedicated to connecting families to nature with birth to school age children. It’s a branch of a non-profit US-based organization which is getting families outside all over the world.
Although dedicated to children ages 0-5, we welcome all ages. We also welcome all caregivers. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, anyone with kids! Don’t worry if you need to nurse or change a diaper on the trail, we don’t leave anyone behind. It’s a supportive environment and open to all ability levels.
The hiking trails
Our favourite trails are the Bethany Contemplative trail, Beaver Mountain and the Keppoch. We have at least one hike a week. Every Tuesday, we meet at Keppoch from 10:00am-12:00pm. We meet in the lodge and decide which trail to do together. As the weather warms up and ice finally goes away expect to see extra hikes throughout the week!
Hike it Baby 30: a new challenge
Hike it Baby 30 is a quarterly challenge to help motivate families and communities to get out and hike for 30 miles in 30 days or 30 minutes 3 times a week. This can be done with or without Hike it Baby!
We will have a hike at least once a week at Keppoch on Tuesdays. Others will be added throughout the week this month!
Check out Hike it baby 30 for more details.
**Since Canadians do not pay a membership fee there is no free challenge. Also, many of the prizes awarded are to US participants. International participants still have a chance to win, but from a smaller selection which do not have shipping restrictions.
Become a member of Hike it Baby! Anyone can host hikes! Click here to find out more and join us on Facebook.
See you out there!
Stephanie Monaghan, Hike it Baby Antigonish Coordinator
Kendra MacEachern, Hike it Baby Antigonish Coordinator