In Review: Recent News, Happenings, and Events

In Review: Recent News, Happenings, and Events

By Emily Leeson

The clouds parted just in time for another great parade in the little town of Kingston, Nova Scotia. The community lined the road and the parade was filled with dancers, firetrucks, Shriners, bagpipes, a handful of princesses and of course a couple of horses. After the parade the fair grounds were filled, the bouncy castles were hopping, the BBQ was in full swing, and a special treat for the kids was zipping around: A land-mower driven barrel train!

—

Since 2007, the Ramey family has been investing heavily in the land, infrastructure, and people of Blomidon Estate Winery in Habitant. At the 2017 Decanter World Wine Awards, the winery received silver and bronze medals for three of their Méthode Traditionelle sparkling wines. Over 17,000 wines were entered into the competition and judged by top wine experts. According to Tim Ramey, “To think that in a period of ten short years we are now making wines of this calibre is both rewarding and humbling.”

—

In mid-June, the Annapolis Valley hosted the National Wine Awards of Canada (NWAC) and welcomed twenty-two talented wine tasters tasked with picking winners from 1700 different wines and ciders made in Canada. David Lawrason, the VP of WineAlign, and co-head judge of the NWAC, isn’t surprised to see so much attention being given to Nova Scotia wines. “There has been a great deal of energy emanating from the Nova Scotia wine industry in recent years” he says, “It is much like the energy within the sparkling wines and Tidal Bay whites that are now defining the region.” The results of the 2017 National Wine Awards of Canada will be available soon and can be found at winealign.com/awards.

—

After a rigorous review and evaluation by the American Animal Hospital Association, the Greenwood Animal Hospital has achieved the highest level of veterinary excellence. “Unlike human hospitals, not all animal hospitals are required to be accredited” Dr. Teresa Speelman, Owner/DVM of Greenwood Animal Hospital explains. “Accredited hospitals are the only hospitals that choose to be evaluated on approximately 990 quality standards that go above and beyond basic state regulations.” Since beginning the practice in her own home, Dr. Speelman has grown the Greenwood Animal Hospital in many ways since its early days. “Middleton Veterinary Services started in our home in 1989. Greenwood Animal Hospital opened its doors in 1990.” Dr. Speelman recalls, “We wanted to provide comprehensive medical and surgical care for animals. We wanted the most modern diagnostic, surgical, and treatment procedures to be handled within the hospital.” In 2000, Greenwood underwent a major expansion doubling the clinic in size. The accreditation is another step they’ve taken towards ensuring that they continue to offer the best service possible.

—

The shop at 101 Commercial Street in Middleton may not have a sign outside yet, but there is business brewing inside and plans for a whole new sort of event series for the town. J’s Card Hobbies is already open, but owner Jasyn Walsh will host a Grand Opening on July 29. Stocked with a variety of Pokémon and Magic the Gathering singles for sale as well as hockey cards and other collectible games, Jasyn is also planning to host a large Pokemon card tournament called the Pokemon League. Eventually he’s also planning on hosting Magic the Gathering card tournaments as well. Jasyn has been playing and collecting trading cards for over ten years, and he’s hoping to translate his wealth of experience into a unique business model. “I will have the only location in the Valley that hosts Pokemon tournaments with free prizes” Jasyn says. “The Pokemon League events will be good to bring our community closer together.” You can get more info about the events by popping into the store or checking out J’s Card Hobbies on Facebook.

—

Tuesday nights in Aylesford have been a lot more entertaining recently! The Aylesford United Church (414 Highway #1, Aylesford) is halfway through their program of hosting a different musical act and comedy show each Tuesday evening for the month of July. The event cost is a free-will offering and the shows start at 7:30pm.

The Shore Tones are a long time Valley group that performs A Capella, folk, and original songs.

Originally from Newfoundland, Wanda has been singing at fundraisers and community events for twelve years. The second musical group will be Chris Palmer and Gina Potvin. Chris is a well known Valley singer/songwriter and Gina Potvin is a well established Valley pianist and piano teacher.

For more info, visit aylesfordunited.com.