Who’s Who

Who’s Who: Barry Braun, Happy Community Member! By Mike Butler The Valley is filled with exceptional community members. I have the honour of writing about them in this column, including a gentleman I had never met before, but now that I have I’m very excited to share his adventures with you. Barry Braun is the founder of the Happy Community Project. He has a vision to change the world one community at a time and who wouldn’t want to help with that vision? Barry didn’t always have this vision. In fact, for a significant portion of his existence, he was…
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Who’s Who: MARIE JARDINE: LITTLE PIGGIES REFLEXOLOGY! By Mike Butler When was the last time your little piggies went to market? You need to put your best foot forward and go see Marie Jardine. Read on and find out why. Marie Jardine was born and raised in Dartmouth. In 1977 her dad retired from the Navy and they moved to Ontario. She went to high school in Kincardine, a beautiful town on the shores of Lake Huron and then went to Sheridan College to study graphic design and worked in Toronto for a few years. She says, “I worked for…
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Who’s Who: Dr. Allison Walker: The Fungal Fun Gal! By Mike Butler Acadia University, Wolfville’s biggest employer, is known worldwide as a leader in education and it is a beautiful, essential piece to Wolfville’s notoriety. From Acadia, there have been many extraordinary people who’ve been a part of the Grapevine Who’s Who column. They’ve been leaders in their field and great contributors to the campus life and the future of its students. It’s always nice to have the opportunity to write about someone I’ve never met and know very little about what they study. So, Dr. Allison Walker was a…
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Who’s Who: Jim Murphy: A Deep Rooted Local! By Mike Butler If the name Jim Murphy doesn’t bring music to your ears right now, come September it sure will! Jim is part of the very busy board handling the organization and marketing for the 15th Deep Roots Festival in Wolfville. It’s gonna be a busy couple of weeks for Jim and his team but he was willing to lend me some time for this profile. Hear is a sweet little blurb about Jim Murphy! Jim was born and raised in Wolfville, went to Wolfville School, Horton High School, and then…
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Who’s Who: Andrew Haight and Dawn Higgins of Floating Bridge By Mike Butler Breathe. Relax. Sit back and take this special article in. Through much praise, Andrew Haight and Dawn Higgins found their way to me recently and I’m very excited to tell you about them. Andrew and his partner, Dawn Higgins, came to Nova Scotia 25 years ago from Toronto and they’ve been serial entrepreneurs since their arrival. According to Andrew, “Dawn is very good at creating successful small businesses with a lot of soul. Dawn and I have travelled extensively over the years honing our skills, absorbing new…
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Who’s Who: François Côté: Town Proud! Mike Butler François Côté is a very recognizable face in the Valley and beyond. I’ve known him for many years, having seen him perform at events like Night Kitchens, open mics, and The Wolfville Farmers Market. He is a cherished Valley talent and it’s my pleasure to bring his story to The Grapevine. François Côté’s story begins in the fall of 1979 and spring of 1980, a period that would define François’ life. He says, “During those 8 months, I turned 18 and the Katimavik program took me from my hometown, Québec, to Wolfville…
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Who’s Who: Jane Mangle is No Plain Jane By Mike Butler Jane Mangle is a very familiar face in Wolfville and the surrounding area. Jane is a supporter of so many things in her community and, with her husband David, never wavers from being a kind and compassionate citizen, neighbour, and friend. After much hesitation, she agreed to be featured here and I believe it’s long overdue. This is no plain Jane. A proud Cape Bretoner happily living in Wolfville since 1982, Jane is a graduate of Dalhousie University’s dental hygiene program. She says, “We came because my husband David…
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Who’s Who: In the Garden with Alain Belliveau By Mike Butler Are you a gardener? Have a green thumb? Well, I have to say that gardening has never been one of my strong suits. Plants, bugs, mulch, and seeds never found their way onto my hobbies list. However, I do envy those with the patience, the savvy, and the energy to study plants, create a garden, and maintain it. I am fortunate to live close to the Irving Botanical Gardens at Acadia University, and recently I got to meet the new curator (I can’t grow a geranium but I can…
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Who’s Who: Kathleen Purdy By Mike Butler I’ve been writing the Who’s Who column for The Grapevine for nine years and it still amazes me when I come across a person so familiar to the Valley area (and beyond) but I don’t really know them. Kathleen Purdy is one of those people. Having this opportunity now to share her story is a real honour. Kathleen and her family are Valley treasures. Kathleen was born and raised in Nova Scotia but several years “away” studying, choreographing, and performing modern dance, mostly in Toronto. For some of those years, she was part…
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