Posted on February 8, 2018 under Thursday Tidbits with 2 comments

My 15 minutes of fame. Check the caption ( Compliments of Peter! )

 

“And it goes on and on, watching the river run.”

Watching the River Run. Loggins and Messina.

People are fascinated with natural disasters. It’s like going to a car race waiting for a pile up to happen or watching a tightrope artist crossing Niagara Falls. There’s a bit of voyeurism in all of us.

By historic standards, the recent ice build, heavy rains and ensuing flood certainly wasn’t an anomaly. Here’s an old photo from the Antigonish Heritage Museum’s Facebook page:

The confluence of the Wright’s River, West River and Brierly Brook, combined with tidal water and a flood plain, has caused problems in Antigonish forever. Remediation to the Wright’s River years ago more or less solved the problem at the east end of town. But in the downtown core, when the ice builds up in the Brierly Brook and you get a torrential rainfall like we did last Friday, flooding is sure to follow. It happened suddenly and dramatically resulting in the stranding of 23 vehicles in the town parking lot behind the 5 to $1.00.

Living close to the action, I wandered over on Friday evening and took a short video. Pete Norman’s video was the best I’ve seen. I knew people were engaged when I received tens of thousands of views on Facebook.

After more rain overnight on Sunday night, my curiosity got the best of me and I shot another video first thing Monday morning. I now fully understand the concept of a video going viral. That video received over 42,000 views and 982 shares… and counting. Heavy rain continued unabated for hour’s .Realizing that people locally and globally were engaged with the story; I took a few more videos throughout the day and felt like a roving storm chaser. For a while, it looked like our apartment buildings adjacent to the Brierly Brook were in danger of being flooded as the water crested at high tide. We had to evacuate all of our cars. When the media got a hold of it, the end of Court Street became a very popular spot. We should have charged admission. Hundreds of people wandered down to check things out.

My appearance on CTV prompted my son, Peter to do a little photo shopping of my image!

“Please sir, I want some more.” (From the musical “Oliver)

If you haven’t had a chance to see Oliver yet, you must go. It is an excellent production. It’s in the home stretch of its run at Immaculata Hall. There are performances Friday the 9^th. At 7:00 p.m. Saturday 10^th. At 2:00 (matinee) and 7:00 p.m. and Sunday the 11^th. At 2:00 p.m. I’ve seen it once already. “I want some more!”

I attended the official opening of African Heritage Month yesterday in the McKay Room at St. F.X. The ceremony was exceptionally well attended. As usual, the African Drumming Group comprised of students from Grade 5 all the way up to Grade 12, stole the show. The theme this year is “Educate, Unite, and Celebrate Community.” It was a wonderful event. I hope to join in the celebration by doing a “Faces in the Crowd” piece sometime this month.

“Like a bridge over troubled waters.” Hallelujah. The ice jam is gone and the Brierly Brook is running as it should.

Have a great weekend.

 

Posted on February 5, 2018 under News & Updates with 2 comments

Canada’s Ocean Playground

 

I realize that not everyone is on Facebook. Here’s what’s going on in Antigonish right now.

 

https://youtu.be/K1nVT7Tm2iQ

Parking lot behind 5 to $1.00… running between the parking meters.

Posted on February 5, 2018 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

Will ye no come back again?

 

“There’s a time for joy, a time for tears,

A time we’ll treasure through the years,

We’ll remember always,

Graduation day.

Graduation Day. The Beach Boys.

Do you remember your high school graduation? Did you write Provincial exams? Did you go to the prom?

In two years’ time, it will be 50 years since I graduated from high school. How in the hell did that happen? Wasn’t it just yesterday that we sat on the railing outside “The Alleys”, watching the world going by, wondering where the journey of life would take us? I suspect every one of us reels just a bit when we consider the passage of time.

Fifty years.

The present day Annex, on the campus of St.F.X. University, was once Antigonish High School, my alma mater. And yes, I was a member of that class, the very last graduating class before the school became the property of the university.

Fifty years. I’m still in disbelief.

A few of my classmates from that era got together last week and have put the wheels in motion for a reunion. I used to pooh pooh reunions but now I treasure them. And it won’t be just the “class of 70” who are being invited. Back in those days, you could go directly from grade XI to university. So anyone who was a grade XI student in 68-69 will be receiving an invitation as well. Keep your eyes open for a new “AHS Reunion” Facebook page. Apparently the PINS Bowling Center has the original wood from the Braeside lanes. Maybe we’ll bowl a few strings… if we can bend over to toss the bowling ball!

Somewhere in the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois, Abraham Lincoln is weeping. I’m currently reading Ronald C. White’s excellent biography called “A. Lincoln.” Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican President. He would not recognize his party these days. He was humble, self-effacing and had a wonderful, self-deprecating sense of humour. He was also a voracious reader and had a keen intellect. He championed the anti-slavery movement. And he preached equality. When he became President, his country was deeply divided.

That paragraph will likely get me in trouble but it is so interesting to read history to help understand the present.

Calling all volunteers.

The National Special Olympics are coming to Antigonish this summer from July 31rd to August 4^th. It is quite an honor for an Antigonish and a chance for us to strut our stuff. In order to deliver a high quality event the organizers needs lots of help, of every imaginable kind. I have agreed to do some media stuff. What about you? No experience necessary… just a big heart. Please check out this site and put your name in if you can spare a few hours of your time. http://www.specialolympics.ca/2018-national-games/volunteer/volunteer

Have a great week.