Experience Arts & Culture in Nova Scotia this Winter
Create unforgettable memories with friends and family this winter through vibrant arts and crafts, UNESCO World Heritage sites and more!
By Jon Tattrie, Content Manager/Managing Editor Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association
Atlantic Canada’s literary tradition stretches back centuries, and the culture of this land reaches back thousands of years. This starter pack of books suggested by Atlantic Books Today, the east coast’s premier literary magazine, will add adventure, wisdom and fun to your visit.
Nova Scotia is located in Mi’kma’ki, home of the Mi’kmaq since time immemorial. Over thousands of years, they evolved a rich culture. One of the most popular Mi’kmaw books of the last few years is Mi’kmaw Moons. Cathy Jean LeBlanc is a member of Acadia First Nation and she worked with Mi’kmaw illustrator Loretta Gould and astronomer David Chapman to create this beautiful book. It’s the story of a young girl learning about her heritage, but you will learn amazing things too. Summer is Nipk and its three months are Trees Fully Leafed Time (Nipniku’s or June), Birds Shedding Feathers Time (Peskewiku’s or July) and Berry Ripening Time (Kisikewiku’s or August). These names tie you to the land – you will indeed see the green trees, eagle feathers, and ripe blueberries on the bush. Visit one of our many u-pick farms to start on your own blueberry grunt, the unofficial dessert of our province.
The first African set foot on this land more than 400 years ago. Mathieu Da Costa came as an explorer and fixer for French colonist Samuel de Champlain’s famous mission to establish Port Royal, the first non-Mi’kmaq settlement here. Many Black people have followed, brought in chains as slaves, or as refugees fleeing war, or as hard-working people determined to build a better life. Africville, a Black village just north of Halifax, was central to this vibrant culture until racism drove Halifax to destroy the community in the 1960s. Today, you can visit a memorial church on the site. And you can see the community flowering in the landmark book, Spirit of Africville. It’s a stunning photo collection of the people and places that made this place home for generations. You’ll also learn about its history, and read an essay by Charles R. Saunders capturing Africville forever shining in the summer sun of 1959.
To explore the Scottish and Gaelic cultures that give Nova Scotia its name (New Scotland in Latin), check out the wildly popular The Scottish Gaelic Tattoo Handbook, or the young adult novel Iain of New Scotland, which tells the story of a Scottish boy who sails on the Hector to Pictou to start a new life in the late 1700s.
Nova Scotia has always been defined by the Atlantic Ocean. Few know the coast as intimately as Lesley Choyce, author of more than 100 books and a year-round surfer at Lawrencetown Beach since the 1970s. In Shaped by the Sea, he will share with you the ancient geological history of a land once connected to North Africa. You will learn about Mi’kmaw culture, the more recent European-Nova Scotian history, and the wars that warped and shaped it. (If you want a Mi’kmaw perspective, read Elder Daniel Paul’s iconic book, We Were Not the Savages.)
If you’re looking for stunning images of Nova Scotia’s coastlines, in Coastal Nova Scotia, photographer Adam Cornick offers a photographic exploration of Nova Scotia’s diverse coastlines along with insider tips on hidden gems to explore.
Cape Breton’s hospitality is legendary. In 2020, Mary Janet MacDonald decided to have some fun and post her favourite recipes to social media. To her surprise, 50,000 people were soon following her mouth-watering adventures. She wrote Tunes and Wooden Spoons to share the cooking and baking secrets her family has been using for generations. Start with her Cape Breton Cinnamon Rolls and see if you can stop. If you want to dine old school, get a copy of Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens by Marie Nightingale. First published in 1970, this collection of classic recipes has sold more copies than any other cookbook in the province’s history. In fact, it’s one of Nova Scotia’s all-time best-sellers, having recently blown by the 100,000 copies mark.
If you fancy taking a hike during your visit, Michael Haynes will guide you with Hiking Trails of Mainland Nova Scotia, or Hiking Trails of Cape Breton. Haynes has been hiking and writing around the province for decades and his books are crisp, clear instructions on where to find the trail head, the accessibility of the terrain, and a detailed account of the route. He adds in bright details from the local history and the pocket-sized books make for great hiking companions.
If you visit glorious Peggy’s Cove, you will likely be tempted to take your picture next to the most-photographed lighthouse in the world (stay off the black rocks!). But if you want to see the austere beauty of the rugged shoreline, salt marshes, small lakes and granite boulders, check out Kent Martin’s The Peggy’s Cove Barrens: A Portrait in Photographs. Over the course of 100 images, you will see some of the least-photographed places in the world, framed by the loving eyes of a local. Peggy’s Cove Preservation Area is home to a sensitive ecosystem so please visit responsibly.
Set foot on the ocean floor of the Bay of Fundy and all signs of humanity vanish. The ancient cliffs, rapidly and regularly carved by the world’s highest tides, tell the history of the world. One of the most fascinating places to visit here is the Joggins Fossil Centre. Each tide scrapes back a bit of earth, revealing Coal Age trees from 300 million years ago, or the fossil of a creature that would become parent to all dinosaurs. John Calder was the driving force to make Joggins a UNESCO World Heritage Site and his book, The Joggins Fossil Cliffs: Coal Age Galapagos reads the rocks for you, bringing millions of years of evolution to light.
Let Nova Scotia’s talented authors inspire you to explore our history, culture and beautiful landscapes before you visit, or visit one of our many local bookstores to take a piece of Nova Scotia home with you.
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