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In the village of Chester three properties sold late in the summer at asking prices of $1,500,000 (Back Harbour), $1,975,000 (Peninsula) and $990,000 (Front Harbour). All three of these properties were on the market for over 2 years and the starting asking prices when they came to market a few years ago were $2,500,000, $2,200,000 and $1,300,000 respectively.

The Chronicle Herald reported yesterday that luxury real estate sales are up in Halifax by 153%. Quite a jump. But I wonder what it would look like year over year? And were the sales induced by price changes to accommodate the maket?

In the village of Chester three properties sold late in the summer at asking prices of $1,500,000 (Back Harbour), $1,975,000 (Peninsula) and $990,000 (Front Harbour). All three of these properties were on the market for over 2 years and the starting asking prices when they came to market a few years ago were $2,500,000, $2,200,000 and $1,300,000 respectively. An interesting point is all these properties sold very close to their new asking prices. An indication that the pricing reductions hit the high note and fostered a sale.

The Chronicle Herald article is available as a PDF here: The ChronicleHerald2.pdf

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Parrsboro Doubling up on
By Martin van den Hemel
Staff Reporter
Sep 16 2006

The head of a local board game manufacturing business is bucking one trend and has become the buzz of a small town in Nova Scotia because of it.

Kerry Martens, chief executive officer of Headz Gamez International on Richmond’s Maycrest Way, recently announced plans to build a new multi-million dollar assembly plant in Parrsboro, a rural coastal community which has a population of only about 1,500 people.

While other firms facing increasing production costs are looking to move their work to Asia, where labour is much cheaper, Martens said his move makes financial sense and is urging other CEOs to consider small towns in Canada as an alternative to places like China.

Parrsboro figures to double in size as a result of the announcement and had a party-the likes of which the town had never seen-last week featuring the Hanson brothers from the 1977 hockey flick Slapshot.
Headz Gamez will be building condos as well as a day care and a swimming pool for its 1,500 new employees.

Martens said building the plant in Richmond just didn’t make economic sense considering the high cost of living and steep real estate prices. Keeping the assembly end in China would have been the cheapest alternative.

But bringing the jobs back to Canada, he said, wasn’t so much more expensive as to eliminate that as a realistic option, he said.

Martens plans to pay his workers a starting wage of $12 per hour-some positions will be paid much more-which for a resident of Richmond wouldn’t go very far considering a house costs upwards of $500,000.

But in Parrsboro, where homes on generous lots can be had for under $60,000, the company can easily tap into the area’s labour force with its competitive wages.

Headz Gamez produces sports-based board games, which has seen its market share soar more than 30 per cent since the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C. in 2001. People seem to be spending more time at home and traveling less, Martens said.

To this point, the games have been produced in China, employing about 3,000 people between the printing and assembly, and the plastic manufacturing and hand painting end.

The latter, which employs about 1,500 people when production is in full swing, will remain in China, but the printing and assembly can be done competitively in Nova Scotia.

“It adds a little bit of cost to our game, but not so much that we’re not able to do it. And we also subsidize that part by selling advertising in our games.”

Martens said he hopes other companies will consider small towns throughout the country as reasonable, sensible and financially sound alternatives to exporting the jobs offshore, whether it be Asia, Central America, or Europe.

“When you do all the numbers, it is actually more advantageous for us to build this factory in a small town than it is in a big town.

“I think if corporate Canada took a real good look at where to invest, it’s better here.”

Buying 23 acres of land in Richmond would cost in the region of $23 million, he said.

“I’m $22 million ahead of the game already,” said Martens, who reportedly will pay around $100,000 for 17 acres in a Parrsboro industrial park.

Martens and Bill Perry, now the head of operations for Headz Gamez Inc. in Nova Scotia, were Navy mates and best friends when they were younger. One Christmas, Martens flew to Parrsboro to visit Perry and his family.

“It just felt like one of the most comfortable places in my life,” Martens said. “I’ve never forgotten it, not in 30 years.”

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ANNAPOLIS ROYAL: UN names Nova Scotia town world’s most livable

ANNAPOLIS ROYAL WEB CAM Note- On web cam page please scroll to bottom of web cam page for image

CTV.ca News Staff

It’s often called the cradle of Canada, where Samuel de Champlain settled four centuries ago. Now, the Nova Scotian town of Annapolis Royal is being recognized as the perfect little town.
According to the International Awards for Livable Communities, a contest endorsed by the United Nations Environment Program, the coastal town along the shore of southwestern Nova Scotia is the “most livable” small town in the world for 2004.

The community was awarded first place in the category of communities with a population of less than 10,000. It won the award based on the beauty of its landscape, preservation of local heritage and environmental stewardship.

Annapolis Royal Mayor John Kinsella (2004) says the reason his town won is simple.

“I can walk down the street without fear or any concern anytime of day or night,” he says.

“My child walks to school every day. I walk to buy my groceries. I have a lifestyle that other people that live in big cities that have to commute 45 minutes to their jobs on highways. They would love to do that.”

At last count, there were 525 people living in Annapolis Royal, so size wasn’t a factor in this contest. The town’s deputy mayor says the distinction is something the entire province should be proud of.

“Nova Scotia should be proud of the area because we’re nothing without the people around us,” says Trish Fry. “And the province has every bit as much a right to brag about this as we do.”

The town has a long and proud history. Champlain chose the site, the first permanent European settlement in North America north of St. Augustine, Fla., in 1605 after exploring the area the year before.

The town still has a notable arts community and tourists flock to the area to visit the national historic park that recreates Champlain’s settlement.

Attracting tourists has never been a problem; what has been is getting people to live here.

Now, being designated the most livable small town in the world could change that.

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Buying a home in Nova Scotia from abroad by Carolyn Ekins http://www.acountrylife.com
A step by step guide to the house buying process in Canada and Nova Scotia.

Buying a home in Nova Scotia, either for investment, holidays or eventual permanent residency is a simple process even if you live abroad and are not Canadian….We did just that in 2004, mostly by e-mail from the UK and were pleasantly surprised just how easy the process was.

Before I start to explain the process it maybe worth clarifying a few points and address some commonly asked questions…

Are there any different rules for non-residents buying property in Canada? No……its exactly the same process for a Canadian, Nova Scotian or resident of another country. However, as are the tax laws in the UK, if this is your second home or even your only home and you are not a resident of Canada for tax purposes when you sell the property, you will be taxed on the profit you make on the sale. Check with your provinces tax office. “It is important to note, however, that while the majority of Provinces (British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick) have no restrictions on foreign ownership of real estate in Canada, some do limit the amount of property/land that a non-resident can purchase. On Prince Edward Island, non-resident buyers must apply to the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission for land over 5 acres in size, or land with a shore frontage greater than 165 feet. In Manitoba, non-residents are prevented from owning farmland unless they actually plan to move there within 2 years. Non-residents may not own land over 10 acres in size in Saskatchewan, whilst in Alberta they may only own up to 2 plots of land not exceeding 20 acres in total.” (from: http://www.assignmentscanada.ca/buyingincanada.html)

Can I live in Canada once I have bought my home? No….not permanently. Canada is such a beautiful country and Nova Scotia such a lovely province that many people buy second homes or cabins here. You can stay in Canada on holiday for up to a 6 month stretch (remember you are not allowed to work in the country or province without a work permit). People who spend their summers here or even 6 months of the year (minus a day) are known as seasonal residents.

Is there anyway I can make Canada my home temporarily or permanently? Yes…..many people come to the province to study or learn a new trade, perhaps to prepare themselves for permanent immigration and even to boost their points. Other people find a HRDC approved job and can work many years in Canada even while their immigration process is underway. Selling up in the UK or your country of residence, buying a home in Canada and moving out here on work or study permits is risky while awaiting permanent residency. There is no guarantee that permanent residency will be granted, however, this is a risk many are willing to take rather than waiting 3 or 4 years for processing. Only you can weigh up the pros and cons and make that decision.
For full details of the permanent immigration process go to http://www.cic.gc.ca

A brief guide to house buying the process

So you’ve been looking through the Canadian ‘Multiple Listing System’ at http://www.mls.ca and seen some homes you really like the look of . The next step is to make an enquiry about the property and you do this by contacting the ‘Realtor’ whose name appears on the listing. In our case we saw just the house for us at http://www.tradewindsrealty.com which list many properties along the South Shore of Nova Scotia and further afield too. We contacted the realtor (Monica Sontrop) who was very helpful and professional answering detailed questions we had about everything. We found this such a refreshing change to the system we were used to in the UK where often your questions were ignored. Monica must have spent hours answering our questions by e-mail and sending us photos- she definitely went far beyond the call of duty but as potential buyers who didn’t really have any idea of the house purchasing process in Canada we were extremely grateful. It really did make all the difference!

Realtor acts for both parties

After much research, many photos and many, many questions we felt we really wanted to put in an offer on the house we had been discussing. We had been made aware that we could ask Monica to work on our behalf by entering into a limited dual agency relationship (this service provided by realtors is free to the buyer ) and further details can be found at http://www.nsar.ns.ca/pdf_files/form126.pdf. Basically this means that the realtor acts impartially for both the seller & buyer and you sign an agreement with the realtor. The next step was for us to make an offer. Our offer was a little unique because it contained a clause that allowed us to come out to Nova Scotia within 14 days to view the house so the offer was subject to a satisfactory viewing of the property and home inspection. Our first offer was accepted and within 14 days my husband flew out to view the house and the home inspection was done during his visit too. It was all very quick and very professional. Monica was able to advise us of a solicitor too so the process got underway quite quickly. I would highly recommend using the expertise of a realtor in the house buying process and through Monica we were able to book our solicitor, home inspection and even a gardener with ease!

Home Inspection

Again this was such a refreshing change from what we had experienced in the UK. The home inspection can be done in the presence of the buyer. In our case the home inspection took place during my husbands visit and he accompanied ‘Phil Rubarth’ around the house and barns for 2 hours while he methodically listed all his observations. A few days later we received a detailed report via e-mail and a week later the same report presented nicely in a file for our records. This gave us a really good idea of the condition of the house and what possible changes that would need to be made in the future. Luckily for us the report was very satisfactory..

Solicitor

Once the offer was accepted and we confirmed after viewing that we were happy to go ahead with the purchase all the details were then passed to a local solicitor. We had been recommended Derek Wickstrom and we were very happy with his service. The house purchasing process and legalities are much quicker to close (complete) here in Nova Scotia and just four weeks later everything was signed and sealed following all the legal title checks and sheriffs certificate etc. Your solicitor should be able to advise you and send all documentation by e-mail or fax to you which you then can sign and return the same way. Once again following the close of the sale we were sent a nicely presented file with all the documents labelled for our records.

Payment for house and for services

During my husbands visit to Nova Scotia he set up a non- residents bank account with the http://www.bmo.com who have branches in just about every town. You need to pre-book your appointment and you will need forms of identification such as passport, birth certificate …the bank will advise you. The process was very quick and you are instantaneously given an ‘instabank’ card which you can use immediately in most ATM’s (cashpoint machines) and in stores where you can pay for goods with your card by typing in your pin number on the keypad provided. Several cheques are also given to you use until your proper cheque book arrives. Setting up a Canadian bank account was useful as we were able to transfer lump sums of money through our UK bank and also through http://www.hifx.com . Hifx enabled us to buy currency at a very good exchange rate before we purchased which makes all the difference on a large sum of money such as a house purchase. Fees and of course payment to the solicitor for your new home can, of course be made directly through your bank in your home country but we did find having set up a bank account in Nova Scotia saved on the charges for transferring money. It was much cheaper to issue cheques from our account in Canada!

For further articles on Nova Scotia goto http://www.acountrylife.com/list.php?c=locq

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Coming to Nova Scotia – Small business in Nova Scotia .
www.ACountryLife.com & Carolyn Ekins

There are many ways to come to live and work in Nova Scotia. You can invest in business from abroad without coming to live in Nova Scotia or you can emigrate permanently by investing in an already established business or by bringing your ideas for a new business to the province.

With many parts of Nova Scotia being tourist driven, it certainly is possible to mix business with pleasure in our province and make a good living from your lifestyle business ; many people have come to the province from the cities to enjoy a better quality of life in wonderful surroundings while doing so.

Lifestyle type businesses could range from art galleries, craft shops to B&B’s, niche food stores, organic farming, market gardening, herb nursery, holiday let cabins, boating, gourmet goats cheese – just about anything that involves your passion! You could decide whether to invest and take over a current business or contact one of the provinces ‘regional development agencies’ to express your idea for a new small business.

On the lifestyle side, Lunenburg County and the surrounding area has so much to offer in beauty and recreation. Sandy beaches and coves and quaint fishing settlements are only minutes away. Take a drive over to Lunenburgs second peninsula and you’ll find yourself discovering little coves where you can relax in privacy as you look out over the blue waters to the islands of Mahone Bay. There is always something to do or somewhere to explore along the ‘South Shore’!

Here are some useful links to information about living and working in Nova Scotia as well as the province itself..

About Nova Scotia itself.

http://www.novascoialife.com The official gateway to Nova Scotia

http://www.acountrylife.com Forum on Nova Scotia, Canada and useful relocation articles including blogs.

General Immigration

http://www.cic.gc.ca The official Canadian immigration web site

http://www.novascotiaimmigration.com/nsnp/faqs.html Nova Scotia immigration FAQ

http://www.novascotiaimmigration.com/nsnp/links.html Useful links

http://www.novascotiaimmigration.com/images/documents/newsandviews.pdf news on Nova Scotia immigration

Business and the economy

Nova Scotia offers one of North America’s most cost-competitive business locations. It has the most university graduates per capita in Canada, strong infrastructure, resource-based industries and emerging IT and Life Science sectors.

http://novascotialife.com/AbsPage.aspx?siteid=1?=1&id=2&title=Nova+Scotia+Business Nova Scotia business links

http://novascotialife.com/AbsPage.aspx?id=333&siteid=1?=1&title=Sounds+of+Nova+Scotia Sounds of Nova Scotia- listen to what small businesses have to say

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/business/bi-more-info.html Useful Canadian business links

General Business Immigration

The Business Immigration Program seeks to attract experienced business people to Canada who will support the development of a strong and prosperous Canadian economy. Business immigrants are expected to make a $400,000 investment or to own and manage businesses in Canada. Canada has three classes of business immigrants, each with separate eligibility criteria: investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed persons.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/business/entrep-1c.html Coming to Canada as an Entrepeneur

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/business/index.html Business class

Provincial Nomination Programme (general)

Most provinces in Canada have an agreement with the Government of Canada that allows them to play a more direct role in selecting immigrants who wish to settle in that province. If you wish to immigrate to one of Canada’s provinces as a provincial nominee, you must first apply to the province where you wish to settle. The province will consider your application based on their immigration needs and your genuine intention to settle there.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/skilled/provnom/index.html Provincial Nomination

Nova Scotia Nominee Programme

The Nova Scotia Nominee Program allows immigrants to carefully review their work options in the province before making a long-term commitment. Specifically, the Program gives each Economic Nominee a six-month work experience contract with a Nova Scotia employer. This serves as a valuable orientation to basic business operations in the province – as well as a chance to assess your range of job opportunities and the best fit for your skills over the long term. Other areas of the nominee programme are the skilled worker category and investing in business as well as the lesser known community identified programme which allows quick small business access to the province

http://www.novascotiaimmigration.com/nsnp Nova Scotia Nominee Program

http://www.novascotiaimmigration.com/nsnp/nominee/economic.html Economic Stream

http://www.novascotiaimmigration.com/nsnp/candyshop.ram Video and audio of first small business through the NSNP

Community Identified- Nova Scotia Nominee Programme

The Community-Identified Stream is accessed through Regional Development Authorities (RDA’s) and community partners. Every RDA can recommend nominees who will add social or economic value to their community. The RDA and community partners develop their own criteria based on their business plan outcomes and what they want to achieve as a development group. This is especially useful for those wishing to establish a small business in the province, have a great idea and business plan but not necessarily large funds available.

Those wishing to talk about establishing a small business in Nova Scotia in Lunenburg & Queens County and to find out more about the Community identified programme please contact

Neil Emenau
Bridgewater Office
220 North Street
Bridgewater, NS B4V 2W6
Phone: (902) 543-0491
Fax: (902) 543-1156
Email: neilemenau@eastlink.ca or generally lqrda@eastlink.ca
Web: http://www.lqrda.ns.ca
http://www.gov.ns.ca/econ/rda List of regional development agencies

Finally…

If you have found this document helpful please drop me a line with your e-mail address and as I produce more leaflets and e-books about Nova Scotia and Canada I’ll let you kno

Kind Regards

Carolyn Ekins
Editor

http://www.acountrylife.com

www.ACountryLife.com & Carolyn Ekins- No duplication without permission

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Chester is a great town to explore on foot. Not only does it have some spectacular architecture, but you never know when you’re going to turn a corner and find an interesting place to have a bite to eat or do some spur-of-the-moment shopping.

There’s a new and different emporium in Chester — Juwil By The Sea. Owner Judith Rudderham not only sells her own lines of fine jewelry, but also has a number of merchants operating under her Pleasant Street roof.

“We’ve opened up our retail space to 16 small businesses who rent from us,” she says. “Each space is their own little store, where they take 100 per cent of the sales. I would estimate that approximately 80 per cent of the goods for sale are Nova Scotia made and the products include artwork, clothing, collectables, and books. It’s a unique place to shop in downtown Chester.”

The Chester area is also home to a number of great events during the summer season.

“We had our May Fest from May 6-8,” says Becky Scott, of the Chester and Area Family Resource Centre. “The whole municipality was involved and one of the major events was the 100-mile-long yard sale. Throughout the community, there will be a number of Mother’s Day events this weekend including teas and bazaars.”

In June, Scott says there will be a Bike Rodeo on June 10 and then, the next weekend, Shatford Lake will be stocked in readiness for the annual Shatford Lake Fishing Derby on Father’s Day. She says there will be a number of prizes for the taking, including one for the biggest fish.

Chester is well known for hosting one of the major sailing events in the province each August. Scott says there will be a parade and children’s fair to kick off Race Week, which this year runs August 16-19.

Scott says the Family Resource Centre ( www.chesterfamilycentre.ca ) offers a wide variety of children’s programming during the summer months.

“We offer child care and day camps so, if parents are coming to Chester to go sailing or golfing, they can make arrangements for their children to participate in our programs,” Scott says.

Chester is ideally suited for day trips from Halifax, the Valley, or the South Shore either by car, or, for those coming from along the eastern coast of the province, by water. What better way to enjoy a summer day (or weekend) than by combining the spectacular scenery of Mahone Bay with shopping and dining in downtown Chester?

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Rear-Admiral “Debby” Piers, has died aged 92. He was a young Canadian officer in charge of a slow convoy to Britain which was severely mauled by U-boats; the episode led to the Royal Navy insisting that the Canadians withdraw from the North Atlantic for further training.

When the 42 ships of Convoy SC 107 set off in October 1942, Piers’s destroyer Restigouche was the only ship with high-frequency direction-finding (HF/DF) equipment, which he had scrounged from the US Navy at Londonderry.

…He took a keen interest in the welfare of his sailors and, in a hard-hitting report of his own, recommended better equipment, more home leave and regular mail, longer work-up periods, fewer short-term appointments and better individual training.

…As Senior Officer of Convoy Escort Groups in the North Atlantic, he has, by his vigorous leadership and aggressive attack, been an inspiration to those under his command.”

…Piers experienced his baptism of fire during the evacuation of France when Restigouche, under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Horatio Nelson Lay, was ordered to assist in evacuating the 51st Highland Division’s wounded from St Valery, near Dieppe.

…The following year, Piers was the newly-appointed captain of Restigouche when she struck an uncharted rock in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, while escorting Prince of Wales, on which Churchill and Roosevelt held their Atlantic Charter meeting; when she had to put in for repairs, he returned to Halifax, where he married Janet Macneill.

In late 1943 Piers became training officer at Halifax, where he made inspirational speeches about the duty of officers in privileged positions toward their fellow men, while insisting upon very high standards in exercises.

…In 1952 he was Assistant Chief for Personnel and Administration to the Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic, then returned to sea as commanding officer of the cruiser Quebec and as commander of the First Canadian Escort Squadron.

…But in 1977 he was appointed Agent General of Nova Scotia in London, where he promoted the province’s use of tidal energy, publicised the first international gathering of the clans in the province and helped to organise industrial seminars around the country; the following year he was made a Freeman of the City of London.

…”Debby” Piers, who died on November 1, married Janet Macneill, the former wife of Peter Aitken, second son of Lord Beaverbrook, in 1941: he had been smitten since first seeing her on stage at Halifax when, aged six, she played a fairy in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Rear-Admiral ‘Debby’ Piers
Rear-Admiral “Debby” Piers, who has died aged 92, was a young Canadian officer in charge of a slow convoy to Britain which was severely mauled by U-boats; the episode led to the Royal Navy insisting that the Canadians withdraw from the North Atlantic for further training.

When the 42 ships of Convoy SC 107 set off in October 1942, Piers’s destroyer Restigouche was the only ship with high-frequency direction-finding (HF/DF) equipment, which he had scrounged from the US Navy at Londonderry. Four other corvettes in the escort either had new captains or were fitted with unreliable radar and short-range ASDIC. When they were attacked west of Cape Race, Newfoundland, by an estimated 17 U-boats, Piers used his HF/DF to sweep aggressively around the convoy, driving off most of the shadowers.

But eight ships were sunk on the first night, and seven more in the next week. Piers fought fiercely, but when he limped into Liverpool, the Royal Navy’s criticism was harsh.

Senior officers claimed that the Royal Canadian Navy had expanded too rapidly, had taken on too many tasks and was poorly trained. Admiral Sir Max Horton’s report pointed out that 80 per cent of the convoy’s losses had occurred when it was under Canadian command in the western Atlantic. This ignored the difficulties under which the convoy had sailed, and singled out Piers’s youth and inexperience. Certainly Piers was young; he was earning less than his ship’s doctor. But he had been senior officer on convoys on at least seven occasions without losing a ship; and he had been in the North Atlantic for three years.

The Canadians stuck by Piers, and he left Restigouche in June 1943 with a reputation as a fine seaman and brilliant tactician. He took a keen interest in the welfare of his sailors and, in a hard-hitting report of his own, recommended better equipment, more home leave and regular mail, longer work-up periods, fewer short-term appointments and better individual training. The ensuing reforms greatly improved the RCN’s fighting performance.

The citation for his DSC in 1943 declared: “This officer has served continuously in His Majesty’s Canadian destroyers since the commencement of hostilities. As Senior Officer of Convoy Escort Groups in the North Atlantic, he has, by his vigorous leadership and aggressive attack, been an inspiration to those under his command.”

Desmond William Piers was born on June 12 1913 into one of the founding families of Halifax, Nova Scotia. His father called him Desy, which was transmuted into Debby when he was a baby. In 1932 Piers graduated from the Royal Military College, Kingston, to become the first cadet to join the Royal Canadian Navy. He trained at sea in the Royal Navy and returned to Canada in 1937 as first lieutenant of “Rusty Guts”, as Restigouche was known.

Piers experienced his baptism of fire during the evacuation of France when Restigouche, under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Horatio Nelson Lay, was ordered to assist in evacuating the 51st Highland Division’s wounded from St Valery, near Dieppe. Lay asked Piers to send someone ashore to get in touch with the Highlanders. Looking in his cabin mirror, Piers told himself: “Piers, you’re the one who’s going ashore,” and replied to himself: “Aye Aye, Sir.” After he had packed binoculars, a signal lamp, chocolate bars and a bottle of whisky in his golf bag, he was told by Lay: “Piers, you’re a bloody fool. But okay, find out what’s going on and signal it back.” Ashore, Piers found Major-General Victor Fortune, who was refusing to leave because he wanted to hold the perimeter defences to allow more men to get away, and Piers narrowly avoided accompanying him into captivity. The propeller of his boat was damaged, and he could make only a half knot out to where Lay waited for him inshore.

The following year, Piers was the newly-appointed captain of Restigouche when she struck an uncharted rock in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, while escorting Prince of Wales, on which Churchill and Roosevelt held their Atlantic Charter meeting; when she had to put in for repairs, he returned to Halifax, where he married Janet Macneill.

In late 1943 Piers became training officer at Halifax, where he made inspirational speeches about the duty of officers in privileged positions toward their fellow men, while insisting upon very high standards in exercises. He also helped to thwart German prisoners of war who had escaped from Bowmanville, Ontario; he controlled the shore side of operations from the lighthouse at Pointe Maisonnette, New Brunswick, though U-536, which had come to pick them up, evaded the trap set.

At the Normandy invasion, Piers commanded the new destroyer Algonquin, which bombarded the shore in support of Canadian and American troops. He also served in Arctic convoys.

In February 1945 he took part in a mock winter Olympics in northern Russia, winning the 100 yards dash; his crew played ice hockey against the locals, which they lost 3-2.

With the return of peace, Piers was second-in-command of the Canadian aircraft carrier Magnificent, and obtained a pilot’s licence; but he also had to quell a protest by ratings exasperated by his maintenance of tough wartime discipline. He held influential appointments in headwaters during an intense period of the Cold War, and was at the centre of decisions concerning the RCN’s commitment in Korea as well as about Canada’s maritime commitment to Nato. In 1952 he was Assistant Chief for Personnel and Administration to the Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic, then returned to sea as commanding officer of the cruiser Quebec and as commander of the First Canadian Escort Squadron.

Piers returned to the Royal Military College as commandant, and in 1960-62 served as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Plans) at naval headquarters. He was chairman of the Canadian Joint Staff and commander of the Canadian Defence Liaison Staff in Washington.

Piers retired in 1967 to his house, the Quarter Deck, at Chester, Nova Scotia, where he took up community work. But in 1977 he was appointed Agent General of Nova Scotia in London, where he promoted the province’s use of tidal energy, publicised the first international gathering of the clans in the province and helped to organise industrial seminars around the country; the following year he was made a Freeman of the City of London.

While thoughtful and considerate of his people, Piers set high standards for himself, and expected the same of others.

At a dinner to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic two years ago, he played a harmonica and delighted his friends by dancing to the tunes of his own shanties.

He gave 12 acres of land to the Nature Conservancy of Canada in order to ensure public access to one of the last wild headlands of Canada.
“Debby” Piers, who died on November 1, married Janet Macneill, the former wife of Peter Aitken, second son of Lord Beaverbrook, in 1941: he had been smitten since first seeing her on stage at Halifax when, aged six, she played a fairy in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

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• Out-of-province purchasers also helped bolster sales throughout 2005, explains Polzler. “Thirtyfive per cent of major Atlantic centres cited purchasers from other parts of Canada and the United States as a factor in their marketplace. Those centres included Summerside, Bridgetown, Annapolis Royal, Digby, Pictou County, Moncton, Saint John, and Miramichi.

• Oceanfront property remains coveted in most markets on the Atlantic seaboard, with
appreciation outpacing average price increases in many areas. The East Coast continues to be attractive to European and Middle-Eastern purchasers because of affordability. Prices in Atlantic Canada pale in comparison to neighbouring Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard.
Red-hot Atlantic Canada housing market
“Record performances still expected in 2005”

Mississauga, ON (Oct. 17, 2005) – Despite concerns over rising energy costs, most major
housing markets in Atlantic Canada are expected to post record performances in 2005, according
to RE/MAX.

The RE/MAX Atlantic Market Trends Report found that 41 per cent of markets surveyed in the
region had experienced some softening in sales activity in September, but most had rebounded by
month’s end. Leading in terms of percentage increase in unit sales is the Northern New
Brunswick region (including Miramichi), where year-to-date figures available* are up a
substantial 27 per cent over 2004 (341 vs. 268 units). Average price appreciation is greatest in
New Brunswick’s Edmundston where values have climbed 22 per cent from $90,000 to $110,000
year-to-date.

“Increases in energy costs may have served to deter some purchasers from entering the market in
September, but once the initial shock wore off, activity across the region recovered,” says
Michael Polzler, Executive Vice President and Regional Director, RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic
Canada. “Consumer confidence levels overall remained high in most of the markets surveyed.
Purchasers were buoyed by solid economic performance, lower unemployment levels, and
relatively stable interest rates. The recent rate hike may have even prompted some fence sitters to
enter the residential marketplace.”

The top five performing markets in the Atlantic Provinces year-to-date in terms of unit sales are as follows: Northern New Brunswick at 27.2 per cent (341 vs. 268 units), Bridgetown, Annapolis Royal, and Digby at 23 per cent (140 vs.114 sales), Grand Falls at 18 per cent (107 vs. 90 units), Saint John at 17.7 per cent (1,164 vs. 989 units), and Edmundston at 14 per cent (142 vs. 125 units). Price increases were greatest in Edmundston at 22 per cent, Middleton, Greenwood at 20 per cent ($130,000 vs. $109,000), Moncton at 8.6 per cent ($123,681 vs. $113,897), Bridgetown, Annapolis Royal, and Digby at 8.5 per cent ($93,500 vs. $86,200) and Grand Falls at eight per cent ($135,000 vs. $125,000).

Luxury home sales were a serious factor in 53 per cent of the markets, says Polzler.
Uncharacteristically strong activity was reported in nine of the 17 markets surveyed, including
Charlottetown, Summerside, Bridgetown, Annapolis Royal, Digby, Middleton, Greenwood,
Halifax-Dartmouth, Pictou County, Moncton, Bathurst, and St. John’s, Mt. Pearl, Conception
Bay.

“The significant increase in upper-end sales may have contributed to the double-digit appreciation
reported in some markets,” notes Polzler. “These sales would artificially inflate prices in areas
where smaller volumes were reported.”

First-time buyers continued to be the engine driving real estate activity in the Atlantic. Entrylevel purchasers fuelled demand for housing priced from $75,000 to $125,000 across the board. A shortage of this type of product was reported in 29 per cent of markets, including Summerside, Bridgewater, Pictou County, Grand Falls, and Fredericton. Low inventory levels overall were reported in 35 per cent of markets – Summerside, Middleton, Greenwood, Bridgewater, Truro, Pictou County, and Grand Falls. Conversely, 41 per cent of markets reported an increase in the number of homes listed for sale – Charlottetown, Bridgetown, Annapolis Royal, Digby, Halifax- Dartmouth, Saint John, Edmundston, Fredericton, and St. John’s.

Out-of-province purchasers also helped bolster sales throughout 2005, explains Polzler. “Thirtyfive per cent of major Atlantic centres cited purchasers from other parts of Canada and the United States as a factor in their marketplace. Those centres included Summerside, Bridgetown, Annapolis Royal, Digby, Pictou County, Moncton, Saint John, and Miramichi.

Highlights:
• Given the strength of the first-time buyer segment of the market, it comes as no surprise that
the popularity of condominium apartments has surged in Atlantic Canada, particularly
Halifax-Dartmouth, Truro and Fredericton.

• Bungalows, however, remain the product of choice by far, fuelled by first-time buyers,
boomers and retirees. (Unlike other areas of the country, single-family detached homes
remain an affordable entry-point for most first-time buyers in the Atlantic)

• Oceanfront property remains coveted in most markets on the Atlantic seaboard, with
appreciation outpacing average price increases in many areas. The East Coast continues to be attractive to European and Middle-Eastern purchasers because of affordability. Prices in Atlantic Canada pale in comparison to neighbouring Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard.

Christine Martysiewicz Eva Blay/Charlene McAdam
RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada Point Blank Communications
905-542-2400 416-781-3911
* Year-to-date (January to August 2005)

Source: Canadian Real Estate Association, Local Real Estate Boards

edited by Tim Harris, Broker, Tradewinds Realty Inc.
Chester, N.S. Canada
www.seanovascotia.com
email: Tim Harris

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When the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) television show, Singalong Jubilee popularized the lyrics of the old song Farewell to Nova Scotia, they didn’t think someday people might begin to take them literally.

…The Global Parliament of World Peace raised its flag at the scene of Skye Lodge, in the postcard perfect town of Port Hastings, Cape Breton, a 2-1/2 hour drive from Halifax, the Nova Scotian capital and a world renowned port.

…A flag has been raised among the breeze-caressed heather at the newly declared Maharishi Island of World Peace–official headquarters for the Global Parliament of World Peace, near Skye Lodge.

…The town of Port Hastings, Cape Breton, overlooking the famed Canso Causeway, a 2-½ hour drive from Halifax is home to scenic Skye Lodge, where autumn has painted the foliage.

George Island and Piscatqui Island off Nova Scotia Eastern Shore.

More articles.

Canada free press
Oct 15 2005
Farewell to Nova Scotia
By Judi McLeod
Saturday, October 15, 2005

When the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) television show, Singalong Jubilee popularized the lyrics of the old song Farewell to Nova Scotia, they didn’t think someday people might begin to take them literally.
“Farewell to Nova Scotia,
You sea-bound coast,
Let your mountains dark and dreary be,
For when I am far away on the briny ocean tossed,
Will you ever heave a sign and a wish for me?”

That’s the chorus of the haunting melody, recorded by Canadian singing angel Catherine McKinnon (Something Old, Something New, Arc 256).

Some call Farewell to Nova Scotia “the Nova Scotia Song”. Others declare the song was a sailor’s lament put to music, originating with the Acadians,

“It was derived from the Soldier’s Adieu, attributed to the Scottish weaver-poet Robert Tannahill (1774-1810),” contends the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada.

As the leaves were falling this October, Nova Scotia became “the Maharishi Island of World Peace”, at a site tourists the world over flock to see, the Canso Causeway.

The Global Parliament of World Peace raised its flag at the scene of Skye Lodge, in the postcard perfect town of Port Hastings, Cape Breton, a 2-1/2 hour drive from Halifax, the Nova Scotian capital and a world renowned port.

Canada free press
Oct 15 2005
Long touted One World Government lands off Nova Scotia coast
By Judi McLeod
Saturday, October 15, 2005

Who ever thought that when the long threatened One World Order arrived, bagpipes would usher it in?

The inauguration of the so-called Global Parliament of World Peace is taking place even as you read this, off the coast of Nova Scotia in the Maritimes. Or as the friends of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi put it, “the land of the rising sun for North America”.

A flag has been raised among the breeze-caressed heather at the newly declared Maharishi Island of World Peace–official headquarters for the Global Parliament of World Peace, near Skye Lodge.

Pomp and ceremony of inaugural sessions stretch over a four-day period, Oct. 12 through Oct. 16, culminating with a World Peace Banquet where harpists and pianists perform.

The town of Port Hastings, Cape Breton, overlooking the famed Canso Causeway, a 2-½ hour drive from Halifax is home to scenic Skye Lodge, where autumn has painted the foliage.

“The Maharishi Island of World Peace” is situated on Nova Scotia’s east coast near Skye Lodge.

The flag of the Global Country of World Peace was raised on October 12 and ground was broken for the first building of the Global Parliament,

According to a media release …………..

Edited by Tim Harris
Tradewinds Realty Inc.
Chester, NS

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3 articles

INMAN NEWS
Prices have increased
http://www.lendinguniverse.com/RealEstateNewsStory.asp?story_id=48197&url=999

HALIFAX LIVE
NDP still saying “save our shores”
http://www.halifaxlive.com/artman/publish/coast_290905_773.shtml

New York Times Article
The Allure of buying an island
http://www.luxuryrealestate.com/scripts/index.php?siteScript=siteNews&cat=MemberPress&ID=237

tim