Village News: As it happens!

The Bear River Tides is published at the beginning of each month, but a lot of folks just don’t want to wait that long between thrills.  So here you will find out what’s going on, without losing your patience.

April/2014

Social News
We wish Donna Perkins a speedy recovery  from knee surgery . Donna is recuperating at the home of Lil Peck.
Judi Wilson traveled to Australia to visit long time friends and met up with Duff Wilson and Bev……in the South Pacific islands in the way home.
It is nice to see Paul Goodyear back in town for a while.
Cathy and Eddie Banks recently traveled to Saint John to visit with family.
Unfortunately Francois Bellefontaine found himself frozen to his chair in Montreal for the last part of the winter.
Zoë Onysko flew off to spend a week in Barcelona,  Spain,  meeting up with some old friends for a few days, and then went off to spend three weeks exploring Turkey, including a hot air balloon ride over the Cappadocian  mountains. Zoë made many new friends in Istanbul and looks forward to returning soon. Somebody has to do it.
We are glad to hear that Flora Doehler is recovering from a nasty flu that kept her in bed for three weeks, and too sick to paint!. Flora is doing some housecleaning and is hoping to sell some of her watercolors from 20 years ago.
Kudos to….

A huge congratulations to Kaylee Milbury who represented Clarke Rutherford School in this year’s Chronicle Herald Spelling Bee. Wow.  Kaylee is a grade five student who we all knew was pretty smart, but Bear River should be pretty darn proud of her for this great achievement! She might not have brought home the trophy but she is still a winner in our books!

Proud parents are Michelle and Blake Milbury,proud grandparents are Margie and Mike Reid and Bev and Glendon Milbury

Birthdays

 BIRTHDAY GREETINGS:Happy Birthday wishes to
Reg Long turns 84 on April 4
Richard Scragg, April 5
Abbey Frost turns 13, April 6,
Steve Isles April 8,
Chaz Charlton, April 9,
Jenna Melanson April 12,
Melanie Meuse, April 12.
Sandy Burrell, April 16,
Betty Burrell, April 17,
Rose Meuse, turns 44, April 17,
Johnathan Long, 28 on April 23
Max Wilson turns 11 April 24,
Tim Wilson celebrates 67, April 25,
Glendon Milbury, April 26,
Shannon Trimper, April 27,
Matthew Dawson turns 12, April 28.
Early May Birthdays:
Barb Longmire, May 1,
Darlene Peck, May 2,Congratulations to Carolyn and Robert Wagner who celebrate 48 years together on April 16th!Condolences to the family of Dorothy Isles who passed away in February.

Another business closes!


Most of the people in Bear River are mourning the loss of the Changing Tides Diner which closed its doors for good in March. While the diner was a thriving business, owner Peggy Chisholm says that the problems with the Board of Directors of B.R.E.D.S. the non profit that owns the Trading Company building, were becoming too onerous to deal with.  The final straw was a nasty phone message left on her answering machine by Director Duff Wilson.

The details of the long struggle between the Changing Tides and the board of BREDS will be disclosed in the near future on thebearrivertides.com

The board of directors of BREDS includes Velda Acker, president, Glendean Parker, Duff Wilson and Glendon Milbury.

The Bear River Board of Trade

The Bear River Board of Trade may have had their annual general meeting in March as in the past 2 years, but if so, it was the best kept secret of all.  According to the Society’s Act of Nova Scotia, notice of general meetings must be posted publicly ten days prior to the meeting.  Maybe, like the old political parties of yore, they posted those notices in the deep back woods.

In the meantime, once again it appears that the Bear River Board of Trade has done nothing. No surprises, lots of excuses. Those names again?  Larry Knox, president, Duff Wilson, vice president, Rick Jacques, secretary, Chris Tibbs, treasurer,  directors: Don Rice, Jon Welch, Rob Buckland Nicks, Kelly Foxton, Dan Lagan.

How things have changed….Excerpt from Heritage Remembered (1981)

“The Board of Trade still continues to serve the village with a continuing desire to restore and maintain a quality of life more in keeping with its historic past.  While it is usual to assess the value of any institution in terms of its successes and failures, a truer standard would be of its persistence in the face of discouragement and changing circumstances.  This has been the mark of the Board since it began, and always will be, as long as there are people in Bear River who keep alive the spirit of voluntary service so characteristic of the village in its earlier days.”

 Bear River Historical Society

The BRHS did hold their annual general meeting in February and the president is Roz Mc Cue, vice president, Bonnie McLeod. There is no secretary, and Chris Tibbs is acting as treasurer until a replacement can be found.

The good news is that the Bear River Historical Society has received a grant of $7500.00 to conduct a variety of walking and talking tours as well as experiential workshops.

 

A message from the Deep Brook Lions’ Club.

“The Deep Brook/Waldec Lions Club is a community minded service organization right here in your neighborhood. We have our own Lions Hall and are located right next to Cornwallis Park. We are part of Lions Clubs International, the largest service organization in the world today – our motto is “We Serve”.
We have dinner and business meetings the first and third Wednesday of each month. Be our guest at one of our dinner meetings and see what we are all about. We also have successful Bingo’s every Thursday and Sunday at 7 p.m., each Fall we have a Seniors Dinner, we participate in many of our Lions functions – such as Peace Poster contest, drug awareness poster contest, youth speech competition, and we are active locally, Provincially and globally.
For more information and/or questions, please feel free to contact us at 467-0431 or 638-3343.
Do yourself a favour…
Read a book!  The bookmobile arrives in Bear River every third Wednesday from 3 to 5. The bookmobilarians love to see new faces! Next stop; April 9th.  Not only are there great books, but a super selection of dvd’s for all ages.  Check some out!
The Bear River Legion held the Howard Morine pool tournament on March 29th, with 14 teams participating.
A long lasting tradition;
The Keith Lodge in Bear River has a reason to celebrate! .One of the oldest Lodges in Nova Scotia, it received its charter in 1854, making it 160 years old this year.  The list of its charter members reflects the history of Bear River with names of families from the earliest settlers: Henry Blakely, W.F. Marshall, Edwin Vroom, John Graham, John Rice, Andrew Hetterick Harris and John Vroom Purdy.
Other notable members of the Keith Lodge included Alpheus Marshall, descendant of an English family who came to Nova Scotia in 1769, shipbuilder/ merchant, Captain John Benson, shipbuilder and master mariner, Cereno Purdy, Warden of Digby county for 21 years, Edward Tupper, M.L.A. (relative of Sir Geroge Tupper) James A Purdy, a member for 56 years,and Steven Kniffen, member for 52 years.
This year is the 275th anniversary of Freemasonry in Canada. The Keith Lodge has every reason to be proud to continue to represent the organization’s community spirit.
AT LAST!  Something everyone in Bear River agrees on…this winter is way too long!

February 09/2014

A huge congratulations to Kaylee Milbury who is representing Clarke Rutherford School in this year’s Chronicle Herald Spelling Bee. Wow.  Kaylee is a grade five student who we all knew was pretty smart, but Bear River should be pretty darn proud of her for this great achievement!  No matter how she does at the Bee, she is still a winner in our books!

Proud parents are Michelle and Blake Milbury, proud grandparents are Margie and Mike Reid and Bev and Glendon Milbury

Feb 2014

Karen Mansfield was happy about returning to Saskatchewan in January to visit her son and his family.
We wish Donna Perkins a quick recovery from her recent illness.
Francois Bellefontaine was able to thaw himself from his chair in Montreal to head off on another overseas adventure.  Stay tuned for destination details.
Sharon Trueman is back home after a few months in Newfoundland.
Joey Thorpe enjoyed her recent trip to Florida.
Flora Doehler has completed her first big painting of the year and it is off to the NS Gallery rental shop, who Flora thanks for allowing her to continue wearing her rose colored glasses. Look for Flora’s own private art showing during Winter Carnival.
Glendean Parker enjoyed a break from January weather with a stay in Florida.
Gertrude Benson enjoyed two evenings of celebrations with pot luck dinners and good friends and family, for her birthday in January.
Congratulatuions to Michelle Milbury who is the new operator of Myrtle and Rosie’s.  Diane and Noel Lalonde will be still there helping her out.  Our advice: don’t change a thing!

CONGRATULATIONS:
A hearty congratulations to Ginny and Gary Hurlock
who celebrate 27 years on March the 26th

And congratulations also to Karen and
Gordon Mansfield, celebrating 43
years together on the 19th of February

January 2014

Social News
Francois Bellefontaine waves hello to all his friends in Bear River as he wanders the jungles of South America.  His earlier trip found him waking up in Florence on his 60th birthday, en route to Montenegro and other Dalmation coast hot spots.
We wish a speedy recovery to Sandy Burrell who injured her back last month in a fall near her new home in Alberta.
Susan Friend enjoyed her trip to Calgary.
A great party was held at Myrtle and Rosie’s on the occasion of Noel Lalonde’s 81st birthday.  Holy cow! Noel modestly noted “It’s just a number.”  See the photos at bearrivernovascotia.com
We are happy to report that Barb Hemsley has recovered quite well from her accident this summer,and has been sighted enjoying dinners out with friends.
Betty Raymond and Blair Cromwell traveled to Virginia for the US thanksgiving, to visit friends and relatives.
Kyle Ellis enjoyed being home for the holidays.
Carol Ann and Michael Sampson were delighted to have all three boys home for the Christmas week.
Flora Doehler has decided that Halifax is too small a city to have any culture, so she and Larry Knox drove off to Montreal to wallow in the art scene, and deliver Lucky the Cat to their daughter.
Sharon Trueman enjoyed a great Christmas season in Newfoundland.
Sandi Innes was delighted by visiting friends and family.  In November, Sandy enjoyed the company of her aunt and uncle, Marion and Carl Yorke of Kentville, and more than a week with friend Peggy Thorson, from Airdrie, Alberta.
Valerie and Barry Snow were happy to have her daughters home during the holidays.
Vanessa Wood was busy this Christmas season making a lot of gingerbread houses for children of family and friends.
Betty and Bruce Levin were at their home in Bear River to celebrate the holiday season.
We wish Alan Dale  a  speedy recovery from his recently diagnosed illness.
Melissa Reid Moar, and wife, Kaylee Moar were in Bear River for Christmas celebrations. They filled their time visiting with Melissa’s  parents, Mike and Margie Reid, sister, Michelle and nieces, Tayler and Kaylee.  They also found some time to visit with Kaylee’s parents, Don and Helen Moar of Annapolis. Melissa and Kaylee are currently living in Moosomin, Sask.
Gloria and Lee Wright celebrated Christmas with daughter Leah and family in Halifax.
Christine Harlow Potter, and daughters, Chelsea and Amber, enjoyed a lovely vacation in Mexico.
Lorrayne and Ron Cress were very happy to have all of their daughters home for the holidays.
Doug Burke enjoyed having  his  family with him for their first Christmas in Bear River.
Barb and Dick Morgan spent Christmas with daughters Sanda and Holly and their families in the Halifax area.
Nathan Waterman, Rose Meuse and daughter Cedar enjoyed a trip to St. John for New Year’s celebrations.
Agnes Potter traveled to Washington  D.C. for several days, and visited the Smithsonian Institute where she enjoyed the display of Mi’kmaq artifacts.
Verner and Pat Gamborg have returned from a lovely 10 day trip to Cuba.
It is nice to have Brenda MacNichol and Bo Travis living back in the area.
Congratulations to Verona Cybulski who won the basket at the Legion Christmas Market.
Carol Jefferson and her mother, Lillian Davey were in Bear River for Christmas from their home in Ottawa.
And yes, it’s official, the Flight of Fancy is now closed for the winter.
Condolences to the family of Richard Milbury who passed away recently.
 A Thank You Note
 The Digby General Hospital Auxiliary would like to thank the following Bear River Business for their generous basket donations for the Digby General Hospital Auxiliary Crafty Claus Sale:Bear River Vineyards, Bear River Bargains & Books, Flight of Fancy, Cherry  Brook Grocery, Bear Town Baskets, Brad Hewey, Oddacity Designs, Mother Nature Knows, Bear River Board of Trade and Janey’s Crafts.
Bear River Legion
The annual elections were held in December with the following elected:  Glendean Parker, president, Manwell Taylor, first vice-president, Doug Burk,second vice president, Chris Tibbs, Treasurer, Judy Wilson, secretary, Mark Pettipas, sergeant in arms.
The John Nichols Memorial Tournament was held Dec. 15th, first place was taken by John Merlin, with Jimmy Spears,second place.
The Challa trophy was captured by Bear River on the 29th.
If anyone is interested in starting a games night, there is a sign up sheet at the Legion.
The Ladies’Aux meetings will be held the first Thursday of the month at one o’clock in the Ladies’ Lounge for January  and February.
Board of Trade News.
That’s right, another  month has passed with nothing from the Bear River Board of Trade.  Now that the ferry is planned for Yarmouth in May and other communities are busy working on marketing efforts to attract the passengers, what is the Bear River Board of Trade doing to get on board? Or will they miss that boat as well?  For the answer to this and other questions, contact Larry Knox, president, Duff Wilson, vice-president, Chris Tibbs, treasurer,  Rick Jacques, secretary, Jon Welch, Don Rice, Kelly Foxton, Rob-Buckland-Nicks, Noreen Miller, Dan Lagan, directors.
The Community Working Together.
The pot luck, oldies dance fundraiser that was held in December for a new roof for the Trading Comapny building, was a massive success, with a huge crowd who enjoyed themselves enormously and more than $3000. was raised for the project.  That’s the Bear River we know and love!
End of an Era.
The sewage plant is now closed.  According to Carol Dibble, plant operator, the Municipality of Annapolis is planing a public meeting sometime in the future to consider proposals for the building’s use.  According to Pete Tomlin, former director of the Board of Trade, the concrete pad that the greenhouse sits on is shifting, causing the structure to be unstable.
Birthdays
Micheal Sampson, turns 25 Jan 4,
Patsy Trimper, Jan 4,
Drowsy Goodale,79 on Jan.6
Elford Norton turns 65 on the 13th
Georgia Trimper, Jan. 15,
Tina Jefferson , Jan. 17
Marion Milbury, Jan. 17
Gertrude Benson, Jan 17
Kyle Ellis, Jan. 19
Travis Trimper,Jan 19
Joe Norton turns 40 on the 21st.
Betty Raymond, Jan 26
George  Sloan, Jan 29
Jonah Flett, Jan. 30.
Mike Charlton, Jan. 30

Burton Greene, Feb. 1,
Lucy Glover Mullen Feb 2
Wanda Trimper Feb. 2 ,
Bruce Snell, Feb. 4,
Angela Fetter, Feb. 4,

welcome winter!!!

Diane shows off her new Zoë outfit at the Christmas bash at Myrtle and Rosie’s.

December 2013

Social News:

We are glad to report that Lucy (Glover) Mullen is doing well after her second
surgery.
Carlene and Ron Parks have packed up the camper and headed south. Also doing
their snowbird routine is Barry and Sheila Cassidy who finally got to leave town
after some unfortunate delays.
Frank Zimmeck would like to say hello to all of his friends in Bear River, as he
travels around Europe for the winter keeping busy and thinking up new projects.
Speaking of travelling; Francois Bellefontaine finally caught up on his rest and
has sailed of on another travel adventure in his quest to distribute Canadian
lapel pins to all the countries of the world.
Susan friend flew off to Calgary to visit with grandchildren.
Diane Glavin made a quick trip to Bear River in November to finalize the sale of
her former home and B&B, the Vineyard Inn on the Chute Rd.
Gertrude Benson is recovering very well from her recent surgery and would like
to thank all the friends and family who helped her through the past few months.
The Changing Tides will be closing for the winter on the 8th of December.
Fortunately, both the Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary and the New Horizons will be
having their Christmas festivities and dinner on the fifth.
Flora Doehler has discovered that squash and pumpkin are interchangeable and has
been having some fun making new recipes for them.

The good news is that Barry Trimper has been home from the hospital for a while and is making good recovery.

Tim Wilson may be living in Bear River, but is spending a lot of time on Fogo Island, NL.

Birthdays

Coleen Winchester, Dec. 3,
Shelly Rice, Dec. 4th
Randy Fetter, Dec. 4,
Tony Andrews, Dec. 6,
Shirley Robar, Dec. 10,
Jon Welch, Dec. 11,
Derek Simmons, Dec. 13,
Diane Jubie, Dec 14,
Holly Burrell, Dec. 16,
Wally Shishkov, Dec 17,
Ronnie Jefferson: Dec.18
Walter Wambolt Dec. 18
Brent and Brand Chisholm, Dec. 21
Nicole Cress, Dec. 22,
Louise Wood, Dec. 22,
Noel Lalonde, Dec 24
Marie Greene, Dec. 28,
Elizabeth Nikitin, Dec. 31.

Condolences to the family and friends of Michelle Thibideau, Myrtle Gordon and
Regina Ruggles who passed away in the last month.

November 2013

Paul and Gretchen Volenick have returned from a trip to the New England States where they enjoyed visiting various members of the family, especially grandchildren.
Frank and Jean Marshall have returned from their annual shopping trip to Bangor where they enjoyed the scenery and the shopping.  It’s great to see Jean walking the River Rd.again.
Glendon and Bev Milbury went off to enjoy the colorful leaves in the Eastern U.S. and missed a few nice ones here.
Zoe Onysko enjoyed several days on the north shore and Cape Breton with a friend in early October.  The Cabot Trail was better than ever!
A big farewell bash was held at the RC Legion recently to say sayonara to Cecil Hooper who is off to Malta on a mission for a few months. Hope he sends some postcards!
Jane (Hamill) Gray has packed her bags and moved to London Ontario.  We wish her well in her future pursuits.
Gary Tooley has also moved, but only as far as Salmon River.  We hope he makes as many friends there as he had here in Bear River.
Mike Read recently traveled to Ontario.
Sue Friend and George Sloane managed to get their roof shingled just in time for the winter, with help from good buddy, Jon Welch.
We are sad to report that Diane and Noel LaLonde have headed to Florida to tend to Diane’s son who was recently injured in a vehicular accident.
There was a party out at the camp to celebrate Harold Porter’s 90th birthday last month and we wish him belated birthday greetings!
Glynnis Jones and Russell Quinn enjoyed a visit from Glynnis’ son from British Columbia.  Glynnis then went off to Ottawa to do some serious sightseeing.
After decades in Bear River, Bud and Dorothy Denton have moved to Dartmouth to be with their daughter.  We wish them all the best and will certainly miss them.
Francois Bellefontaine is still resting in Montreal before he begins the next round of world travels.
Flora Doehler is excited about her new greenhouse that she recently got on sale, and all the gardening possibilities for next season.  In the meantime she is busy making leek and swiss chard pies.
Sue Richmond is on her way back to California for another winter, and looking forward to returning next year.
We sadly waved goodbye to John and Linda McSweeney who headed back to Florida for good, after selling their home on River Rd. We wish them well in the future.
Charles Coupar and daughter, Claudia are spending the winter in Provincetown, Mass.
After a 7 month, non -stop marathon of store-keeping, Rob Buckland Nicks locked the doors of the Flight of Fancy for another year.
Condolences to the family of John Lagan who passed away in late October.
Congratulations to the proud parents Matthew and Joy Henshaw on the arrival of new baby girl, Evelyn.  Happy grandparents are Darlene and Rodney Peck.
The Millyard Recreation Cottages and campground has passed the inspection by the Dept. of Tourism and are now licensed accommodations and will be included in next year’s Doer’s and Dreamer’s guide.  Congratulations to Bob Benson for making his vision a reality!

Remembrance Day: Lest We Forget

This year’s Remembrance Day service will be held at the Baptist Church at 9:45, followed by the laying of the wreaths at the cenotaph.  A supper will be held at the Legion at 5 pm, veterans are free and all others just $5.00.

Birthdays

Peggy Chisholm, Nov 4
Elizabeth Mount, Nov. 7
Ann Brown, Nov 9
Janet Postma, Nov 10
John Parker, Nov 12
Francois Bellefontaine, Nov 19
Diane Milbury, Nov 26
Shelly Rice, Nov 30

July 7:

Condolences to the family and friends of Elmerna Oikle, mother of Dorothy Robichaud, who passed away recently.

George Sloane and Susan Friend enjoyed a vacation in Prince Edward Island.

A small but appreciative group celebrated Canada Day on the waterfront with birthday cake and children’s games.  There was also the regular Sunday Farmer’s market.

Francois Bellefontaine returned home from a cultural trip to Montreal.

Karen and Gordon Mansfield are thrilled to have their grandchildren Michaela, Madison and Dylan visiting for the summer.

Susan Richmond has arrived safely and is recovering from her long drive from California.

June 19:

Condolences to the family and friends of Wayne Milbury who passed away on June 18th after a long fight with cancer. NaSCAR lost one of its biggest fans. The memorial service will be held at the Bear River Legion on Thursday, June 21st.

Olivia Justason celebrated her fourth birthday on June 14th with a new bicycle and a party at her granddad’s cottage.

Raine Ryan, daughter of Shyla Harris and Cory Ryan is home  from the hospital after successful surgery.  Her parents wish to thank every one for all their support over the past several months.

A fun-filled  and delicious birthday celebration was held at the home of Jack Fuller and Suzey Jacques on the occasion of  Jack’s birthday, June 18.

It looks like The Wilson family: Tim, Simone and boys, will be able to return home soon after being forced to move when the roof collapsed last November. The work is continuing, and hopefully they will be able to get their house insured.

Wilson home roof repairs

Anna Green is back in the saddle and My Dreams Cafe is now open for another season of yumminess.

It’s nice to see Cathy and Dick back in their Bear River residence for the summer.

Also back for the summer are Dove Ballon and Alan Dale who are always such a delightful addition to the community.

June 10:

It was a busy day up at the Oakdene  Center, June 9,  with the grand opening of the “New” Museum and the Oakdene Yard Sale.  Check out The Visit to the New Museum 

https://bearrivernovascotia.com/2012/06/09/a-visit-to-the-new-heritage-museum/ for photos of all the new displays.

Congratulations to Gertrude and Bob Benson who celebrated their 50th anniversary on June 2nd.

Welcome back to John and Linda McSweeny for the summer who arrived in their motorhome after an extended journey from Florida.

It’s nice to see Cheryl (Fetter) Amore in town for a visit.

Welcome to Micki Volenik,( Paul’s Mom), who is back behind the counter at Bargains and Books for the summer.

The ceremony to dedicate the Democracy Park was held by the Bear River Legion on June 10th with refreshments served in the lounge following the dedication.  Check out

https://bearrivernovascotia.com/2012/06/10/village-news-june-9th/   for the slide show.

May 2012

It was a busy Victoria Day Weekend in Bear River with the opening of two summer Markets.

Saturday, May 19 was the first Saturday of the 2012 Market at the Bear River Millyard Recreation.  The weather was perfect and the place was hopping!

Francois Bellefontaine admires a friend’s hosta purchase.

Maggie Morine shows a friend how to load a dog.

Angela McMullan congratulates Bob Benson on a job well done.

On Sunday, May 20 ,another perfect May Day was the setting for the Bear River Farmer’s Market on the waterfront park.

see slideshow in post Village News, May 22.


In other News:

We wish a speedy recovery to Larry Geshue who is having surgery for a hip replacement.

The last Friday night music event at Myrtle and Rosie’s for the summer is Friday, May 25th.  Don’t worry, they plan to be back in the fall.

Eleanor Balser’s sister, was recently visiting from Quebec.

Peter Pierce  and wife  from Alberta recently visited with  brother Micheal Pierce and Eva Tibbetts.

Bob and Sylava Smith recently enjoyed a vacation in PEI.

Emily Hurlock is in Toronto visiting with the Nikitin family and seeing the sights.

Sandi Innes spent the past weekend with her aunt and uncle, Carl and Marion Yorke, in the Kentville area.

Belated happy birthday to Ralph Jefferson who  celebrated May 18th.

Congratulations to Nathan Waterman and Rosie Meuse who celebrate their 10th anniversary on the 25th of May. Ben and Stephanie Waterman  and four children from New Hampshire are visiting for a week to help celebrate, as well as Wanda Waterman who has been staying with Ben and family for the past several months.

It was nice to see The Flight of Fancy get a new roof at last.

Jon Welch picks a lovely day to reroof the Flight of fancy

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May 14:  Wow, good news happening up at the Oakdene Center! Linda Mae Findlay, president, just received word that the Center has been approved funds of  $15,577 under the New Horizons for Seniors Grant.  This money will be used to put metal roofing on the front south slope, put new front and  fire exit doors on the main floor, and install Lexan plastic on 15 windows for energy efficiency.

Kudos to the Oakdene Board for their tenacity in keeping the old girl going.

A lovely and fun-filled Mother’s day picnic took place on the waterfront Park, hosted by Jon Welch and  Erin Schopfler.  Nice to see the space being used!

Cecil Hooper has resigned as president of the Bear River Legion, Branch 22.  Todd Sloan, first vice president has stepped forward to fill the position.

May 10

A tragic highway accident took the lives of Freda and Norm Gammon on Tuesday, May 8th.  The accident happened on the stretch of Highway 101 near Grosse Coques, and involved a second car, seriously injuring both occupants.  The accident occurred around 9 pm.

Freda and Norm Gammon, both in their 70’s, were well known and well loved in their home community of Clementsvale, where they were actively involved in the vital Clementsvale Garden Club. Their energy and good humor will be greatly missed in the community and surrounding area.

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Raine Ryan , daughter of Shyla Harris and Cory Ryan, has undergone surgery and is doing very well . While she will be spending a little more time in hospital,  we hope to announce her arrival home in Bear River soon.

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Joe Zawko has landed back in town after a winter in Florida and is beginning to fill up his calendar with social events of all kinds.

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We wish a speedy recovery to Linda Rice who is in the Digby Hospital recovering from injuries to her hip, from a recent fall.

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Congratulations to Sheila and Mac Justason who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversay on May 5th.  A lovely party was held for them at the Changing Tides Diner.

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Lucy (Glover) Mullen is being cared for in the Digby Hospital for breathing problems.  We wish her a quick recovery.

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Betty Levin is also back in  Bear River for her first time to be able to view Spring in the village.

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April 13:

Francois Bellefontaine has returned home after his extensive world tour that took him to Australia, Tahiti, New Zealand,  Portugal and other far flung places.  He is planning to relax with some intensive gardening.

Happy Birthday this month to Roz Rice who is turning 80!  To celebrate there will be an open house birthday party at the Advent Christian Church on April 28, from 2 to 4, with refreshments served.  All of Rosalinds’s friends are welcome to attend!

Myrtle and Rosie’s has expanded! That’s right, the space formerly occupied by Kelly Foxton’s Trading Post is now part of the kitchen, making much more room in the previous space for tables and merchandise.  Drop in and see how great it looks.

And speaking of Myrtle and Rosie’s, Diane Griffith celebrates her birthday on April 18, in the Digby hospital, so it’s the perfect chance to send a get well greeting and happy birthday note all in one. Or pay a visit.  happy Birthday Diane…we all miss you!

The Changing Tides Diner has also gotten an uplift with new windows in the back section.  Peggy Chisholm says that she hopes to be open very soon….hurray!

Tim Wilson is back in Bear River after a long absence.

Good News! Raine Ryan, daughter of Shyla Harris and Cody Ryan, is off the critical list and doing well.  The hope is that she will soon be strong enough for surgery.

We are sorry to hear that Mike Corbett has moved way down the valley. While Noreen Millar and Erin  have moved from town they ares still nearby in Clementsport.

April 7:

The former location of the Bear River Bargains and Books won’t be empty for long.  Mark Jacques will be opening up his upholstery shop there in the near future. Mark is the son of Stan and Alice Jacques who operated SAM Upholstery for many years, and Mark has been running the business for some time now in Clementsvale.

The Scotch Doubles pool tournament in Annapolis Royal last weekend saw a couple from Kingston walk away with first prize, but second place and $200.00 went to Fred Miller and Andrea.  Well played!

And more about pool: Sunday, April 15 is the day for the Tommy Thibeault Tournament at the Bear River Legion. Last year’s winners, Todd and Sam Sloane will be trying to hold on to the trophy against some stiff competition.  Good Luck to Everyone!

Phyllis Read is enjoying the company of visiting family over the Easter weekend.

Kyle Ellis is happy to be spending the Easter weekend with his mother, Teresa Henshaw,  and a great Easter dinner with the family around the dinner table.

Congratulations to Eric Cox, who won the draw for the quilt at the Bear River Health Clinic.

And for all of you waiting desperately to hear the latest whereabouts of Francois Bellefontaine, we are happy to announce that his latest trip had him touring the countryside of Portugal.

Happy Easter to All.

April 2:

The Loss of a Legacy 

Unfortunately it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke when the Hillsburgh United Church was decommissioned on April 1st, ending a long history in the village.

From Lennie Wade’s Historic Glimpses of Picturesque Bear River:                 The first Methodist Church was built almost on the site of the present one, in 1837, and was used until 1859 or 1860 when the present one was erected.  The old building was moved up to the Chute Rd, next to the home of H.H. Chute, where it still stands (1) used as a dwelling home. Until 1860, this church belonged to the circuit of Annapolis, which was extended from Digby to Horton, but in that year it became an independent circuit and the ministers have been as follows: Rev. F.W. Pickles, R.Mason, J.S. Coffin, F. Harris, Wm. McCarty…….

a church no more

The church is now up for sale for $125,000.

(1) The building at the corner of Clementsvale Rd. and Chute Rd. is the one referred to by the author.  See tour of historic houses.

original Methodist Church


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New Folks in Town

We welcome Ashley, Matthew Leonard and family to Bear River.  They are settling in to their new home, formerly owned by the Voleniks,  next to Mount Hope Cemetery.

March 21: 

Was it luck or skill that decided the winners of the recent Scotch doubles tournament at the Bear River Legion?  Walking away with the trophy were Squid Kennedy and Sean Andrews, while “Hoyt” Barry Frost and Steve Cole took the money and the turkeys.  Congratulations!

March 20:

Condolences to the family and friends of Robert Foster who passed away  recently in Massachussetts, surrounded by his family.  We will certainly miss his wonderful smile and positive attitude on life: and seeing him drive through town with the top down and the wind blowing through his hair.

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At the Bear River Board of Trade Annual General Meeting on March 19th, it was revealed that the Board of Trade will no longer run the Visitor Information Center, and is looking for ways to eliminate the burden of property “guardianship”, such as the waterfront park and the Green Lantern  building.  Last yearthe Board of Trade went into debt by $5800, $3700 of which went to pay legal fees for Rick Jacques and unnecessary surveyors.

According to Rick Jacques, this year they will focus on raising money to get out of debt and rethink their reason for being.

Kelly Foxton has resigned as president, and there was no one to fill the position of secretary.  All members but one are either executive or directors.

Much more will be written about this in the upcoming weeks in thebearrivertides.com.

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THE BIG MOVE

Bear River Books and Bargains is moving!  But don’t worry, Paul is not going far: just across the street to the Rebekah building, taking over the space being vacated by the Bare Canvas Gallery, which is no more.  He hopes to be settled in and ready for treasure hunters in April.

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Home Again, Home Again

The good news is that Ginny and Emily Hurlock have returned safely from their travels in Costa Rica.  The bad news is that they didn’t get to visit the baby sloth rehabilitation center.  Oh well, maybe next year.

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Another First!

A huge congratulations to Teresa Dawson who has moved up to the rank of Second Lieutenant  at the Bear River Fire Department, making history as the first woman to do so!  Well done Teresa,  and keep up the great work.

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Settling In

Sharon Norton’s mother, Miriam Cuthill is settling in at her new home at the Annapolis Royal Senior’s Residence and is receiving visitors.  Sharon and Alf are regular visitors and enjoying the Newfoundland style music that is performed in the home regularly.

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How a Community Works

An amazing turnout for the benefit for Shayla Harris on Feb. 25,  brought in approximately $1900.00 to be used towards medical expenses for the upcoming baby. That’s the real Bear River that we know and love at work!

A big pat on the back for Donna Perkins who did the organizing of it all.

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