In Search of Time to Lose on the North Shore

Spot some of the amazing fauna of Nova Scotia

This year is the first year that my fiancée and I are going to be in Antigonish. Last year, we lived in, and commuted from, New Glasgow. Although we lived in New Glasgow, we’re not from there either. Together we’re both from the southern Ontario/Greater Toronto area, but we’re not really city people. We lived in Northern Québec for a year teaching high school and elementary students in the Cree Nation of Wemindji, on the James Bay. We were frequent outdoorsy people, happy to go blueberry picking in the fall, fishing and canoeing in the spring and summer, and excited to have real snowfall to go on long snowshoe hikes through thick subarctic evergreen forests up and down rocky hills.

Ever since we’ve arrived in Nova Scotia about a year ago, we’ve been doing our best to root out some of the great spots to enjoy the great outdoors and in between digging in gardens and flowerbeds for our summer jobs, we discovered (or were directed to, rather).

Melmerby Beach in Pictou County, where the beach is a long sandy strip and the water is cool and clear, bordered on one end by tall cliffs. It’s a 40-minute drive out of Antigonish, but well worth the trip if you’re looking for cool reprieve from the hot, humid weather.

Sugar Moon Farm, west of New Glasgow and north of Truro in Earltown, where they can show you the passage of the season in the colour and flavour of maple syrup, as well as a really great crash course in the history and science of maple syrup and production. As well, all around the farm are publicly accessible trails ranging from quick one-hour hikes to longer, multi-hour treks.

Mahoney’s Beach, just a quick drive north of Antigonish is this rocky and windy beach. The shape of this beach is that you can be on either side of the natural dune; in the warmer, calmer waters behind the sandbank, perfect for laying in the warm sun, or on the rocky shore facing St. George’s Bay. A quick and easy getaway along the picturesque Sunrise Trail.

Arisaig Provincial Park, on the western edge of Cape George, lets you take a short hike through some very mossy forest, and stop for a picnic, if need be. If the park isn’t big enough for your trek, you can always continue along the Cape for some stunning vistas of old farms, fishing spots, and lighthouses that let you feel like you’re on the edge of the world.

Nova Scotia even has what’s called a “Passport” that gives the location of one of more than 60 distilleries, breweries, and vineyards in the province. Travelling to any one of these is half the fun, collecting the stamps upon arrival and imbibing in the potables, is the other. Many of the best of what Nova Scotia has to offer in terms of tipple is packed away and hidden from the main roads and finding these curiosities after travelling through some of the most beautiful hidden gems of towns in the province is well worth the price of a pint. Pick up a passport at the Townhouse and earn your first stamp.

Keppoch Mountain is an all too brief 20-minute car ride south of Antigonish. You’ve probably seen it looking south while driving the highway out of town. Don’t pay too close attention to Siri or Alexa for directions, they’ll send you past the entrance. When my fiancée and I went we ran into someone exceptionally friendly and helpful, who guided us onto a short, winding hike that took about an hour and a half to go all the way to the top of the mount, from which we could see the taller buildings of Antigonish, especially the greened copper steeples of the cathedral. If you go in the fall, you’ll have one considerable benefit that we lacked; the berries all along the trail will be ripe and ready for picking.

Photo: Yanik Gallie

Remember that any time you’re out and about in the wilderness to keep your eyes open and try to spot some of the amazing fauna of Nova Scotia. Just digging in gardens we ran into a number of salamanders (from eggs to juveniles to adults spotted, and bright orange), snakes (red ones barely longer than my pinky finger and big ones coiled up under decks, baby porcupines napping in an apple tree, washed up jellyfish, the awkward scuttling of hermit crabs, on the beach, any number of clams, oysters, and mussels, all manner of fish, and the wide variety of birds. Remember to leave only footprints and take only pictures. Don’t disturb the wildlife but enjoy the view and have fun.

Moving Beyond Fracking

Our community’s need for a renewable future

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rock in order to create cracks in underground rock formations and release oil or gas deposits. This practice is extremely risky and poses a number of threats to human and environmental health. The overwhelming balance of scientific research to date points to these risks, with recent studies revealing a worrying pattern of underreporting of issues by industry and regulators in Pennsylvania, BC and Alberta.

The process of fracking uses a significant amount of water, and can also contaminate drinking water through a leakage of chemicals into water tables. Methane emissions from fracking wells have recently been found to be massively underreported by industry, provincial and state regulators – a fact that is especially worrying given methane is a green house gas 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Fracking has also been known to cause earthquakes. The numerous threats that are posed by fracking have lead many community members and activists to protest the practice in their communities. In 2014, a bill was passed here in Nova Scotia legally banning fracking This was accomplished after community residents, primarily lead by indigenous individuals, rose up against fracking and disseminated critical information about the danger it poses to humans and the environment. This ban has been in place ever since.

Earlier this year, however, the municipality of Guysborough called for this ban to be lifted and proceeded to send multiple letters to the Premier and to other municipal councils throughout Nova Scotia, looking for support. This decision however, is not supported by most citizens; when one of Guysborough’s councilors held a town hall meeting on the issue, all those who attended were opposed the lifting of the ban.

Guysborough’s decision to propose this change comes with pressure from oil and gas supporters who used a freedom of information request to bring to light a provincial atlas of potential shell gas reserves in Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia department of energy subsequently released an atlas that showed potential energy hot spots in the province, none of which are in Guysborough county. The Guysborough letter, therefore, seems to be more a part of an orchestrated campaign by the oil and gas sector rather than something that would actually lead to fracking in the county.

It turns out that a municipality site for an liquified natural gas (LNG) plant is being built in Guysborough county, a site where gas from around the continent will be held and distributed to markets in Europe. Germany has guaranteed a 4 billion dollar loan for the building of this plant as the country wishes to diversify where it is getting it’s LNG. Although, the plant does not need to use gas that is harvested in Nova Scotia, oil and gas supporters are pushing to have these options available, by pushing for the lifting of the ban on fracking.

Those who support the ban include many across Mi’kma’ki, including Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, that come from indigenous and settler communities alike. As we know, Mi’kmaq land has never been ceded to settlers and thus the Mi’kmaq people have a strong say when it comes to practices that will affect the land. The critical analysis developed by many Mi’kmaq people is that while the fracking industry may bring jobs to this area of the country, it will also destroy natural elements such as water and land, that are sacred and important to indigenous ways of being, and to all life. The choice to propose a lifting of this ban, directly contradicts the concerns that have been presented by indigenous community members and settler-citizens alike. Communities throughout Nova Scotia have made it clear that they are completely against fracking. In 2014, when a fracking moratorium was being reviewed, the Nova Scotia association of Mi’kmaq chiefs unanimously voted against it along with the Mi’kmaq Native women’s association. So far, the conversation that has been held about lifting the ban has only been orchestrated in settler communities. The Guysborough effort therefore runs the risk of further damaging settler-indigenous relations in a time that these relations should be focusing on reconciliation.

On March 19, the Antigonish Town Council has planned to discuss the letter that they received from the Municipality of Guysborough and will be debating whether they too will call for the ban to be lifted. Responsible Energy Action (REA) has been organizing to encourage citizens to write to the mayor and town councilors in support of keeping the ban in place. If you are interested and having your voice heard in relation to this cause, I encourage you to do the same and email mayor Laurie Boucher.

The bottom line is that these conversations should be outdated; there is a strong understanding that we need to be moving towards the dismantling of the oil and gas sector and incorporating more renewable sources of energy. In California, for instance, the green energy sector is proving that transition to green energy is a major job creator. We need to be encouraging the promotion of Solar and Wind power and put our money towards getting more sustainable and safe energy sources up and running in our province. And we should be working in ways that respect the treaties here and reinforce reconciliation, not undermine it.

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Biology department expresses concerns with Campus Framework Plan

Draft framework plan does not currently prioritize academic green space on campus

Editor's note: Photo captions are not currently displaying on mobile, for the full story please view this article on a desktop. We apologize for the inconvenience.  

On Tuesday, January 10th, StFX updated the campus community about the ongoing campus planning framework project. The project, which aims to create a living and flexible document to guide campus development over the coming years, will place an emphasis on pedestrian circulation on campus, discourage vehicular traffic, and move interior parking to the edge of campus.

The campus framework planning project, spearheaded by architecture and design firms Nycum + Associates and SmithGroup JJR, sought feedback from students, faculty and staff at various consultation sessions over the summer. As of early January, the planning process is 80 percent complete. Once the official document is created in two to three months’ time, it will undergo yearly review to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of an evolving campus.

StFX Vice-President Finance & Operations Andrew Beckett discusses the campus framework plan with Dr. David Garbary of the biology department. 

Biology's Dr. David Garbary questions whether or not the Campus Framework Plan has taken academics into account.

VP Finance & Operations Andrew Beckett and planners from Smithgroup JJR and Nycum+ Associates host the Campus Framework Plan meeting on January 10th, 2017. 

Campus Framework Plan feedback session, January 10, 2017. 

An attendee points out issues with the lack of natural green space on campus.

Director of Facilities Management Leon MacLellan discuss the Framework Plan with members of the StFX Biology Department. 

While it will take years until the plan is realized in full, the construction of the Brian Mulroney Institute for Government creates the opportunity for some of the plans to be carried out in the near future. In particular, the framework strives to make both Martha Drive, which runs from the Oland Centre up to Schwartz, and Notre Dame Avenue, the route from Riley Hall to the Mount, more pedestrian-friendly.

In redeveloping the spaces as pedestrian malls with cobblestone roads and areas to sit outside, the university hopes to make cars secondary on a campus that currently prioritizes vehicular traffic. “We are too reliant on the automobile,” states Andrew Beckett, vice-president finance and administration, citing the comfortable ten-minute walking diameter StFX enjoys.

The renovated parking lot behind Lane Hall. The expansion paved over one of the last field lab areas available for use by the biology department. 

The renovated parking lot behind Lane Hall. The expansion paved over one of the last field lab areas available for use by the biology department. 

One of the many areas addressed in the plan is the concern about the speed at which cars drive down Notre Dame Avenue. The plan currently proposes to redirect traffic from cutting through campus by designing the space in such a way to discourage cars from driving between Lane Hall and the cathedral. Suggested tactics to create this “sticky” space include laying brick of a different type and adding bike loops and benches to sit on. The way would still be accessible for service vehicles and special events like Move-In Day.

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A visualization of the "Sticky" space proposed for outside of lane hall, and near the campus power plant. 

Similar plans are in place for the areas on Martha Drive behind the power plant and Morrison Hall.

Other major priorities for the project include improving accessibility and increasing green spaces on campus. The Mulroney Institute, for example, will bring a more gradual transition from upper to lower campus, allowing for wheelchair accessibility in place of the prohibiting Nicholson stairs. 

Multiple staircases prevent easy access to upper campus for those with mobility challenges. The construction of the Mulroney Institute will lower the grade of the hill and allow for wheelchair access. 

Plans eventually entail restricting vehicular access and creating a pedestrian "quad" in the centre of campus. 

The central heating plant will eventually be moved to the outskirts of campus to allow for a pedestrian "quad," reducing vehicular traffic in the area. 

A service vehicle at the central heating plant on Martha Drive. 

The area outside of Mini Moe's, where vehicular traffic will be limited to service vehicles or special events only. 

The loading area used by Sodexo will remain serviced, although it too will be made more pedestrian-friendly. 

The area outside of Mini Moe's, where vehicular traffic will be limited to service vehicles or special events only. 

Despite these apparent gains, however, at least one group on campus does not see their interests represented in the new campus plan. Members of the Biology Department spoke out adamantly at the presentation about the consistent reduction of accessible space on campus for outdoor educational purposes. This concern has been registered with the administration on multiple occasions as campus has expanded over the past several decades.

“Since the 1990s, the Biology Department has been actively promoting the pedagogical value of natural campus green spaces on campus, and advocating that our need for such space be formally recognized,” says department chair Dr. Moira Galway. Over the last 20 years, natural green spaces in proximity to the JBB have been disturbed or altogether destroyed by the construction of the soccer field, the relatively underutilized track and field facility, the cross-country trails, and Riley and O’Regan Halls.

The scene overlooking the soccer and track & field facilities. Prior to their installation, the area was used as field lab space. 

The scene overlooking the soccer and track & field facilities. Prior to their installation, the area was used as field lab space. 

Up until last year, the department was hosting its outdoor labs for ecology, field biology, soil biology and restoration ecology in the meadowlands behind Lane Hall, but the shift away from interior campus parking has forced students and faculty to turn elsewhere.

“We’ve watched the steady erosion of this outdoor space, over all our objections, for the entire time I’ve been here,” notes ecologist Dr. Barry Taylor. “There doesn’t seem to be any real concept of actually taking this land and saying, ‘This is an outdoor laboratory.’”

As the quality of available green space on campus declines, so too does the quality of the educational experience. This year, the raking through grass on the sloped hill alongside the Annex has been the only alternative for some students doing quantitative research.

The hillside near the Annex is the current location of the outdoor biology labs. 

The construction of the Mulroney Institute for Government will significantly impact the area currently used for field labs. 

“The campus seems to be being changed to support [other] students,” says one third year biology student, “but in doing so, it is restricting the learning of other programs. This is not to say that the campus shouldn’t be expanded, but perhaps think about all the programs and the implications of new designs when making decisions and how it can affect some students.”

The wooded area near Riley and O'Regan Halls is not suitable for academic use given the presence of cross-country running trails. 

The wooded area has been so developed that paths are visible with just feet of forest in between. 

The wooded area has been so developed that paths are visible with just feet of forest in between. 

Despite the appearance of available green space on campus, much of the remaining forests and green areas are unsuitable for academic use. For example, the remaining forested area by O'Regan and Riley Halls has been punctuated over time with winding cross-country trails. Not only was the maturest part of the forest destroyed with the construction of the new residences, explains Taylor, but the remaining forest is not significant enough to serve the department's ecological needs. "If you walk out there what you now have is little fragments of forest bisected by these great wide roads that go through everything," he states. "There’s essentially no intact forest left." 

According to Taylor, the department’s efforts to preserve native green space on campus have been met with good will and support by the administration, particularly the Grounds Department, but that the overall attitude is one of indifference.

“I don’t think there’s anything hostile to our intentions,” Taylor comments. “They want us to teach well, but I think that they find our aspirations for holding pieces of ground as just a nuisance.”

With little usable space left on campus, the department turned temporarily toward the West Street property owned by the university. Galway and Taylor tell of an agreement brokered by the Academic Vice-President and Provost that the West Street holdings were to be levelled out and cleared of hazards over the summer to have the property ready for safe use by students in the fall.

The West Street property is currently used as student housing by StFX. 

The view from the West Street property looking towards campus. 

It appears as though the university has reneged on this agreement, however, as the only change that occurred over the summer months was the installation of a fibre optic cable that spans the entire piece of land. The wide trench dug to accommodate the wiring has rendered the property unusable for academic purposes. According to Taylor, it would require an investment of money to restore any operative capacities.

Regarding the West Street property, Beckett acknowledges that the university’s resources are limited, but claims that the administration “[continues] to seek ways to have this site enhanced for academic purposes.”

The Enactus and Student Food Resource Centre garden was relocated to the West Street property after being displaced by the expanded Lane Hall Parking lot. 

Materials for further development of the garden sit idle.

As for the campus planning project, the biology department’s concerns have been registered with the administration and the architects and will be taken into consideration as the project moves forward into the spring.

“It was an oversight not to have a principle that clearly notes the importance of optimizing the Campus for academic purposes including preservation and protection of designated native green space,” Beckett said in an email.

Despite the department’s ongoing frustrations with the matter, Taylor permits that with considerable time and effort, there are possibilities for regaining outdoor space for labs on campus. If the disturbed land is left alone or aided to progress and restore itself, some on-campus alternatives may return as viable options.

A small waterway runs through the unusable West Street property. 

A small waterway runs through the unusable West Street property. 

A visible manhole at the West Street property. Storm drains, fibre Optic cables, and other utilities cut across the property, limiting its academic use. 

Garbage visible at the West Street property. The biology department has held several clean-ups over the past years. According to Taylor, "we took out bag after bag after bag of junk, not to mention stacks of old tired and frames and bed springs and so on." 

View from a trail at the West Street property. 

Marshland at the West Street property. 

Marshland at the West Street property. 

The Xaverian Weekly will follow up on the matter once the official campus framework plan is released in a few months’ time.

The university will be accepting feedback about this current stage of the planning project until February 3rd. Comments can be submitted to campusplanning@stfx.ca.