This beautiful Province spilled from the mouth of a glacier thousands of years ago, a huge gem deposited just far enough away from the other Provinces on the “mainland” to say we are “unique” in our own right, but not so far as to be inaccessible, by land, sea or air.

We are 99% surrounded by the great Atlantic Ocean, caressed by the Southern Gulf Stream and soothed by prevailing Westerly winds during the summer months.  It seems we are hidden from dangerous tornadoes and hurricanes, no excessive weather of any sort, even the winters are becoming milder.  nd no, we do not live in snow houses.

The County of Shelburne on the South East coast (where I live), is actually shaped like a wedge of cake, frosted on the edges with powder white sand beaches, sprinkled with boulders and ledges, some the size of small homes , and garnished with beautiful greenery from the various trees that grow abundantly throughout the area.  White pine - the tops sprout the new growth in the shape of a gold Cross two weeks before Easter; white and black spruce whose cured sap (spruce gum) we chewed as kids, tasted awful, but we were kids.

Several trees that I have seen, not native, apparently planted by German settlers, are the towering Basswoods (Linden) whose blossoms in spring are a drug to any bee near enough to succumb to the sweet smell.

We have acres of protected lands for all to see; the awesome Kejimakujik (the only inland national Park of Canada) and the Kejimakujik Seaside Adjunct, (Port Joli), at one point overlooks St. Catherine’s River beach, home to the endangered piping plovers, (take a picnic and spend the day whale and seal watching from the trails), and the proposed Great Tobeatic Wilderness Sanctuary, over 7000 acres (where my dad and his crew brought huge trees down the rivers and lakes on dangerous spring river drives more than 50 years ago).

From these areas come the six major rivers of Shelburne County, spilling into 32 fresh water lakes and numerous brooks, where lurk, some say, the granddaddy of all trout.

In Quinan, Yarmouth Co. (our sister county to the East) I am told is one of the most beautiful Eskers in all of the province, an approximately 6 mile nature walk of glorious flora and fauna. 

And then we have our coastline here in Shelburne Co, (the only County in Nova Scotia with the most sand beaches), breathtaking beauty, the fresh cool feel of sweet salt air on your skin is absolutely invigorating, a free spa surrounds you, salt water that heals, surf sounds that sooth, long walks on pristine white sand beaches releases the stress of everyday life.