Maritime Canada

Mallett's Maple Pepper Carries On a Long Tradition

2011-09-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

A natural sugar made by concentrating maple tree sap into a solid maple sugar block, then grinding into small crystals. Maple sugar was the preferred form of maple by First Nations/Native American peoples as the sugar could easily be transported and lasted a long time. It is called ziinzibaakwad by the Anishinaabeg.^[6] ^[7] Blessing of the Bay, the second ocean-going merchant ship built in the English colonies, carried maple sugar from the Massachusetts Bay Colony to New Amsterdam as early as 1631.

Made from natural Maple trees maple sugar can now be found in products such as Mallett's Maple Pepper. visit Mallett's Maple Pepper Website

Canada and The United States are the only two maple syrup producing countries in the world. Canada accounts for about 85 percent of the world’s production of maple syrup.
The four major species of maples are the sugar maple, red maple, silver maple and the ash leafed maple. The sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is the major specie for sugar production.
Maple sugar is about twice as sweet as standard granulated sugar.
It takes around 40 to 50 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup.
The maple season lasts only about 4 to 6 weeks of the year.
Usually maple trees are not tapped until they are at least 40 years old and 10-12 inches in diameter. As the tree's diameter increases, more taps can be added (up to a maximum of four taps).
When done properly, tapping does no permanent damage to the tree. Some maple trees have been tapped for over two hundred and fifty years!
Pure maple sugar is a 100% natural product, no additives are allowed.
It takes one gallon of syrup to produce eight pounds of sugar.
'Sinzibukwud' is the Algonquin (a North American Indian tribe) word for maple syrup, meaning literally 'drawn from wood'.

Nova Scotia Action Plan for Natural Resources

2011-08-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (August, 2011). From Strategy to Action, An Action Plan
for the Path We Share, A Natural Resources Strategy for Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Department of Natural
Resources

Introduction
From Strategy to Action
" Sustainability, Diversity, Collaboration, Transparency and Informed Decision Making. These are the values that guide our 10-year natural resources strategy. The strategy marks a departure from traditional natural resource management and is inspired by a vision of a sustainable and prosperous future—a vision described to us by Nova Scotians and reflected in jobsHere, the economic plan for Nova Scotia. As the foundation for the government’s extensive agenda of change, the principles inherent in that economic plan give direction to this strategy and the actions that flow from it. "

By JAMIE SIMPSON
Thu, Aug 18

There’s no positive change in sight for Nova Scotia’s forests. While the just-released Natural Resources Strategy for 2011-2020 contains positive language about collaboration and new directions, the Nova Scotia government has failed to deliver on the challenging issues of reducing clearcutting and eliminating whole-tree harvesting.

The government’s solution to clearcutting, apparently, is to define clearcutting so narrowly that it nearly no longer exists. In fact, under the government’s narrow definition of a clearcut, I would hazard the 50 per cent goal has already been reached. As long as a few scattered trees are left standing on the harvest site, then presto, a clearcut is no longer a clearcut. The strategy contains no guidance or action for a real shift to uneven-aged harvesting methods.

Reducing clearcutting by a simple change of definition is hardly original. The forestry industry has used this smoke-and-mirrors method for years to try to convince the gullible that leaving behind a smattering of trees means that a clearcut is no longer a clearcut. Our government seems to have caught on to the practice.

And what of the government’s consistent promise to eliminate whole-tree harvesting? Gone. Now the government is committing to develop, sometime over the next six months, rules for whole-tree harvesting.

What does the strategy offer? One promise has been kept — to eliminate the $600,000 in public funding for herbicide treatments. Unfortunately, the language used in the strategy on this issue is archaic, referring to hardwood trees targeted by herbicides as nothing more than "weeds" that can still be removed with the help of other publicly funded programs.

What else? After more than three years of public consultation, expert panel reports and stakeholder meetings, the government has concluded that collaboration with forest stakeholders and commitment to good governance should be priorities at the Department of Natural Resources.

All in all, the government’s new 10-year strategy is high on process, but hollow on meaningful action: It’s a disappointment and a wasted opportunity to listen to Nova Scotians’ call for meaningful change. As the government talks about collaboration and good governance, Nova Scotia’s forests will continue to be clearcut, and whole-tree harvesting will increasingly ravage Nova Scotia’s landscape.

Jamie Simpson is a professional forester and the author of Restoring the Acadian Forest, A guide to forest stewardship for woodlot owners in the Maritimes.

The Path We Share, A Natural Resources Strategy for Nova Scotia 2011-2020

2011-08-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (August, 2011). The Path We Share, A Natural Resources Strategy for Nova Scotia 2011-2020, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.

Here it is at last - 8 months late - but is it worth the wait?

" The natural resources of the province belong to all Nova Scotians, and all share the responsibility of ensuring the survival and good health of those resources for future generations. The government is presenting this strategy, but its fate is in the hands of thousands of others – owners of large and small tracts of land, industry leaders, communities, environmental groups, municipal leaders, the Mi’kmaq, the next generation of political leaders, teachers, researchers, and academics. They and many other Nova Scotians will play a vital role, including the making of decisions that determine the future of woodlots, mining ventures, the living environment, parks, and protected land. "

Memory Lane Heritage Village Eastern Shore Nova Scotia

2011-08-07T06:15:00.000-07:00

Special Events

In addition to the daily tours and demonstrations, a series of Special Events are held throughout the year. Generally, special admission fees will apply.
[ view all events ] [ view events archives ]

Visit the Harmonica Festival Website

8th Annual Atlantic Canada Harmonica Festival

Spend the day with musicians who love this unique and versatile instrument. If you have ever thought about playing the harmonica, this is the place to start. If you played in the past and it’s now gathering dust, we’ll inspire you to start again. And if you’re a regular player, you’ll be happy to jam or share a tune with other professional and amateur performers.
This is a relaxing and intimate festival, held on the grounds and inside the Heritage Village historic buildings.
The festival ends with a two hour showcase concert featuring harmonica players from all musical genres, from the Isle of Skye to the Mississippi Delta.
A full schedule will be posted closer to the festival date. Check the Harmonica Website too for more information at http://www.harmonicafestival.ca.
Date: Saturday August 20th, 2011
Location: Memory Lane Heritage Village
Fee: $15 Day Admission, $5 per class, $10 for evening showcase, $49 Festival Pass includes lunch and supper, day and evening events.
Hours: 10 AM - 10 PM

For more information call: 845-1937 / 1-877-287-0697 or email: info@heritagevillage.ca

Eastern Shore Homecoming

A day of celebrating the families and culture of the Eastern Shore. Heritage displays, help with researching your roots, and a great chance to meet family from near and far.
Genealogical services from the Eastern Shore Archives are available all day, with our vast community photo database and knowledgeable staff.
Stay tuned for a full agenda of activities.

Date: Sunday August 28th, 2011
Location: Memory Lane Heritage Village
Fee: Free Admission today!
Hours: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

For more information call: 845-1937 / 1-877-287-0697 or email: info@heritagevillage.ca

Musique Royale Concert with Blue Engine String Quartet

On Saturday, September 17^th 2011, Musique Royale, in partnership with Memory Lane Heritage Village, will present the Blue Engine String Quartet in the historic Clam Harbour United Church at Memory Lane followed by a lamplight “Inspired by Music” heritage dinner in the Village’s Cookhouse. The Blue Engine String Quartet have been widely acclaimed, holding true to classical roots by performing many of the masterworks of the string quartet repertoire, including twentieth century landmarks by Ravel, Shostakovich, and Arvo Pärt. The Quartet has also worked closely with important Canadian composers Christos Hatzis, Peter Togni, Tony Genge and Brian Current.

Repertoire
• Mozart String Quartet No. 17 K458 "Hunt"
• Set of Klezmer Freylachs including Klezmar Wedding Dance and Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5
*****intermission*****
• Dvorak 4tet in Eb major Op. 51

Inspired by Music Menu
• Austrian Wedding Soup with ground Nutmeg or Parmesan
• Garden Salad with Fresh Flat bread and Herb Garlic Butter
• Hungarian Goulash with Homemade Pasta
• Mozart's Delight * Fresh Fruit Tarts * Czech Sweet Dumplings filled with Plum Conserves

Musique Royale, now in its 26th season, is cross-province festival that brings performances of early and traditional music to settings of historic and cultural significance in communities throughout Nova Scotia. And now, for the first time, Musique Royale is coming to the Eastern Shore this Fall.
To view a seating plan, click here: http://heritagevillage.ca/home/images/uploads/Church%20Seating%20Plan.jpg
Tickets can be purchased securely by going online to our giftshop and clicking on the featured item.
Date: Saturday September 17th, 2011
Location: Clam Harbour United Church at Memory Lane Heritage Village
Fee: $50 preferential seating includes "Inspired by Music" Heritage Dinner, some concert only tickets available at $25/ticket
Hours: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

For more information call: 1-902-877-287-0697 or 1 (902) 845-1937 or email: info@heritagevillage.ca

Inspired by Music Heritage Dinner

A 4 course heritage dinner served by lamplight in the rustic Cookhouse with a menu inspired by the evening's Musique Royal concert featuring the Blue Engine String Quartet at 5 PM. This is an all inclusive ticket (concert & dinner). Only 83 tickets available. Reservations must be made by Thursday the 15th of September at 5 PM. Tickets must be paid for in full at the time of reservation.
Repertoire
• Mozart String Quartet No. 17 K458 "Hunt"
• Set of Klezmer Freylachs including Klezmar Wedding Dance and Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5
*****intermission*****
• Dvorak 4tet in Eb major Op. 51
Date: Saturday September 17th, 2011
Location: The Cookhouse, Memory Lane Heritage Village
Fee: $50 per person (includes Musique Royal concert ticket)
Hours: Concert 5:00 PM, Dinner Served at 7:00 PM

For more information call: (902) 845-1937 or 1 (877) 287-0697 or email: info@heritagevillage.ca

Oktoberfest Heritage Dinner

One of our most popular dinners. Authentic Oktoberfest food with live music and Oktoberfest spirit. Reservations must be made by Thursday, October 13th. Purchase tickets online through out gift shop. Cash bar opens at 6:30.

Date: Saturday October 15th, 2011
Location: The Cookhouse, Memory Lane Heritage Village
Fee: $25 per person
Hours: Cash Bar Opens 6:30 PM, Dinner Served 7:00 PM

For more information call: (902) 845-1937 / 1-877-287-0697 or email: info@heritagevillage.ca

Candlelight Concert with “Musical Friends”

The “Musical Friends” choir perform their annual candlelight concert. Seating is limited.
Date: Saturday November 19th, 2011
Location: The Memory Lane Church
Fee: Good will donation welcome
Hours: 5:00 - 6:00 PM (doors will not open until 4:45 PM)

For more information call: (902) 845-1937 or email: info@heritagevillage.ca

Traditional 1940s Christmas Dinner

Our most popular dinner, held by lamplight in the Cookhouse which is “decked out” in 1940s fashion. We will serve a dinner both on Saturday and Sunday evening. The Musical Friends choir will perform in the church at 5 PM on Saturday, November 19th and another choir, TBA, on Sunday, November 20th. Tickets to the dinner must be paid for when you make your reservation. You can purchase your tickets here, at our online gift shop. No refunds available.

Date: Saturday November 19th - Sunday November 20th, 2011
Location: The Cookhouse, Memory Lane Heritage Village
Fee: $25.00 per person
Hours: 6:00 Bar Opens; 6:30 Dinner Begins

For more information call: (902) 845-1937 / 1-877-287-0697 or email: info@heritagevillage.ca

Pictou firm joins Barbie on Greenpeace’s hit list

2011-06-13T23:45:00.000-07:00

Is Nova Scotia shipping its forests to China?

Pictou firm joins Barbie on Greenpeace’s hit list

Nova Scotia Forestry: DNR Update Woodbridge Report May 2011

2011-05-27T00:37:00.000-07:00

Click on the document above to expand it to a full screen read.

From the DNR:
"The province's commitment to healthy forests and a healthy forest industry is being supported by an additional $5-million investment to address the economic impact of reducing clearcutting to 50% over the next five years. The investment includes funding for added outreach efforts and silviculture to make wood harvesting more attractive to small, private woodlot owners in the province.

The province’s focus on reducing clearcutting and re-engaging with small, private woodlot owners is supported by an economic impact analysis prepared by internationally recognized specialists on the forestry industry, Woodbridge Associates.

The commissioned report recommends the province take measures, such as the $5-million investment, to help ease the forestry sector’s transition toward the province’s clearcutting reduction target. The report also makes it clear that small private woodlot owners play a key role in the supply of wood fibre for the forest industry".

SAVE NOVA SCOTIA'S FORESTS - SIGN THE PETITION

2011-05-07T03:27:00.000-07:00

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savenovascotiaforests/

Would you like to register your concerns regarding the management of Nova Scotia Forestry?

Nova Scotia forests are at risk of disappearing and citizens need to be heard. Signing this petition will send a strong and clear message to Premier Darrell Dexter to reverse the decision to allow cutting for biomass on the Crown lands of Nova Scotia.The forest is being targeted as the quick solution for the renewable energy commitment. The forests have already been subjected to massive cutting which is having severe impacts on waterways, wildlife habitat and soil nutrients. This practice is not an acceptable solution to the sustainable energy decision and citizens have to speak up against this and be heard.

FACEBOOK Save Nova Scotia's Forests

Nova Scotia Natural Resources Strategy 2010: Why are we still waiting?

2011-05-06T23:39:00.000-07:00

LINK TO WEBSITE

The Natural Resources Strategy was announced in May 2007 as a three year process. DNR's current policies for forests, minerals and parks have been in place since the 1980s and are in need of renewal; the biodiversity strategy will be the first for the province. The decision to re-evaluate DNR's policies on forests minerals, and parks, and to establish a policy on biodiversity is in keeping with the Province's focus on sustainable prosperity and competitiveness, and the shift to a green economy. The Nova Scotia Government's Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act commits DNR to develop a new Natural Resources Strategy by end of 2010.
The Strategy is being developed in three phases.
Phase 1 - Citizen engagement - led by Voluntary Planning - January 2008 to April 2009
Phase 2 - Technical expertise/Stakeholder engagement - May 2009 to March 2010
Phase 3 - Strategy Development - By end of 2010

The Natural Resources strategy is expected to be completed by end of 2010. So why are we still waiting in the middle of 2011?

Hundreds of People Protest about NDP Nova Scotia Forest Policy

2011-04-26T06:18:00.000-07:00

see more video and photos here at cpawsns.org

The campaingners want the government to release its long-awaited forest management strategy.
Charlie Parker, the province's natural resources minister, says the strategy will be out within a few weeks.
Parker says he believes people will be excited by the report.
A preview of the strategy last December called for a 50 per cent reduction in clear cutting over five years.
Global Maritimes News Link
Eastern Shore Forest Watch Facebook

Darrell Dexter Ignoring Science Ignoring People: The State of Nova Scotia Forests

2011-04-26T04:33:00.000-07:00

My comments are directed to our premier, Darrell Dexter.

Mr. Dexter, I am from rural Nova Scotia and can safely say that my comments reflect the feelings shared by many communities in our province.

I grew up in rural Nova Scotia where our recreation involved long walks in the woods, skiing, hiking, fishing and for many, hunting. Over the years, we have monitored and acted as guardians of our precious woods that surrounded our community. Logging companies have come and gone under our watchful eyes. In March, 2009, the type of logging changed drastically. They were harvesting for biomass. We witnessed what was once a nature lovers paradise being literally ripped up by the roots and ground into shreds. The forest floor, with its delicate ecosystems, was churned by the heavy machinery like a poorly plowed garden. Along with this, we have witnessed a serious decline of wildlife, fish and strikingly, there are no birds. In a few short months, it took just 6 men with their huge machines to lay flat more than 700 hectares of land surrounding our community. To put this into perspective for you, this is equivalent to 10 point pleasant parks. And this is just one block. Mr. Dexter, we are extremely angry and frustrated that this is allowed to happen.

In June, 2009, the people of Nova Scotia went to the polls and voted for you because we believed that you would listen to us, represent us and be our voice. We had great hope that your government would bring about a positive change in the way our forests are managed.

Thousands of Nova Scotians participated in the Public Consultation process and gave our input toward a new Natural Resources Strategy. We participated because we were told our opinions were valued and we had faith that our input could and would make a difference. Mr. Dexter, you have made a mockery of this process. Many citizens attended the biomass hearings, the Dr. David Wheeler consultations on renewable energy and have taken every available opportunity to be heard. Through all of these meetings, there was overwhelming evidence that burning forest biomass for energy was not sustainable. The removal of massive amounts of wood for forest biomass has a major negative impact on our environment and our wildlife. Our forests will take a century, if not more, to recover, and the ecosystems damaged by the heavy machines will never recover.

Despite ongoing attention and displays of the horrendous biomass harvesting, you continue to not only condone the practises, you are enabling it to continue with copious amounts of funding for large foreign forest companies who continue to degrade our forests. Instead of supporting the people of this province, you are partnering with the industrial giants and at our expense. You have rewarded bad forestry practise with our money. You have given consent for harvested crown land timber to feed a wood biomass fuelled facility. This company, was rewarded for their bad business planning, as they quote their massive deficit of more than $650 million dollars.

You justify this by boasting that you created new jobs. Mr. Dexter, there is no job worth what we are losing. This is not only a very bad business decision, the premature decision to fund a biomass facility came before a biomass policy is in place. And to top this off, Mr. Dexter, the same month that you made this announcement, you had received this letter which I am holding, from the David Suzuki foundation, the Ecology Action Center, Canada Parks and Wilderness and Forest Ethics group, urging you to hold off on any biomass decisions as a renewable energy source and put restrictions in place before further environmental damage occurs. Mr. Dexter, you are ignoring science and you are ignoring the people of this province who put you into office.

It has been stated by you on various occasions that biomass is the burning of “waste wood”. Mr. Dexter, there is no such thing as waste wood when it comes to a biomass harvest. I invite you to come to Caribou Gold Mines where 1000’s of acres of forest have been taken for biomass....sugar maples, tall red oak, white and yellow birch, spruce and fir and everything that falls in the path of the monstrous machines. They leave behind nothing. We are left with no forest floor, wildlife has disappeared, there are few birds and streams are alarmingly devoid of even mayflies. Mr. Dexter, we are extremely stressed by this and we are suffering. We live with this daily and we can’t escape it. We wake to the grinding of the machines and we no longer have the once beautiful forest surrounding us. And even when the machines have left, we see only a wasteland. What do you expect rural families to do..bundle their children into a car and drive for hours to one of the few pockets of protected land that we will have left to show them what a forest looks like?

All governments have a responsibility to protect our environment which in turn looks after us. It must have a moral and legal obligation to create laws under which industry has to comply. You have failed to provide the leadership for the incorporation of such laws. The Natural Resources policy, due to come into effect last December, has not yet been released. There is no biomass policy and where, by the way, is the wetland policy? And as we speak, massive machines are grinding their way through large swaths of forest at an alarming rate and every minute that we wait for you to turn this around we are losing habitat, precious ecosystems and our province is being turned into a moonscape. This is happening on your watch, Mr. Dexter. You are feeding the industrial giants at the great expense of the very people who put you into office. We are intelligent human beings who love our province. We expect and deserve more than this from you. You have the power to put an immediate moratorium on clear cutting until the NR strategy and a well positioned monitoring system are in place. Mr. Dexter, we all have an obligation to protect what we have for the future generation of our forests, wildlife and our young people.

Mr. Dexter, these pictures are of our backyard. Without an immediate stop to the destruction of our forests, this will be everybodys backyard. We are asking you to reach deep into your conscience and turn this around for the people, the wildlife and the forests who cannot speak for themselves.

Published on Behalf of Kathy Didkowsky a Nova Scotia resident.
Be part of the debate on Facebook

Memory Lane Nova Scotia Heritage Quest - April 17th

2011-04-10T03:46:00.000-07:00

Boat Shop Memory Lane. Photo: Lynda Mallett

Heritage Quest - April 17th, 11:00 - 4:00

Free Admission

Take a Sunday Drive to Memory Lane on April 17th as part of HRM’s Heritage Quest commemorating World Heritage Day. We’re launching our new Heritage Hunt for families—a riddle-based mystery tour of the Village with some unique prizes if you solve all the clues. Join our animators in bending a few boat ribs using our new steam box in the Boat Shop. See our Shingle Mill in operation, learn how to use a peavey, and try your hand at tying fishermen’s knots. We’ll have the fires on in the Homestead, and plenty of treats and stories to keep you warm.

In recognition of World Heritage Day, it’s free admission!

The Cookhouse will be open from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, serving fishcakes & beans, soup, “fresh from the oven” bread and dessert, all for $10.

The Eastern Shore Archives will also be open for family research.

For more information go to www.heritagevillage.ca or visit the HRM Heritage Quest Site at www.halifax.ca/events/. Call 1-877-287-0697 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-877-287-0697 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Full Schedule:

Family “Heritage Hunt” with Prizes

Follow a set of riddles through the Village in search of mystery objects. Once you have solved all the riddles, you win a prize.

Steam Box Demonstrations

Join us for the first firing of our new steam box in the Norm Hutt Boatshop. See how wood is softened in order to form the ribs of a boat.

Shingle Mill & Engine Demonstrations

If you haven’t seen the shingle mill in action, this is your chance to be wowed by the big blade. Take home a souvenir shingle.

Woodstove Treats & Stories in the Homestead

The home fires will be burning and the smell of baking will be coming from the homestead, along with lots of stories about the Eastern Shore.

Knots & Logs

Learn how to tie some fishing knots, how a lobster trap is made, and the right way to roll a log using a peavey.

Deep Roots: Find Your Family

The Eastern Shore Archives will be open from 11 AM -3 PM with volunteers on hand to help you find out more about your family tree.

Cookhouse Chow: Fishcakes & Beans Special $10

Includes soup, fishcakes, beans, fresh brown bread, gingerbread, cookies and beverage. Cookhouse will be serving from 11 AM to 3 PM.

Admission: We will not be charging admission on this day. Donations are warmly welcomed. As we are opening specially for the Heritage Quest, there will be some aspects of our regular Memory Lane experience missing, such as the Soundscapes in the buildings and our heritage vehicles, which are still in storage. However, there will still be plenty to do, and we hope you will return in the summer when we’ll have lambs, kittens, chickens and a thriving garden!

Bad Logging Practices for Nova Scotia?

2011-03-31T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
N.S. pulp mill sold to Paper Excellence; Greenpeace criticizes deal
By: The Canadian Press
Posted: 03/30/2011 3:49 PM
PICTOU, N.S. - A Nova Scotia pulp mill has been sold to Paper Excellence in a deal greeted by union members but criticized by environmentalists.
The Vancouver office of the company announced the agreement to buy Northern Pulp and Northern Timber of Abercrombie, N.S., in a news release posted today.
No figures were disclosed in the release.
The news release says the deal is "good news" for the 230 employees of the mill, and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union issued a news release saying it provides job stability.
However, Greenpeace also issued a news release saying it is unhappy about the acquisition due to the firm's forestry practices.
Paper Excellence operates three mills in Canada: Meadow Lake in Saskatchewan and Howe Sound and Mackenzie in British Columbia, and is in the process of acquiring the long closed Prince Albert mill in Saskatchewan.
Greenpeace Canada
March 30, 2011-03-30
·
Greenpeace is concerned about the negative impact on the forests of Nova Scotia and the security of jobs that will result from the sale of Northern Pulp’s Pictou mill to a subsidiary of Asia Pulp Paper (APP).
APP’s subsidiary Paper Excellence has been on a buying spree, scooping up prime Canadian pulp assets in British Columbia andSaskatchewan and shipping jobs offshore. The majority of the pulp produced by the company’s other mills is shipped to China for processing into paper products.
Statement by Greenpeace forest coordinator Richard Brooks:
“It is a great concern that Canadian mills are being bought up by Asia Pacific Paper, one of the most destructive logging and pulp and paper companies operating anywhere on the planet.  APP is the primary contributor to making Indonesia the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases on the planet. We urge the Nova Scotia and federal governments to investigate APP which has been involved in illegal logging and deforestation in Indonesia for decades and continues to be involved in conflicts with local communities there. APP is also a debt-ridden company. Do we want that kind of company as a major player in Canada’s forest products sector?”

Background:
The destruction of rainforest and carbon-rich peatlands is the key reason for why Indonesia accounts for around a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions caused by deforestation. The palm oil and pulp and paper industry are the two major drivers of these escalating emissions. The endangered orang-utan and Sumatran tiger are just two of the species under threat of extinction due to habitat loss caused by Asia Pulp and Paper.
Asia Pulp and Paper, the ‘family treasure’ of the Sinar Mas Group and the notorious Widjaja family, defaulted on more than $14 billion of debt during the Asian financial crisis in the 1990s. It was saved by suspicious government financed ‘restructuring’.  At the end of 2009, APP’s Indonesian mills still owed $4.2 billion of restructured debt.
Virtually all of the pulp output from APP’s newly purchased Canadian mills has been redirected away from North American paper manufacturers and associated jobs to the company’s own mills in China.
Major forest products companies Office Depot, Staples, Xerox, Ricoh, and Target have all cancelled contracts with APP over risks to their brands of using APP products and over APP’s links to deforestation. APP is subject to a global campaign by Greenpeace and other
environmental organizations.
www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/reports/SinarMas-APP/
Sierra Club BC

Environmental Organizations to CANFOR: Do Not Sell Howe Sound Pulp and Paper to Global Logging Villain SINAR MAS
Vancouver Aug 11, 2010
ForestEthics, Greenpeace, Sierra Club B.C. and Canopy are alarmed by Canfor Forest Products’ decision to sell its Howe Sound Pulp and Paper operation to Paper Excellence BV, the Netherlands-based unit of Indonesia’s Sinar Mas Group. In a letter to Canfor, the environmental organizations are urging the company to not sell Howe Sound Pulp and Paper to Paper Excellence, but instead explore alternative ownership scenarios.
Sinar Mas, in particular its pulp and paper arm Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), is known globally for massive environmental destruction for palm oil and pulp and paper, including logging intact rainforests and peatland, wiping out Orangutan habitat, human rights violations and financial scandals in Indonesia. Internationally, environmental and human rights organizations have condemned Sinar Mas operations. In July 2010 a group of 40 non-governmental organizations released an open letter to the marketplace alerting any company doing business with APP that this would pose a serious risk to their respective brands. Greenpeace International has a major marketplace boycott campaign against Sinar Mas/APP.
“Sinar Mas represents everything we are working against in B.C. and other parts of the world: rainforest destruction, use of violence against Aboriginal people and unbridled corporate greed,” said Jens Wieting, forest campaigner with Sierra Club BC.
“We have a global responsibility and should not be inviting companies who apply ‘worst practices’ in other parts of the world intoCanada,” said Will Craven, Media Officer at ForestEthics.
“Sinar Mas or any of its paper tiger companies setting up shop in BC is a problem. They need to clean up their act abroad by stopping the destruction of natural Indonesian rainforests for pulp and paper and palm oil. We cannot risk Sinar Mas bringing what they consider business-as-usual practices to British Columbia,” said Stephanie Goodwin, Greenpeace B.C. Director.
Howe Sound Pulp and Paper’s joint owners, Canada's Canfor Forest Products and Oji Paper Co Ltd. of Japan, agreed in July to sell the operation to Paper Excellence / Sinar Mas for an undisclosed price. Finalising the deal could take until October. Howe Sound Pulp and Paper is the Dutch company’s second purchase in BC this year, in what an industry publication has described as a “buying spree.”

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-13805654/Sinar-Mas-Group.htm

Note:
Based in the Netherlands, Paper Excellence BV also owns Meadow Lake Mechanical Pulp (BCTMP) in Saskatchewan and two mills in B.C., Mackenzie Pulp Mill (kraft pulp) and Howe Sound Pulp & Paper (kraft, TMP and newsprint). Paper Excellence is the Netherlands-based arm of Sinar Mas' Asia Pulp & Paper (APP)

Bad forestry meets problematic energy policy in N.S. | rabble.ca

2011-03-22T16:50:00.000-07:00

By Ralph Surette

"Add this up if you can. After decades of public outrage and expert testimony about too much clearcutting in Nova Scotia and a three-year process to create a natural resources policy meant to bring about sustainable forestry, the NDP government appears to be sending the whole thing up in smoke at the last minute". Read on ..............

Bad forestry meets problematic energy policy in N.S. | rabble.ca

The Forests of the Crown

2011-03-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

Whole-tree harvesting operation, Caribou Mines, NS.

Five Hundred Thousand People, yes 500,000, petitioned the British Government in the UK to stop a sell-off of State owned forest. Amidst the huge outcry the government backed down. Out of those 500,000 voices I imagine very few were voices of foresters. But, hey, since when was there a God given right that those who grow and cut down trees for profit can ride rough-shod over the rest of us - those of us who grow trees for their life giving properties and their natural beauty. Is it time to stand up and say enough is enough? And if the Crown owns the forests should not they be looked after and protected in the best interests of the people? The Crowns subjects. Check out the blog thread at the green interview.

The Forests of the Crown

All is not Well in the Acadian Forest by Mark Brennan

2011-03-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Spring Breakup, The Acadian Forest from Mark Brennan on Vimeo.
Spring is a special time of year, a time of renewal and if we pay attention to its arrival by just watching and listening we can feel connected to the Earth, we slow down, we truly live.

In this short film March temperatures have warmed slightly and once frozen rivers begin to break up in the Acadian Forests of Nova Scotia.

There is trouble in the forests though, industrial forestry is changing eco-systems into tree plantations through clear cutting and herbicide spraying of the once great forests of Eastern Canada.

When an Acadian Hardwood Forest is clear cut, sprayed and replanted with a nursery grown hybrid, non-native tree species it is no longer a forest but a crop, a plantation, void of the biodiversity it once held.

Pulp companies are in the business of growing pulp this way, it looks like they are doing a great job growing trees, their pulp supply might be sustainable, but the Acadian Forest and the native species that dwell within it pays the price.
Mark Brennan

Coppice Agroforestry: Perennial Silviculture for the 21st Century

2011-03-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

Mark Krawczyk and Dave Jacke

We humans must develop land management systems that provide diverse products to meet our needs while regenerating healthy ecosystems. Coppice agroforestry systems can do exactly this.
Many woody plants resprout from the stump or root suckers when cut to the ground--we call the regrowth "coppice", and the management system "coppicing". Many ancient cultures understood this plant behavior and managed coppice to produce their fuel, craft and building materials, livestock fodder, fencing, and much more. In North America, coppicing was a casualty of European emigration from a culture of resource conservation (by necessity) to one of widespread overexploitation and industrialization. We now must re-engage with these practices and develop them to a high art for our times and for our future.
Mark Krawczyk (www.keylinevermont.com and www.rivenwoodcrafts.com) and Dave Jacke (www.edibleforestgardens.com) have therefore decided to write "Coppice Agroforestry: Perennial Silviculture for the 21st Century." Coppice Agroforestry will serve as a detailed manual for foresters, farmers, craftspeople, and land managers describing the history, ecology, economics, design, and management of agroforestry systems based on the repeated harvest of small diameter wood products from resprouting tree stumps. Bridging ancient coppice traditions and cutting-edge agroecosystem design, Coppice Agroforestry will articulate a practical vision of forest management that integrates ecosystem health, economic viability, multi-generational tree crops, and diverse non-timber forest products.

Nova Scotia Biomass Energy Information - Quick Reference

2011-03-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

A recent email from Jamie Simpsom at the Ecology Action Centre:

Please find attached 10 points on forest biomass energy in Nova Scotia. The Ecology Action Centre is extremely concerned about forest biomass development in NS. We believe the government has dropped the ball on the potential for sensible biomass use in NS, and instead is supporting and enabling wasteful and forest-damaging biomass development. The government has also ignored its own advice that biomass development should be tempered by the direction provided by the Natural Resources Strategy. Shameful.

The NDP are falling in the polls, I wonder if their record on the biomass situation plays some role in this?

Please let me know if you have any comments or suggestions regarding the attached. And please feel free to circulate among your friends, family and contacts.

Best regards,
Jamie

Jamie Simpson <forests@ecologyaction.ca>

Open publication - Free publishing - More clear cutting

Full Moon West Chezzetcook Nova Scotia March 2011

2011-03-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

Picture by Lynda Mallett

When the moon passes as close to Earth as it will on March 19 – within 90 per cent of its closest possible distance to the planet, or 221,567 miles away, it's the closest the moon has been to Earth in 19 years.

Enviromental Issues and Cultural Heritage in Canada

2011-03-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

To consider whether Canada's heritage is being effectively managed in relation to other environmental management issues, it is important to start by looking at how ‘heritage’ is defined. A good place to start is by examining definitions used in Canadian politics, legislation and practice. What do we know and understand about broader community perspectives, and what are the emerging directions? Effective environmental management needs to be open and responsive to changing understandings of heritage. Especially if it is to effectively recognise and conserve heritage values. Even after many lengthy consultation processes, the will to bring about improvement appears to be lost in time delaying rhetoric.

Take a look at this video posted on youtube by Toronto Band GaiaisiMusic. It is powerful and disturbing and clearly shows frustration and anger towards the issues of the environment and cultral heritage values.

Caution: this video contains language and images that may be found disturbing.

Clear Cutting The Nova Scotia Forest

2011-03-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

Every picture tells a story. How long do we have to wait for the forestry natural resources strategy document that by law should have been available at the end of 2010?

Where is Nova Scotia's Natural Resources Strategy?

2011-03-04T07:10:00.000-08:00

It was started in 2007 and promised at the end of 2010. As we are approaching International Forest Day on March 21st it would be nice if the Strategy was published to coincide with this event.

Natural Resources Strategy 2010

Discover the cultural heritage of Nova Scotia forests!

2011-03-03T19:37:00.000-08:00

The United Nations want the special responsibility that humans bear for forests to become the focus of the world's attention. To this end, they declared the year 2011 as the "International Year of Forests".

In this day and age, forests fulfil a number of functions: They provide a habitat for many plants and animals. They supply wood, a renewable and environmentally friendly raw material. What is more, the forestry and timber industry is a major employer. At the same time, forests provide us with space for recreation and sports activities, covering much of Nova Scotia.

Launch on 21 March 2011

The official beginning of the International Year is on 21 March 2011, the World Forest Day. What events are happening of our own at local and regional level that are intended to give us food for thought: "What if there were no forest?" Why not hold a photo competition to encourage people to deal with the forest in a creative manner and to capture it with an unusual picture. Why not launch a Nova Scotia programme for "Forest cultural heritage"
The programme for the "Cultural heritage of our forests" could be at the heart of the International Year of Forests in Nova Scotia. We could also have concerts and walks in the forest which will allow people to discover the forest and the forest culture across Nova Scotia.

“Our Heritage Future, A Shared Responsibility”

2011-03-01T18:33:00.000-08:00

A Response to the Voluntary Planning Heritage Strategy Task Force:

Download your copy of The Association of Nova Scotia Museums response here http://www.ansm.ns.ca/training/conference/109-strategy-discussion-document-.html

A Treasured Past, A Precious Future: A Heritage Strategy for Nova Scotia

2011-03-01T18:19:00.000-08:00

This document is sets out a Government of Nova Scotia strategy that recognizes the importance of heritage to who we are and all that we can become. "The strategy articulates and details three directions, or areas of focus, the government will undertake over the next five years. In focusing efforts, it will ensure our heritage is preserved, protected, promoted, and presented for present and future generations".

Download your copy here http://www.gov.ns.ca/tch/pubs/Heritage_strategy_english.pdf