Supermarine Stranraer

a painting by Orest Cochkanoff as presented to J. R. Frizzle on his birthday a number of years ago (probably Dad's 80th.) Orest's notes suggest that Dad flew the Supermarine Stranraer at Shearwater, Nova Scotia.
Shearwater is located North of Halifax proper.

Stillwoods Lane

Stillwoods Lane is our driveway into Lots 2 through 5, waterfront lots on Stillwater Lake.

A signed agreement was executed on 8 January 2018 to build the roadway by StoneSage Contracting. By that time Parker-Longstaff Surveys had staked out the centreline. Reg MacKinnon of Hammonds Plains was contracted to do the tree cutting.

Here are a few photos of the progress to 22 January.

 Through the 45 years we have owned the property, we have endeavored to improve the woods as possible---we don't own any extracting forwarder or atv so we  don't cut down big trees even when they should be.

2018-02-03 The rough road is now down about 250 feet. The ground is freezing since it cooled to -13C from +7C yesterday. It is to warm up again tomorrow.

Mohammad and Simon

“This Feels Like Home Now”

Young Syrian soccer standout finds his place on the pitch

From the Chronicle Herald newspaper – December 2017 – Sport Nova Scotia Supplement

By Monty Mosher – reformatted for your screen.

The highest virtue of sport is to create connection where one didn’t exist before.

In that regard, meet 12-year-old Mohammad Zeina.

Mohammad is Syrian. His family relocated to Jordan, escaping the ravages of civil war. Less than three years ago, Mohammad, who has three siblings, accompanied the family on an even longer journey, this time to Canada. They live in Hubbards.

Mohammad didn’t have many skills in English, but he learned quickly. Playing soccer with friends helped with that.

Today, the centre mid-fielder is one of the top 12-year-old players in the province. In November, he was selected for the Soccer Nova Scotia under-13 provincial program. He had to be designated as one of the top players on his team to get that opportunity.

He’s not entirely sure why anyone is interested in him. On a recent evening at the Soccer Nova Scotia training centre in Halifax, Mohammad is far more interested in getting to his game than talking about himself.

“I just like to play,” he said. “I like to feel the ball on my foot.”

The war is still close to home in his household. He has four uncles and an aunt in Syria. The news from home isn’t always pleasant.

Soccer, for Mohammad, made him feel a part of his new country and province. He now attends Five Bridges Junior High in Hubley. His club team is Halifax County United 13 AA.

“This feels like home now,” he said. Duncan Foote is one of his coaches. He said Mohammad has slipped into his new life without missing a step.

“I don’t know what it was like for him there so I don’t know what the difference would be, but since I’ve known him he’s always been easygoing and comfortable.”

For Foote, there is no doubt where soccer fits.

“It’s given him something to do. If he didn’t have soccer he’d be home a lot, outside of school. I think it has helped get him out in the community and meet new people. It has helped make him feel like he’s fitting in with the group.”

Soccer provides confidence. Mohammad’s ability on the pitch makes an introduction.

“I certainly know he’s happy with how well he’s done,” said Foote. “He’s got a lot of confidence as far as soccer goes, that’s for sure.”

Up to a point, the Foote family helped uncover Mohammad’s talents.

Simon Foote, Duncan’s son, saw Mohammad on the playground and noticed he was pretty good.

Mohammad got a tryout. Now Simon and Mohammad are teammates.

It hasn’t been a one-way relationship.

The Foote family has learned much about Mohammad’s family.

“It’s been a great experience for us,” Duncan Foote said. “We’ve learned about his culture. It’s been nice for us, too.”

Simon Foote said soccer gave Mohammad a stage. He was good and his teammates wanted to know more about him. Mohammad and Simon have become great friends.

“Now he’s just another player,” said Simon, offering the highest compliment a teammate can receive.

Simon doesn’t know much about his friend’s past experiences. Mohammad doesn’t talk about it and Simon doesn’t ask. There is no need.

Soccer is joy and a sense of connection for Mohammad. It requires no explanation.

It’s helped with the language. “Soccer has been a bunch of that,” said Simon. “He’s learned more words just with guys talking to him at practice.”

Simon believes his friend can go far in the sport. Maybe he’ll wear the Maple Leaf one day.

“I think of it now that he’s Canadian. If he were to play on the Canadian team it would be perfectly normal.

“A couple years ago I would have thought he should play for Syria. But not anymore.”

A History of Phinneys Music Store

Phinneys — The Maritimes’ leading music store

What began in the Annapolis Valley’s Lawrencetown as a small organ store in 1877 is today one of Canada's leading music businesses and the most flourishing in the Maritimes. It is Phinneys Company Ltd., of Barrington Street, a company which for the best part of a century has enjoyed a reputation second to none in the music business of Nova Scotia in particular and Eastern Canada in general.

MOVED IN 1912

The founder, Horton Phinney, moved the business from Lawrencetown in 1912, since then it has expanded steadily over the years. The company began in Halifax in downtown Granville Street. Then Mr. Phinney employed one salesman — John P Sullivan. The company still specialised then in organs as it had at Lawrencetown. But when it moved onto the main shopping thoroughfare of Barrington Street, its specialization was divided, with other musical instruments being included in its stock. Within two years of opening in Halifax, Phinneys bought the Halifax Plano and Organ Company.

Increased business forced the company to move once again, this time only two doors away to its present premises. Today there is a staff of 24, working on the premises’ four floors.

FIRST STUDIO

In the 1920’s Phinneys bought the first Marconi radio set made in Canada. And in the early days of broadcasting Radio Station CHNS had its first studio in the Phinney building.

Today the company has the biggest collection of records in eastern Canada. From classics to pop music, and all the in-betweens of music, are available on the first floor of the store.

Also on the first floor are TV and radio sets, electrical appliances and sheet music. On the second are sporting goods — a department managed by “Mr. Sporting Goods” of the Maritimes, Harry Edwards, a well known athlete in former years. He made his mark in hockey and football circles and, when it was popular in Nova Scotia, with rugby.

The piano and organ department is also on the second floor. Here the best known makes of these classical instruments can be found.

REGAIN POPULARITY

The third floor has reconditioned pianos and offices and the fourth houses the service department of the company.

In the last five or six years pianos and organs have regained some of their lost popularity — popularity lost in the late 30s and during the Second World War and for a few years after it. That popularity is increasing.

As a spokesman for the company said, radio and television have done a lot to encourage more and more people to play their own instruments. Not only that, the modern teaching methods make piano or organ playing today much easier than years ago.

Another reason, one which is always important, is money. It is unusual in a world where the cost of living does little else but rise that organ prices have dropped and any increase in the prices of pianos has been modest.

History of Phinneys Music Store in Mail-Star, March 1, 1962 page 13 (microfilm 7516)

Original sourced by Philip L. Harting – Archives of Nova Scotia

Digitized by Doug Frizzle, December 2017.

The Dark Spot

THE DARK SPOT  (In Canada known as 

The Stalking Death)

'LUKE ALLAN'

 W. Lacey Amy

LONDON _; ARROWSMITH

SEVEN jewellers—a collection of Chinese jade carvings of prodigious value—a young man who suspects a crooked deal— a cool and efficient Inspector of Police—and the beautiful wife of Adolph Aulinloch—these are the principal characters in the story.

One by one the jewellers die— and their deaths provide an increasingly difficult problem for the police, and create an ever­growing atmosphere of terror and distrust among the dwindling survivors, until the final dramatic disclosure.

This is a first-class Luke Allan thriller, written in his best style; suspense and excitement are well maintained throughout, and finally intensified to a startling conclusion.

FIRST PUBLISHED IN I932

SECOND EDITION, MARCH, 1934

Seven Jewellers and Gem Experts :

Adolph Aulinloch, quiet and shrewd.

Jenifred Freyseng, huge and coarse.

Simon Kalmberg, fat and wheezy.

Gideon McElheren, gaunt and cowardly.

Zachary Zaharoff.

Fergus Stirling.

Austin Earned.

Phyliss Aulinloch, Adolph’s wife.

Miss Stromberg, Adolph’s secretary.

Mrs. Ciiarlesworth.

Brander Charlesworth, her son.

Inspector Broughton, of the Detective Department.

Arnold Platt and Falkner, two detectives.

A Sergeant of Detectives.

Callaghan, a neighbour of Aulinloch’s.

Aaron Goldstein, a costume dealer.

Tubby Peters, a professional crack.

Maids, a doctor, a Pullman porter, an elevator attendant and a dispatcher.

In Canada, The Canadian Magazine featured serially, The Stalking Death, as a monthly feature for months in 1932 and 1933. The story was profusely illustrated by Carl Shreve.

This is the edition that Stillwoods has made available here!

CHAPTER

I.          DEATH !

II.        UNEASINESS

Ill         UNIMPORTANT EVIDENCE

IV.       IMPORTANT EVIDENCE

V.        SURPRISING EVIDENCE

VI.       THE STOLEN CAR

VII.     THE JADE CARVINGS

VIII.    A THREAT

IX.       SECRECY

X.        REFLECTIONS

XI.       INSPECTOR BROUGHTON AT WORK

XII.     CALLING A MEETING

XIII.    ANOTHER DEATH !

XIV.    HALF A MILLION

XV.     A CHINAMAN !

XVI.    CHASING CLUES

XVII.  MURDER AGAIN

XVIII. THE YELLOW PERIL

XIX.    A PAIR OF ROGUES

XX.     A PLOT OVERHEARD

XXI.    A DISGUISE

XXII.  A HOLD-UP

CHAPTER

XXIII. A CHINAMAN AGAIN

XXIV. A ROBBER ROBBED

XXV.  FOILED

XXVI. A LOYAL WIFE

XXVII.           HUSBAND AND WIFE

XXVIII.          A CHINESE PROWLER

XXIX. SHIFTING SCENES

XXX.  CHINESE VENGEANCE

XXXI. AN ATTACK IN THE DARK

XXXII.           THE CHINAMAN MISSES

XXXIII.          TERROR!

XXXIV.          THE INSPECTOR SPEAKS

XXXV.           ANOTHER HUSBAND—ANOTHER WIFE

XXXVI.          BLOOD !

XXXVII.        DEDUCTIONS

XXXVIII.       MOTHER AND SON

XXXIX.          PLOT AGAINST PLOT

XL.      TARDY PURSUIT

XLI.    A DOUBLE TRAGEDY

XLII.   EMBARRASSING EMOTIONS

XLIII. THREATS AND DEFIANCE

XLIV. MORE DEFIANCE

XLV    LIGHT

XLVI. IN SIX MONTHS

Cent Belt

Cent Belt - A definition

‘Cent Belt’ is derisive term used about 1910, in Alberta and Western Canada to describe Ontario and Eastern Canada. At that time in the West, they had no use and would never use the penny which was common in the East.

(The term is used in a few of the ‘Blue Pete’ novels which started appearing in 1921, written by ‘Luke Allan’, who was W. Lacey Amy, a former editor/owner of the Medicine Hat Times newspaper.

A photo of Canadian coinage from 1911 with the ‘cent’ coin to the right. The remaining coins had silver content, 5, 10, 25, and 50, proceeding left.

The Wrecked Town

The Wrecked Town

Essex, Ontario

Reported in Wide World Magazine 1908

THE town of Essex, in Ontario, was, some months ago, a thriving little place of some two thousand five hundred population. At present, however, it is recovering from a fearful catastrophe which befell it on August 10th, 1907, when some five thousand pounds of nitro-glycerine and dynamite, packed in a freight-car standing on a siding, exploded, by some means unknown. The town was practically wrecked, but, wonderful to relate, in spite of the fact that stout buildings were torn to shreds and the very earth shook, only two men were killed outright; many people were injured, however, and countless miraculous escapes were recorded. The damage was estimated at two hundred thousand dollars. The nitro-glycerine, it is thought, dripped upon the rails and was exploded when the car was moved. The car, it is further alleged, was not properly labelled or of the special construction required by the Canadian explosives laws. The striking picture here reproduced shows the wrecked town just after the explosion.