“We’re a stubborn bunch in Woods Harbour! We won’t give up!”

Growing up in a small town is hands down the best way to grow up. Side walks? Pssh. Malls? Who needs ‘em. A small town life is the life for me, and at its core are the people and places that make amazing things happen.

Rosalie and Darrell Stoddard are on a mission to upgrade the Woods Harbour Fire Hall, Community Centre, and Young at Heart New Horizons Senior Centre, but they can’t do it by themselves. Through some computer stumbling their new neighbour, B.C. native Alan Daykon, has found the Aviva Insurance Community Fund. The Aviva fund has $1,000,000 to give away, and the Stoddard’s want a piece of that pie.

This is our present hall. It needs help.

In the write up about why the community needs this renovation money, Rosalie writes:

“The Young at Heart New Horizons is a new group of seniors helping seniors. We have a lease agreement, along with the Woods Harbour Community Center for the former Woods Harbour Fire Hall. The building needs a lot of renovations and we are diligently working at getting this done. The two former truck bays on the end of the building need to be torn off as the floor under that part of the building is sinking. We will then put a new end wall up and renovate the roof to match. This will give the New Horizons a 17'x55'room. As you can appreciate this is a costly undertaking. When this is done it will give the New Horizons group a new well lit room with a kitchenette and tables and chairs so they can go any time and meet their friends and quilt or play cards etc. We hold seniors activities such as quilt shows and social events every month. We are trying to get card games and game nights going and we have a volunteer giving computer classes. The community center holds weekly kitchen parties (local musicians) every week, bingo and dances. Any help that we can access would be greatly appreciated. Seniors have been the ones who have built their communities up and now need help with getting out to social events that are geared to their interests. There are a lot of activities geared for the younger generation but not so much for the senior population. We have found that our social events where we provide a lunch and time for them to just sit and talk to ones their own age and renew old acquaintances has been good for all of them. The mingling with people of their own age and talking about the good old days when they were young keeps the mind sharp and the exercise of just getting out every week instead of shopping and the bank once a month keeps them in better shape. We are working on safety programs for the seniors also. We have the necessary building permits and a contractor willing to do the work. The project can start as soon as funding is finalized.”

                                   If you don't know what a kitchen party is, you are missing out!

The Fire Hall is so much more than this! The community uses the Hall for Woods Harbour Days, the annual celebration of our founding, trivia, birthday parties, weddings, comedy nights, auctions, bake sales, breakfasts, queen pageants, baby showers, and of course we use it to house our fire trucks and invaluable fire fighter volunteers.

                             Multiple generations listening to Mrs. Claus during story time

Built in 1973, the Woods Harbour Fire Department was modest and small. The hall was added in 1986, and since then the community has evolved around the hall, to host countless events and milestones.

Since its inception, the hall has brought the community together in ways that bigger towns and cities cannot comprehend. As of late, residents have noticed that a corner of the hall has started to sink, the entire building is in sore need of repair, and the New Horizons are actually hosting their meetings in the old ambulance bay!

“We are really hoping to get a new room built for the New Horizons [with the funding] as well as general repairs to the entire building. We need to update the community hall, New Horizons meeting room, a boardroom for the fire fighters, basically everything. It’s a multi-purpose building,” said Darrell Stoddard.

A lady in the community actually made the Grinch! He's a 6 foot tall stuffy.
"Fraser was trying to get him on the stage, I didn't know who was going to win, him or the Grinch!" -Darrell

Darrel has been a volunteer fire fighter for 44 years, is in the New Horizons, that his wife Rosalie is the president of, and they’re both apart of the community hall.  

“We put on a lot of stuff through the New Horizons. So many people look forward to the meetings each week, and we try to do as much as possible for our community. We put on a ‘wedding dresses throughout the ages’ show, quilting shows, tea socials, and much more. All of it really goes over big!” Darrell exclaimed with a lot of passion and gusto.

“We put on kitchen parties and get local bands to play every Wednesday. People come from all over, from Lockeport to Yarmouth! It’s more than a community hall. It’s a place for everyone to keep traditions alive.”

“The best thing about most of our events are that they’re free. You can give a donation at the door if you want, or bring a snack for everyone, but with so many people on fixed incomes a lot of people wouldn’t be able to participate if we started to charge.”

New technology is great, especially with community initiatives like this one. A former resident of the area, Carl Dixon, put on facebook that he thought the hall needed a piano, and the next morning one was donated! People in small towns just have that much more heart.

                This is a handmade quilt. If you don't own one, then your bed is probably sad.

“We’ve put on a lot of dances and other events throughout the years, and we’ve never had a bad report,” said Darrell with a lot of pride in his voice.

Other than being a meeting place, the hall, first and foremost, is a fire hall! We have amazingly dedicated volunteers, and every third Sunday of the month you can get an all you can eat, whatever you want breakfast, for just $7 to help raise funds for the fire department. Where else are you going to find a deal with a good cause like that?

In the comments section of the contest, locals have put in their heart warming two cents.

Kerrie Bubar writes:

“I also totally support this project. Living in a small community, it limits the seniors to have very little access to activities or functions for them. In the few months since this New Horizons group has begun, I am utterly amazed at the happiness of our seniors, not only those in Woods Harbour but they are traveling from neighboring communities to join in the fun (some are in their nineties). It has brought life back to many seniors to know they have something to look forward to. When you can walk into a building full of seniors every Wednesday night and see the toes tapping to the music, smiles on their faces and the friendships that are being made just by being able to get out of the house and meeting with others, it is a wonderful thing to witness. I can only wish for this to be able to continue and it can only be done by getting funding. I am very thankful for this organization and wish it the very best, you by far have brought the people of our little community a lot of laughs and enjoyment and I wish you continued success, I can't think of anything more deserving.”

Carl Dixon writes:

TOTALLY SUPPORT THIS PROJECT IN ITS ENTIRETY! Its a "BIG MUST DO"......The love, fun, joy and excitement experienced by not only the residents (young and for ever young) of Woods Habour as well as many other residents of Shelburne and Yarmouth country in the past few months has been overwhelming....All events since becoming the WHCC have been well attended bringing many local individuals together with...a renewal of friendships and companionship. Just in the past few months this WHCC has given man many people in the area a new lease on life....just seeing the happiness and smiles on their faces tells the whole story. I have lived in Toronto for 34 years and get home to Woods Habour every couple of months...It is pretty amazing the feeling of community involvement and renewed community friendships/ relationships that has been reignited/ renewed since the Old Fire Hall became the WHCC.....Funding must be made available to make the necessary renovations to physically transform the Old Woods Harbour Fire Hall into a safe, user friendly and manageable Community Centre. The well planned and well organized Community events draws people of all ages from Yarmouth and Shelburne Counties...The Directors/ Organizers of the New Horizons Seniors Group and the Woods Habour Community Centre are to be congratulated for all that has been done to date and in this very short period of time in organizing a very successful and well attended events.

The hall needs a lot of help. If we don’t win the Aviva contest, Darrell and Rosalie have been working tirelessly to ensure that other grant funds know of our needs.

“If we don’t win the contest, we have 5-6 applications in for grants with the government with seniors and recreation, environmental, etc. If these don’t work out we’ll find more! We’re a stubborn bunch in Woods Harbour! We won’t give up!”

To vote for upgrades to our hall please go to: http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf11468?fb_ref=.Tsm3Eyxuvb4.like&fb_source=profile_multiline



My first crack at extracurricular creative writing

On The Other Side

Discover Emere's world full of fantastic beasts. This is a children's story intended for young readers to explore their imagination and expand their vocabulary.

In The Beginning

Emere is a dreamer, and he dreamed of the most impossible and fantastic things. In his mind he could see dragons, fairies, and ghosts. He often wandered into the forest and imagined that he was surrounded by his mythical creatures.

The Astomi are small people with hairy bodies, no mouths, and they live off of smelling delicious smells. They surround themselves with lavendar, vanilla, apples, cinnamon, and anything else they can find that gives off a pleasant aroma.

The Balour is a ferocious three headed dragon, who guards a princess and none but the bravest heroes can get past the three fanged fire breathing heads. Greedy people also hunt the Balour because its saliva forms precious gems.

Although Emere could not see Chukwa, he knew that Chuckwa is a giant turtle that supported the world on the back of its shell. Chuckwa has been carrying the world on its back since the dawn of time, and would continue to do so until no one believed in him anymore.  

Dryads are tree nymphs, and every tree has its own nymph to dance with the wind, and create beautiful music through the rustling of the branches and leaves. Dryads only take form outside of their trees with leaves and flower petals; they gather the leaves with the wind created with the branches and they dance outside the trees in the warm sun.

Emere found other children like him, children who could move through their own worlds and this fantastic world of wonderful creatures. They in turn were each called Emere, and he loved them for they knew of this secret world beyond their own and it made him happy.

Fairies dancing lightly from petal to petal, flower to flower, in the eternal dance of the ages. The Fairies live in the flowers, breathe the flowers, and protect the flowers. They also like to play tricks like tugging on the ears of travelers only to disappear when they turn around to see who is there.

A great bird came swooping down from the sky with the razor sharp beak, long graceful wings, and curved talons of an eagle, a head, massive body, and sly tail of a lion. It stood proud and tall in the forest, king of the land and the sky, the Griffin.

Wandering the forests and villages was a beautiful woman with an enchanting voice, and all the princes and heroes fought for her affection. When she had finally chosen one to marry she revealed herself for the old ugly Hag that was beneath the magic and tricked the handsome young man into being bonded to her forever.

Iku-Turso is the lord and ruler of all the seas. With ferocious horns and a thousand tentacles he has all the waters within his grasp.

Jack-In-Irons is a giant who roams the forest with large heavy chains draped across his body and a massive spike club in one hand. He is too tall to see anyone on the ground, so he is terribly lonely because he feels he is the only living creature besides the birds.

Looking up at the sky Emere saw Katsura-Otoko. Katsura-Otoko is the man on the moon, the ruler of the skies, the clouds, and all the stars. You may only see him when the moon is full and your heart is full of faith.

Ladon is the guarder of Hespirides Golden Apples. With shining scales he winds himself around the garden with the body of a snake and the head of a dragon.

The Minotaur is the most feared of all the mythological creatures. He is not the most feared because of its size, because he is only as tall as a man, but the Minotaur has the head of a bull, the brain of a man, amd he is purely evil.

The Night Marchers are the ghosts of fallen warriors who roam the land at night and visit the sites where they died. They re-enact the way that they died for they were proud soldiers who died for a just cause.

A massive dog as big as a house, as black as the night, Orthrus has two heads and four red eyes glared from the gloom. With teeth as long as a man is tall, and a serpent tail as thick as a tree trunk to twist and crush humans.

Of all the creatures Pegasus is the most majestic. With the body of a horse and wings that are more beautiful than an angel's, to ride on the back of a Pegasus is like being in the presence of true pure magic.

Everyone has a Qareen. The qareen are invisible creatures that whisper into your ear what is right and what is easy. Sometimes you will choose to ignore your qareen in lieu of something fun and adventurous but your Qareen will always lead you down the path of righteousness.

The Raven Spirit is a symbol of someone's soul who is no longer on this earth, and their soul is going on the other side. The other side is not something to be afraid of and your Raven will ensure that your soul gets their safely.

The Sirens fancy themselves as angels, as they are beautiful women with large graceful snowy white wings and lovely angelic voices. Although they have the wings and voices of angels they are evil spirits who sit on rocks in the middle of the ocean and sing their enchanted songs to passing sailors who are put under the Sirens spell and crash into the rocks.

Tritons are like mermaids in that they have bodies of humans and the tails of graceful fish. However, unlike mermaids, Tritons are descendants of the sea god Poseidan, ruler and creator of the ocean. Tritons are male and female and they roam the ocean to look for poachers and people putting poison and garbage in their sacred sea.

Of all the mythical creatures none is as famous as the unicorn. Unicorns appear in peoples dreams, in their hearts, in the corner of their eyes. With the body of the most beautiful white horse you could ever imagine and a magical twisted horn, Unicorns are what the imagination is made of.

Vila live in the clouds, the live in ponds, puddles, lakes, and oceans. Vila control the weather. The weather is a result of their emotions, so you have to be very careful not to offend a Vila, because you might have a snowstorm in the middle of the summer.

The White Lady is any woman who has been killed by someone she loves. The White Lady can be seen wandering the forest, with a sad expression and silver ghost tears streaming down her pale face and streaking her ethereal white dress.

A sign, a symbol, an omen. If you see Xecotcovach you may regard it as any of these things. When this small bird appears to you, you will know it on sight even though you have never seen it before and you may not ever see it again.  Xecotcovach is a pure spirit that appears to other spirits it feels is worthy, and it symbolizes good things to come.

The most cunning of all hunters is the Yuxa. Yuxa are 100 year old snakes who turn into beautiful women to lure men into their lairs only to change back into a horrific gigantic snake and feed the men to their many offspring.

The most hunted creature is the Zlatorog, a deer with beautifully intricate golden antlers. Although no one has been successful in capturing a Zlatorog, it is said that if you offer one of the golden antlers at the base of a mountain the mountain will split in two and offer you a treasure of unimaginable proportions.

In The End

Emere dreamed his dreams and will continue to dream for all of enternity. Step into the other side and see what you can dream.

Working or walking?

To those who know me, know that my athletic abilities balance somewhere between amateur and dismal. As hard as I tried, I never quite had athletic prowess. To avoid looking like a fool with my ridiculously flat duck feet while running, I have taken to taking daily walks. Not only as a form of exercise, but also prying myself away from the computer and smelling fresh air.

It’s probably the dorkiest routine ever, but whatever it prevents me from getting diabetes and keeps my ever growing lower half in check.

It may come as a surprise to no one but guys in my general age bracket are pretty… immature, let’s say. What I mean to say is brainless; but immature works. 

But I digress.

So my daily walks are a time to reflect, relax, and sweat and listen to some terrible indie music that interests no one but me. I enjoy discovering new trails, ways around my neighbourhood, perhaps see a cute dog (owner) or two.  For the most part, I thoroughly enjoy my walks.

Fort McMurray has other plans for my relaxing walks.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my neighbourhood. The municipality could literally not have put me in a better home with a better neighbourhood. BUT. And this is a major but. Almost as big as my butt. Guys in this town act like they’ve never seen a girl walk before. Literally. I’m like a new imported phenomenon that no one has ever seen or even dreamt of the concept. I walk. My lady bits walk with me. This is no reason whatsoever to yell at me from your truck, honk at me, turn around and drive by me again, or speed up really fast when you drive by me.

I know what you’re thinking. Oh Joelle that’s just flattery! They think you’re pretty! NO. This is what I have to say to you dear friends. This is not flattery, at all, ever. Whenever I get a lucky break or something good happens to me someone ALWAYS has to say “Yeah it doesn’t hurt that you’re so pretty!” This friends, is not only incredibly frustrating, but very degrading. Sooo you’re saying I got an A+ in that class because I charmed the teacher with my blonde bouncy hair and infallible smile? I got this wicked job and people are really nice to me because I have nice eyes and a funny little cute voice? NO. I work DAMN hard to achieve my goals.

So next time when you think it’s appropriate to yell “Working or walking” to the girl on the sidewalk, for the love of all that is holy please refrain from doing so. You may just be ruining someone’s favourite part of their day.   

Doesn’t every small hick town of every province have a local drug dealer house?

Fort McMurray has a lot of names. Fort McDirty, Fort McMoney, and of course Little Newfoundland. A lot of people have a lot of different opinions on a place where over 100,000 people call home, but do these opinions hold any water?

We’ve all heard it. Fort McMurray is overrun with crackheads, the venereal diseases, and the under educated over paid. Where do these rumours come from? Well let me tell you.

Most of the rumours about Fort McMurray come from those who couldn’t stand to be away from mommy and daddy. People come up here hoping to make quick, fast, easy cash, so they can go back to their home provinces as soon as possible. People don’t take the time to live within the culture (yes, there’s culture!) of Fort McMurray.

The community residents of Fort McMurray are generally nice, kind, considerate, and they have families! I’ve been here for about two weeks and I have yet to stumble upon a crackhead. Now, don’t get me wrong, every community has its troubles. I have no doubt that if you wanted crack, you could get crack. However, isn’t this true of every community? Doesn’t every small hick town of every province have a local drug dealer house? I’m pretty frickin sure it does.

Fort McMurray has over 100kms of trail systems! I walk a lot, almost every day, and I am constantly discovering new trails and parks. The residential areas are amazingly set up so that there is green space, dog parks, playgrounds, and trails absolutely everywhere you go.

I have made friends already in my short time here. Everyone is very welcoming to newcomers, and everyone knows how to make people feel at home. The municipality is a wonderful place to work, with brand new buildings and amazing initiatives simply on improving the quality of life for its community members.

My opinion may change once winter hits, but for right now, I am loving my Fort McMurray!  

Mourning Cooper

Please stop reading right meow if you get offended by giggles and the nickname’s Faggot and Pussy Willow for kittens :3

Well this summer is almost over, which means I finally have time to post something on my wayward blog. Sister and I had a fantastic summer with the kittens in the apartment. They really added an element of fun on those nights when trash reality TV wasn’t cutting it for us.

Lazer chasing in the best invention for cats in the world. Whether you have a spry, half wild, crazy insane hyper cat, like Pussy Willow, or a fat, lazy, apathetic cat, like Faggot, there’s fun for the whole family.  

Pussy Willow not only chases lazors, she wants to catch them and destroy them with every ounce of her being. Which isn’t much considering Faggot eats all her food, but I digress. She will chase, Scooby Do scrabble, jump, and use all manners of parkour to attain the impossible.

Faggot on the other paw apathetically and sometimes pathetically will reach out with one little arm and swipe at the red dot so slowly you’d think the lazor was in the shape of a snail. Faggot could care less about your lazor. Sometimes he will Scooby Do scrabble after it but that always ends up horribly with him toppling over and then lay there and is to say “Yeah I fell. I meant to. Now I’m going to have a nap here because I meant to fall. Duh. Eff your lazor nonsense.”

Sister discovered one day that Pussy Willow actually has maternal instincts even though her own mother pretty much rejects her at home. Sister plays a video called “kittens and cats meowing” and if you ever need to know where PW is in the house, oh. my. goodness. Is this the video for you. Featuring a plethora of kittens and cats meowing (exactly as advertised) PeeDubs will meekly scurry out from her favourite hiding spots, under Sister’s bed and the fouton, and will investigate immediately. She will climb on your lap and look around every corner of the laptop for the crying kittens and when she can’t find them settles for rubbing up on the laptop screen and biting the corners.

Snuggles and cuddles and abundant in the youngest Nickerson’s domicile.  Faggot always wants cuddles and gives the epic BRRRRUUPPP when you rub his enormous belly. They say you always gain weight when you go on vacation; so it true for Faggot. He gained about 2 pounds in 3 months making him now weigh in at 17.6lbs.

The other day I had to send the kittens home because finals are coming up and I need to pack and clean up a bit around here before the apartment owners come back for the school year. Catching Faggot takes the speed and agility of a sloth. He’ll pretty much do/go anywhere you want him too. PW on the other hand when INSANE as soon as she heard the ominous squeak on the carrier latch. She quickly hid behind the tires in the porch closet, making it impossible to get at her without removing all the tires and shoes. I got a hold of her and as I tried to shove her into the carrier after Faggot, I got the full fury of a part Maine Coon.  My arms looked like I had turned emo for the day, and Pussy Willow ‘hid’ between the window and the screen in the room effectively making her stationary so I could wrap her in a towel and render her claws useless.

And so ended the kittens city vacation with a quick strap into one of dad’s lobster trucks and they were shipped home.

But not all’s well that ends well.  Apparently Sister and Boy have been mourning Faggot. Not PeeDubs because she hates boys. But Faggot is currently being mourned. Mourned and missed in such a way that only a big, fat, Faggot, can be missed.