Sermon & Lectionary
A Holy Easter Grief & Loss Connections
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ATLANTIC PROVINCES/MARITIMES The Atlantic Provinces are Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. There is a further category, namely the Maritimes, which omits Newfoundland from the designation. This state of confusion probably exists because Newfoundland didn't join Confederation until 1949 and the Maritimes (or Maritime Provinces) were referred to that way for a long time prior to 1949. It can be confusing for our visitors. The four Atlantic provinces are the Eastern gateway to Canada. Along with Quebec, they have the longest recorded history of settlement in Canada. Names: Nova Scotia is Latin for New Scotland. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were once called Acadia. Prince Edward Island was once known as Ile St. Jean. Newfoundland is occasionally referred to as Terra Nova. Atlantic Canada Links
Newfoundland and Labrador 
Leading off the "hitch-hikers" tour is the Rock, the affectionate nickname for Newfoundland all across the country. Canada is blessed with this province which joined the Confederation in 1949 - or was it us who joined them? We'll never know for sure. Everything about the Rock is different, from its quirky time zone (it's always a half hour later in Newfoundland) to its weather. It proudly proclaims itself as the weather capital of Canada.The first discoverers of the New World were the Vikings. It used to be debated until a site was discovered at L'Anse Aux Meadows. It is now a national historic site. Newfoundland has two provincial flags - one for the mainland, one for Labrador. Check out the Historic Lighthouses of Newfoundland and Labrador or the Maritime History Archive at Memorial University in St. John's. Don't miss Cape Spear National Historic Site or Signal Hill National Historic Site where Marconi worked on trans-atlantic communications. Its people are scattered from one coast of Canada to the other but they always go HOME when they can. There are Newfoundland clubs in every major city of the country and often the ubiquitous Newfoundland store where one can find such delectables as Purity cookies and hardtack biscuits, the finest corned beef, cod tongues and cheeks, and sometimes even seal flippers. It's enough to make a any Newfoundlander, stuck on the Mainland, weep for joy. Feeling brave or homesick? Here are some Newfoundland recipes to try. The Newfoundland Emporium is an on-line bookstore where you can browse and order books on every conceivable Newfoundland topic from tourism, arts, business, to history, music and so on. While you visit you can, if you have a real audio player, listen to a a local Newfoundland radio station OZ FM. Unsorted Links
Nova Scotia 
From the Port-aux-Basques to Sydney Ferry we find ourselves at the land of Charlene's birth - the Province of Nova Scotia. The Maritimes have long made their living from the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic
">sea - either as a support for the Navy, which, for the British was based in Halifax, or for the French based in Fortress Louisburg. Both ports were also the sites of a major fishery - and most towns and villages along the coast engaged in fishing and in the lumber industry from which ships were built. Fishing, like the navy , and perhaps more so, is a hazardous entrerprise and often tragedy strikes. The following Memorial For Fishing Communities commemorates the March 1988 loss of the "Bonnie Lou II" out of Sambro, Nova Scotia.Looking for treasure, tales of pirate gold and ghosts? The famous Money Pit at Oak Island is a must see. Books have been written, lives lost, fortunes consumed in the pursuit of the treasures alleged to be buried there. Nova Scotia's citizens of African descent are recording, researching and preserving their history at The Black Cultural Centre For Nova Scotia. Things Nova Scotian are never complete without a mention of the Bluenose - the finest and fastest fishing vessel ever built on the East Coast of North America - and a great example of the skill of the shipbuilders of Lunenburg County. She won all of her races AND was a working fishing boat as well. In 1996 the 75th Anniversary of the Bluenose was celebrated throughout the province as it made its tourism theme this year "The Year of the Wooden Boat." Americans will be interested in Nova Scotia's Bald Eagles. Nova Scotia has been sending eagles south to the US for some years now in the efforts to rehabilitate the numbers of the national symbol of the United States. Halifax has a lot of history. One connection to Halifax is The Titanic. A few pieces from the ship are on didplay in the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Several victims of the disaster are buried in a Halifax cemetery. The largest man-made explosion before the atomic bomb occurred in Halifax in 1917. The Halifax Explosion between the Imo and the Mont Blanc was followed within 24 hours by the worst blizzard to hit the city in years. Many were killed, thousands were wounded, neighbourhoods destroyed and emergency services strained to the hilt. When the people of Boston, Massachusetts heard of the tragedy they immediately marshalled a huge relief effort, sending doctors, nurses and supplies north to Nova Scotia within hours. A grateful people and government of Nova Scotia has, ever since, sent to the people of Boston a large Christmas tree from our local forests each year as a "Thank You" for the generosity of both spirit and practical support. Speaking of "large," Howard Dill's Giant Pumpkins come to mind. Every year at the Windsor Exhibition, and all across the country now, are herculean examples of Mother Nature's finest giant gourds. Mr. Dill has been selling seed from his pumpkin's for twenty years or more. Check out his site and order a few for next year. You might have a prize winner to take to the shows next fall. Send a Postcard from Nova Scotia to a friend. Great pictures. A nice way to stay in touch. Unsorted Links
Prince Edward Island 
The most famous "Spud Islander" (PEI's nickname comes from its potato farming) has to be Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island among various other works.Prince Edward Island humour and expression is unique. This most rural of Canada's provinces is a visitor's delight. Send a Prince Edward Island Greeting Card Centre to a friend or family member. Virtual greetings. Great pictures. Unsorted Links
New Brunswick 
New Brunswick Government addresses:New Brunswick is both a Loyalist (as in United Empire Loyalists) haven and an Acadian stronghold. It is known for its forests, for McCain's food giant, the Irvings, the Saint John River, and its covered bridges which dot the countryside. Are you a chocoholic? Ganong's in Saint John is a stopping-place for you. Unsorted Links
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