DEN Enews

Political news south of us is discouraging and enraging enough but our news at home doesn’t get much better. Part of Bill 127 - Protecting Nova Scotians Act is horrendous. An omnibus bill that seems to have been designed to sneak in some nasty clauses for those opposing the government. This editor is no legal expert but here is a quick review:

10 clauses deal with cremation/crematoriums/funeral directors

9 clauses deal with gender-neutral language

3 clauses update language

1 clause deals with personal health information

5 clauses deal with housing

4 clauses deal with conservation officer authorizations

And then 2 clauses say this:

Clause 14 - prohibits persons from blocking, obstructing the use of or impeding access to a forest service road

Clause 15 - allows the Minister of Natural Resources to remove, demolish or otherwise dispose of certain structures on Crown lands; and sets out penalties for an offence under the Act

A person who fails to comply with this Act or the regulations is guilty of an offence and….is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not more than fifty thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not more than six months, or to both

Did this government think we would miss this tucked amidst so many other acts?

How does this protect Nova Scotians in the long run?

Nina Newington has written an excellent article and you can find it here:

Discouraged - Enraged - too many Negative Emotions for what this government is doing to our provincial natural resources.

and now this!

We need some Good News

• The UN Global Ocean Treaty has been ratified and will enter into force in January 2026. More than 50% of the planet covered by high seas will be governed by a single, legally binding treaty and become the world’s first network of sanctuaries in international waters.

Canada’s pre-budget survey didn’t even include nature as an investment option, and clean energy was lumped in with fossil fuels. Our government will table the federal budget on November 4th, the first under Prime Minister Mark Carney. Nuclear reactors, ports, mines, and expanded fracked LNG made the list of projects he deems in the “national interest”. These are projects that could be exempt from existing environmental laws, thanks to his hurriedly passed Building Canada Act. We can’t let Canada’s budget be the next environmental backslide. This petition is going to our Prime Minister and Finance Minister. Help tell them that nature investment must be a significant feature of the upcoming budget.

Kinross Gold — the Toronto-based company already fined for over 3,500 water violations in the US — wants approval to dump inadequately treated industrial wastewater into rivers that flow to Grassy Narrows First Nations. If approved, this project would create a million tonnes of waste rock and environmental risks that will last for generations. Grassy Narrows — still suffering from decades of mercury poisoning — is demanding a full rejection. Experts have warned that the company’s plan won’t remove sulphate — a toxin that worsens mercury toxicity in fish, the same fish that Grassy Narrows families depend on. Please sign the petition - if you click on start writing, a prepared email appears. I usually try to change a few words as the experts say that gets more attention from whom we're writing to.

Greenpeace Africa tells us that 50 acres of the Imenti Forest, located in Meru, Kenya, are being lined up for a state lodge, golf course, and even an airstrip. The directive is said to comestraight from President Ruto himself. There are already31,629 people who have signedthe petition to stop the government from handing over acres of Kenyan forests to developers. But the numbers need to be doubled, tripled to make it impossible for leaders to look the other way.

Help protect the Darwin Wildlife Corridor by saving Lee Point. Lee Point refers to a coastal point north of the city of Darwin in Australia. It features sandy beaches, tidal flats, estuaries, dune systems, mangrove communities, Casuarina forests, old growth trees, monsoon forests and an offshore marine area. It is the last remaining biodiversity corridor that connects the Darwin savanna woodland to the broader ecosystem across northern Australia. It is known as home to various types of endangered turtles and supports up to 10,000 shorebirds from over 25 species, including critically-endangered ones. Lee Point has been made the location for a controversial multi-million-dollar housing project. They are clearing old growth trees, cutting off the wildlife corridor, and removing this natural oasis as home to biodiversity that already lives there. Canadians can sign this petition and join the movement to save this precious and needed area.

The Congo Basin is home to the world’s second-largest rainforest, with 60% of it located in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This makes it one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world. Countless courageous women and men, particularly Indigenous peoples and local communities, are working tirelessly to safeguard these forests for everyone. However, the Congolese government is falling short in its responsibilities. Forest regulations are failing to be enforced, and forest and human rights activists face intimidation, harassment, persecution, and imprisonment at hands of companies, powerful individuals, and state authorities. Despite our world needing this rainforest intact, the DRC has one of the highest rates of deforestation out of any country in the world. Please join in urging the government and international donors to stand with environmental defenders, treat them as partners and end the harassment. 

Grandma Visits the Repair Cafe

Well, let me tell you, the basement at St. Luke’s in Hubbards was hopping on September 20th. You’d think the whole village had brought their to-do list under one roof. We weren’t buying new things that morning, no, we were fixing the old ones, learning a few tricks, and sharing stories along the way.

Clare McInnis rolled in with her sewing machine, and with Carron Carson at her side, the two of them were mending everything from zippers to seams. It was like a little fashion emergency room. Not far away, Larry Chrysler (the “Little Guy Computer Consultant”) was gently explaining to us that our Windows 10 computers aren’t about to keel over, and which antivirus programs will keep us safe without breaking the budget.

Dr Tess Miller was there too. Now, if you’ve ever wondered why your back sounds like popcorn when you get up in the morning, Tess has the way of explaining bones that makes sense even without a medical degree. And Jan Blades was in fine form, sharing money-saving tips that left me wondering how many dollars I’d missed over the years. Ten minutes with her is better than a stack of financial books.

Three fellows had staked out the “electric corner,” bravely wrestling with vacuums, hair dryers, and a mix master that hadn’t worked in years. (The poor hair dryer didn’t make it, but the vacuum cleaner went home ready to fight dust another day.) Linda, our former librarian, was busy patching up books, while another lady was rescuing sweaters with pulled stitches. Over in the gardening corner, Sue was handing out poppy seed heads, and Jolene had her table set up with tools and treasures, mending jewellery like new.

And of course, the kitchen was ready. Chilli, sandwiches, muffins, and sweets… let’s just say no one went hungry. They hadn’t planned for take-out, but with a saved margarine tub and a little bread bag ingenuity, folks left with lunch in hand.

It was more than a repair day. It was laughter, learning, and neighbours helping neighbours. The best part? Walking out with something fixed, a pocketful of seeds, and the feeling that St. Luke’s is leading the way in looking after both our things and our earth.

Claire sent me a follow-up on the Repair Café this week. Forty people attended the Repair Café, driving from as far away as Halifax or Lunenburg. They repaired 45 items, eight people received advice, and five people received mini spas. Donations came to $510.00 and went to the Hubbards Lions Club for their roof repair.

Who else is having a green fair? Remember to keep Grandma in the loop. The Diocesan website will spread the word of your event too.  Plan to send your story of how the day went to the Diocesan Times. Jennifer is looking for any type of parish story to add to our church newspaper. We are a two-province Diocese. How can we get to really know each other if we don’t tell our stories?

After all, you know how much this Grandma loves to brag. I will even give you a great deal. You feel you can’t write (ha, ha, ha), tell me your news. Just pretend I am there having a cup of tea. I’ll write it up and send it back to you along with Jennifer’s email in case you want to send it in. You don’t like it? No harm done. If you do, you are spreading the story of God’s work.

Sending hugs, my darlings. Chat next week

Oh, Pics for you from the fog fence garden and a true sign of fall, pumpkins sitting beside the recently cleaned drip irrigation bottles, all ready for next year.

Grandma’s Learning Power Tools

Now here’s where I’m hoping to draw out some of our menfolk. You see, Grandma finally got tired of asking others to do things for her. Everyone is kind and willing, but sometimes a girl just wants to do it herself! This week’s adventure? Learning how to use a grinder.

Around here, wood often comes our way with nails sticking out or bits of old wire fencing attached. Nana just rolls her eyes when I drag home yet another old desk or dresser. But honestly, new furniture doesn’t last the way those solid wood pieces from 50 years ago do. I’m not convinced varnished wood is the best choice for garden boxes, but it sure makes sturdy potting tables and benches. Those new “modular” units? They seem to fall apart faster than you can say “Allen key.” Unless there’s a repair fair nearby, they usually end up on the curb. Grandma walks by, pretends to ignore them… and then circles back with the car. Three-foot-high, four-foot-long cabinets? Why, those can turn into all sorts of treasures.

Then there was the jackpot, four sturdy 4x4 posts with wire fencing still attached. Once the wire was cut off, they became the perfect legs for an elevated garden bed, just right for someone who uses a walker.

And that’s where the grinder came in. Instead of wrestling nails out one by one, I learned that a grinder just zips them off. Same with wire. Posts are expensive, but when you can salvage them and reuse the wire as a trellis, well, that’s recycling at its finest.

So here’s my question for the men in our midst: what have you been recycling, repairing, or repurposing? I have a hunch DEN would love a “Mr Fix-It” or “Build-It” column. And to be fair, if I’ve spent my life fighting for women’s rights, I should probably tip my hat to men’s rights too. Let’s just call it Human Rights and get on with it.

That said, if someone wants to step forward as our Fix-It or Build-It Person, we won’t care if it’s Ms. or Mr. as long as the job gets done! And it doesn’t need to be every week, just when inspiration strikes. So… whose game?

An icon that is just you.

When I was about eight, my big brother Richard and his friends were busy creating a little symbol out of their initials. The older boys even took it a step further, carving the design into an old eraser to make an ink stamp, a bit like the seal a notary public might use.

My own initials, CAZ, turned into a design that started with a squarish “C.” From the top right corner to the bottom left, a line made the “Z.” Then, from the middle of that line to the middle bottom, came the “A.”

I’ll take a picture of mine for you.

Something to eat.

It is the end of the season, and the last few things from the garden came in. Among them were small cukes that ran out of time to grow, small onions hidden under stocks and even a pepper or two. This is where relish recipes get a little creative, according to what you have. Think of fives. In a perfect world, it would be 3 cups of cukes, 1 cup of onion, and 1 cup of peppers. Maybe you only have 2 cups of cukes, but lots of either onion or pepper. Make 5 cups of finely chopped or shredded veggies and continue with the rest of the recipe.

Fall Relish

3 cups cukes

1 cup peppers (red if there)

1 cup onion (whatever type you have)

Salt

1 cup vinegar (whatever type you have)

¾ cups sugar

2 tsp. mustard seed

2 tsp celery seed.

In a perfect world, you have lots of energy after the supper dishes so you can chop up the veggies, sprinkle with salt, throw a cloth over them and let them sit on the cupboard overnight. If not, in the morning, prepare the veggies, add salt and put them away for a couple of hours.

In a saucepan, heat vinegar, sugar and spices. When the sugar dissolves, add the veggies and bring to a boil. Have your sterilised jars ready and ladle in hot relish. I like to give them a hot water bath, boiling for 20 minutes to set those lids tight.

As we close this week’s enews, we remember with gratitude and respect the life and witness of Jane Goodall. Katherine Hayhoe writes:

Jane also understood the role natural solutions could play in solving the climate crisis. “There’s a much cheaper and a very age-old way of solving at least a major part of the climate crisis,” she said. “Protect and restore our forests. Plant trees, as trees are going to take a long time to get the full carbon capture capacity of an old forest. That’s why protecting the Amazon is so important now, and the Congo Basin and [forests] in Indonesia and Malaysia.”

and Nova Scotia too……

AMEN