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Ah, May long weekend. Also known as May two-four, May 24th weekend, or, it’s official name, Victoria Day. Monday May 21st is this year’s Victoria Day, a statutory holiday in Canada. Many Canadians (who don’t work in tourism and hospitality) will have a relaxing, fun, and hopefully sunny long weekend, enjoying an extra day off on Monday. But why do we have Monday off?

The real reason is that May 24th was Queen Victoria’s birthday (pictured above), and Canada, being part of the Commonwealth, celebrates by having the day as a stat holiday.

Photo source: Jaunted

Summer is (almost) here!

Victoria Day weekend, weather permitting, is widely seen as an unofficial kick-off to summer. Mostly all of the provincial parks’ campgrounds in Nova Scotia begin their seasons this weekend, and many smaller, tourism-based communities use the long weekend to open their doors and mark the beginning of tourism season. Many people plan the first weekend away at the cottage, camping, or just to travel to a nearby city or destination.

What’s going on in Halifax?

While many people may be getting out of the city on May long weekend, there will also be an influx of participants and fans of the 9th Annual Scotiabank Bluenose Marathon! Offering youth runs, 5k, 10k half and full races, there’s something for everyone (including cheering on the runners from the sidelines). Marathon-related events run Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Every year the marathon fills Halifax with an exciting buzz!

Head to Hali

From out of town? Not from Nova Scotia? Join us in Halifax for a fun-filled weekend. Head down to the waterfront and check out the I Heart Bikes kiosk, offering hourly and daily rentals along with bike tours of the city! A great way to learn about Halifax. Present your coupon and receive a 10% discount at our restaurant, Seasons by Atlantica.

The streets will be bustling with visitors, marathon runners and locals alike. As usual the nightlife will be busy with pubs and restaurants open in full force on the waterfront. Live music is always on the agenda in downtown Halifax. Kick off your summer with some Halifax fun!

Flowers for Mom (source: Props Floral Design.com)

It seems like Mother’s Day is a holiday when most people don’t stray much from tradition. Moms across the country wake up expecting breakfast in bed or an extravagant Mother’s Day Brunch out on the town, chocolate, flowers, jewelry, or maybe something homemade by the kids, such as a craft or card.

Here in Halifax, you can treat mom to any of these traditional gift ideas – and keep it local at the same time! Here’s how…

Flowers

Our city is home to many talented floral designers. If you want to wow mom with something really elegant and creative, head downtown to locally-owned Props or My Mother’s Bloomers. Friendly staff members at either place will help design in advance what kind of floral piece is perfect for mom, or have on-the-go pieces ready to pick up the day of.

Cards

Inkwell Boutique (photo source: seaandbescene.com)

Don’t settle for mass greeting cards when we have beautiful, hand crafted designs available right here in Halifax. Head to the Seaport Farmers’ Market to browse through several stalls offering artisan cards, visit Halifax favourite Duly Noted, or hit up the popular Inkwell Boutique on Market Street to either grab a handmade card or materials to make one yourself.

Brunch

One of my favourite Mother’s Day traditions: having a wonderful, extravagant, delicious feast for brunch. While there are many brunches to choose from in our fine city, we truly believe that the brunch buffet Executive Chef Luis Clavel has dreamed up this year beats them all. This year we’re donating $2 from every brunch to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Make reservations at Seasons by Atlantica soon to avoid disappointment! Want to get out of the city? Head to beautiful oceanside Atlantica Hotel & Marina Oak Island, on the south shore, to enjoy brunch with mom.

Chocolates or Sweets

Scanway Sweets (photo source: Taste of Nova Scotia)

Don’t even think about buying mom a boring box of chocolates made in some factory far away. There are chocolateers and pastry chefs in Halifax who are making world class chocolates and sweets as we speak! Visit our neighbour, the famous Scanway Pastry & Cake Shop on Quinpool and order decadent macarons, or an artisan cake. Head to the Seaport Farmers’ Market and visit Gourmandises Avenue booth to hand-pick your own collection of chocolates for mom. Or, check out the chocolates from Sweet Spot Chocolate Shop, in Elmsdale, or available at various locations around Halifax.

Jewelry

Photo Source: Thevaultjewelry.ca

You don’t need to spend a fortune to surprise mom with beautiful jewellery on her special day. Again, for this I would recommend heading to the Seaport Farmers’ Market, where there is a selection of locally-made, unique jewellery, both affordable and extravagant. If you want to go the more conventional route, check out locally-owned jewellery stores like FireWorks Gallery, Touch of Gold, or The Vault.

The Spa

Looking to treat mom to a relaxing spa day? There are a ton in the city to choose from. You could also head down to the south shore for a mother-daughter day at Aqua Spa in our sister property. If you do stay in the city, I would highly recommend Be Well Spa or Spirit Spa.

Something hand-made

Looking for something with even more of a personal touch? Try making the gift yourself. That’s right – with your own two hands! There are hundreds upon hundreds of DIY gift and card ideas on Pinterest. Browse through photos that walk you through step-by-step to create the perfect craft for mom.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Wedding ceremony at the Waegwoltic Club in Halifax

Along with the arrival of Spring comes the arrival of wedding season. Love is in the air, and the wedding experts at Atlantica Hotel Halifax are always keeping an eye out for the newest wedding trends.

Dress like a princess

According to Brides.com there are a few new wedding dress trends for the 2012 season. Lace sleeves, inspired by the dress Kate Middleton wore at her Royal Wedding last April, have popped up by several designers. The Duchess of Cambridge has certainly made her mark on wedding fashion (and fashion in general) since walking down the aisle almost a year ago.

Blush-coloured wedding dresses are on the scene this year. Gowns that are not the traditional white have become popular and more widely accepted over the last few years. Expect to see many blush and pink shade dresses coming down the aisle this season.

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A few other dress trends include two-tiered skirts, horsehair trim and illusion-style necklines.

Pinterest takes over the world

The do-it-yourself (or DIY as most people call it) scene has exploded over the past year. Sites like Pinterest allow brides-to-be to share ideas on their walls in this online community, and pass on brilliant DIY wedding ideas.

Everything from fashion to hairstyles to handmade invitation ideas (hundreds of them) can be found on Pinterest. There are so many wedding ideas you can even categorize into 2012 wedding trends and go from there. Look for tons of great decor ideas for the crafty bride-to-be.

Colour and shine

Every new wedding season comes with a new trendy colour palette. This year, weddings are using beautiful warm orange and yellow tones like tangerine tango and solar power, along with cool colours like sodalite blue, bellflower, margarita and cockatoo.

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Metallics have made their mark on the 2012 season, showing up not only on invitations, but throughout decor and even on wedding cakes. The cake scene is seeing an explosion of the use of colour trends, instead of the traditional white fondant.

A royal occasion

Spring weddings mean spring anniversaries. To celebrate the upcoming first royal anniversary of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Mattel will be releasing their William and Kate dolls. There will also be coins minted in the UK to celebrate the occasion.

We still feel like we’re winding down from the fantastic Royal Wedding Breakfast we hosted last year during the wedding. Because we love all things royal, we’ve decided to do a fantastic giveaway on the royal anniversary. Stay tuned for the announcement, the contest begins on Tuesday April 3rd. Details coming soon!

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Happy planning to all those busy brides getting married this season, and happy anniversary to all you former spring brides!

We’re just a tad excited at Atlantica Hotel that Halifax’s newest outdoor activity in the heart of the city, the Emera skating oval, is right next door. Ever since HRM approved to build a permanent oval in place of where the Canada Games skating oval was, we’ve been looking forward to a more active winter lifestyle, and a busier neighbourhood this season.

And guess what? It’s all happening. Haligonians are taking the oval just like we knew they would!

Where Did Skating Come From?

Some would call outdoor skating a Canadian tradition. I wanted to see exactly where and how it all began…

It is said that skating on ponds and lakes began in Canada out of necessity. People needed to get places, and skating across frozen surfaces was quicker than walking around. That makes sense.

According Outdoors.ca, British military officers in the mid-1800s began ice skating because they were bored, but the sport took off, and in 1854 the first official skating race took place from Montreal to Quebec city, again, by British officers.

The Amateur Skating Association of Canada was formed by 1887, and the country never looked  back.

Skating on the Rideau Canal (source: Slaysh.com)

The biggest place to skate…

There seems to be an on-going battle in Canada as to who has the largest and longest outdoor skating. While the Rideau Canal in Ottawa is a very famous outdoor skating space, they were pushed out as the longest track by Sylvan Lake in Alberta, which is 10 kilometres long. The Canal is 7.8 kilometres and have decided their claim to fame is being the largest groomed outdoor skating surface.

Aside from those, there is some seriously beautiful outdoor skating in the Rockies. Jasper, Banff and Lake Louise all have outdoor skating areas. Grouse Mountain, on the West Coast, has an 8,000 square foot ice skating pond!

It’s easy!

Outdoor skating is one of the most accessible winter sports. All you need is warm clothes and a pair of skates; bought, rented or borrowed! And of course the kids need safety helmets. Both skates and helmets are free to rent at the Emera skating oval. For full information on services and skate times, visit their website.

Share your photos with us and win!

Look for our skating oval Facebook contest! Share your photo of skating fun (on the Emera oval) to be entered to win a $75.00 dining credit at Seasons by Atlantica. A great place to warm up after a long skate, or to get some energy beforehand.

Sources:

http://www.rideau-info.com/canal/history/hist-canal.html

Outdoor.ca

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On the first weekend of November, I attended a Christmas craft fair in Halifax… it got me to thinking about just how early the “holidays” can really start. Although I enjoyed looking at the festive goodies at the fair, I just couldn’t bring myself to buy any gifts for this year, yet. It felt too early. But how early is too early? I know lots of people who begin Christmas gift shopping long before the first weekend of November.

Generally, as a rule, I’ve always thought you shouldn’t start decorating until after Remembrance Day. But, some people start immediately after Halloween. When I visited the grocery store on Halloween DAY, there was all the bright and shiny holiday wrapping paper and decorations; they had completely taken over the seasonal section already!

Photo Source: InfoMonkey

Halifax Holidays

Let’s look at a timeline of the festive activities in Halifax, to give us an idea of when, officially, the “holidays” begin in HRM.

Past:

• November 4-6: Christmas at the Forum
• November 11-13: Christmas Crafts Village (Exhibition Park)

Coming Up:

• November 18-20: NSDCC Designer Craft Show (Alderney Landing)
• November 19: The 16th Annual Chronicle Herald Holiday Parade of Lights
• November 25-27: Dalplex Christmas Craft Market
• November 25-26: Festival of Trees (Mental Health fundraiser)
• November 26: HRM Christmas Tree Lighting
• Dec 7-18: Alderney Landing Dinner Theatre Christmas Shows

Of course there are tons more holiday activities going on in HRM this season. It looks to me like it really starts to pick up around November 19th, the same weekend as the Parade of Lights. I think this is a reasonable time. Notice the tree lighting isn’t until the 26th. About a month away from Christmas I usually start to feel the pressure to shop!

When Do YOU Get in the Holiday Spirit?

Let me know in the comments section when you think it’s acceptable to begin the holiday season! Or post it on our Facebook or Twitter!

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Art Imitating… Hotel?

The upcoming Nocturne: Art at Night festival in Halifax marks a first for our hotel. On October 15th, our restaurant Seasons by Atlantica will transform into a musical art installation. The piece is by local artist and musician Lisa Lipton. The hotel hasn’t become living art before, and we’re pretty excited about it.

Nuit Blanche Paris 2008 - Click Image for Source

A Bit of Art History

I started looking into the idea of nighttime art festivals. It seems one of the originals is the Night of the Arts festival that started in Helsinki in 1989. They held their 23rd annual festival this past August in cities across Finland.

Now there are several “White Night” festivals all over the world, one of the more well-known is Nuit Blanche, in Paris, which celebrated their 10th year of the festival on October 1st. The translation from French is “Sleepless Night”, “White Night” or “All-Nighter”.

Nuit Blanche featured around thirty artists this year, coming from all over the world, including Canada. According to their website, their aim is and always has been to bring together artists and the audience.

In 2006, Toronto started their own nighttime art festival, the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche. While the concept was new to Toronto that year, 425 000 people participated, and the festival has continued to grow in both attendance and art installations.

Nighttime Art in Halifax - Click Photo for Source

A Sleepless Halifax Night

Here in Halifax, Nocturne is back for its fourth year. According to the show’s chair Rose Zack, the festival has been extremely well-received, and attendance has grown each year.

The festival is completely free, and will take place on the streets of Halifax from 6pm – midnight this Saturday night, October 15th. The show features live visual art at various venues across the city, some will be unlike anything you’ve seen before. Some pieces integrate music, lighting, and live performance.

Why a nighttime art festival in Halifax? Nocturne’s website outlines their mandate: “To execute an annual event that highlights the existing arts community in the Halifax area that serves both the residents of the HRM and tourists.” We think that Nocturne truly is a unique and important event in Halifax, and we’re happy that our hotel, our guests and our employees will get to have this experience.

Plan Your Night

Check out the website for information on the installations, the art zones, and how to plan your night. If you have a smartphone, be sure to download the Nocturne app! Just follow the “Available on the App Store” link.

We hope to see you at Seasons for Lisa Lipton’s musical lounge installation!

Photo Source: PedalandSeaAdventures.com

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year…

Sadly, the summer in Nova Scotia is drawing to an end. That’s not to say that we won’t have many more beautiful, sunny and warm days during the autumn, we usually do, but… let’s not be in denial here, summer will soon be officially over.

While that may make many people sad, and a part of me is sad too, the end of summer also means that one of my absolute favourite times of the year is upon us: the Nova Scotia harvest.

The Best Time to Visit

Talk about a great time to visit our province! Whenever I offer advice to people planning a trip to Nova Scotia I recommend the early autumn. Not only are there numerous beautiful driving routes, surrounded by vibrantly coloured trees, there is a whole other added element: taking advantage of our harvest time. Several summer fruits and vegetables are still available at the farm markets, and numerous new autumn vegetables are introduced. There’s more variety this time of the year than any other, in Nova Scotia.

Photo Source: AtlanticFarmFocus.ca - Berwick Farm Market

Explore

With the movement to support local farms going strong in Nova Scotia, it is a great time to visit us and see what our harvest time is all about. I would personally suggest the following itinerary: visit the Annapolis Valley and see the farms firsthand. Decide on some of your favourites; there’s everything from cheese houses, goat farms, blueberry fields, U-Pick apples to large farm market stores located right on site. Then head back into Halifax and inquire which restaurants are using these local suppliers. Obviously their food is going to have the most flavour – with a majority of ingredients in season, and coming from only 40 minutes outside the city. Our very own restaurant, Seasons by Atlantica, has an extensive list of local suppliers, a practice that Executive Chef Luis Clavel takes very seriously.

Tasty Technology

Of course there are many other farms and local food suppliers to check out, in other regions of the province. A great tool is actually the Taste of Nova Scotia smart phone app, while you’re out exploring our great province, you can login and search by your location as to what Taste members are nearby. You can search specifically by type, if say you’re looking for a winery, or a smokehouse.

Photo Source: TasteofNovaScotia.com - Ad for NS Fall Wine Festival

Celebrate With Us!

The fall harvest is such a glorious time in Nova Scotia, not only for tourists and foodies, but for wine lovers as well. It’s SO great that we hold a festival every year, just to celebrate this time and what it means for the wine industry, one that is growing in quality and reputation (and awards), I might add. If you’re visiting Nova Scotia during mid-September to mid-October I would highly recommend checking out the Nova Scotia Fall Wine Festival. They make it easy for you, there are events going on all over the province at many different venues, so that everyone can be a part of it.

Check out the website for the full schedule and locations. If you can get to some of the actual winery events, it is so worth it, and the iron chef competition is also something worth getting to!

Well, there it is, just another blog post about why this time of year is ideal for visiting Halifax! I know, I say that about every season (almost)… but this one really is my favourite.

Resources:

Pick Your Own – www.pickyourown.org

Taste of Nova Scotia – www.tasteofnovascotia.com

Winery Association of Nova Scotia – www.winesofnovascotia.ca

Nova Scotia Fall Wine Festival – www.nsfallwinefestival.ca

Beyond Outside the Box

Originally this blog post was going to be about “outside the box” vacation ideas in Nova Scotia, but every path seemed to lead to these particular four themes. Nova Scotia has some predominant features and history that pop up no matter where you go – and so I got to thinking – it would be pretty out of the ordinary to plan an entire themed vacation, so why don’t I explore some ideas for just that, in our beautiful province? These activities are great on their own or part of a completely themed getaway! A fun family vacation idea, I think. Enjoy!

Image Source: Bay of Fundy Tourism

Outdoor Adventures

There is such a vast array of outdoor activities available in Nova Scotia that I had to narrow this down to a few really cool, fun and original ideas.

Tidal Bore Rafting is gaining more and more popularity amongst Nova Scotians and tourists alike.  There are a few places to do it, including River Runners in Maitland, located at the mouth of the Shubenacadie River. Your thrilling tidal bore rafting adventure lasts for three and a half hours in a zodiac, where, as the website describes: “you board […] and anticipate the arrival of the Tidal Bore, which is the first wave of the incoming tidal surge. This bore may reach 1-10 feet in height depending on tidal and channel conditions. Our skilled guides ride the crest of this wave for approximately 1/2 mile up river”. River Runners’ basic package includes a delicious BBQ meal when you return from your excursion. Other tidal bore rafting companies include Tidal Bore Rafting Park & Cottages, and Shubenacadie River Adventure Tours .

Check out this tidal bore video posted by ridenovascotia.com: Tidal Bore Rafting in NS

A great outdoor activity and lesser known hobby amongst many Nova Scotians is rockhounding, that is, the collection of gems, minerals and stones along the coastline. According to rockhounding enthusiasts, and my source consists of an antique shop owner/rockhounder extraordinaire I once chatted with in Lunenburg, our province has unbelievable conditions for this activity because of volcanic activity during the Jurassic period and our constant tidal action. Check out this great Nova Scotia travel guide website for a list of areas and the equipment you need to rockhound. Wondering what you can do with these gems and how to identify them? You may want to read Rob the Rockhounder’s website or visit his shop while you’re here!

What better way to experience the great Nova Scotian outdoors than to jump in a sea kayak and get out on the ocean, as a family?  There are several great companies offering these services now, and many are only a short drive away from downtown Halifax. Give East Coast Outfitters a call for a tour-guided, fun-filled day at sea followed by a BBQ on the wharf. Any experience level can enjoy these tours, as the guides will give you a quick run down on the paddling technique. Traveling as a couple? Check out the sunset tours.

Celtic Getaway on Cape Breton Island

The Celtic heritage is one of the most interesting heritages that continues to live on in Nova Scotia, in particular the speaking of the Gaelic language, which has even died out in parts of its native lands Ireland and Scotland. The Celtic culture is still very much celebrated in our province, and if you’re traveling here with the intention to learn a bit more – you don’t want to miss Celtic Colours International Festival, a massive yearly event in Cape Breton doing just that.  This year the festival turns 15, and it’s a wonderful way to take in music, art, food and educational events, including Gaelic language workshops. While you’re in Cape Breton, make a point to stop at Highland Village Museum to learn about Scottish Gaelic and Celtic traditions, the museum itself is a beautiful property on a 43-acre piece of land in one of Nova Scotia’s most beautiful regions. Want to learn more? The Gaelic College offers full language courses, online programs and more.

Culinary Tour of Nova Scotia

A subject near and dear to my heart, the gastronomical adventures of Nova Scotia, is something that can be discovered year round and in so many different regions. However, we are talking about summer vacation, so I will run through what I consider the summer highlights. For a completely food and wine themed vacation in our beautiful province, let’s start in Cape Breton. Lobster is caught fresh daily through the summer here, and hitting up a traditional (fresh off the boat) lobster dinner is something that everyone, traveler or native Nova Scotian, should enjoy. While you’re checking out the scenery of the Cabot Trail, keep an eye out for community lobster dinner signs in church and fire halls – this is where you want to eat your freshly caught crustacean!

Moving south, across the causeway, once you get on the mainland you want to head to the pinnacle of Nova Scotia’s locally sourced food scene – the Annapolis Valley. Farmers markets galore (try Noggins farm store), wineries such as Grand Pré, Muir Murray, Blomidon Estate, Sainte Famille, sample cheese at Fox Hill Cheese House, stop by Sea Level Brewing for some craft beer, Just Us Coffee roastery for a tour and a delicious fair trade latté and in the quaint university town of Wolfville visit some great restaurants.

This is of course all on your way to the city of Halifax, where the restaurant scene is serious and the passion for use of local ingredients (most from that same valley) is rampant among Halifax chefs. There are too many excellent eateries to name, aside from our fabulous Seasons by Atlantica, so check out the Taste of Nova Scotia members yourself.

Once you’re finished in HRM, get on the old number three (Trunk 3) highway to head down the coast at a leisurely pace, and really take in the beautiful South Shore region. Stop in for seafood at your choice of beautiful seaside town: Hubbards, Chester, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay (try Trattoria della Nonna or Magnolia’s Grill), Liverpool, Shelburne. This is of course on your way to the bottom tip of the province – stop in Yarmouth for a fish fry at Rudder’s, and make your way to the Acadian Shore for some traditional rappie pie!

No matter your interests, there’s a themed vacation in Nova Scotia that you’re sure to enjoy. Get out and start planning!

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Today is the first official day of summer, so what better time to talk about a few of Halifax’s great upcoming summer festivals? There are so many to choose from that I’m going to focus on my favourites and go from there. Presented in chronological order, here are the summer fests that you don’t want to miss:

RBC Multicultural Festival June 30-July 3

Rocking the Halifax Seaport for the entire long weekend, the RBC Multicultural Festival is the perfect opportunity to hit up the Halifax waterfront and eat and drink to your heart’s content at the largest festival of this kind in the Atlantic Provinces. Listen to music of the world, take in dance performances, and check out arts and crafts. Don’t miss the impressive array of delicious ethnic food and drink – definitely a highlight for me!

TD Halifax Jazz Festival July 8-16

Help the Jazz Festival settle into its new digs this summer and take in one of the many amazing performers that the festival organizers always manage to snag. This year the festival tent will be set up on Lower Water Street at the Salter Street extension. Other venues around the city will also be showcasing artists as part of the festival. Nova Scotia’s Jill Barber is one of the festival headliners and will be playing at the main festival tent on Monday July 11^th. Other great artists, among many, include Erin Costelo, Morgan Davis and our regular Seasons jazz man Mike Cowie! Check out the website for their extensive festive schedule.

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Manulife Dragon Boat Festival July 9^th

Support the Nova Scotia Amateur Sport Fund by either attending or participating in the Manulife Dragon Boat Festival. Always a great day in Dartmouth on Lake Banook, this day of Dragon Boat races is the perfect opportunity to bring the kids and soak up the sun while watching the competition, or, pull together a team at the office and become a corporate sponsor! There’s tons of food onsite and other activities for kids.

Halifax Pride July 17 – 24

Check out the largest LGBTQ Cultural Festival in the Atlantic Provinces during Halifax Pride week. The city comes alive with an array of events and activities, including the famous Dykes versus Divas softball game to kick off the week! You will not want to miss the lively festival parade, and for a complete list of venues that are participating, check out the website.

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Seaport Beer Festival – Beer on the Pier! August 5-6

You don’t have to be a beer drinker to enjoy Beer on the Pier this August. The historic Halifax Seaport will host once again an impressive collection of breweries – some from Ontario, Quebec and Maine - to offer over 200 beers and ciders. Several Taste of Nova Scotia partners will be onsite to offer delicious food, so there really is something for everyone!

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alFresco filmFesto July 22-August 26

Park yourself at the end of the Halifax boardwalk to take in the “Summer of Murray” at this year’s alFresco filmFesto. Running for its 11^th year, this favourite among Haligonians shows an outdoor movie every Friday night starting the end of July through to the end of August. Props to the festival programmers this year for choosing a theme – the “Summer of Murray” will delight and surprise you with a fantastic Bill Murray flick to cap off your week, all summer long!

Get Out and Participate!

It’s going to be a good summer! Especially with all of that Bill Murray action. Make plans to check out one or many of Halifax’s summer festivals - and there are lots more than I just covered. For a complete list of all the major Nova Scotia festivals visit the Destination Halifax website.

Happy Summer!

source: pointpleasantpark.ca

Today kicks off the Scotiabank Bluenose Marathon in Halifax, which invades our streets yearly during the May long weekend and injects the city full of runners and fans. The marathon started only in 2004, met with much success, and has continued on each year since with seemingly matched and surpassed enthusiasm.  According to the official website, Bluenose is the largest marathon weekend this side of Ottawa, boasting 8,000 participants in 2010.

Aside from the obvious promotion of healthy, active lifestyles, each year the marathon brings to Halifax the spirit of giving and support. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are raised in the months leading up to the marathon, for various worthy charities. Perhaps one of the most touching aspects of the Bluenose Marathon are the stories of motivation you read about surrounding the race: cancer survivors, teams raising money for an individual’s treatment, family members running in someone’s memory, and many, many more.  An article in today’s Chronicle Herald told the story of Newfoundland woman who ran the half-marathon with pancreatic cancer last year, and since, has become healthy and completely cancer-free. She is back to run again, with her family in tow.

This year, there is an emotional story of motivation close to home for us at Atlantica.  Our sales gal Laura Dole has been training with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada’s Team in Training, with a personal fundraising goal of $1500. Laura and her family received the devastating news earlier this year that her Mom’s cancer was back. Laura will be completing the full marathon, for her Mom, as well for others who are bravely fighting blood cancers. Her physical and fundraising goals are admirable; she has worked hard both in her training and her efforts to raise the $1500, which she actually more than doubled!

Laura seems to put 110% into everything she does; whether it is working with our clients here at the hotel, making the time to fundraise and train for a full marathon, or being a great Mom to her six year-old son Connor.

We are extremely proud of Laura and want her to know everyone at Atlantica is behind her all the way. You are a remarkable woman, Laura! We know you will do amazing on race day and continue to be a source of support and pride for your Mom!

Good luck to all runners participating!

The Atlantica Team

Laura with Anni & Sammi