District of Lunenburg Spring Recreation Guide

Teaches the skills and knowledge needed to care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school aged children.  Topics include the rights and responsibilities of a babysitter, first aid, dealing with emergencies, child care skills, and ideas for fun. Bring an infant sized teddy bear or doll, pencil and lunch. This is a safety education course, not a guarantee of competence. Instructed by Simonne Kalau.

Age:  11 – 14

Fee: $30 (includes booklet and certification card)

Location: New Germany Elementary

Dates:  Saturday, April 25

Time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

A FREE Wrestling program, designed for 1st time wrestlers or for students looking for a new fun sport open to everyone, is being offered by the South Shore Wrestling Club, sponsored by ParticipACTION Teen Challenge. Become more active, learn a fun and challenging sport, meet new friends.  All you need to bring are indoor sneakers, a water bottle, shorts and t-shirt.

For more information contact Dan Beaudreau, 902-523-3148 or e-mail bedaniel@scolaire.ednet.ns.ca No pre-registration required, simply show up!

Age:  8 – 19

Fee: Free

Location: Centre Scolaire de la Rive-Sud

Dates:  Tuesday, April 7

Time:  6:00 – 8:00 pm

Part of the NS Youth Running Series. Race distances are the Tykes Dash, 1 km, 1.5 km, and 3 km.  Please visit www.youthrunningseries.ca for registration details plus a list of the other full series races.

Age:  3 – 17 

Fee: $5

Location: MARC, Dayspring

Dates:  Saturday, May 30

Time:  Race day registration is 8:30 – 9:30 am

Bring the whole family for this fun Easter Egg Hunt.  A massive Egg Hunt will take place over the big hill with activity options following. Prizes will be awarded for finding “Special Eggs” but every child will receive an Easter prize. The Easter Bunny will be hopping happy to see you!  Dress for the outdoors. Bring something for gathering eggs.  Please arrive by 2:00 pm  Donations for PRO Kids welcomed!

All ages

Fee: Free

Location: MARC, Dayspring

Date: Saturday, March 28

Time: 2:00 – 3:30 pm

The Municipality, the LaHave River Salmon Association, Canadian Tire and NS Inland Fisheries work together to create this educational and fun day for families. Children catch fish from our stocked pond. Bring your gear and bait. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Lots of prizes! Free BBQ on site. Register on site.

Donations for PRO Kids welcomed! No license required if under 16.

Age: Three age categories – 6 and under, 7 to 11, 12 to 15

Fee: Free

Location: MARC, Dayspring

Date: Saturday, May 23

Time: 9:00 am – Noon

Do you spend time in the outdoors working, hiking, fishing, hunting, camping or doing other outdoor activities? A time may come when you need a fire for comfort or survival. Learn how to start a fire from site preparation to ignition. Even in damp conditions you can get a fire going. Carrying a small container of water proof matches isn’t enough. Join tour guide and outdoor enthusiast Sam Wentzell for this interesting and valuable workshop.

Age: Age 14+

Fee: $10

Location: MARC, Dayspring

Date: Saturday, April 11

Time: 2:00 – 4:30 pm

Bring your family to the MARC for some outdoor fun!  Activity options include a hike, canoeing, archery, disc golf, and slack lining!  We’ll set up a few tents for your kids to explore or play in. We’ll wind up our time with a one pot meal around the campfire. We provide the gear and food for everyone!  Feel free to bring your fishing gear too! The pond was stocked the week before.  Need another activity?  Bring your bike and try out the new Mountain Bike trails.

Preregistration required.

Age: All ages 

Fee: $10 per family or $5 pp

Location: MARC, Dayspring

Date: Sunday, May 31

Time: 3:00 – 6:00 pm

Come run, roll or stroll at Miller Point Peace Park for PRO kids!  Bikes, strollers, or your own two feet! Collect 5 colored ribbons throughout the park and return them to be entered for prize draws. Live music and refreshments. Register by calling 541-1343 or online at www.modl.ca or on site that day.

Age: All ages 

Fee: $5 pp or $10 per family

Location: MARC, Dayspring

Date: Sunday, June 28

Time: 2:00 – 4:00 pm

It’s that time of year again…

The 2015 Provincial Bike Week takes place June 5 – 14. Mark the date in your calendars and get ready for the best Bike Week yet!

What you can look forward to:

• Weekly group bike rides
• Family trail ride events (and a picnic!)
• Women-only bike safety courses
• Mountain biking with the Lunenburg County Mountain Bike Association
• Prizes and much, much more!

See you in June!  BUT … if you can’t wait until summer to start biking, contact Tracy Vandermolen. 902-298-0820 or tvandermolen@modl.ca

We visit bargain stores from Digby to Saulnierville on the French Shore. Enjoy beautiful scenery. Meet in WalMart’s parking lot. Pre-arranged pickups available along highway #10. Coach bus for your comfort!

Age: 18+ 

Fee: $45  (Meals at your own cost)

Date: Thursday, May 14

Time: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm

We’ll start at the Lunenburg County Winery and then make our way to the Valley where we will visit the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens at Acadia, Blomidon Inn Garden, the Tangled Garden, Luckett Vineyard and the Gaspereau Vineyards. Meet in the WalMart parking lot. Pre-arranged pickups available on route. Coach bus for your comfort! Lunch will be in Wolfville at a location of your choice and cost.

Age: 18+ 

Fee: $55  (Meals at your own cost)

Date: Friday, July 17

Time: 8:00 am – 7:00 pm

Join published author Cpt. Robert Louis Boudreau for a trip through the world of writing from beginning to end. Cpt. Boudreau will speak from his experience of writing a number of books and lead group discussion on topics such as the structure of storytelling, taking the reader “there” and how publishing works.  There will be homework and critiques. Discounts on author signed books.  For more information about Capt. Boudreau and his books visit www.caribbeebooks.com

Age: 18+

Fee: $115/8wks

Location: Mahone Bay Centre

Date: April 8 to May 27

Time: Wednesdays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm

• If you’ve never written but would love to try . . .
• If you have lots of great ideas but don’t know what to do with them . . .
• If you have trouble getting started on a writing project . . .
• If you have started writing but now you’re stuck . . .

Then this is the course for you!   You’ll learn techniques to get you started, find your own voice, and then shape your ideas into finished form with surprising ease. You will explore different forms so you can see what kind of writing is most natural for you: memoirs, vignettes, stories, poems, non-fiction. Each session offers a new tool to spark your imaginative process as well as a fundamental technique of good writing to guide you as you begin. This course is facilitated in a supportive, participatory and positive environment where good humour abounds. All adults are welcome!

Instructor Biography:  Beth Munroe is an experienced writer and teacher. Her poetry and short fiction have been published extensively in literary magazines and her documentaries have been broadcast on CBC Radio. Beth has won several writing prizes, among them Governor General Michener’s Medal for Excellence in Fine Arts: Creative Writing. Beth is comfortable teaching writers at all stages of the creative process from beginners to advanced.

Age: 18+ 

Fee: $130/8wks

Location: MARC, Dayspring (Boardroom)

Date: April 7- May 26

Time: Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30 pm

We read non-fiction daily in magazines, newspapers, biographies, personal essays, history, travel writing, food writing, memoirs and so on. Even so, many people ask “What, exactly, is creative non-fiction?” It is a hybrid form combining literary style and factual material. It can be playful, evocative, and imaginative, while at the same time, it can communicate factual information. This course is for beginners and experienced writers alike. We will work in a safe and supportive environment. The classes will help participants write creative non-fiction in their own unique voices about topics in which they take a keen interest.

Instructor Bio:  Beth Munroe has made her living as a writer and creative writing teacher for many years. Various forms of her creative non-fiction have been published—magazine articles, documentaries and personal essays—on topics of particular interest to her which include homesickness, building wooden boats, Cape Breton music/culture, and the journey of the soul.

Age: 18+

Fee: $130/8wks

Location: MARC, Dayspring (Boardroom)

Date: April 8 – May 27

Time: Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 pm

NS Basketry Guild instructor, Heather Sanft, will lead students through the traditional steps to make a round trug like basket with over handle to gather your flowers. All willow is supplied, but please bring pruning shears, awl or long smaller screwdriver, locking pocket or jackknife, pen, paper and lunch.  Winery will provide coffee, tea and biscuits.

You can see some of Heather’s handy work at www.canada-wine.com

Age: 18+ 

Fee: $45 (includes $18 supply fee)

Location: Lunenburg County Winery, 813 Walburne Road, Newburne  

Date: Saturday, April 18 (limited space) or Saturday, May 2,

Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Learn from local grape growers how you too can grow grapes! Topics include site selection, soil testing, grape varieties, vineyard management, economics of grape growing, and organic grape growing with lots of visuals, discussion and time to ask questions.

Suitable for anyone interested in knowing more about starting a vineyard, those already growing grapes, or for general interest.  A tour of a vineyard will be set up for a later date. Presenters – Andre d’Entremont, Cape House Vineyard, Bruce Wright, Elmwood Winery, Judith Orr and Dan Thimot, Union Square Vineyards

Age: 18+ 

Fee: $5

Location: MARC, Dayspring  

Date: Saturday, April 18, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon

Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Would your friends and family describe you as an ‘outdoors’ woman? No? Perfect! This course is for you! Designed for beginners, come join us in learning the basics of outdoor recreation.

Love to cook at home? What about cooking over a campfire? Adding a hearty meal to an outdoor adventure makes for a perfect day. Our instructor Jen Organ is an experienced backcountry camper and has planned, carried, and cooked food in all conditions. This session will be very hands-on, including topics such as menu planning, what’s good to eat when outdoors, recipes, and different cooking methods. And of course, we will get to try everything! Please let us know if you have any sensitivity or allergies. Dress for the weather as we will be cooking outside.

Age: 18+ 

Fee: $5

Location: MARC, Dayspring  

Date: Saturday, May 2

Time: 10:00 am – Noon

Learning about different types of trees, birds, plants, and animals is a wonderful way to build your enjoyment of the outdoors. This beginner course, taught by nature interpreter Lesley Roberts, will teach you the basics of nature identification, looking at the MARC property as an example. Expect to leave with more knowledge of songbirds, wildflowers, and frogs if we can find them. We will walk the trails and explore as we go! Dress for the weather and wear sneakers or hiking boots.

Age: 18+ 

Fee: $5

Location: MARC, Dayspring  

Date: Saturday, May 30

Time: 10:00 am – Noon

Learn how to safely carve with a knife and how to make your own spoon.  Participants require a folding or fixed blade knife, no longer than 4 inches and leather or rawhide gloves. A hook knife or crooked knife is recommended.

For more information contact instructor Sam Wentzell at (902) 543-2795 or samwoodlandtours@gmail.com

Age: 18+ 

Fee: $20pp, includes all supplies

Location: MARC, Dayspring  

Date: Saturday, May 30

Time: 9:30 am – Noon

Have a night to look forward to! In the basic swing class we’ll jump and jive to great music, old and new, as you learn the Charleston, Jitterbug, and Jive. This will give you a good introduction to swing and is packed with kicks and turns to get you moving and having fun. Classes start with the basic steps and add more each week allowing you to grow as a dancer. Enough with the toe-tapping, it’s time to get up and dance! Instructed by Erin Whiting.

Age: 18+ 

Fee: $65/cpl/7 wks

Location: MARC, Dayspring  

Date: Thursdays, April 16 –May 28

Time: 7 – 8 pm

Recreation basketball for men (19+). Supervised by Steve Goode.

Age: 19+

Fee: $5/night

Location: Bayview Community School, Mahone Bay

Date: Tuesdays, continuing to the end of May

Time: 7:30 – 9:00 pm

Zumba^® exercise classes are “fitness-parties” that blend upbeat world rhythms with easy-to-follow choreography, for a total-body workout that feels like a celebration! People of any fitness level and any age can start the program! Led by Kate Jollymore.

Session 2

Age: 16+ 

Fee: $50/6 classes

Location: MARC, Dayspring

Date:

• Mondays, March 23 to May 4 (no class April 6)
• Thursdays, March 19 to April 23

Time: 5:15 – 6:15 pm

Session 3

Age: 16+

Fee: $50/6 classes

Location: MARC, Dayspring

Date:

• Mondays, May 11 – June 22 (no class May 18)
• Thursdays, April 30 to June 4

Time: 5:15 – 6:15 pm

Amanda Anaka will be filling in for Karen Mackenzie for the Spring session. Amanda is a certified group fitness instructor specialist and yoga instructor who is excited to bring yoga to all ages and experience levels. She teaches Hatha Vinyasa Flow yoga with an emphasis on effective breathing techniques as well as safety. Yoga is the total package for balancing mind, body and spirit while also building strength and flexibility and improving balance.

Chair yoga is gentle and slow-paced, and is suitable for most adults with mobility or balance issues. Students will learn simple, Hatha-based poses and breath that can be done seated in or assisted by a chair to help improve circulation, increase flexibility, and promote relaxation. Please bring a rolled-up blanket or towel.

Age: 18+ 

Fee: Mondays $55/8 wks & Fridays $45/6 wks

Location: Mahone Bay Centre, Community Room

Date: Mondays, April 13 – May 25 (no class May 18) and/or Fridays, April 10 – May 29

Time: 10:00 – 11:00 am

Amanda Anaka will be filling in for Karen Mackenzie for the Spring session. Amanda is a certified group fitness instructor specialist and yoga instructor who is excited to bring yoga to all ages and experience levels. She teaches Hatha Vinyasa Flow yoga with an emphasis on effective breathing techniques as well as safety. Yoga is the total package for balancing mind, body and spirit while also building strength and flexibility and improving balance.

A gentle practice geared to students who are new to yoga, just returning to a practice, or simply looking for a slower-paced class. Please bring a yoga mat.

Age: 18+ 

Fee: $65/8 wks

Location:  Centre scolaire de la Rive-Sud, Cookville, Community Room

Date: Wednesdays, April 1 – May 20

Time: 6:45 – 8:00 pm

Meet Janice Rand and Tracy Vandermolen at the end of the Green Bay Road at 2:00 pm.  We will walk one-way along this rocky, and sometimes sandy coastal route, for approximately 1.5 hours. We will set up carpooling to return. Interpretive brochure with map available. Weather permitting. Cell phone day of, 527-6717.  Let us know if you plan to come.

Age: 18+ 

Fee: Free – Accepting donations for PRO Kids

Location: End of the Green Bay Road

Date: Saturday, April 11

Time: 2:00 pm

Spring is a wonderful time to visit waterfalls. Expect a 5 to 15 minute walk on uneven rough terrain on most sites. Dress for the weather and wear hiking boots. Bring water, snack and your camera. Call or register online.

Age: All ages 

Fee: Free – Donations for PRO Kids welcome!

Location: Indian Brook Falls, New Germany; Apron Falls, North River; Upper North River Falls, Stanburne; Newburne and Morgan Falls, New Germany

Date: Saturday, May 9

Time: 2:00 to 5:30 pm (Carpool from Best Western Plus in Cookville, 1:15pm or meet at Guppy’s in New Germany at 2:00 pm

Workouts include a routine of chair, standing exercises and bender balls all with fun music. Call for dates and registration fee.  Instructor:  Paula Masson.

Location: Mahone Bay Legion 

Date: Tuesdays and Thursdays, Class run to April 9

Time: 10:30 – 11:30 am

Talk it up with your friends. Come on your own or bring a partner with you. Beginners welcome. Let us know if you plan to come.

These activities are brought to you by the Town of Bridgewater and the District of Lunenburg in partnership with Bridgewater Police

Services/South Shore Safe Communities, South Shore Health and BHS & PVEC with the support of United Way of Lunenburg County.

Age: 55+ 

Fee: $2 pp drop in fee

Location: HB Studios Sports Centre, Glen Allen Drive, Bridgewater

Date: Wednesday, April 22

Time: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

This 6-week course is for older adults who want to lead active healthy lives. Discussions and demonstrations in a safe and trusting group of your peers will help you achieve your goal! Our group will use the handbook, “Your Personal Passport to Healthy Living”, which is based on up-to-date research and has been designed to include people of all abilities and health conditions. Our Workshop will show each member of our group how to make healthier choices – how to take charge of your life and make physical activity, good nutrition and other healthy habits a daily routine. Come and join Tracy Vandermolen, our active living coordinator, and take the first step to making healthy living more than a wish! Register by calling 541-1343.

Note: Healthy snacks will be provided. Please advise of any allergies. Each session will finish with a half hour group walk on the trails at the MARC. Please wear sneakers. Optional, but a great way to debrief each session and incorporate some exercise into your new plan! If you do not join us on the walk, the course ends at 11:30 am.

Age: 55+ 

Fee: Free

Location: MARC, Dayspring

Date: Thursdays, April 30 to June 4

Time: 9:00 -12:00 noon

Healthy light meal, health information and fun activities!

Age: 55+

Fee: Free

Location: North River Community Hall  

Date: Thursday, May 21

Time: 5:00 – 6:30 pm

Take WHMIS training on-line at your convenience. We will set you up with an access e-mail for this on-line course. Call us at 902-541-1343 for more information

All ages

Fee: $40 gives you an access email.

This course is for people who work in the food industry. The course covers the causes and types of food borne illness and emphasizes practices designed to enhance food safety. The topics of safe food preparation and storage, as well as personal hygiene and sanitation are covered. This is a six-hour certification course conducted by John Peters, Food Safety Specialist, NS Agriculture.

All ages

Fee: $35

Location: MARC, Dayspring

Dates: Wednesday & Thursday, May 13 & 14

Time: 6:00 – 9:00pm both sessions