ADULT SERVICE CENTRE

This Adult Service Centre provides jobs in the service sector. Service, construction and farming are the predominant sectors found so far on our trek. These support a resilient rural community.

WORKING THE LAND IS A COMMON THEME ALONG OUR TREK

RAIN OR SHINE ON OUR WAY TO GEORGETOWN

A rainy September morning portends the coming of fall. The early morning myriad of pools of water had to be navigated along the Greenwood-Waterville leg, increasing the length of the trip. Rain gear kept our upper bodies fairly dry. Footwear was soaked.

A QUIET RESTING PLACE WITH A GREAT VIEW

A serene scene of a small family burial plot sits aside our trail, overlooking the Annapolis River. The plot is maintained by the Historical Association of Annapolis Royal.

OBSTACLES AND HAZARDS

Abandoned railway lines present hazards, such as this old bridge along the Annapolis Royal-Bridgetown leg. One slip on the rotting timbers and Heather could fall into the river below.

Road to Georgetown: A STORYTELLING TRAIL OF DISCOVERY

After some sober thoughts and reality checks (and lots of training) we have chosen to consider this 500+ km route to Georgetown as a storytelling trail of discovery; a trail of finding rural stories -- stories about innovation, unearthed opportunities, resilience and wealth-creation.

At a Creative Economy Workshop held a few years ago in Annapolis Royal, economic development consultant Greg Baeker once said that a creative economy needs to find and support those "under-the-radar" people who are doing amazing things in their communities; those who build quality of place through their entrepreneurial spirit. As individuals prosper so do the communities in which they live.

We have already collected nine of those stories via our one-day Road To Georgetown conference:
Lawrencetown: "Return of the Native"
Lawrencetown: "Software Development Experiences in Rural Nova Scotia"
Middleton: "Small is Beautiful -- the Creative Economy"
Lawrencetown: "Little Foot Yurts"
Paradise: "Paradise Reclaimed"
Annapolis Royal: "How my Grandmothers fritters inspired me to create a Community Kitchen"
Middleton: "If 'Chicken Bones' Can Work, Why Not Walk the Lobster?"

We calculate that if we travel strictly on foot the time taken will be too long and cost too much. Adding bicycle power in addition to foot power, and selecting portions of the trail in which to find our stories would lessen that time and cost. By speeding up the travel time we can concentrate more on telling those rural stories on the road to Georgetown. The journey should be more about those stories.