Kentville travel photographer, blogger has new book chronicling European battlefields
Museum exhibit leads to book offer from Halifax publisher
Justine MacDonald has put a strong interest in military history to work by creating a book that offers a unique examination of European battlefields.
The travel photographer and blogger from Kentville said the book project wasn’t actually her idea. Just over a year ago, MacDonald had her work displayed as part of an exhibit at the Kings County Museum called “Remembrance Road: Photographs from the Battlefields of Europe.”
Kate MacInnes Adams, office manager at the museum, showed MacDonald’s scrapbook to a visiting representative from SSP Publications in Halifax. The publisher approached MacDonald and asked her if she’d like to write a book, an offer she happily accepted.
“I wanted to share this experience with my community, so writing a book means that I’m able to extend that reach and share the experiences and the photographs with even more people,” MacDonald said.
The book, Remembrance Road: A Canadian photographer’s journey through European battlefields, was officially launched at an event at the museum on Nov. 26. It contains a compilation of MacDon- ald’s battlefield photos and essays, organized chronologically in terms of when the battles occurred. She wrote a brief history of each area featured in the book, including her
how we interact, identify, and relate to other species through Falconry. It is, in a way, a failed attempt to understand the complicated and often violent relationship the western world has with animals and to look at how we might understand and focus on healing trauma through our relations to other species.
Tetrault is a Canadian artist recently returned from Berlin. She is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Visual Art at York University, and a guest lecturer at the University of Cologne at the Institute for Art and Art Theory alongside Stefanie Busch.
Go Online: Find Hardware Gallery at www.hardwaregallery.ca
On the screen at Fundy Cinema
Fundy Cinema screens ‘The Happy Prince’ on Jan. 6 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The directorial debut from celebrated actor Rupert Everett (Shakespeare in Love, My Best Friend’s Wedding), The Happy Prince is at once a spirited tribute to legendary author and playwright Oscar Wilde and an exacting commentary on 19th-century British mores.
It is 1895, and Wilde (Everett, A Royal Night Out) has been imprisoned for two years for gross indecency after his affair with Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas (Colin Morgan, Testament of Youth). Upon his release, he is greeted by companions Robbie Ross (Edwin Thomas) and Reggie Turner (Colin Firth, The King’s Speech; A Single Man) and quickly moves to France to spend his final years in exile.
All shows at the Al Whittle Theatre, 450 Main St., Wolfville. Tickets are $10 and available 30 minutes before screening.
Go Online: fundycinema.ca Go Online: facebook.com/FundyCinema-1692183731024542
Phone: 902-542-1050
The Man Who Invented Christmas at King’s Theatre King’s Theatre in Annapolis own experiences visiting the various sites.
Although it took her about eight months to write and compile the book, it represents 20 years of work
Royal screens The Man Who Invented Christmas on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m.
In 1843 London, author Charles Dickens finds himself in financial trouble after writing three unsuccessful novels in a row. Desperate for a hit, Dickens relies on real-life inspiration and his vivid imagination to bring Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and other classic characters to life in A Christmas Carol, forever changing the holiday season into the celebration known today.
The film is directed by Bharat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day) and stars Dan Stevens and Christopher Plummer.
Tickets are: $11 for an adult; $10 with Film Buff Card; or $8 for a youth.
Doors open 45 minutes before show time.
Phone: 902-532-7704
Go Online: www.kingstheatre.ca
John Gracie at King’s Theatre Dec. 15 John Gracie is coming to King’s Theatre in Annapolis Royal Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. and general manager Janet Larkman couldn’t be happier.
“We’re pleased to welcome Nova Scotia’s favourite crooner back to King’s to mark the release of his new album, ‘ Simply Christmas’ 10 years after ‘ Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ became a worldwide hit,” she said.
“We’ll be doing pieces that range from swing to traditional songs like ‘Let it Snow’ and ‘The Christmas Song’ and ‘ White Christmas,’ as well as religious pieces, such as my favourite, ‘O Holy Night,’” said Gracie about this year’s Christmas tour. “A song I wrote, ‘Cape Breton Christmas Morn,’ has become a standard at these concerts, so I’ll be singing that. I’ve been known to throw some Tony Bennet in. I’ll ask the audience if they want that and they always agree.”
The evening will also include stories from his childhood in Cape Breton, ranging from Stories of travelling to and photographing First and Second World War battlefields.
MacDonald is pleased with how the book turned out and she has received a lot of positive feedback. Her hope is that people who aren’t normally interested in the subject will at least be intrigued enough to pick it up, appreciate what the photos represent and perhaps learn something new.
“Most of the people who live in Europe, they have to remember, they don’t have a choice,” MacDonald said.
There are monuments and cemeteries all over the place, countless acres of land that are still uninhabitable, equipment still sitting in fields and farmers are still digging up remnants of the battles.
In North America, for many people, the First and Second World Wars are just chapters in a history book. However, as written all over Auschwitz, it’s happened before so it can happen again.
“I just want people to realize what we’ve gone through as a country and what people have sacrificed for us and continue to sacrifice for us in the military,” MacDonald said.
There were many sources of
Christmases past from the morning he woke up to find a Fred Flintstone punching bag, or the great story of when his mother thought she bought him a Montreal Canadiens full outfit but made a big mistake. Phone: 902-532-7704
Go Online: www.kingstheatre.ca
Christmas concert
On Dec. 19, Windsor welcomes ‘To Bethlehem with Kings’ A Capella Regalis Men and Boys Choir concert at 7 p.m. at Christ Church (Anglican), 543 King St. Admission is $15, or $20 for a pulled pork supper beforehand. For info, contact: 902-798-9449; 902-790-6173; or 902790-3409.
Lauren Soloy
ARCAC artist in residence The Annapolis Region Community Arts Council has selected Lauren Soloy as its new artist in residence. The residency is supported by the Parker Mountain Wind Turbine Society, and will take place Nov. 20 to Dec. 20.
Lauren recently signed a twobook contract with Tundra Books (a division of Penguin Random House Canada) to write and illustrate two picture books, and will be using the residency to work on the final art for the first book.
As part of the residency, she will be offering open studio hours, hands-on activities, and storytimes for families, and an artist talk on her path to representation and publication. To see more of Lauren’s work, you can visit her at: www.laurensoloy.com.
Annapolis Region Community Arts Council is located at 396 StGeorge St. in Annapolis Royal.
Open hours are Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; weekends from 1-4 p.m. (It’s operated by volunteers so call ahead.)
Info: 902-532-7069.
Go Online: https://arcac-artsplace.weebly.com/
Concert
Join Broken Leg Theatre at the inspiration for Remembrance Road, which incapsulates many of MacDonald’s greatest interests. She comes from a military family and has a deep affinity for history, travel and photography. MacDonald learned a lot about the area’s past when she used to live in Germany.
She said the first battle site of major historical significance that her family visited was Vimy Ridge in 1998. The towering monuments, shell craters and areas that can’t be visited because they remain unsafe really resonated with her. That’s when she decided that she would return to Vimy in 2017 for the centenary.
The trenches at Sanctuary Wood also made a huge impact on MacDonald. Both times she visited the site, the trenches were muddy and filled with water. She got a sense of how horrific the conditions would have been for the soldiers who occupied them.
MacDonald has held a number of signing events for the book, which is available from Chapters, Indigo and Coles or from the Kings County Museum in Kentville. Wolfville Baptist Church for a ‘Singing for Our Supper’ event on Dec. 23 at 7 p.m.
Seasonal songs and stories will be staged by sensational singers and storytellers. This show is an annual fundraiser that takes place at the Wolfville Baptist Church to raise money for the Wolfville Community Christmas Supper (that happens on Christmas Day at the Wolfville Lions Hall). A freewill donation of money or non-perishable food items, which will be given to the Wolfville Area Food Bank, will be collected.
The concert will be held at 487 Main St. in Wolfville.
For info: donnaholmes712@ gmail.com
Live Nativity at Valley Ex barn Dec. 23 Lawrencetown United Baptist Church’s live nativity brings the story of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem to life Dec. 23 at 6:30 p.m. and will be held in a rustic barn setting at the Annapolis Valley Exhibition grounds in the village.
While most of the cast members are local, there will be a wise man from Ontario who is visiting at Christmas time. Others are from St. Croix Cove, Hampton, and Lawrencetown. Animals are coming from Brickton and Lawrencetown.
“It’s an outreach,” said Marian Pietersma, one of the organizers. “Especially for the people who don’t come to church but will come to another venue like the exhibition, which is very open to everybody.”
A freewill offering will be accepted and donated to local food banks. Everyone is invited.