Through My Looking Glass: Nova Scotia: 50 Year Photographic Retrospective 1973-2023
Photographer: Joseph RobichaudPublisher: Pottersfield Press$27.95Through My Looking Glass is the culmination of fifty years of documentary photography in Nova Scotia, spanning from 1973 to 2023. It chronicles a half-century of life in a province where the intertwining of diverse cultures and experiences creates a rich and multifaceted narrative. The striking images in this book reflect the many threads of Indigenous, Acadian, and Black experiences. The Mi’kmaq people, the original stewards of this land, have walked these shores for millennia, forging a deep connection with the natural world. Their resilience has shaped the province?s identity, and their stories are integral to understanding Nova Scotia?s historical and spiritual landscape.
Abandoned Alberta
Photographer: Joe ChowaniecPublisher: MacIntyre Purcell Publishing Inc.$29.95The stunning images found in Abandoned Alberta offer a window into our past, showing life as it was then, and stirring in us the emotions of wonder and curiosity about those who have gone before us and the lives they lived. Joe Chowaniec started the Facebook page Abandoned Alberta in January 2017, which today has more than 26,000 members.
Alberta is in Joe Chowaniec’s blood, and you might say Abandoned Alberta is his love letter to the province. Where others may see only decay and rot in these long-forgotten locations, Chowaniec sees exquisite beauty.
Forgotten Saskatchewan
Publisher: MacIntyre Purcell Publishing Inc.$29.95From one of Saskatchewan’s great photographers comes Forgotten Saskatchewan. These stunning images offer a window into our past, showing life as it was then, and stirring in us the emotions of wonder and curiosity about those who have gone before us and the lives they lived. Forgotten Saskatchewan is a photographic journey. Come along for the ride. You’ll be glad you did.
The Painted Province Nova Scotia Through an Artist’s Eyes
Publisher: Pottersfield Press$24.95“I gain a strong sense of interconnectedness and belonging when I look at her work. There is a universality and humanity Joy finds every time.” —Sheree Fitch
Since 1972, Joy Laking has lived and painted in Nova Scotia, capturing beauty in watercolours, oils, and acrylics in many locations. She sees beauty in both the usual and the unusual. The Painted Province lets the reader see Nova Scotia through an artist’s eyes.
Here, Joy has grouped some of her favourite paintings into forty regions, each with her personal commentary. In each of the regions, one of the images will have its GPS coordinates. You are encouraged to bring this book along in your travels to find some of the places where she created paintings. When you discover the exact spot, please take a photo. Then email it to her and she will post it on her website.
Joy constantly finds ways to enhance her own creativity. Every year, she paints in unfamiliar countries, such as Bolivia, Ghana, India, and Sri Lanka, to return home to see Nova Scotia through fresh eyes. Joy has also written a play, children’s books, articles about rural life, and work for the CBC.
Mean Streets In Search of Forgotten Halifax, 1953-1967
Publisher: Pottersfield Press$21.95Following the Second World War, a new generation of politicians and planners across North America set out to reimagine their cities. With great verve and vision, they conceived of brave new urban landscapes filled with elevated highways, modern housing, thriving businesses, and engaging public spaces. All it would take, they said, was a deep collective capacity to dream and a determined willingness to wipe away the past.
And the idea caught on.
With great enthusiasm, these politicians and planners set out to realize their grand vision. They proposed that cities tear down great swaths of their aged, derelict, and decaying homes; destroy antiquated, dilapidated buildings; and tear up sordid streets in an effort they called “slum clearance.” Of course, these “slums” were also communities often populated by the most vulnerable members of the city, the desperately poor and people of colour, those who had little power to make their own decisions and determine their own fate. The whole process was called urban renewal.
Sculpting Towards the Light
Publisher: Pottersfield Press$19.95“Stone carving is a slow, meditative experience. The process can be transformative. Each of my projects has taken life’s rough moments and opens them up to the discovery of our shared humanity. The finished work may be the sculpture, but the creative process is never ending.”
Sculpting Towards the Light is an intimate and insightful story of a sculptor and his work. It follows the paths of imagination and activity which gave birth to a very unique work of art. The paths are diverse and unexpected, twisting into personal history, racing forward into the future, and then resting in the euphoric moments when the mind and its thoughts no longer exist and the carving occurs as if of its own accord.
The author writes, “There is a point in each sculpture where my energies collide. At first there is the initial inspirational emotion, full of conviction, demanding that I communicate its essence. The emotion has been concretely felt but the sculptural representation of that emotion remains vague. It is as if I am sleepwalking, unaware of where I am going. I can also feel playful in a place of excitement where there are no time pressures and few expectations. My mind becomes an elevator with predetermined automatic stops: journal writing, pencil sketches, listening to music, reading and meditative walking in nature. Eventually, a three-dimensional structure materializes from the midst of this contemplation.”
Here is a unique story about play and work, imagination and action. Costanzo looks at the past that has shaped him and his future as an artist working in an ancient medium, while the world races toward digital Armageddon.
Signs of Life Images Formed from Words and Clay
Publisher: Pottersfield Press$21.95Gerri Frager has spent much of her life working in the care of critically ill infants and children and integrating the arts into patient care and education. Poetry and pottery have each been a sanctuary during tough times as has noticing the everyday beauty found in nature. In Signs of Life: Images formed from Words and Clay, the author merges these passions to create a most unique and insightful book. Each poem is accompanied by an image of pottery created by Frager, one reflected in and mirroring the other. Signs of Life is a powerful exploration into matters of loss and love through poetry and pottery and the life experiences of a medical professional who has dedicated her life to healing and comforting those she works with.
The Little Book of Nova Scotia
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$18.95Journey through the incredible landscape of Nova Scotia with award-winning photojournalist Len Wagg. Experience all the colours of one of this scenic paprovince in this travel-friendly book. Features 85 photos with captions.
Stay the Blazes Home Dispatches from Nova Scotia during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Photographer: Len WaggPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and life, at that moment, changed drastically for every Nova Scotian.
People were ordered to practice physical distancing. Everyday tasks like grocery shopping were suddenly fraught with challenges. Travellers scrambled to get home before the borders closed, and were then ordered to self-quarantine. Hospitals and health-care facilities prepared for a potential influx of critically ill patients. Through it all, Nova Scotians reacted with kindness and empathy, and came to recognize their everyday heroes—from grocery clerks to delivery drivers to the doctors and nurses on the front lines. But tales of some who flouted the rules arose. During a daily media briefing, Premier Stephen McNeil made the spirit of the order perfectly clear: “Stay the blazes home.”
Through dozens of powerful stories that illuminate the generosity and ingenuity of Nova Scotians, Stay the Blazes Home captures the many ways Nova Scotians adapted to and embraced life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring photographs by author and award-winning photographer Len Wagg, in addition to submitted images from all over the province, Stay the Blazes Home serves as a record of the resilience and the spirit of Nova Scotians in a time of crisis. Portions of the proceeds from this book will be donated to local mental health initiatives.
Canada Above & Beyond
Photographer: George FischerPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$32.95One of the country’s most celebrated photographers brings Canada to vivid life with this brand new aerial photography book, featuring spreads of all thirteen provinces and territories, as well as detailed captions that add local colour. From the Rocky Mountains and the True North to the outports of Newfoundland, and the Prairie, great lakes, and rugged terrain and cityscapes in between, Canada: Above & Beyond is a cross-country tour for locals and tourists alike.
The Little Book of Peggys Cove and the South Shore
Photographer: Len WaggPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$18.95Journey through the incredible landscape of Peggys Cove and Nova Scotia’s South Shore with award-winning photojournalist Len Wagg. These remarkable photos capture immense beauty from Peggys Cove, the Cape Forchu lighthouse in Yarmouth, and everything in between from dawn until twilight. See the Kingsburg beach campfire under the Milky Way, The Bluenose II leaving port in Lunenburg, and the iconic Mahone Bay waterfront adorned with pumpkin people. Go island-hopping in the Tusket Islands, see above the Kejimkujik Seaside Adjunct, and watch piping plover chicks frolicking on White Point Beach. Experience all the colours of one of the most scenic parts of Nova Scotia in this travel-friendly book.
Features 85 photos with captions and a foreword from popular Nova Scotia writer Silver Donald Cameron.
Canada:150 Panoramas (pb)
Photographer: George FischerPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$24.95From frosty Mount Logan in the Yukon to the salty shores of Newfoundland, George Fischer’s stunning landscape photography celebrates the diverse appeal of every province and territory in Canada. With a chapter devoted to each region, Fischer captures the rugged natural beauty, vibrant city life, and abundant flora and fauna of this wide country.
Short, narrative introductions accompany the stunning spreads and include brief historical anecdotes, interesting facts, provincial/territorial flowers, mottos, and capitals, and the date each province/territory joined Confederation. The perfect way to celebrate Canada’s 150th, Canada: 150 Panoramas is an essential collection for any photography lover, whether they call Canada home, or wish they did.
Nova Scotia Folk Art An Illustrated Guide
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$24.95There may be many folk artists in Canada, but there is only one integrated folk art scene: the one in Nova Scotia.
Classic folk art is the work of artists who did not think of themselves as artists, who made art that they never considered to be art at all. There were no festivals, no galleries, and no touring exhibitions when they started—just a sign by the side of the road, a painted house, or colourful sculptures in the yard to attract the attention of passers-by. Today in Nova Scotia, contemporary folk art has become a distinct style, one which stresses individual creativity over collective utility. The maker, and their stories, is central to the appeal.
Written by former Art Gallery of Nova Scotia curator Ray Cronin, Nova Scotia Folk Art features profiles of fifty artists—some obscure and some well known—from the first, second, and third waves of folk art. The list includes Barry Colpitts, Laura Kenney, Ralph Boutilier, Craig Naugler, Joseph Norris, and Maud Lewis. With more than 150 colour images, this illustrated guide explores the exhibitions, collections, and festivals that allowed a group of Nova Scotia artists to move their creations from the roadside to the museum, and in so doing to create its own genre: Nova Scotia Folk Art.
Maud’s Country Landscapes that Inspired the Art of Maud Lewis
Photographer: Bob BrooksPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$24.95Maud Lewis stayed close to home: the rugged coastlines and gentle valleys of Nova Scotia’s southwest knew—but they provided ample material for her joyful creative spirit. Now revered as Canada’s foremost folk artist, Maud Lewis (1903-1970) transformed her world of poverty and deformity into a magical kingdom of happy children, contented animals, and a peaceful and charming rural environment.
Maud’s Country offers unique insight into the landscapes that inspired Lewis’s works and her own special way of representing them. The materials she had at hand were primitive—particleboard, crude brushes, marine or house paints. But these were all she needed to convey her message that happiness and harmony exist all around us, for those who have eyes to see.
The Little Book of Manitoba
Photographer: George FischerPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$17.95In The Little Book of Manitoba, celebrated photographer George Fischer captures both the vast beauty of rural Manitoba and the stunning skylines of Winnipeg. The book is a kaleidoscope of colour, from the rich array of farmland greens to the bold blues and golds of the capital city shot after dark. Located halfway between the east and west coasts of Canada, Manitoba is blessed with over 100,000 lakes, flat prairies, and rolling pastures. All in stark contrast with the energetic capital of Winnipeg, home to festivals, museums, and unique architecture.
The Little Book of Manitoba comes in a travel-sized format and is the newest offering in the popular Little Book series. Features over 70 full-colour photographs of this hardy prairie province in all seasons.
White Point Then and Now Ninety Years of Making Memories
Photographer: Len WaggPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95John and Anne Sun first came to White Point in 1993 when they were dating, and they are still coming back, now with five children, including quadruplets. It is the tranquility of the south shore resort that appeals to the Suns of Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. Others enjoy the ocean, the stone fireplaces, and the famous bunnies. This book captures the magic and the memories of White Point, which opened in 1928 and has survived storms, both real and financial. What started as a seasonal destination for the well-to-do from outside Atlantic Canada has turned into a year-round operation that welcomes everyone. How has the resort changed? How has it stayed the same? Photographer Len Wagg skillfully contrasts the thens and the nows of White Point with over 60 charming photos, and Rick Conrad incorporates the memories of guests and staff.
Nova Scotia at Night
Photographer: Len WaggPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95See Nova Scotia like never before. Celebrated photographer Len Wagg returns off the success of Then & Now, his exploration of Wallace MacAskill’s photographic legacy, with another entirely original perspective on his home province. Nova Scotia at Night showcases Canada’s Ocean Playground from sunset to twilight and beyond.
Showcasing stunning vistas from across the province, including iconic Nova Scotia landmarks like the Annapolis Valley Lookoff underneath the stars and Louisbourg in silhouette, a snow-covered Public Gardens on a winter’s eve, whales breaching at Canso Causeway, the Northern lights dancing over the Cobequid Mountains, and much more, this beautiful and surprising book highlights Nova Scotia’s seldom seen after-dark personality. Features 80 colour photographs, including a selection from Len’s favourite up-and-coming Nova Scotia photographers.
Algonquin Park A Photographic Journey
Photographer: Iain McNabPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$26.95At 7,700 square kilometres, Algonquin Park offers constant surprises, even for McNab, who shoots in all seasons and never tires of the park’s natural beauty. In this travel-friendly keepsake book, photographer Iain McNab shares some of the stunning photographs he has taken in over twenty years of visiting Canada’s first provincial park.
Sunsets, brilliant foliage, foxes, bear, and moose, all shot all with the same eye for detail, Algonquin Park features over 100 colour photos as well as an introduction from McNab, detailing his imperfect quest for the perfect photo.
Nova Scotia from the Air Then and Now
Photographer: Len WaggPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95In this brilliant follow-up to the bestselling Then & Now, award-winning photographer Len Wagg again takes readers back through time. Aerial landscapes shot in dazzling colour from Louisbourg to Church Point are contrasted with black-and-white photos from the Nova Scotia Archives collection. Readers will see high rises where there were once open fields; stark vistas filled in with residences and windmills. In some side-by-side pairings, the change is startling; in others, subtle.
Nova Scotia from the Air is both a photo book and an historical study. Wagg flew over towns and landmarks from one end of the province to the other, recreating scenes from archival photos dating back to the 1930s. This remarkable collection of then-and-now images shows both the growth and the decline of this province by the sea. The 100 photographs evoke nostalgia and surprise.
The Little Book of Ontario
Photographer: George FischerPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$17.95In The Little Book of Ontario, George Fischer captures the crystal clear lakes, sprawling forests, and glittering skylines of the Heartland Province. From the Great Lakes to the Canadian Shield, Fischer takes readers on a visual journey, with nearly 80 stunning full-colour photographs, across Ontario’s graceful waterfalls, flowing rivers, rustic buildings, rolling farmlands, and vibrant cities. In this popular, travel-sized format, the newest offering in the Little Book series shows Ontario’s people, towns, and landscapes through every season.
Untamed Atlantic Canada Exploring the Region’s Biodiversity Havens
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$27.95Spanning 1,200 kilometres from New Brunswick’s Passamaquoddy Bay to Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula, Atlantic Canada stands as a nexus between North America and the North Atlantic Ocean. Its diverse geography, variable climate, and surrounding ocean currents coalesce to create a rich medley of habitats both on the land and in the sea. There are currently eight thousand known species in this little corner of the world, and awardwinning nature photographer Scott Leslie has captured a beautiful selection of them on these pages.
In Untamed Atlantic Canada, discover the stunning array of animals living in the region–from elusive black foxes, to clouds of semipalmated sandpipers, and endangered right whales–through 140 colour images with detailed, narrative captions. This photographic collection is perfect for seasoned naturalists and novice nature lovers alike.
Peggys Cove (Munn)
Photographer: Scott MunnPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95Seasoned photographer Scott Munn documents the iconic landscape of Peggys Cove in this gorgeous book of colour photography. Features 46 colour photographs with descriptive captions, and an introduction by award-winning journalist Quentin Casey.
Then and Now Photographs of Nova Scotia
Photographer: Len WaggPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95Wallace MacAskill (1887-1956) is one of Nova Scotia’s foremost photographers, lauded for his portraits of seascapes, sailing and fishing ships, and picturesque landscapes. In this remarkable collection of then and now photographs, Len Wagg follows in the footsteps of 50 of MacAskill’s best shots, recreating them in colour contemporary portraits. Through side-by-side comparisons, readers see how much has changed, and how much has remarkably remained the same. Included are urban streetscapes, important events and monuments, and spectacular scenery from around the province, Halifax to Louisbourg, Chester to Pictou. The 100 photographs in this book are captioned with short anecdotes conveying the significance of the images and the process of finding the location for some of MacAskill’s original work. Includes a foreword from Garry Shutlack.
The Little Book of Newfoundland and Labrador
Photographer: John SylvesterPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$17.95In The Little Book of Newfoundland and Labrador, photographer John Sylvester beautifully captures the quintessential fishing villages, magnificent natural landscapes, and stunning array of wildlife that “The Rock” is famous for.
From Ben Loman to the Sea (HC)
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$17.95This is one of two unique books that delight both children and adults, combining the work of folk artist Maud Lewis with the poetry of Lance Woolaver. Each volume contains a narrative that complements the paintings; one follows the mail sleigh as it delivers Christmas packages; in the second, the reader sees through the eyes of a young man as he leaves his home, countryside, and town to go to sea.
Both titles are treasures, the first books to celebrate the life and work of Maud Lewis, Nova Scotia’s most prominent folk artist. Now brought to readers in a new format that enhances the beauty of the art of Maud Lewis.
Halifax in Watercolour The Paintings of Alexander Cavalié Mercer, 1838-1842
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95British Artillery officer Alexander Cavalié Mercer is most famous in history circles for his detailed account of his experiences leading up to and including the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Fewer know him as an amateur artist, but Mercer often composed what he called “souvenirs,” paintings and sketches of his postings in Europe and North America. While posted in Halifax, Mercer painted nearly 80 watercolours of the area between 1838 and 1842.
Halifax and Watercolour showcases 50 of Mercer’s best sketches, including paintings of the Citadel, the Commons, Artillery Park, Bedford Basin, Dartmouth, and the Northwest Arm. Additional photographs, maps, and historical context from author Glenn Devanney help the reader situate the site of the painting in the present-day.
Saint John
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95At the mouth of the St. John River sits New Brunswick’s largest city. Once a summer gathering place for the native Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet), this beautiful spot on the Bay of Fundy was first settled by Europeans in the seventeenth century, and today people from all corners of the globe are drawn to the city of Saint John.
Exotiques Îles De La Madeleine Ever Exotic
Photographer: George FischerPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95The inexhaustible affection lavished on Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine is the envy of many tourist destinations. First-time visitors are pleasantly surprised and totally enchanted by the discovery of an archipelago that is as exotic as it is bucolic. With its local island delicacies, beaches of fine sand that stretch forever, a quality of light that is typical of open-sea islands, and countless other charms, the Québec archipelago casts a spell that is irresistible.Photographer George Fischer is a habitual and prolific visitor whose capacity to amaze never wanes. The exotic Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine includes over 200 colourful and spectacular images.
Toronto
Photographer: George FischerPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95Toronto has grown to such a size and come to possess such a scope of urban possibilities that it defies generalization. The city outgrew its original nickname of Hogtown decades ago, and the moniker Toronto the Good is just as dated and irrelevant. Now Toronto is a city with a readily identifiable skyline that speaks of skyscrapers and prosperity. But it is also a conglomeration of distinct neighbourhoods and immigrant hubs, and each tells a different story of the different people that play a part of the whole. Combined, its temples to sport and religion are sometimes interchangeably grand. The seasonal festivals run from film to art, Caribbean culture to Greek food. The best of its historic hotels, theatres, and concert halls are as iconic as its immediately recognizable streetcars and streetscapes. In these pages award-winning photographer George Fischer turns his revealing lens on every aspect of that rich visual fabric, to uncover all of Toronto’s beauty and truth, and Jacob Richler adds the words that fill in the picture.
Wild Nova Scotia (pb)
Photographer: Len WaggPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$21.95Nova Scotia has designated thirty-three Crown-owned areas as Wilderness Areas, consisting of about five percent of the provincial land-mass. The wilderness area designation means no mining or logging is allowed, but people are free to hunt, fish, hike, and camp as they have for generations. These Wilderness Areas- from the massive Tobeatic Wilderness Area that covers five counties to tiny McGill Lake- showcase the best of natural Nova Scotia, and Len Wagg has photographed them all for Wild Nova Scotia. Over the last year and a half, Wagg spent close to a hundred days in the province’s wilderness, logging over fifteen thousand kilometres and taking beautiful, telling portraits of the province’s most secret and lovely places. Photos of important areas not designated Wilderness Areas are included as well- like the shores of the Northumberland Strait, where herds of seals find places along the shores to have their young; the Bay of Fundy, where world-class tides erode massive cliffs; Keji National Park, where the sounds campers hear are all natural; and Nova Scotia’s “barren” Sable Island, home to birds, plants, seals and a herd of wild horses. Each area has distinctive characteristics that make it unique. Wild Nova Scotia showcases the special places, protected or not, allowing people to bring home some of the amazing natural beauty of this province.