The Race to the Bottom How Scuba Diving in Nova Scotia Saved My Life
Publisher: Pottersfield Press$21.95This is the story of one man’s hobby and its overwhelmingly positive effect physically, emotionally, socially, and mentally on his life. The hobby is scuba diving, but not on the reefs of southern seas. This is about diving in Halifax Harbour. Diving summer and winter in one of the biggest and deepest harbours in the world has given Bob a view of history that few will ever witness.
Inquisitive and energetic, the author spins yarns about the strange and fascinating objects he finds and the hair-raising moments he has experienced, from coming to the surface and seeing the boat drifting out of sight to arriving on the surface in a snowstorm and having to navigate by compass to find the shore.
The bottom of Halifax Harbour has collected artifacts over the centuries from around the world. Each find gets picked up, cleaned, researched, and documented. The author’s database is a gold mine of little details about what arrived, eventually got dumped into the ocean, and is now sitting on display at home and in museums as a reminder of what once was.
The author takes the reader under warships, container ships, and tugboats, through huge docks, and under the ice. Along the way, he reflects on the toll that our civilization is taking on the ocean, of seagulls trying to break open golf balls to find food, of crabs trapped inside tires, and fish that take refuge in castoff bottles and grow too big to stay in but also too big to get out.
Around the Province in 88 Days One Woman, Two Pairs of Sneakers and 3000 Kilometers of Nova Scotia Coastline
Publisher: Pottersfield Press$21.95Early on a May morning, a young Nova Scotia woman straps on a small backpack and leaves the Halifax Common to start her journey along the coastal roads of Nova Scotia. Planning to cover almost a marathon a day, she will walk the perimeter of the entire province in just under three months to raise awareness for the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Brigadoon Children’s Camp Society. She billets with locals each night and meets countless Nova Scotians who come out to walk with her, support her project, and tell their stories.
Along the way, fellow walkers share family folklore, tales of buried gold, lost fingers, and detailed instructions on how to catch a beaver by the tail. “We don’t wear make-up and we don’t dust,” explains one of the women Emily meets near Sable River, when asked how she found the time to rebuild the trails in her area and win the Community Spirit Award. Struggling with blisters, fatigue, and an encounter with a bear cub, Emily walks on, overwhelmed by the generosity of her hosts in each community and by the stunning coastal views at every turn. Around the Province in 88 Days details Emily’s beautiful and quirky experiences on the road as she develops an intimate connection with the province and its people, unsuspecting of the vast changes the trip will eventually set in motion in her own life.
Emily Taylor Smith has walked the perimeters of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, the coastlines of New Brunswick and the Gaspé Peninsula, and also completed a 100-kilometre walk from Halifax to Truro in nineteen hours. Born in Salisbury, New Brunswick, she moved to Nova Scotia to study theatre at Acadia University, and perform with the Atlantic Theatre Festival. She is the founder Local Tasting Tours, a culinary walking tour in Halifax. She currently lives in Dartmouth with her husband, their poodle Woody and Wilson the cat.
Somebeachsomewhere A Harness Racing Legend from a One-Horse Stable
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$26.95It’s November 2006 and Brent MacGrath, a car salesman from Nova Scotia, has just had his first glimpse of a gorgeous yearling at the Lexington Yearling Sale—and his heart skips a beat. He takes another look. Even this young, the bay stallion has size and “presence.” Against all odds, and with limited funds, MacGrath makes a successful bid for the colt.
Somebeachsomewhere: The Harness Racing Legend from a One-Horse Stable is a work of narrative non-fiction that follows the life and career of the Ohio-born, Canadian-sired superstar pacer known as “Beach” who belonged to a syndicate of six owners from Canada’s East Coast. From a relatively humble lineage, Somebeachsomewhere turned out to be a horse of a lifetime: a world-champion Hall of Famer, smashing records and setting a single-season earning record as a three-year-old. Many consider Beach, who died unexpectedly in 2018, the greatest pacer and Standardbred sire of all time. Canadian and American racing fans loved the friendly stallion with “an extra gear,” and threw “Beach Parties” whenever he raced.
This is the first-ever complete, generously illustrated account of “the Beach,” a horse who captivated the world with his speed, courage and near-flawless gait. It is also a story of improbabilities and magic, featuring dozens of interviews with top American and Canadian horsemen and women, the owners of Empire Stallions in Avenel, Australia, and harness racing industry professionals.
No Girls Allowed Inspired by the True Story of a Girl Who Fought for her Right to Play
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$14.95All 10-year-old Tina wants is to play hockey. In Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 1977, however, there’s no team for girls and Tina isn’t allowed to play on the boys’ team. Sheer determination, and support from her family, drives her to take the fight to the Human Rights Commission, all in order to do what she loves most: play hockey.
The Top 15: Nova Scotia’s Greatest Athletes
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$17.95At 18, Sidney Crosby became the youngest player in NHL history to record 100 points in one season. At 29, he scored his 1000th NHL point, won his third Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and was named playoff MVP. It is probably no surprise that Crosby is No. 1 on this list of Nova Scotia’s Top 15 athletes, as compiled by the province’s Sport Hall of Fame.
But what other athletes have done the remarkable and, times, the impossible? This book selects athletes from hockey, boxing, swimming, and other sports and ranks them—a formidable task bound to generate debate. Who is to say if gymnast Ellie Black is better than swimmer Nancy Garapick, or NHLer Al MacInnis greater than boxing legend Sam Langford? The authors acknowledge that ranking greatness is subjective, so, in addition to the Top 15 Athletes, the book includes 15 honourable mentions, as well as fascinating sidebars such as “15 Memorable Moments in Nova Scotia Sport” and “15 Great Nova Scotia Athletes Under the Age of 25.” There is something for every sports fan in this photo-rich keepsake book packed with names, images, and little-known facts.
Brad Marchand The Unlikely Star
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$17.95He was too small to make it to the National Hockey League, they decided. Brad Marchand has proven them wrong, helping to lead the Boston Bruins to their first Stanley Cup in thirty-nine years, and scoring the winning goal for Canada in the deciding game of the 2016 World Cup final, which made Marchand—a player fans loved to hate—a hero.
This full-colour book features personal interviews with “The Little Ball of Hate,” who has matured since his days with the Halifax Mooseheads, as well as interviews with family and coaches, and over 40 photos of the star, including some previously unpublished.
Sidney Crosby, Hat Trick Edition The Story of a Champion
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95Sidney Crosby: The Story of a Champion follows the young Cole Harbour hockey phenomenon through his early years in minor hockey, his dominating run through the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, his recordbreaking play with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and his spectacular contributions to Team Canada at international competitions. With colour photographs of Crosby in action and featuring interviews from coaches, teammates, and hockey insiders like Pierre McGuire, this accessible, visual book is the account of a onceinageneration hockey talent and his path to greatness.
This new edition features updates and a new chapter and photos showcasing Crosby’s recent achievements.
Nathan MacKinnon The NHL’s Rising Star
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$17.95A dominant minor hockey player from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, Nathan MacKinnon was ticketed for NHL stardom from an early age. He did not disappoint. MacKinnon would lead his hometown team, major junior’s Halifax Mooseheads, to their first Memorial Cup in 2013, and fulfilled the dream of every young hockey player when he was selected first overall in that summer’s NHL draft. In his first season (2013-2014) for the Colorado Avalanche, MacKinnon met the considerable expectations placed upon him by scoring 63 points and winning the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. While his second season was largely a disappointment before a broken foot ended his season prematurely, MacKinnon’s future is bright.
In this stat-packed biography, TSN correspondent Paul Hollingsworth traces the development of one of the NHL’s most exciting young stars. Starting with MacKinnon’s jaw-dropping minor hockey career and continuing through his NHL career to date and his play as part of Team Canada at world championships, the book includes 40 colour photos, as well as interviews and analysis from well-known hockey commentators. With a foreword from broadcaster Dan Robertson.
Hockey’s Home (new edition)
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$17.95Hockey’s Home includes a wealth of information about the origins of the great game of hockey in Nova Scotia with particular emphasis on the role that the community of Dartmouth has played in forming the game.
Long Shots
$16.95Today, the National Hockey League holds a monopoly on professional hockey, at least on this side of the Atlantic. In the early 1900s, a host of professional, minor-pro, senior, junior, and college leagues competed across the continent. More than a decade remained before the Stanley Cup would become the sole property of the NHL. In this era, it was a challenge cup, and it seemed as though every Canadian town–big or small–had a fair shot at the big prize.
In these pre-NHL days, four teams from the Maritimes took up the challenge, competing for what was, even then, hockey’s biggest prize. The 1900 Halifax Crescents club was followed in 1906 by the New Glasgow Cubs, in 1912 by the Moncton Victorias, and in 1913 by the Sydney Millionaires. In Long Shots, author Trevor Adams traces the development of early hockey in the region and follows these four Maritime clubs that competed for hockey’s greatest prize, from their hard-fought victories and local celebrity, to their crushing disappointments.
Includes 25 historical photos and an appendix of statistics and standings.
The Three Stars
Publisher: MacIntyre Purcell Publishing Inc.$19.95This is the must-have book for any hockey fan. Never has a single region of the country had three legitimate superstars playing at the top of their game at the same time. Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Marchand could legitimately form an All-World first line. The Three Stars is the story of three superstars and one magical season.
Road to the NHL The Incredible Stories of 25 Maritimers Making It to the Show
Publisher: MacIntyre Purcell Publishing Inc.$16.95From Sidney Crosby and Brad Marchand to Paul MacLean, Al MacInnis, and Brad Richards, these are the stories of 25 Maritimers and their journey to the National Hockey League. The book chronicles each player’s days from when they first laced up skates in cities and small towns throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, to that very special moment of putting on a NHL uniform and knowing they were there to stay. Penned by one of Nova Scotia’s most preeminent sports journalists, Road to the NHL is filled with tales of sacrifice, fortitude, and inner personal strength and is a must-have resource for any fan of ice hockey.
Guru in Your Golf Swing A golf pro, a monk and the magical Kingdom of Bhutan
Publisher: SSP Publications$19.95PGA pro Hanczaryk’s high-flying, cross-cultural adventure is about teaching golf in a very remote place; but it is really about self-discovery, rooted in an ancient meditation practice.
Distinction Earned
Publisher: Cape Breton University Press$19.95Distinction Earned highlights the accomplishments of significant Cape Breton fighters like George “Rockabye” Ross (about who MacDougall has also penned a play), Tyrone Gardiner, Blair Richardson and Francis”Rocky” MacDougall and trainers like Johnny Nemis. Between 1965 and 1967 five national boxing champions in different weight classes were from Cape Breton.Paul MacDougall has collected dozens of interviews from participants, enthusiasts and their heirs, from which has evolved this account of an amazing sporting record.
A Tale of Two Fiddlers The Early Days of Sports and Life in Charlottetown
Publisher: Acorn Press$22.95This is the story of the Charlottetown family as seen through the eyes of the oldest boy, Fred “Fiddler” MacDonald. This memoir tells of Frederick James’ journeys in the City, starting with his days as a newspaper and a shoe-shine boy while attending Queen Square School, an all-boys Catholic school in the centre of the City. The story retraces his paper route in the mid-1950’s and the people that he encountered in his travels.
Where to Cycle in Nova Scotia A Guidebook for Exploring the Back Roads and Rail Trails of Nova Scotia
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$24.95Finally, the guidebook cycling enthusiasts have been waiting for. Where to Cycle in Nova Scotia brings together the collective knowledge of Nova Scotia’s cycling community, compiled and curated by experienced cycling guide Adam Barnett, to bring you the best cycling routes in the province, from the majestic Cape Breton Highlands to the dynamic coastlines of the Eastern, North, South, and French Shores, to the vibrant Annapolis Valley, the scenic Truro area, and lively urban Halifax. Each route features easy-to-navigate turn-by-turn directions, as well as distance and duration of ride, and fun activities—like museums, hikes, beaches, and wineries—to explore along the way.
This compact, highly readable guidebook will find a happy home in the bike bags and backpacks of anyone who has ever dreamed of cycling in this beautiful province.
Sid the Kid and the Dryer A Story About Sidney Crosby
Artist: Brenda JonesPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$12.95A fresh and fun take on the younger years of hockey superstar Sidney Crosby, through an unlikely character: the dryer in the basement. Author Lesley Choice imagines the early life of W. P. (Whirpool) the dryer, now a popular attraction at the NS Sport Hall of Fame, as W.P. is hit with stray pucks while Sidney works on his shot in the basement. Vibrant artwork from illustrator Brenda Jones completes this imaginative tale.
It’s Not Just a Game My Journey From the Streets to Professional Basketball
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$13.95“Where I am today all started from the bottom. I want to tell the story of my journey from there to here.”Refusing to become a victim of his circumstances, Eric Crookshank went from a child counting his father’s drug money to a university graduate with a degree in business administration; from a benched teenager with dreams of conquering the basketball court to the captain of the National Basketball League of Canada’s Halifax Rainmen.Eric Crookshank has become a role model to a new generation of basketball players, both on and off the court. In this powerful story, Crookshank invites us to experience the highs and lows of his life so far as he overcomes adversity and grows into a leader.
Fire on Ice Why Saskatchawan Rules the NHL
Publisher: MacIntyre Purcell Publishing Inc.$19.95From current stars Jordan Eberle, Ryan Getzlaf, Jarret Stoll, and Brooks Laich to Hall of Famers and legends like Gordie Howe, Bryan Trottier, Elmer Lach, and Glenn Hall, this collection tells the personal histories of the greatest Saskatchewan hockey players. Saskatchewan produces more NHL hockey players per capita than any other place in the world, and Fire on Ice is the story of kids literally growing up skating on frozen sloughs, backyard rinks, and in small-town arenas. They turn the hard-working ethic of their backgrounds into the characteristics that make for great NHL players. Including 40 black-and-white photos, this historical look at hockey in Saskatchewan explains the reason why the province produces so much talent.
Wreck Hunter 2
$19.95Spend some time in the company of an adventurer. Experience the thrills, excitement and challenges associated with searching for shipwrecks and sunken treasure. The adventure continues into future unchartered areas of shipwreck exploration.
Blue Nose Marathon 10 Year Celebration Book
Publisher: Chronicle Herald$20.00A city that is perched on hills and juts into the ocean like the bow of a majestic ocean liner is a city worthy of a great marathon. A marathon is a celebration of athleticism, people and communities. It is a celebration of life. A marathon provides gifts that last far longer than the time it takes a runner to complete the course; it fuels the mind and improves the body. It feeds the soul.
Unstoppable: Halifax Brings Its First Memorial Cup To Moose Country
Publisher: Chronicle Herald$25.00The 2012/13 Halifax Mooseheads season will go down in Nova Scotia history as one of province’s greatest sporting accomplishments. To commentate this occasion, The Chronicle Herald has published a 92-page book that spans the 19-year history of Atlantic Canada’s first QMJHL team. A keepsake for all hockey fans, Unstoppable is filled with amazing stories and photos of past players and memories along with an in-depth look into the making of this season’s championship team.
Long Shots
$16.95Today, the National Hockey League holds a monopoly on professional hockey, at least on this side of the Atlantic. In the early 1900s, a host of professional, minor-pro, senior, junior, and college leagues competed across the continent. More than a decade remained before the Stanley Cup would become the sole property of the NHL. In this era, it was a challenge cup, and it seemed as though every Canadian town–big or small–had a fair shot at the big prize.
In these pre-NHL days, four teams from the Maritimes took up the challenge, competing for what was, even then, hockey’s biggest prize. The 1900 Halifax Crescents club was followed in 1906 by the New Glasgow Cubs, in 1912 by the Moncton Victorias, and in 1913 by the Sydney Millionaires. In Long Shots, author Trevor Adams traces the development of early hockey in the region and follows these four Maritime clubs that competed for hockey’s greatest prize, from their hard-fought victories and local celebrity, to their crushing disappointments.
Includes 25 historical photos and an appendix of statistics and standings.
Salt of the Turf
Publisher: Boularderie Island Press$19.95Nova Scotia’s 71st high school football season centres around the nationally recruited Shaun Robinson, a defensive end for the Citadel Phoenix, a team vying for their sixth straight championship. But the 2013 season is a vulnerable one for Citadel. Their lack of offensive firepower forces them to rely on their stout defense, anchored by Robinson–a player everyone in the league is trying to stop. At Citadel’s helm is Coach Mike Tanner, the most successful high school football coach in Canada, and winner of 21 provincial championships. As the 2013 season begins, two of Citadel’s rivals are trying to position themselves to knock off the champs. The C.P. Allen Cheetahs of Bedford have never beaten a Tanner team in their fifteen years. When the two teams meet under the Thursday night lights of the Cheetahs’ new field, all of Bedford comes out to watch a possible shift in the city’s football power. The other challengers are the Sir. John A. Flames, whose founding coach, Al Wetmore, is a Tanner prodigy and former CFL football player. Salt of the Turf chronicles the Citadel Phoenix during their 2013 season, highlighting the inspirational journey of its best player, and periodically looking back at the memorable legacy of a remarkable coach.
Like an Ever Rolling Stream
$19.95When two men head off on a weekend canoe trip in 1976, they have little idea of the epic journey they have launched upon. Over the next two decades their annual outings take them on explorations of the rivers, lakes and coastal regions of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, paddling from one hair-raising adventure to another. This is the often hilarious, frequently irreverent and always entertaining account of those trips.
Common Courtesy Makes Good Golfing Sense
$14.95Reminding ourselves that it’s just a game is of the utmost importance if we are to have success on the golf course. This self-improvement guide for amateur golfers is interspersed with thought-provoking quotations and clever cartoons making it an easy and delightful read.
