NovaScotia.com Launches New Nova Scotia Map Tool

The Province of Nova Scotia has once again turned to Google Earth to help visitors locate attractions and accommodations in Nova Scotia.

Planning a Nova Scotia vacation just became even easier with the launch of a new Nova Scotia map tool on novascotia.com.

Through an imbedded Google Maps application, visitors to the site can now pinpoint the exact location of participating accommodations, Nova Scotia attractions, festivals and events, sites of outdoor activities and tour operators around this maritime province.

The new feature will help visitors to plan a trip to Nova Scotia by offering driving directions from anywhere in North America. Now visitors can plan itineraries based on the places they would like to visit, and the routes they’d like to take in getting there. It will offer vacation planners another tool to find Nova Scotia hotels, resorts and other accommodations within proximity to attractions and events.

The maps will also allow travellers to view an enlarged satellite image of destinations, giving them the ability to recognize specific landmarks or zoom out for a broader view. Place markers may include additional information on a destination, such as contact information. As well, the printer-friendly version of the map and directions will assist visitors while on the road and navigating to their destination within Nova Scotia.

For the province’s tourism operators, the new Google Maps application will help direct visitors to their businesses when searching for Nova Scotia vacation ideas, accommodations, attractions and more in specific areas.

For more information about planning a vacation, or to use the new Nova Scotia map feature, visit www.novascotia.com.

About the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage:
Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture and Heritage is responsible for promotion of this maritime province on Canada's Atlantic Coast, using interactive tools and online education to assist visitors in learning about the province and planning Nova Scotia vacations, including colourful videos and eye-catching photos.

For more information, including interviews, please contact:
Randy Brooks
Tourism, Culture and Heritage
Phone: 902-424-4171
E-mail: rbrooks@gov.ns.ca

White Point Beach Resort

White Point Beach Resort, located on the South Shore, offers Just For Women Weekends - rest, relax, rejuvenate and have fun! Tempt your taste buds with "Off the Vine" wine or cocktail samplings. Get pampered with a massage and facial in the Ocean Spa. Enjoy a three-course dinner overlooking the sea. Unwind in front of the fire with a good book and a specialty coffee. Take a care-free stroll along the beach ... the weekend is just for you and the gals - you can do it all or do nothing!
Discover the Northumberland Shore with the warmest waters north of the Carolina’s. Explore the earliest examples of social behaviour on earth at the new Joggins Fossil Centre! Overnight in an original train car at the Train Station Inn in Tatamagouche. Take the gals and find unique organic treats at the Tatamagouche Creamery Farmer’s Market or indulge and sink your teeth into delicious maple treats at Sugar Moon Farm. Refresh with local blueberries - Nova Scotia is the leading processor of wild blueberries in the world and second leading producer, and gals know that blueberries have higher levels of anti-oxidants than any other fruit or vegetable making it extremely healthy and popular internationally… and they taste great too!
One Life Surf School is Eastern Canada's first women's surf school offering instruction for both groups and individuals. Inspired by the ocean, One Life Surf School has been spearheaded by a collective of women who love surfing. Services include environmental workshops, surf camps, apparel, professional development, leadership training, and self-care such as massage therapy, yoga, and reiki therapy. The sky is the limit! One Life Surf School is about unity, empowerment, education, respect, laughter, salty hair, sand between your toes, happiness, creativity, and so much more!
Nova Scotia is a golf haven for women - beginners and experts alike! Choose from over 60 golf courses throughout the province, where classic designs and contemporary layouts combine championship depth, diversity and pure golfing pleasure … for the ladies! Several courses are now offering women’s only tournaments, weekends and lessons, all accompanied by high quality accommodations and spectacular dining options!
The Annapolis Valley area is rich in agriculture … so no great surprise that it is a fabulous destination for experiencing a ‘taste of Nova Scotia’ with your girlfriends … from the slow food movement at The Port in Port Williams to the sensational temptations at The Tempest Restaurant to picking your own lobster to dine on at the Hall’s Harbour Lobster Pound to handpicking the tastiest Honeycrisp apple at Stirling Fruit Farms … the options are endless! Add to that a wine and chocolate tasting at Gaspereau Vineyard or Stutz Hard Apple Cider & Foxhill Cheese on the pergola at Domain de Grand Pre …. our 8 wineries have garnered international acclaim for their efforts and passion!

content from Nova Scotia Tourism, www.novascotia.com

Family Fun in Nova Scotia

As Nova Scotia’s premiere fun destination, Upper Clements Park delivers thrilling rides, amazing wildlife and delightful family entertainment all in an enjoyable outdoor atmosphere. Nestled in a beautiful Annapolis Valley forest in Nova Scotia, you can soar through the treetops on our exciting wooden rollercoaster or create your own big splash by plunging down our own big flume-ride. Crash and bump in our bumper boats or whirl down a huge waterslide. It’s all here! The Parks also includes a Theme Park, a Wildlife & Picnic Park.
At Ross Farm Museum you will learn about what life was like on a Nova Scotian farm between 100 and 175 years ago, Ross Farm is typical of the many small farms that existed throughout Nova Scotia when the province was still being settled. See heritage animals up-close such as Canadian horses, oxen and Berkshire pigs. Or take part in workshops including nature walks, woodworking, blacksmithing and candle making.
Marvel at the Bay of Fundy and witness the highest tides of the world - on top of them by Tidal Bore Rafting. From on top of 200metre high cliffs watch the tide rise over 16 metres. Discover the rare phenomenon created when competing currents collide It’s a one-of-a-kind adventure vacation experience to ride a tidal bore. The cresting waves become your personal roller coaster.
Check out the Whale Watching Interpretative Centre in Pleasant Bay … then hop on board one of several whale watching operators in the area and check out the whales in the bay up close and personal!
Run wild with the wildlife at the Oaklawn Farm Zoo. A fun adventure for all ages, Oaklawn Farm Zoo boasts the largest display of Big Cats and Primates in Eastern Canada, and much more. Home and birthplace of Rutledge, the Worlds Largest Lion, Oaklawns 50-acre zoo offers a relaxing atmosphere in a country like setting. Oaklawn Farm Zoo features a
large variety of endangered and threatened species of exotic, native and domestic breeds of animals.
Tag a lobster on an educational, research-based experience with Lobsterman Tours. Discover first hand, the salty history of charming Lunenburg, Nova Scotia (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) by experiencing the life of a Lobster Fisherman! This is an entertaining and educational experience and an absolute must if you are visiting Nova Scotia!
Your tour takes you to the fishing grounds for the hauling of the lobster traps! Along the way you'll learn about lobsters and lobster fishing from the professional crew. The tour is a 'hands-on educational science' with an onboard marine biologist and a touch tank featuring lobsters, crabs, and other marine creatures.
From cultural fetes to music festivals, Nova Scotia vacations with a festive edge abound. Tour our maritime province, taking in authentic Nova Scotia cuisine, dancing to Celtic folk music, exploring your Nova Scotia genealogy or delighting in a parade check out the highlights below of Nova Scotia Signature Events you won’t want to miss!
• October is Pumpkin Fest in the Annapolis Valley - a month of food, fun and family events to celebrate our harvest season. Join us for Pumpkin fun, Pumpkin food, Pumpkin art and fresh Valley Pumpkins! Visit our website for to discover the many events and tastes along the Pumpkin path. Drive to the Valley and become part of the Giant Fun!
• Bring your sand bucket and imagination to the Clam Harbour Beach Sandcastle & Sculpture Contest.
• Dino Daze - Celebrate this 'Dino' namic Day in Parrsboro by making dino goo, dino pins and rock crafts and by looking at real dinosaur bones and dino droppings! Join us for a lunch of t-rex fingers, dinocake and swamp water!
• The Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition features something for everyone. Professional music artists, motorsports, harness racing and local entertainers are featured along with traditional agricultural displays and competitions.
We also host the largest midway in Nova Scotia. Bring your family and friends for a full day of agricultural education, great food and lots of family entertainment.
• In Jeddore Oyster Pond, the Pirate Festival begins September 19th with an "International Talk Like A Pirate Day" dinner and continues all day Saturday with "Pirates on Parade" street parade, Pirate boat sail-by, musket and cannon fire competitions, pirate sea and land battles and games for young and old buccaneers.

content from Nova Scotia Tourism, www.novascotia.com

Yarmouth Airport to Get Scheduled Air Service in February

Looks like Yarmouth will be getting some regular scheduled air service starting in February. This is some great news to this area of the province.

Launch event planned at airport Tuesday to introduce public to new air service
By Tina Comeau

THE VANGUARD

The public is being invited to the Yarmouth airport on Tuesday, Jan. 20 to learn more about the new scheduled air service that will be starting up next month.

Starting in February the Quebec-based company Starlink Aviation is going to be offering air service that will be based in Yarmouth and flying to and from Portland and Halifax. The intention is to offer two daily flights Monday through Friday.

A flight schedule has been worked out. An 18-seater Jetstream 31 turboprop aircraft will depart daily from Yarmouth at 7:30 a.m. and arrive in Halifax at 8:14 a.m. It will depart Halifax at 8:40 a.m. and arrived back in Yarmouth at 9:30 a.m.

The first trip to Portland leaves from Yarmouth at 9:50 a.m., arriving an hour and eight minutes later at its Maine destination. The return flight arrives back in Yarmouth at 12:43 p.m.

The second trip of the day to Halifax will leave at 1:10 p.m. and arrive at 1:54 p.m. The aircraft leaves Halifax on its return trip to Yarmouth at 4:45 p.m., arriving at 5:35 p.m. It flies back to Portland at 6:05 p.m.

The return flight from Portland arrives in Yarmouth a couple of minutes before 9 p.m.

One-way tickets prices – which are in Canadian dollars and exclusive of taxes – are $159 between Yarmouth and Halifax. The fare is $249 for trips between Portland and Halifax. The cost to fly between Yarmouth and Portland is $199.

Tuesday’s roll out of the service at the airport gets underway with a 9:30 a.m. press conference involving dignitaries and company officials. Glen Lynch, CEO of Starlink Aviation, will be in attendance.

In the afternoon – following a lunch with the hotel and hospitality community – a session is planned for local business people.

Part of Tuesday’s launch includes a session open to the public from 10 a.m. to noon, when people are invited to come to the airport and gather information about the new service.

“They’ll get to talk with people, pick up information and data, flight schedules, chat with the airline, learn how to book flights,” says Jeff Munroe, development director for the Yarmouth airport.

A similar launch event was held in Portland on Monday, Jan. 12 and another is planned in Halifax on Jan. 21.

“We’re already getting piles and piles of people calling us and calling the airline about how to book,” Monroe says. “It’s been amazing. We’ve got the fishermen contacting us about wanting to go to the Boston seafood show. We’ve got people wanted to do fam (tourism familiarization) tours. We’ve got people wanting to book out of Portland to go to Florida. It’s just been crazy, but it’s been crazy good.”

The only thing missing from Tuesday’s event will be the aircraft itself. The plane that will be based in Yarmouth is still being readied for its relocation here.

As for a start-up date of the air service, that has yet to be finalized. The company behind the service is still in the process of getting final Transport Canada approvals, which, could be in place by the end of the week.

There are also invited exhibitors that will be participating at Tuesday’s event, these include: Portland Jetport, Halifax Stanfield Airport, Portland Chamber of Commerce, Portland Convention and Visitors Bureau, Portland Downtown District, Mermaid Transportation, Concord Trailways, Maine Tourism Association, White Mountain Attractions, Bay Ferries, Destination Halifax, Nova Scotia Tourism and Nova Scotia Business Inc.

“FREE” Things To Do In Nova Scotia

1 Watch the tidal bore come in and experience the highest tides in the world
2 Comb our beaches for sanddollars, clam shells, periwinkles and more!
3 Pick your own apples … Cortlands, MacIntosh, Honeycrisp, Jonagold …
4 Climb the rocks at Peggy’s Cove to the only post office in Canada operating in a lighthouse!
5 Join in a family square dance in Glencoe Mills!
6 Provincial parks throughout the province offer free access to hiking trails, picnic sites and beaches.
7 Access lighthouses like Cape d’Or near Advocate Harbour, Cape Forchu in Yarmouth or Peggy’s Cove
with the only post office in a lighthouse!

content from Nova Scotia Tourism, www.novascotia.com

Nova Scotia International Air Show NSIAS 2009

New year, new location...
The 2009 Nova Scotia Internationl Air Show is on the move. Over the last few years the show has had its share of complications when it has been held at the Stanfield International Airport ( YHZ ). The decision has been made to try relocating the show to see if things work out better in Yarmouth.

The Nova Scotia International Air Show is on the move. After a very challenging year that saw hurricanes steal most of the Show from the fans, NSIAS is relocating for 2009 to a venue that offers more opportunity to display the very best event possible with less risk.

The Yarmouth Airport will host the Show on September 12 and 13 in 2009. With its history of successful Shows in the 80's and 90's and after a very good event last September, NSIAS has decided to make Yarmouth its home for this year. The venue allows freedom of air space that is not possible in the busy skies over Halifax Stanfield International Airport. It also has ample parking on-site and a community infrastructure in accommodations, services and volunteers that will lend itself to a very successful event.

The full line-up of our major Canadian Show will attend in September, including the CF Snowbirds, CF SkyHawks and CF-18 Demo. United States participation has been approved and we anticipate the return of the USAF A-10 Thunderbolt II and for the first time, the USN F/A-18F Super Hornet. We are very excited that our popular Canadian Army "Camp Canada" will be on the ground with its interactive displays. We have hit a home run with our civilian line-up for this year as well. The enormously popular Flash Fire Jet Truck will return - and they are not coming alone - teamed with two world-class aerobatic performers, the jet truck completes "Team Chaos", a four-performance tour-de-force that features a final act that will leave the crowd stunned and amazed.

We are extremely excited to present some important heritage aircraft to help celebrate the Canadian Centennial of Flight. The "Hawk One" project will bring its F-86 Sabre, in Golden Hawks markings to the Show for a thrilling solo demonstration and combined heritage flight. NSIAS will also be the final stop on the "Back to Baddeck" cross-country tour of several vintage aircraft being organized by the Canadian Aeronautical Preservation Association (CAPA).