Meet Digby's new influencer
Jake Croft is so important to the town of Digby, the mayor brought him birthday greetings.
Beyond being municipally famous (some have asked if he plans to run for mayor this fall), his appearance in photos delight Facebook fans
He loves to greet newcomers to the Nova Scotia community.
Strangers call out to him by name.
Jake, a mixed-breed rescue dog, hasn't let it get to his head, but he does seem to enjoy the extra human attention and so do the humans who've made him a celebrity.
“He is so very handsome, very kind and a delightful companion. Jake and his ‘Momma’ Marion have a unique, proactive way of keeping us connected in these difficult times,” Kristy Herron told SaltWire's Tina Comeau about the canine's social media presence.
“Each day Jake strikes a thoughtful pose next to a community landmark, so we can all experience our beautiful and dynamic community.”
Riding the roads with Ruby and Reno
Meet Mike, a 64-year-old human, and Ruby, an eight-year-old golden retriever, and Reno, a four-year-old golden doodle.
The P.E.I. trio ride a Spyder motorcycle -- with a dog-approved trailer -- and bring joy and comfort to many Islanders.
They've logged tens of thousands of road miles and made countless stops for swims and ice cream.
"Ruby and Reno are not only (Mike) Doucette's two best friends, they are also service dogs so they are often invited out to hospitals and seniors’ homes to help perk people up," The Guardian's Dave Stewart reports.
“When they saw them pull up, it was nothing but smiles,’’ nursing home activities director Christina Linton told Stewart, said, referring to Ruby and Reno’s arrival.
"I mean, who has ever seen dogs in a motorcycle before wearing goggles and helmets? It was a wonderful day.’’
Meet the motorbiking family of three.
Wells running dry
For the third time in five years, drought conditions are drying up residential wells in Shelburne and Yarmouth counties in Nova Scotia.
SaltWire meteorologist Cindy Day says it’s been one of the driest and warmest summers so far in the western region of Nova Scotia.
“In fact, June was the driest month on record” with only 16.3 mm of rain recorded for the entire month of June by Environment Canada in Yarmouth. Record-keeping began in 1880, Day tells SaltWire's Kathy Johnson.
In Shelburne, only 38.4 mm of rain was recorded by Environment Canada in June and at Western Head, Queens County, 40.6 mm. July wasn’t much better.
With the number of residential wells going dry on the increase, local Emergency Measures Organizations (EMO) in Shelburne and Yarmouth counties have arranged for public water access through various means.
Silver screen strife
Longing to go out and see those blockbuster summer movies (or, at least, the ones that have been released given the current Holywood climate)?
Theatre-goers in Grand Falls-Windsor, N.L., are feeling the same yen, eager to break up the monotony of self-isolation.
That's why, late last month, the Classic Theatre in that community showed its first movie since the COVID-19 pandemic forced its shutdown in March.
But, as with many small theatres in the region, public health measures are restricting the 220-seat theatre's ability to draw crowds and turn profits.
As SaltWire's Nicholas Mercer reports, co-owners Shawn and Jackie Feener hope an online petition will sway the provincial government's decision to limit capacity to just 23 per cent, or about 50 movie attendees.
“We’re here with this little business, it's all we got, and we’re here paying the price. I mean, I can understand it if you want to drop the hammer on me. Well, do, it. Just drop it on everybody," says Shawn Feener.
Click through to find out why the Feeners are taking the film frustration public.
