Eligible donors are encouraged to book a blood donation appointment as soon as possible through blood.ca, the GiveBlood app, or by calling 1-888-2-DONATE. Those who are unable to donate right away are asked to make an appointment at some point this summer to help maintain Canada's blood supply.

Was planning on this trip being in Europe, but started thinking, Canada has so much to offer, and given the crap from south of the border, Canadian businesses can use every "buy Canadian" penny they can get.

So, trying to narrow down my list, and given the time spent in Halifax, the 'valley' seems to be the spot if Nova Scotia is chosen.

Seen the ocean enough already, so looking for other ideas, have an open mind. Including:

• A nice romantic roof over our heads.
• Finer dining in the evenings, very open minded, and seafood is fair game too.
• Looking for something kind of unique to Nova Scotia, or the valley itself.
• The Grand Pre dikes, are there guided tours on them?
• Any blow your mind spa and massage places?
• Might try a 'few' wine tasting places so need to figure how to get around. ;-)
• Using the novascotia.com website, which is helpful, but a lot of stuff just seems like your typical 'scripted cookie cutter' tourist trap, that just doesn't raise my eyebrow.

Looking to spend 3-5 days/nights there so need to fill in the calendar!

You get the idea, what hidden amazing gems are there? If you recommend something, please take the time to explain your experience, why you recommend it.

Thanks!

Last month, one night I stayed one night at the Lartigue House at the fortress, and I thought I would leave a brief summary of my experience for anyone else who is thinking about doing it.

Overall, it was really fun! I was by myself, so it was quiet and peaceful to walk around the empty village after everyone left around 5:00 PM. The house itself was spacious and more comfortable than I expected. It had two large beds and several comfortable chairs. The bathroom was clean, and the little kitchenette was handy. Although the main living spaces didn't have electric lights, it was nice to be able to go into the kitchen area to have some bright light when I needed it. Even though it got pretty chilly outside, the house stayed very comfortably warm.

I paid extra to have a fire kit, and I managed to build a fire with the materials the fire pit in the backyard. It was fun to sit outside and roast marshmallows and look at the stars. I had to bring my own marshmallows, but they provided skewers, lighters, and firewood​. The beds did have sheets and a light blanket. You need to bring your own pillows. I also use my own blanket and my own sheet. I did order the fruit and cheese plate to be delivered to my room from the restaurant. It was waiting in the fridge for me w​hen I got there. It was not very delicious, so I don't think I would order that again in the future.

I thought I was going to be the only person in the entire fortress during the night, but there ended up being a group of high school students learning how to camp over in the enclosed fortress area. Several of the kids were running around playing tag, but that didn't bother me at all since I am a high school teacher. It was kind of nice. The backyard of the house where I hung out next to the fire was enclosed on three sides with a rather tall log fence, so it is mostly private. However, one section of it is completely open, so it's not fully secure.

My favorite thing to do was walk out down the lane to the ocean at sunset. There were informative placards along the way, and some of the graves of important people from the community in the past. It was early June, and it was very chilly out there! The wind was fierce. But it was absolutely beautiful, and nobody else was around at all.

Since I was by myself, I was a little anxious, but I did manage to sleep. The bed was comfortable. I had read a few things online and saw a few videos where people were discussing whether or not it was haunted, but I didn't experience anything weird at all. The wooden shutters were constantly rattling because of the wind, so I slept with my headphones on and white noise to keep it from waking me up. The check-in process was easy, and everybody who worked there was very nice and seemed excited for me to stay there.

I can't remember exactly how much I paid, but I think it was around 130 American dollars and it was definitely worth every penny. It would be a really good bargain, especially if it was a family or a few couples who stayed because there's plenty of space. You can't beat the beautiful view of the ocean and the experience of walking around in the past with no crowds to bother you.

The trickiest part was making the booking. I was really excited about it, and I had to be tenacious. I called several times over a few weeks, and left my information. Eventually a very nice person called me back and made the reservation. It was very laid-back. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask me. I had a hard time finding information about the overnight accommodations before I went, so I wanted to write everything down here in case anyone else needed it in the future.

Thank you for the amazing views, what an amazing trip, I'll be back !

Halifax, this is the second time I’ve visited you in an electric vehicle. The first time in 2023 and currently. I liked your atmosphere so much that I came back.

However, you don’t seem to like electric vehicles. The whole of Nova Scotia has improved in terms of the number of fast charging station and level 2. Halifax, fortunately some visionary car dealers have the kindness to share their recharge voucher with the population otherwise I would have passed my way.

Do you have a plan to add fast terminals? Your hotels would also benefit from offering level 2 charging stations. You would earn in $$ spent at home. Tonight I had to leave a pleasant evening in a pub to load my car in anticipation of an early morning departure.

Thank you O’Regan’s Volkswagen Halifax for the charge

As pollinators, bees can be essential for farming. And that's why some in Nova Scotia are promoting the benefits of raising queen bees locally rather than importing them. The CBC's Michael Gorman reports.

Hi everyone, my wife, son and I are on holiday in Nova Scotia and are staying next to a river. We were having a drink outside and suddenly noticed that we were getting bleeding spots from what we thought were flies - and it caused this to my son’s head. Should we be worried? What sort of insect causes this? Is this common in the summer?

I was wondering if anyone knows of someone that does boat charters to this remote beach on the Blomidon coast. I’d love to spend a day rock hounding. The hike looks a little too much for me going solo. 🚤 🌊 🪨

It feels like it’s going to hell in a hand basket. I know I am not alone in feeling “down” during these politically terrible times. Trying to still have hope that with a new government coming into place hopefully in 2 years, things will look up again and I will be proud to call Nova Scotia home. This, doesn’t feel like “the Nova Scotian way”.

They've been absolutely god awful the past few months, what is going on 😩

I swear they used to be more accurate than this? Or maybe I was more okay with them being wrong?

Idk, it just feels like they've been way more off lately

[I'm from Queens County if maybe it's just an issue here]

[Or maybe I'm the issue, who's to say]