To tie the ship to its namesake, the Queen, a bronze statue of a young Elizabeth sits near the entrance and a portrait of her in modern times was commissioned for the vessel.

In 2004 the “Queen Mary II” visited Halifax.

?To sail on this vessel for 2 1/2 weeks is not really expensive ($4,000 to $11,335) for a trip aboard a “queen.”

Tourism Jobs in Nova Scotia

This year there are many important positions to be filled as Nova Scotia puts its best and brightest on the stage of world travel. Here are a few of the positions open:

- Clerk II, Travel Counsellor – Bilingual (Halifax Stanfield International Airport)

- Clerk II, Travel Counsellor (Amherst)

- Clerk II, Travel Counsellor (Digby)

- Clerk II, Travel Counsellor (Halifax Waterfront)

- Clerk II, Travel Counsellor (Peggy’s Cove)

- Clerk II, Travel Counsellor (Pictou)

- Clerk II, Travel Counsellor (Port Hastings)

In addition you can go to Tourism Talent.

From Scotia Cruises webpage

Eagles Came to Nova Scotia For Crustaceans

Eagles began appearing in Kings County during the winter months to graze the mudflats of the Bay of Fundy for shellfish. Since Eastern Kings County has  about 90% of the poultry producers in Nova Scotia the local farmers found they could get rid of dead chicken carcasses throwing the scraps out on the field for the eagles. Although a bird of prey, eagles will scavenge and the chickens were a welcome winter meal. Soon the birds learned when to gather for feeding times and they started showing up in big numbers. After a few years of this the annual Eagle Watch was set up.

Today the Sheffield Mills area holds the record for the largest winter population of Bald Eagles in North America.  in fact over 500 of the large birds have been sighted. In response this draws thousands of people from all over North America during the last week in January to the first two weeks of February.

Eagles Best Sighted at Designated Viewing Sites

Avid bird fanciers and those who are just curious can improve their chance of viewing the eagles if they visit the designated viewing site in the mornings. This is when the feeding takes place. To prepare for the viewing the local Community Centre prepares a delicious pancake and sausage breakfast along with great local music and a showing of Eagle-related exhibits.

Important Eagle Watching Notes (From www.eaglens.ca)

• During Eagle Watch the eagles are fed between 8:00am and 10:00am in the morning at the corner of Middle Dyke and Bains roads. A large pile of chicken is laid for them, however, please be advised that there is no “garauntee” the eagles will choose to feed at that time.
• Eagles are in the area from late November until early March.
• January and early February are the best months for viewing.
• Please drive safely avoiding sudden un-signalled stops.
• Highway shoulders are not as wide as they may appear. When ditches are filled with snow, leave at least half the width of your vehicle on the pavement.
• The Eagles are most plentiful during mid to late morning.
• Pick up a map indicating viewing sites.

We’ve had our first big snowstorm of the year (way behind New York and Boston) and it went most sideways. This is because we’ve been suffering through monumental winds from the beginning of the hurricane season and into winter. This is why Nova Scotia Highway Webcams are extremely important for safety on the highways.

Nova Scotia winters aren’t nearly as long or cold as those of Alberta but they are much different. The main reason for this is because in many areas of Alberta, as well as in most parts of Canada, the ground freezes before the snow arrives. This allows the snow to pack down on a frozen surface but not become packed into ice.

In many parts of Nova Scotia the ground rarely freezes solid so that the bottom layers of snow melt and are molded into ice sheets by the wind and traffic.  This is how black ice is created and Nova Scotia s famous for it. This is why so much salt is used on the roads here.

So before setting out in your vehicle (any vehicle)  in any kind of weather check the road webcams on the routes you wish to travel. Carry a shovel, extra warm clothes and a winter emergency kit that includes hand warmers, candles, blankets and flashlights. Because you never know when the road ahead might just suddenly become impassable and a long wait in your car for help becomes inevitable.

Tourism initiatives take a long time to deliver results but if stopped these benefits go downhill very quickly. The hard work of the late 1980′s and 1990′s bore such abundant fruit that members of later governments thought that funding could be cut back because the tourists were here already and would continue to come. However, without funding and the right people – ones with farsightedness that helped bring in Icelandair and the successful Sea Sell campaigns – the Nova Scotia tourism brand gets buried with the thousands of other destinations competing for the tourism dollars.

Whiting claims that the proposals the commission has received do not have the financial capacity needed to operate a ferry service. So a small, regional district organization has been in action but what have the government agencies been doing during the past 12 months?

The cost of keeping the previous ferry going while looking for a replacement was not insurmountable but the damage to South Shore tourism will take years to recover if and when a service does resume.

The Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia – TIANS – is presenting their 2010 Tourism Summit – The Power of Tourism – from November 28th – 30th at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax. As the largest tourism industry conference in Canada, this annual event is expected to attract more than 500 delegates and, besides the trade shows and meetings, will feature a keynote speakers, educational sessions and networking events.

(From the TIANS website)

Howard Putnam, Former CEO of the highly successful Southwest Airlines
Howard Putnam’s ultimate objective is “bottom line improvement.” He believes cultures that place “people” as their #1 priority have the greatest long-term impact and success.

Chip Madera, The Speaker with the Heart of Bold
An expert professional speaker and leadership authority, Chip Madera, MS, CSP “The Leadership LionTM,” challenges leaders to venture beyond their wildest expectations by opening minds, stirring hearts and inspiring action! He works with organizations and associations all over the world who want to maximize their motivation and performance potential.

William “Red Dog” Martin, Global Interactive Media Entrepreneur for P&G
Red Dog received his B.S. Chemical Engineering from Miami University (Ohio) in 1980.  He has received an Honorary Professor of Entrepreneurship from Thomas Page School of Business, Syracuse University and Oklahoma State University.  His working background consists of Manufacturing Process Engineering, Manufacturing Human Resources, Information Technology, Web Based Training Solutions and he is currently the Global Interactive Media Entrepreneur for Procter and Gamble.

Michele McKenzie – President & CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)
Michele McKenzie is the President & CEO of Canada’s national tourism marketing organization, the Canadian Tourism Commission.  The CTC markets and promotes Canada’s extraordinary travel experiences internationally to increase export revenues in Canada.  Michele joined CTC in 2004 and under her leadership, Canada’s new tourism marketing brand was developed and launched internationally. Michele served as Deputy Minister for Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture and Heritage and has been an active Director on several Boards over the course of her career.

The Honourable Percy Paris, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage
The Hounourable Percy Paris started out in Windsor, Nova Scotia. His education took him to Saint Mary’s University and Dalhousie University where he received his Bachelor of Arts. Minister Paris also attended Kings College for post-secondary education. Prior to Minister Paris’s political career, he was employed as Professor and Director of Dalhousie University’s Diversity Initiative.

John Somers
John is the Executive Director of the Tourism Division of the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage. John has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Saint Mary’s University and a MBA from Dalhousie University both in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After a period in pharmaceutical sales and with the Canadian Forces, John returned to University for his graduate degree and then began a new career in market research, joining the Department in that capacity in 1990. He was the Department’s first direct marketing officer and launched the first Provincial Tourism Marketing web site.
As in the past the three-day event culminates with the annual Crystal Tourism Awards of Excellence Gala Dinner, always an evening to remember.  In addition educational sessions will be interactive, provide timely information and best practices for operators.

Storm Pulse Updates

Yesterday in Nova Scotia bottled water is being stripped from grocery shelves and generators are becoming a scarce commodity. With Juan in mind the people of Nova Scotia are stocking up on non-perishables and preparing for a long-term loss of power.

Hurricane Earl strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm on Monday after ripping through the northeast Caribbean islands. It is expected to hit the U.S. East Coast tomorrow.

New York’s Long Island coast is now added to the list of areas under a tropical storm warning as Earl barrels toward the Eastern Seaboard. In addition, the National Hurricane Center also issued a hurricane watch Thursday for areas of Massachusetts and a tropical storm watch for other parts of the state and several places in Maine. This means travel advisories and evacuation preparations are in place for the American south Atlantic.

“I have, since 1969 . . .started to branch out from the money pit are with exploration and I have found evidence as much as 180 meters away from the money pit area where . . .people have worked deep in the ground.”

Dan Blankenship – partner in an ownership group of Oak Island.

Dan Blankenship is a very patient man. How patient, you may ask? Try waiting 41 years for a permit to dig for the lost Oak Island treasure. What is invigorating for Blankenship is that the province of Nova Scotia plans to repeal the outdated Treasure Trove Act and create an Oak Island Act and enable him to finally begin digging for the elusive treasure

What the province wants to nip in the bud is the growing legion of treasure hunters who are pillaging the watery graves of ships, many of which are classed as War Graves. With the new act is still in the works so Blankenship is still not convinced that it will be his golden ticket to the elusive Oak Island Treasure. However, at least there is movement in his direction and he will know the details in the early fall.

For more information on the history of the Oak Island Treasure go to Oak Island Legend.