WINDSOR, N.S. — Cheers to Annapolis Valley youth who are pursuing their dreams and making a splash on a provincial, national and even international scale.
From athletes to artists, Hants and Kings counties have some incredibly talented young people to be proud of.
Take Drake Batherson, for example. The 24-year-old Ottawa Senators winger from New Minas was one of two Nova Scotians named to Team Canada to play in the 2022 IIHF World Hockey Championship in Finland. (The other Nova Scotian is Ryan Graves, from Yarmouth.)
Batherson, who was drafted at age 19, has had a steady and growing local fan base since his early days playing junior A hockey with the Valley Wildcats and then with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Even as a youth involved in the Acadia minor hockey program, some early fans say you could tell he’d be a star.
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When interviewed for this paper in 2017, he said it was his goal to play in the NHL.
He’s a perfect example of what one can accomplish if they work hard and dedicate themselves to being the best they can be.
And how about The Gilberts? The melodic trio from Hants County just won Folk Recording of the Year at the 2022 East Coast Music Awards.
This isn’t the first time they’ve been recognized by musicians and industry peers.
Their debut album, The Gilberts: One, received a 2021 Canadian Folk Music Award in the Young Performers of the Year category.
The Gilbert siblings — Frieden, Reuben and Maisie — have a unique sound and are certainly among Canada’s up-and-coming artists.
Like Batherson, we’ve watched The Gilberts grow up in front of our eyes. They’ve taken the stage at countless local events, including Hants County Christmas Angels, for several years.
They’re continually honing their craft and the recent accolades are proof they’re well on their way to becoming household names.
Kudos to these young people for pursuing their dreams and serving as role models to others.
Jeers to pet owners who still need to be reminded not to leave their beloved four-legged friends locked inside a vehicle on a hot day.
Surely this should be common sense.
But it’s not.
The dangers associated with leaving a living being inside a vehicle on a warm day are very real.
Every year, RCMP officers and animal cruelty organizations are called to rescue animals locked inside vehicles that are showing signs of distress. Often, it’s too late to save the animal. These situations are entirely avoidable.
Jo-Anne Landsburg, the chief provincial inspector at the Nova Scotia SPCA, said leaving a window cracked open or parking in the shade makes little difference. The temperature inside a vehicle rises dramatically, often proving fatal.
“The only thing that will do is give you a false feeling that your pet is protected,” Landsburg said recently. “Even on a mild day, it does not provide enough circulation to prevent the interior temperature from quickly becoming dangerous.”
If you wouldn’t feel comfortable sitting in that heat, why would a pet?
While the alternative is to leave the vehicle running with the air conditioning going, that’s not ideal for the environment or your pocketbook.
With temperatures already soaring, the safest option is to leave your pet at home if you’re planning an outing that doesn’t include pet-friendly businesses.
If you can’t figure that out, perhaps you shouldn’t be in charge of an animal’s welfare.
