Businesses and events are opening up and the summer is approaching fast. While we are proceeding with caution, we are looking forward to seeing more people in the weeks and months to come.
In the next few months, we’ll be hosting a few events of our own. This includes our Annual General Meeting, which celebrates our activities over the past year. We’ve seen a tremendous recovery in our service and expect a return to growth in the year to come.
Our AGM will be on Friday, June 3rd starting at 11 a.m. with lunch to follow. It will be a hybrid meeting to accommodate those that wish to attend online. If you are interested in attending, please let us know.
For the past few years, we have looked for ways to avoid large gatherings. However, with the return of nice weather and the removal of gathering limits, we intend to bring back a family favourite in June. The Family Picnic is back on Monday, June 6th from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.!
For those that never had the chance to experience this event, it is a blend of fun, food and literacy for the whole family. We will have books and reading materials for all ages, activities to get you moving as a group and a pizza dinner to enjoy together, either on the lawn or at home. It’s a great chance to connect with other families and spend some quality time together.
Open East Hants is a unique opportunity for residents and visitors of East Hants to celebrate our local business community. Businesses that register for this event open their doors to the public and invite the community into their place of business to share their products and services. This collective “Open House” event makes it easy for people to experience everything East Hants has to offer, so that they become ambassadors of our area by getting acquainted with the people who work and play here. IT’S FREE TO PARTICIPATE!
Tell other businesses – the more the merrier. It’s easy, free and available to everyone. The sooner you sign up, the more chances at promotion you will have. Businesses can sign up here. OPEN EAST HANTS DAY CONTEST!
There will be a passport contest as in the past to encourage people to get out on the day and visit the businesses. This year there will be 2 prizes! Valued at $150 each – the winner’s choice of participating businesses. POP-UP MARKETS (Elmsdale Community Garden will not have fresh produce at these locations – same name, different events)
Don’t have a storefront? Participate in one of the Pop-up Markets (10am – 3pm):
Elmsdale Pop-Up: Riverview United Church, 760 Hwy #2, Elmsdale, NS
Shubenacadie Pop-Up: Shubenacadie Professional Centre, 5 Mill Village Road, Shubenacadie, NS
Nine Mile River Pop-Up: Nine Mile River Community Hall, 7160 Hwy #14, Nine Mile River, NS
Milford Pop-Up: Milford Recreation Centre, 2288 Hwy #2, Milford, NS
Need ideas?
Have a draw for a prize
Run a special promotion
Give away fun items or treats
Have a fundraiser for your favorite local charity
Invite a home-based business friend along
To register, fill out the registration form online. Any questions?
Contact the East Hants & Districts Chamber of Commerce:
phone: 902-883-1010
e-mail: info@ehcc.ca
Fare Assistance Program is Back!
We are pleased to announce the return of a program that will help low income individuals and families looking to access transportation. The Fare Assistance Program will be back with modifications. The adjusted rates are between $5 and 50% of the normal cost of longer trips. Stay tuned for a complete list of details on the Community Rider website.
If you know someone that struggles to afford the cost of transportation, get in touch with the Community Rider at:
The Elmsdale Community Garden is already brimming with life, if you know where to look. We have two cold frames on our garden boxes, and box #11 at the front is already packed with greens ready to eat. Feel free to drop by and help yourself. Don’t forget to send off a quick e-mail to elmsdalecommunitygarden@gmail.com to let us know how many you fed.
May is a month of transition for us, as we shift from indoor activities to more focus on the garden and the outdoors. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for upcoming events and activities.
Never Miss Garbage Day Again
and Enter to Win $100
Tired of peeking at your neighbours’ bins to figure out what to put out on garbage day? Holidays have you confused? East Hants has an app and up until May 2nd, you can enter to win $100 for using it.
To enter, download the “Waste Wizard East Hants” app on your mobile device. Select the trophy icon and enter in your details. A winner will be selected on May 3rd.
Eligibility includes a current East Hants residential civic address (vacation properties are included) and being 19 years of age or older.
One of the biggest challenges of cooking is to keep things fresh and interesting. We all have our favourites, but there’s a world of food out there. For each month, I will share an interesting recipe from somewhere around the world. I hope you will try it out.
This month’s recipe: Crab Cakes
Country of Origin: United States
The idea of seafood in patty-form has been around for a long time. It is a handy way to freshen up leftover fish and potatoes to finish them off. However, when it comes to crab cakes, it has been suggested that the Chesapeake tribe is the origin of this East Coast staple.
Ingredients: (makes 6 large crab cakes)
FOR THE CRAB CAKES
2 large eggs
2½ tablespoons mayonnaise
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup finely diced celery, from one stalk
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 pound crab meat
½ cup panko
Vegetable or canola oil, for cooking
FOR THE QUICK TARTAR SAUCE
1 cup mayonnaise
1½ tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
FOR THE CRAB CAKES
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko; using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat.
Shape into 6 cakes (each about ½ cup) and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and coat with oil. When the oil is hot, place the crab cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
FOR THE QUICK TARTAR SAUCE
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, onion, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Share your pictures with us and we’ll have another recipe for you to try next month. Enjoy!
