Step into Bear River Vineyards and enter a cooly authentic ambiance replete with stone walls, an old world feel and a warm welcome from co-owner Peggy Hawes, who will proudly show you around her winery. Its distinctly European feel is combined with an emphasis on "green" energy techniques, including a gravity fed winemaking process, photo voltaic solar panels and home made bio-diesel fuel. They even offer "Greener Energy Workshops"! Of course, no visit would be complete without a taste of their  2008 Black Fly Pinot Noir, which won a bronze at the Professional Sommeliers Atlantic Chapter Awards. Another regional gem! Check out the winery's unique green practices at: http://www.wine.travel/green_energy.html. They are located at 133 Chute Road in Bear River.

Annapolis Highland Vineyards' retail outlet in Bear River East is a delight. Artfully decorated in terra cotta tones, it features not only their gold medal wines, but a fine selection of Nova Scotia condiments, craft items and collectables. Karen or Brendan Enright will be happy to take you on a tour their winery, which has produced vintages that were awarded 2 golds, a silver and a bronze at the All-Canadian Wine Championships earlier this year, a first for an Atlantic Canadian Winery! The winery and its wines are regional gems, not to be missed by ourselves and our visitors. They are located at 2635 Clementsvale Road. Preview the experience here.

In every mall, shopping centre or community, there is generally a business designated as the  "anchor tenant", which serves as the entity's main attraction or "anchor". You will note that every mall has a Sobeys, Sears, Superstore or Zellers to attract customers. From there, buyers fan out to other stores to complete their shopping experience. 

For Bear River, consultant Roger Brooks states that the anchor tenant is the renowned gallery, Flight of Fancy. Brooks went so far as to say that it is one of the finest commercial galleries he has ever visited, and coming from someone who makes their living traveling the world assessing tourism destinations, that's saying a lot.   

Recently I checked out the gallery's new arrivals, and was awe-struck, as always. On display were works by a Bear River area artist specializing in elegant carved wooden shoes less than 2 inches high, each crafted from one perfect piece of yew. Meticulously laquered and laced, an individually framed set of nine pieces forms an incredibly sophisticated arrangement. World class offerings, courtesy of a Bear River business.  

During his presentation last year, one of the things Roger Brooks kept telling us we needed to do was "take it up a notch". By so doing, we would put ourselves on the same tier as provincial icons known for their successful beautification, such as Mahone Bay.  

Myrtle & Rosie's Shoppe in Bear River was one of the businesses mentioned in the Brooks Report, in which he said of them, "Great job. Good sign". Many businesses would have been content to receive such praise and would have left it at that. But Myrtle & Rosie's Shoppe took it up a notch (or two!), as you can see in their 2010 photo as compared to 2009. More planters and the addition of two delightful, welcoming wooden figures in period costume add to the business' charm and increase "curb appeal". Well done! 

A few buildings in Bear River have recently been transformed from drab to fab! The Cherry Brook Grocery looks shiny and new thanks to a paintjob and some planters. The Rusted Bucket now welcomes patrons with attractive signage and welcoming flags. Kudos to these businesses for helping to make the Village of Bear River a more beautiful place to live, work and visit.

Back in mid-May, the much beloved Bear River Windmill was demolished due to safety concerns. Regrets were more than sentimental. After all, the windmill had housed the Bear River Visitor Information Centre, and the 2010 summer season was fast approaching. Another venue had to be found and prepared, and quickly.

Volunteers stepped up to the plate. A portion of the Oakdene Centre was renovated to house the new VIC. Inside, an impressive counter area was constructed from recycled old doors, a small gallery area featuring local art and handicraft items was created, a display featuring Native Mi'kmaq items has pride of place in the centre of the VIC,  and attractive stands for brochures and rack cards were installed. This is an amazing story of successful community adaptation, and a lesson in what can quickly happen when committed volunteers work together. 

Buried in the Woods, Sawmill Ghost Towns of Nova Scotia is a new book by Bear River native Mike Parker. It explores the fates of towns which thrived during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as centres of the then-booming lumber and shipbuilding industries. Towns such as Minudie, Conquerall, Coote Cove and Lake Jolly may indeed be "buried in the woods" and forgotten, but not another thriving town from that era when wood was king - Bear River.

Bear River is one of those few sawmill towns which successfully reinvented itself, and continues to do so today. An artists' haven for decades, this industry sector continues through good times and bad. In the past several years, vineyards and wineries have sprung up, taking advantage of the area's unique terroir. The new farmers' market is giving the village another opportunity for economic growth. The past several weeks have witnessed streetscape improvements and beautification not seen for some time. Bravo, Bear River! You have shown that your conception as a "Sawmill Town" was only the beginning. And the story continues...