Having recently returned from a cruise symposium in Saguenay, Quebec, I was overwhelmed with the opportunities which are available to us here if we develop Digby and the Annapolis Basin as ports of call for small cruise ships. Several years ago Saguenay was a backwater; now ports along the river are welcoming cruise ships six months of the year.

Five cruise lines expressed strong interest in exploring the possibility of visiting Digby, several small ports in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the New England States are anxious to work with us to develop common themes and itineraries. We have some great tours/experiences in place for the visit of the Balmoral in October of this year. But the more we can offer visitors, the more likely we will be to attract these ships to our shores.

If you have ideas for cruise ship excursions, call Joy at 638-8139 or 526-2054. We want to work with you to make this a premium small cruise ship destination in the next 2-3 years.  

If you're a reader of the Calgary Herald, you may have noticed an article in yesterday's paper with this headline.

Many thanks to writer Kim Gray, who attended our Test Drive the Community event in Calgary last month, and has clearly fallen under the spell of Nova Scotia.

It's not at all unusual that people find themselves a new home here after just one visit.  They see the beauty of our region, experience our gentle climate, and quickly realize how our real estate offers great value for money.

In today's economy, spending money on advertising is often thought of as an extravagance.

However, there are bargains to be had.  As economic numbers go down, radio listenership goes up.  And with ad revenues low across the media board, this is the perfect opportunity to negotiate time on your local radio station.  For small business owners, or anyone offering value for money, this could be just the ticket to create sales.

I am fascinated by advertising, good and bad.  Always have been.  How could I not be?  I grew up watching reruns of 'Bewitched' and 'The Dick Van Dyke Show.'  The lead characters both worked in advertising.  It seemed like the coolest job around.

The far sighted owners of Bridgetown Motor Inn, Marion and Trevor Tanner, have been offering packages with local attractions/experience providers for several years now. These packages comprise a good portion of their business, especially during the summer (the Inn is open year-round).

One thing we can learn from them is that their packages are not exclusively with attractions within a 20 minute drive; they have partnered with businesses based on market niche. In their case, it is the family traveller. So don't be hesitant to work with partners a little further afield. There are even opportunities for multi night packages with accommodations on the South Shore, Eastern Valley, Yarmouth, etc. Remember, the visitor likes it when we make it easy for them!

Check out Marion and Trevor and their packages at:

Partnerships in action, organic growing, green living, saving endangered species and a hands-on experiential workshop - WOW! Try to top that!

That's exactly what happened last Saturday when organic farmer Gilberte Doelle from Digby County joined up with Paul Stackhouse of Hillsdale House Inn, Annapolis Royal, to hold a workshop on creating a "Monarch Butterfly Garden". Start with lots of milkweed. Add some goldenrod, aster and yarrow. Fertilize naturally (herbicides/pesticides will kill the butterflies), add a moderate to good dose of sunshine, and you will be doing your part to help this perigrinatious Mexico-based beauty to thrive during its time in our region.

Attendance was good and everyone got a chance to plant, learn and enjoy Gilberte's entertaining teaching style. This is the type of partnering which will bring more visitors to our area. You can visit Gilberte at her Wild Rose Farm in Gilbert's Cove, the only organic farm in Digby County. See Paul's new butterfly garden as it blossoms in the weeks to come. Keep up the great work, Gilberte and Paul! 

Get your feet wet with DSWNA's new co-op radio promotion -- a really great and inexpensive way to explore radio advertising!

Here's more info.

Nova Scotia's wine industry continues to make its mark upon the national stage.  With a total of 28 awards from the All Canadian Wine Competition held recently in Ontario, the Annapolis Valley continues to show incredibly well.

What does mean for us?

Being known as a wine region carries with it a certain prestige, a cache that may be recession proof.  With Bear River Vineyards doing record business again this year -- their second year open to the public -- and with three or four more vineyards due to open as wineries by 2011, Bear River has the potential to redefine regional tourism.