COVID-19 Roundup: 3 Northwood deaths, charity fund-raisers adapt, Seaport Beerfest aims for Oct., helping seniors connect
Halifax Seaport Beerfest. Photo: Chris Smith
Yesterday, May 13, Nova Scotia saw three additional COVID-19 deaths, all at Northwood. The province also confirmed four new cases of the disease, raising the total to 1,024. Northwood in Halifax currently has 64 residents and 13 staff with active cases. Nova Scotia has had 34,604 negative test results and 51 deaths. Nine people are currently in hospital, including four in ICU; 870 people have recovered.
Beerfest (tentatively) slated for October
Like most planned events, the Halifax Seaport Cider & Beerfest isn’t going ahead this summer. “We’re very proud of the local beer and cider scene we’ve helped build and it’s difficult to imagine an August without the largest annual celebration of beer,” says festival co-founder Brian Titus in a press release. But unlike many cancelled events, Beerfest is already taking a stab at rescheduling, now slated for Oct. 9–10. Mind you, it’s a tentative stab: they won’t sell tickets “until organizers are sure it’s taking place.”
Charities find new ways to raise funds
For the Colchester East Hants Hospice Society, the weekly 50/50 draw, with a toonie buy-in, has been an important fund raiser. But as with many charities, the pandemic has stretched its resources to the limit. So they’ve switched gears to a larger $50-per-ticket lottery. “It allows their minimal staff to focus on the essentials: programming and services,” writes Raissa Tetanish for Hub Now. The shift may offer a model for other cash-strapped organizations: it’s already led to a “significant increase” in revenue, while freeing the team’s time.
Halifax loses a great philanthropist
On May 1, amidst the deluge of pandemic news and other tragedies, Marjorie Adeline Lindsay died at age 94. The Halifax philanthropist was best known for her support of local good causes, giving millions to the YMCA, IWK, local universities, and countless other organizations. But Dorothy Grant knew her best as a warm and caring friend. “When we first met, I was almost immediately in awe of her,” Grant writes in this tribute for Halifax Magazine. “I quickly saw she had the miraculous ability to make anyone feel better, almost immediately. It began with her lovely comforting smile.”
Fighting isolation at home
Premier McNeil’s “Stay the blazes home” plea sparked a deluge of merchandise, appearing on t-shirts, mugs, and even beer. After Wendy Owens Abbot in St. Peter’s put the phrase on a t-shirt, she started thinking about the seniors in her community who were staying home, missing cherished time with their friends and families. She thought she might be able to help them stay connected by raising money to help a local seniors’ home buy five iPads. Now they’re up to 15 iPads and an AppleTV so vision-impaired residents can video chat as well. “It’s so important that the residents can stay connected to their loved ones,” says St. Ann Community and Nursing Care Centre administrator Annette Fougere. “It gives them comfort that things are going well.” Jake Boudrot has the story in The Reporter.
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This story was originally published in Halifax Magazine.
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