My time in Halifax was incredibly wonderful. I grew up in Nova Scotia and still have family there. So, the Leeson’s decided to have a reunion. My father and his two brothers had 10 children and June 5, 2022, was the first time ever that all of us were in the same room. Six still live in Nova Scotia, three in Alberta, and I live in Illinois. There is no need to go into details here but suffice it to say that a good time was had by all including my university student daughter who flew in from Ottawa for a few days.

I also found time to conduct five interviews. I’m sure I could have done more had I applied myself. I did not interview any family members but may do so remotely later on. It is interesting what you learn about people with whom you grew up but lost contact after high school.

The pandemic seems to have played an interesting role in the development of the province. Hanging off the eastern most end of the continent, Nova Scotia was not exactly a prime destination for people of ambition. But, because of the reassessment about life imposed upon us by COVID and of the quality of life in the province, it seems that some are coming to the conclusion that life is actually rather good there. Construction in Halifax, the largest city and capitol, is booming and housing prices around the entire province are soaring. A lot of Americans are contributing to the boom.

Whenever I visit that part of the world, I am always reminded about just how beautiful it is. The ocean, the ubiquitous green, the lakes, and the San Francisco type feel of Halifax on the harbor make it hard to beat. It was a magical place in which to grow up but only in moving away did I really come to appreciate it.