Murals Of Sussex
Olympus E-PL1: f4.3, 1/13 sec, ISO 1600
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August 2019 was a busy month! In addition to more explorations of Montréal, I took a trip back to the Maritimes. The primary reason for my holiday was to attend my cousin's wedding. It was extra special because we were roommates together in Ottawa. She's like another sister to me, and I am happy for her happiness. The only sad bit is that I failed to get many good pictures. Someday I will get better at photographing people!
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With my cousin's wedding celebrated, the week turned to time with my immediate family. That came to an end with a dash up to Sussex, New Brunswick, where my sister and her husband had another wedding to attend. What a delight it was to learn that Sussex is the Mural Capital of the Maritimes. The town's buildings are adorned with scenes by different artists, in different styles, and show different aspects of the life and history of the cute little town.
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Some of the murals take up only a portion of the walls on which they are painted. Others wrap around multiple walls.
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IrfanView: Crop, Colour Balance
Originally known as Sussex Vale, the town has been an agricultural centre for over a hundred years. It is still known for its dairy products, and also an annual hot air balloon festival. Perhaps some day I will attend that - I am sure it makes for great pictures!
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In Nova Scotia, at least, New Brunswick is seen as a bit of a drive-through province. It is just a big chunk of land to pass by on the way to more exciting points west. The more I get to see of it, though, the more I realize how wrong that is.
The murals were a surprise, but one thing that we knew to expect was the 8th Hussars Military Museum. Just like the municipal museum in Antigonish, the 8th Hussars Museum is located in the town's former railway station.
Olympus E-PL1: f8, 1/250 sec, ISO 200 // IrfanView: Crop, Colour Balance
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You make know the children's song, The Farmer In The Dell. This mural depicts a localized version, The Farmer In The Vale. It includes several more animals than the typical song!
The museum is a trove of artifacts displayed in a very eye-catching and professional manner. There are even two life-size dioramas, like the one here which shows the inside of a WWI tent. Another highlight is a pretty blue wedding dress made from a parachute. It was worn by a war bride who returned with her husband to Sussex.
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The Farmer In The Vale runs alongside a nicely built gathering area called Leonard's Gate. On the Saturday morning that we were there, it was the starting and finishing point of a scavenger hunt put on by the local business association. What better way to experience a community than to be given a list of unique things to find in it?
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We had a ball doing the scavenger hunt, and managed to win a prize. It is possible that we won for getting a near perfect mark in a very good time... Then again, the win may come down to the cuteness of my nephew, who did the challenge of posing with some local clothing.
The organizers of the event were very friendly, and we would have felt like winners even without getting a top ranking. That said, the prize of lunch at one of the nearby restaurants was rather tasty!
Our family was certainly not the first to visit the lovely town. In fact, several members of the Royal Family have visited, too. This mural shows them.
One of my favourites, shown below, is an autumn scene in the prewar days. It sure looks idyllic!
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Quiet days on the pasture were never the sum of life, even in the old days. Sometimes the fair would come to town!
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Innovation is celebrated in this mural, which brings us forward in time to the age of invention. Sussex lays claim to a pre-Bell invention of the telephone, though as a good Nova Scotian I view that with a bit of suspicion.
In today's high-tech world distracted driving is a greater worry than one's horse throwing a shoe. Still, in places like Sussex it is possible to see the occasional glimpse into the animal-centred past. Here, riders wait for their big entrance at an event near the Sussex Agriculture Museum.
Olympus E-PL1: f8, 1/320 sec, ISO 200
IrfanView: Crop, Colour Balance
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Here is one final mural, showing off some of the businesses to have graced Sussex's Main Street in the past.
Below, we see the new face of the town, where "old" technology like the bicycle finds a place in a bright, sustainable future.
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The weekend went by quickly, and soon it was time to bid adieu to Sussex. Daisy and Buttercup, a pair of giant cows, salute passers-by at one of the town's highway exits.
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Of course, it wouldn't be a trip to New Brunswick without a covered bridge!