The beginning of winter this year will occur at 9:30 a.m. on December 21, just as Christmas preparations are in full swing. At the winter solstice, the Sun appears at its most southerly point. The word “solstice” comes from Latin solstitium (sol (Sun) and stitium (still or stopped)).  So, loosely translated, it means “sun stand still”. As winter approaches, the position on the horizon where the Sun rises and sets and the highest point that the sun appears at noon each day will advance southward.
 

Kesikwiku breaks down to ‘winter moon’ but the adjective ‘Chief’ describes a December full moon that is above the horizon for a long time because the nights are so long. If you are a Bras d’Or beach walker, you may be anticipating a high tide during the full moons December 29. Although the Bras d’Or estuary is connected to the Atlantic Ocean and does experience tides, those tides are not as closely linked to the lunar cycle as are the tides on the ocean coast. The tides in the Bras d’Or estuary are more controlled by barometric pressure changes than the usual daily gravitational pull of the moon.

January is the time of year when tomcod start to move into the Bras d’Or estuary from the icy waters of the North Atlantic. In the Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere, the sheltered waters of the estuary provide a spawning ground where tomcod offspring will be able to get a good start in life. In colder years, ice fishermen develop little communities of shacks to take advantage of this migration. In competition with these chilled fishermen, spawning tomcod are also preyed upon by marine mammals.  Although they are rarely seen in the estuary in the summer, grey and harbour seals (Mi’kmaq: Waspu) move from the Atlantic Ocean to the quiet waters of the Bras d’Or in November to feed during the winter. 
 

As fall comes to a close, we can add a few more weather-related stories to the list that will make 2020 all the more memorable. In this case, not all of them were bad. In terms of weather, autumn was one for the record books for a litany of reasons. Light winds, plenty of sunshine, low precipitation and warmer than normal temperatures dominated the season. Additionally, a rare mid-November heatwave set several all-time November temperature records, many of which have stood for 80 years or longer.

Autumn is a great time to be in Cape Breton. It brings a gradual transition from the warm and sunny days of September to cool, damp and often stormy nights in late-October and November. However, this year the storms were nowhere to be found. Teddy struck on September 22nd, bringing heavy rain to areas of northern Victoria County. After that, conditions remained generally calm and dry through December. A lack of storms has officially brought moderate drought conditions to much of the island - something not often seen here, let alone during the late fall. Climatologically, this is the wettest part of the year. Precipitation at Sydney Airport from September 1st to November 30th totalled 217.4 mm, a mere 52.2% of normal. It’s not as bad as it sounds though because we live in one of the wettest areas of Canada and droughts are not common. However, if the trend continues into 2021 it could be concerning.

Setting monthly records is truly exceptional. What made this event unique was that it occurred close to the middle of the month. Often when monthly heat records are set in November, they occur within the first few days of the month. The heatwave, aided by warmer than normal ocean temperatures, brought a rare combination of an anomalously warm airmass, sunny skies, low humidity, and a light-moderate WSW wind. Those ingredients can create our hottest heatwaves in summer, but to occur in mid-November is rare. When warm air masses push in during November they typically bring overcast skies, high humidity, and a strong southerly wind. Those conditions prevent temperatures from rising above 20C. In the case of November 10th and 11th, a westerly flow (continental) combined with low humidity created a broad swath of clear skies from eastern Quebec to western Newfoundland. This allowed maximum solar heating, a key ingredient for producing such warm temperatures because the November sun angle is relatively low.

What will winter of 2021 have in store? As always, it’s a tough call to make. So far we’ve been lucky. As of December 19th there’s no snow on the ground across much of Cape Breton. Even the grass has remained green in many areas. According to the experts, there’s a good chance that this winter will feature some temperature swings and an active storm track. Sounds pretty typical if you ask me.

Everyone stay safe. Happy Holidays!

Maskwoimin (Birch Bark Oil)

Maskwiomin, a birch-bark derived skin product based on a traditional Mi'kmaq formula, was an almost forgotten traditional L’nu medicine which had historically been used in the treatment of skin conditions such as rashes, eczema and psoriasis. 

Working with the Nova Scotia Department of Business through the Creative Island Innovation District Project, the Cape Breton Partnership secured $60,000 to support Maskwiomin, a company developed by Cape Breton University professors dedicated to the ethical commercialization of soap made from birchbark oil, which can help to treat skin conditions.

Cape Breton University was awarded a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant of $856,800 for work on the maskwiomin. The project is a collaboration between chemistry professor Matthias Bierenstiel and Tuma Young, assistant professor of Mi’kmaq studies.  

Young said the grant will allow him to work more closely with elders and that Maskwiomin has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Membertou. These are incredibly important steps for the company’s future and the dream of ethical commercialization of a traditional Mi'kmaw medicine. Maskwiomin is also a proud second-place winner in the recent SPARK Cape Breton competition by Innovacorp. 

Resources:
Cape Breton University Researchers Awarded $850,000 Research Grant for the Re-Discovery of an L’nu Traditional Medicine - Cape Breton University : Cape Breton University (cbu.ca)

Cape Breton University research project blends Indigenous knowledge with science | Canada | News | The Telegram
 
Spark Awards $375K to 11 Teams - Organizers noted the diversity of the winners, including Indigenous and female entrepreneurs.

Dr. Rod Beresford, PhD

Oyster aquaculture in the Bras d’Or Lake was once a thriving industry. In the past, many of the oysters produced in Nova Scotia were taken from the Bras d’Or Lake and sold as market oysters or were taken as seed and used to populate oyster beds and leases throughout other areas of Nova Scotia. In the early 2000s, oyster mortalities were occurring on natural oyster beds and on oyster leases in the Bras d’Or Lake. Within a relatively short period of time, it was determined that the cause of the mortality was an aquatic parasite, Haplosporidium nelsoni. This parasite is harmless to humans and is more commonly called MSX, Multi-nucleated Spherical X (x=unknown) because when it was first observed in dying oysters in the Delaware Bay area in the late 1950s, it had not been seen previously.

Over the past several years, there has been a renewed interest and effort in re-establishing the Bras d’Or Lake industry. Scientists at the Verschuren Centre and industry partners have undertaken a three-year research project across the Bras d’Or Lake to try and determine what conditions will support oyster growth, reduce oyster mortality, and mitigate the negative effects of the parasite. This project started in June 2019 and is showing promising results. While early in the project, scientists and industry research partners are hoping for continued success over the next two years. If this proves to be successful, there will be new opportunities for rural Cape Breton to rebuild the Bras d’Or Lake oyster industry beyond its previous level.

The Building Back Better Post COVID-19 Task Force created by CCUNESCO and the UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies at Wilfred Laurier University has released a series of Policy Briefs. Check them out below:
Ecosystems and Biodiversity
Green Infrastructure
Food Systems
The Canadian Geoparks Network
The Biosphere Reserves Network in Canada

By our New Chair - Eileen Crosby

The winter solstice not only marks the darkest time of the year for the northern half of the planet but as the ancient people knew it also meant that the day’s light would soon be lengthening. No satellite imagery for them; just the change in the length of a shadow to give them hope. Given the events of 2020, I think that we are all so very hopeful that 2021 will bring change for the better.

The BLBRA has undergone some changes since the Annual General Meeting held in St. Peter’s on September 25. Not only do we elect three new executives to join Maureen Cameron-MacMillan who remains as Vice-chair we had several new members join the Board as well.

I am very pleased to welcome Rodney Chaisson, Director of the Highland Village, and a resident of Jamesville, who can assist us with developing sustainable tourism for the Biosphere.  Also, Allison MacIssac, a biologist with Eskasoni Fish and Wildlife who resides in Dominion, will lend her support to the Bras d’Or Watch and the Citizen Science Initiative. Kirsty Locke, an instructor from NSCC, Port Hawkesbury and a resident of the West Bay area, will be helping to re-establish the Forest Watch Project. 

Brian MacDougall, who resides in Boularderie and is a retired chartered accountant, has been serving as the Treasurer for the past year and will continue to do so as an board member. Finally, Pierre LaRochelle, who has been giving very generously of his time as the chair of Communication Committee for the past two years, is now an official board member and will serve as Secretary to the BLBRA.  

I also welcome two additional ex officio Board members: Councilor Perla MacLeod will represent the Victoria County Municipality while Councillor Steve Parsons will represent CBRM. These individuals will bring a welcomed new perspective the BLBRA Board.

During this Christmas season may you appreciate, celebrate, rest and replenish within your family bubble. And may the New Year bring you peace and a renewed appreciation for the beauty and benefits of our Biosphere.

By Pierre LaRochelle

There is always work being done to keep our website current and interesting including new resources such as videos, newsletters and educational materials. As an example you may have missed this opportunity to step into the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site and walk through our  Biosphere Exhibit during the off season. Hopefully you will take a tour in 2021 to see the updates the BLBRA Museum Committee is currently implementing.

By Pierre LaRochelle

We added a Google Map interface for the Biosphere Atlas to complement the Google Earth version. The Google Map platform will likely be more familiar to you and easier to launch from your smartphone and tablet to check your whereabouts within the Biosphere. Check them both out here.

COVID-19 has presented some organizational issues to all businesses and organizations within Cape Breton – Unama’ki including the BLBRA. Generally, we welcome the public to our meetings and we make every effort to move those meetings around to various communities within the Biosphere. Unfortunately, our next meeting, scheduled for Friday, January 29, will be completely digital but information from that meeting will be posted in the next newsletter scheduled for March 21, the Vernal Equinox.