Stewiacke

Best known for it's location, being halfway between the North Pole and the Equator; Stewiacke is a Colchester County town found in the Stewiacke Valley, between the Shubenacadie and Stewiacke rivers. In the 1990s a mastodon skeleton was unearthed at a nearby gypsum mine, spawning a tourist attraction. Today there's a a kick-ass life-size prehistoric pacaderm statue welcoming visitors to the town.

The town's name comes from the Mi'kmaq word for “flowing out in small streams”. Stewiacke was settled in the early 1800s by New England Planters after the expulsion of the Acadians. Built up along the railway that runs through the town, Stewiacke was incorporated in 1906 and today boasts a population of 1,373.

Along the Stewiacke River

I visited Stewiacke on July 7th, and here's what I found:

1. Selfie – Got a pic in front of the town sign on Main Street West leading to the downtown.

2. Visitor’s Centre – Checked out the Visitor's Centre at Mastodon Ridge. Got lots of info on the town, the surrounding area and those big prehistoric elephants, also known as mastodons.

3. Museum – Stewiacke doesn't have a museum, although the interpretive area of Mastodon Ridge provided some history of the the area and bones from those mastodon remains unearthed nearby. 

Whistler's Pub

4. Food – Went to Whistler's Pub where I sampled their signature dish - “Fingers and Skins” - chicken fingers on a bed of potato skins. Yes, just as delicious and heart-attack inducing as it sounds.

5. Drink – Coldstream Clear Distillery operates in Stewiacke and produces a variety of vodka, rum and liquors. I picked up a can of Vodka Lime Soda, very refreshing on a hot summer's day.

Coldstream Clear's selection of fine beverages

6. Public Space – Trekked along the Stewiacke River Country Trail – a 1.8 km stretch that runs behind the baseball fields, along the river, up into the woods to Mastodon Ridge and back. Great place to work off my Fingers and Skins.

7. Art – There are some wonderful murals depicting the town's history on downtown buildings, but I was particularly taken with a wooden well I found in Dennis Park, decorated with colourful pictures. 

Funky well at Dennis Park

8. Swag – Picked up a Stewiacke christmas ornament at Mastodon Ridge gift shop.

When should you go? Check out their Rhubarb Festival (early June), Stewiacke Town Days (August 3-5) and the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony (early December).

A little bit of trivia: Stewiacke volunteer fire department was the first department in North America to use specialized foam as a fire suppression agent.

Up next: This town is known as “the heart of the valley”. Find out where on Wednesday!