Over the first weekend of April, some friends and I embarked on an adventure that had been brewing for years. We’re the kind of friend group that doesn’t just own a tandem bike — we own three. The dream? To gear up a group of six and take to the roads of Lunenburg County on a “tri-tandem,” a full-on tandemonium ride.
It was a chilly yet sunny spring day, and five intrepid cyclists and I put on our finest lycra and fleece, strapped a Makita radio to the back of one of the bikes and hit the road with the sounds of Madonna and Britney Spears trailing behind us.
If you’ve never been on the back of a tandem bike, you might not know how different it is to a regular bike. The front ‘captain’ is in charge of gears, stearing, and setting the pace. In the back, you’re essentially just the engine.
Though I’ve driven and biked along Highways 331 and 332 more times than I can count, it wasn’t until I was pedaling on the back of that tandem that I really saw the landscape. I noticed a pink house I’d never clocked before. A backyard with some cute little pigs. Crocuses pushing up through front lawns.
This issue of the Barnacle is all about paying attention. Our new history columnist, Jay Lalonde, shares a local story hiding in plain sight. Christy Kelly-Bisson checks in with federal election candidates on the issues that matter. And Michael Goodfellow shares the unexpected discovery of old photographs tucked away for generations.
As the snow melts and the daylight stretches a little longer each evening, I hope you find something new to notice in Lunenburg County. And if you do — we’d love to hear about it. Drop us a line at editor@thebarnacle.ca.
-Sal Falk, editor-in-chief
You can shop Barnacle merch online!
We now have any online shop with stickers, buttons and tote bags featuring your favourite Barnacle illustrations!
This month in News:
South Shore Federal Candidates Respond to the Barnacle’s Policy Questions
Shipping News: Tall Ships & Small Ships
MP Rick Perkins Holds America First Investment Portfolio Amid Approaching Trade War Election
Wellness Fund Applications Open Until April 30th
This month in Community:
Breaking the Ice: South Shore Queer Hockey Launches in Lunenburg
In Plain Sight: The Lunenburg County Home (1888-1980) and the Efforts to Remember Its Dead
Red Flags Aplenty in SSRCE Directive
“Sweet Ride” Rolls Into Bluenose Lodge This April
This month in Recurring Features:
Recipe: Honey Butter Pecan Pie
Creation in Conversation: Cory Lavender
Wild Talk: Seven Questions with Canada Rosebay
Crunchy Momn: A Crisis of Crunch
Howdy, Neighbour! Meet Jamie Gray
Pet of the Month: Meet Cheese and Goose
Adventure Awaits: Visit Graves Island
