2023-08-30
Beaches book highlights local pieces of paradise
by KEITH CORCORAN
BRIDGEWATER - Allan Billard's Best Nova Scotia Beaches features a selection of properties in Lunenburg and Queens counties that, arguably, are well-known to locals, but the text also provides guidance to visitors who may not be aware of the granular details concerning some of the province's natural treasures.
"There are four, five or six different types of beach sand, if you want to get technical. With those kinds of choices you can go to a beach with soft sugary sand, you can go to a beach with a finer grain," said Billard, a Halifax County-based fisheries biologist. "All of those differences make the book special."
Best Nova Scotia Beaches is the third printing of the popular book. Billard, who penned the 159-page compilation, said his family went to beaches often and it grew in him that life goes far beyond urban centres.
The updated book, published by Halifax-based Formac Publishing Company Ltd. ($24.95), contains new technical information, such as cellphone coverage and accessibility features. There are also details about amenities, safety information and directions to find the featured beaches.
The province boasts nearly 100 "official" beaches and there are still many more of which the public may not be aware. Billard highlights his favourites in Nova Scotia; pieces of paradise, protected by law and among the cleanest and well-kept and the envy of other jurisdictions.
Beach quality varies from place-to-place and can depend on the body of water near it, Billard said.
Carters Beach in Queens County gets a mention, which Billard described as "kind of three beaches" that are "just lovely and crystal clear. It's like being in the Caribbean except the water is cold."
In Lunenburg County, Hirtles Beach in the Kingsburg and Upper Kingsburg areas are named. Rissers Beach and Crescent Beach, both in the community of Crescent Beach, are a combined entry in the book.
Crescent Beach is more that a sand spot that forms and disappears, Billard said, but included it because of natural links between it and Rissers.
To learn more about the book or to get a copy, go to formac.ca or check your favourite book store or library.
