Apple Blossom Festival

My post content

.

Apple Blossom Festival 2023

A stunning announcement from ABF,

Troubling news in 2023

There's been an absolutely heartbreaking development. Apparently in a new younger generation there are those who harbor resentment towards our nations history, for English colonialism, and even for the monarchy ? Other minority groups have voiced animosity and discontent over the diversity and inclusion issue ? And it seems that the current ABF Board of Directors has listened to the concerns and complaints of these few small minority groups and have apparently ignored and excluding the overwhelming majority of Valley residents ? And it appears that this current Board has chosen to resolve the discontent by moving to implement and execute the final solution ? And therefore after a highly successful run of 87 years in a row, the extremely popular, family oriented, diverse and multi village Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess Pageant along with the prestigious Royal Coronation ceremonies held in Wolfville have all been terminated forever by this current board of Directors ?

Will a drag Queen replace an apple blossom Queen in Kentville ? Click

.

-----------------------It's The End of an Era-----------------------------

Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival 2023 - ABF Board of Directors has announced drastic new changes in format and even more cut-backs to the People's Festival ? Concerns over ceremony, symbolism and colonialism, and complaints over the inclusion and diversity issue, seems to have compelled current ABF board of Directors to see the need to update the long running Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess pageant and bring it up to a standard that they view as being more relevant to current times ? And so the Directors must have held a very private, 'think' tank last Winter and without notifying, caring, considering or consulting with any of the involved and participating Valley communities they must have decided that rather than trouble themselves any further why not just take the easy way out and simply get rid of the entire event ? And so it appears they made a decision last Winter and have taken the last resort act of executing a, 'final and fatal solution' and have ordered that the iconic 87 year old Pageant and competition be terminated ? And therefore one of the longest lasting, most popular ever, most well known, most identifiable, most highly anticipated, most participated in by all, most diverse and Valley proud all inclusive family events that has benefited all Valley residents and all age groups, has suddenly been taken away forever ?

And so, this unconditional act of finality will now end the long running 88 year reign of her royal Heiness Queen Annapolisa and 7 to 10 Apple Blossom Princess contestants and child attendants representing 7 to 10 different nearby Valley communities ? It will also mean the end of the beautifully hand crafted award winning Princess floats that highlight the Grand Street Parade each year, and also mean the end of the ultra glamorous Queen and Ladies-in-waiting Crowning ceremonies held annually at Acadia University in Wolfville ? This decision will also put an end to all of the popular community Princess Tea events, and it will also end the Royal Party visitations to local Schools, hospitals, and old folks homes so welcomed and appreciated by Students, Seniors and our many shut-ins ? This also signals the end of traditional Royal Party appearances at the Kentville Children's Parade, at the Memorial Park Friday night open air concert and fireworks, along with Royal attendances at many of the other events held annually in different communities throughout the Valley and Province ?

It appears that current ABF Officials led by President Logan Morse along with Kentville town rep Lindsey Young have taken concerns of the LGBTQ+ community and others into account and not only interrupted the Pageant after postponing it in 2022, but have terminated the event explaining that a critical decision had to be made to improve, include, modernize and evolve the historic long running beauty and leadership pageant ? This sudden termination will end almost 90 years of evolution while leaving a huge gaping hole in the Festival itself and adversely affect many of the nearby participating Valley communities who regularly enter contestants in the Pageant ? By ending this piece of history and taking away the better half and the Star of the Festival the question arises of what do they plan to do with all of the savings incurred from such a massive cut in Festival content and what are all of the local towns and villages that always play such a major role in both the Queen and Princess competition suppose to do ? And what about our Valley youth and every little girls dream of one day being an Apple Blossom Princess - what plans are there for an equal or better replacement to the iconic pageant ?

You have to wonder how the current ABF Directors who have moved to take this drastic action can ever believe that Valley residents are stupid enough to think that by cancelling and taking away their beloved cherished and long running event, that they are in some perverted way moving the Valley forward, or that they are improving or modernizing anything ? It seems more likely that they've just taken the Valley backwards and have robbed the people of a diverse multi community all inclusive locally produced production that has always been highly successful each and every year for almost 90 consecutive uninterrupted years ?

And you have to wonder why the current stewards in charge and those who are responsible for the promotion and presentation of the iconic Pageant can't just do the job that they're paid to do and do what their predecessors have always done so well each and every year for the past 87 years often in far more trying circumstances and in far less prosperous times than now,, that is, up until this group of quitters came along ? and, " Whatever happened to the # 1 rule in business that says if you can't do your job because of inexperience, immaturity, inability, incompetency, bias, or just plain stupidity, then,,,, You're all FIRED ! (and a Class action recovery suit filed by the patrons may be forthcoming ! ) "

Logan Morse and a revolutionary 2023 ABF Board of Directors have moved to terminate the Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess Pageant after an 88 year run ? Click

The Peoples Pageant has been Cancelled ! Directors say bold action was needed to improve, evolve and modernize the historic pageant ? Click

Et tu, Chamberlain ? The unconscionable 2017 hijacking of Kentvilles'yearly local parade ? Click

Exploiting a Queen in a photo op ? Politicians at the official opening of the 2023 Apple Blossom Festival pretend that there's still a Pageant when knowing full well that Queen Annapolisa has been terminated and will not be a part of this years Festival ? Click

2023 Kentville Grand Street Parade - A disregard for safety is shown as Senior citizens seem precariously positioned on an unshaded large unstable moving object ? Click

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/53900780519/in/album-72177720299454842">www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/53900780519/in/album-7...</a>

Nov 16 2023 - Apple Blossom Princesses call for a return of Queen Annapolisa, Click

<a href="https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/communities/former-apple-blossom-festival-princess-calls-for-return-of-queen-annapolisa-100912667/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/communities/former-apple...</a>

Is Kentville experiencing an Identity Crisis ?

Can an identity crisis be looming in the town of Kentville ? A proud and neighborly salt of the earth working class small community and railway town with easy going friendly citizens and a rich railway, agriculture and farming background is losing many longtime identifiable local trademarks, themes, and traditions as they are gradually taken away as Town elected officials seem to just stand still and watch ? Having been always identified as a main Provincial railroading center ever since the old Dominion Rail days that date back to 1869, the town has since lost all passenger and freight train rail service in and out including a modern passenger Dayliner service that used to travel back and forth to Halifax every day ? And after the railway had been shut down it seemed they couldn't close and clear out the brand new station, dig up tracks and demolish the old roundhouse fast enough ? And so now, in what may be seen as an act of cruel mockery, the only railroading left in Kentville from the past glory days and from what was once the largest and most important railroad hub west of Halifax, is a weather beaten picture of a train painted on the side of a downtown building ? Unfortunately the loss of such a vital transportation link wasn't the last and the town became further isolated from the World when for no apparent logical, rational or reasonable reason, the aviation community at Waterville municipal Airport CCW3 were suddenly told they had to get out when established there for past decades and had no place else to go ? And so an extremely popular Canadian sky diving academy and internationally known long time pilot training and licensing facility along with numerous privately owned aircraft, and many more businesses were all lost to the Community ? The cold and calculated forced eviction also left our young Air Cadets at Camp Aldershot without a base, and showed disregard for the future of our next generation who must now grow up without such an invaluable nearby training and education facility ? And now all that can be seen of this once active, thriving and busy Aviation complex and a multitude of aviation businesses, is a barren piece of raw and unmaintained land where children ride bikes up and down the deteriorating and disintegrating asphalt that had once served as a runway where commercial aircraft would fly in and out on a daily basis ? To add salt to the wound, such a senseless eviction was being hailed by Council, ( and also the prestigious Ivany Report Committee ) as being a bold and brilliant business move to greatly benefit the local area ? After months of homelessness and terrible uncertainty over the future, a few evicted tenants found new sites and relocated at their own expence to start all over again, others just quit, while others were finally redirected to a new location in Greenwood that just happened by chance to be the Warden Brother's home riding ? And so, in the end the devastating loss absorbed by Kentville and area was to be Greenwoods gain and Kentville must carry on without either railway or airport ?

After the original KCA town School closed down, the high school students were separated from their identifiable home school and had to be bused to the different nearby town of Canning to attend High School there ? A segregation of this part of the student body left only Grades 1 to 8 age groups left to identify Kentville as their home school, a situation that remains today ? There is no movie theater as the Kentville movie theater has been closed forever, and the popular Edge sports bar cafe and pool hall closed down and was never replaced ? Harvey's hamburgers closed down and was never replaced ? The longtime nearby bowling alley in New Minas was bought out by developers and replaced with a business office complex ? We lost the local salvage, reclamation and disposal site in South Alton after it was ordered shut down by the Provincial Government, but these same people that shut it down did not offer to replace it with anything else leaving the community without any such vital facility? One day a portion of the roof blew off a long time town funeral home and it was never re-opened leaving only one such establishment in town ? And just this year, as citizens were learning that both the Apple Blossom Princess and Queen Annapolisa pageants were to be cancelled after 87 consecutive years, at the same time there was an all age Drag Queen show getting ready to play at the Kings Arms Pub in a total flip flop from Kentville's traditional more identifiable entertainment like Irish Rovers or Scottish pipers ? Numerous identifiable local restaurants and small businesses have all come and gone - mostly gone - and the main town supermarket Jasons IGA had a fire and was forced to close down for over a year so there was no supermarket to provide groceries for the citizens ? The popular multi venue Wandlyn Inn with its hotel rooms, indoor swimming pool whirlpool and sauna area, large nightclub, dual convention centers and dual restaurants burned down and subsequently access to all of these venues was lost forever ? The Wandlyn Inn complex was never replaced and now one lone MacDonald's take out is all that has replaced so many hotel, nightclub. rec, conference and dining amenities ?

The highly identifiable July 1st Canada Day of fun, food, speeches, and entertainment held yearly at the Kentville wading Pool was curtailed by the Town due to budget considerations ? And so if you want to enjoy July 1st entertainment or fireworks you have to go to New Minas, Hantsport or Berwick ? Access to drinking water is surely one of the most entitled and identifiable of all essential town services yet Kentville water commission charges potential customers 10,000 dollars just to turn the water on at the road and then the customer still must handle yard and household work expense on his own ? In return for such a large personal financial outlay placed on the client, a newly acquired valued customer will get the privilege of receiving a monthly bill each month from the town of Kentville ?

They've even managed to take away Kentville's most famous and most identifiable of all landmarks in the iconic hotel name of Cornwallis Inn ? Cornwallis Inn is a well known trademark hotel name that is synonymous with the name of Kentville, and represents many fond memories for so many local area residents and for people living all over the World ? They even changed the identifying name of the historic town bridge that traverses the Cornwallis River ?

In ABF year 2017 the Directors of Apple Blossom Festival had even tried to hijack Kentville's 87 year old yearly community Parade, and the town was forced to claw and battle its way back just to get its own most important yearly event returned back to it after hosting it for the last 80 + years ? And in yet another huge loss and step backwards that same year ABF and the Town decided to cancel and stop all of the public ABF Wednesday, Thursday and weekends of fun, food, music, displays, amusements, local student performances, etc. normally held down at Memorial Park during those days ? This huge cut in public outdoor entertainment abruptly ended a long running tradition ? No explanation was ever given and no replacement was ever offered by the Town for this major loss to members of the community ? And now, in yet another step backwards, Kentville has lost maybe its most identifiable of all public events, that being the famous Apple Blossom Princess Kentville competition, after the current ABF Management showed extreme insensitivity, disregard and disrespect for a peoples history, by presuming to take it upon themselves to suddenly terminate the entire Queen Annapolisa competition after 88 years ? This heartbreaking loss means that all public appearances including Princess Teas, the Children's Parade, all social Royal visitations to schools shut-ins and hospitals normally made by Queen Annapolisa and the Princesses will no longer be taking place ?

In 2022 the Grand Street Parade had quite understandably been a shortened version of the normal parade following 2 previous Covi cancellations, but this years' 2023 weak effort didn't seem much better ? The unique diversity always shown by our nearby Valley communities that come in from Windsor to Digby was unfortunately no longer included ? And many long time parade patrons had expressed disappointment when their Apple Blossom Princess Kentville and child attendant were not to be seen nor included in the Grand Street Parade as it made its way down main street Kentville on Apple Blossom Saturday ? And so it seems the town has lost yet another identifiable citizen and a wonderful Ambassador who always performed the job of advertising, identifying, and promoting the town of Kentville so elegantly whenever and wherever she appeared ?

After the 3 consecutive weekdays of afternoon and evening outdoor open public entertainment at Memorial Park were all eliminated and Apple Blossom Week entertainment was downsized to a skimpy single Friday night affair, ( which btw will no longer include the highlight of the evening Royal Party visitation and performances by Eddy's Basement ), it seemed that Officials were still unsatisfied with the cutbacks and eliminations they had made and found yet another way to take away even more ? And it seems that this year they will charge inflation stressed local patrons to see entertainers like Matt Minglewood and Kevin Davison when in the past these entertainers appeared on stage publicly free of charge ? Cut backs were also apparent in the always amazing Fireworks, (which btw are no longer officially started by Queen Annapolisa at the official Royal visitation to the Park following their Coronation ceremonies in Wolfville), when this years 2023 presentation didn't seem up to par and some spectators remarking that they looked like something purchased at Giant Tiger in New Minas ?

And so, to sum up, the citizens of Kentville are disappointed and frustrated over the many losses, steps backward and major cutbacks that never seem to be replaced by the town once taken away ? Both the Railway and the Airport have been permanently closed down and even the Provincial Acadia Van lines no longer stops ? We have lost the entire Wandlyn Inn complex and all of its hotel restaurant services with no replacements offered for any of these major needs in the hospitality industry ? There's also the extreme cut backs made to the historic Apple Blossom Festival that saw a a week long fun filled period of public entertainment cut down to one minimal Friday night affair with fireworks followed the next day by a shortened parade ? There was also the Town budget saving cancellations of celebrations of statutory holidays ? Concerns also remain about the lack of an in-Town High School, the loss of a key funeral home, the loss of key businesses like the movie theater, Harveys burgers, one of 2 Tim Hortons, the pizza parlor, Chinese food restaurant and take out, the vegetable market, the bakery, and also a loss of the local disposal site that was ordered shut down by the Province but no replacement was ever offered by them leaving the area without this vital service ? And then there was the complete and total cancellation of all public entertainment events held on Apple Blossom during week days at Memorial Park ? There was also the loss of unique character and diversity offered by the many local neighboring villages when excluded from this year's Kentville Grand Street Parade ? There was also the sudden cancellation of Kentville's Apple Blossom Princess and her traditional appearance at the Acadia U Coronation ceremonies in Wolfville ? There was also the erasure and total changing of name of Kentville's biggest and most identifiable attraction the internationally known Cornwallis Inn name logo that was instantly recognizable world wide and well-known to be associated and synonymous to the town of Kentville ? There also remains the serious problem of a shortage of local rooms and local dining spots that was caused after the Wandlyn hotel complex had burned down and when not one of many popular hospitality, business, tourist, restaurant, night club, and recreational venues were ever replaced ? And in a more recent problem, we are seeing more and more small businesses from all over the Valley that have not only provided employment but have also served as popular meet and greet gathering spots for friends and neighbors, that are now changing hands when being bought out and turned over to total strangers that are not from Halifax or from N.S. nor even this Country but have come from another Continent ? This recent phenomenon of foreign take-overs has included replacing the management, assuming full control of the business and managing the labor force of many long time Valley fast food, gas and coffee businesses and so far includes : the Petrocan New Minas, some of the Tim Hortons, Subway, KFC, DQ, Burger King N.M., and Mary Brown's to name a few ? And there are indications of nepotism being shown in the re-hiring of workers at these workplaces once taken over by the new foreign management ? Another Major local employer Eassons Trucking also seems to have been affected by the influx of foreign workers with reports of untrained, unlicensed unqualified, (and Government subsidized) drivers behind the wheel, with rumors of some units with multiple drivers on board having a hole drilled into the floor of the sleeper cabin to accommodate a long piece of ABS plumbing pipe so that raw sewage can be exhausted directly from the interior of the truck down onto the open highway below ?

And, regarding the upcoming Mayoralty election Kentville 2024, it looks like, unfortunately, all candidates running are relatively new to the area after having moved here from elsewhere and seem to be unawares of both the past history of Kentville and the many major problems facing it today with some candidates naively describing the town as a kind of blissful, Hallmark, Who-ville movie set type happy village where the streets are lined with quaint shops and eateries, to clearly show they have no idea of the current problems in the town they want to lead ? Apparently the winner of the 2024 Mayoralty race is also a fairly new resident and a businessman who appears to have befriended non-resident and Ex-Warden Brothers who was the County Warden from Greenwood who sold out aviation in Kentville when she evicted the Airport, the skydiving academy, the National flight training center and many more businesses at Waterville, replacing them all with a useless empty dirt field where only weeds now grow ? And with the recent installment of a newly arrived Mayor and a cut-cut-cut penny pinching Council,, (apparently Council has already started cutting back when abruptly cancelling this years Military march on and outdoor Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Cenotaph due to a drop of rain ), Is it not time to make it compulsory that all candidates for these jobs must be born and raised in Kentville due to an apparent lack of respect, regard, knowledge or sensitivity for Kentville's longtime beloved Town events ?

March 10th 2014 - A Date That Will Live on in Infamy - Warden Brothers and Kings County Council initiate the cruel and calculated eviction of Waterville Airport CCW3. Click

"it looked like some of the spectators along the route just joined in and began walking along to become a part of the parade ? "

May 27th, 2023 - Dismay, disillusion and extreme disappointment now prevail in Kentville over the shocking changes and many missing regular entrees in this years 2023 Grand Street Parade ? Where is our famous Queen Annapolisa and where are the many Apple Blossom Princesses and child attendants all proudly riding in their beautiful hand crafted decorated floats ? Where's the town criers ? And what about the dazzling majorette groups, the Scottish pipers, and the large multi instrumental marching bands that always come up from Halifax ? And where are the Hantsport and Windsor floats and their large delegations ? And where are Aylesford, Digby, Annapolis Royal, Lawrencetown, Middleton, Wolfville, Canning, Greenwood and more ? Why aren't these diverse towns and villages that always normally participate not included in this years Parade ? Why the sudden non participation by so many veterans of tje past parades ? And it was also very strange and disappointing not to see Kentville's traditional Apple Blossom Princess (aka Miss Kentville) included in this years parade ? Many Kentville citizens both young and old identify with their Apple Blossom Princess at this time of year and her royal absence was certainly missed ? However the longtime town Princess float was still able to join the parade but this time the royal float excluded Apple Blossom Princess Kentville who was no longer present nut replaced by a group of town residents who were gathered together in a social scene meant to emphasize Kentville's open, diverse and inclusive identity ? The official New Minas Apple Blossom Princess float also did not include their Apple Blossom Princess this year, however her float was transformed into an advertisement for the famous New Minas UFO incident which is identifiable to all village of New Minas residents. Unfortunately, the Berwick float didn't include their normal Princess Berwick this year either but the float was transformed to proudly identify with the towns upcoming Centennial celebrations. And the Kingston float also did not include their Apple Blossom Princess Kingston this year but did promote and advertise the very identifiable Kingston Steer Barbecue. The RCMP contingent was very good but noticed there was only 1 other large marching band in the parade when usually at least 4 or more come up from places like Cape Breton, Bridgewater, Dartmouth etc ? And where have all the pets and animals gone - there were no horse teams, wooden wagons, riders or livestock on display this year ? And the usual greyhounds weren't there this year ? Noticed that some spectators must have joined in with the parade and began walking along with it, and others must have come over from the Children's parade with their strollers and also joined in ? There were the usual variety of advertisers, many from out of town and some local ? There were various Political parties represented with the biggest delegation coming from Liberals who were vigorously shaking hands and waving their flags that didn't seem to include the official Canadian red maple leaf flag that most Parade spectators can identify with ? All in all, this Year's parade seemed poorly managed, and a bare minimum weak austere effort that did not include any notable celebrity, nor any royal pageantry, nor the normal highlight of the parade that being the 7 to 10 spectacular Princess floats, nor were there any of the usual big marching bands and majorette groups that come in from from out of town, nor many of our local agriculture, historical and livestock entrees, nor the many popular Scottish piper marching bands that usually attend, nor the multi diversity that had always been provided by the many now missing nearby out of town contingents who normally travel to Kentville to participate ? This amateur hour version of Kentville's famous grand street parade did not come close to the high standards and professionalism set by all previous Grand Street Parades held prior to Covi ? And it was clear that what was being hailed by some as a newer, bolder, more inclusive, and a more up to date with the times version of the famous Parade, was lacking in the diversity and tradition that had always been contributed by so many (now absent) large delegations that normally come in from other nearby Valley communities accompanied by their Princess and Child attendant who would participate in the traditional events that go along with the world famous Queen Annapolisa competition including the prestigious Coronation ceremony held and broadcast from Acadia University in Wolfville, and the Royal party attendance at the local Saturday morning Children's Parade followed that afternoon with a Royal ride in the Apple Blossom Princess float down Main street in the famous Grand Street parade ?

And so, in quickly summing up, can this strange and non inclusive, anti diverse, hastily thrown together lackluster Parade that was missing Queen Annapolisa and her 7 to 10 Apple Blossom Princesses, as well as missing their personal 7 to 10 handcrafted Town Princess floats, and also missing the unique character and diversity of many of our nearby Valley communities that normally come, and also didn't include many of the big out of town marching bands and pipers and was also lacking in local agriculture and livestock entrees, now signal the end of a once glorious Grand Street Parade era ?

2011 Grand Street Parade Kentville 79th ABF Click

2012 Grand Street Parade Kentville Click

2014 Kentville Grand Street Parade Click

2015 Kentville Grand Street Parade Click

2016 Kentville Grand Street Parade Click

2017 Kentville Grand Street Parade Click

2018 Kentville Grand Street Parade Click

2019 Kentville Grand Street Parade Click

Kentville Grand Street Parade May 27th 2023 : Unfortunately much of the character and diversity that is always provided by our many nearby Valley communities was missing from this year's Grand Street Parade when these longtime participants were not included in this years parade ? Where has Canning, Digby, Annapolis Royal, Hantsport and Windsor gone ? Where is Queen Annapolisa ? Where's the Apple Blossom Princesses and all of their individual Town floats including Kentville ? To view the complete 2023 Kentville Grand Street Parade press here, Click

A concerned Kentvillian must finally speak out. Click

Kentville is an incorporated town in Nova Scotia. It is the most populous town in the Annapolis Valley. As of 2021, the town's population was 6,630.