Last Run Railway Coins

On September 23rd, 2011, the Joggins Fossil Institute and the Municipality of Cumberland County held a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the last run of the Joggins - Maccan Railway.

To commemorate the event, slideshows, videos, and storytelling took place. There were also artifacts, displays, and model trains. See our blog post about the event!

John Wm. Reid of Maccan designed two commemorative coins to honour the 50th anniversary. The coins detail a steam engine in motion and "50th Anniversary of the Last Run on the Joggins - Maccan Railway, Sept. 23, 1961 - Sept. 23, 2011" along with the names of the train crew: Hance LeBlanc (engineer), Harry Milton (fireman), Austin Brown (brakeman), and Bert Hood (Conductor).

Mr. Reid has kindly donated the two coins, presented in a beautiful shadow box, to the Joggins Fossil Centre. Plans are in place to display the coins in the Centre's gallery alongside community history displays. Below, Mr. Reid presents Dr. Melissa Grey with the coins in our Roundhouse Cafe, named for the railway building that housed a giant turntable for the trains.

Thank you to Mr. Reid for his donation to the Centre and thank you to everyone who celebrated the 50th anniversary! 

Scientific Advisory Committee at Joggins

The Joggins Fossil Cliffs have been attracting professional scientists, and those who dabble in science recreationally, since the 1820s.

Expert, scientific advice and support is vitally important to the Joggins Fossil Cliffs and Institute. For this reason, we have a voluntary Scientific Advisory Committee.

On June 8th, 2012, the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Joggins Fossil Cliffs undertook a four hour hike of the Joggins Fossil Cliffs, beginning in Lower Cove.

Our current Committee is comprised of regional experts in biology, geography, environmental science, geology, and paleontology. These experts provide advice and support on scientific matters such as development and conservation of the property, scientific research of the Cliffs, and the content of the Centre's programs.

World Views Photo Contest!

Picture it: wispy fog rolling across the calm, clear Bay of Fundy, playing hide-and-seek with the cliffs. Or a fiery sunset, setting 300 million year old fossils aglow. Maybe you spy a small snail slowly travelling across a fossilized tree trunk. The Joggins Fossil Cliffs of Nova Scotia are a photographer's dream.

And right now, there is a Canadian wide contest that can make that dream into a winning reality!

Canadian Geographic's Photo Club is looking for photos of Canada's 15 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Capture the natural beauty and splendour of the Joggins Fossil Cliffs with your camera, then, electronically submit your photos in to Canadian Geographic's Photo Club contest (held in partnership with the World Heritage Convention, Parks Canada, and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO). The website to submit your entries is here: http://photoclub.canadiangeographic.ca/cg/contests/unesco_photo_contest/

All entries must be received by August 24th, 2012, at 1:00pm EST. You can win up to $5,500 in prizes, as well as bragging rights on some of Canada's (and the world's!) most beautiful and interesting sites.

Discover the natural beauty of the Joggins Fossil Cliffs with your visit and capture the splendour with your camera. You may just be a winner!

Father's Day at the Joggins Fossil Cliffs

Once again we will be celebrating Father's Day at the Joggins Fossil Centre and Cliffs. We are continuing on the tradition of a BBQ and Lobster Boil. Everyone is welcome to attend. There is always a debate between which event we do better: Mother's Day vs Father's Day. Come down and be the judge yourself.

Restart a Heart, Restart a Life Program

On Wednesday, June 6th 2012, Judy Black from the Heart and Stroke Foundation presented the Joggins Fossil Institute with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) as part of the Foundation's Restart a Heart, Restart a Life program.

Through this program, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and its partners will be placing 100 AED's, and providing the associated CPR and AED training, over the next 5 years in communities across Nova Scotia.

Carrie White from Emergency Health Services (EHS) was on hand to demonstrate how an AED works and emphasize the importance of AED's in public areas. It should be noted that Carrie was instrumental in getting the Joggins Fossil Institute their A.E.D.

Judy also presented Jordan Leblanc of the Joggins Fossil Institute with a plaque commerating the installation of the AED and identifying that this AED was made possible by the generous support of: Frank & Irene Sobey Memorial Trust, Aberdeen Health Foundation, EHS, and Medavie EMS.