A Canada 150 project from Annapolis Royal, N.S., weaving the rich history of the region into a traditional Scottish tartan has a Cochrane connection.
A Canada 150 project from Annapolis Royal, N.S., weaving the rich history of the region into a traditional Scottish tartan has a Cochrane connection.
Kimberly Gunn, who lived in Cochrane for 10 years before moving to Nova Scotia five years ago, has a strong link to the community. She and her husband come back to visit as often as they can, were bagpipers in the Cochrane Pipe Band and Gunn continues to publish the Cochrane Visitors' Guide.
After moving to Annapolis Royal, she was struck by the history of her new home, which is known as New Scotland and was home to a number of different cultures - English, French, Mi'kmaq and of course Scottish.
She was inspired to create a cultural fabric that would serve to represent the history of the region not only to its people but to the rest of the country as well.
“I was surprised how little was known of the origins of New Scotland, ” she said.
With the help of Parks Canada and the staff at Fort Anne - a national historic site - Gunn learned a lot about the history of New Scotland and the colours that represent its various cultures and geography.
Those colours - blue, white, green, rust and purple - are inspired by the seasonal colours of the North Mountain, the Annapolis River, Bay of Fundy, the green landscapes, lupines, and red soil. The white represents colours used in adornments by the both the English and French as well as the Mi'kmaq.
“I wanted something that people would be proud of, ” said Gunn of her design.
The response to her design has been more than positive and is evolving into a cottage industry.
Her startup company, Tartan Wave, will include a variety of products that are still under development but will include fashion and other custom items.
“I wanted something that people would be proud to wear, ” she said. “This is not just your grandmother's Tartan. ”
