New things to come

It's been a busy three months since my last post here, with a couple of really interesting projects coming together. I'm glad they did manage to do so, because the big news for me is that I've been offered a position at the Regina Leader-Post as an interactive reporter - video, photo, writing, online work - and I'll be starting there in August. It's very exciting for me to be moving back west and up to a bigger paper. I'll soon be embarking on another tale of a lifetime, a drive across the country, passenger and cat in tow, but for now here are a few shots from the last three months at the paper here in Antigonish, N.S.

PAQTNKEK, N.S. (21/04/13) - Kathleen Denny is a single mother to two year old Lyam, a StFX university student and a young leader in her community of Paqtnkek Mi'kmaw Nation. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (22/04/13) - A soaking, but alive, family dog is rescued from an Antigonish home after a fire tore through the mobile home Monday, April 22. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (03/05/13) - Scott Williams, a piper with a lifelong love of the Antigonish Highland Games and piping, is one of the inaugural members of the Antigonish Highland Game's Hall of Fame. He is seen here in the piping room of his Antigonish home Friday, May 3. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (04/05/13) - StFX senior students are illuminated by their candles outside St. Ninian Cathedral following the Baccalaureate ceremony held Saturday, May 4 in advance of Sunday's graduation ceremonies. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (04/05/13) - Bagpiper Brennan MacDonald leads the graduating class of St. Francis Xavier University to St. Ninian Cathedral for a Baccalaureate ceremony Saturday, May 4. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (05/05/13) - Students await the beginning of their graduation ceremony Sunday, May 5 at St. Francis Xavier University. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

CLOVERVILLE, N.S. (07/05/13) - Volunteer firefighters from Antigonish town, county and 4 Valleys fire departments responded to a billowing brush fire in a wooded area off Cloverville Road Tuesday, May 7. Photo by Rachel Psutka. 

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (17/05/13) - Bob Murray of Antigonish has participated in the New Glasgow Music Festival for almost it's entire 75 year run. He rejoined the festival this year in a special performance on violin. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (26/05/13) - Walkers head out on the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada's five kilometre walk Sunday, May 26 in Antigonish. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (25/05/13) - Dancers participate in the Antigonish Creative Dance Association 35th annual recital Saturday, May 25. Photo by Rachel Psutka. 

MALIGNANT COVE, N.S. (27/05/13) - Evacuated pets and neighbours gather on the road near a Malignant Cove home fully engulfed in flames Monday, May 27. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (09/06/13) - A muddy Jamie Lamb, racing for Oakley Atlantic, heads to the finish line of the "A" Men's race Sunday, June 9 at the Highland Grind XC race at Keppoch mountain. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

ANTIGONISH, N.S. (14/06/13) - Members of NSGEU Local 88 along with members of the Canadian Auto Workers union and the StFX Association of University Teachers held a rally outside the Keating Centre during a meeting of the Board of Governors to protest job cuts at the university, Friday, June 14. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

On June 15, I had the fairly unique experience of a ridealong on a lobster boat to produce a feature story with photos and video to mark the end of the Northumberland Strait's two-month lobster fishery. I ventured out onto the relatively calm waters with Darrell Neary and his crew aboard Hey Man's Honey for a very early start to the day. (We left the wharf, Ballantyne's Cove, at 4:30 a.m.)

I also had the opportunity to finish my long-term documentary project with a local man whose life was changed drastically by a car accident six years ago. Here is the layout for those three pages that ran on May 15, as well as a video produced with Darrell Lake. A photo story of this project is best viewed here.