Enjoy the outdoors – and be tick aware!
Summer and fall in Nova Scotia are wonderful seasons where people spend countless hours outdoors at the many beautiful beaches, trails, parks, and wooded areas across our province. As we take in these natural riches we should also be mindful of the presence of ticks. These small insects – sometimes as small as the period at the end of this sentence – are found across Nova Scotia and can cause tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease and anaplasmosis.
Nova Scotia Health asks everyone to help promote tick safety and the prevention of tick-borne diseases, by spreading the word in your communities.
Here are some steps that people can take to protect themselves, especially in grassy, wooded, or shrub-covered areas.
- Apply insect repellents containing DEET or Icaridin to exposed skin and clothes.
- Follow directions on the package carefully. Infants under the age of six months should not use these products.
- Please visit Personal Insect repellents – Canada.ca for specific instructions.
- Wear light colored, long-sleeved shirts and pants, closed-toed shoes, and tuck shirts into pants and pant legs into socks.
- Keep lawns mowed short.
- Put playground equipment in sunny, dry places away from wooded areas, yard edges, and trees.
- Check your whole body for ticks when possible (especially armpits, ears, knees, hair, groin) and take a bath or shower within two hours of coming indoors. This makes it easier to find ticks and washes away loose ones.
What to do if you find a TICK on yourself, your child or your pet
If you find a tick on your body, remove it as soon as possible to lessen the risks of infection. Here’s how to remove them safely:
- carefully grasp the tick with tweezers as close to the skin as possible
- gently and slowly pull the tick straight out without jerking, twisting or squeezing it
- clean and disinfect the site with soap and water, rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide
- dispose of the tick in a sealed plastic bag and put in the garage
- do NOT burn, squeeze, or coax a tick’s mouthparts from your skin using other methods
eTick.ca : free tick identification service
eTick.ca is a free service that can identify the type of tick usually within 24 hours. Though Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in Nova Scotia are transmitted by the blacklegged (deer) tick, not all black-legged ticks carry disease and not all blacklegged ticks have black legs.
Risks and symptoms
Blacklegged ticks that are attached to someone’s skin for at least 36-48 hours pose the highest risk of transmitting the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. One of the earliest and most common symptoms of Lyme disease is a rash that’s often shaped like a bull’s-eye that occurs on the same site as the bite. Other symptoms of Lyme disease may include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, headaches and occasionally irregular heartbeat, facial paralysis, weakness, confusion, and seizures.
Symptoms of other tick-borne diseases can include those listed above for Lyme disease, as well as abdominal pain, vomiting, and/or jaundice.
What can you do?
If you’ve been exploring outdoors, especially in wooded areas, forests, areas where tall grasses and/or shrubs are present, or have found a tick on your body, and show these symptoms, see a healthcare provider. Symptoms for tick-borne diseases typically appear within a few days to up to five weeks after you have been bitten.
There is no vaccine for tick borne diseases in Canada, however, there are antibiotics for the tick-borne diseases that are known to be in Nova Scotia. If a tick has been attached and is swollen (has been attached for more than 36 hours) you may be eligible for antibiotics to prevent an infection. You can visit a pharmacist, or a physician or nurse practitioner, to see if you need antibiotics.
For more information on tick-borne diseases, please visit: https://novascotia.ca/DHW/CDPC/lyme.asp
Thank you again for supporting efforts to make our communities aware of how they can practice tick safety.
On behalf of
Dr. Jesse Kancir, MD MPhil CCFP FRCPC
Regional Medical Officer of Health, Eastern Zone
Public Health, Nova Scotia Health
Rosita Gillis
Congratulations, Rosita Gillis!
St. Joseph’s Parish, SW Margaree is pleased to nominate Rosita Gillis as our 2023 Volunteer of the Year.
Rosita, along with her husband Norman, live in Upper Margaree where they raised their six children. They have eight cherished grandchildren and are actively involved in their community.
Rosita represents St Joseph’s Parish on the three-member team that assists the pastor with the day to day operations of the Margaree Family of Catholic Churches, a job that requires many volunteer hours.
As well, Rosita is a member of the church choir, a Eucharistic Minister, and can always be counted on to prepare the tea for various functions. Not only a valued parish volunteer, Rosita is the contact person of the Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Fund in SW Margaree.
Through the years, Rosita has served her community with generosity and her gentle nature. She is a cherished and well-respected member of our community and we are happy to recognize her volunteer efforts.
Congratulations, Rosita!
Edgar Cormier
Congratulations, Edgar Cormier!
The Chestico Museum & Historical Society is proud to nominate Edgar Cormier as our Volunteer of the Year.
Edgar is a member of the Historical Society and is always willing to lend a helping hand. Over the years he has repaired our lawn mower, mowed the grass, set up his sound equipment for events and entertained at our ceilidhs. All done with a smile and a few jokes as well!
Edgar is also a member and volunteer with Port Hood Area Development, the Knights of Columbus Council 8275 and he just retired from serving 28 years as the president of the Port Hood Food Bank. Blessed with musical ability, Edgar is a member of St. Peter’s Parish Choir and can be found entertaining at community events as a member of the Boys in the Hood. Port Hood has certainly benefited from your many contributions!
Thank you and congratulations, Edgar!
Joan Cameron
Congratulations, Joan Cameron!
The Lake Ainslie Development Association is pleased to recognize Joan Cameron as their Volunteer of the Year for 2023.
Joan is an active member of LADA who helps to plan and organize events throughout the year, including the winter coffee club, ceilidhs, storytelling sessions and concerts.
Joan helped host the Scotsville Sessions/Ceilidhs over the past two years, setting up the tea and providing baked goods, welcoming people, and sharing her step dancing talents to the ceilidh events.
Joan also MC’s the annual Fire Department Christmas Concert and is active in many other ways, sharing her time and talents in various church and community events.
Joan is a retired teacher who lives in Scotsville with her husband, Hugh.
Congratulations, Joan!
Tara Boudreau
Congratulations, Tara Boudreau!
Glencoe Station Recreation Association is very happy to nominate Tara Boudreau as our 2023 Volunteer of the Year.
Tara has been an active member of our association for many years. Her list of volunteer duties is numerous, and we are extremely grateful for all she does.
For several years, Tara kept our community hall clean and tidy when she held the janitor’s position. Going above and beyond, Tara often mows the lawn at the hall throughout the spring, summer and fall months. In December, we appreciate Tara’s decorating skills when we decorate the hall for the festive holiday season!
Hosting community events calls for helping hands in many different capacities and we can always count on Tara. She works hard each year to help plan and prepare for the annual Hunter’s Breakfast, the annual John Allan Cameron Song Session and our annual Member’s Christmas Party.
Tara’s commitment to our annual fundraising campaigns is extremely appreciated. This year she managed our spring fundraiser ticket draw, creating, distributing and collecting all ticket sales.
Tara is always willing to pitch in for the good of the community, positively impacting friends and neighbours. Her willingness to help others, and dedication to our community make her the perfect choice for our 2023 Volunteer of the Year.
Congratulations, Tara!
Simon Beaton
Congratulations, Simon Beaton!
Nicole MacLean is happy to nominate Simon Beaton as a community Volunteer of the Year for 2023.
I moved to Inverness County, the Mabou area, two years ago. Since then, it never seizes to surprise me how much Simon is involved in his community. To name a few, Simon is a member of the Mabou & District Volunteer Fire Department, Mabou Arena Committee, and the organizing committee of Mabou Ceilidh Days.
During Ceilidh days I don’t believe he slept, ensuring everything was running smoothly with the ceilidh team. He is a dedicated husband and father, and I am so happy to see him apart of our community always lending a hand, or two, wherever he can.
Congratulations, Simon!
Matt Brosens
Congratulations, Matt Brosens!
Matt Brosens is a newer member of the Whycocomagh Volunteer Fire Department and by newer, we mean within the last 5 years! Matt is always keen to learn and given his background has a lot of experience behind the wheel of the main pumper truck.
Matt is also a busy local entrepreneur (Skye Glen Creamery) with a young family, but he makes time to attend fire department meetings, practices and is ready to attend call outs.
The Whycocomagh Volunteer Fire Department is lucky to have great volunteers like Matt who are community focused and so giving of their time.
Congratulations, Matt!
Margie Beaton
Congratulations, Margie Beaton!
Mabou & District Community Development Association are pleased to recognize Margie Beaton for her community volunteer efforts.
Margie Beaton has been a resident of Mabou for over forty years; she and her husband Stanley have raised a family of four girls and are now proudly devoted to their six grandchildren. As a retired teacher, Margie has undoubtedly influenced many former students to become community minded citizens.
Gaelic language and culture have always been Margie’s priorities and she has been a volunteer with the Mabou Gaelic & Historical Society ever since its founding in 1974, as well as being involved in all aspects of An Drochaid Museum, whether in history or language or in the many events which the Museum continues to host. As Vice Chair of Colaisde na Gàidhlig, she promotes the language in the wider sphere while also continuing to support and offer guidance to Taigh Sgoile na Drochaide, the all Gaelic school which opened in Mabou two years ago. She is a member of St. Mary’s Church choir while Còisir an Eilein is yet another area where her linguistic and musical expertise is in demand to help prepare for concert performances.
Margie has devoted twenty years of service to the Veterans’ Poppy Campaign and is currently researching for the Cenotaph Committee of the Local Legion. She has devoted over twenty years of her time as a past member of the West Mabou Beach Committee and continues to make sure the local Fitness Centre remains open and is well organized for the health and benefit of the community.
To quote a fellow volunteer, “Margie brings so much positive energy and enthusiasm to every project which is infectiously transferred to others. She is an excellent leader, leads by example, tackling whatever comes her way with respect, compassion and dignity”.
Margie’s volunteer record exemplifies volunteerism, and we are eternally grateful to her and her work.
Congratulations, Margie!
Judy Cairns
Congratulations, Judy Cairns!
North Mountain Cultural & Recreation Association is happy to nominate Judy Cairns as our volunteer of the year for 2023.
Judy has been a tremendous asset to our community since she and her partner Art moved here several years ago. Our board had been struggling to find someone to head up organizing the upstairs of our hall which contains numerous articles of history from the past. She volunteered to take this on and she and her committee spent numerous hours cleaning up, painting, sorting items, organizing and planning. It is a work in progress but the display of our history that we end up with will be impressive.
Judy is an active member of our Garden & Activities committee and is always willing to help when needed. She is a very social person, the “life of the party,” always coming up with new ideas to bring our community together.
Judy is also a member of our library committee, helping to get that new venture up and running. North Mountain Cultural & Recreation Association appreciates all that you do Judy!
Congratulations!
Jason Aucoin
Congratulations, Jason Aucoin!
The Lemoine Volunteer Fire Department is pleased to nominate Jason Aucoin as their 2023 Volunteer of the Year.
Jason joined the fire department on August 24, 2011. His attendance and participation in alarms and activities has always been above acceptable standards. He is a great asset to the department; always ready and willing to do what he can.
Jason works as a Primary Care Paramedic and was instrumental in establishing the Medical First Responder Program within the fire department. He is responsible for medical training, medical equipment, and medical supplies. We appreciate what he does for the department.
Jason’s interest in the fire department permitted him to hold many positions; MFR Facilitator since 2014, became Vice President in 2019/2020, became Lieutenant in 2021 and just this year promoted to Captain.
Jason participates in our fundraising activities and can often be found behind the BBQ, cooking up a meal for the volunteers.
The Lemoine Vol. Fire Dept. is proud to nominate Jason as our Volunteer of the Year.
Congratulations!