It’s here! It’s finally here! The 2011 Canada Games have arrived and Halifax is ready to showcase our country’s finest athletes to the world! For the next two weeks the city will be hopping as athletes and fans gather to celebrate this fantastic event. And I will be here, on the ground, introducing you to the people and places that make Halifax and Nova Scotia the perfect backdrop for all the action. Think of me as your tour guide and social coordinator all in one.

I’m a Bluenoser, through and through. Born and raised in Antigonish -- the “Highland Heart” of Nova Scotia – I grew up listening to fiddle music and bagpipes, folk singers and storytellers. And I’ve lived in Halifax for most of my adult life. I love the music, the arts and culture scene, the city’s rich history and, of course, the people. Once you visit this city, you’ll know what I mean. Haligonians are warm and caring – when they say “how ya doin’?” they really do want to know.

But when it comes down to it, I think the one thing that keeps me here is the salt – the smell of the salt air on the water. Whether I’m swimming in the warm tides of the Northumberland Strait, enjoying a sunny Saturday strolling Halifax’s waterfront or beachcombing along the shorelines of Mahone Bay, it’s the salt air that grounds me, reassures me that I’m truly home.

And maybe that’s true of all Nova Scotians. We’ve got salt in our blood, and that’s what grounds us. Salt of the earth, salt of the sea -- it’s about the people. Welcome to Nova Scotia. "Céad Míle Fáilte!", as they say in Gaelic -- one hundred thousand welcomes! Let the games begin!

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