Alxys Chamberlain Queen Annapolisa 2015 and now interim Director 2017 A B F Organizing Committee

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Kentville, May 2015 - Alxys Chamberlain, (Princess Kingston) and also this year's Queen Annapolisa receives the royal treatment and is cheered on by the good citizens of Kentville as she enjoys the glorious trip down Main Street Kentville in the Grand Street Parade .

 

She must have admired Kentville's Grand Street parade so much that 2 years later in 2017, she played a major role in a plot to try and take this famous Parade away from its natural home in Kentville where she is seen here ?

 

 

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The 2017 Grand Street Parade.. First they take our Airport, and now they're after our most famous attraction ?

After Warden Brothers, ( Kingston Greenwood ) and, L Glavine Liberal MP for Kingston, had connived to take away Waterville Airport and relocate it to their home riding in Kingston/Greenwood, it seems that Kentville must face yet another serious attack from the Kingston area when Alxys Chamberlain, the Kingston Apple Blossom Princess, along with ABF Directors had perpetrated a notorious hostile takeover bid and attempt to extract the 2017 Kentville Grand Street Parade away from its natural long time home in the town of Kentville and to take yet another major attraction and major source of revenue away from the town of Kentville ?

The unconscionable attempted hijacking and subsequent recovery of Kentvilles's most beloved yearly event ?

www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/18506181065

 

 

 

 

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A quick review of the notorious hostile takeover bid and attempt to extract the 2017 Kentville Grand Street Parade away from its natural home in the town of Kentville ?

 

 

February, 2017 - With only 3 months to go and parade planning and preparations well underway as per usual for the upcoming 2017 edition of Kentville Grand Street Parade, parade officials were suddenly caught totally off-guard and absolutely blindsided by the shocking news coming from out of nowhere that current ABF Management who are in charge of the festival have made a final decision in private that will take Grand Street Parade away from its historic 85-year old home in Kentville ? They would then relocate it to a new and different location of their choice ? Apparently, they had already taken it away from Kentville and moved it to New Minas without consultation, written or verbal notice, or permission ? And so it seemed that a group of rather uncaring, arrogant, covertly operating, and inconsiderate ABF Officials with radical new ideas had ignored the town of Kentville's interests and ignored 87 years of tradition and (incredibly) taken the 2017 annual Grand Street Parade ( and even future Parades ) away without consultation, notice or permission ? Drastic location changes and even the elimination of other longtime events and attractions that are always held in Kentville such as the Friday night outdoor show and fireworks, the Memorial Park Wednesday and Thursday displays with Valley student participation and numerous attractions, the bringing in of popular outside bands, and even the famous historic Kentville Children's Parade were all targeted by this group for cut-back or even elimination ? Radical changes in the Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess competition including gender, contestant rules, location of crowning ceremony, and changes in overall competition format were also discussed ? These ABF Officials defended secretive, inconsiderate and authoritarian type actions by claiming that as stewards of the festival they are entitled and obliged to uphold the integrity of the festival ? (integrity ? ) They later changed stories saying they were left with no choice due to Kentville's inability to prove they can successfully host such a large Parade event, ( Kentville has hosted this parade for the last 85 years ),and also because the people in charge of Grand Street Parade were unprofessional, indifferent and uncooperative ?

And so it came to be that a newly elected Mayor and Council in its infancy were suddenly confronted with perhaps the most serious challenge ever to be faced by the town of Kentville ever since the tragic loss of their major transportation sources, that being the loss of the railway in 1989, and then the shocking loss of aviation in 2014 when the Town CAO and the Warden and Council conspired to close out Waterville municipal Airport and evict all businesses and tenants ? This new challenge came in the form of a surprise and pernicious attack on Kentville's most beloved local commercial attraction, that being the Grand Street Parade ? The surprise attack came from an unfamiliar and unfriendly source that seemed inconsiderate, disrespectful and even a tad opportunistic when considering that Kentville had just finished installing a brand new Mayor and rookie Council ? When the newly elected Mayor Snow, was suddenly swarmed by so much news of so many harsh and deceitful actions that had already taken against her town's best interests, the shocked and disbelieving Mayor said she was overwhelmed, heartbroken and called these actions unprecedented, disrespectful and unacceptable when she commented to the local media ? All citizens agreed that any attack on Kentville's most popular and well known outdoor world class event without the courtesy of an invitation, negotiation, inclusion or consultation is unacceptable ? Needless to say, the biggest losers of all were the good citizens of Kentville who have contributed so much over the last 90 years years going back to the thirties and forties when the CNR train would bring guests to stay at the Cornwallis Inn ? The Town has invested enormous amounts of time, energy and resources into the creation of this world-famous event that continually draws a hundred or more thousand visitors.

All of our Valley towns take great pride and look forward to their individual town festivals with an emphasis placed on their yearly local parade. The citizens of Kentville are no different. And so now it appears that although Towns like Kingston, Hantsport, Wolfville, Windsor, Berwick, Canning, Greenwood etc. never have to worry about someone coming along and hijacking their yearly community parade or otherwise taking it away, the citizens of Kentville have to face the troubling prospect of losing their annual town parade without notice to an outside party and a loss of many years of time, energy, town resources, manpower, and all the other general services and contributions put forth by residents over the past years in order to create this world class event ?

The current 2017 ABF board of Directors is led by Angela Pelton and Alxys Chamberlain (Queen Annapolisa 2015), with Barb Madic, Heidi Scotney-Kinsman, John Patterson, Katie Gordon, Krista Morine, Linda Keddy, Logan Morse, Sarah Griffiths, and Steffany Cox-Lingard ?

 

 

news clippings :

 

Frustration growing in Kentville, N.S. over Apple Blossom parade change CTV Atlantic atlantic.ctvnews.ca/frustration-growing-in-kentville-n-s-...

 

Kings County Councilor Emma Van Rooyen calls for the de-funding of the Apple Blossom Festival

atlantic.ctvnews.ca/apple-blossom-festival-competition-di...

 

JULY 14, 2023 - Valley Pride workshops, drag performances, and more events planned for Kentville and Wolfville over the weekend.

globalnews.ca/video/9832465/first-official-pride-festival...

 

CTV Jan. 23, 2017 " A long-standing N.S. festival opens competition to all gender identities"

www.ctvnews.ca/canada/long-standing-n-s-festival-opens-co...

 

ABF 2022 - Princess competition and Queen Annapolisa pageant to be postponed this year ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/52076239848/in/datepos...

 

New Minas agrees to host the parade after approached by festival organizers ! Protest Petition is started !

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/apple-blossom-festival...

 

Kentville will host the Apple Blossom parade after all

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/kentville-gets-apple-b...

 

No Smoking in KVille, but we encourage drinking, gambling and smoking pot ? Maders tobacconist in downtown Kentville is celebrating 50 years in business,,

www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/9344935900

 

may 2023 = Kids welcome at an all-age Drag show to be held at the Kings Arms in Kentville,,

www.nsbuzz.ca/life/kentville-all-ages-drag-show-draws-pro...

 

A protest against an all-age drag show at the Kings Arms ends peacefully in Kentville,

www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/communities/a-celebration-of...

 

Lunenburg - Is Queen even a bad name now ? Lunenburg had recently changed the name of Cornwallis Street to Queen Street. Queen was first choice of all those in a survey taken to select a new street name. But the town received another complaint from the local anti-racism committee saying they are upset by a democratic decision that would replace one colonial street name (Cornwallis) with another, (Queen ) ?

www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/ns-town-that-changed-cornwa...

 

 

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2022 :

 

 

* Update 2022 Update * This year's ABF won't be the same as the others ? For the first time ever in a long illustrious history, this ABF will be missing the better half of the Festival, that being, the coveted Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess competition and the coronation and crowning ceremony in Wolfville ? All have been postponed ? Bad news indeed for aspiring young participants, for our local communities, for the Festival itself, and for all patrons and sponsors. Perhaps the current board of Directors should focus more attention on their job of actually holding the event rather than arguing about inclusion and entrance ? We look forward to next years pageant ? It also looks like the Directors this year are not prepared to make the necessary expenditures needed to bring in outside guest performers for the Friday night concert (or for a big-name Saturday night concert ) as was always the case in previous years when bands like Eddy's Basement, or various guest Tribute Bands, or the Barra McNiels, K D Lang, Michelle Wright, and many others were brought in to entertain Wednesday Thursday or Friday night Memorial Park audiences ?

 

It seems that ABF Officials are emphasizing the word 'free' in advertisements this year ? The ABF events they advertise as free have always been free ? Is this promotion or the pointing out of the 'free' idea mean there are plans in the future to begin charging Kentville citizens for events that have always been free in the past, such as Grand Street Parade or the Friday night Memorial Park entertainment and Fireworks ? It seems more likely that if they were ever to repeat this year's lackluster bare minimum effort of our World famous festival that they may have to start paying patrons to attend ?

 

 

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Following a 2 year absence due to Covi,, the 2022 Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival. (and Parade) will be held as per usual this year.. Unfortunately the Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess competition has had to be postponed until next year due to time constraints.

 

 

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Shocking news from ABF,

 

 

* There's been a stunning development at ABF. *

 

Apparently in a new younger generation there are those who harbor resentment towards our nations history, for English colonialism, and even for the Monarchy ? Other minority groups have voiced discontent over the diversity and inclusion issue ? And so it seems that the current ABF Board of Directors has listened to the concerns and complaints of a few small minority groups while apparently ignoring and excluding the overwhelming majority of Valley residents ? And it appears that this current Board of Directors chose to resolve such discontent by simply moving to implement and execute the nuclear option and the final solution ? And therefore after a highly successful lengthy run of 87 consecutive years in a row, the extremely anticipated, very popular, family oriented, inclusive and diverse, multi village Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess Pageant along with the prestigious Royal Coronation crowning ceremonies held in Wolfville have all been terminated forever by this current board of Directors ?

 

 

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-----------------------It's The End of an Era-----------------------------

 

 

"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep."

 

 

Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival 2023 - ABF Board of Directors has announced drastic new changes in format and even deeper cut-backs to the annual People's Festival ? Concerns over ceremony, symbolism, the monarchy and colonialism, along with some complaints over inclusion and diversity may have had an influence on the current ABF board of Directors and they have seen a need to update the long running Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess pageant in order to bring it up to a standard they view as being more relevant to the current times ? And so the Directors must have held an extremely private 'think tank' last Winter, and without notifying, caring, considering or consulting with any of the long time participating Valley communities, they had decided that rather than trouble themselves any further with this pesky issue, why not just take the easy way out and simply get rid of it ? And so it seems they made a final decision in private last Winter and moved to execute the final and fatal solution to their problem by ordering that the iconic 87 year old Pageant competition be immediately shut down and terminated forever ? And therefore, as a result of an uninclusive and uncontested decision made in private, one of the longest running, popular, identifiable, well known, highly anticipated, most inclusive and diverse, proud all family events that has ever benefited Valley residents of every age, has just been taken away ?

This unconditional act of finality will now end the long running 88 year reign of her royal Heinous Queen Annapolisa and will terminate all participation of the 7 to 10 Apple Blossom Princess contestants and their child attendants that represent 7 to 10 local Valley communities ? It will also mean the end of the many beautiful hand crafted award winning Princess floats that always highlight Grand Street Parade, and it will also signal the end of the ultra glamorous Queen and Ladies-in-waiting Crowning ceremonies held annually and televised each year from Acadia University in Wolfville ? This also puts an end to the many popular community Princess Tea events, and also ends all Royal Party visitations to local Schools, hospitals and old folks homes that are so welcome and appreciated by Students, Seniors and shut-ins ? This also signals the end of Royal Party appearances at Kentville Children's Parade, at the Memorial Park Friday night open air concert and fireworks, and all Royal attendances at many other events held annually throughout the Valley and the Province ?

It appears now that current ABF Officials led by President Logan Morse along with Kentville town rep Lindsey Young have not only interrupted the Pageant in 2022 when they temporarily postponed it, but have now in 2023 moved to terminate this prestigious event forever explaining that their radical decision has been made to improve, include, modernize and evolve the famed beauty pageant ? This final act of termination ends almost 90 years of royal pageantry and also leaves a huge gap in the Festival itself ? It will also negatively affect so many of the nearby Valley communities who always participate and enter contestants in the Pageant ? The ending of such an important multiple community event and the taking away of the better half and Star of the Apple Blossom Festival brings forth the question of what replacement is planned, and what are local towns and villages that always play major roles in both the Queen and Princess competition suppose to do now ? And what about Valley youth and the childhood dreams of one day becoming a child attendant or an Apple Blossom Princess or even a Queen ?

You have to marvel at the level of ego and disrespect shown by this latest Board of Directors who have dared appoint themselves as the ones that will end the Pageant and then to think that Valley residents are stupid enough to believe that by cancelling and taking away a cherished and long running event, that they have in some perverted way of thinking moved the Valley forward or improved and modernized anything ? It seems far more likely that they have taken the Valley on a giant step backwards and they have robbed the people of a much beloved, long running, multi community, all inclusive, local production that has always been a highly anticipated all Valley highlight for the past almost 90 consecutive years ?

Why current ABF Management who have applied themselves to be the stewards who are in charge and responsible for the promotion and presentation of this event, appear as unable to perform their duties and do the job they are compensated to do and do what their predecessors have always done so well before them each and every year for the past 87 years often in far more trying circumstances and in far less prosperous times, is hard to understand ? And you have to wonder, Whatever happened to the # 1 rule in business that says that if you can't do the job because of inexperience, immaturity, inability, incompetency, bias, or just plain stupidity, then,, You're all FIRED ! (and a Class action recovery suit may be forthcoming ?)

 

 

ABF news updates :

 

 

Logan Morse and a newcomer ABF Board of Directors break the hearts of Valley families especially the Children when moving to terminate the historic and long running Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess Pageant after 88 years ? Directors show no remorse, only saying that bold action was needed to improve, evolve and bring the pageant up to their modern standards ? www.pressreader.com/canada/annapolis-valley-register/2023...

 

May 26, 2023 - We Are the Ones. An unusual degree of disrespect shown when the long running all Valley Peoples Pageant is cancelled without either of consideration or consultation ? A modern generation of newcomer ABF Directors with bold new ideas have apparently proclaimed themselves to be the generation that will interrupt and then permanently end 88 years of wonderful multi Valley village Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess enjoyment ?

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/apple-blossom-festival...

 

Annapolis Valley families are in shock and children cry upon learning their beloved Queen Annapolisa Pageant has been cancelled without notice, consultation, consideration or compassion ? Newcomer Directors say they are taking this bold action to improve, evolve and modernize the historic Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival ? www.saltwire.com/atlantic-

 

Valley residents lose a long time major public yearly entertainment event after the ever popular ABF Greenwood Airshow is terminated and will be no more. Fast forward to Aug 24, 2024, and corporate greed ? Air Show Atlantic Inc. now charges big bucks to see taxpayer owned aircraft at a taxpayer owned airport in a far inferior airshow ?

www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/52345513615

 

Kentville IS the Cornwallis Inn and the Cornwallis Inn IS Kentville ! If you were to google the 2 words Cornwallis Inn you will get over 600,000 entries with almost all of them married to the word Kentville.. (what a great promotional tool) . The world famous Cornwallis Inn is the source of many fond memories for all local and Valley residents.. "It was the centre of everything’: The past and present of Kentville’s iconic Cornwallis Inn"

www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/lifestyles/it-was-the-centre...

 

Kentville, an identity crisis. Help, Is there a Superhero out there to save Kentville from the newconers ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/51811175986/in/album-7...

 

The controversial 2017 Grand Street Parade - Has Kentville once again been the target of exploitation ? After Warden Brothers, (Greenwood ) and Liberal MP L Glavine (Kingston) had all but hijacked Waterville Airport and then relocated it to their own home riding in the Kingston/Greenwood area, it seems that the town of Kentville must face yet another attack from the Kingston area when Alxys Chamberlain, the Kingston Apple Blossom Princess, and ABF Directors attempt to take yet another major source of revenue and major attraction away from the town of Kentville ?

Et tu, Madama Chamberlain ? The unconscionable attempted hijacking and subsequent recovery of Kentvilles's most beloved yearly event ?

www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/18506181065

 

2023 Kentville Grand Street Parade - Disregard for safety shown as unrestrained Senior citizens are precariously perched atop an unshaded, no sided, stop and go, large unstable jerking motion moving platform ?

www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/53900780519/in/album-7...

 

Exploiting a Queen for a photo op ? Politicians at the official opening of the 2023 Apple Blossom Festival pretend that there's still a Pageant while knowing full well that Queen Annapolisa has been terminated forever and will no longer be a part of this Festival ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/53755100811/in/album-7...

 

2023 Kentville Grand Street Parade ABF stewards defy Trudeau's call for diversity and inclusion ? Many nearby local Valley towns and villages that always normally attend are now excluded from the parade ? This exclusion also means an absence of the diversity provided from the attendance of these many local communities ? Where is Canning, Digby, Annapolis Royal, Hantsport Greenwood, Windsor ? Where's Queen Annapolisa ? Where's the Apple Blossom Princesses and all of the individual Town floats including Princess Kentville ? To view the complete 2023 Kentville Grand Street Parade press here, www.dailymotion.com/video/x8lchie www.dailymotion.com/video/x8lchie

 

89th Kentville Grand Street Parade May 27th 2023,, It's the sad ending of an Era ? ABF Organizers take away tremendous diversity when all Royal proceedings have been excluded from this years festival, www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/52934419451

 

Facebook, Friends of Kentville - The site Administrator, a new arrival from PEI, says she wants to see Kentville as the queerest town in all of Nova Scotia ? www.facebook.com/groups/2588266877982288

 

Will a drag Queen replace an apple blossom Queen in Kentville ? www.nsbuzz.ca/life/kentville-all-ages-drag-show-draws-pro...

 

Nov 16 2023 - Apple Blossom Princesses call for a return of Queen Annapolisa,

www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/communities/former-apple...

 

The Town of Kentville has moved to cut back and eliminate many hours of public outdoor entertainment that were held as a part of the Apple Blossom Festival ?

www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/52094784785

 

A medley of the guest Tribute bands that have performed at Memorial Park Kentville - Always free of charge in the past at the Apple Blossom Festival : Petty Larceny, Fleetwod Mix, Keep the Faith, Stones Tribute, Green River Revival, Viscious, Eddy's Basement, Matt Minglewood,

www.dailymotion.com/video/x5hqti9

 

Mean corporate greed is shown by the newcomer ABF directors in this years Apple Blossom Festival ? Instead of providing a free guest Tribute band at the free Memorial Park Friday night concert, it will now cost 50.00 pp to see the 'Queen tribute band' performance. that's 50.00 per ticket in 2025 ? acadiau.universitytickets.com/

 

A Scrooge-like cheap Town of Kentville rips off its own citizens (and right at Apple Blossom Festival time) ? Cold capitalism shown by Town of Kentville and by the newcomer ABF management ? Citizens burdened with an out of pocket expense of TWENTY DOLLARS each just to attend an outdoor street dance held downtown on taxpayer owned property during Apple Blossom Festival ? Is there no sense of shame ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54546051832/in/photost...

 

She's Ruined It ! Our great Festival is no longer even recognizable ? How could anyone take a world class event and turn it into something that can only be described as stupid ? President Erica Gillis has to be the worst ever ?

www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54493011308/in/dateposted

 

2025 Kentville Grand Street Parade - A brief 45-minute and a very limited and compacted Kentville Grand Street Parade this year ? Zero large marching street bands and majorettes invited other than 1 mini version of the standard RCMP entrée, No Sottish pipers or pipe bands, zero in Royalty or their famous royal floats, Most of the regular nearby Valley village participants weren't here, Zero horses or wagons, No armaments, soldiers, bands or displays from the Aldershot military or Greenwood, etc etc, ? And yet the Guest parade announcer proclaims in quote @ 29:17, " this parade is the largest in Canada, incl Toronto - it's the longest with the largest route and has the most entries. " Wha-a-a-t, where did she come from and what is she talkin about ?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQuaIdrQi00

 

Mayor in Kentville Grand Street Parade - A new Royal rider rolls down Main Street aboard the Kentville Apple Blossom Princess float ? This year the newcomer Mayor graces the royal throne. 'Somebody get that king a crown and scepter '

www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54557663677/in/dateposted

 

they've ruined it part 2 ? May 31st, 2025 Grand Street Parade - From 100,000 down to 10,000, Parade attendance shrinks to all time low, www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54568017261/in/photost.... Also see, They've ruined the Festival and the Parade too ?

www.facebook.com/avabf

 

ABF Directors may disapprove and may have terminated the beloved Queen Annapolisa pageant and the multiple village Apple Blossom Princess competition but Valley residents will always admire, support, respect and remain fond of the British Monarchy. The majority of Valley citizens are delighted to hear that his Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla are invited and will be coming for a royal visit to Canada on May 26 and 27, 2025. This year's incomplete and now Royalty-less ABF starts on the 28th, www.cbc.ca/news/politics/king-charles-canada-visit-1.7524946

 

The long proud history of past Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess winners has been removed from sight and erased from the official Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival website ? A special honorary history page dedicated to previous Queen Annapolisa winners from 1933 thru 2019 has been taken down and apparently replaced with jumbo size portraits of the newcomer President and other ABF directors who have taken over and ruined the world famous Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival ? www.appleblossom.com/history/past-queens

Meet the directors,

www.appleblossom.com/about/

 

 

May 30th, 2025 - a 20 dollar hamburger and a ride on the bouncycastle ? High level security enforcement brought in for this years ABF Memorial Park Friday night rock concert ? ( must have taken up most of the budget ) ? Town of Kentville brings in outside police, closes roads, and sets up security perimiter with manned guard posts to provide tightened security for their Friday night Memorial Park Apple Blossom outdoor concert that in the past had always featured guest rock bands, interesting displays, and a Royal visit following the glamorous coronation ceremony in Wolfville, but has now been cut down to some kind of an outdoor romper room type family show featuring food trucks, fireworks, air blown bouncy jumpers and minimal live local entertainment on the main stage ? It has been reported that a parking violator was successfully apprehended thanks to the upgraded crowd control security and strict traffic control hired by the Board for this occasion ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54558198569

 

May 30th, 2025 Memorial Park Kentville - Seniors and those with disabilities are made to walk long distances in order to reach this year's disappointing ABF Friday night outdoor rock Concert that didn't bring in a rock band, (nor much of anything else) ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54558198569/in/photost...

 

Oct 4th, 2025 - Kentville Harvest Festival Centre Square, A disappointing harvest festival this year that forgot about hayrides, pumpkin people making, the harvest and the farmer ?https://www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54835089011/in/photostream/

 

 

Upgrade 2025 ? taken from the front of Phinneys dept store - a massive expenditure is budgeted for a major upgrade to the Mayor's business backyard - Downtown Kentville Webster Street gets a complete and total beautification makeover with new installations of street paving, paint, new sidewalks both sides, driveway entrances, and new curb and gutter both sides ? All the other streets that surround the Phinneys' downtown business block have also been upgraded including Aberdeen Street, Cornwallis Street, and Main Street ?

 

www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54835340734/in/photost...

 

 

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On the recent 2023 edition of the Grand Street Parade :

 

 

"it looked as if some spectators along the route just joined in and began to walk along and make themselves a part of the parade ? "

 

May 27th, 2023 - Dismay, disillusion and some extreme disappointment prevail in Kentville over shocking changes and many missing regular entrees in this years 2023 Grand Street Parade ? Where is our famous Queen Annapolisa and where are the many Apple Blossom Princesses and their child attendants riding in their beautiful hand crafted decorated floats ? Where's the town criers ? And what about the dazzling majorette groups, the Scottish pipers and large multi instrumental marching bands that always attend ? And where are the Hantsport and Windsor floats and their large delegations ? And where are Digby, Aylesford, Annapolis Royal, Canning, Middleton, Wolfville, and more ? Why are so many of the Valley towns and villages that normally participate not included in the parade this year ? It was also a major disappointment for many when for the first time ever, Kentville Apple Blossom Princess (aka Miss Kentville) was no longer included as there are many town residents young and old who identify with the Apple Blossom Princess at this time of year ? However, the now purposeless Apple Blossom Princess float was used this year to transport a grouping of everyday town residents as they sat around together in a social scene meant to identity Kentville with diversity and inclusion ? The New Minas float also did not include an Apple Blossom Princess for this year, however her float was transformed into an advertisement for the famous New Minas UFO incident which all New Minions identify with. The Berwick float didn't include a Princess Berwick this year either. but was altered to proudly identify with the town's upcoming Centennial celebrations. And the Kingston float was also missing an Apple Blossom Princess this year but was instead promoting their long running Kingston Steer Barbecue that all Kingstonians readily identify with. It was good to see an RCMP contingent again although they sent far less officers this year than usual ? And it was notable that only 1 other large marching band appeared in the parade when usually 4 or more big bands, many with many pipers usually attend after traveling up from places like Cape Breton, Bridgewater, Dartmouth etc ? And where have all the pets and animals gone ? There's no horse teams, wooden wagons, riders or livestock this year ? Even the usual greyhound dogs weren't there ? Also noticed that some spectators must have just joined in and began walking along within the parade, and others must have come over from the Children's parade with their strollers to join in ? There was a variety of advertisers, most from out of town but some local ? There were various Political parties represented, with the largest delegation coming from the Kody Blois Liberals ? All in all, this Year's parade seemed a bare minimum and a weak effort that really missed the inclusion of royal pageantry and the 7 to 10 spectacular Princess floats, and also missed the large marching bands and majorette groups that usually enter, the usual agriculture horticulture and livestock component, the popular Scottish pipers bands that always attend, and also the many large out of town contingents that always normally participate ? This was not the famous grand street parade that patrons are accustomed to seeing, and did not represent the high standards and degree of professionalism set by all previous Grand Street Parades ? It became obvious that what was being advertised as a newer, bolder, more inclusive and more diverse parade was instead the exact opposite because this new version of our Grand Street Parade had lost the inclusion, diversity and the major contribution put forth by the absent Valley communities along with their individual Princess contestants and Child attendants that always come to Kentville to participate in the Queen Annapolisa competition, the Friday evening coronation gala at Acadia University in Wolfville, the many Princess Teas, and the Royal attendances at schools, hospitals, senior citizen homes and shut-ins, as well as appearances at the Friday night Memorial Park outdoor concert and fireworks, Royal attendances highlighting the Saturday morning Children's Parade, and a Royal trip down Main street Kentville aboard a beautiful hand crafted royal float in the famous Grand Street parade ?

And so, to quickly sum up, can a strange looking, incomplete, shortened, now Royal-less, newcomer mentality amateur version of our elite world-famous Kentville Grand Street Parade that was now missing her heinous Queen Annapolisa and also missing 7 to 10 Apple Blossom Princesses and their individual 7 to 10 beautifully handcrafted Town Princess floats, and also missing much of the unique character and diversity usually provided by the numerous Valley villages and communities who were no longer included, and that also failed to include many of the large out of town marching bands and pipers and majorettes who usually attend, and that also lacked representation from local area farming, agriculture and livestock,, now signal the end of the once glorious Grand Street Parade era ?

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Some previous parades :

 

2011 Grand Street Parade Kentville 79th ABF

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVgh3Dh2xn8&t=208s

 

 

2012 Grand Street Parade Kentville www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB1VBx50b18

 

 

2014 Kentville Grand Street Parade www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEo14IZKxp8&t=11s

 

 

2015 Kentville Grand Street Parade

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBifeG2SdPY&t=47s

 

2016 Kentville Grand Street Parade www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2wedvN5_Iw&t=8s

 

2017 Kentville Grand Street Parade www.youtube.com/watch?v=JozwyGpvfSY&t=1978s

 

2018 Kentville Grand Street Parade www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOK1GmiLmNk&t=986s

 

2019 Kentville Grand Street Parade www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMdEx8Zf-q0&t=1492s

 

2023 Grand Street Parade - Where's the Apple Blossom Princesses and all of the individual Town floats including Princess Kentville ? To view a complete (newcomer version) of the world famous Kentville Grand Street Parade press here www.dailymotion.com/video/x8lchie www.dailymotion.com/video/x8lchie

 

 

A concerned Kentvillian must finally speak out, www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/44424045874

 

 

Kentville is an incorporated town in Nova Scotia. It is the most populous town in the Annapolis Valley. As of 2021, the town's population was 6,630.

 

 

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