Kelly Foss

In the age of big box stores and mass production, there are still artists and crafts people who make beautiful things by hand.

Colourful quilts, hooked rugs, and stained glass. Resilient dories and snowshoes. Whimsical whirligigs. In With These Hands: Traditional Arts, Crafts, and Trades of Atlantic Canada, Don MacLean (MSc. Biology ’85) explores the traditional crafts of Atlantic Canada, visiting dozens of creators in their workshops, galleries, and homes, giving insight into their process and inspiration.

Mr. MacLean interviews Dora Gloade about Mi’kmaw bead- and leatherwork. He talks to Yvette Muise about preserving the Chéticamp hooked rug tradition. He speaks to a luthier and a jeweller.

There is an irresistible allure to items that are carefully, lovingly, made by hand, whether they are carved from wood or painted on canvas, and Mr. MacLean’s book explores that. This book contains over two dozen photos and will be released July 4, by Nimbus Publishing.

Sportsfishing and flies

Don MacLean retired in 2015 as Director of Inland Fisheries with the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture after a 32-year career with the province. This is his third book.

The first book, Discover Nova Scotia Sportfishing, was released by Nimbus Publishing in 2003 and the second, A Little Thing I Tied Myself: Atlantic Canadian Fly Tiers and Their Flies was published by Nimbus in 2006.

His articles have appeared in Atlantic Salmon Journal, Saltscapes, Eastern Woods and Waters, Canadian Fly Fisher, Outdoor Canada, and others. He lives in Pictou, Nova Scotia.