Nova Scotia Buzz
Our spot in the world is a favourite to many stars, but there are a few that frequent our province more than others. Residents and visitors alike know that Nova Scotia is the most beautiful destination in Canada for a vacation. From Downtown Halifax/Dartmouth to Cape Forchu and small towns like Tatamagouche… to world recognized destinations like The Cabot Trail, Peggy’s Cove and Lunenburg… Nova Scotia has much to explore and discover.
These seven Hollywood celebrities know this and are known to frequent the province.
#1 Kenan Thompson
Saturday Night Live's longest running cast member, Kenan Thompson is married to Halifax native, Christina Evangeline. He is known to frequent the city on many holidays and visit John's Lunch and Pleasant Street Diner in Dartmouth. He has also been known to wear East Coast Lifestyle clothing on SNL and court side at NBA games.
#2 Viola Davis
Viola Davis' love for Nova Scotia, in particular Cape Breton was discovered at the 2017 Golden Globe Awards when she revealed that she had toured the scenic Cabot Trail while filming in Nova Scotia. She accepted a gift from Destination Cape Breton to return to Cape Breton with her husband for a four night, three day vacation that included golf, outdoor adventures and a white-glove tour of the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site
#3 Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke, his family and then wife, Uma Thurman purchased an island in Nova Scotia's Tracadie Harbour, east of Antigonish back in 2002. Hawke recently played the role of Maud Lewis’ husband, Everett in the flick, Maudie. It’s about Nova Scotian and world famous artist Maud Lewis, who was played by Sally Hawkins. He was also Academy Award nominated for his role in Training Day and starred in Dead Poets Society. Ethan still gets away to his summer paradise and is one of the locals in the community and known to be friends with local lobster fishermen.
His island is 3.6 hectares and has road access from a 60 meter land bridge. When purchased in 2001, it was home to two cottages. The first is a farmhouse summer kitchen built in the 1860’s and hauled across the ice to the island in 1940. The other is a newer cottage, built in 1990.
Hawke is also a big supporter of the Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq community. He supported their call for the moratorium of offshore drilling in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
#4 Jack White
Did you know Jack White was born John Anthony Gillis and his grandmother was Florence MacIsaac of Antigonish and his grandfather was Frank Gillis of Sydney Mines? Maybe his musical genes are the same that come from distant relatives Buddy MacMaster, Natalie MacMaster and Ashley MacIssac.
White's family came to Nova Scotia in 2003 for a family reunion. Jack came in 2007 and played Glace Bay's Savoy Theatre and again in 2018 at Scotiabank Centre.
#5 Ben Affleck
Not only has Ben Affleck's (Batman) yacht been spotted in Halifax Harbour during the summer of 2016 with blinds drawn, we know he visited Cape Breton during the spring of 2015 and was caught on surveillance video at a Chéticamp gas station.
Attendant Mike Gibbon did a double take and told The Chronicle Herald, "I called him on it and was, like, ‘Ben?’ And then he kinda looked just a tiny bit and was, like, ‘Yeah’ and then I was, like, ‘Ben Affleck?’
"And then he looked up completely and pulled up his hat a bit and he was, like, yeah, yeah it’s me.”
Rumor at the time was that Affleck was on a retreat at the Buddhist monastery, as not many celebrities stroll through Chéticamp early in the spring time of year.
#6 Alan Arkin
Academy Award winner and star of Little Miss Sunshine, Argo and Catch-22, Alan Arkin has been coming to Cape Breton for around 20 years. In a recent interview he said "We spend several months a year in Cape Breton. It’s my favorite place on earth."
#7 Elliot Page
Halifax born and Oscar nominated Elliot Page is no stranger to our fine province and is better known for their roles in the X-Men franchise and Juno. As of late, Elliot has produced the documentary, There's Something in the Water, which features ecological and social disasters in their home province. The documentary, Page's directorial debut, states that these catastrophes have been precisely placed, all in remote, low income and very often Indigenous or Black communities. As they observe, your postal code determines your health.
