Next year’s MFCA conference is in Pictou County (http://www.townofpictou.com/main.html), the birthplace of New Scotland. During its business meetings last week, the MFCA membership agreed that the association would play a bigger role going forward in the convention planning, taking some of the pressure off the host community (similar to how things are done in many other associations). Pictou has big shoes to fill after the success of this year’s conference. We're looking forward to it!

As I write this I’m in Cape Breton visiting family and wondering why we can’t all live here. The weather since we arrived in N.S. on July 3 has been perfect, the pace is slow, the people are wonderful and we’ve not had a meal in 11 days that hasn’t included seafood (lobster, lobster sandwiches, halibut, mussels, more lobster, crab, fishcakes, sole, more lobster and fish chowder). We fly out this evening and it’s back to reality tomorrow.

One last MFCA note – congratulations to new president Bernie Turpin from the Halifax Regional Fire Department and his executive, first vice president Vince MacKenzie from Grand Falls-Windsor, N.L., second vice president Alan Duchesne and sergeant at arms Gary Partridge. The MFCA admits there's lots of work to be done over the next few years. We know these guys are up to the task.