At Home: New Island
Erosion by weather and water are expected in Eastern Canada, but sometimes the results are particularly drastic. This was the case at Blooming Point, Prince Edward Island, part of P.E.I. National Park.
As the CBC reports, local fishing boat captain Randall Clow recently discovered that a new channel had formed, separating approximately two and a half kilometres of sand dunes from the rest of Blooming Point. It’s believed that the split was caused by a ?wild storm? that blew through the area last winter.
While the creation of the new island seems insignificant, it could have longer-term effects on the local fishing industry. Previously, Blooming Point ?almost closed off the mouth of Tracadie Bay,? and locals are divided over whether the 100-metre-wide channel is a positive development.
Some will appreciate the easier ?access to the Gulf of St. Lawrence.? In addition, as Clow told reporters, the improved water flow is ?good for the mussel industry.? On the other hand, Clow is concerned that Tracadie Bay has lost some of its protection from winter weather: ?But if the sea ice comes in, that can cause a lot of damage,? he explained to reporters.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada plans to ?monitor? the new channel for possible damage from sand clogs and sea ice.
In Foreign News: When Knights Were Bold
Recently, legend was transformed into reality thanks to a fascinating discovery in northwest England. By combining early literature with modern anthropological techniques, researchers have determined what they believe to be the original location of King Arthur’s court.
As the Daily Mail reports, ?Camelot could in fact have been Chester Amphitheatre, a huge stone-and-wood structure capable of holding up to 10,000 people.? The evidence: a shrine recently discovered within the amphitheatre’s ruins appears to be the same one described by Arthur’s first biographer, the sixth-century monk Gildas.
Although Camelot is popularly thought of as its own city, researchers reason that Arthur would ?logically? have used the existing Roman structure to “create an imposing and well fortified base.?
And what of the Round Table, the place where Arthur’s court gathered and created strategies to ward off the Saxon invaders? Historians now believe that the Round Table was not actually a table, but ?the circular space inside [the] former Roman amphitheatre.? As historian Chris Gidlow told reporters, ?The first accounts of the Round Table show it ?was a venue for upwards of 1,000 people at a time.? In keeping with the legend, historians believe that ?the king’s regional noblemen would have sat in the central arena’s front row.?