Remaining in the region goes beyond luck and luxury - it speaks volumes about roots and rural values, and fishing at lunch.

Spectacular colours, relaxed drivers, no bugs - this is a favourite time of year to hit our highways. And to explore. Surprises never cease when you get off the big roads and discover new restaurants, old businesses, and make new friends in the little corners of our eastern land.

I like to amble on my travels. A friend jokes that I know every ice cream stand between Halifax and Montreal. And maybe I do! A Scotsburn ice cream cone sign serves as a stoplight for me. I traded my addiction to cigarettes for ice cream about 20 years and 30 pounds ago.

Some of my ambling travels this year took me through southwestern New Brunswick. On one trip I was on my way to Maine to gather with a gang of gals-all fellow fly fishing addicts-to attend their annual trout fishing and feeding frenzy weekend. En route I ambled through York Mills, a teeny spot on the map between Harvey Station and McAdam. A highway sign lured me into a bustling enterprise: Briggs and Little Woolen Mills.

Such a pleasant surprise! John Little ushered me in for a tour of the plant and a chat about its history. It has been there since 1857-150 years of business in a community of about 100 people. Now that's industry! The plant burned four times, but the community got it up and running again each time. Use of synthetics and changes in fashion have had their effect… but the little company that could keeps producing some of the finest wool in the country, or in North America for that matter.

After the last fire, in 1994, the number of people on staff decreased from 33 to 23. Still, the community seems stable. And the decision was made to only operate eight months of the year. It makes sense-nobody wants to work with wool in the heat of the summer! The employees fill their distributors' shelves, then enjoy a four-month holiday-that's better than teaching! The locality is a mix of fields and forests, some new and older homes, and a stream or two, one that runs through the mill property. What more could a person want-hunting and fishing when you want it, a nice long holiday in the summer, guaranteed work in a company that cares about its employees and neighbours. It's another piece of East Coast paradise!

I picture the staff driving to work listening to the radio road reports: "slow crossing the bridge at...; traffic tie-up because of an accident by...; delays due to construction on..." There must be silent giggles as the drivers in York Mills spend their three to five minutes getting to work! And I fantasize about having a lunch break where you can cast a line for trout in a nearby stream. John and I detoured from talking shop to discussing the new rod and reel he had just purchased when at a trade show.

That's another delight in talking with the "industrialists" in this region - the great and the near - great share many of the same interests as us lowly folk. We have the liberty of darting to a stream when the urge to cast overcomes us, or grabbing the kayak or canoe when we need to ponder a problem to resolution. In these environments we're all the same, enjoying the East Coast richness that surrounds us.

But back to the wool factory. I was proud to know that wool from my native province is available at local shops like Lyons Store in Magnetic Hill and many Save Easy and Co-op stores, and is also bought worldwide via the Internet. As I fingered the skeins of various colours in the shop, my mind went way back to my mother and her friends gathering in front of the fire in our living room. Chairs rocked, tongues wagged and knitting needles clacked as sweaters and socks were prepared for our cold winters on the North Shore. I also recalled how I longed for just one store-bought sweater! How things have changed… now I would trade much of the store stuff for one of those cozy home-knit things.

Of course, Briggs and Little is just one illustration of a local company that for generations has cared about its employees, sustaining a community. The Shaw Group, based in Lantz, NS, comes to mind as another example of a successful firm that has long roots valuing its people - dating back to 1861, when the first Shaw started making bricks. The company now has diverse business interests throughout New Brunswick as well as Nova Scotia.

Being able to get your education, stay home and follow in the footsteps of your parents goes beyond luck and luxury. It speaks volumes about roots and loyalty, values and caring about others-150 or so years of it! Out West or Up North doesn't appeal to many from York Mills or Lantz. They aren't stuck at home - they're wanted and needed here.

I'm confident our economic boom will come again. Maybe not in my lifetime, but it will be our turn again someday. And because of companies like Briggs and Little and the Shaw Group we'll be prepared. These companies will continue to serve as examples of people who care about people, and who appreciate that play is as important as work in the balance of things.

We're not averse to change, but we do want to keep our East Coast values intact. That's why we live here!