A photo-filled collection of stories about Nova Scotians' resilience during the pandemic from an award-winning photographer.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and life, at that moment, changed drastically for every Nova Scotian.

People were ordered to practice physical distancing. Everyday tasks like grocery shopping were suddenly fraught with challenges. Travellers scrambled to get home before the borders closed, and were then ordered to self-quarantine. Hospitals and health-care facilities prepared for a potential influx of critically ill patients. Through it all, Nova Scotians reacted with kindness and empathy, and came to recognize their everyday heroes—from grocery clerks to delivery drivers to the doctors and nurses on the front lines. But tales of some who flouted the rules arose. During a daily media briefing, Premier Stephen McNeil made the spirit of the order perfectly clear: "Stay the blazes home."

Through dozens of powerful stories that illuminate the generosity and ingenuity of Nova Scotians, Stay the Blazes Home captures the many ways Nova Scotians adapted to and embraced life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring photographs by author and award-winning photographer Len Wagg, in addition to submitted images from all over the province, Stay the Blazes Home serves as a record of the resilience and the spirit of Nova Scotians in a time of crisis. Portions of the proceeds from this book will be donated to local mental health initiatives.

Len Wagg is the author of ten books, including Nova Scotia at Night, Nova Scotia from the Air, and the national bestseller Stay the Blazes Home: Dispatches from Nova Scotia during the COVID-19 Pandemic. His photographs have appeared in such publications as the New York Times, Time Magazine, and Maclean's. The recipient of numerous Atlantic Journalism Awards, in 2008 Len also won the Mayor's Award for Excellence in Book Illustration for Wild Nova Scotia, his photographic portrait of the province's protected areas. He lives near Halifax, Nova Scotia.
For more information, visit lenwagg.com.

Len Wagg's profile page

"This pandemic calls for us to look out for each other ahead of ourselves...I think Len has captured that fabulously in the stories of how Nova Scotians in so many ways, big and small, came together to look after each other." —Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's Chief Medical Officer of Health