September 10, 1999 - Wulfen
Project: Recce the Scientology Mission in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Today I was in Halifax (for reasons I'll leave to the imagination, you'll come up with better stuff than the reality), and having some time on my hands, decided to check out the Scientology presence in Halifax.
Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia, one of the 7 "have-not" provinces of Canada. Nova Scotia is right on the Atlantic - Halifax is a fairly major port city, with a huge harbour and all the amenities. If you look on a map of Canada, Nova Scotia is the long peninsula at the very eastern edge of the country.
The mission (actually called a "Hubbard Dianetics Centre" on the signs out front, "Church of Scientology Mission of Halifax" on a sign on the door) is located at the crossroads of a semi-major street and what I think might best be described as a side road, in a residential/light commercial area. According to the Scientology website, the mission is affiliated with the Toronto Org. Also, the staff member there at the time was pretty cute.
This mission is the only Scientology presence in Atlantic Canada, ie the four provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland. This mission is *it* for an area that encompasses a couple of million people spread over four provinces of the ten provinces and two territories that made up the Canadian Confederation.
The mission itself looks suspiciously like it's grafted onto the front of someone's house, in a little storefront add-on. Of course, the storefront thing could have been there for a while, who knows? The whole building is in need of a lick of paint, and apparently lacking in air conditioning (judging by the open windows). The building is covered with grey or steel-blue plastic (aluminum?) siding, in need of some paint. In all fairness, Halifax weather is notorious for being related to maritime weather in the same way that Edmonton is related to cold winters, and this tends to weather buildings very quickly.
The mission is located across the road from a Sobey's (supermarket chain) and a Lawton's Drugs inside a medical building, where doctors cluster together. It's across the road and down the street from a United Church (UC was created by a merger in Canada of Methodists, Baptists, and one other, afaik). It's also located within walking distance of some kind of armoury, judging by the military presence wandering through the area (one private soldier and a truck). Of course, these could have been there by accident - Halifax, being a port town, has half the Canadian Navy or some such thing, and doubtless its share of armouries and bases.
The mission has an assortment of signs pasted on the windows. Some are hand-lettered in marker, some are the standard Dianetics promotional material (text appended at the end of this post). It has the usual assortment of Hubbard books, in the usual incredible quantities. I've already pointed out how ridiculous it is for the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation in Toronto to have way more copies of Dianetics than the local major bookstores combined; that goes in double spades for the Hubbard Dianetics Centre in Halifax. How does the mission ever hope to sell all six copies of "The Problems of Work" by Hubbard? Sheesh.
Picket potential: Sort of. If the location is busier on weekends, it might be worth picketing. There are also some telephone poles around, wooden ones, that could have leaflets stapled to them. The sidewalk is rather small, but there's plenty of room to picket.
But...
To tell the truth, the location was so small and, well, *amateurish* that I felt an unexpected surge of pity for the place... I'd feel a little like I was kicking an invalid if I picketed this place.
On the other hand, though, this is the Atlantic Canada gateway into Scientology - the cult that, among other things, leaves a trail of broke, wounded, and occasionally dead ex-members behind. Considering that tends to boil off what's left of my pity for Scientology...
The signs (all left-aligned by me for usenet):
professionally printed:
Halifax
Church of
Scientology
Mission of Halifax
HUBBARD
DIANETICS
CENTRE
nicely hand-drawn, with a flower border:
LIFE
-not going as you planned or dreamed?
SUFFERING
from any of the following:
-depression
-sadness/grief
-not getting ahead in life
-trouble keeping work
-parent/child not listening to you?
-personal loss
HELP
through one on one counselling with a minister here will...
SERVICE
...you
-NO electric shock treatments
-NO anti-depressants
-NO hypnotism
-NO wishing, Plainly Doing
DO
call now for an appointment for...
DIANETICS
or come on in
XXX-XXXX
professionally printed:
Seeking new training?
Don't waste money.
Find out if you're fitted for it first.
Come on in.
professionally printed:
Sick all the time?
Have your IQ and personality checked as you may be disease prone.
on the window:
DIANETICS
BUY IT
READ IT
USE IT
the usual staff wanted ad (on the door and inside):
STAFF
WANTED
We are now accepting applications for staff positions.
YOU may qualify and become part of the staff team here.
See the Receptionist and ask for the Director of Personnel.