Downtown Dartmouth was buzzing with dozens of people on Sunday as they came out in droves to support Nova Scotians across the province in need of food.
The twist? One of the most popular Canadian photographs of the year was the driving force behind the fundraiser.
“I had less than zero idea that this photo would blow up the way that it has,” said Adam Cornick, the photographer behind the photo and owner of Acorn Art & Photography.
“I kind of had an idea it would be an appealing photo for people out here on the east coast but just not the level it’s reached, no, no idea.”
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At the beginning of December, Cornick saw months of creative planning come to fruition when he was able to snap a photo of two of his friends playing shinny hockey on a slab of frozen water in front of Peggy’s Cove lighthouse.
The photo has since exploded online with admiration for the shot as well as emotion to those it has touched.
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“I even had a gentleman get in touch, telling me that he’s been at his father’s bedside, he’s very sick and he’s been showing him this image to keep his spirits up,” Cornick said.
“So, you know, to get a response like that from a stranger who I’ve never met before and it stirred something inside him like that, you realize it’s a powerful medium.”
While the fanfare has caught Cornic off guard at times, it comes as no surprise to those who were eager to purchase a print.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all. It’s an iconic photograph, it contains all sorts of elements like hockey in Canada and what it means to be Nova Scotian and Peggy’s Cove,” said David O’Brien, who gathered with his family to purchase the photo.
“It’s a beautiful shot.”