Buddy the Bluenose Reindeer saves another Christmas in Nova Scotia

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer may steal a lot of the attention this time of year but the story about another heroic reindeer is beginning to gain traction with local readers.

Buddy the Bluenose Reindeer is a specifically East Coast reindeer that, just like Rudolph (who is apparently a first cousin, once removed on Buddy’s mother’s side), he sports a beacon of a snout that comes to the rescue every Christmas.

Created by Dartmouth’s Bruce Nunn, the local legend that is Buddy has been so popular among children’s literature at this time of year, the author has just released a third book in the series.

“It just came out and the other two were so popular, I am really surprised and amazed because Buddy became quite a hero to little kids,” says Nunn. “He really caught on and so people encouraged me, maybe it’s time to do a third one.”

In the latest installment, titled Buddy the Bluenose Reindeer and the Christmas Dinner Rescue, the titular reindeer comes to the rescue once again.

On the night before Christmas along Nova Scotia’s South Shore, the local community is preparing their annual Lobsterpalooza Christmas dinner. But as evening closes in and the lobster fishers are still on their way back with their haul, a powerful storm starts gathering off the coast.

To make matters worse, the local lighthouse loses power — leaving the fishers without a light to guide them home safely past the big, jagged Jingle Bell Rock, just off shore.

Enter Buddy, with his bright blue nose, ready to light the night, save the lobster boats, Lobsterpalooza and of course, Christmas.

“He is very Nova Scotian because he’s kind of small and he’s humble, and he’s not very outspoken but he is loved by all,” says Nunn about the character. “When times get tough and he has to step up, then he becomes the hero of the day and he rescues Christmas and, in this case, saves the lobster fishing fleet for the village’s big Christmas lobster dinner.”

The character of Buddy the Bluenose Reindeer actually came about rather serendipitously.

For years, Nunn was a broadcaster and authored books about true Nova Scotia tales, focused on the most unusual local legends he could uncover.

However, one Christmas, Nunn was put on the spot while he was asked to contribute to a holiday show on CBC radio.

“They had a special Christmas program that was a live show that they do every year — they still do it — and they wanted me to be part of it,” explains Nunn. “So I needed a story that was very Nova Scotian and would entertain the crowd.”

Instead of spending hours scouring through provincial archives or researching quirky holiday history, Nunn decided to try his hand a creating an entirely new story himself.

Inspired by the classic Rudolph tale (which itself, turned from a simple department store gimmick in the 1930s to become a hit song by Gene Autry and an iconic animated TV special), Nunn came up with a distinctly Nova Scotian take on the legend.

“I basically riffed off the lyrics from the old Rudolph song,” admits Nunn about Buddy’s origin. “It was a great little play on words and once I knew I had that, I was on my way.”

Buddy was an instant hit with audiences and soon Nunn turned his tale into a published piece of children’s fiction, which has since become incredibly popular with young readers all across Nova Scotia.

“People in this province, I think they love a good story, and they’re very proud of this province,” says Nunn about the support he has received with Buddy as well as other Nova Scotia-based stories.

“There’s a great embracing of characters and genealogy and history and the past amongst a lot of Nova Scotians. They like to know where we came from and how we got here and keep that alive.”