2 Medways divided by the Atlantic connect through pen pal project

Wake Lloire loves how slow letter writing is, from composition right to its arrival at its final destination by mail. It's like a "little time capsule."

That's why the art boutique owner, who spends time in Port Medway, N.S., was so eager to write their first letters to three new pen pals in Medway, England.

Lloire is one of dozens of people from the two similar-named communities on each side of the Atlantic who are now connecting through the Two Medways Penpal Project.

“The idea of meeting strangers through handwritten letters is just like a magical thing that we don't do anymore,” said Lloire.

The project was initiated online by Audra Williams in Port Medway, a small village on Nova Scotia's South Shore, in late November. She hopes that people can tackle loneliness by mailing letters to each other.

Williams and her husband run Rosefinch Mercantile & Tea Room, a business that consists of a grocery, a post office and a café in Port Medway.

“We have the mandate of eliminating loneliness,” Williams said. “So I’m always looking for ways to connect people.”

More than just a name

She was inspired to connect the two communities in an old-fashioned way after reading an article by Ed Jennings, who runs an independent news site in Medway, England.

He had written about Port Medway, and introduced the pen pal project to his locals as a “slightly quaint, retro way of making a connection with someone new somewhere far away.”

Port Medway has about 300 residents. Seely Hall and the Old Port Medway Cemetery mark the historical legacy of the maritime village.

Medway in the U.K. is an industrial urban area in southeastern England, consisting of a cluster of towns for about 280,000 people.

But they both sit on the rivers named Medway, and enjoy a glorious shipbuilding history.

Now they also have people who long for connections and a slow life. In less than a month, 68 participants signed up to become pen pals.

People are advised to fill out a form online with information of personal interests, letter preferences and address, then Williams and Jennings will recommend the pairing.

It costs $3.65 for a stamp to carry a standard letter from Port Medway in Nova Scotia to Medway in England.

Lloire is writing to a queer comic artist, a neurodivergent person and a business-owning parent. Lloire wants to share small town life in Nova Scotia, their hobbies and personal experiences.

“When you come from a very small place and you don't get to travel a lot, letters connect you to places you may never get to go,” Lloire said. “It's like bringing a part of the world to you."

They also think the project can get people to have something new to do in the cold months.

“Instead of sitting in your house and writing a letter, you could come down to Rosefinch and sit with other people and chat while you're writing letters.”

The mayors of the two regions are also invited to take a part in the project. They are planning to send a postcard to each other before Christmas, according to Williams and Jennings.

Scott Christian, mayor of Region of Queens, which includes Port Medway, said the pen pal project is a fun way to connect some Nova Scotians with their European heritage, and it helps celebrate community pride.

He hopes the project can generate more interest and potentially attract more visitors.

“It would act as a kind of a fun draw for them to come and check out Port Medway in Nova Scotia,” he said.

Many Nova Scotian towns carry the same names as ones in Europe, brought by early settlers.

Williams said there is lots of potential for more programs like the one connecting the Medways.

"Loneliness is real in rural places and connection is slow, precious work," she said. “Sometimes the smallest ideas can stitch communities together.”

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