Amanda Walker blossoms as queen

Mayor Frank MacKintosh, who attended Friday’s coronation ceremonies at Acadia University, described the new queen as remarkably poised and confident.

“And I thought we were going to have to pull her grandmother, Bonnie Vantassell, down from the rafters. She was so excited when Amanda won,” MacKintosh noted.

The audience at the Apple Blossom Festival coronation and concert also saw Kelly Erin Grandy of Windsor named first lady-in-waiting. Jessica Danielle MacCulloch of Berwick, as second lady-in-waiting.

Although the day was rainy, Saturday’s grand street parade, which was led by Walker, attracted a crowd estimated at 75,000.

As Queen Annapolisa, Walker will make royal visits to Valley communities as they celebrate their own festivals, so she may well require a little time off from her summer job at Sobeys in Digby. The queen and princesses have already visited Windsor, Canning, Port William, Coldbook, Berwick and Digby.

“They travel with two police escorts,” said Amanda’s mother, Lori VanTassell, “and they wear their ball gowns.”

Walker’s prize package included a $1,000 scholarship and a scholarship for a five-week French immersion course from Université Sainte-Anne.

The Memorial University student, who plans on a medical career, has completed her second year as a neuroscience major and is doing a double minor in biochemistry and French.

According to her mother, once Amanda qualifies as a physician, she would like to initially practice as a family doctor in a rural setting.

Walker’s bio says that she enjoys reading, playing the piano, travelling, working with children, volunteering, and notes that she is interested in sports. As a student at Digby Regional High School, she competed in track and field, softball, soccer and swimming and is a volunteer coach with the Digby Dolphins swim team.

Vanessa Pulley of Digby, who was Scallop Queen 2004, served as Queen Annapolisa in 2005.