Posted on August 7, 2018 under Storytelling with 4 comments

Team Manitoba appreciated Antigonish. Very classy.

 

“I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.”

The Little Engine That Could. Platt and Munk

Most of us are familiar with these lines from that wonderful childhood story. The Little Engine That Could teaches children the value of optimism and hard work. But the lesson is not restricted to children. Very often, individuals and communities never stretch the boundaries for what is possible.

But some are willing to take risks and the rewards can last a long time.

It is a testament to Antigonish Town and County and St.F.X University that the head honchos at Special Olympics Canada made the bold decision to have a small town host their national competition. And not just any competition.  2018 represents the 50^th anniversary of the first Special Olympics held in Canada.

True. Antigonish has hosted national competitions before but not on such a large scale with so many athletes and so many different sports. It is a testament to the leadership of the three partners (Town/County/St.F.X.) that first rate infrastructure made these games even possible. You can’t host big time events without proper facilities. None of us should lose sight that individual donors and all levels of government over the years helped put these facilities in place.

There’s always a high risk of naming names when passing out kudos but I don’t think anyone could argue that the leadership of Carl “Val” Chisholm and Marc Champoux was instrumental. Both are successful business people, community leaders and guys who know a thing or two about sports. They put together a superb cast of characters on the Games Organizing committee. They surrounded themselves with “can do” people.

Much has been said about the volunteer effort. Over 1200 people from Antigonish and beyond rolled up their sleeves and did what needed to be done. No task was too menial and no call for help went unanswered. I know of one person who used a week of his vacation to volunteer and gave 14 hours each and every day. Working people helped when their schedules permitted. Young and old from every walk of life pitched in. It was thrilling to see Coady students get involved. Their spirit was infectious.

Antigonish is known as a hotbed for music, art and culture and all three were in abundance especially during the opening and closing ceremonies where we showed Canada who we are and what makes us tick.

From all accounts, Antigonish delivered the goods. The games went off without a hitch and the comments from athletes, coaches and family members who traveled to Nova Scotia affirmed this. People raved about the hospitality shown at the venues and everywhere they went in the community.

Antigonish climbed the mountain knowing that it was possible for a small town to host a national competition. It reached the top of the hill.

“I (we) thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could.”

 

 

 

Posted on August 6, 2018 under Monday Morning Musings with 8 comments

Rachel Boardman. Toronto, Ontario. Silver medallist 50 metre freestyle swimming

(Photo with permisssion)

 

“Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

Special Olympics oath.

The greatest show on earth.

And one of the hottest.

Being a Catholic town, we prayed for good weather last week. Our prayers were answered except we forgot to ask that the temperature not be in the 30s with a high humidex!

With all due respect to the Barnum and Bailey circus, the recently completed National Special Olympics summer games held in Antigonish was the greatest show ever seen in these parts. It was the first time that this competition was held in a small town.

I was a volunteer , one of 1200, and also a spectator at the games. I had a front row seat at many events but also had an opportunity to observe the work being done in the background by the organizing committee. I spent a lot of time at St.F.X. University where all but two of the events were being held. Never have I witnessed so much enthusiasm and excitement with athletes, coaches, family, spectators and volunteers, with thousands crisscrossing the campus at all hours of the day and night. It was also quite a spectacle walking down Main Street and seeing so many new and smiling faces.

Smiles.

I can’t ever recall seeing so many happy faces and this may be the most important legacy of the games and the ultimate lesson learned from sharing time with our special Olympic athletes. These wonderful competitors from coast to coast to coast bring a joy of life that is infectious. Everywhere I went, I saw laughter, friendship and good sportsmanship in abundance.

I spent a few evenings in the grandstands at Oland Stadium watching some races. I sat amongst athletes from many provinces and territories. I listened to their easy banter. Of course, they were cheering for fellow teammates but what is always impressive at these games is that every athlete is urged on by fellow competitors. Runners, who were struggling at the end of a race and far away from the leaders, were cheered as heartily as the winner. “Winning at all cost” is not part of the Special Olympics ethos.

Special Olympic athletes are the real deal. They stand for everything that is good and decent in a fractured world. The athletes are honest, loving and caring and God only knows that society needs folks like these to lead us in troubled times.

Families.

I had an opportunity to chat with several athletes and their families. The pride shown by parents, grandparents, siblings, nieces and nephews towards their participant was overt and unsanitized. The Special Olympics movement has done so much to remove the stigmatism for people with intellectual challenges.

Volunteers.

It is a given that most amateur events cannot take place without volunteers. At times, it felt like every citizen of the town and county of Antigonish (and others from outside the area) had a role to play in these games. I saw very young volunteers, including my 10 year old granddaughter, roll up their sleeves and make a contribution. They came from every walk of life and no task was too menial. When things needed to be done, they got done. We all know well about the ills of social media but for an event like this, it was an indispensable tool to get the word out when help was required. I have never been more proud of my hometown.

The organizing committee deserves our undying gratitude for the thousands of hours spent to put on a first class event. There are always challenges and unexpected and uncontrollable headwinds that affect the running of a competition of this scope and size. Not too many would have predicted a heat wave for the games. Most locals that I talked to can’t remember a hotter week. These remarkable athletes have faced adversity throughout their lives and they accepted the conditions without complaint, another teachable moment for all of us. The organizers made some mid- stream schedule changes to reflect the conditions.

Music and dancing.

I have never seen so many spontaneous outbursts of dancing whenever there was music in the air. It’s too bad that we couldn’t bottle this joy and spread it around the world.

And what will be the legacy of these games?

Too many times, communities focus on the economic spinoffs of a national competition like this. Make no mistake, that happened here and can be quantified. But from my vantage point the intangible spinoffs left by our Special Olympic athletes is much more important. Their athletic prowess was on full display but the biggest legacies they leave our small town are hope, courage, and joy. They represent what is best in mankind.

To the athletes , their families and friends marking the 50^th anniversary of the Special Olympics movement in Canada, thank you for coming to our town. We’ll turn the thermostat down on your next visit!

Please come back again.

The Special Olympics torch has been extinguished but the memories will be an eternal flame.

 

 

 

Posted on August 2, 2018 under Thursday Tidbits with 6 comments

I think I found my car keys

 

“I have traveled around the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes, the Alps and the Highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty, Cape Breton outrivals them all.” Alexander Graham Bell.

I have traveled the Cabot Trail many times. I have done the trip solo, with family and quite often with visitors to the province. I never tire of this trip. Recently, I took my 10 year old granddaughter around the trail. There were a few ground rules: no cell phones except for me snapping a few pictures and she had to use an old fashioned map of Nova Scotia to see where we were going.

Now, spending 13 hours and a bit in a car with a ten year old might sound like penance for some but for me, this trip redefined the word joyous. I experienced the trail for the first time through a young person’s eyes.

The wheels had scarcely moved when we made our first stop at the Big Stop in Auld’s Cove. A big breakfast was in order to give us the energy for the journey. Little did I know that I would need every single calorie of the protein laden platter.

One would expect a bit of restlessness from a young person when it takes the better part of two hours just to get to the head of the trail at St.Ann’s. However, I took the opportunity to give her a small history lesson as I told her about the construction of the deepest manmade causeway in the world and spoke about the golden age of steel and coal in industrial Cape Breton.

The only minor disappointment of the trip was the fact that the Englishtown Ferry wasn’t in operation on this day.

We had scarcely gotten on to the Trail when we had our second stop at the day at one of my favourite places: The Clucking Hen Restaurant and Bakery in North Shore. I grabbed a bag of homemade chocolate cookies just in case we got stranded in a snow storm!

Passing through Ingonish Beach, I showed her St.Peter’s Hall where the band, The Escorts performed weekly back in the late 60s. I was in this band with my brothers and have many fond memories of entertaining the locals and the campground crowd. We had our first swim of the day at beautiful Ingonish beach with the magnificent Keltic Lodge as a backdrop. I told her that a lot of famous people have stayed there over the years. She asked if I had ever stayed there. I informed her that I was neither rich nor famous but had enjoyed a bowl of chowder a few times in their dining room.

With bathing suits still wet and beach towels on the car seat, we went a few kilometres down the road and took the exit to Mary Ann Falls. The last time I was at the falls was 36 years ago before Betty and I were married. It was a memorable trip as I managed to put my car keys in my bathing suit pocket before diving into the deepest part of the pool below the falls. We hitchhiked back to Neil’s Harbour and mercifully, my sister delivered our spare set (which were back in Antigonish) the following day.

We completed the swimming trifecta not long afterwards by spending a glorious hour at one of my personal favourite beaches at Black Brook. My granddaughter couldn’t get her bellyful of waves and water. Or so I thought.

There’s still a lot of road construction on the trail. One would hope that this is completed sometime before the next millennium rolls around.

No trip around the trail is complete without stopping for a meal at Le Gabriel in Cheticamp.

It was now early evening and we still had a few hours of driving ahead of us. I made the fatal mistake of telling Ivory that we would be passing one of the most beautiful beaches in this province (and possibly the world) at Inverness. After a meal that left me drowsy, I wondered if she would fall asleep before getting to Inverness. Not a chance! We drove down Beach Road through the Cabot Links golf course. I told her that the two Inverness golf courses were amongst the top rated in Canada with Cabot Cliffs gaining international acclaim.

It was a breathtaking evening at Inverness Beach. To get to the beach, we walked along the recently constructed walkway for wheelchairs which is a first in this part of the world. The fourth swim of the day was in the books.

There was a detour for an accident at Port Hood and when we emerged on the other side of the town, we caught the sun setting on Port Hood Island.

Thirteen hours and twenty two minutes (according to my co-pilot!) after we left home, we pulled into the parking lot.

I agree with Mr. Bell. There is no place in the world more beautiful than Cape Breton.

Sharing it with your granddaughter? Priceless.

 

Port Hood Island sunset