Posted on July 10, 2017 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

Me and Mark Heffernan at the Art Fair

 

The Antigonish Art Fair is in its fourth year and it just keeps getting bigger and better. Last Friday evening, over 2,000 people meandered through the grounds of Chisholm Park to soak up the sunshine, art, food and a vast array of entertainment. Brian Riley, an Antigonish native, brought his “ Circus of the Normal” to Antigonish and delighted the audience with clowns, “ bubblers” and stilt walkers. There was a little bit of everything.

I’m a bit biased but the highlight of the night in my opinion was the unscheduled  appearance of my friend, Mark Heffernan. Mark has serious physical challenges but this does not stop him from leading a full , active life. I have known Mark for many years and despite the cards that he has been dealt, I have never heard him once complain about his lot in life. He has a good sense of humour, and as I discovered some time ago, he loves to sing.

I made arrangements to have Mark come and perform a few songs at the Art Fair. The crowd loved him. And he loved them back , such are the gifts of individuals like Mark.

Volunteers…. The life blood of communities.

There was so much going on last week that it is not possible to chronicle them all in this space. But one thing is apparent. None of these events could have been done with such excellence were it not for the hundreds and hundreds of volunteers.

The Main Street Fair last Thursday was really remarkable including the Canada 150 banner that was painted on the Main… by a group of volunteers. Kudos to Jamie MacDonald and the Downtown Business Association for this magnificent show. Maybe it’s time to consider blocking off a section of the Main for longer stretches of time. People seem to love the concept.

Everyone loves a parade, even when Mother Nature throws out a challenge. The weather was not optimal on Saturday for the Highland Games parade yet thousands of people lined the parade route to watch the annual spectacle. You had to feel sorry for the parade participants who had to arrive an hour before the parade to line up and then walk for the better part of an hour in a steady drizzle. There were some soggy specimens in evidence on the floats.

Despite the inclement weather, all events went ahead including a moving ceremony to acknowledge the contribution of the late Frank McGibbon. The roadway into the Club 60 building at Columbus Field was named in Frank’s honor. In case you missed it, here is a story that I wrote about Frank a few years ago: https://www.week45.com/frankly-ahead-of-his-time-2/

I spent quite a bit of time at Columbus Field on the weekend selling books. It’s not too late to get the Highland Games Special: my three books for $25, a 55% saving. There were a lot of American tourists in attendance along with locals and former Antigonishers. It is like old home week around town. And speaking of gatherings, there is a reunion of former students of the old Antigonish High School on Tuesday ( tomorrow ) at 4:00 p.m. Sister Loretta Gillis will be there selling her new book about our former principal, John Hugh Gillis and his wife, Isabel. It’s always fun getting together to reminisce.

“ Will ye no come back again.”

Have a great week.

 

Posted on July 3, 2017 under Monday Morning Musings with 2 comments

Our finest ( Published with permission )

What do you get when you combine the creative talents of three extraordinary people?

Answer: A spectacle.

It was a Canada Day celebration for the ages. I feel reasonably safe in saying that this year’s Canada Day , our nation’s 150^th,  will long be remembered as one of the best, if not the best ever. Despite the dreary weather, the town of Antigonish looked terrific with storefronts proudly displaying our country’s flag and the streets adorned with flowers and banners. The pancake breakfast and children’s events were well attended and the fireworks didn’t disappoint. But the centrepiece of the day’s activities was the gathering at the Millennium Centre in the evening.

Volunteers were honored and dignitaries expounded upon the virtues and frailties of this wonderful nation. If there was a central theme to the evening it was acknowledgement of our First Nations people and the desire to try and right some of the wrongs that they have suffered over the centuries.

It was heartwarming to see so many of our new Syrian friends and neighbors in attendance. They seemed so joyous and happy to be a part of something very special.

But this was a night of extraordinary artistic excellence. It is always dangerous singling out people because it takes dozens if not hundreds of volunteers to pull off an event of this magnitude. But I don’t think anyone would disagree that the evening belonged to three individuals whose collective talents turned an event into an extravaganza.

Make no doubt about it. This was Andrew Murray’s brainchild. When we heard that “ Councillor Murray” was heading the Canada Day activities, we knew that we would be in for something that would be memorable.

He didn’t disappoint.

I had the honor of sitting beside Andrew’s father, Bob,  as members  of the community choir. Like many of Andrew’s previous artistic creations, this one just “ sprang from his head” according to Bob. Unless you were there, it would be hard to describe all of the color and creativity that Andrew brought to the fore. While the evening had its moments of sober thought and poignancy, it was mostly joyful and playful… like Andrew himself.  He was the Master of Ceremonies . Most M/C’s stick closely to a script. Andrew writes his in real time which is pure entertainment in itself.

Sally Clarke has been a driving force for creative dance in our community for decades. Her dancers put on an amazing performance that kept the audience spellbound. They performed a dance routine to the strains of Bobby Gimby’s “ Canada” song which was all the rage on Canada’s 100^th birthday in 1967. The presentation was colorful and brilliant. Sally herself was one of the dancers. She still carries a youthful mien and was not out of place with children who were significantly younger than she!

I had never met Ryan Billington until I joined ( co-opted by my better half and Andrew! ) the community choir. The group had several rehearsals leading up to the performance. It didn’t take long to realize that he was extremely talented and had the respect of the 50+ members of the entourage. He has a deft touch and has an uncanny ability to get the best out of a group with an even handedness that is admirable. Even when the choir made mistakes ( and there were plenty along the way ), he would correct us in a way that was never insulting. He inspired us to take pride in what we were doing and I think the choir put on a good show when it counted most.

A genius is described as someone who is exceptionally intelligent or creative. I don’t think one would get much of an argument to suggest that ,what we witnessed Saturday evening at the Keating Millenium Centre , was the work of three geniuses. They are part of the rich fabric which makes Antigonish a place that we are proud to call home.

Have a great week.

P.S. For you music lovers, check out this wind ensemble’s performance of ” The Maple Leaf Forever.”

Posted on June 26, 2017 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

Delectable

“ Hello, muddah, hello faddah; Here I am at Camp Granada,

Camp is very entertaining; And they say we’ll have fun if it stops raining.”

Camp Granada – Alan Sherman

A message came a few weeks ago from my brother wondering if Betty and I would be interested in spending the weekend in Cumberland county, going for a lengthy hike, spending a night in a rustic cabin and having a nice meal the day after. It sounded just about perfect.

Until I got a “ man cold” and my chronically horrid back decided to act up.

I watched the forecast with more interest than usual this past week to see what Saturday was looking like. I rarely pray for rain but the thoughts of a four hour hike in the rain followed by a meal of freeze dried food and beds with no mattresses… just a piece of plywood, was not enticing in the least.

Having downsized a few years ago, including the dispersal of all camping gear, including sleeping bags, a trip to Canadian Tire was required. I got to see firsthand the newly expanded premises and the new and longer lineups. But having experienced gargantuan lineups in India at grocery stores and ATM’s during the demonetization crisis, the lines in front of me barely caused my heart rate to increase.

On Friday, the forecast for Cumberland County on Saturday was for rain… a 90% chance. The hiking and camping were scrapped. I could hardly contain my joy. But we decided to take our new sleeping bags, just in case the weather people got it wrong. That rarely happens.

We drove up to Amherst on Friday afternoon. The Sunrise trail on a sunny day is a thing of beauty. Toney River, River John, Tatamagouche, Wallace and Pugwash are all interesting places. We decided to fortify ourselves that evening with a fine meal at Le Chat Bleu in Baie Verte. Now before all of you Newfoundlanders get all hot and bothered, there is a Baie Verte in New Brunswick too. Folks, if you ever get a chance, you have to check this place out. The building is older than Canada and has charm. And the food is simply fabulous.

Saturday was just about as miserable as one could imagine. It rained all day but that didn’t stop us from taking a long drive. We drove cross country and traveled highway 209 for several hours stopping in Parrsboro, Advocate Harbour and Joggins. We (?!) visited several craft and antique shops. The fog enveloped the coast line preventing us from seeing the splendour of this part of the province. We had a spectacular lunch at the Wild Carraway in Advocate Harbor.

As we sat and enjoyed steaming hot bowls of homemade asparagus soup, we pondered what it might have been like on the trail had we decided to brave the elements. We all concluded that it would have been abject misery…wet, cold and mosquito infested forests followed by a night’s sleep on a piece of plywood. Somehow the seafood special at Wild Caraway ( and a dessert that should be served in heaven ! ) seemed a step up from freeze dried twigs and berries.

On our way home yesterday, we stopped in at the Lakevale Mini Trail Community Centre for a delicious lobster dinner. The folks out there have this down to a science and it is one of the many great examples of how volunteers make communities run.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. That can only mean one thing. It’s time to put the hammer down and start eating sensibly again. After eating nutritious Indian food for six months ( which I absolutely loved ), I came home in May and have returned to some very bad habits including a surfeit of desserts… sometimes twice a day.

Why not plan a “staycation” in Nova Scotia this year? It is an amazing province with so much to offer… including cabins with plywood mattresses!

Have a great week.