The Buzz - September 2020

Isako Suzuki September 2020

Lobster Love

Lobster Barn Pub & Eatery are first year’s winners

PEI is home to some of the tastiest lobster rolls one can find, and the first ever PEI Lobster Love campaign in July confirmed this.

Throughout the campaign, 75 restaurants from across the Island served up their best PEI lobster rolls as they competed for the title of Most Loved Lobster Roll.

The first ever Most Loved Lobster Roll winner was The Lobster Barn Pub & Eatery in Victoria-by-the-Sea. Their winning dish was named The Classic Sweet & Salty, showing that fans are still in love with the traditional PEI lobster roll. The Lobster Barn’s winning entry featured 5.5 ounces of PEI lobster mixed with homemade mayonnaise, and served on a toasted roll with romaine lettuce.

PEI Lobster Love, created and managed by Fresh Media, was presented in partnership between Lobster PEI, the PEI Department of Fisheries and Communities, and Canada’s Food Island.

When all the lobster rolls were counted, there were 25,210 sold; that’s approximately 1000 lobster rolls a day.

For those wanting to try the Most Loved Lobster Roll, it remains on the menu at The Lobster Barn.

Jackie and Jenny Myers, owners of The Lobster Barn Pub & Eatery

Profile: Julie Bull by Jane Ledwell

Change-maker

As the one-year anniversary of her return to PEI approaches, Julie Bull has been making things happen. The Inuk performance poet, originally from Labrador, wasn’t sharing her poetry yet when she last lived in PEI (studying, working, and establishing UPEI’s Mawi’omi Centre). You might be excused for expecting her to pursue a career in academia… and, in fact, she picked up a PhD on her way back.

But whether writing for academia, or for her independent consulting work in Indigenous research ethics and health policy, or for love of poetry, her motivation is the same: “Change,” she says. “Justice. Giving back to the communities that have given so much to me…

“I’m motivated to keep up with creativity when I’m writing all the time for work—and poetry is more fun than policy briefs.”

When Julie moved from PEI to Toronto “for different life adventures,” she was writing poetry on the side. “It was a therapeutic pursuit,” she says.

Of the experience at Banff, she says, “‘Transformative’ is the #1 word I would use—not only for my creative work, but in a soulful way.” Then, “COVID happened—and we went home a week early.” Julie didn’t get to perform the work that she had prepared in Banff.

Audiences who saw Julie’s performance at the recent Island Fringe production Pounding the Pavement didn’t see the products of Julie’s Banff work—these are still waiting for the right audience—but they still got to see the products of her immersive Banff experience. “In the academic world, I am a good public speaker because I don’t have a script—I’m very conversational,” Julie says. Memorizing poems for public performance and figuring out how to express them through her body was new—but necessary.

“I love the writing, but now I’m excited to really perform it,” she says, talking about “the connection to some people in the audience—the shift I could see in their eyes.” The shift looked like recognizing privilege, connecting with injustice. The shift looked like change.

“Pounding the Pavement was meant to hear voices from the fringes,” Julie says, “But those are what I feel are in my face every day as issues. Racism, discrimination: they are not just personal, but collective issues.”

BUZZ

“In 2015, I started sharing poetry—by accident.” She left a notebook open, and a friend read what she had written. A “whoa” reaction led Julie to “dabble, sharing poems with small groups.”

By 2017, when she was working on her PhD in interdisciplinary studies, she included poetry in her dissertation, an unusual move met with scepticism before it led to praise. Academia loves boxes, but Julie recognized, “I don’t really fit in boxes, so I just make my own boxes.”

In the fall of 2019, she put her academic grant-writing superpowers to the test in service of her poetry and a dream she thought would be farther in the future: she applied to the Banff Centre for a program on Indigenous spoken word and storytelling—and was accepted.

“I was a super-rookie,” Julie says. “I had never even performed poetry, while another participant was the slam poetry champion of New Zealand.” (She had never published a poem on paper, either.)

Julie was thrilled with the experience of “coming from the academic into the artist world,” where she immediately found “that sense of community and cheering people on.” The diverse performers from Pounding the Pavement are “already connecting each other with other opportunities,” personally and professionally.

Asked what brought her back here, she immediately says “water.” But on deeper reflection, Julie says her “here” is Atlantic Canada, and “It was the sense of community I missed most and that you can’t replace.” The turnout and energy for Black Lives Matter and Indigenous Lives Matter events in PEI represent “a shift” from the last time she lived here, and she feels she can be part of making change. She also wants to contribute her unique skills and talents to the artistic community.

Julie says. “Once I start something, I can’t stop.”

On her own shift to poetry, performance, and consulting, she says, “I think there are a lot more Indigenous people of my generation getting advanced degrees, but choosing not to work in the system—not choosing to be professors or lawyers or whatever we trained for. I’m interested to see how it begins to make a difference.”

Watermark Music Series

Performances of classic songs live streamed—Sep 13

The next concert in the Watermark Music Series, curated by Rob Oakie, will be live streamed from the stage of the Watermark Theatre in North Rustico on September 13 at 7:30 pm.

Inspired by The Monterey Pop Festival, a three day festival held in June 1967 in California, the concert will feature the music of The Mamas & the Papas, the Byrds, Simon and Garfunkel, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin and many more. Irish Mythen, Brielle Ansems and special guest Natalie Williams Calhoun will perform their own interpretations of these classic songs.

Irish Mythen was born in Ireland and now resides in Charlottetown. Her latest release, Little Bones, gained her a 2020 JUNO nomination for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year, seven Music PEI 2020 nominations and two wins, and a Canadian Folk Music Nomination for Solo Artist of the Year.

Amazing Tales of the Atlantic

Ansems, born in Hamilton, ON and raised in Montague, has grown up with music and a creativity fostered by the PEI’s artistic community.

A recent graduate of Holland College School of Performing Arts Theatre Performance program, her lyric-focused music fuses folk sensibilities with pop and R&B influences.

Natalie Williams Calhoun is an accomplished concert cellist, educator, and part of the string ensemble Atlantic String Machine (ASM). She has toured across Canada and internationally. Since moving to PEI, she has supported countless artists on stage and in the studio, both as a solo artist and with ASM. She has recorded on dozens of albums and worked with a wide range of artists.

The free concerts can be viewed on Watermark Theatre’s facebook page.

watermarktheatre.com

The Guild—Sep 14 & 28

Amazing Tales of the Atlantic continues at The Guild in Charlottetown with three ever-evolving tales—The DDT Detectives, The B’ylight Zone, and Anne of the Green Planet.

The live radio play anthology series celebrating the unique residents of Atlantic Canada features three unique stories with three new chapters delivered each month.

The DDT Detectives is set in the wrestling heydays of the 1980’s. Crusher Kevin Cormier and Dashing David Doiron are a hard hitting tag team by night and hard drinking super sleuths by slightly later at night.

The B’ylight Zone puts colourful Maritime locations and characters at the centre of all of the freaky scenarios.

Anne of the Green Planet is the tale of human orphan Anne from the planet Nova Nova Scotia. She is taken in by a brother and sister scientist duo who live on the space station Avonlea.

Catch Amazing Tales of the Atlantic at The Guild on September 14 and 28 at 8 pm. Admission at the door. Reserve in advance at The Guild, 111 Queen St, Charlottetown. theguildpei.com

Brielle

Brielle Ansems SUBMITTED

A Night Under the Stars

PEISO and Tara Maclean at Brackley Drive-in—Sep 7

The PEI Symphony Orchestra (PEISO), in collaboration with the Confederation Centre of the Arts and Eastlink TV, will present A Night Under the Stars, at the Brackley Drive-In at 8 pm on September 7 (Labour Day).

A Night Under the Stars will be projected on the screen at the Brackley Drive-In after being filmed by Eastlink TV the week prior at the Confederation Centre’s Homburg Theatre in Charlottetown. It will feature JUNO nominated singer-songwriter Tara MacLean performing the concert version of her popular show Atlantic Blue, backed by the PEISO, as well as performances by pianist Magdalena von Eccher. Later this fall, the concert will also be broadcast on Eastlink TV.

Atlantic Blue is Tara MacLean’s ode to Canada’s east coast, celebrating the places and the people behind songs like “Sonny’s Dream,” “Put Your Hand in the Hand,” “Fare Thee Well Love,” Movin’ on,” “Working Man” and more.

“I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to perform the songs from Atlantic Blue with the PEISO,” says MacLean, “It is the pinnacle experience to have the chance to perform with a full orchestra in this way. I love that we get to film it and then project it at the Drive-in! It’s such a creative way to bring the music to the people. I’ve never been more excited about a performance in my life.”

The classical side of the concert will include the PEISO performing Mozart’s ever-familiar Eine kleine Nachtmusik, with soloist Magdalena von Eccher performing the Largo

Gallery at The Guild

Two new exhibits

Works from Stephen B. MacInnis and Jared Perry

Gallery at The Guild in Chalottetown will have two new exhibits from Island artists on view this September. The Substitute by Stephen B. MacInnis will be on display September 1 to 13 and Jared Perry’s Instructions for Use will run September 16 to October 11.

movement of Bach’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in F minor (BWV 1056) and Canadian composer Kelly-Marie Murphy’s Star Burning Blue.

Pianist Magdalena von Eccher was recently appointed Assistant Professor of Piano at UPEI. She is an active soloist and chamber musician, performing regularly throughout North America and Europe.

Tickets for the all-ages event are available online or in person at the Confederation Centre’s box office in Charlottetown. Tickets will also be available at the door.

peisymphony.com confederationcentre.com

Stephen B. MacInnis lives and works in Charlottetown. MacInnis has shown his work locally and internationally since 1985. He works with various materials and methods, and often explores the human figure and the world around us.

Presented by this town is small, Instructions for Use by Jared Perry is a mixed media exhibition including drawings, collage, sculpture and video. The process in making this body of work began with collecting and altering instructional images and warning signs found in product packaging.

Perry says it is interesting how instructions use concise visual language but can also be frustratingly vague, yet they offer a rich resource for learning how images and symbols are utilized in communication. In developing these visual techniques of communication the artist intends to investigate banal everyday tasks by breaking down the process in a step-by-step format. Instructions for Use takes a look at the absurd, humorous and futile actions we attempt in our daily lives.

Gallery at The Guild is located at 111 Queen Street, Charlottetown.

Artwork by Stephen B. MacInnis (above) and Jared Perry (detail)

Tara MacLean JARED DOYLE

Calypso Secrets

Reequal Smith presents dance showcase in The Bog—Sep 5

Reequal Smith is not letting a pandemic stop her from sharing her vibrant, high energy choreography with PEI audiences. She will present her first professional dance showcase in The Bog, Rochford Square in Charlottetown on September 5 from 7–8 pm.

Calypso Secrets is a one-night-only, admission-by-donation performance created and performed by Smith. The performance will feature fellow dancers Dawn Ward, Asia MacMillan and Jessica Burrett, and live music from singer Keirrah Titus, drummer Chavez Edgecombe and DJ Jane Blaze. These seven artists will present a dynamic performance celebrating music and dance traditions of the Caribbean. Smith’s choreography fuses modern, jazz, African and funk styles, and will be accompanied by live and recorded music drawing upon Afro-Caribbean, Latin, funk, reggae and jazz selections.

Smith is an emerging dancer and choreographer, and the woman behind PEI’s

only Black-owned dance company. She created Oshun Dance Studios to bring young women artists of all ethnicities together to find empowerment and to access outlets for creative expression through dance. Her choreography for Calypso Secrets is inspired by the power, beauty, sexuality and strength of women, brought to life through a combination of dance and live music.

Calypso Secrets is co-produced by the Black Cultural Society, the River Clyde Pageant and Grace Kimpinski, with additional support from the Charlottetown Community MicroGrant Program, Women’s Network PEI, and Transform Events.

The event will be held outdoors at Rochford Square in Charlottetown. Rain date is Sep 6. A limited number of admission-by-donation tickets are available for advance booking online. Some tickets may be available on the day of the event. To reserve, visit riverclydepageant.com/calypso.

Rise again

Song circle at The Guild—Sep 19

Song Rise is a circle of local songwriters presented by The Guild in Charlottetown on September 19. This will be an interactive experience with an online audience through live stream.

Each night, four songwriters will entertain a socially distanced live audience. The September 19 show at The Guild will feature songwriters Tara MacLean, KINLEY, Joce Reyome and Catherine MacLellan. Hosted by Patrick Ledwell.

Very limited tickets. Seating info and tickets: boxoffice@theguildpei.com or 620-3333.

The Guild is located at 111 Queen St, Charlottetown. theguildpei.com

(l-r): Asia MacMillan, Reequal Smith and Dawn Ward

SUBMITTED

JENNA RACHELLE

KINLEY

The Lonely tickets good for 2021

Double feature

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” So says the oft-quoted line from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities; and it feels pretty true in PEI’s pandemic era, where rare glimmers of communal fun can help brighten a darkly isolated summer.

Celebrate the music of Roy Orbison with The Lonely, on stage at Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside on November 20, 2021.

The Lonely delivers a tribute to Orbison plus the hits of The Traveling Wilburys and The Everly Brothers. Veteran Mike Demers delivers a performance of Orbison’s signature sound as he leads this group of musicians in their mutual appreciation of the timeless music of an era. The band aims to recreate the sound and feel of the original recordings. The Lonely has been selling out shows since their debut.

The Eastern tour originally scheduled for May 2020 has been rescheduled for November 2021. All tickets purchased for May 2020 will be honored for the new dates.

Tickets: 888-2500, 1-800-708-6505, harbourfronttheatre.com

One particular bright spot is the flickering film projections of PEI’s own Brackley Drive-In, which has not only kept operating during the pandemic but has even completed a major expansion this year, clearing some of the nearby woodland to erect a second screen and creating rows of new parking to go along with it.

Those best and worst times? COVID-19 has devastated conventional movie theatres, since crowded indoor spaces seem dangerous in a pandemic; but drive-in movie theatres can survive and even thrive under these conditions. Patrons can enjoy a night out at the movies in the comfort and safety of their own cars.

By a happy coincidence, Brackley’s screen-doubling expansion means they still have the capacity for profitable levels of attendance this year, even with pandemic measures making it necessary to park cars farther apart.

Ironically, heavyweight film studio Disney’s rental restrictions motivated Boyle’s expansion plan, but they also unwittingly helped Boyle figure out how to make this expansion a reality.

In recent years, Disney began insisting that exhibitors like Brackley had to commit to a three-week run if they wanted to show the studio’s new releases. With Disney’s many acquisitions—the Muppets, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Fox and more—giving them ever-expanding market share, it wasn’t practical for Boyle to shun them; but with a single screen, committing to any one movie for weeks at a time seemed risky and limiting.

are welded together and supported by guy-wires for added stability.

The newly expanded drive-in has provided a space for socially distanced community events, such as June’s Colonel Gray High School graduation ceremony, and has also filled the pandemic’s theatrical entertainment void with special events, ranging from remotely simulcast shows like a recent Garth Brooks concert, and prerecorded content like an upcoming PEI Symphony concert; to local live entertainment such as Ceilidh in the City’s concerts fronted by PEI singer Kendall Docherty, and a standup comedy festival in August featuring the likes of Dennis Trainor, James Mullinger, Brad Dorion, Katherine Cairns, Joe Revell and Sam MacDonald.

Boyle decided the answer was a second screen, so he could show new Disney releases while making room for other films. The key to making this happen was an idea Boyle got from a Disney movie premiere event, where a temporary outdoor movie screen was built by stacking together shipping containers as a structure on which to mount a screen. Boyle did the same thing with his second screen, though its four stories of oversize shipping containers

And as new Hollywood movie releases finally start to trickle out, the Brackley Drive-In is ready. August 14 marked the first time Brackley ever debuted two new movies on two screens at the same time, the goofy animated SpongeBob Movie and scary thriller Unhinged (as Boyle notes, two screens also allows for more varied programming in terms of genre and target demographics).

If Boyle’s plans pan out, the drivein’s programming should include newly released movies for the rest of the season, such as Tenet and The New Mutants (both opening August 28) and October’s Wonder Woman 1984

Says Boyle, “We’re going to stay open as late in the season as we can to entertain Islanders.”

Stand-up comedians (clockwise from top-left) James Mullinger, Brad Doiron, Joe Revell, Katherine Cairns and Sam MacDonald

SEAN MCQUAID

The Brackley Drive-In by Sean McQuaid

Feelin’ Mighty Proud

One-hour broadcast special to celebrate Anne Shirley

Confederation Centre of the Arts has released a one-hour broadcast special entitled Feelin’ Mighty Proud! This Island-wide celebration weaves highlights from Anne of Green Gables–The Musical™ with a summertime journey across the Island, stopping at key destinations that focus on the works of L.M. Montgomery and lore of Anne Shirley.

Directed by Adam Brazier with Jason Rogerson, this new production is rich with special appearances, including video interviews or commentary from Amy-Beth McNulty (Anne with an E), RH Thompson, Gracie Finley, Glenda Landry, and current Anne with The Charlottetown Festival, Emma Rudy.

Rudy is joined by Hank Stinson and Marlane O’Brien as the Cuthberts, and Catherine O’Brien as Rachel Lynde. More than a dozen Charlottetown

Festival company members appear through video to perform the title theme to the musical, including Islanders Aaron Hastelow, Michelle Bouey, and Josee Boudreau, as well as the Charlottetown Festival Orchestra.

New performances for the special include original interpretations of the songs of the famed musical, such as “If it Hadn’t Been for Me” by Vishtèn; “The Words” by Lennie Gallant; “Gee I’m Glad I’m No One Else But Me” from Meaghan Blanchard on location at the Anne house in Cavendish, “Kindred Spirits” from Ava and Lilly Rashed, and “Open the Window” from world-music group I and the Village.

Feelin’ Mighty Proud! was broadcast late in August. Patrons can check the Centre’s social media pages and confederationcentre.com.

The Songs of Anne & Gilbert: July 28 - October 25

Popalopalots: Live Improv Comedy September 12

Amazing Tales of the Atlantic September 14 & 28

Song Rise

Hosted by Patrick Ledwell, featuring Tara MacLean and her closest friends. September 19

Phase II & Friends

September 26

The Guild Music Theatre School Fall Sessions Starts September 13. Register Today!

Gallery @ The Guild: Stephen MacInnis The Substitute September 1 - 13

Jared Perry

Instructions for Use September 16 - October 11

www.theguildpei.com 902.620.3333

(l–r): Catherine O’Brien, Emma Rudy, Marlane O’Brien and Hank Stinson

EXHIBITS galleries and museums

Acadian Museum of PEI

On view Sep 8–Oct 31 is 100 ans SSTA : Exposition au Musée acadien de l’Île-duPrince-Édouard with vernissage Oct 20 at 2 pm. Visit the updated permanent exhibit. Acadian genealogy resources available to researchers by appt only. Call to reserve. The gift shop offers Acadian books, flags, souvenirs and PEI Museum and Heritage passports that give access to all seven sites. Open daily 9:30 am–5 pm, Sun 1–5 pm. 23 Main Dr. East, Miscouche. 432-2880, museeacadien.org

Confed Centre Art Gallery

On view: Victor Cicansky: The Gardener’s Universe to Sep 6; Setting the Table: Still-Life and Its After Effects to Sep 6; Sandi Hartling: anything at all to Sep 13; Artists by Artists to Sep 27; Spheres, Skulls, and Other Icons of the Interior to Oct 4; Creative Obsessions:

A Look at Contemporary Craft in Prince Edward Island to Jan 3. Gallery open Tue–Sun 10 am–5 pm. 145 Richmond St, Charlottetown. 628-6142, confederationcentre.com

Cornwall Library Art Gallery

Diane MacRae’s exhibit With Joy and Wonder is on view to Sep 4. David MacNeill’s photography exhibit will run Sep 8–Oct 16. Contact for info on displaying in the gallery. Open Tue–Wed 1–8:30 pm, Thu–Sat 9:30 am–12:30 pm and 1–5:30 pm. 39 Lowther Dr, Cornwall Town Hall, Cornwall. 629-8415

Culture Summerside

On the Hunt for Heritage, an architectural exhibit on Summerside’s historic Water Street, is on view to mid-Oct. Take the interactive challenge and find the locations of the features. 432-1332, culturesummerside.com

Details Fine Art Gallery

Gallery: Ron Arvidson, P. John Burden, Holly Caldwell, Canoe Cove Glass, Kevin Cook, Grace Curtis, Katharine Dagg, Wendell Dennis, David Garcia Jimenez, Jamie Germaine, Elaine Harrison, Jessica Hutchinson Pottery, Island Stoneware, Sandi Komst, Heather M. Larter, Wendy Manning, Monica Macdonald, Heather Millar, Connie O’Brien, PEI Smoke Fired Pottery, Pottery by the Sea, Dr. Paul A. Price, Arlene Rice, Susana Rutherford, Ben F. Stahl, Richard Vickerson. Other works by Maritime, national and international artists. Designer jewelry, art, glass, and pottery. Open Tue–Sat 10 am–5:30 pm, Sun and Mon by appt only. 166 Richmond St, Charlottetown. 892-2233, detailsfineart.com

Dunes Island Art Gallery

Works by Wayne Barrett, Maurice Bernard, Julea Boswell, Debbie Brady,

Mary Carr-Chaisson, Susan Christensen, Ashley Anne Clark, Joan Creamer, Katharine Dagg, Tony Diodati, June Ellis, Nan Ferrier, Sheila Forsyth, Lise Genova, Jaime Germaine, Mel Giddings, Heather Hannon, Kim Jabbour, Betty Jenkins, Sandi Komst, Sandy Kowalik, Eric Labor, Helene LaRouche, Haley Lewis, Marie Lyon, Monica Macdonald, Pat MacDougall, Anne MacKay, Wendy Manning, Ellen Martin, Glen Milner, Kathleen Milner, Robert Milner, Louise Mould, Deb Murphy, Connie O’Brien, Linda Shaw Packard, Julia Purcell, Warren Christopher Reeson, Heather Reid, Cheryl Richards, Sylvia Ridgway, Dagny Rossignol, Helen Rowlands, Joan Savage, Jessica Sheppard, Terry Dunton Stevenson, Adam Sultan, Gail Sutherland, Lorraine Vatcher, Joy Van der Vliet, Richard Vickerson, Lyndsay Walker, Donna White, and Damien Worth. Gallery open daily 9 am–8 pm. 3622 Brackley Point Rd, Route #15. 672-2586, dunesgallery.com

Ellen’s Creek Gallery

COVID-19 Lockdown by Ben F. Stahl is on view Sep 4–30. The gallery has works by Damien Worth, Emily Howard, Ken Spearing, Louis Mould, Margaret Muzika, Marianne Janowicz, Ray Doiron, Henry Dunsmore, Debra Wellner, Henry Purdy C.M., RCA, Sylvia Ridgway, Maurice Bernard, Pam Ling, Marie McMahon-Young, P. John Burden, David Garcia Jimenez, Jim Steadman, Julia Purcell, Betty Jenkins, Linda Shaw Packard, Gloria Woolridge. Open Mon–Fri 9 am–5 pm, Sat 9 am–4 pm. 525 North River Rd, Charlottetown. 368-3494, framingpei@gmail.com

Eptek Art & Culture Centre

Nan Ferrier’s 85 Years of Painting and Drawing is on view to Sep 30. Ferrier offers art demos most Wed and Fri, 10:30 am–12 noon. Eptek’s on-site gift shop carries only Island art, craft and books. Visit the permanent exhibition on the history and architecture of Summerside. Eptek is a site of the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation. Open Tue–Fri 10 am–4 pm and Sun 12–4 pm. Admission by donation. 130 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside. 888-8373, peimuseum.com

Gallery @ The Guild

The Substitute by local artist Stephen B. MacInnis will be on view Sep 1–13. this town is small and The Guild present Jared Perry’s exhibit Instructions for Use Sep 15–Oct 11. 111 Queen St, Charlottetown. 368-4413, theguildpei.com

Kings Playhouse Art Gallery

Duality: Two sisters, two mediums, two continents by Grace Cressman and Ruth

M. W. Spicer opening Sep 6 at 3 pm. The Time of Our Lives, artwork by UPEI Seniors College students and instructors, is on view to Sep 19. The gallery has works by Carolyn Hessinger, Sandi Komst, Mary MacLean, Connie O’Brien, Cheryl Richards, Kathy Stuart, Lorraine Vatcher and Margaret Sutton Wailes. 65 Grafton Street, Georgetown. 652-2053, kingsplayhouse.com.

MacNaught History Centre and Archives

Spaciousness by Lucie B. Bellemare kicks off the fall season of the Sixty Days of Fame series. Discover family roots by accessing the extensive genealogy resources and expert research assistance (by appt only). Open Tue–Sat 10 am–4 pm. 75 Spring St, Summerside. 432-1332

PEI Crafts Council Gallery

Juried art and craft from Island artists and artisans. Open daily. 98 Water St, Charlottetown. 892-5152

Receiver Coffee Co.

this town is small’s Small town Market Gallery at Receiver Coffee Co. features small doors to other shores by Lenny Gallant of Birdmouse and homework by Jordan Beaulieu. Both exhibits are on view through Sep 27. 128 Richmond St, Charlottetown. 367-3436

SSTA 100 years

Originally planned for the month of March, the exhibit 100 ans SSTA: Exposition au Musée acadien de l’Îledu-Prince-Édouard will conclude the celebrations of the 100-year anniversary of the Société Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin (SSTA) by retracing the history of the organization from its foundation to nowadays with its new name, La Société acadienne et francophone de l’Île-du-Prince- Édouard.

The exhibit will be open September 8 to October 31 at the Acadian Museum in Miscouche, PE.

Registration is required to follow COVID-19 protocols. Please email communication@ssta.org.

A vernissage is planned for October 20 at 2 pm. The exhibit will be presented and animated by team members of the Société and guest speakers. A light snack will be offered to the visitors.

In the August issue of The Buzz, the article submitted by Georges Arsenault celebrating the 300th anniversary of French settlers should have read “They settled at Port-la-Joye where Michel was the harbour master,” rather than “Skmaqn-Port-la-Joye.”

Tune in this fall for your ANNE-ual fix!

Confederation Centre presents a one-hour broadcast and on-line special celebrating the legacy of Anne Shirley! This summertime journey across PEI weaves highlights from the iconic Anne of Green Gables–The Musical™, special appearances from a wealth of Canadian icons, and original performances of the songs of the musical, from your favourite Island artists.

EMMA RUDY

photo: Louise Vessey

A crafty plan

PEI Fox Den helps out local artisans

The PEI Fox Den (The Den) has opened its doors to Islanders and visitors this summer, offering several safe shopping options in its North Bedeque location, all while supporting local artisans.

The Den supports over 20 local creators who rely on income from artisan shops, craft and farmers markets. Located at 2852 Route 1A, in the North Bedeque Schoolhouse, their products include: fibre art, photography, visual art, apparel, soaps, woodwork, knitted goods, embroidery, candles, teas, and Island pottery. The Den is also the home of the PEI Fox Mug.

Owner Crystal Stevens is offering exclusive shopping and online ordering at peifoxden.ca.

Earle Lockerby gets award

Historian Earle Lockerby was last year’s recipient of La Petite Nyctale award, presented by the Acadian Museum Association of PEI at its annual meeting last October. Earle, who lives in Ontario, was unable to attend that meeting and recently, while on the Island, he finally received his award.

The award was presented in recognition of Lockerby’s extensive research, publications and lectures on various aspects of Acadian history, particularly that of the Island.

He has made a significant contribution to making the history of the Island’s Acadians known, mainly but not exclusively, through his publication Deportation of the Prince Edward Island Acadians (Nimbus, 2008) and its French version, La Déportation des Acadiens de l’Île-duPrince-Édouard (translation by Robert Pichette, Éditions au Carré, 2010).

Lockerby, a native of Hamilton, PEI, had a career in the nuclear energy field, where he worked for 30 years at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited.

Old farewell

After 24 years, this will be Charlene Belsher’s last year operating The Old General Store in Murray River. Belsher says it has been a rewarding journey welcoming visitors to the vintage building that has been a centerpiece of the community for over a century.

In the shop, Belsher’s mission was to support local creators of jewellery, quilts, woodcrafts, pottery, soap, artwork, music and books. Over the years, the store has featured well over 100 artisans.

He is now retired and lives in Ontario and spends the summers, with his wife Heidi, at their cottage on the Island.

La Petite Nyctale award is given annually to recognize an individual, organization or group that has contributed over the years to the preservation and promotion of Acadian heritage.

groceries and adding in a local tour.

As a face of tourism, Belsher strived to make dreams come true—from arranging for a family to attend a dress rehearsal of Anne of Green Gables, to driving cyclists to the next village for

Charlene Belsher was twice honoured with the Kings County Hospitality Award from the Tourism Industry Association of PEI because of her passion for welcoming people from around the world and sharing her love for the Island.

Charlene extends her sincere thanks to everyone for their support and wishes the new owners many years of success at The Old General Store.

Master woodturner Wilfred Thompson, one of the artists in The Den

SUBMITTED

The

Bryan Carver

Gemütlichkeit

Numerous events around the world have been cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. One such event is the beloved Bavarian tradition of Oktoberfest. In late April top officials in Bavaria and the Mayor of Munich announced that the planned event for late September would be cancelled.

Historically rooted in a grand royal wedding that took place in 1810, Oktoberfest has grown over the centuries to be one of the largest public gatherings and beer festivals on the globe. In modern times, attendance is typically over 6 million people with over 7.5 million litres of beer served over the span of 16 days. Through the latter half of September into early October, the city of Munich will be eerily quiet for the 2020 season.

Since adaptability is crucial for getting through 2020, there are a few great options for anyone on PEI looking to create their own do-it-yourself version of Oktoberfest, all while following the guidance from the Public Health Office and supporting local businesses.

Beer is central to the event held in Munich each year. Only beers brewed within the Munich city limits by a select group of Germany’s best brewers are able to provide a beer known

as Märzen to the public. A Märzen style beer, served in one litre steins, is a bottom fermented lager, medium to full bodied, built on a sturdy malt backbone that often has a nourishing and bready profile.

Though we don’t often see Märzen beers here on PEI, we do have some great lager beers being produced that can definitely assist in any DIY Oktoberfest endeavours. If you can get your hands on it, Bogside Brewing’s Shoreline Smash is a great bready lager brewed exclusively with a Munichstyle malt from PEI’s own Shoreline Malting Company. Other great local lagers to get for any event are Copper Bottom’s Flora Pilsner and Lone Oak’s Fixed Link German-style pilsner.

Once you have your selection of beer in hand, make sure to stop by one of the numerous top quality butcher shops around PEI to pick up your favourite sausages to be enjoyed alongside your beer. No DIY Oktoberfest would be complete without an excellent mustard from Murray Harbour North’s Atlantic Mustard Mill, and if you are particularly lucky you might just get your hands on some of their candied almonds as well.

Brew by

PERFORMANCE

to Oct 25, Tue–Sun, 1 pm or 7 pm

The Songs of Anne & Gilbert

The Guild, Ch’town

Sep 4, dusk

The Island Drive-In Festival: Our Town Willis Memorial Raceway, O’Leary

Sep 4 & 5, 8 pm

J.P. Cormier

Trailside Music Hall, Ch’town

Sep 5, 7 pm

Calypso Secrets

The Bog, Rochford Square, Ch’town

Sep 6, dusk

The Island Drive-In Festival: L’Acadie de L’Île

Abram Village, Abram Village

Sep 6, 8 pm

Brielle Ansems

Trailside Music Hall, Ch’town

Sep 7, 8 pm

Tara MacLean & PEI Symphony Orchestra

Brackley Drive-In, Brackley

Sep 9–13, 8 pm

Lennie Gallant

Trailside Music Hall, Ch’town

Sep 11, dusk

Sep 13, 7:30

Watermark Concert Series

Live Stream. Irish Mythen, Brielle Ansems, Natalie Williams

Calhoun, watermarktheatre.com

Sep 14 & 28, 8 pm

Amazing Tales of the Atlantic

The Guild, Ch’town

Sep 17, 8 pm

Shane Pendergast

Trailside Music Hall, Ch’town

Sep 18, dusk

The Island Drive-In Festival:

Small Things, Great Love

Brackley Drive-In, Brackley

Sep 18 8 pm

Rowen Gallant & Jesse Periard

Trailside Music Hall, Ch’town

Sep 19, 7:30 pm

Song Rise

Tara MacLean, KINLEY, Joce Reyome and Catherine MacLellan, The Guild, Ch’town

Sep 19, 8 pm

Jill Chandler, Maureen

Trainor & Alicia Toner

Sept 21, 8 pm

Ariel Sharratt & Mathias

Kom, Erin Turcke

Trailside Music Hall, Ch’town

Sep 23, 8 pm

Lawrence Maxwell

Trailside Music Hall, Ch’town

Sep 25, 8 pm

Patrick Ledwell & Mark Haines

Trailside Music Hall, Ch’town

Sep 26, 7:30 pm

Phase II and Friends

The Guild, Charlottetown

Sep 26, 8 pm

Morgan Davis

Trailside Music Hall, Ch’town

Sep 27 & 28, 8 pm

Tara MacLean

Tribute to John Prine. Trailside Music Hall, Ch’town

Oct 2 & 3, 8 pm

Nick Doneff

Trailside Music Hall, Ch’town

Oct 3, 8 pm

Popalopalots Improv

The Guild, Ch’town

Oct 9, 8 pm

James Mullinger

PEI Brewing Company, Ch’town

Oct 9 & 10, 8 pm

Matt Minglewood

Trailside Music Hall, Ch’town

podcast

L’nuey’s new series about PEI Mi’kmaq community

When L’nuey, the Epekwitk (PEI) Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative, was established, the Epekwitk Mi’kmaq made it clear that communication and transparency were some of their highest priorities for this new organization.

Then came COVID-19.

On July 21, L’nuey launched Juku’e, a podcast series focused on current issues and matters pertaining to the Mi’kmaq community of PEI.

“We needed to find ways to engage the community in our work and to seek their input as we move forward while navigating unique challenges that prevent the hosting of traditional community sessions,” said Jenene Wooldridge, Executive Director at L’nuey. “We needed to build on our established approaches and social media channels and figure out how to deliver complex content in interesting ways, which has led us to launch the Juku’e podcast.”

Juku’e, a common expression in Mi’kmaq which simply means “come here,” is a suitable phrase for L’nuey’s podcast. Much as a Mi’kmaq elder would invite someone to talk and impart knowledge, the Juku’e series is a call to action to “come here” to find information related to important issues and matters. As part of an effort to bring Mi’kmaq culture back into focus, linking Mi’kmaq language to their initiatives is paramount.

Over time, L’nuey hopes Juku’e will become an often frequented place to find information and discussions surrounding Treaty Rights, Reconciliation, Negotiations, Consultations, Governance Development and Mi’kmaq history on PEI, among other topics. This public platform also provides an opportunity for the general public to learn more about the initiatives of L’nuey and the Epekwitk Mi’kmaq.

L’nuey means ”belonging to” or “pertaining to” the Mi’kmaq People as a whole, and its tagline doubles as its mission: moving towards a better tomorrow. Community knowledge and involvement is crucial to the collective success of the Epekwitk Mi’kmaq and will ultimately drive the work of L’nuey now, and for generations to come.

For Juku’e podcast episodes, visit anchor.fm/lnuey

SEPTEMBER 4

WILLIS MEMORIAL RACEWAY, O’LEARY FILM 3: OUR TOWN. THE HEART OF THE ISLAND

SEPTEMBER 6

ABRAM-VILLAGE

FILM 4: L’ACADIE DE L’ÎLE: 300 ANS D’HISTOIRE À DÉCOUVRIR

SEPTEMBER 11

THE COLLEGE OF PIPING, SUMMERSIDE FILM 1: OUR CULTURE, DIVERSITY & TRADITIONS

SEPTEMBER 18

THE BRACKLEY DRIVE-IN FILM 2: SMALL THINGS, GREAT LOVE

Homecoming weekend

Lennie Gallant, Jacques Arsenault, Tracy Cantin, Kinley Dowling and Magdalena von Eccher—Sep 25 & 27

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of coming home. That’s just the feeling Indian River Festival is trying to create with their upcoming concert weekend, Island Homecoming, happening September 25 and 27.

Friday night’s concert will feature singer-songwriter Lennie Gallant. Thirteen albums and numerous awards and nominations from the JUNOs and ECMAs have earned his spot as one of Canada’s foremost folk country artists.

Sunday’s concert will feature a medley of Island talent, including Jacques Arsenault, Tracy Cantin, Kinley Dowling and Magdalena von Eccher.

PEI-born tenor and accordionist Jacques Arsenault has performed throughout Canada in a wide range of repertoire from classical and

contemporary opera to musical theatre. Summerside native Tracy Cantin is well-known throughout the world for her powerful soprano voice, as well as her captivating stage presence.

Kinley Dowling is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Charlottetown who is also known as part of indie ensemble Hey Rosetta!

Pianist Magdalena von Eccher is well known around the globe for her poetic musical interpretations.

The concert will feature a variety of musical styles, including classical, folk, French cabaret and jazz.

Only 50 tickets are available for each concert and are on sale now through Ticketpro’s website or call 836-4933 (Monday–Friday, 10 am–5 pm).

Magdalena von Eccher

Anne & Gilbert

Confederation Centre Choirs

The Songs of Anne & Gilbert—The Musical continues this fall at The Guild in Charlottetown.

Featuring a live band with singers and dancers, the show includes the most memorable songs and dance numbers from Anne & Gilbert. As a bonus, the family-friendly show also includes numbers that were written for the musical but never performed.

In addition, The Songs of Anne & Gilbert—The Musical also includes additional numbers about Anne of Green Gables written by some of Atlantic Canada’s songwriters.

Based on Anne of the Island and Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery.

This event is reserved for those four years and older. theguildpei.com

College of Piping classes resume

The College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada will open its doors to the public again on September 1 and will restart in-person and small group classes beginning the week of September 14.

Choose from Highland Bagpipes, Pipe Band Drumming, Fiddle, Step Dance, and a range of contemporary dance classes including Hip Hop, Jazz, Ballet and Acrobatic Dance. Registrations are being taken via the College’s website: collegeofpiping.com.

All Island youth between the ages of 8 and 18 qualify for the Hall Pipe Band Scholarship, which pays all tuition fees for piping and drumming classes for kids. This program provides a cost-covered opportunity for any Island child in that age range to learn piping and drumming, thanks to Doug and Debbie Hall, the College’s longest serving benefactors. No previous experience is required. collegeofpiping.com

The Confederation Singers, the resident adult choir at the Confederation Centre, and the Confederation Centre Youth Chorus are resuming online rehearsals in September. Both choirs are inviting new members this fall and will be working to present a series of virtual choir presentations both for special events and for their regularly scheduled series of concerts.

The Confederation Singers present a varied program of music that includes Handel’s Messiah, a series of shorter works for In Remembrance, and Choral Music on a Holy Day. The Youth Chorus presents Sing Noel for Christmas and Voices of Spring in the new year, together with a collection of music to be presented at special virtual events throughout the year.

Rehearsals for the Confederation Singers run Mondays from 7–9 pm online. Rehearsals for the Youth Chorus run Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6–7 pm online. Choir experience is an asset, but basic music or singing skills can be sufficient.

Those interested are encouraged to contact Donald Fraser at 628-6144 or dfraser@confederationcentre.com.

While online instruction and the virtual choir experience is a new reality, it is still a great way for Islanders

to come together to share the gift of music, both in rehearsal and in virtual performance. The experience will be engaging and educational.

Ticket information for choral performances is available at confederationcentre.com or 566-1267.

Guild Music Theatre School

This year The Guild Music Theatre School will offer three 12-week semesters. The fall semester will begin classes on September 13 and end with showcases November 29 and 30. The Guild will also be hosting a festive party on December 7 for all classes. Classes include Broadway Dance (by audition only), Junior Music Theatre (grades K-2), Intermediate Music Theatre (grades 3–6) or Advanced Music Theatre (grades 7-12). If selecting the Broadway Dance class, please send a short clip of yourself dancing to manager@theguildpei.com, and they will be in touch. Info: theguildpei.com

The Confederation Singers, conducted by Donald Fraser

Making their move

Trailside Music Hall opens new Charlottetown location

After nine successful seasons operating the Trailside Music Café & Inn in Mount Stewart, PE, owners Pat and Meghann Deighan will be relocating their efforts into a new business in Charlottetown called Trailside Music Hall. The new Trailside will be located in The Arts Hotel which is opening September 1 in the former Myron’s location at 155 Kent Street.

Pat explains that when he was approached by Phillip Homburg about opening a venue in The Arts Hotel, he realized that he was ready for something new. “It is time to grow and this is a way to keep the [Trailside] brand alive and make it into something bigger.” “We really did a lot with that little building in Mount Stewart. So many amazing shows and memories over the years. This next chapter just feels like the right move for Megs and I to keep our hearts in the Trailside and have it move forward a little.”

The former Trailside had an enthusiastic and loyal clientele and Pat has aimed the following statement on his website directly at those patrons, whom he hopes will follow him in the move to the new location.

“You will be treated to the same intimate Trailside experience you’ve always known. Food and beverages will be served at your table The menu will feature favourite items from our original Trailside menu. The Trailside will always be a listening room with your enjoyment of the live music being our number one priority.”

The venue is located on the ground level with entrance through the new Salvador Dali Café which faces Kent

Ledwell and Haines

Trailside Music Hall—Sep 25

Patrick Ledwell and Mark Haines will make their first appearance at the new Trailside Music Hall in Charlottetown on September 25.

The pair will bring highlights from eight years of Island Summer Review shows to the Trailside Music Hall.

CBC’s Steve Patterson (The Debaters) says, “Patrick Ledwell is one of the funniest people in Canada period,” and Mark is described as “The Swiss Army Knife of musicians.”

Street. There will be seating for up to 80 people, up from the 60 person capacity in Mount Stewart. A bigger stage, a new sound and lighting system is being installed and there will even be a backstage green room for the performers. It will operate year-round and is classified as an all ages venue.

Aware of the importance of atmosphere to the Trailside experience, Pat says that they are creating “a place where we’d want to be ourselves.”

On stage you can expect to find entertainers “in the tradition of Trailside,” says Pat. “East Coast and Canadian touring artists, and up and comers. We have a lot of ideas we can’t wait to get rolling. Being open year round is exciting for us.”

But of course this isn’t really something new for Pat Deighan. “I’ve been booking music since I was 17; I live and breathe that stuff.”

The evening promises to be a mighty smorgasbord of food, drink, music and lots of laughs. All tickets can be purchased online at eventbrite. ca, at Back Alley Music, 257 Queen St, Charlottetown, by phone at 367-3311, or by e-mail at info@trailside.ca.

Doors at 6:30 pm. Show at 8 pm.

Meghann & Pat Deighan and a glimpse of the decor at the new Trailside Music Hall

PIXBYLORNE

Patrick BUZZ

Mark

MARKETS

Charlottetown Farmers Mkt

Open-air market weekly on Saturdays from 8 am–1 pm. The new open-air market features 30+ vendors set up around the perimeter of the parking lot. Online ordering is also available. Order through CFM2GO online marketplace at cfm2go. localfoodmarketplace.com. 100 Belvedere Ave, Charlottetown. charlottetownfarmersmarket.com

Downtown Farmers Mkt

The Downtown Farmers Market is held weekly on Sundays from 11 am–4 pm on lower Queen Street in Charlottetown. downtowncharlottetownmarket.com

Murray Harbour Farmers Mkt

A weekly Farmers Market operates at the Murray Harbour Community Centre on Saturdays from 9 am–12 pm. Thirteen vendors provide a wide variety of treats and treasures. All products are locally made and locally grown. A maximum of 25 people at one time. Although it is not mandatory, please feel free to wear a mask. Main St, Murray Harbour

Summerside Farmers Mkt

Find local producers and artisans at the Summerside Farmers Market open weekly on Saturdays from 9 am–1 pm at 250 Water St, Summerside. summersidefarmersmarket.com

Harmonia Girls’ Choir

Seeking new singers for the 2020-21 season

Harmonia is a choir for girls who love to sing. It provides a safe place where girls can have fun, make new friends, and discover the joys of singing in a group. The ensemble, starting its sixth season, is now accepting new singers.

This year will be a profoundly different one, yet Harmonia is still a community where girls can feel safe to find their voices through music.

Sirens Choral Association (SCA) runs Harmonia as its principal educational program.

Under the direction of Kelsea McLean and Andrea Ellis, the program will offer small-group, in-person sessions, and incorporate online learning. The challenge of the pandemic is also bringing exciting opportunities: one-on-one singing lessons, virtual networking with other choirs from across Canada, online workshops with composers, and virtual projects and performances.

In addition to these new learning experiences, Harmonia is expanding to include two choirs: Harmonia Junior for girls aged 10-14, and Harmonia Senior for girls aged 14-19.

In past seasons, Harmonia has been recognized for its quality performances, earning the Community Youth

Choir Award in 2017 and 2018 at the Queen’s County Music Festival, and the Connie and Bud Ings Award for Youth Choir at the PEI Kiwanis Music Festival in 2018.

Harmonia has also collaborated with Sirens and the PEI Symphony Orchestra, and has performed at Province House, Music Monday, and PEI Junior Honour Choir events. Rehearsals take place Tuesday evenings, 6–7 pm for Harmonia Junior, and 7:30–8:45 pm for Harmonia Senior. sirenschoir.com/harmonia.

Popalopalots

Popalopalots bring their make-it-upon-the-spot sketch comedy to The Guild Stage in Charlottetown on September 12 and October 3.

The performers pledge to have you laughing when they succeed, and laughing even harder when they fail.

Tickets at the door. Shows at 8 pm. Seating information at 620-3333 or boxoffice@theguildpei.com.

The Guild is located at 111 Queen Street, Charlottetown. theguildpei.com

Way up West by Jan

Cox

A dash of science

Sheldon Clohossey is the Prince County bakery man

“Cooking is an art, baking is a science,” baker Sheldon Clohossey told me at the Summerside Farmers Market recently. He managed to squeeze in the odd word between customers as I stood and watched and listened as the line snaked it’s way along the outdoor walkway. “You could win a competition with this bread,” one woman yelled to Sheldon over the crowd. A dad with his young son exclaimed, “The only reason we come here is for the pita chips!” Sheldon’s Vinegar Hill Bakery products have captured the hearts (and tummies) of folks from Summerside to Alberton to Tignish.

When asked about his unusual business name, Sheldon gave me a quick history lesson. In 1798, the Irish Rebellion was attacked by 13,000 British soldiers at Vinegar Hill in County Wexford, Ireland. The Irish lost but the details of the fierce battle caught Sheldon’s imagination. He decided to name a six acre field on his family farm in Nail Pond, West Prince, Vinegar Hill in honour of those brave Irish soldiers.

While studying biochemistry at university, Sheldon’s friends would always end up baking for the party or whatever the occasion. “I just kind of kept doing it,” says Sheldon, who always enjoyed baking. “I realized after two years, biochemistry wasn’t for me,” Sheldon continued, ”after taking a year off working around Halifax, I came back to the Island and decided to take either culinary or carpentry at Holland College. Both careers involved working with your hands, I love that. I was

A perfect spot for a picnic

The North Bedeque Schoolhouse, built in 1896, is a recognized heritage place and was used as a school until the 1970s when it closed to make way for a new school in Summerside. Today is has become the perfect PEI picnic spot.

accepted into both programs, but chose the Culinary Institute.”

After school he moved back to Halifax and then to Ontario where he honed his skills. “If you add a little more of one ingredient, then you have to adjust all the other ingredients to make it work. I love to experiment.”

Sheldon was the bakery creator and manager at the Tignish Co-op before deciding to go out on his own. He got a table at the Summerside Farmers Market and started out slowly. Before long, the demand for his products went well beyond roasted nuts, kettle popcorn and pretzels.

Now with a travelling trailer in Alberton at the former Esso station, Vinegar Hill Bakery is selling out fast with people lining up before opening. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the love and support of my wonderful wife Laura. She has encouraged me every step of the way. She’s a huge help.”

Sheldon’s specialty is Italian focaccia. It’s just flour, water, salt and yeast, smothered in olive oil, covered in mouth-watering toppings. Just.

Other handcrafted selections include braided bread, molasses bread, German pretzels, biscotti, pita chips, cinnamon raisin bread, fruit loaves, biscuits and rolls.

Check out Vinegar Hill Bakery at the Summerside Farmers Market on Saturdays or at the Alberton Esso on Thursdays, both from 9–12 pm.

Past students fondly remember the old maple tree in the schoolyard and the owner, Island potter Crystal Stevens, decided this would be a great picnic location for Islanders or visitors looking for a safe outdoor spot to eat their take-out.

“The old maple tree provides great shade all day and we already have two picnic tables built and will be building more,” said Stevens. “There are over 15 food establishments that offer take-out all within a 10–15 minute drive.”

The North Bedeque School buildings have been home to the Village Craft House (quilters that used to make Anne dolls and ship around the world), an antique shop, a used goods location, and now the PEI Fox Den which sells local artisan products.

Follow @lilredschool on social media. The North Bedeque Schoolhouse is located at 2852 Route 1A, North Bedeque.

WALKS

Autumn walk in Tracadie

The Tracadie Good Neighbourly Club invites you to join them for a Fall colours walk. Meet at Tracadie Community Centre on October 4 at 2 pm. Info: 330-2248

Summerside walking tour

Take a walking tour and discover Summerside’s rich history, waterfront, and tree lined streetscapes. Pick up a copy of the self-guided Discover Summerside walking tour with 36 points of interest, at Lefurgey Cultural Centre, 205 Prince St, Summerside, or at the Summerside Visitor Information Centre.

CITY CINEMA S EP 2020

Bill & Ted Face the Music

Aug 31–Sep 3

PG-13, language

Dir: Dean Parisot, US/Canada, 2020, 96 min. Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Samara Weaving, Brigitte Lundy-Paine

Yet to fulfill their rock and roll destiny, the now middle aged best friends Bill and Ted set out on a new adventure when a visitor from the future warns them that only their song can save life as we know it. Along the way, they will be helped by their daughters, a new batch of historical figures, and a few music legends — to seek the song that will set their world right and bring harmony in the universe. “Wonderful... as ‘you can watch it with your family’ as it gets... It’s absolutely adorable, they stuck the landing.” —Kevin Smith.

Arab Blues

Sep 6

PG, coarse language, violence

Dir: Manele Labidi, France/Tunisia, 2019, 88 min. Golshifteh Farahani, Majd Mastoura, Aïsha Ben Miled. In French and Arabic with English and French subtitles

“A light comedy on a topic you don’t see every day, starring Golshifteh Farahani (Paterson) as radiant yet tough Selma, a Tunis-born psychoanalyst who, having lived in Paris since age 10, has returned to Tunisia to set up a practice in a country where people habitually talk like crazy but not to mental health professionals. Via a colourful array of characters still getting their bearings post-Arab Spring, first-time writer-director Manele Labidi packs a lot of affectionate observations into compact running time.” - Lisa Nesselson, ScreenDaily “Selma comes back to Northern Africa to start a practice in the rooftop apartment of a building belonging to her high-strung aunt and alcoholic uncle, parents to a rebellious teenage daughter... She can see the need: a local salon-owner, an Imam, and a man who wants to crossdress are but a few of the patients streaming through her door, along with a

We’ve missed you big time, and are thrilled to be onscreen again! Here are the highlights of our temporary procedures.

Advance Tickets

Our new website citycinema.ca is live. We now accept all major credit cards and debit online and at the cinema. Seating is limited—advance tickets are strongly recommend.

Limited Seating

We’ll be selling about 20 of our 70 seats per show, with checkerboard seat arrangement for distancing within rows.

One-way Traffic

To help with social distancing we created a one-way traffic system, just follow the arrows!

Masks

Please wear a mask when not eating your delicious popcorn. We have paper masks available free.

Subject to change

Film availability and provincial covid guidelines are subject to change, please check the website on the day of the show.

Rent City Cinema for a Private Show

Tired of streaming in your living room? City Cinema is available for rent for private film viewings—big screen, big sound! We provide the projectionist and will have the canteen and bar open for your group. Email chtownfilm@gmail.com for availability and rates.

dogged cop on her case about her licence. The film is charming and frequently hilarious.”

—Carsten Knox, Flaw In The Iris

Summerland

Sept 4–7, 11–13

PG, mature theme

Dir: Jessica Swale, UK, 2020, 100 min. Gemma Arterton, Lucas Bond, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Courtenay

“What a lovely, hopeful and rather magical movie this is. Summerland provides just the tonic we need in times of turmoil. A tale of love lost and found, told with wit and charm, it maintains an impressive balance between the sly and the sentimental, gently subverting mainstream formulas as it slips back and forth in time, alternating between the realist and the romantic. We open in coastal Kent, 1975, with Penelope Wilton’s crotchety Alice rudely shooing children from the door of her cottage so she can return to her typewriter. From here, we spiral back to the 40s, where the younger Alice taps away on the same keyboard. A recluse who investigates and debunks myths and folklore, searching for the facts behind the fiction, Alice is viewed with suspicion. The village children think she’s a witch or a spy; even the adults seem a bit scared of her. When young evacuee Frank is dumped unexpectedly on Alice’s doorstep, she has no time for him, insisting that he be re-homed. But inevitably a bond grows between the pair, with Alice slowly warming to the new arrival who seems to rekindle long suppressed feelings of affection. Meanwhile, Swale’s story spirals back further still, to Alice’s meeting with Vera in the 20s and the pang of first love ... Summerland conjures a honey-dappled world in which the possibility of redemptive miracles gradually illuminates the dark corners of loneliness.”Mark Kermode, The Observer. “It’s perhaps the feel-good film of the year, as it explores many things: imagination, motherhood, the heartbreak of war and lost love, and the touching story of how this young boy changes Alice’s life.” —Exclaim!

Docteur? (A Good Doctor)

Sep 13–14, 18–20 14A

Dir: Tristan Séguéla, France, 2019, 90 min. Michel Blanc, Hakim Jemili. In French with English subtitles.

It’s Christmas Eve. The most fortunate Parisians are with their families getting ready to open their presents. Others watch television alone at home. Still others, like Serge, have to work. Serge, on thin ice at work for past indiscretions, is the only emergency doctor on call tonight. His colleagues have all managed to slip away. House calls follow one

after the other and Serge desperately tries to keep up. When his back pain flares up and he can’t walk he strikes a deal with UberEats driver Malek, and soon Malek is improvising patient care. “An unpretentious comedy that stands out above all for the joyful energy of the White/Jemili duo. It will put a smile on your lips” - CinéDweller. “Michel Blanc’s comeback in great shape. Nicely directed by Tristan Séguéla... Docteur? is at the top of the heap of French comedies.” —Premiere

Cyrano de BergeracNational Theatre Live

Sep 20–21, 25–27

14A, coarse language

Dir: Jamie Lloyd, UK, 2020, approx 180 min. James McAvoy, Anita-Joy Uwajeh, Eben Figueiredo.

$20 regular, $14 seniors and members. No Passes.

James McAvoy returns to the stage in an inventive new adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac, from the West End in London “McAvoy gives a stunningly powerful performance in this piece of pure theatre, the most breathtakingly exciting show in London right now. Director Jamie Lloyd and adapter Martin Crimp have updated and mutated Edmond Rostand’s 1897 verse drama about a soldier-poet with an enormous nose into a stripped-back, street-style rap battle... It engages the imagination, the mind and the heart. Complex ideas about love, literature, body image and truth are expressed in its dizzyingly clever rhymes, but essentially it remains a captivating, tragicomic romance.” —Nick Curtis, The Evening Standard

Crescendo

Sep 27–28, Oct 2–4

14A

Dir: Dror Zahavi, Germany, 2019, 106 min. Götz Otto, Peter Simonischek, Bibiana Beglau.

In German, Hebrew, Arabic and English with English subtitles

When world-famous conductor Eduard Sporck accepts a job to help establish an IsraeliPalestinian youth orchestra, he steps into a firestorm of discord and mistrust. The two factions of young musicians have grown up in a state of conflict, with fear governing their perceptions of each other. With only three weeks of rehearsal, Sporck’s essential task becomes more interpersonal than musical: can the children of conflict come together in harmony? Director Dror Zahavi brings us a gripping, clear-eyed drama imbued with hope for understanding, humanity, and peace. Inspired by true stories.

Memberships

Box office opens 20 minutes before showtime Book tickets in advance at citycinema.ca

Welcome to City Cinema from The Charlottetown Film Society.

City Cinema is owned and operated by our non-profit Society. We will continue to present a diverse mix of films and welcome your suggestions and support. Become a member, bring

Charlottetown Film Festival

6th annual event is a go for 2020

The Charlottetown Film Society wasn’t convinced it could honour its core commitment to provide a film festival for Island filmmakers and film buffs celebrating and showcasing films from and about Atlantic Canada in 2020.

Luckily, filmmaker and Society board member Emma Fugate was determined ChFF20 had to happen.

“I am so pleased Cheryl Wagner and Mary-Helen McLeese––our dream team for all five previous years––have agreed to step up,” shared Fugate.

Slated to run October 23–25, ChFF20 will be a combination of screenings with limited seating and digital access to all the selected films via the Full Festival pass. Plans are afoot to complement screenings with a number of lively panels featuring industry pros sharing their experiences and answering questions via Zoom.

“ONWARD! was the title we worked under for ChFF19, as we celebrated the development of our local industry, screening the works of the first graduates of the Film 4Ward program,” Cheryl Wagner explains.

“For ChFF20, with its challenges and changes, I am labelling our little festival ONWARD ANYWAYS...and Any Way Needed.“

City Cinema is now open with limited seating under new manager Marshall Harrington’s direction.

Tickets will go on sale in October at charlottetownfilmfest.com.

(l-r): Marshall Harrington, Mary-Helen McLeese, Cheryl Wagner

news ART

Artist residency

For the second year, two PEI artists have been jury-selected to spend one week in residence at Rock Barra Artist Retreat. PEI Artists Devon Ross and Deborah Montgomery will work on their projects on location from September 14–20. An artist talk will be presented following the residency. While in residence, sound artist Devon Ross will explore his West African ancestral roots through music by constructing a large marimbula, which is the Caribbean descendant of the prempensua musical instrument. Ross will also record audio and video of the instrument for later sampling in his compositions. Artist and musician Deborah Montgomery will work to develop sounds in a form of biomimicry through being witness to the wisdom inherent in natural systems. She will use a sensitive microphone to record sound samples and electromagnetic variations in the environment that will become inspiration for musical composition.

TTIS Crit Sessions for Artists

TTIS Crit Sessions for Artists provide an opportunity for practicing artists working in any medium to present and discuss their work. Crit Sessions occur once per month and each session will host two presenting artists. The next session will be held September 29 on Zoom from 7–9 pm. Each session is facilitated by a

moderator, and the audience, made up of fellow artists, provides constructive feedback and engages in critical dialogue. Presenting artists receive an honorarium, a free membership, and peer feedback. To present, email Monica at this.town. is.small@gmail.com.

Eptek AGM

The Friends of Eptek Centre are holding their Annual General Meeting at 10 am on September 3 at Eptek Art & Culture Centre in Summerside. Members and non-members are welcome (up to capacity restrictions). The Friends of Eptek Centre is a volunteer group that supports the programming at Eptek Centre. Those who might like to volunteer should head to the meeting to see what it is all about. Eptek Art & Culture Centre is a site of the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation and is located at 130 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside. 888-8373

Festive wreath contest

The Friends of Confederation Centre’s annual Festive Wreath Exhibition is open to children of all ages, adults, groups and businesses. Prize categories include children solo, children group, traditional, green living (recycled items), and off the wall. Participants are encouraged to use their imagination and have fun. Entries will be on display throughout the holiday season at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlotteown. Wreath drop off in mid-November. Info: 628-6141 or friends@confederationcentre.com.

Lockdown exhibit

After receiving positive reviews on Facebook, the COVID-19 Lockdown exhibit by Ben F. Stahl is on its way to Ellen’s Creek Gallery in Charlottetown. The original works of art will be on view September 4–30. Influenced by the lockdown on PEI from March 15 through May 15, Stahl created 19 paintings and displayed them on Facebook as a form of encouragement and entertainment for

Meet the

Makers

Jim Aquilani and Ayelet Stewart to speak—Sep 17

Meet the Makers is a casual, monthly, recurring drop-in presentation series for the exhibition Creative Obsessions at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery (CCAG) in Charlottetown.

For one afternoon, two artists will occupy the gallery to speak with visitors about the creative processes behind their works in the exhibition. To help with educating the public, artists will bring works in progress, studies or sketches of future works, tools they frequently use and/or other items that will help describe how they create what they do. The goal of this series is for visitors to come away with a deeper understanding of the techniques and labour that go into each artwork in the exhibition, and learn information about these processes that they may not normally have access to by simply visiting the gallery.

On September 17, the CCAG welcomes Island jewellers Jim Aquilani and Ayelet Stewart.

his followers affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Ellen’s Creek Gallery, with the artist, will donate 25 percent of sales from this exhibit to the Charlottetown Food Bank.

Visitors are asked to wear masks. Viewing hours are Monday–Friday 9 am–5 pm and Saturday 10 am–3 pm. Ellen’s Creek Gallery is located at 525 North River Rd, Charlottetown.

Aquilani, who produces work from his Vitamin Sea Studio, explains with some of his new works on exhibition how he drew inspiration from the sheer vastness of the universe. An apsis is the extreme orbit on an object in space. With this in mind, Aquilani set out to design his take on this concept in the form of a pendant. This work has been constructed with Sterling silver, brass, and a handforged button of bronze, copper, and Sterling silver. “This is a technique I have never attempted before,“ he offers. “I’ve never seen it done by anyone and I intend to continue experimenting with it!”

This piece is one of many Island works on exhibition in Creative Obsessions. confederationcentre.com

Apsis, pendant by Jim Aquilani

Ben Stahl paintings on view at Ellen’s Creek Gallery

Painting (detail) by Ben Stahl

The Time of Our Lives

Group show by UPEI Seniors College students & instructors

Kings Playhouse presents The Time of Our Lives, artwork by UPEI Seniors College students and instructors. The exhibit is on view at the Gallery at Kings Playhouse in Georgetown until September 19.

This is the eighth year for the group show, with some old favourites exhibiting and many new faces as well. The show is usually held at The Guild in Charlottetown in April/May but had to be cancelled.

Participants say they are at “a time in their lives” when work and family commitments are reduced, and they are thrilled to have the time to put into making art. The show will feature works from art classes including

A passion for landscapes

Ray Kujundzic’s artwork at the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market

Artist Ray Kujundzic loves to craft and paint with oil and acrylic, but he is most passionate about painting landscapes, lighthouses, flowers and Island scenery with watercolour.

Kujundzic was a longtime art teacher in Europe and Kitchener, Ontario before moving to PEI. Over the years he has taught watercolour painting as part of the Learning Elders Arts Program (L.E.A.P.) at Whisperwood Villa in Charlottetown.

Ray Kujundzic’s paintings and crafts can be viewed and purchased at

Two mediums, two continents

Duality: Two sisters, two mediums, two continents, featuring the original work of Grace Cressman and Ruth M. W. Spicer, is a new art exhibition opening at The Gallery at Kings Playhouse in Georgetown on September 6 at 3 pm.

watercolour, acrylic, pastel, drawings and multimedia.

Seniors College is open to anyone over 50. It is an opportunity to learn something new in a wide variety of topics. The camaraderie among the students adds a lot to the enjoyment. A full list of Seniors College courses, schedules, and descriptions is available at seniorscollege.ca. Regrettably, fall classes are cancelled for 2020, but watch for a decision about the winter classes in 2021.

Kings Playhouse is located at 65 Grafton Street, Georgetown. The Gallery is open 10 am–6 pm daily. Info: Marion Copleston, 675-4093 or mcopleston@gmail.com

the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market, where he’s had a booth for 15 years. rajkoartist@gmail.com

Born in Zambia, Central Africa and Pretoria, South Africa respectively, Grace and Ruth had the unique experience of attending boarding schools throughout their youth.

As young adults, Grace moved to Canada and trained as a registered nurse while Ruth commenced art studies at the College of Art in East London, South Africa.

Ruth’s experience ranges from decorative fabric design to working as an illustrative artist with Emmanuel Press. In 1972 she joined the Living Sound singing group and travelled throughout North America generating album covers, posters and flyers. In subsequent years, she worked as a graphic artist for advertising agencies and newspapers in South Africa and Canada. In 2015, she made her way back to South Africa and presently lives in Cape Town.

In 2016, Grace moved to PEI and

as a registered nurse, she uses her spare time to wander the beaches and take photographs of the abundant beauty all around. Her love for the Island and desire to share it with her family led Grace to sharing her photographs online.

Despite being separated by the Atlantic ocean, Grace and Ruth have maintained their connection through photography and art.

Inspired by Grace’s photographs, Ruth replicates the scenes in watercolour paintings—capturing the rich colours, vibrant lighting and striking beauty as she paints the idyllic landscapes and charming local scenes that exist over 12,000 kilometres away.

Opening September 6, Duality will exhibit the work of both artists—Ruth’s fine art and Grace’s photographs that inspired them. All are invited to see the deep connection that can exist between siblings nourished and immortalized through the beauty of their art. Due to travel restrictions, Ruth will attend the opening virtually. Duality runs until Thanksgiving.

The Gallery at Kings Playhouse is open seven days a week from 10 am–6 pm at 65 Grafton St in Georgetown. kingsplayhouse.com

Our Family in Two Homes

Exhibit by sisters Grace Cressman and Ruth M.W. Spicer

Sleighride, watercolour by Jim Parsons

Ruth Grace

Victoria Park, watercolour by Ray Kujundzic

READERS / WRITERS

Victoria Literary Festival

The Victoria Literary Festival has extended its deadline for two writing contests. The Short Story competition aims to encourage and promote new writers of short fiction in order to provide exposure and inspire creativity. Ghost Writer Short Story: A short piece of fiction with a minimum of 1400 words, taking into consideration the theme. Hat’s Off Short Story: A short piece of fiction with a minimum of 1400 words, taking into consideration the theme. First prize for each contest will receive $350 with the four runners up each receiving $50. Stories must be received by October 30. Anyone who has previously entered can send another story. The story must not have previously been published or won a prize. All entries must be sent in print form to Victoria Literary Festival, PO BOX 82, Victoria, PE, C0A2G0 as well as a digital copy (PDF or word doc) to: info@victorialiteraryfestival.com.

Love of Reading grant

Big Brothers Big Sisters of PEI (BBBS PEI) has received a $12,500 Love of Reading Community Response Fund grant from the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation. Due to the unprecedented school closures associated with COVID-19, many children in high-needs communities

have been left without access to learning resources and books, as many students from disadvantaged backgrounds rely on schools and support programs for basic necessities. The Indigo Love of Reading Foundation recognized this need and in April launched the Love of Reading Community Response Fund with a commitment of $1 million in grants to put books in the hands of kids during this time when they need it most. The grants have been awarded to local nonprofit organizations to purchase books and educational resources. BBBS PEI are always searching for books that they can distribute to children and youth in their programs, allowing them to make connections by sharing stories or favourite authors. The funds will help spark a love of reading and encourage youth to explore the means to realize their goals for a brighter future.

How to publish an e-book

E Jean Simpson of A & J PEI Treasures in Miscouche has released her latest e-book, How to Publish an E-book on a Budget of $0: Making your Dreams a Reality This book takes the lessons learned in self-publishing and puts them in a short e-book packed with tidbits of information on the publishing process. Available at books2read.com.

Anne’s manuscript

For the first time ever, L.M. Montgomery’s famed Anne of Green Gables manuscript will be made widely accessible as the central feature of an upcoming online exhibition.

The ambitious new exhibition, Exploring a National Treasure: L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables Manuscript, will be developed through a partnership between the Confederation Centre Art Gallery (CCAG), and the L.M. Montgomery Institute (LMMI) and Robertson Library at UPEI.

Launching in 2022, Exploring a National Treasure will showcase the writing of the famous novel. The virtual exhibition will be curated by Montgomery scholar, Dr. Emily Woster. Dr. Elizabeth Epperly, founder of the LMMI, will be a consultant on the exhibition. The project will be developed with an investment by the Virtual Museum of Canada.

Key themes in the exhibition include Montgomery’s creativity, writing, and editing processes; the story of Anne and her origins in Cavendish, PEI in the early 20th century; the novel’s international success; and creative adaptations of the Anne story.

Viewers will be invited to rediscover this famous literary work and its rich legacy. The exhibition will increase accessibility to the manuscript while the digital version will help preserve the original pen and ink on paper manuscript, acquired for the CCAG’s permanent collection in 1967.

Rewarding Career Opportunity

Are you looking for a rewarding career opportunity in a health care environment?

Health PEI is looking for cooks, clerks, maintenance tradespeople and recreation, occupational therapists and activity workers.

These temporary positions offer wages above the industry standard, with attractive work schedules that allow for work/life balance and may lead to permanent positions.

For information about these positions please contact: healthpeihr@gov.pe.ca

No person should be an island unto themselves. This has been the mantra of Island-born actor, writer, and comedian Justin Shaw as he strives to connect with an online audience through his new public journal, Island Boy Island Boy is a collection of prose written by Shaw during the past several weeks of the pandemic and is intended to serve as a means of connecting to the communities he is no longer a part of.

Stories include tales of his father and his horses, his sister on her wedding day, and his mother and the lengths she’ll go to in collecting her Air Miles points. These stories are honest,

Visitors to the bilingual exhibition, Exploring a National Treasure, will have digital access to all 853 pages of the manuscript, including the interesting material—notes and short snippets of work—that exists on the backs of pages. With the manuscript as the exhibition’s central pillar, visitors will be able to engage with new research, watch animations and videos of places and moments vital to the book, and hear expert commentary and dramatic retellings of Anne’s important place in Canadian history.

thoughtful reflections crafted with the help of editors Benton Hartley and Dave Stewart.

The entries have also been recorded and curated with music performed by the Fiddlers’ Sons to create an authentic Island storytelling experience. Available at justindshaw.com

Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables manuscript, page one, 1905 (pub. 1908), pen and ink on paper.

Digital exhibition set to launch in 2022

Island Boy

Justin Shaw’s public journal

A gift of Island Poetry

WE: AN APOLOGIA

We loved the idea of trees and occasionally to stroll among them. We loved how quiet the city when it snowed and the view from the air as we flew. Sleek and laminar, we hurtled from one instant to the next. We had been given a broad mandate: subdue the continents, the sea and sky, fortify the savage border. It was written. We were the bee’s knees, the mutt’s nuts. Our enlightenment was collateral. We recalibrated the detectors. We perfected the machine-human interface. We left our footprints in the dust of other worlds. We didn’t know what we didn’t know. We disabled the fail-safes. We reverse-engineered the Big Bang. We reintroduced the wolves. We mea-culpa-ed toward the door. And we loved to dance.

Everyone has a story to tell ...so let KKP help you tell it.

Our knowledgeable staff at KKP can put your ideas onto paper and into a book. With our new recently purchased high-speed book binding equipment and printing capabilities, we can offer a competitive range of sizes and formats, color and/or black and white printing. Whether your interested in 1 or 1000, hardcover or paperback, we can help you. For more information contact us and don’t forget to ask about our free book launch kit to help you get started!

Former P.E.I. poet laureate Deirdre Kessler selects a poem a month by an Island poet for The Buzz

Steve McOrmond. Reckon. Brick Books, 2018.

BOOKS PEI

A Reluctant Search for Spiritual Truths

Adrian McNally Smith

Adrian McNally Smith will launch his new book A Reluctant Search for Spiritual Truths on September 24. When Adrian McNally Smith was writing his family memoir Finding Forgiveness, he was struck by the number of times he had had spiritual encounters. The journey of writing the story of his life and his relationships brought home to him the fact that he had felt a sense of knowing before many important and life-changing moments in his life. Going through the process of forgiveness and the counseling he needed to forgive his father awakened in him the desire to dig deeper into these encounters and what it means to embrace his spiritual nature. This reluctant search changed his life and sparked a whole new awareness of spirituality.

Adrian McNally Smith recently retired after 30 years of work in education, 25 of those years devoted to counseling and student services. These days, when he is not writing, he can mostly be found walking along the shores and trails of PEI, generally in the company of his loyal lab, Nelly. acornpress.ca

Medicinal Herbs of Eastern Canada

A Pictorial Manual

Art and text by Brenda Jones Nature’s remedies are all around, if you know what to look for. In Medicinal Herbs of Eastern Canada, author and artist Brenda Jones offers detailed advice on how to identify, collect, and prepare a variety of local wild herbs. Learn how to make an infusion of goldenrod to treat a nasty cough, or a lemon balm tincture to help with sleep

Through many workshops, extensive research, and the help of Indigenous communities, Jones compiled this illustrated catalogue of healing herbs to help readers familiarize themselves with the medicines available in their own backyards. Covering 73 different plants, each with detailed, full-colour illustrations and accessible tips, facts, and recipes, this essential guide makes it easy to benefit from your neighbourhood’s wild offerings. The book includes a glossary of terms and a comprehensive index.

Brenda Jones is a native of PEI and spent the last 12 years roaming the woods and fields gathering and studying the herbs around the Maritimes in order to understand the properties of these plants and to help with her own health issues. With her background as an artist and illustrator, she began painting each herb in meticulous detail to help in identification, and soon had her own herb garden and a cupboard full of tinctures and teas.

Terra Obscura: Falling Against Gravity

Geoff and Michelle Genge

Authors Geoff and Michelle Genge recently released the second novel in their Terra Obscura Chronicles. Terra Obscura: Falling Against Gravity Falling Against Gravity follows the same alt history/steam-punk influenced adventure in which Charles Fort, the world’s first supernatural investigator, hunts for proof of what science refuses to accept— the existence of the paranormal. With an eclectic crew of allies and support, Fort travels this breathtaking world at the pinnacle of the Gilded Age investigating classic paranormal cases and hunting for the truth behind the legends.

In Casebook Two, Fort is forced to reconcile his youthful adventures in Aurora, Texas—where he naively investigated an extraterrestrial crash—with the present-day consequences of his blind dedication to the mission. With his life unraveling, Fort must choose between his closest relationships and his goals. His unorthodox team faces mortal threats that

span from sabotage to mad science to—ultimately— each other. As the laws of physics are bent and broken, Charles Fort must face his greatest threat to date: his own determination.

Against all odds, the Genges have remained married throughout the editing process of two books and are happily working on Casebook Three.

Both Terra Obscura: A Knock in the Dark and Falling Against Gravity are available in Charlottetown at The Comic Hunter, Lightning Bolt Comics, Indigo, Bookmark, and wherever books are sold.

Esther of Farringford

Lynne Thiele

Farringford, a landmark in Charlottetown, is one of the best examples of Italianate architecture on PEI. It was built and owned by a woman in mid-to-late Victorian times, “a women ahead of her time,” Mrs. Esther Lowden. Although Esther was active in the late 1800s and lived a wealthy lifestyle, her death in 1896 was noted with only one brief sentence in the newspaper. This book is an attempt to ensure that Esther has a place in Prince Edward Island history. Esther of Farringford by Lynne Thiele will be launched September 4 at 7 pm, at the Haviland Club, 2 Haviland St, Charlottetown. anngreyborn@gmail.com

Kira’s Crossing Orysia Dawydiak

Orysia Dawydiak’s next book in the Kira series, Kira’s Crossing, will be launched online with Bookmark on September 19 at 1 pm.

Five years had passed since Kira discovered that she was a mermaid adopted by a fisherman and his wife. Her birth parents were merrow royalty who had been imprisoned by their enemies, the shape shifting Finfolk. The Finfolk had also taken over Merhaven. Encouraged by merrow clans and supported by the local fishing community, Kira decided to join a Merhaven recovery mission. In the chaos that followed the mission, Kira found herself on an unexpected journey that would take her across the continent and a fight for her own survival.

Orysia Dawydiak was the first child born to immigrant parents who settled in Northern Ontario. She grew up with a foot in both worlds, on a diet rich in Ukrainian traditions and stories. She lives on a small farm on PEI where she raises sheep and dogs. She writes books on livestock protection dogs, and has also written fiction for children and young adults. She has written two other books in the Kira series, Kira’s Quest and Kira’s Secret, which was nominated for the Hackmatack Award. Her first novel, House of Bears, was published by Acorn.

2020 saw the first-ever PEI Book Award in the

category of children’s literature. The award went to Orysia Dawydiak for her previous middle grade novel, Rika’s Shepherd acornpress.ca, orysiadawydiak.com

The Biscuit Bible Types, Tips, Tested Recipes, and Tales

Dolores Griffin

Full of interesting facts, historical information and stories about biscuits, Dolores Griffin’s The Biscuit Bible is everything you ever wanted to know about biscuits—which are so versatile and easy to make.

The Biscuit Bible contains tested recipes, tips and techniques, baking tales from Island seniors, the origins, the science, some history behind the ingredients, and original biscuit jokes by the author.

Proceeds from the sale of the book will go to support social programming at the Prince Edward Home, a long-term care facility in Charlottetown. Residents have suffered the loss of contact with family and friends, with social events both within the facility and the community either restricted or cancelled.

To purchase a copy of The Biscuit Bible, contact Dolores Griffin at 566-4356 or dgriffin@eastlink.ca, or follow Dolly Griffin on FB. Copies are also available at the QEH gift shop.

A Brush With Life

Steven Mayoff

Steven Mayoff’s first e-book with distributor Smashwords, novella A Brush With Life, explores the creative process with a twist of magic-realism.

The story concerns a reclusive representational artist named Gordian Fray, who discovers that whatever he paints soon fades from his canvas only to reappear as a solid and three-dimensional object. When he realizes these images are indestructible, he paints a self-portrait that will never grow old or die. He

allows his doppelgänger to take over his life, while he lives vicariously through it and quickly becomes subservient to it.

Enter Gordian’s former love interest Anna Trang and a bizarre triangle soon develops that ultimately pits creator and creation against each other. While the life-like portrait rises in the world, the artist’s actual life goes to ruin, and yet the two are totally dependent on each other.

A Brush With Life is available as a free download for a limited time at most e-book retailers or directly from Mayoff’s author page at smashwords.com/ profile/view/smayoff

Arsenal Mills debut

SUBMITTED

Rock and blues band Arsenal Mills have released their groove-laden debut single “Lovesick & Broke.” The band features Brad Milligan, Griffen Arsenault, Josh MacNeil and André Uyterlinde. The single is the first of a few to land ahead of the the band’s upcoming debut EP, set for release this fall.

“This song is a true story about a close friend,” Milligan shares of the song’s origins. “He ended up losing someone special to him, which caused a downward spiral of depression and drinking.”

“‘Lovesick & Broke’ helped us find our sound as a collective,” Arsenault says. “It paved the way for the rest of the album.”

Available now on Spotify and YouTube.

CASARA PEI

Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) PEI recently held their AGM and an exercise/evaluation of service with their members. Terms of some members were renewed including Corey Tremere as Deputy Director and Darren Emery as Training Officer. Robert MacArthur was welcomed as the incoming Safety Officer. Years of service pins were also awarded: Jillian Champion 10 years; Darren Emery 15 years; Roger Gaudet 5 years; Virginia MacDonald 15 years; Jim MacLellan 30 years; Roy Younker 10 years; and Corey Tremere 10 years. Following the AGM, the group participated in a mock search with a ground team and air crew working on a scenario mission. CASARA is a Canadawide volunteer aviation association. Volunteers are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to assist in providing air search assistance to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Info: pei.casara.ca

Canadian Shield

The Canadian Shield, a Waterloo, ON, region-based Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) manufacturer, has donated 1000 face shields to PEI’s Ministry of Education to prepare teachers for a return to classrooms this fall. The face shields, which the Canadian Shield has been certified to produce, will be distributed by the public sector to protect teachers and educators from potential exposure to COVID-19. The face shields will be distributed to registered teachers in PEI’s two school districts. Made-inCanada with 100 percent recyclable material, these shields can be sanitized and reused up to 15 times. The donation is part of The Canadian Shield’s national donation campaign that will see 750,000 face shields shipped out and distributed to registered teachers by education ministries across Canada.

Disaster response efforts

The Government of PEI has received the final report on its response to post-tropical storm Dorian that hit the province in Sep 2019. Calian Emergency Management Solutions, experts in the industry, was selected to provide an independent review of the provincial response to one of the most significant weather events in recent Atlantic Canadian history. In its final report, Calian concludes that the Province managed a successful, well-coordinated response to post-tropical storm Dorian and has outlined six areas of opportunity to explore to enhance the provincial response to the next disaster event. These include resource management; training and exercise; information management; concept of operations; business continuity; and decision centre tools. Close to 300 Islanders took part in focus groups, interviews and a bilingual survey to provide their insights and experiences related to the provincial response to Dorian. View and download the final report at princeedwardisland.ca

United Way funding

United Way of PEI launched a call for applications for the Emergency

COMMUNITY #1

Community Support Fund (ECSF) in May. The fund provides financial support to charities and other qualified donees adapting their front-line services to support vulnerable Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ECSF is funded by the Government of Canada and is being administered in collaboration with United Way Centraide Canada, Community Foundations of Canada and the Canadian Red Cross. This summer, United Way of PEI received 18 applications for community programs and services. In total, 10 organizations have been approved for a total of $325,000. They are: Canadian Mental Health Association, PEI Division; PEI Literacy Alliance; PEI Association for Community Living; Cooper Institute (in partnership with BIPOC-USHR); Boys and Girls Club of Summerside Inc.; The Joyriders Therapeutic Riding Association of PEI; PEERS Alliance; Abegweit First Nation Mi’kmaq Wellness Centre; Special Olympics PEI; and Family Service PEI

Give A Little, Help A Lot

This year’s IWK Foundation and Loblaw Companies Ltd Give a Little, Help a Lot campaign has raised $286,000 for the IWK through in-store fundraising at Atlantic Superstore and other Loblaw grocery stores across the Maritimes. Funds raised though the campaign help support the most urgent priority needs of the IWK, which may include the purchase of priority equipment and advanced technology. The campaign went ahead in July despite the pandemic, knowing that support is needed now more than ever. Give a Little, Help a Lot is a national campaign where Loblaw customers are asked to donate $2 at checkout in support of their designated local charity. In addition, store colleagues organize grassroots fundraisers such as barbecues and bake sales, with proceeds from these activities added to the total.

Record year for PEI

The 46th Annual Statistical Review of the province was released in July. The Review includes data from provincial departments, Statistics Canada, and the private sector to provide a snapshot of PEI across several topics. This year the review includes data on greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to topics such as demography, labour, economic accounts, primary industry, and manufacturing, among others. View the report online at princeedwardisland.ca/ASR.

Support for Indigenous projects

The Government of Canada announced an investment of more than $6.1 million in support of Indigenous projects across Atlantic Canada. Delivered by Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), this funding will support 12 infrastructure, expansion and capacity-building initiatives led by Indigenous

communities, businesses and organizations in the region. These projects, which include hiring consultants and expanding existing operations, will help Indigenous companies and organizations create good, local jobs in their communities. Strongly-rooted Indigenous cultures influence economic, educational and civic advances in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

Island rural development

Islanders in rural PEI will benefit from a new council that will help ensure government decisions support various aspects of rural PEI, such as people, communities, wellness and the environment. The 12 member Rural Communities Council will review government strategies, policies and decisions through a rural lens to help identify any potential impacts to rural PEI. The new council will begin in early fall 2020 and will start by examining the recommendations developed by the former Regional Economic Advisory Councils. Info: princeedwardisland.ca.

2019 WCB report

The Workers Compensation Board (WCB) recently released its 2019 Annual Report at their AGM. The report highlights were presented for the first time in a virtual meeting format. Read the full copy of the annual report and 2019 audited financial statements at wcb.pe.ca.

Utility late fee penalties

The City of Charlottetown’s Water and Sewer Utility will reinstate interest charges on late payments on Oct 1. The Utility implemented financial relief and flexibility measures for its customers in recognition that many businesses and workplaces had shut down due to COVID-19 and income supplementing programs hadn’t yet rolled out in full. The Utility waived interest charges on late payments and suspended all disconnections for non-payment from Mar–Sep. To give customers advanced notice, the public is being advised that the Water and Sewer Utility will not resume enforcing interest charges on late payments and disconnections for non-payment until Oct 1. Any customers with questions can call 629-4005, Mon-Fri, 8 am–4 pm. Online bill payments can be made at charlottetown.ca

Slow Streets Initiative

The City of Charlottetown has launched a Slow Streets Initiative to help encourage active transportation throughout the City. Gay Ave was the first road featured in the initiative with W. Burns St added in late Aug. The designated Slow Streets will allow more space for pedestrians and cyclists by featuring signage and barrels to notify motorists to slow down. Traffic in this area will be monitored and, although it is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended that only local traffic use these streets. The initiative is a

pilot project which will end in Oct, when a review will be completed by City staff to determine the effectiveness of the project. Residents located on the Slow Streets and surrounding areas are encouraged to provide feedback by contacting Public Works: 894-5208, city@charlottetown.ca.

Global Islands report

The Annual Report on Global Islands 2019, published in July by Island Studies Press in partnership with the Foreign Affairs Office of Hainan Province, will be launched at an upcoming virtual event (TBA). Released annually since 2017, the publication series provides a summary and interpretation of the previous year’s “The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road: Island Economic Cooperation Forum” sessions, updated descriptions and interpretations of economic development on global islands, and chapters on the major issues and topics associated with island economic development written by international experts. For info or to access a PDF of the report, visit projects.upei.ca/unescochair/ annual-report-on-global-islands-2019

Virtual healthcare

Islanders on the wait list for a new primary care provider have started receiving invitations to an innovative new program that will allow them to access care from home during COVID-19. Created in partnership with telemedicine provider Maple, the Virtual Care for Patients without a Primary Care Provider program lets Islanders access PEI physicians through their smartphone, tablet or computer during specified clinic hours. Invitations to the program during the initial roll out are being prioritized to ensure Islanders who have been on the Provincial Patient Registry longest are able to access the program first. Patients who receive an invitation may sign up for the program with their PEI Health Card number, complete a health profile and add past medical history with a guarantee of confidentiality. Info: princeedwardisland.ca or getmaple.ca

Shape PEI’s future

Islanders are encouraged to share their innovative, bold and sustainable ideas with the Premier’s Council for Recovery and Growth and help shape PEI’s future. Islanders can share their ideas online with the Council to guide the development of a plan to move the province forward over the coming months and years. Islanders will have until Sep 15 to submit. Islanders are encouraged to consider where PEI has an opportunity to: have a competitive and leading edge; ensure Island children and youth are able to prosper in a changing world; become a leader in sustainability; overcome barriers to become a global leader in key sectors and industries; and strengthen our community and cultural fabric. Additionally, Members of the Legislative Assembly are being encouraged to participate in the work of the Council to ensure all electoral districts have an opportunity to share their ideas and provide input. Info: renewpei.ca

Summerside architecture

Elements featured on historic Water Street

Culture Summerside has installed a new fifteen panel exhibit on downtown historic Water Street which features architectural elements of the city’s heritage district.

Walkers on the street have the opportunity to expand their knowledge on a variety of the city’s most prominent architectural elements through the photography of John Clevett and the research and writing of archivist Jean Mackay. Highlighted are such elements as balconies, towers, columns and roundhead windows, which each play their part in creating the beauty and charm of architectural structures. Each has a story of origins and purpose.

At the heart of the exhibition is Summerside’s Heritage District, which was designated by the City of Summerside in 2003 under the Summerside Heritage Conservation Bylaw, SS-20.

MacKay has also developed a fun interactive challenge for those that enjoy scavenger or treasure hunts.

At the Lefurgey Cultural Centre, 205 Prince Street, or the MacNaught

Boardwalk clearance

Many Island retailers were gearing up for a banner season in 2020 when COVID-19 struck and had very negative impacts on the industry, leaving them with a surplus of inventory.

The Creamery Boardwalk has heard this from their tenants and others, and want to provide an avenue for retailers to unload some of that inventory at discounted prices before the winter hits. They will be hosting a clearance event September 17-20 at the Creamery Boardwalk at 12 Milky Way in Charlottetown.

Retailers are encouraged to sign up and join the indoor/outdoor event.

History Centre, 75 Spring Street, people can pick up a leaflet with images of the different features and take a walk through the historic district to try and find for themselves the locations of the captured architectural features.

The exhibition will stay in place until mid-October.

Info: Jean MacKay, 432-1332 or Sara Zilke, 432-1296

Sustainability grants

Ten new projects are receiving funding from the City of Charlottetown’s Community Sustainability MicroGrant Program. The community-led projects have received this funding due to the fact that they further the goals and actions of the City’s Integrated Community Sustainability Plan and also engage the community in sustainability. The micro-grants range between $500–$2500.

Each of the 2020 micro-grant projects relate to one or more of the four pillars of sustainability: environmental, economic, cultural and social.

The 2020 micro-grant recipients and projects are: PEI Adventure Initiative for Charlottetown Disc Golf Course; Stars for Life Foundation for Staying Connected with Family, Friends & Nature; PEI Food Exchange for Videos on Growing Food; Charlottetown Farmers Market for Healthy Harvest Program for Students; The Island Fringe Festival for Calypso Secrets: An Oshun Dance Studios Showcase; North of Euston Neighbourhood Group for Shade and Shelter for the People; Charlottetown Junior Roller Derby for Roller Skate Gear Library; PEI Wild Child for Tales of Islandia; UPEI Student Union for UPEISU Bike Co-Op Expansion; and Pride PEI Inc. for Honouring the Trailblazers. charlottetown.ca

SPREADING PRIDE ISLAND WIDE LA FIERTÉ À TRAVERS L’ÎLE!

COMMUNITY / COMMUNAUTÉ

PROGRAMS & SERVICES / PROGRAMMES ET SERVICES RESOURCES / RESSOURCES UPCOMING EVENTS / PROCHAINS ÉVÉNEMENTS CONNECTION / CONNEXION

Archivist Jean MacKay and photographer John Clevett with one of the panels.

SARA ZILKE

Youth mentors needed

Big Brothers Big Sisters of PEI is looking for Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Big Couples. Volunteer to be a youth mentor and be the spark that ignites potential. Help build a child’s self-esteem and provide guidance while having a lot of fun. Info/apply: 569-KIDS (5437), info@ bbbspei.ca, bbbspei.ca

Housing forum

PEI Association for Community Living (PEIACL) will host a housing forum exploring housing options for Islanders with intellectual disabilities on Oct 1 from 9 am–3:30 pm at Rodd Royalty, 14 Capital Dr, Ch’town. The forum will look at the limited housing options currently available, and include presentations from self-advocates and families, experts in the field, and a financial advisor who will explore a number of fiscal scenarios to consider. Limited to 40 in person participants. The forum will be available online via Zoom. Pre-registration is required at inclusionpei@gmail.com. When registering, include the names of all attendees and whether attendance will be in person or online.

Local gift card program

A new initiative to encourage staycations and shopping at locally owned and operated businesses will officially launch Sep 4 to help bolster the shoulder tourism season in PEI. The gift card program is a two-year initiative that allows Islanders and visitors to PEI to purchase gift cards that they can spend at local accommodations, restaurants and businesses. Originally created as a substitute for the annual Fall Flavors Festival, which is organized through Food Island Partnership, the program has been expanded to reach a broader section of local establishments and businesses. The program will allow for promotions and packaging opportunities throughout the year. Register online at Canada’s Food Island website, canadasfoodisland.ca.

Virtual Island Summit

The Virtual Island Summit, to be held Sep 7–13, is a free and entirely online event designed to connect global islands to share their common experiences through a digital platform. Over 25 interactive panels, round-tables and keynote sessions will collectively cover a variety of topics for islands around economic recovery, sustainability and good governance. Join islanders from around the world to share ideas, good practices and solutions. Registration is free but space is limited. Reserve at islandinnovation.co/ summit/#register-now

Sociable Singles

PEI Sociable Singles is a non-profit, non-denominational, social group. Members are 40+. The group provides the separated, divorced, widowed, and unmarried with an opportunity to participate in healthy group and social activities such as dances, potlucks, movies, walks/hikes, card games, dining, BBQs, games nights and more. Sociable Singles

COMMUNITY #2

is not a dating club. Meet compatible people who are unattached and in similar circumstances. Meet and Greet Socials are held weekly on Mon at 7 pm. West Royalty Community Centre, 1 Kirkdale Rd, Rm 6, Ch’town. sociable_singles@ yahoo.com, sites.google.com/site/ peisociablesingles

Lebanon relief fund

The Canadian Lebanese Association of PEI is reaching out for the support of Islanders to help those affected by the Aug 4 explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. Proceeds from all donations made through Gofundme will be disbursed to the Lebanese Red Cross and local NGO’s operating on the ground to help with food, medical aid, shelter and more. Donations can be made to the Lebanon Emergency Relief Fund of P.E.I. at gofundme.com. Charitable tax receipts are available. Info: lebanonreliefpei@ gmail.com.

Venture Stables

Venture Stables has equine assisted learning programs in Freetown, PE. Seeds of Self runs each Sat from 10 am–2 pm. Build confidence, self-awareness and self-esteem in young people. Mindful Mondays with Brave and Broken are 8 am–12 pm on Mon for military veterans and family members only. Adult Fun Nights are held weekly on Fri at 6 pm. Contact Jasmine Bastatrache, 247-0195, venturestablespei@gmail.com. venturestables.com

Racial justice program

Tatamagouche Centre in NB is committed to more dialogue, reflection, learning and unlearning work around racial equity and justice. From Nov 6–8, they will facilitate a BIPOC Community Gathering—a weekend of connecting, sharing and learning that brings together the collective wisdom of BIPOC community members from across the Atlantic region. Acceptance to this program is by application due Sep 27. Community members can also make donations at tatacentre.ca to help more BIPOC participants attend. Donations make their programs more accessible and inclusive.

Climate interns in 2021

Organizations from all sectors across PEI can apply to host an intern and build climate change expertise in 2021 as part of the ClimateSense Professional Internship Program. ClimateSense is currently looking for organizations interested in hosting a recent post-secondary graduate for a 6–12 month internship in 2021. The intern will work with mentors within the host organization to complete a sector-specific adaptation project, as well as take part in ClimateSense training and professional development programs. ClimateSense will cover all or most of

the costs associated (depending on the type of organization). A minimum of 12 interns will be placed. Visit climatesense. ca for the application and guidelines. The deadline to apply is Sep 7.

CFPEI funding

The Community Foundation of PEI (CFPEI) has awarded $54,500 in funding to five social purpose organizations across PEI as part of the Government of Canada’s Investment Readiness Program (IRP). Social purpose organizations strengthen local economies while giving back and creating more resilient and sustainable communities. IRP also creates and advances new earned revenue possibilities for charities and non-profits during this challenging time. For these reasons, IRP has a key role to play in pandemic recovery and also in moving Canada towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Eligibility and application info for round two IRP assistance can be found at communityfoundations.ca, cfpei.ca, or by contacting Cathy McPhail at cmcphail@cfpei.ca.

Call for nominations

Employment and Social Development Canada has launched a new call for nominations for Canada’s Volunteer Awards. This program recognizes and celebrates volunteers across the country through its five award categories. Islander Emma Moore was the 2019 recipient of Canada’s Volunteer Award in the Emerging Leader category for the Atlantic region. Part of her recognition package was a $5000 grant for a not-for-profit organization of her choosing. Emma opted to share the funds with Big Brothers Big Sisters of PEI and Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. Now through Sep 30, Canada’s Volunteer Awards will be accepting nominations. Consider nominating a deserving volunteer, not-for-profit organization, social enterprise or business at canada.ca/ volunteer-awards. Info: info-cva-pbc@ hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca, 1-877-825-0434

Get Centered workshops

Get Centered Workshops and Meditation Drop-ins are ongoing at the Haviland Club in Charlottetown. Those looking for ways to boost their resilience are encouraged to join. Participants get information and exercises to help quiet an overactive mind and find calm in adversity. Info: Louise Carota, louise@louisecarota.com, follow @artistlouisecarota on FB.

Dying with Dignity

There is now a chapter for Dying with Dignity (DWD) on PEI. Members are volunteers who wish to provide support and educational sessions to anyone who would like to learn more about patient rights and end of life options in PEI. DWD encourages everyone to make an advanced care plan (ACP) for their health

care in the event of an accident or sudden serious illness should they not be able to communicate their wishes for medical assistance or treatment. They should also know about the option for medical assistance in dying (MAiD) and if they meet the criteria for that service. This information can be found online at dyingwithdignity.ca, where anyone can download an ACP kit so they can make their wishes known, and designate a substitute decision-maker should they require one. The PEI DWD chapter has plans to present future workshops. For info, contact Judy de Lima at 963-2679 or jandjdelima@hotmail.com, Barb McDowall at 314-6670, or Orysia Dawydiak at orysiad@icloud.com.

Online grief support

The online grief support group is held on the third Thursday of each month at 7 pm. The drop-in sessions are online via Zoom and are facilitated by Blanche Ward, Social Worker at the Provincial Palliative Care Centre and Liz Parsons, Hospice PEI Grief Support Coordinator. To register contact Liz at 438-4231 to receive a log in and password. First time Zoom users welcome. Technical support can be arranged a few days before the session. One on one grief support Hospice volunteers are also available for private phone conversations

Nuwelcom app

Nuwelcom is a new, made-in-PEI app that provides information about community life delivered as phone notifications. The app delivers all notifications in seven languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, Spanish and Vietnamese. It is free and available for download at Google Play and the Apple Store. Local businesses can go to nuwelcom.com to add their details. Info: md@nuwelcom. com, hello@nuwelcom.com

Law Foundation grants

The Law Foundation of PEI is welcoming applications for project funding at lawfoundationpei.ca. Free, online 10–15 minute info sessions to groups or individuals are available to help with project eligibility and building a strong application. To schedule, email info@lawfoundationpei.ca or call 620-1763.

CFPEI scholarships

This fall, the Community Foundation of PEI (CFPEI) will be awarding up to $60,000 to Island students who are pursuing a post-secondary education. Applications are now being accepted. For scholarship requirements, deadlines and applications, visit cfpei.eformsolutions. com/landing/sign-in.

Rock Barra workshops

Rock Barra Artist Retreat workshops continue in Sep: Reflect and Uplift with Monica Lacey and Devon Ross, Sep 6, 9:30 am–6:30 pm; and Rock Barra Women’s Retreat—Reset and Rejoice! An Ode to Joy! with Abbi Totty and Yvette Doucette, Sep 11–13. Reserve at teresadoyle.com/rock-barra-retreat. 211 Big Pond Rd, Souris.

PEIBWA micro grants

Support for business projects by women entrepreneurs

Four individuals have been selected to receive financial support for their business projects through the PEI Business Women’s Association (PEIBWA) 2020 Micro Grant program.

This year PEIBWA partnered with PEI Credit Union to offer the Micro Grant program which was created to help new, growing, and established women entrepreneurs advance their business with a $500 non-repayable grant and business-skills support.

Take Back the Night

All are welcome and encouraged to join a Take Back the Night march on September 17 in Charlottetown.

The Take Back the Night march is calling for an end to gender based violence in all its forms. The march will leave the Coles Building at 175 Richmond St and finish at Victoria Park for speeches and music by Heartbeat of Epekwitk and Kierrah Celeste.

Everyone is asked to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing. This event is organized by the PEI Rape and Sexual Assault Centre and a coalition of ten other groups.

For more information and to register, visit peirsac.ca.

PEIBWA’s independent adjudication committee reviewed and analyzed the potential, feasibility, budget, proposed outcomes, marketability and overall quality of 27 applications.

The four selected Micro Grant recipients for 2020 are Renée Durant (Jaxon Naturals), Tracey Gairns Brioux (reset breathe fitness), Amy Seymour (Hive & Hollow) and Patricia Uptegrove for a new project involving documentation. peibwa.org

Fridays for Future

Fridays for Future climate rallies take place every Friday, 4–5 pm in front of Province House in Charlottetown.

The gathering is a call for political leaders to take drastic meaningful action to address the climate emergency and do their part to transform the economy from dependence on fossil fuels to using only clean renewable energy.

Started by Greta Thunberg in August 2018, join in solidarity with youth-led #FridaysForFuture school climate strikes happening across Canada and around the world on Fridays. All are welcome. Signs are available or bring your own.

Make the Connection

Support

(clockwise from top-left): Renée Durant (Jaxon Naturals), Tracey Gairns Brioux (reset breathe fitness), Amy Seymour (Hive & Hollow) and Patricia Uptegrove.

SSWA BioBlitz results are in

The South Shore Watershed Association (SSWA) staff partnered with Cornwall and Area Watershed Group and Trout River Environmental Committee (TREC) staff to carry out two BioBlitz events in July. As many as twenty people at one time took part this year.

BioBlitz participants first delineated a designated area and within those boundaries they recorded every possible naturally growing organism including trees, plants, mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, insects, butterflies, and anything else that grows or moves.

The purpose of the events— one held at the Westmoreland River Nature Park in Crapaud and the other at Noonan’s Shore wetlands in Borden-Carleton— was to create as complete a record as possible of species present. Future such recording events will be compared to previous records to note species that are doing well or are in decline. Watershed restoration work can then be geared towards safeguarding and enhancing wildlife habitat to ensure the survival of all.

The fish came back

Smelt

At Westmoreland River Nature Park, 435 observations were taken and

153 species identified. Fishing nets and kayaks were also used to include Stordy’s Pond, an integral part of the Park. At Noonan’s Shore wetlands, 650 observations were taken and 196 species identified.

In river systems, nutrients not trapped in vegetation or the animals that are browsing in it, move downstream. Anadromous fish such as American smelt, gaspereau and Atlantic salmon spend most of their life in the estuaries and seas, and return to spawn in freshwater. Their spawning runs herald the return of some of these nutrients upstream in the rivers.

Many animals predate these spawners and the greatest mortality occurs at sea. Locally, bald eagles, great blue heron, belted kingfisher, striped bass, trout, red fox, raccoons, and a host of others including people, predate them. The majority of fish survive to reach the spawning areas but some of the fertilized eggs and the fry they produce are subsequently eaten by fish and other animals. Thus, the watershed’s food web is enriched.

The creation of Leard’s Dam, located just above tide on the Pisquid River, blocked the passage of many fish species as did most head-of-tide dams across the province. While Leard’s Mill and its electric plant were long gone by 2005, fish passage was still an issue for smelt and gaspereau. This was especially so when the water level was low on the concrete water overflow slab.

In 2005 and 2007, the Pisquid River Enhancement Project (PREP) and the Atlantic Salmon Federation worked with Stephen Cousins, the landowner, to strategically place rock to create a stepped ripple sequence which would allow smelt and other less capable fish migrants pass through the redesigned bypass. Once the results were reviewed in 2006, the design was tweaked in 2007 and smelt passage was achieved and the smelt again returned to the former mill pond area and the reaches near it.

Since then, working in collaboration, PREP and the Hillsborough River Association (HRA) crews have worked annually to address fish passage issues on the Pisquid and other tributaries of the Hillsborough and Vernon Rivers. Thanks to support by provincial and federal agencies, dozens of students and other employees were recruited to work on these systems to address fish passage challenges and enhance the watersheds. In 2020, for the first time in more than 100 years, smelt once again gained access to the Pisquid River above the Dunphy Road. HRA and PREP wish to thank all the workers and volunteers who helped make this happen.

American smelt

return to the Pisquid River

The elusive Indian Pipe is a waxy white colour with no chlorophyll and does not depend on photosynthesis.

The Nature of PEI

by Gary Schneider

Fascinating orchid

There is something very special about orchids, whether they are domestic ones that grow indoors or native species that can thrive in our Maritime climate. On Prince Edward Island, we mainly associate orchids with the pink lady’s slipper, a beautiful woodland wildflower. Yet it is not the only one, not by a long shot.

In my wanderings during July, I came across many orchids in their full glory, and with such fun names—rose pogonia, checkered rattlesnake plantain, large purple fringed orchid, northern slender ladies-tresses. On one special day, I came across a rare plant that I hardly ever see in Island woodlands.

The large round-leaved orchid is quite aptly named and very easy to identify. It has two large leaves at the base of the plant. These basal leaves lay flat on the ground and are quite round, measuring up to 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter. Up to 30 greenish-white flowers are arrayed on a single stem, which grows up to 24 inches (60 cm) tall. The colour of the flowers in a shaded woodland is quite haunting.

This orchid grows across Canada and through the northern parts of the United States. In some places it is quite common, but not in PEI. It is listed as an S2 by the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre, with the status of “may be at risk.”

Without their own food storage, they would literally starve to death upon germination.

Birding classic

The 26th Annual Bennett Birding Classic will take place September 12 across PEI.

For 25 years, Island Nature Trust (INT) and Nature PEI have joined forces for the annual birding fundraiser and important citizen science event. The fun count is an opportunity to experience bird watching while supporting the protection of bird habitat.

Teams of two to seven members gather pledges and then head out in the early morning on September 12 to find as many species of birds as possible in a 24–hour period. Teams scour their area of PEI (with the more competitive teams going coast to coast across the Island) for a glimpse of migrating and resident birds.

Named after the late Neil Bennett—a dedicated conservationist

and Piping Plover Guardian Program volunteer—the event first launched in 1995 and has contributed significantly to the knowledge of long-term trends in bird populations on PEI.

This year’s lead team—Dan McAskill, Dwaine Oakley, Nicole Murtagh and Ray Cooke—will spend as many as 20 hours in the field, exploring birding hotspots in Eastern and Central PEI.

Anyone can enter a team and bird any part of PEI to give the experts a run for their money. INT teams will focus on numbers of species and most dollars raised in a friendly, competitive spirit. Collectively, all teams will strive to break the record of 108 species counted in 24 hours. Teams will need to work with physical distancing measures in place.

This year, the Youth Bennett will be replaced by a self-guided family birding opportunity. Families interested in participating are encouraged to contact Island Nature Trust for a checklist of birds to search for on September 12.

All funds raised through pledges and donations go to Island Nature Trust’s conservation work to assist in the stewardship of old forests in PEI.

To register or make a pledge, visit islandnaturetrust.ca. Individuals and corporations who would like to sponsor a team or the general event can email admin@islandnaturetrust.ca or phone 892-7513.

We really have no idea why these orchids are so rare in PEI but we do know that a great deal of forested land in the province was at one time converted to agriculture. While some of that land has reverted back to woodland, many native plants are still missing from these wooded areas.

These orchids are pollinated by moths, so perhaps there has been a reduction in the number of pollinated flowers. We know that a lot of pollinators are in decline, so that might be one of the factors in the rarity of this plant.

Another possibility is that the seeds of all orchids are extremely small, much like dust. The problem with growing orchids, whether native or domestic, is that the seeds contain no food. The seeds of most plants—let’s use apple seeds as an example—contain an embryo (what will become the new plant) and the endosperm (what the embryo feeds on as it starts to grow).

This is where complex natural processes really come into play. If the seeds fall onto soil with the proper mycorrhizal fungi, the fungal threads enter the new roots and transform nutrients into food for the orchid to begin its growth. It really takes a web of things interacting and probably quite a bit of luck for the seed to germinate.

Unless they grow naturally, orchids are generally cultivated in labs under very sterile conditions. It is not an easy process but there has been at least one business in the province growing orchids. I did once have a person tell me about spreading lady’s slipper seeds throughout their woods and having great success but that is not something that I’ve ever experienced.

There is really so much we still have to learn about this fascinating family of plants. Perhaps you might start taking more note of this species and keeping a list of orchids you see on your travels. Some are white, yellow or pink, or a combination of colours. But they’re all worthy of our attention and bring us closer to the beauty that surrounds us in the natural world.

The large round-leaved orchid

The dunlin (Calidris alpina)

SUBMITTED

Gbeck Future Film Festival

2020 edition to be held at Brackley Drive-In—Sep 2 & 3

Gbeck Future Film Festival is a largescale competition of original films created by filmmakers from around the world. The 2020 edition of the Festival is the sixth annual, and the second to be presented in PEI. Last year City Cinema hosted the event, and this year the Festival will be held at the Brackley Drive-In on September 2 and 3.

The Festival focuses on new media and young filmmakers. The competition is divided into two parts: script and production. The films were also grouped by length and organized in three types: drama, documentary and animation.

The short list for the sixth GbeckFF was released in February with the winners announced in April. Films were submitted from China, Canada, America, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia and other countries. In total, 28 short films were selected including two from PEI: Queen of the Crows, made by PEI filmmaker Harmony Wagner, peers into the life of artisan Claire, who fights to keep eleven year old Elsa from being swallowed up by the mental health system—with the help of 30,000 neighbourhood crows; and Furball, made by PEI filmmaker Jason Rogerson, about a self-centred feline, Furball, who when faced with losing his owner’s attention, takes matters into his own.

The organizing committee selected movies for screening that feature the international nature of the Gbeck Film Festival, as well as promote the development of multicultural exchange in PEI. Each screening will feature two themes with multiple short films per theme. Both Island films will be screened during the event. Tickets for the festival are available at eventbrite.ca.

Still the Water

Susan Rodgers’ feature film premieres at FIN Film Festival

PEI filmmaker Susan Rodgers will celebrate the world premiere of her first feature film, Still the Water, at the FIN Atlantic International Film Festival Stream this September. Viewers can begin streaming the film at home from midnight September 17 until midnight September 25.

“This has been my labour of love since 2017,” says writer, director, and producer Rodgers, who is also the author of the popular fiction fifteen-book Drifters series. “There are so many people who gave their heart and soul to the project. We are all ecstatic.”

There may not be a red carpet gala and the smell of fresh popcorn, but Rodgers sees the silver lining in debuting her film completely online.

“Any other year, a festival debut meant a limited audience,” says Rodgers. “Now through FIN’s digital platform, all of Atlantic Canada can see my film. Maybe it was meant to be.”

Completely shot on PEI, with direc tor of photography Christopher Ball

(camera operator for The Lighthouse, Aquaman), the film stars Ry Barrett (Open Your Eyes, The Demolisher), Colin Price (Murdoch Mysteries, Disasters at Sea) and Christina McInulty (Til Ex Do Us Part).

Still the Water is about a despairing hockey player who returns home to PEI, but his reappearance fuels jealousy and the emergence of a long-buried, painful truth. It features music from Catherine MacLellan, Irish Mythen, Nathan Wiley, and the song “Blood and Salt Water” written for the film by Lennie Gallant. Nicolle Morrison was Executive Producer and Rick Gibbs was Producer.

Written, produced, directed by Rodgers, the film was primarily funded by private equity via PEI’s provincially regulated Community Economic Development Business (CEDB) share program.

Tickets can be purchased online at finfestival.ca. Follow Still the Water on

Ry Barrett stars in Still the Water, a feature film by Susan Rodgers

PIXBYLORNE

Queen of the Crows is one of two Island films to be screened at Gbeck 2020

The Cove Journal by JoDee Samuelson

Martha’s calendar

Every summer when family visits the Island, daughter-in-law Stephanie brings along the most recent copy of Martha Stewart Living and spends hours lying on a beach towel in a sun-induced trance, studying every page and occasionally calling out highlights from Martha’s calendar: “Martha’s making strawberry jam. Do we have any strawberries?” Or, “Martha’s horseback riding today.” Or, “She’s harvesting the garlic.” This year we probably did harvest garlic about the same time as Martha, which was, for us, two weeks earlier than usual.

The heat has pushed everything ahead as the Island sizzles under an unrelenting sun. Our squash huddles limp and wan all day, but fortunately perks up in the evening, especially after a bucket of dishwater is carefully poured on the mound. Yes, we’re saving dishwater: we keep a basin in the sink and hoard every drop. We need a good rain to replenish our rain barrel—a good long rain, a real soaker.

No complaints about beach weather this year. You know how when you’re swimming along you sometimes hit those cold spots from underground springs? Well, even those spots are warm. Late one afternoon, eyes closed, I was floating blissfully along when I became entangled in a cluster of foam and tangled eelgrass: it actually felt steamy!

Speaking of eelgrass, my son sent me an article on the BBC website titled “Denmark’s 300-year-old homes of the future.” On the island of Læsø many old houses have roofs thatched with bundles of eelgrass, and enterprising craftspeople are trying to turn eelgrass into other building materials. Eelgrass is fire resistant and it decomposes reluctantly. Not so long ago, Prince Edward Islanders used eelgrass for

insulating and banking their houses. Maybe it’s time to send a mission to Denmark and see what’s happening over there.

I don’t know how wildlife likes this temperature, but our seabirds seem reasonably content. The other morning at low tide my friends and I walked across the Cove and on a sandbar in the distance we spied a large gray lump: a piece of clothing? a dead creature? It turned out to be a sleeping herring gull. Of course gulls must sleep sometime but I’d never actually seen one all by itself, head tucked under its wing, dozing away in the sunshine. Our interruption caused it to rise sleepily to its feet and actually yawn before it sank down again and tried to get its thoughts together. It was gone by the time we walked to the other side and back. Well, it wasn’t gone. It was fishing, along with a flock of Bonaparte gulls, plus numerous “common” gulls (I don’t know how they like to be called “common.”)

So this season has rolled along for humans and birds alike. Of course we’ve missed our much-loved visitors and our annual Martha Stewart update, but it’s been an amazing summer with plenty of adventures and happy times, and I don’t think Martha could improve on anything.

Mikinduri Book Sale

Save the Date: Mikinduri Children of Hope Gigantic Yard and Book Sale will be held May 8, 2021, 9 am–1:30 pm at the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown. The 2020 sale will not be held. To volunteer, contact Karen McKenna at kandgmckenna@pei.sympatico.ca or 887-2417

FIN streams 2020 Film Festival

Islanders represent in this year’s program—Sep 17 to 24

FIN Atlantic International Film Festival has announced the program for its new online festival, FIN Stream. Featuring 114 films in 53 screenings along with other special events, the festival will be presented from Halifax and accessible virtually throughout Atlantic Canada, September 17 to 24.

The FIN Stream program includes a range of selections from local, national, and international filmmakers, including a few from PEI.

This year’s online Gala Presentations lineup will feature screenings each night of the festival. Of the Festival’s eight Galas this year, five of those presentations include films from Atlantic provinces.

Also included in the 2020 FIN Stream Gala Presentations is the Reel East Coast Shorts Gala which features eight short films by a cast of Atlantic Canadian filmmakers, including Islander Shane Pendergast’s Song of the Stevedore, and The Seventh Man from PEI’s Shane Mountain. Streaming of the Shorts Gala starts on September 23.

Each one of FIN’s eight Gala screenings will be available for a 24-hour period, starting at 7 pm. Outside of those Gala screenings, the entirety of the FIN Stream program will be

PANDEMIC SUPPORT MEASURES

• As of July 12th, the CERB has provided support to 8.34 million Canadians

• The CEWS has supported about 3 million employees by helping them stay in the workforce/return to work

• 3.7 million families benefited from the special one-time $300 top-up for each child through the Canada Child Benefit

• 12 million individuals and families received a special one-time payment through the GST credit

• Over $2 billion was given to over 650,000 students through the Canada Emergency Student Benefit

• 6.7 million seniors received a $3 00 top-up via Old Age Security. 2.2 million also received an additional $200 top-up via the Guaranteed Income Supplement

available for ticket purchase and screening any time during the eight days of the Festival.

This year’s Features program includes well-established filmmakers alongside new voices. FIN is proud to present some great PEI films, including Wharf Rats from director Jason Arsenault, and Still the Water from director Susan Rodgers.

FIN’s short film lineup includes short form documentaries like Waiting in the Street by Shane Pendergast.

Tickets for individual screenings and festival passes and all other info are available at finfestival.ca.

Acadie 300 vignettes

The year 2020 marks the 300th anniversary of the arrival of the first Acadian settlers on PEI.

For the occasion, DigiFilm mediaPress produced a 12-episode web series, hosted by historian Georges Arsenault, recounting highlights from these 300 years of history. The 12 vignettes entitled “300 ans à l’Île SaintJean” are now available online with English subtitles at digifilm.ca/ 300-ans-a-lile-st-jean-st

Office: 75 Fitzroy Street, Suite 201

Phone: 902-566-7770

Email: sean.casey@parl.gc.ca

news MUSIC

Music PEI microgrant

Music PEI’s Microgrant Program was created to fund smaller projects which will help emerging artists and underserved communities (youth, LGBTQ+, Indigenous) and provide a jumping-off point as a way to get the artists’ foot in the door of the industry with a small scale project. The application form is simple and most projects will be considered with very few restrictions. Examples include merchandise, recording, production and advertising. The program will have a rolling deadline with projects submitted being judged on a case-by-case basis. Program applications can be found at musicpei.com/programs/microgrant. php. Artists will be contacted as their applications are received. musicpei.com

Cavendish Beach Music Fest nominated for CCMA

For the sixth year, the Cavendish Beach Music Festival has been nominated for the Canadian Country Music Association’s award for Country Festival, Fair or Exhibition of the Year. The Festival is in the running with four other Canadian music festivals: Centerfield Music Festival in St. Paul, AB; Boots and Hearts Music Festival in Oro-Medonte, ON; Calgary Stampede, AB; and Diesel Bird Digital Music Festival, online. The annual awards are voted on by colleagues in the industry from across

Canada and presented September 27. cavendishbeachmusic.com

Music/dance/singing lessons

Comhaltas Red Island are now registering for the 10-week fall term of Irish music, singing and dance lessons, starting September 26. All levels and ages catered for across a range of instrumentation. Private and group lessons available. Email cceredisland@gmail.com or visit cceredisland.wixsite.com/atlantic.

Comhaltas Red Island AGM

Comhaltas Red Island will be holding their AGM October 17 at 12:30 pm in the Pourhouse above The Old Triangle in Charlottetown. All are welcome to attend. The meeting will be followed by a traditional Irish music session. It is possible to join the meeting online via Zoom with the meeting ID: 790 0144 8590 and password: redisland.

PEISO online learning

The PEI Symphony Orchestra’s online educational resource, Music and Culture: Home Learning Series, in partnership with music educator and symphony percussionist Ryan Drew, is available for free at peisymphony.com. No musical instrument is required. Start any time. The 10th and final installment is now available.

Phase II and Friends

Rock ‘n’ roll band Phase II and Friends will be on stage September 26, 7:30 pm at The Guild in Charlottetown.

Sequoia music video

Lennie Gallant has released a new video for his song “Sequoia” from his album Time Travel

“Sequoia” is a celebration of strength and renewal in nature and also a plea to the world to be more in touch with the enduring spirit of these great elders in fragile forests. Sequoia trees can grow to be 3000 years old and over 300 feet tall. Their bark is so thick they can survive lightning strikes and forest fires. They are also extremely efficient at removing carbon emissions from the atmosphere.

internationally August 26, on the heels of the recently released single.

When asked about filming the video for the song, Gallant said “Being among these trees, you could sense a profound connection to the planet. It was quite magical and the experience was such that you felt that if you listened hard enough, you might learn something about time itself and why we are here.

The band is known locally for their high energy and lively dance tunes which cover music from the 1950s right up to today. The audience can expect songs by Elvis, Neil Sedaka, Connie Francis, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Beatles, the Dave Clark Five, Bob Seger, John Mellencamp, ABBA, Johnny Reid, Joel Plaskett and Ed Sheeran.

Presented by The Guild with the permission of the Public Health Office of PEI. Theatre seating has been limited to a maximum of 50 people.

Seating info/tickets: boxoffice@ theguildpei.com, 620-3333

Lennie and partner Patricia Richard recently travelled to the Sequoia national forest in California to film the music video among these great elders of the planet. The video was released

“Nothing quite prepared me for singing that song among the Sequoia trees at sunrise with only us and our videographer present. It was a very humbling and emotional experience.” The video is available on YouTube, Facebook and lenniegallant.com.

Islanders play New York City

PEI singer-songwriter Bonnie LeClair has the honour of being the opening act for the Greenwich Village Folk Festival (GVFF) on September 6.

“Being the opening performer for the night is great, though, I’d feel honoured to be anywhere in the lineup at all for this long-running and revered festival,” says LeClair, one of two Islanders in the show.

Paul Broadbent, a rock and folk singer-songwriter from Charlottetown, will also be featured in the concert which will be broadcast on the Greenwich Village Folk Festival Facebook page, from 8-10 pm ADT.

The Islanders will join a lineup that includes Peter Yarrow, Eliza Gilkyson, Rod MacDonald, Robin Batteau, Diana Jones, Carolann Solebello, Pierce Pettis, and Aztec 2.0.

The GVFF began in 1987 with live

concerts

and had

at the Washington Square Church in Greenwich Village

an annual concert through 1994. These online concerts are their first official events since that time. Watch live at GVFF2020 on Facebook.

Bonnie LeClair to open Greenwich Village Folk Fest—Sep 6

Lennie Gallant films video amongst the elders in California

TRAILSIDE

Music Hall

Trailside Music Hall has moved into its permanent home at The Arts Hotel at 155 Kent St in Charlottetown. Keeping with tradition, food and beverage table service will be provided before and during the show. Doors at 6:30 pm with music at 8 pm. Tickets at trailside.ca.

Grand Opening and Amanda Jackson Band album release Sep 1–3 (sold out)

Join Amanda Jackson Band for the Grand Opening of the Trailside Music Hall and celebrate the official release of the band’s new album, OCEAN!

J.P. Cormier Sep 4 & 5

People leave J.P. Cormier’s shows wondering what they just saw. A storyteller? A songwriter? One of the best guitar players in the business today?

Brielle Ansems Sep 6

Brielle returns to the stage with a simplified band to share her music and celebrate the release of debut album This New Hurricane, released in March.

Lennie Gallant Sep 9–13 (sold out)

Lennie Gallant has released thirteen albums which have won awards and nominations from the JUNOs, ECMAs, CFMAs and Les Prix Eloizes.

Shane Pendergast Sep 17

Folksinger Shane Pendergast’s connection to Maritime music and Island folklore spans four generations. Shane is keeping the tradition alive.

Rowen Gallant & Jesse Periard

Sep 18

After a break from touring, Rowen Gallant and Jesse Periard (Ten Strings And A Goat Skin) have reunited to push the boundaries of traditional music in new directions. The duo combines new creations and age-old tunes with modern soundscapes and instrumentation.

Jill Chandler, Maureen Trainor, Alicia Toner Sep 19

A night of stories, songs and music from three Island musicians.

Ariel Sharratt & Mathias Kom, Erin Nurcke Sep 21

With their second duo album Never Work, Ariel Sharratt and Mathias Kom (The Burning Hell) ask what work songs might sound like in a future where the nature of labour itself is so uncertain.

Lawrence Maxwell Sep 23

Lawrence Maxwell cut his teeth on beer caps, rough waters, and country music. A 2019 Music PEI award winner, this singer-songwriter captures the pain and triumph of everyday life and relates it to the spiritual experience.

Patrick Ledwell & Mark Haines Sep 25

Ledwell and Haines are bringing highlights from eight years of Island Summer Review shows to the Trailside stage. The evening promises a mighty smorgasbord of food, drink, music and laughs.

Morgan Davis Sep 26

For 45 years Morgan Davis has been on the road travelling across Canada, the US and Europe. His performances draw from a rich tradition of country blues as well as his own contemporary songs infused with wit and humour.

Tara MacLean Sep 27 & 28

Tara will be performing her original music accompanied by writing and performing partner Dennis Ellsworth and percussionist Trevor Grant.

Nick Doneff Oct 2 & 3

Third annual celebration of the Songs of John Prine. Hosted by Nick Doneff.

Global Music Match

Created in a collaboration between Sounds Australia, Showcase Scotland Expo and the East Coast Music Association, along with 11 other export organizations and showcase events from around the world, Global Music Match is a pilot initiative to continue raising the profile of local artists in international music markets.

The program is a unique response to limitations imposed on the music industry that makes use of social media and peer-to-peer collaboration to increase networks and exposure for export-ready artists internationally.

Each week, one band/musician from each country will introduce another artist from a different country to cross promote to their audiences. This is reciprocated for everyone involved, so participating artists will be presented across a range of international artists’ online audiences.

For the pilot edition of Global Music Match, artists are steeped in the acoustic, folk, roots, traditional and world music genres.

Twelve artists have been selected from Atlantic Canada and will be placed into groups, comprising five other acts from different countries. Featured Island artists are Catherine MacLellan, Irish Mythen, and Vishtèn.

Follow hashtag #globalmusicmatch or visit globalmusicmatch.com.

Music Supervision Mentorship Program

Music PEI will offer a Music Supervision Mentorship Program (MSMP)—a deep dive into learning how to become a music supervisor— beginning September 21.

Music supervisors are responsible for placing music in film, TV, commercials, video games and other special projects. It is a creative job with a strong administrative component.

The MSMP will cover all facets of the music supervision job, from the creative to the business side and everything in between. Music PEI has partnered with instinct entertainment, a leading Canadian music supervision company, to deliver the program. Oneon-one mentorship with instinct owner Michael Perlmutter and staff will include exercises and take away work.

“I’ve been wanting to start a program like this for a while and we are so fortunate to be working with Michael Perlmutter and his team” says Rob Oakie, Executive Director of Music PEI.

The 8-week comprehensive class will leave students with the foundation and skills needed to move into the music supervision world.

The deadline to apply is September 11. Applicant must be a full-time PEI resident. Visit musicpei.com or contact Steve Love at steve@musicpei.

Talking Bands by Evan James Ceretti

The Smith Family

Home is where the heart is, but for many people on PEI home is also where the music is. PEI has a long-running history of musically-talented families, such as the Ellises, the Chaissons and the Gallants. Another family to add to that list is the incredibly diverse and talented group of musicians, actors and artists known as The Smith Family.

The Smith Family is parents Chris and Claire, and children Emily, Megan, Brennan and Sky. Though the family regularly plays music together, they shy away from being called a band. “We don’t bill ourselves as The Smith Family band, we’re The Smith Family,” said Claire.

Both Claire and Chris are graduates of UPEI’s music program. They’re music teachers and have taught lessons for 13 and 17 years, respectively. The kids all play brass instruments, as well as a horde of other instruments including bass, ukulele, guitar, piano or percussion, depending on the day.

From singing together at church to performing in musicals, singing in the kitchen after dinner to jamming together for a YouTube video, the family has been performing together musically one way or another ever since the children were able to play instruments and sing.

As music teachers, Chris and Claire would put on two concerts a year at school, and when the kids were old enough, they would get up and perform along with them. In 2014, the family performed its first musical, Jesus Christ Superstar.

The Smith Family Studio YouTube channel launched in February but it had been on Claire’s mind for a few years. When performing Into the Woods together, one of their most difficult

musicals, the family all got a chance to help each other practice. “After Into The Woods finished, we said, ’oh we kind of miss doing that,’ and that’s how it all started,” said Megan.

The Smith Family covers a variety of genres in their home studio. They’ve performed covers of “Uprising by Muse,” “Your Obedient Servant” from Hamilton, and “California Dreaming” by Mamas and the Papas. One song might feature the whole family, another might feature two members, another might be a solo act.

As for who plays what, everyone swaps instruments and learns new ones on a whim, when needed.

Though the Smith’s eldest daughter, Sky, hasn’t yet performed on the YouTube channel, she has performed in musicals in the past and is always cheering along the rest of the family from the sidelines.

Playing music together as a family creates a bond that is like no other. “Music is one of the most important things in our family. It connects us in a way that’s different from anything else,” said Claire.

In the midst of the pandemic in June, Emily released her debut single Lavender Town, under her artist name, emi claire. The song is an abstract look at having bad habits, having something about you that you can’t kick, and was recorded and mixed in the home studio by Chris and mastered by Jon Matthews. Emily is currently working on her second single.

To see the Smith’s in action, check out The Smith Family Music Studio on YouTube and Facebook page. Listen to emi claire’s debut single, “Lavender” Town, on Spotify.

(l-r): Chris, Brennan, Megan, Claire and Emily

LIVE MUSIC ONGOING

Barnone Brewery

Live in the Loft music series featuring music with Jon Rehder, Reg Ballagh and guests on Fridays at 8 pm. Guest performers are Nikkie Gallant (Sep 4) and Catherine MacLellan (11). 4248 Route 225, Rose Valley. 394-6897

Bonshaw Ceilidh

If circumstances permit, the monthly Ceilidh Concert at the Bonshaw Hall will be Sep 27 from 7–9 pm. Performers include local musicians Tony the Troubador, Phil Pineau and/or Herb MacDonald, special guests TBA, and open mic. All ages welcome. The hall is accessible for small wheelchairs. Admission is by donation with proceeds going to Diabetes Canada in PEI. Follow Bonshaw Ceilidh on FB for updates after Sep 17. 25 Green Rd, Bonshaw. 675-4093

Copper Bottom Brewing

Tunes on Tap! is a weekly dose of traditional music every Sunday from 3–5 pm. A gathering of world-class musicians, fresh PEI handpies and Island hospitality. Admission is free. Performing are: Cynthia MacLeod, Brent Chaisson (Sep 6); Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival Jam (13); Thomas Harrington, Ward MacDonald (20); JJ and Darla (27); and Colin Grant, Chrissy Crowley and Darla Chaisson (Oct 4). 567 Main St, Montague. 361-2337, copperbottombrewing.com

Gahan House

Acoustic live music on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9 pm. 126 Sydney St, Charlottetown. 626-BEER

Irish Culture Centre

The Benevoloent Irish Society shows continue in Sep at the Irish Cultural Centre in Charlottetown. Performing are: Fiddlers’ Sons with Eddy Quinn, John B Webster and Courtney HoganChandler (Sep 4); Taylor Johnson with

Nick van Ouwerkerk, Sarah Simpson and Matthew Reid (11); Chaisson Trio with Kevin Chaisson, Louise ChaissonMacKinnon and Rannie MacLellan (18); Taylor Johnson and Dan MacAulay (25). The hall is currently restricted to 50 guests. 582 North River Rd, Charlottetown. 892-2367

Lone Oak Brewing

Maritime Folk Sunday with Shane Pendergast Sep 4 from 1–3 pm. 103 Abegweit Blvd, Borden-Carleton. 729-2228, loneoakbrew.com

Music at the Manse

Music at the Manse shows begin at 7 pm. Performing are host Tim Archer and local musicians. Concerts are held in the restored theatre room originally built in 1830. Upcoming shows: Jeanie and Charles (Sep 3); Roland (10); Scott Parsons (12); and Carla Bonelle (26). Doors open at 6 pm. Follow on FB. 14155 St Peter’s Rd, Marshfield. 213-2861

Next Door @ Merchantman

Live music on Fridays at 5 pm and 7 pm, and Saturdays at 2 pm and 8 pm. 23 Queen St, Charlottetown. 892-9150

Peakes Quay

Live music on Sundays with Nolan Compton at 7 pm, Mondays with Nathan Carragher at 7 pm, Tuesdays with Breakwater Acoustic at 7 pm, Wednesdays with Steve Szwarc at 7 pm, and Saturdays to Sep 12 with Billy White at 8 pm. 11 Great George St, Charlottetown. 368-1330

Red Dirt Girl Music Room

Shows at the Red Dirt Girl Music Room in Summerside continue in September. Dave Woodside and Brandon Gillis (Sep 4); Red Dirt Girls featuring Keelin Wedge, Christine Cameron and

Jeannie Cameron (5); Shane and Mike Pendergast (11); Kurk Bernard and Joey Doucette (19); Outdoor concert with Richard Wood and Jon Matthews (20, 2 pm); Kim Albert and Mike Arsenault (26). Bring your own chair and beverages. Shows are at 7 pm (unless otherwise noted). Limited tickets available by reservation only at cameronproductionspe@gmail.com or 439-7591. 140 Dunk River Rd, Summerside.

Schooner Sessions

“Sort of” Schooner Sessions are held weekly on Thursdays from 7–9 pm at The Old Triangle in Charlottetown. Due to restrictions, these are not the usual open sessions but host Ward MacDonald will invite and gather a few musical friends each week to play tunes around a table. 189 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Sturgeon Ceilidh

Now in their 25th year, Sturgeon Ceilidhs continue every 2nd Sunday to Dec at St. Pauls Parish Hall at 6:30 pm. Performing Sep 6 are Marie MacIntyre and John Hume, MacDonald Sisters Doris and Marie, Glenn MacDonald, Jo-Anne Ford and Michael Buell, Nate and Gevon Gamble, Colton Matheson, Ralph Jenkins, Emmett Decoursey and Paulette Runahan, Alvin Douglas and Brenda Pollard, Michael O’Connor and George Johnson, Dick and Rose Steves, and Irving Hayter. Sep 20 has Michael O’Connor and George Johnson, Alvin Douglas and Brenda Pollard, MacDonald Sisters Doris and Marie, Marie MacIntyre and John Hume, Jacintha MacDonald, Keira Loane, Irving Hayter, Jo-Anne Ford and Michael Buell, Colton Matheson, Ralph Jenkins, and Glenn MacDonald. Limited seating. Reservations accepted for 6 pm. Admission at door. Route 17A, Sturgeon. Reserve at 838-2253 or stmarysparish@pei.aibn.com.

Editor/Sales: Yanik Richards

Editor: Michelle Ollerhead

Creative Media: Greg Webster

Partners: Maggie Lillo (Ruby Square Graphic Design), Carly Martin (Hawthorne House Media)

Contributers: Bryan Carver, Evan James Ceretti, Jan Cox, Deirdre Kessler, Jane Ledwell, Steve McOrmond, Sean McQuaid, Takako Morita, JoDee Samuelson, Isako Susuki, Gary Schneider

The Buzz is published monthly by Little Kit Bag Inc.

This summer , we’ve experienced a change of plans and found adventure

Enter the Activated Photo Contest for your chance to win a Fall-inclusive weekend getaway package at a surprise Island location! Simply share a photo of how you’ve activated our Island this summer, write a short description of your experience and tag any local vendors who helped make it possible.

Mail: P.O. Box 1945, Charlottetown, PE C1A7N5

Office: 160 Richmond Street, Charlottetown, PE C1A 1H9

Phone: 902-628-1958

E-mail: info@buzzpei.com

Social Media: @buzzpei

The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or staff. Compensation for errors in advertising copy which are the proven responsibility of the publisher is limited to a maximum of the cost of the placement of the advertisement.

COVER:

Neriage ring vase, 8” by 1.5”, stoneware clay and ceramic stains. There are three holes pierced through the top of the vase where stems of plants or flowers can be inserted and will rest in one hole in the bottom.

Isako Suzuki is a potter who has been working on and developing her own distinct style of Neriage pottery in her home studio in Cornwall. She is also the lead potter for Hermann-Suzuki Pottery, based in Cornwall. Some of Isako’s work is currently part of Creative Obsessions exhibit at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery.

PAM STEWART AKA THE YOGA ROOM is offering private/semi-private sessions in yogasana and pranayama in the Iyengar tradition. $85/hr. My home or yours. Priority will be given to those who have studied with Pam previously. 902569-5052, pam_917@hotmail.com

HANDYMAN FOR HIRE! No job is too small so contact me to help you tackle your “to do” list! FACEBOOK: Joe Mullen Handyman Services. EMAIL: joemullenhandymanservices@gmail.com

LEARNING MATH QUARTET. Find three friends in your grade and we’ll have some fun figuring out your math challenges. With 25 years of math classroom experiences, I know groups work. $20/hr peianhenry@gmail.com

SILKWALKER ORIGINALS.

One-of-a-kind Silk Art, scarves, wraps, scenes and accessories. Individually hand painted by Charlottetown silk artist, Heather Walker. Custom designs and personalized special occasion scarves for weddings, birthdays, retirement, etc. All are Hand-washable. Sold at many fine craft shops in PEI and by appointment, at her home studio in Charlottetown. www. silkwalker.com, heather@silkwalker.com, 902-330-8188

WINGIN’ IT. Island author Kathy Birt launched her 14th book, Wingin’ It in July and is working to get it out to people who love wings. 40 tasted and tested recipes. atfirstglance@eastlink.ca

ORGANIC VEGGIE DELIVERY. Home delivery of fresh local organic veggies, foods, and other natural products. $25 / $40 / $50 Veggie Boxes or custom orders. Great for busy families. Aaron Koleszar aaron@organicveggiedelivery. com, www.organicveggiedelivery.com, 902-659-2575

BUZZIFIED NEXT DEADLINE

4 pm, Tuesday, September 15th $18/month for 30 words (tax included). $72 for 6 months.

NEXT DEADLINE

From new clothing and trendy shoes to reusable lunch containers, personal care items and all your stationery needs, our shops have just what you need.

Make this busy time of year, a little less hectic with The Confederation Court Mall!