The Buzz - January 2024 by The Buzz

January 2024 David Garcia Jimenez

Page 2 The BUZZ January 2024

VISIT MUSICPEI.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

EPEKWITK | PEI’S GUIDE TO WHAT’S GOING ON

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 3

Enjoy an evening at RED SHORES CHARLOTTETOWN celebrating the O’Brien Awards Weekend with racing, live music, food, and fun!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024 LIVE RACE DAY BROADCAST VIEWING PARTY POST TIME: 6:00pm KITCHEN PARTY & FOOD STATIONS FOLLOWING THE RACES•APPROXIMATELY RACES•APPROXIMATELY 9:30pm - 12:30am SCAN ME!

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SCORE BIG with our Fan Favourites Buffet at TOP OF THE PARK! Enjoy a winning lineup of game-day inspired dishes that’ll make your taste buds the real MVP! Friday & Saturday Evenings 5:00pm - 8:00pm Price: $29.95 (+tax) Reservations: 902-620-4264 WEAR A SPORTS JERSEY ON FRIDAY EVENINGS AND GET A 10% DISCOUNT!* *Limit of one discount, per guest. Does not include alcohol or gratuity.

Reservations: 902.620.4264 | Visit Us Online: redshores.ca

Know Your Limit. Play Within It.

Page 4 The BUZZ January 2024

Profile: Donald Andrus by Julie Bull

Life is a highlight

studies. However, he went on to have a prolific academic art career. “I didn’t set out to do all the things that I did, and I didn’t plan for specific things to happen. I just went with the flow.” He credited his work in construction and other jobs as a young person as giving him confidence to feel comfortable in the discomfort of the unknown. In the 1960s, Donald became the curator at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton. He started working there the same year that Lord Beaverbrook died (see what I mean about living library?). “I was a lecturer at the University of New Brunswick while I was working at Beaverbrook. Eventually I made my way to Concordia University [then Sir George Williams University] where I taught for more than 25 years.” During his early days at Concordia University, Donald and his colleagues identified a gap in the literature for Canadian art history. “We wanted another avenue for people to publish aside from conventional books.” So, they co-founded and co-edited the Journal of Canadian Art History/Annales d’histoire de l’art canadien in 1974. He was actively involved in its production for 15 years.

BUZZ

Throughout our conversation, Donald often reiterated the importance of connection and how his life and career in the arts were heavily influenced by the connections and relationships he has. “The same person who hired me for the curator job at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery also hired me at Concordia University.”

THE HANDPIE COMPANY 1788 PE-115 ALBANY, PE WWW.HANDPIE.CA OPEN YEAR ROUND 7 MINUTES FROM THE CONFEDERATION BRIDGE

A natural storyteller, Donald Andrus has lived and breathed art for decades. We sat together with hot beverages on a chilly winter day, and I felt like I was sitting with a living library as he shared stories from his life, as far back as the 1940s.

multi-disciplinary practice, particular series or pieces of art have different looks and feels to them. “Though the connections may not be immediately obvious or evident to the observer, they are all connected because they were all created by me.”

“I remember when I was six years old and was introduced to art by a schoolteacher. I loved the specific colour of blue so much that I painted entirely outside the box of the assignment.”

“I am the missing link, and my art evolves as I do.”

This experimentation and curiosity of outside-the-box thinking has been an integral part of Donald’s life and art. His dedication and commitment to the arts is evidenced by decades of contributions. He shared so many stories from different periods of his life, spanning decades and provinces. From publishing to curating to teaching to painting, he describes himself as a mixed media artist who explores interconnectedness. “My works often resemble paintings.” Because of his

With generations of engineers in this family, Donald chose a different educational path and found himself drawn to the arts. Earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in art history from the University of Toronto, Donald went on to pre-doctoral studies at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. During his time there, he engaged with a variety of artistic undertakings, including music. “I was in a band of five people, and we couldn’t decide what to play, on or off stage. I think we were a punk band before punk was really a thing.” He didn’t pursue music or doctoral

Donald retired early from his professorship at Concordia University and decided to make his way to PEI in the late 90s. His connection to PEI came several decades earlier when he first visited in 1964 during the grand opening of the Confederation Centre of the Arts. Coming full circle, Donald has an exhibition at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery in February and March. Donald Andrus: A Retrospective highlights Andrus’ works spanning more than 30 years. Along with the exhibition, Donald’s book, The Shape of Desire, is currently available. Published by Goose Lane Editions, the book includes essays about Donald’s work alongside more than 80 full color reproductions of his art. “The process, more so than the product, of completing this book is a major highlight for me. I have learned so much.” Intrigued by all his stories, I asked Donald if there were other highlights he wanted to share. After a moment of thought and without hesitation, he said: “Even with all the challenging parts, my whole life is a highlight.”

Rent

Harbourfront Theatre

The winter months

ACT’s new production in the works for April

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Film, music and dance to kick off 2024 in Summerside

Heather Rankin (left), Guy Davis (top-right) and David Myles warm up the stage at Harbourfront Theatre this winter

The Filmworks Summerside at Harbourfront season continues in January, with a screening of the acclaimed Canadian documentary Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe on January 8 at 7 pm, shining a spotlight on the legendary children’s entertainer Ernie Coombs. Tickets for Filmworks Summerside screenings can now be purchased in advance at harbourfronttheatre.com. In February, the Theatre welcomes singer-songwriter Heather Rankin back to their stage with her forthcoming Atlantic Canada tour, Sounds of Cape Breton on February 15 at 7:30 pm. Showcasing a collection of songs and stories from her roots growing up in a musical family in Mabou, Rankin is sharing her culture internationally and continuing to strengthen her ties to the Gaelic language and heritage. Coming in February and March are four of Canada’s most in-demand music and dance acts, which make up the winter Harbour Highlights series—work that is hand picked and curated by the Harbourfront team as a hallmark of quality and high artistic standard. These artists include Morgan Toney on February 15, Bboyizm: The Evolution of B-Boying on February 17, Guy Davis on February 28, and David Myles on March 10. Showtime is 7:30 pm for all Harbour Highlights series performances. Music is an almost alchemical force to Canadian Mi’kmaq fiddler and singer Morgan Toney. In just a short amount of time, Toney has invigorated both the Atlantic music

communities and Mi’kmaq communities by bringing together the fiery fiddling of Cape Breton Island with the old songs of the Mi’kmaq, some dating back to 500 years. Bboyizm: The Evolution of B-Boying takes the audience from the 70s through the 80s and into the 90s with dramatic costume and music changes, building up to the dance form as it is practiced today. Yvon Soglo (B-boy Crazy Smooth) brings together some of the best street dancers in Canada to present an interactive show to amaze young audiences and adults alike, while educating them on the evolution of the dance. Guy Davis is a two-time, backto-back Grammy nominee for Best Traditional Blues, a musician, actor, author, and songwriter. Davis uses a blend of roots, blues, folk, rock, rap, spoken word, and world music to comment on, and address, the frustrations of social injustice, touching on historical events and common life struggles. David Myles is a songwriter and performer, originally from New Brunswick. He has performed hundreds of shows both in Canada and beyond. Myles is a versatile artist who has collaborated with everyone from hip hop star Classified, to Grammy award-winning Alex Cuba, to classical diva Measha Bruggergosman. Tickets can be booked online at harbourfronttheatre.com or by calling the box office at 888-2500 or visiting in-person during operating hours, 12–5 pm, Monday to Friday, at 124 Heather Moyse Drive, Summerside.

ACT (a community theatre) will present the well-known rock musical Rent, written and composed by Jonathan Larsen, for six shows in April at Florence Simmons Performance Hall in Charlottetown. “[PEI] is overflowing with incredible singers, dancers and actors, to the point where talent is one of our unspoken exports,” says the production team. “[They] came out in full force to auditions held in December.” Premiering on Broadway, Rent has been performed on mainstages across the globe. This powerful and enduring show will premiere on PEI this spring thanks to ACT’s dedicated volunteers. Set in late 1980s Manhattan and inspired by Puccini’s opera La Bohème, Larson’s Rent immerses audiences in the struggles of young East Village artists facing a housing crisis, the impact of rising rent during a gentrification period, addiction and the burgeoning AIDS epidemic, all in their quest for art, life, and love. Tickets will be available for purchase soon at ticketpro.ca.

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 5

Page 6 The BUZZ January 2024 D O W N T O W N C H A R L O T T E T O W N R E S TA U R A N T S

LIVE @ the Centre Harlem Gospel Choir, The Pack Drumline and more

SIMONE DI LUCA

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January 22 – 28 nd

WEEK 2

January 29th – Feb. 4th

WinterDine Lunch!** $ 12/$16/$20

SUBMITTED

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**AT SOME LOCATIONS

Harlem Gospel Choir (above) and The Pack Drumline

WEEK 3

February 5th – 11th Participating Restaurants: Abbiocco Modern Italian Casa Mia Downtown Chambers Restaurant - Rodd Charlottetown Hotel Claddagh Oyster House Farmacy + Fermentary Hojo’s Japanese Cuisine Hopyard Hunter’s Ale House John Brown Richmond Street Grille Olde Dublin Pub Piatto Pizzeria and Enoteca Redwater Rustic Grille Salvador Dali Café

Sea Rocket Oyster House Sims Corner Steakhouse Slaymaker & Nichols Gastro House Taste of India The Brickhouse Kitchen & Bar The Cork & Cast The Gahan House The Merchantman Fresh Seafood & Oyster Bar The Old Triangle The Pilot House Quality Inn On The Hill Viciniato Ristorante Water’s Edge - Delta Hotel

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*Visit our website to view menu details and days being served.

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVE MENU FOR A CHANCE TO WIN! DowntownCharlottetownInc

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A variety of live performances are coming to Confederation Centre of the Arts this winter for CompassTech LIVE @ the Centre. The world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir comes to the Centre on January 23. For over 20 years, they have been the USA’s premier gospel choir and have toured the globe thrilling audiences with the inspirational power of Black gospel music. As seen on America’s Got Talent, The Pack Drumline delivers a blend of Southern style drumming and hip-hop choreography. Coming to the Centre on February 1, The Pack Drumline is a dynamic group of percussionists and

dancers known for their high-energy performances and jaw-dropping stunts. Classic Albums Live returns to the Centre on February 22. A perennial must-see, the show presents skilled musicians recreating the greatest albums of the 60s and 70s live on stage—note for note—cut for cut. During this performance, they’ll take on Crime of the Century—the breakthrough album by Supertramp featuring hits like “Dreamer” and “Bloody Well Right.” Tickets can be purchased online at confederationcentre.com, via phone at 1-800-565-0278, or in person at the Centre’s box office.

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 7

Coming to Credit Union Place in June

Jason MacGregor appointed by Trust’s board

Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance is coming to Credit Union Place in Summerside on June 30. Flatley once said, “Everyone in the world will tell you, ‘No, it can’t be done.’ Every time I hear that, I know I’m close to success.” This philosophy was a main driving factor in the journey to Lord of the Dance, which Flatley began developing in 1995 following his departure from Riverdance.

Glenaladale Heritage Trust has appointed Jason MacGregor as its first Executive Director—a milestone for the Trust since acquiring the 530-acre property in 2018. Born and raised around Souris, PEI, Jason is an alumnus of the University of King’s College in Halifax, NS and City, University of London in the UK. He has served in senior leadership positions with the Canadian Army, and most recently worked in communications and development at the University of Oxford in England. Jason and his partner returned home to PEI in July 2023. First settled in 1772 by the young Laird of Glenaladale, Captain John MacDonald, following a failed rebellion in Scotland, the Glenaladale Settlement was the earliest large Scottish emigration scheme to what is now called Canada. Central to PEI history, Glenaladale has played a pivotal role in the Island’s Land Question, was home to two persons of national historic significance, and saw the growth of agriculture, silver fox farming, rum running and early tourism on PEI. In

Since its premiere 25 years ago, Lord of the Dance has been touring the globe with its unique combination of high-energy Irish dancing, original music, storytelling and sensuality. The touring production has been seen by over 60 million people. Taking it to the next level for its 25th-anniversary tour in 2024, fans can expect new staging, new costumes, choreography and more.

SUBMITTED

First ED at Glenaladale

SUBMITTED

Lord of the Dance

Jason MacGregor in front of Glenaladale House at Tracadie, PEI.

2012, the Trust was formed in order to purchase, preserve and maintain Glenaladale Estate using sustainable development. They successfully purchased the property in 2018. For more information, visit glenaladalepei.com or follow @ Glenaladale PEI on social media.

OUR STORIES COME TO LIFE.

TWO LEGENDARY MUSICALS JUNE 19 - AUGUST 31 | S O B E Y F A M I L Y T H E A T R E

JUNE 25 - SEPTEMBER 21 | S O B E Y F A M I LY T H E A T R E

Don’t miss the timeless classic Anne of Green Gables– The Musical™ – the cherished family show about the fiery, freckle-faced orphan from away.

Catch the international phenomenon Jersey Boys – The Story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons – featuring hit songs like “Sherry”, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, and more!

Box Office: 1 800 565 0278 confederationcentre.com

Page 8 The BUZZ January 2024

Review by Sean McQuaid

Those Who Wait West Moon Watermark Theatre, North Rustico October 28, 2023 I’d heard of West Moon—one of the few stage plays penned by storied Newfoundland poet, author and academic Al Pittman (1940-2001)— but I had neither read it nor seen it before ACT revived it this fall at the Watermark. It’s as if the cemetery bits from Our Town (1938) got their own play, only spookier—like a supersized, Atlantic Canadian episode of The Twilight Zone. Whatever it is, it works. Emotionally lush, linguistically ornate and aptly haunting, Pittman’s West Moon is a reverent yet oft-playful elegy for the dead, for a dying community, and for a vanishing way of life. First performed in 1980 and published in 1995, West Moon is set in 1965 at a cemetery in St. Kevin’s, a tiny, isolated Newfoundland fishing outport, during that era’s resettlement strategy (a favourite subject of Pittman’s) when Joey Smallwood’s government was pressuring people to move out of smaller villages and into larger towns so services could be more centralized. The supernatural twist: once a year on “All Souls’ Night” (November 2), the people buried in this cemetery become conscious, remembering their old lives and eager to learn whatever they can about the world they left behind—but this year, the cemetery’s recently deceased residents bring disturbing revelations about the fate of St. Kevin’s. As the ACT production’s lavishly detailed program notes, it’s a story with resonance for PEI, where smaller communities have shrunk through consolidation and migration for decades. Raised in petite Poplar Point and educated in nearby Dundas at a school since demolished, I know a little about that myself; the play’s sense of

nostalgia and loss hits close to home. West Moon recalls some of the better Twilight Zone ghost stories, like the elegiac end-of-an-era aspects of “The Passersby” (1961) or the Wilder-esque belated appreciation of life’s everyday wonders in “A Passage for Trumpet” (1960)—but the episode Pittman’s play echoes most eerily is “Five Characters in Search of an Exit” (1961), with its strangers trapped in a bleak, mysterious limbo. Pittman’s talking corpses face a similar mix of confusion and despair, pondering whether they face literal damnation—and if so, why? It’s genuinely chilling, but this isn’t just a spook show. Part haunted house, part loving time capsule, Pittman’s story paints vivid pictures of both people and place as it marks their collective passing, doing so with warmth, compassion and mercifully leavening humour. A disembodied voice manifests occasionally as an omniscient narrator, allowing Pittman to flex his poetic muscles with elegant evocations of the play’s rural coastal landscape, with its “quick-silver, looking-glass sea” enveloped in the “eternal darkness” of an outport night. Director Brian Collins has done Pittman’s superb script commendable justice. Largely static blocking restricts each performer to their own cemetery plot (as Pittman’s stage directions intended), and Pam Jewell’s costuming is all suitably funereal attire. Cyril Armstrong’s fittingly drab, craggy set doesn’t quite read clearly as a cemetery on its own but captures the feel and contours of such a place in a vaguely impressionistic way, while Acting Badly’s light and sound help set a creepy mood and clarify some paranormal storytelling beats. On stage together for the whole show, Collins’ cast—Brian Matthie, Shelley Tamtom, Gordon Cobb, Brielle Hunter, Gavin Hall, Laura Stapleton, Mike Peters, Kelly Mullaly, Richard Haines and Nick van Ouwerkerk—are not only good actors but also fine reactors, often engaged by each other’s activity. They’re interesting to watch, often understatedly genuine, sometimes deeply moving and frequently very funny—Stapleton, Mullaly, Cobb & Peters especially excel at finding the laughs, though Cobb (also one of the abler pathos-miners of the bunch) seems briefly adrift script-wise at one point. Thornton Wilder’s Our Town opines that perhaps only saints and poets truly understand the joys of living; with the wit and wisdom of West Moon, poet Pittman makes a powerful argument that Wilder was right.

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 9

Fix Your Plate by Tara Reeves

Food trends What’s in store for 2024

Some pretty interesting food trends unfolded in 2023. We saw the rise of pasta alternatives using legumes such as lentils and chickpeas, specialty mushrooms became a favourite on restaurant menus, and we definitely saw an increase in the importance of regenerative food practices. Some fantastic food trends are in store for 2024 as well. Here’s the roundup.

Functional mushrooms

Say hello to the fantastic world of functional mushrooms! No, we’re not talking about the fungi on your pizza; we’re talking about reishi, chaga, and lion’s mane mushrooms stealing the spotlight for their potential health benefits. Imagine your favourite treats infused with these earthy wonders— from coffee to chocolate, it’s not just about flavour; it’s a boost for your body and mind. Functional mushrooms are here to stay.

Adaptogens in food and beverages

Ever wished your snack could be your stress-busting sidekick? Enter adaptogens—those magical herbs like ashwagandha and holy basil here to take the edge off. Picture this: sipping on a calming adaptogenic tea or munching on a stress-relieving snack. It’s like a mini-vacation for your taste buds and your mind. Snacking just got a whole lot smarter, and we’re here for it!

Zero-waste cooking and eating

Let’s face it; tossing kitchen scraps feels like culinary sacrilege. Well, in 2024, zero-waste cooking is the culinary superhero we didn’t know we needed. Chefs and home cooks are transforming food scraps into gourmet delights. Imagine dishes that not only taste incredible but also make a positive impact on the planet. It’s a win-win for your taste buds and Mother Earth!

Nutrient-dense snacking

Snacking is getting a nutrient-packed makeover in 2024. Forget the empty calories; we’re talking snacks loaded with vitamins, minerals, and allaround goodness. Whether it’s a trail mix bursting with superfoods or a protein-packed energy bar, these snacks are your ticket to staying fueled and feeling fantastic. It’s time to snack smart! Innovative dairy alternatives Dairy alternatives are stepping out of the shadows in 2024. This isn’t just about soy and almond anymore – we’re talking about a dairy revolution with innovative alternatives crafted

from oats, nuts, seeds, and even veggies. It’s not just a relief for the lactose intolerant; it’s a delicious exploration for anyone wanting to shake up their dairy routine or ditch it, all together.

Fermented foods beyond kimchi and kombucha Fermentation is having a moment, and it’s not just the usual suspects like kimchi and kombucha. Envision a worldwide fermentation celebration featuring creations inspired by diverse cultures. From sauerkraut with a twist to miso-infused delights, your taste buds are in for a flavorful journey around the world. It’s a celebration of all things tangy, probiotic, and downright delicious.

Transparent labelling and traceability

Ever wondered where your food comes from? You’re not alone, and in 2024, transparency is the gamechanger. Consumers are demanding clear labelling and traceability, ensuring they know precisely what they’re putting into their bodies. It’s a move towards mindful eating, giving you the power to make choices that align with your values. Your plate, your story – it’s time to know and love your food. In conclusion, 2024 is serving up a culinary adventure where food isn’t just about flavour; it’s a holistic experience. From functional fungi to stress-busting snacks and sustainable choices, this year promises a delightful journey through the world of good eats!

MARKETS Charlottetown Farmers’ Market

The market is open weekly on Saturdays from 9 am–2 pm year-round. Local farmers, crafters, artisans and hot food vendors sell local, organic produce, fish, meats, baked goods, preserves, roasted coffee, specialty teas and more. 100 Belvedere Ave, Charlottetown.

Summerside Farmers’ Market

Find local produce, baked goods, meat, fish, prepared food, cheese, artisans and more. Open weekly on Saturdays from 9 am–1 pm. 250 Water St, Summerside.

902 888 2500 harbourfronttheatre.com

Page 10 The BUZZ January 2024

PERFORMANCE music, theatre, dance, comedy…

Mondays | 8 pm

Rat Tales Comedy Night Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Jan 4 | 8 pm

Island Latin Jazz feat. Carlie Howell Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Jan 4 | 7 pm

Canada’s Drag Race Viewing Party Performances by Denim, Elle Noir, Brooke Rivers, Trinity Fox and X. Red Shores Racetrack & Casino, Charlottetown

Jan 4 | pm

The Hounds of Winter Featuring Sean Kemp, Chris Corrigan and Adam Hill. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 5 | 8 pm

Wharf Rats

Tribute to Grateful Dead. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 6 | 8 pm

Christine Campbell & Blake Johnston Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 10 | 8 pm

Renate Reich With special guest Sheila Ann Smith. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 11 | 8 pm

Island Jazz Celebrates Birthdays Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Jan 11 | 8 pm

Benny Von With special guest Emily MacLellan. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 13 | 8 pm

Rockstars

Tribute to Nickelback. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 14 | 2 pm

Island Jubilee Feat. Melissa MacKenzie, Frank Whitty and Janelle Banks. Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 13 | 7:30 pm

UPEI Department of Music Faculty Recital

Feat. Dr. Magdalena von Eccher. Dr. Steel Recital Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 20 | 8 pm

Bits & Bites Comedy Series Feat. Tanya Nicolle and queer comics from across the Maritimes. bar1911, Charlottetown

Jan 20 | 10:30 pm

Trevor Lowell Clements & the Barn Cat Poetry Beat

Jan 21 | 8 pm

Jan 16 | 8 pm

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Don Ross

With special guest Sean Hall. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 17 | 8 pm

Martha Wainwright Jan 23 | 7:30 pm

Harlem Gospel Choir

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Daniel Romano’s Outfit

Jan 25 | 8 pm

Jan 18 | 8 pm

Island Jazz feat. Joey Kitson with Sean Ferris and Chris Corrigan

With Absolute Losers. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Quittin’ Time Tribute to Zach Bryan feat. Keira Loane and Cody Vokey. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 18 | 8 pm

Island Jazz feat. Jacob Reddin with the Striped Shirt Band Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Jan 19 | 8 pm

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Jan 24 | 7:30 pm

Jack Pine Folk Club Feat. Margie Carmichael Scotto, Logan Richard and Tre Sutherland. The Mack, Charlottetown

Jan 25–27 | 8 pm

Hotel California: A Night of The Eagles

St. Paul’s, Charlottetown

Feat. Brad Milligan, Joce Reyome, Alyssa Harper and Craig Fair. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 19 | 8 pm

Jan 26 | 7:30 pm

Sarah Hagen: Night Music

Alex Tells Jokes

Feat. Alex Mackenzie. The Mack, Charlottetown

Jan 19 | 8 pm

Groove Company

Jan 20 | 2 pm

Copper Bottom Brewing, Montague

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Kevin Drew

Saltwater Dollies

Haunted Hearts

Jan 20, 7:30 pm: Park Royal United, Charlottetown Jan 21, 2:30 pm: Trinity United, Summerside

Sirens: Birdsong

Jan 15 | 8 pm

Jan 12 | 8 pm

Jan 13 | 7:30 pm

Jan 31 | 8 pm

Album release with special guests Stratabuse and The Devil’s Punchbowl. The Sportsman’s Club, Charlottetown

Fundraiser for QEH. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 20, 21

Family Magic and Illusion Show

Richard Wood & Friends: East Coast Kitchen Party The Mack, Charlottetown

Jan 27 | 7 pm

Black History Month Opening Celebration Gala Delta Prince Edward, Charlottetown

Jan 27 | 7:30 pm

The Hounds

Feat. Ray Anderson and Darren Frost. Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Tribute to Tyler Childers. Copper Bottom Brewing, Montague

Jan 20 | 7:30 pm

Jan 28 | 2 pm

Ray Anderson’s Hypno Comedy Show Feat. Ray Anderson, Barry Carter and Darren Frost. Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

PEI Bluegrass and Old Time Music Society concert Feat. The Stiff Family and Janet McGarry & Serge Bernard. Beaconsfield Carriage House, Charlottetown

Jazz Avenue Feb 1 | 7:30 pm

The Pack Drumline

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Feb 1 | 8 pm

Island R&B Jazz feat. Spencer Soloduka Mercy Please Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Feb 2 | 7:30 pm

Side Hustle Improv The Guild, Charlottetown

Feb 2 | 7:30 pm

Dr. Frances Gray Music Performance Competition

Dr. Steel Recital Hall, Charlottetown

Feb 2 | 8 pm

Poet of the Common Man Tribute to Merle Haggard feat. Lawrence Maxwell & The Fugitives. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Feb 3 | 2 pm, 7:30 pm

24Strong: Competitive Showcase

Two different shows. Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Feb 3 | 7:30 pm

Tightrope

With special guests Got Blues. Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Feb 8 | 8 pm

High Voltage

Tribute to AC/DC. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Feb 8 | 8 pm

Island Jazz Quartet feat. Malachi Rowswell Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Feb 9 | 7 pm

Holland College SoPA: Winter Concert Series

Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

Feb 9 | 7:30 pm

High Voltage

Tribute to AC/DC. Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Feb 10 | 7:30 pm

Irish Mythen

Copper Bottom Brewing, Montague

…continued on page 14

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 11

Canada’s Drag Race Performances and viewing party at Red Shores—Jan 4

SUBMITTED

DragX Entertainment & Red Shores present a special Canada’s Drag Race Viewing Party with Season 4 contestant Denim on January 4. The pre-party will start at 8 pm with drag performances by Denim and some of the Maritimes’ favourite drag performers, including Elle Noir, Brooke Rivers, Trinity Foxx and X. The event will take place at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino from

CDR Season 4 contestant Denim

7–11:30 pm. Limited VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet with Denim. There will be a cash bar on site. Red Shores is located at 58 Kensington Road in Charlottetown.

Queer comedians SUBMITTED

Bits & Bites hosts comics from across the Maritimes—Jan 20 Bits & Bites Standup Comedy Series is showcasing queer comics from across the Maritimes on January 20 at bar1911 in Charlottetown. The night will be headlined by Island comedian, Tanya Nicolle. Nicolle is a writer, comedian, and producer from PEI. She has become a pillar of the evolving PEI comedy scene as a respected producer and performer among her fans and peers. Nicolle’s down-on-the-farm narrative,

coupled with silly observations, shines a light on her struggles with mental illness. She has performed throughout the East Coast, including in a showcase of The Funniest Women from Across the Maritimes. The full lineup is coming soon. Doors at 7 pm for food and drinks. Showtime is 8 pm sharp. Tickets are available at bar1911.com/events.

Side Hustle

BERNI WOOD

Improv at The Guild—Feb 2

Step into the uproarious world of Side Hustle, an all-women comedy improv troupe that is redefining laughter with unbridled spontaneity. Forget scripted routines—this ensemble, armed with audience suggestions, crafts comedic alchemy right before the crowd’s eyes. Unscripted, unplanned, and

unstoppable, Side Hustle fearlessly ventures into the unknown, leaving audiences breathless with laughter. Bravery and brilliance define this comedic collective, as they fearlessly bulldoze through the audience’s ideas, hopes and dreams, creating a riotous celebration of life’s absurdities. Their manic and maniacal performances transport the onlooker into a realm of musical mayhem and jubilant chaos, all while showcasing a remarkable blend of talent and tenacity. Side Hustle will be on stage at The Guild on February 2 at 7:30 pm for a night of frivolity, where attention and adoration fuel their comedic fire. Laugh, judge, and revel in the contagious joy they exude. The Guild is located at 111 Queen Street in Charlottetown.

Page 12 The BUZZ January 2024

EXHIBITS galleries, museums…

Acadian Museum of PEI

Ten Million Steps / Dix millions de pas is on view to March. Visit the permanent exhibit and video The Island Acadians: The Story of a People. Acadian genealogy resources are available to researchers and a new artifacts exhibit area opened last year. The museum will be closed for the holidays to January 9. 23 Main Dr. E, Miscouche.

Breadalbane Gallery

This month’s opening reception on January 12 from 6–8 pm will feature an artist talk with one of the exhibiting artists, Marianne Janowicz. Works by Patricia Lush, Sabine Nuesch, Xin Liu, Joan Sutton, Vian Emery, Zoe Novaczek, Denise Livingston, Will Baker, Haley Lewis, Silver Frith, Laura Bain, Adrianna Chandler and Erin Veitch will also be on view. Artists wishing to exhibit can submit photos of their work to breadalbanegallery.com. Open 11 am–3 pm Tuesday, 9 am–1 pm Wednesday and 4–8 pm Thursday. 4023 Dixon Rd, Breadalbane.

Charlottetown Library Learning Centre

Presented by this town is small, Canvas & Cosmos: A fusion of Science and Art by Chester Hewlett is on view in the TD Art Corridor until February 16. Dominion Building, 97 Queen St, Charlottetown.

Confederation Centre Art Gallery

On view: Destruction Recrafted: Hurricane Fiona Up Close and Personal to January 7; the currents that carry us to January 7; Gestures: Traces of Embodiment opens

FEBRUARY BUZZ DEADLINE Monday, January 15

January 13; Arctic Visions, Arctic Life opens January 20; Making History to January 21; Daphne Irving: A Painter’s Journey to January 28; Donald Andrus: A Retrospective opens February 10; Common Collective: 40–Tonne Viewfinder to February 24; and The Sweet Spot opens March 9. 145 Richmond St, Charlottetown.

Cornwall Library Art Gallery

Ventures with the Paintbrush, a new solo exhibition by Barry Bain, will be on view from January 2–February 9. Meet the artist at the opening reception on January 2 at 7 pm. Contact the library via phone at 629-8415 for info on displaying work in the gallery. 15 Mercedes Dr, Town Hall, Cornwall.

Eptek Art & Culture Centre

Whisper Challenge 2023 and Presidents Challenge: ‘Page 23’, two collections by members of the PEI Modern Quilt Guild, are on view through January. Aquaculture: Farming the Waters and the Summerside Art Club exhibition AquaVision are on view to February 16. Visit the permanent exhibition on the history and architecture of Summerside. Eptek is one of seven PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation sites. 130 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside.

Hilda Woolnough Gallery

The Young Masters, a group exhibition featuring the work of Grade 12 art students from Charlottetown Rural and Colonel Gray High Schools, will be on view from January 23–February 5. All are invited to the opening reception on January 26. 111 Queen St, Charlottetown.

Lefurgey Cultural Centre

Christmas Trees Through The Ages presented by Culture Summerside and Wyatt Heritage Properties Inc is on view from January 8–12. The exhibit is open Monday–Friday from 9 am–5 pm. A 3D tour of the exhibit is offered at culturesummerside.com. 205 Prince St, Summerside.

Review by Sean McQuaid

A sweet storybook The Gift of the Magi and Other Festive Stories to Warm the Heart Watermark Theatre, North Rustico December 15, 2023 I’ve always liked holiday variety packs: the late, great Life Savers Sweet Storybooks, stuffed with a dozen different rolls of candy in their heyday; vintage DC Comics Christmas anthologies starring Batman, Sandman and other luminaries; the old Consumers Distributing holiday catalog multipacks of Star Wars figures; and classic anthology films like O. Henry’s Full House (1952), adapting O. Henry short stories, most with some wintry or yuletide content. Watermark Theatre has just compiled its own Sweet Storybook of sorts: The Gift of the Magi and Other Festive Stories to Warm the Heart, co-written by Alan Kinsella and Watermark Artistic Director Robert Tsonos and directed by Kinsella, a new theatrical anthology adapting eight classic Christmas texts, including one also featured in that 1952 O. Henry movie, beloved 1905 short story “The Gift of the Magi.” Watermark’s jampacked anthology also includes adaptations of Hans Christian Andersen’s dark fairy tales “The Fir Tree” (1844) and “The Little Match Girl” (1845); Richmal Crompton’s short story “The Christmas Present” (1922); A.A. Milne’s satirical essay “A Hint for Next Christmas” (1920); Lucy Maud Montgomery’s short story “Christmas at Red Butte” (1909); Clement Clarke Moore’s poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (1823); and Philip Van Doren Stern’s short story “The Greatest Gift” (1943), famously made into a film as It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). An added bonus: seasonal carols such as “Auld Lang Syne,” “Deck the Halls,” “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” “Good King Wenceslas,” “In the Bleak Midwinter,” “Jingle Bells,” “O Holy Night,” “Silent Night,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” “White Christmas” and “Winter Wonderland,” some of them conducted as audience sing-alongs. With so many tales and tunes, it’s a Christmas miracle that Kinsella and Tsonos pack it all into one compact stage show. The adapters’ contributions to the text include original prologue/epilogue sequences starring two singing buskers hustling for spare change; they set up the play’s version of “Gift of the Magi” via chance encounters with that story’s main characters, a young couple willing to sacrifice their prize possessions to get each other the perfect Christmas gifts. The buskers pop up in other stories, too—one of them finding what’s left of

Andersen’s little match girl is an effectively poignant moment—but they’re an intermittent presence, sometimes supplanted by other new creations like the surly kid and oddball department store elf who frame Andersen’s fir tree tale, or the weary street vendor and eccentric customer who transform Milne’s holiday shopping commentary into a quirky dialogue. It’s all a bit scattered but it largely hangs together, often funny and sometimes moving. The individual vignettes are mostly effective, though “The Greatest Gift” feels rushed, especially by comparison to its sprawling cinematic counterpart. Set/costume designer Kelly Caseley’s cartoony, rough-hewn background Christmas trees seem a bit like sketchy refugees from A Charlie Brown Christmas (also echoed in the play’s music a time or two), but her finest contribution here is the stage’s transforming centerpiece, a small treeshaped structure which reveals several different scenes as it revolves, aiding the show’s many changes of setting. Even greater assets are the show’s stars, Kitbag Theatre founders Jacob Hemphill and Rebecca Parent, who between the two of them play all of the show’s 20+ roles, each appearing as multiple characters in some scenes, making all their parts vividly distinctive with changing voices, morphing body language and more. Hemphill is perhaps too often shouty for such an intimate venue, but both play a superbly wide range of comedic and dramatic parts over the course of the night, further enriched by the duo’s sweet singing skills, while director Kinsella and stage manager Kate Hagemeyer keep the show’s many ever-shifting components moving smoothly all the way to the evening’s eventual storybook ending.

Youth drama classes With Bonshaw Young Players Bonshaw Young Players drama classes will resume on Saturday mornings from 10:30 am–12:30 pm beginning January 20 at Beaconsfield Carriage House in Charlottetown. Sessions will emphasize the triple threat of song, dance and improv drama, and will include a workshop on comedy. Open to ages 6–16. Spaces are limited. It is necessary to pre-register by contacting Ruth Lacey at rlacey688@gmail.com or 675-4282.

Quilted wall hangings

Easter Seals PEI announce 2024 campaign leader

Two new collections at Eptek Art & Culture Centre

Easter Seals PEI has selected Lucie Gallant as its Ambassador for its 2024 Campaign. Lucie is ten years old and a grade five student at École-sur-Mer in Summerside, PEI. Outside of school, she enjoys basketball, sensory-friendly swimming, art, making videos and spending time with animals, particularly horses and cats. Lucie lives in Sherbrooke, PEI with her parents Melissa and Chris, and her younger brother Jackson. Diagnosed on the autism spectrum, Lucie has experienced social and cognitive challenges, and she is excited to help increase awareness about neurodiversity and the power of optimism with her motto: “With a positive mind you can do extraordinary things.” “We’re delighted to have Lucie joining us in this busy and important role as our next Ambassador,” explains Executive Director Kelly Mullaly. “We know she’s proud of her roots in the Francophone community and it will be wonderful for her to share her message

HECKBERT’S PHOTOGRAPHY, SUMMERSIDE

Ambassador Lucie Gallant

Easter Seals PEI 2024 Ambassador Lucie Gallant

in both French and English with the students we’ll be visiting across the Island during the 2024 School Tour.” Easter Seals PEI is a major project of the Rotary Club of Charlottetown in partnership with the Rotary Club of Montague and Eastern PEI and the Rotary Club of Summerside. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life, self-esteem, and self-determination of Islanders with disabilities. Easter Seals celebrated 100 years of service in Canada in 2022. Lucie will officially start making public appearances as the 2024 Easter Seals PEI Ambassador in the new year.

Two collections of quilted wall hangings by members of the PEI Modern Quilt Guild, Whisper Challenge 2023 and Presidents Challenge: ‘Page 23’, will be on display in the lobby at Eptek Art & Culture Centre in Summerside for the month of January. A whisper challenge is like a quilter’s game of telephone, where each participant creates a piece inspired by the one passed to them. In Whisper Challenge 2023, participants explored themes of “It Moves,” “Origins,” and “Home Sweet Home.” For Presidents Challenge: ‘Page 23’, participants were asked to make a wall hanging based on page 23 of whichever book they were reading at the start of the year. The resulting pieces were revealed at the Guild’s October 2023 meeting, and will be on display to kick off 2024. Continuing in the main gallery until February 16 is the engaging exhibition Aquaculture: Farming the Waters. Developed in collaboration with the Canada Science and Technology

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 13

Museum, this exhibition invites visitors on a journey to explore Canadian aquaculture, giving them a glimpse of how farmers in PEI and across the country cultivate fish, shellfish and seaweed species. Also on view until February 16 is the Summerside Art Club’s AquaVision in the small gallery at Eptek. Club members created works that represent how they see the world through the lens of water. Work includes oil, watercolour, acrylic, pastel, sculpture, mixed media, fabric arts, and more. Eptek is located at 130 Heather Moyse Drive on the Summerside waterfront. Admission is by donation.

SIMULATOR NOW OPEN

JANUARY - MARCH 2024 Contact us at (902) 569-4653 or management@foxmeadow.pe.ca

UPCOMING SHOWS SPONSORED BY

SPONSORED BY

CAL: SUPERTRAMP: CRIME OF THE CENTURY FEB. 22 SOBEY FAMILY THEATRE

SEE THE FULL SEASON & GET TICKETS TODAY 1 800 565 0278 or confederationcentre.com/liveatthecentre

Page 14 The BUZZ January 2024

PERFORMANCE music, theatre, dance, comedy… …continued from page 10 Feb 11 | 2 pm

Island Jubilee

Feat. Liam Corcoran. Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

Feb 15 | 7:30 pm

Heather Rankin: Sound of Cape Breton Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

Feb 15 | 8 pm

Island Jazz for Lovers Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Feb 16 | 7:30 pm

Morgan Toney

Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

Feb 17| 7:30 pm

Bboyizm: The evolution of B-boying Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

Feb 17 | 7:30 pm

Morgan Toney

Kings Playhouse, Georgetown

Feb 22 | 7:30 pm

Feb 28 | 7:30 pm

Guy Davis

Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

Feb 29 | 8 pm

Island Jazz Leap Year Show & Other Oddities Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Mar 1 | 7 pm

Holland College SoPA: Winter Concert Series

Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

Mar 1 | 8 pm

Southbound

Tribute to Carrie Underwood. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Mar 6–10

Music PEI Week

Various locations, Charlottetown musicpei.com

Mar 7 | 8 pm

Island Jazz: Women in Jazz feat. Carlie Howell Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Classic Albums Live: Supertramp: Crime of the Century

Mar 9 | 7:30 pm

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Copper Bottom Brewing, Montague

Feb 22 | 8 pm

Mar 9 | 7:30 pm

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Celebrating the music of Cream. Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Island Jazz Tribute to Vulfpeck Feb 24 | 7:30 pm

Yuk Yuk’s Comedy: Derek Seguin The Mack, Charlottetown

Feb 24 | 7:30 pm

Songs for a Winter’s Night Celebrating the music of Gordon Lightfoot feat. Shane Pendergast and Nudie. Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Feb 24 | 7:30 pm

Logan Richard & His Band

Copper Bottom Brewing, Montague

Feb 25 | 2:30 pm

PEI Symphony Orchestra

Guest conductor Juliane Gallant. Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Old Man Luedecke

White Room

Mar 10 | 2 pm

Island Jubilee

Feat. Ashley Condon. Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

Mar 10 | 7:30 pm

David Myles

Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

Mar 12 | 7:30 pm

Darcy & Jer: The No Refunds Tour Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Mar 14 | 8 pm

Island Jazz Tribute to Mingus feat. Adam Hill Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Mar 16 | 7:30 pm

Ballet Edmonton

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Mar 18 | 7:30 pm

Apr 6 | 7:30 pm

Yuk Yuk’s Comedy: Peter Antony The Mack, Charlottetown

William Prince

Apr 7 | 2:30 pm

Mar 19 | 7 pm

Guest conductor Daniel Black. Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Four By Four: A Musical Tribute to The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Bee Gees and Motown Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

PEI Symphony Orchestra

Apr 10 | 7:30 pm

Simon Leoza

The Mack, Charlottetown

Apr 11| 7:30 pm

Debut Atlantic: Amir Amiri Ensemble

Candace Bushnell: True Tales of Sex, Success, and Sex and the City

The Mack, Charlottetown

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Mar 20 | 7:30 pm

Apr 12| 7:30 pm

Mar 19 | 7:30 pm

Travelogue: In the Footsteps of Joni Mitchell Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Mar 21 | 8 pm

Island Bluegrass Jazz feat. Liam Corcoran Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Mar 22 | 7 pm

Holland College SoPA: Winter Concert Series

Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

Mar 23 | 7:30 pm

Gypsy: The Ultimate Tribute To Fleetwood Mac

Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Mar 28 | 7:30 pm

FLIP Fabrique: Blizzard

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

The Comic Strippers

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Apr 13 | 7:30 pm

Confederation Singers: Lift Every Voice The Mack, Charlottetown

Apr 13 | 7:30 pm

James Mullinger

Greatest Hits Tour. Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Apr 18 | 7:30 pm

ABBA Revisited

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Apr 18 | 7:30 pm

Celebrating Celine: The Ultimate Tribute to Celine Dion Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

Apr 19 | 7:30 pm

Choir! Choir! Choir!

Mar 28 | 8 pm

Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

Island Jazz feat. Sean Ferris Original Music

Apr 19, 20 | 7:30 pm

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Mar 30 | 7:30 pm

Garrett Mason

Copper Bottom Brewing, Montague

Apr 4 | 7:30 pm

Snowed In Comedy Tour Feat. Erica Sigurdson, Pete Zedlacher, Dan Quinn and Paul Myrehaug. Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Apr 4 | 7:30 pm

Epic Eagles: The Definitive Tribute to The Eagles

Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

A Tribute to Johnny Cash: San Quentin Revisited Apr 19: Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown Apr 20: Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

…more at buzzpei.com

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 15

ARTS CAM P S & EDUCATION C L A S S E S

Confederation Centre Art Gallery

From the collection Two new exhibitions open in January

@ THE CENTRE REGISTER TODAY WINTER BREAK CAMP MARCH 25 - 28, 2024 For ages 6 - 1 2 Campers will enjoy drawing, painting, crafts, drama, dance and more!

SUBMITTED

EXPLORING VISUAL ARTS CLASSES For ages 6 - 8 and 9 - 12 In these eight-week classes, students explore several types of art-making and visit the gallery.

For information or to register visit confederationcentre.com/artseducation Phone: 902-628-6134 | email: artseducation@confederationcentre.com

R NG

LAT ATU

IONS TO THE 2023

WIN

SUBMITTED

Two new exhibitions drawn from the extensive collection at Confederation Centre Art Gallery will be on view at the Centre this month. Opening January 13 in the Frederic S. and Ogden Martin Concourse Gallery, Gestures: Traces of Embodiment highlights works that display the physical involvement of the artist in their making. Curated by Pan Wendt, these works demonstrate the visual language of bodily movement, the traces in a finished artwork of touch, gesture, and action. Some of these works invoke rhetorics of spontaneity and performance, as in the work of Zhu Lan, which draws from her training in the improvisational tradition of Chinese ink painting. The exhibition also features Carl Beam’s memorial portraits, which fuse documentary photographs and his own energetic brushwork. In each case, evidence of the living person having been there, active, alive, involved, committed is central to the artistic statement. Arctic Visions, Arctic Life opens January 20 and includes a selection of works made in Inuit Nunangat, which refers to the land, water, and ice of the Inuit homeland in Canada. The exhibition focuses on Inuit Art, including historical and contemporary work, but also includes some works created by visitors. Curated by Pan Wendt, the exhibition features works from Sobey Art Award winner Annie Pootoogook, internationally renowned printmaker Kenojuak Ashevak, and more. January is also the last chance to catch these exhibitions before they close: Destruction Recrafted: Hurricane Fiona Up Close and Personal (closes January 7); the currents that carry us (closes January 7); Making History (closes January 21); and Daphne Butler Irving: A Painter’s Journey (January 28).

BEGINS SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2024

(top): Lise Gervais, Regatta, 1970, oil on linen, 122.2 x 182.8 cm. Gift of Michel Huart, Beaconsfield, Quebec, 1988; (bottom): Johnny Inukpuk, Mother and Child, c.1963, soapstone, 77.5 x 35 x 30.5 cm. Gift of the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire, 1964.

The Premier’s Award for Stand-Out Project of the Year Winner: PEI Writers' Guild Are We Friends Now Queer Youth Book The Leo Cheverie Cultural Connector of the Year Awards Winners: Lindsay Connolly, Megan Stewart and Melissa Peter-Paul

The Organization of the Year Award Winner: Music PEI The Father Adrien Arsenault Senior Arts Award Winner: Gerald Beaulieu The Gertie & Henry Purdy Emerging Visual Arts Bursary Recipient: Fairouz Gaballa A PROJECT BY

This ad is paid for by the Government of Prince Edward Island.

Page 16 The BUZZ January 2024

CREATIVE TIME Fibre Arts Club

Drop in to the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre anytime between 1–3 pm on Tuesdays in January for Fibre Arts Club. Bring supplies or a current project and join other knitters, crocheters, rug hookers and fibre and textile makers for some crafting and social time. 97 Queen St, Charlottetown.

Valentines For Vets

On January 13, all ages are welcome to visit the Summerside Rotary Library to help create valentines that will be sent to veterans for Valentine’s Day. All supplies will be provided. This is an all day event. 57 Central St, Summerside.

Exploring Visual Arts

Free, drop-in Art Studio Days are held on Tuesdays from 4–7 pm at Blank Canvas Art Supplies. This is a weekly, self guided event for ages 16+. Bring a current work in progress, start from scratch, try something new or just hang out and meet others in the classroom space. Some general supplies are available. Visit blankcanvasartsupplies.ca for more info, including in-store workshops, classes and events for all ages. 10 Prince St, Charlottetown.

A new eight-week session for budding visual artists begins this month at Confederation Centre of the Arts. Held Saturday mornings from January 13–March 2, these classes will explore the elements of art through a series of diverse drawing, painting, and sculpting activities. Students will also visit the Gallery to explore a range of contemporary and historical artworks. There are two sessions, one for ages 6–8 and another for ages 9–12. To register, visit confederationcentre.com or contact the Centre box office.

Creative PEI Art Night

Colourful Book Covers

Art Studio Days

Drop in at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre on Wednesdays from 5–8 pm for Creative PEI Art Night. Make art and chit chat from 5–7 pm. Supplies are provided or bring a current project. Each week will feature a presentation at 7 pm consisting of speakers, panels, group activities, and more. 97 Queen St, Charlottetown.

Crafty Kids

Kids are encouraged to visit the Summerside Rotary Library on January 5 from 1–3 pm to enjoy the multiple crafting stations and use their imaginations to create their own art. 57 Central St, Summerside.

Life drawing sessions

Life drawing sessions resume on Sundays from 2–4 pm beginning January 7 at the Gertrude Cotton Art Centre. Storm cancellations will be posted by 12 noon @LifeDrawingPEI on FB. All skill levels are welcome at the drop-in drawing sessions with nude model. Participants must be age 18+ or have parent/guardian written permission. Easels are provided but participants must bring their own drawing material. Arrive early for set up. Doors open at 1:30 pm. Email lifedrawingpei2022@ gmail.com if interested in being a model. 57 Bunbury Rd, Stratford.

Crafternoon

Crafternoon Wednesday takes place on January 10 at 1 pm at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre. This month’s activity: large paper bag snowflake decorations. All supplies are provided. Register in advance via phone at 368-4642 or in person at 97 Queen St, Charlottetown.

Teens are invited to the Summerside Rotary Library on January 14 at 2:30 pm to make colourful book covers. Using the Iris Folding method, learn how to create colourful patterns and use them as a book cover. 57 Central St, Summerside.

Kindred Spirits Quilt Guild

The Kindred Spirits Quilt Guild meets on the third Wednesday of the month (except July, August and December) from 7–9 pm at the Irish Cultural Centre. Masks are optional. New members and visitors are welcome. For more information, contact Roberta at 393-3222 or follow @KindredSpiritsQuiltGuildofPEI on FB for updates. 582 North River Rd, Charlottetown.

Arts & Crafts: Button Art

Kids are invited to have fun at the Summerside Rotary Library with arts and crafts. Get hands-on using buttons to create works of art on January 20 at 10:30 am. 57 Central St, Summerside.

PEI Modern Quilt Guild

The PEI Modern Quilt Guild meets on the fourth Thursday of each month from 7–9 pm. Follow @peimqg on IG for updates. If interested in attending a meeting as a guest or for any other inquiries, contact peimqg@gmail.com.

Nifty Knitters & Needlecraft

Bring needlecraft paraphernalia and join knitters, crocheters, rug hookers and other fibre and textile makers at the Summerside Rotary Library for some crafting and social time. All skill levels are welcome. This month’s session takes place on January 29 at 6 pm. 57 Central St, Summerside.

Cricut Tech Help

Get help with a cricut project at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre. See a staff member to book an appointment (times vary). Bring project supplies and learn how to get started. 97 Queen St, Charlottetown.

Winter Break Camp

Canvas & Cosmos Chester Hewlett exhibit in the TD Art Corridor until February

Registration is open for the winter break camp running March 25–28 at Confederation Centre of the Arts. This camp will lead children ages 6–12 through a full day of activities, from drawing to painting to music to dance. Alongside these activities, campers will get guided tours of the Gallery and a backstage tour of the Sobey Family Theatre by Centre staff, giving students a unique opportunity to explore the arts through both hands-on and observational experiences. To register, visit confederationcentre.com or contact the Centre box office.

The Young Masters Charlottetown Rural and Colonel Gray art students exhibition The Charlottetown Rural and Colonel Gray High Schools present the Grade 12 Art Classes’ exhibition, The Young Masters. This showcase, set to commence at the Hilda Woolnough Gallery at The Guild in Charlottetown, encapsulates the culmination of the students’ artistic journey and marks the beginning of their transition into the next chapter of their lives. The Young Masters exhibition is a testament to the diverse artistic interests and profound abilities of the Grade 12 Art students. Each piece on display is a manifestation of the students’ individual artistic philosophies and the unique explorations they have undertaken in the vast world of art. From conceptualization to creation, these young artists have poured their creativity into every stroke, reflecting their personal growth and artistic evolution. As a celebration of this accomplishment, an opening reception will be held in the Hilda Woolnough Gallery on January 26. This event provides an opportunty for the community to engage with the artists, gain insights into their creative processes, and witness firsthand the remarkable talents that these students bring to the forefront. The Young Masters will be on view from January 23 to February 5.

Digital art by Chester Hewlett Canvas & Cosmos: A fusion of Science and Art by Chester Hewlett is on view in the TD Art Corridor at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre. A digital artist, designer, and biochemist in PEI, Chester started his artistic journey in 2021. Since then, his art, which blends human experiences, science, and now animation, has been featured at Eptek Art & Culture Centre in Summerside and at The Guild in Charlottetown. Canvas & Cosmos: A fusion of Science and Art beckons the viewer to embark on a journey where science and art coalesce, inviting them to perceive the universe through the lens of an enthusiastic scientist who also happens to be an artist. In this exhibition, the canvas becomes a portal to the cosmos and every stroke of the brush serves as a bridge between the analytical mind of the scientist and the imaginative soul of the artist. Presented by this town is small, the exhibition is on view to February 16.

Student Art Show & Sale Holland College—Feb 28 The Holland College Student Union Art Show & Sale will take place on February 28 from 6–9 pm in the lobby at Florence Simmons Performance Hall in Charlottetown (140 Weymouth St). Students’ artwork will be on display for the public and the works (posters, paintings, bookmarks and more) will be for sale.

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 17

Breadalbane Gallery A new art show opens at the Breadalbane Gallery on the second Friday of the month with a reception from 6–8 pm for the public. This month’s show reception on January 12 will feature a short talk by one of the exhibiting artists, Marianne Janowicz. A life-long painter, Janowicz renders images of landscape in Prince Edward Island and southwest New Brunswick, alternating between the fields and woods of this province and the rugged coastline of the Bay of Fundy. The Breadalbane Gallery is a casual community space Sunset Over Navy Island by Marianne Janowicz that hosts PEI artists and now has 12 artists showing their work each month. Many artists are exhibiting Sunset Over Navy Island (detail) by Marianne Janowicz their latest pieces, providing an opportunity for the public to see their creative progression. Gallery is open Tuesdays from 11 am–3 Artists interested in showing at the pm, Wednesdays from 9 am–1 pm, Gallery may submit photos of their Thursdays from 4–8 pm, or by request work to breadalbanegallery.com. via phone at 303-8333 or email to Located at 4023 Dixon Road, the mjanowicz@hotmail.com.

DON’T MISS OUR FALL EXHIBTIONS:

Destruction Recrafted: Hurricane Fiona Up Close and Personal CONTINUES UNTIL JANUARY 7, 2024

the currents that carry us

CONTINUES UNTIL JANUARY 7, 2024

Making History

CONTINUES UNTIL JANUARY 21, 2024

Daphne Irving:

A Painter’s Journey CONTINUES UNTIL JANUARY 28, 2024

Common Collective:

40-Tonne Viewfinder CONTINUES UNTIL FEBRUARY 24, 2024

confederationcentre.com/artgallery

SUBMITTED

January show opens with talk by artist Marianne Janowicz

Richmond Street, EXPLORE THE GALLERY 145Charlottetown, P.E.I. NEW WINTER EXHIBITIONS

CONCOURSE GALLERY, JAN. 13

Gestures:

Traces of Embodiment

LOWER EAST GALLERY, JAN. 20

Arctic Visions, Arctic Life

This exhibition, drawn from the collection, highlights artworks that display the physical involvement of the artist in their making.

A selection of art works from the collection made in Inuit Nunangat, which refers to the land, water, and ice of the Inuit homeland in Canada.

Lise Gervais, detail Regatta, 1970 oil on linen, 122.2 x 182.8 cm Gift of Michel Huart, Beaconsfield, Quebec, 1988, CAG 88.7

Johnny Inukpuk, Mother and Child, c.1963, soapstone, 77.5 x 35 x 30.5 cm Gift of the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire, 1964, CAG 64.3

UPPER WEST GALLERY AND SOBEY GALLERY, FEB. 10

UPPER EAST GALLERY, MAR. 9

Donald Andrus: A Retrospective

This exhibition looks at the career of an artist known for experimentation with the materials, processes and ideas that underpin the making of images. Donald Andrus, ICARUS No. 21, 2016, mixed mediums on canvas, 121.9 x 91.4 cm.

The Sweet Spot

A selection of works that aim for the “sweet spot,” that place or moment that finds just the right balance between order and chaos, the right distance between intimacy and perspective, the right mix of freedom and generosity.

Ken Danby, Kerosene Lamp, 1966, egg tempera on composition board, 71.2 x 48.4 cm, Gift of Aubrey Browne, Moncton, New Brunswick, 1992, CAG 92.1.2

WINTER HOURS: Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. • Monday closed

SCREEN Viewing Party: Canada’s Drag Race

DragX Entertainment & Red Shores Racetrack & Casino will present a special Canada’s Drag Race Viewing Party with Season 4 contestant Denim on January 4. The pre-party will start at 8 pm with drag performances by Denim and Maritime drag performers Elle Noir, Brooke Rivers, Trinity Foxx and X. The event will take place at Red Shores from 7–11:30 pm. Limited VIP tickets include a Meet & Greet with Denim. There will be a cash bar and an ATM on site. 58 Kensington Rd, Charlottetown.

Adult Sunday Matinee

The Summerside Rotary Library’s matinee film screening this month is Everest (PG-13) on January 7 at 2 pm. The Library is located in the Inspire Learning Centre at 57 Central St.

Filmworks Summerside at Harbourfront

The Filmworks Summerside at Harbourfront Series continues with Mr Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe on January 8 at 7 pm. Customers can book advance tickets via phone at 888-2500, online at harbourfronttheatre.com, or in person at the box office. Tickets can also be purchased on the day of the screening. Stay tuned for the upcoming screenings on February 5, March 4, April 8 and May 13. 124 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside.

Anime Club

Watch and discuss an episode of anime at Anime Club (ages 18+) on January 9 at 6 pm at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre. Anime is shown in original Japanese with English subtitles. 97 Queen St, Charlottetown.

Eptek Lunch Film Series

The Friends of Eptek Centre’s lunchtime film series runs weekly to the end of April. The films, mostly travelogues (some new and some from late Friend Blanche Hogg), are screened on Thursdays at noon. There is no charge for the film presentation. Upcoming screenings include: National Park Adventure on January 11; Royal Journey on January 18; and Men of the Deeps on January 25. Eptek Art & Culture Centre is a site of the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation. 130 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside.

Afternoon Movie

Visit the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre for an afternoon movie on January 16 at 1 pm. Check in with the library to find out what will be showing this month. 97 Queen St, Charlottetown.

FEBRUARY BUZZ DEADLINE Monday, January 15

Why Big Oil Conquered the World screening

The Community Independence Committee will screen the documentary “Why Big Oil Conquered the World”at Murphy’s Pharmacies Community Centre on January 24 at 7 pm. Environmental advocates have long protested the role oil conglomerates have played in exacerbating the climate change crisis. In recent years, through divestment actions, it appears that big oil is undertaking meaningful reforms, and galvanized a desire for more clean energy solutions. This has led many to believe that the age of Big Oil is on its way out. But according to the documentary “Why Big Oil Conquered the World,” its reign has only just begun. Organizers say, whether embracing the film’s well researched premise, or remaining skeptical of many of its assertions, “Why Big Oil Conquered the World” provides revelations that are worthy of consideration and discussion. 200 Richmond St. Charlottetown.

Theatre Thursday

This month’s film for Theatre Thursday at the Summerside Rotary Library is Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris (PG). The film will screen on January 25 at 2 pm. 57 Central St, Summerside.

Movie Monday

Watch a movie on the big screen in the auditorium at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre on January 29 at 6 pm. This month’s film is the 1996 comedy crime Fargo (R), starring Frances McDormand, Steve Buschemi and William H. Macy. 97 Queen St, Charlottetown.

Christmas Trees Through The Ages Exhibit at Wyatt Heritage Properties—Jan 8 to 12 The Christmas Trees Through The Ages exhibit, presented by Culture Summerside and Wyatt Heritage Properties Inc, will be on view at Lefurgey Cultural Centre from January 8–12 for those who could not view the display in December. The main floor of the 1867 historic Lefurgey Cultural Centre has been transformed into an evergreen forest of decorated Christmas trees that tell how the tree became a central part of Christmas celebrations. The exhibit explores the industry that has grown out of the tradition and the ever-changing fashions that keep it going. First launched in 2019, the exhibit has new trees added each year. The exhibit is open by donation Monday–Friday from 9 am–5 pm. A 3D tour of the exhibit is offered at culturesummerside.com.

PEI Arts Awards Province recognizes Island arts and cultural community

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(left–right) Minister Gilles Arsenault; Leo Cheverie Cultural Connector of the Year Award Winners: Lindsay Connolly, Megan Stewart and Melissa Peter-Paul.

Seven local art and creative professionals and organizations received top honours for their contributions to the Island creative sector. As part of the renewed provincial culture action plan, the PEI Arts Awards Program celebrates artistic merit and excellence. The recipients were recognized at the inaugural gala in late November. Each award recipient received a cash prize along with a unique piece of local art in recognition of their work to advance PEI’s art, culture and creative sector. Music PEI received the Organization of the Year Award, given to one organization for its significant artistic and cultural impact to the provincial landscape, residents and visitors. Lindsay Connolly, Megan Stewart and Melissa Peter-Paul were the recipients of the Leo Cheverie Cultural Connector of the Year Award. This Award recognizes three individuals, groups or organizations who have

championed and positively impacted access and connection between communities through art and culture. The PEI Writers’ Guild received the Premier’s Award for Stand-out Project of the Year for the queer youth book, Are We Friends Now. The Award celebrates an innovative artistic or cultural project in the areas of reconciliation, climate change, accessibility, or digital innovation by an artist, arts professional, group, collective or organization. Gerald Beaulieu received the Father Adrien Arsenault Senior Arts Award, which honours and acknowledges the excellence of a senior Island artist and their significant body of work in visual arts, writing and publishing, music, dance, fine craft, theatre, film or video. Fairouz Gaballa received the Gertie & Henry Purdy Emerging Visual Arts Bursary, which supports an emerging visual arts artist in their training, promotion, exhibition, leadership and practice.

ARTS

practices/businesses, along with the joys and hardships that come with being a creative. The next session will take place on January 9 from 7–8:30 pm. 57 Central St, Summerside. Info: lokki@creativepei. ca; creativepei.ca/wellbeing

Eptek Scavenger Hunts

Visitors of all ages are invited to test their skills (and eyesight) at Eptek Art & Culture Centre’s Scavenger Hunts. Try to find all 20 images. For upcoming activities, call 888-8373, follow @Eptek.Centre, or visit peimuseum.com, 130 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside.

Creative Well-Being

Artists, creators, and those running creative businesses on PEI are welcome to join the Creative Well-Being Initiative Artist & Creators Support Group. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month in the Key Room (second floor) at the Summerside Rotary Library. The group talks openly about creative

Attention PEI Visual Artists

CARFAC National will host a webinar about the CARFAC-RAAV fee schedule on January 10 at 3 pm AST. A basic overview of how the fee schedule works, as well as changes for 2024–2027 will be provided. Visit bit.ly/fee-schedule-webinar to register. CARFAC is developing fair guidelines for public art. Artists and other stakeholders will help them set new fees and contract terms. Those who work in the field of public art are encouraged to provide feedback for this consultation by answering the online survey for artists (bit.ly/public-art-survey-artists) or for commissioners (bit.ly/ public-art-survey-commissioners). Info: carfacmaritimes.org

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 19

DANCE DownStreet Dance Studio

DownStreet Dance Studio offers a variety of solo and couples classes for adults ages 18+ (a partner is not needed). The studio is a full non-profit and they are always seeking volunteers to help keep things running smoothly. The next volunteer information meeting is January 9 at 5:30 pm in the studio. Contact downstreetdance@gmail.com for more information. The January dance class schedule is as follows: Bellydancing at 6:30 pm on Tuesdays; 1940’s Swing for Continuing Dancers at 7:30 pm on Tuesdays; Tango at 5:30 pm on Wednesdays (3, 10, 17); ConfiDANCE at 7 pm on Wednesdays; Beginner Salsa at 5:30 pm on Thursdays; Burlesque at 7:30 pm on Thursdays (11, 18, 25); Beginner West Coast Swing at 5 pm on Saturdays; West Coast Choreography at 6 pm on Saturdays; West Coast Swing Level 1 at 7 pm on Saturdays; Salsa Rueda at 6 pm on Sundays; and Dance Your You at 7:30 pm on January 28. 101 Grafton St, 2nd floor, Charlottetown. downstreetdance.com

Dance workshops at CCOA

Confederation Centre of the Arts is offering a series of workshops led by local and nationally sourced professionals in the industry. Workshops are open to the public on a first-come first-served basis and held at the Centre. Register online at confederationcentre.com or in person through the Centre’s box office. The Making Dances Workshops on January 5 and 19 at 7 pm will explore the art of constructing a dance from idea to process to finished piece. Led by Julia Sauve, this workshop is designed to help students understand and learn different strategies in creating choreography—putting together the puzzle pieces of space, time, and energy. The Afro Funk Dance Workshop led by Reequal Smith will be held on January 12 at 7 pm. This vibrant and energetic dance style combines elements of traditional African dance with funk and soul music influences, and celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Africa while infusing it with the groove and rhythm of funk music, resulting in a dynamic and captivating performance. The Dalcroze Eurythmics Workshop led by Laura Ono, on February 2 at 6 pm would be of interest to people working in music, dance, theatre, education, and therapy. Dalcroze Eurhythmics is an approach to music education that recognizes the fundamental role of the body and of body movement in music perception and music performance. It can be applied at all levels of education, as well as in community and therapeutic settings. The Salsa Dance Workshop with Adrián Torres will be held on February 23 at 6 pm. Participants will learn salsa moves that will help them dance more fluidly with rhythm, whether they’re finding their individual or partner style. Open to all levels with a focus on beginners. 145 Richmond St, Charlottetown.

201 Wing Social and Dance

A Royal Canadian Air Force Association Social and Dance sponsored by 201

(Confederation) Wing will be held at Malcolm Darrach Community Centre from 1–4 pm on January 14 with entertainment by We3. A light lunch will be provided. Admission at the door. Everyone is welcome. Info: Debbie Reid (367-0450). 1 Avonlea Dr, Charlottetown.

Seniors Café: Line dancing

Join the Seniors Café at the Charlottetown Learning Library on January 18 at 1 pm for an introduction to line dancing. No experience necessary. Followed by light refreshments and socializing. 97 Queen St, Charlottetown.

Downstreet Social Dance

Downstreet Dance Studio hosts a social dance on the third Saturday of each month from 8–10 pm. Social dances are an opportunity to practice the skills and moves learned in class and to see what else the dance world has to offer. There are a variety of styles, including West coast swing, foxtrot, waltz, lindy hop, salsa, and more. All levels and styles of dance are welcome. The next dance will be on January 20. See what the studio is about, check out the funky lights and music, and meet some local dance enthusiasts. For more info contact the studio at downstreetdance@gmail.com. 101 Grafton St, second floor, Charlottetown.

dance umbrella winter semester

Registration is open until January 30 for the winter semester of dance umbrella at Confederation Centre of the Arts. There are a variety of classes for dancers of all levels and ages—from jazz to hip hop to ballet and more. Info/register: 628-6134; dance@confederationcentre.com. 145 Richmond St, Charlottetown.

Romantic Rumba workshop

Downstreet Dance Studio is hosting a Valentine’s Romantic Rumba workshop for couples on February 11 from 3–5 pm. Learn to rumba, dance, eat, drink, and maybe even see a surprise performance. Couples can also stay the next hour for Salsa Rueda. To book a spot early, email downstreetdance@gmail.com. 101 Grafton St, 2nd floor, Charlottetown.

24Strong showcases Two different performances 24Strong’s annual competitive dance showcases will be on stage in the Sobey Family Theatre at Confederation Centre of the Arts. Dance students will perform two completely different competitive dance showcases on February 3 with a performance at 2 pm and another performance at 7 pm. Visit confederationcentre.com to purchase tickets.

SEEKING SUMMER RENTALS

Confederation Centre of the Arts is currently seeking housing for artists involved in The 2024 Charlottetown Festival. FOR DETAILS VISIT: confederationcentre.com/housing

Page 20 The BUZZ January 2024

Eileen January 1–7 14A, violent scenes, mature content. Dir: William Oldroyd, US, 2023, 97 min. Thomasin McKenzie, Anne Hathaway.

stop Godzilla. This ups the emotional stakes… That’s not to say the spectacle isn’t also effective. The scenes of urban devastation are expertly choreographed and gorgeously shot… The final act features some of the best blockbuster filmmaking in years… Top Gun: Maverick showed us there’s still an audience for movies that combine concise and creative action with emotionally resonant characters. Godzilla Minus One is another reminder - and quite possibly the better movie of the two.” —Lucas Trevor, The Washington Post “A certified riot... Deftly political while still being a thrilling piece of entertainment, Godzilla Minus One is a true cinematic experience of the highest, largest order.” —Barry Hertz, Globe and Mail

Godzilla

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 friends, and share feedback!

Advance Tickets Please visit our website at citycinema.ca, we accept all major credit cards online and both debit and credit at the cinema. Seating may be limited, advance tickets are strongly recommended.

Subject to Change Film availability and showtimes are subject to change. Please check our website and book tickets in advance.

Rent City Cinema City Cinema is available for rent for private film viewings! We provide the projectionist and will have the canteen and bar open for your group. Please fill out the form under Venue Rental on our website and we’ll respond with information and rates.

“There’s not a spare millimetre of fat on the lean and well-oiled muscle of William Oldroyd’s noir-inflected tale of obsession… From impressive visual storytelling to its evocation of the 1960s, taut plotting and its central performances [it] runs through its psychological thriller beats with dark humour and style… Eileen is going through the motions of a dead-end existence in snowy Massachusetts. Her days revolve around working as a secretary at the local juvenile boys prison before swapping out her retired cop father’s two empty bottles of liquor for fresh ones… Things change with the arrival of new prison shrink Rebecca Saint John. The older woman’s sharp suits and perfect hair and make-up are every inch the femme fatale and the polar opposite of Eileen’s mousy look… Rebecca begins to take an interest in the case of inmate Lee Polk, who has killed his own policeman father, at the same time as sparking up a friendship with Eileen that will soon become an obsession for the younger woman… Full of deliciously dark surprises, this is also a film to be savoured for its craft… Oldroyd attacks with a pace that makes his plot twists more shocking and shows an economy that harks back to the golden age of noir.” —Amber Wilkinson, Screendaily

Godzilla Minus One

Annual membership - $25.00

American atomic weapons testing results in the creation of Godzilla, a seemingly unstoppable, dinosaur-like beast. Ishiro Honda’s nuclear age classic that birthed the Kaiju film.

Mothra vs. Godzilla

Freud’s Last Session January 20–25 Rating TBA. Dir: Matt Brown, US/UK, 2024, 108 min. Matthew Goode, Anthony Hopkins, Jodi Balfour.

January 14 PG. Dir: Ishiro Honda, Japan, 1964, 89 min. Akira Takarada, Yuriko Hoshi, Hiroshi Koizumi. In Japanese with English subtitles.

PG, violence. Dir: Takashi Yamazaki, Japan, 2023, 124 min. Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada. In Japanese with English subtitles.

When Mothra’s egg, a giant flying insect, washes ashore, greedy entrepreneurs claim and refuse to return it to her fairies. As Godzilla arises near Nagoya, the people of Infant Island must decide if they are willing to answer Japan’s own pleas for help.

$11.00 $8.00 $8.00 $8.00

We now accept credit cards online and both debit and credit at the cinema

PG. Dir: Ishiro Honda, Japan, 1954, 96 min. Takashi Shimura, Akihiko Hirata, Akira Takarada. In Japanese with English subtitles.

January 8–13

Admission Regular Member 65 and over 14 and under

January 13

death, and accept his new family. Which is where the magic starts. After being taunted by a frightening heron… Mahito discovers a boarded-up tower in the grounds of the house. Despite warnings that the tower is bad news, he’s drawn in by its sinister aura. Soon Natsuko is also taken by the tower and Mahito realises that he has to save her. Inside, he meets massive people-eating parakeets, a helpful, robust fisherwoman, adorable and benevolent marshmallow-looking creatures, and a girl named Himi who has magical fire-rendering powers. This enchanted world oscillates between light and darkness. Heavier themes of grief and war are balanced with funny moments…. With sprinklings of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Pan’s Labyrinth and Alice in Wonderland, Miyazaki has conjured up another fantastical adventure that meditates deeply on mortality. As the magical and the real worlds intersect, life gains new meaning for some of his characters…. Jaw-dropping visuals, tender moments, and a pinch of comedy make it the perfect treat.” —India Lawrence, Time Out

“Koichi, a former kamikaze pilot who survived only because he abandoned his mission, feels shame for his cowardice... Noriko is his nontraditional partner... Together, they live in bombed-out Tokyo… with the baby girl Noriko has taken in after promising a dying woman she would take care of her child. There’s not enough work, the roof leaks… Oh, and there’s a 200-foot-tall lizard terrorizing the country… Filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki mixes the tried-and-true beats of a modern blockbuster with the emotional and political tone of the original film. The result is nothing short of magical: a feast for the eyes, an entertaining epic in every sense of the word… Here, it’s up to ordinary people, not other monsters, to

The Boy and The Heron January 14–19 PG, violence. Dir: Hayao Miyazaki, 2023, Japan, 124 min. Christian Bale, Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh, Mark Hamill. “Partly based on Miyazaki’s own childhood, it begins in Tokyo during World War II where a young boy witnesses the bombing of the hospital where his mother is an inpatient. Cut to a few months later and Mahito and his father have moved to the countryside, where dad has remarried Mahito’s aunt Natsuko. Here, Mahito must come to terms with his mother’s

“St. Germain has adapted his play to the screen in collaboration with director Matthew Brown, who has the task of opening up a largely talky and intellectual exercise to make it all work as a movie… Thus we have flashbacks to sequences of war, love, family conflict, etc., but still at its heart are the words… We are invited to this meeting of these brilliant minds as they gather to talk about their core religious belief: the scientist Freud, a confirmed non-believer in God, versus the writer and theologian Lewis taking a more hopeful and spiritual approach completely at odds with his host... We learn about each man through their lived experiences. There is Freud’s childhood, life in Vienna, and difficult relationship with daughter Anna… As for Lewis, there are protracted flashbacks to his time on the battlefield in World War I and friendship with best friend Paddy Moore… There are other excursions, but the film always returns to the centerpiece of its idea of an open dialogue between two very disparate men… What makes this an event for serious filmgoers are the performances… Hopkins is once again, you guessed it, awards worthy. What a complete pleasure it continues to be to watch this great actor at the top of his game. Goode is equally fine, even with

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 21 the less showy role... Those filmgoers who are up to submitting to this fascinating fictional meeting will find much to think about.” —Pete Hammond, Deadline

city cinema schedule JANUARY

The 2023-24 New York Cat & Dog Film Festivals

Mon 7:00 Eileen

Tue

January 27–31

Wed 7:00 Eileen

PG. Dir: Various. International, 2023. Most films in English, other languages are subtitled.

Thu

7:00 Eileen

Fri

7:00 Eileen

10% of Box Office will be donated to the P.E.I. Humane Society.

Sat

2:00 Eileen

7:00 Eileen

7:00 Eileen 7:00 Eileen

Sun

Mon 7:00 Godzilla Minus One

Tue

7:00 Godzilla Minus One

10 Wed 7:00 Godzilla Minus One

All new! “Some of the major figures in these movies have been known to jump on their directors, fall asleep on the job, drool on camera and chew the scenery… But that’s no surprise: They’re among the four-legged performers in the sixth annual NY Cat Film Festival and the eighth annual NY Dog Film Festival. Each offers short documentary and fictional works illustrating how people affect the lives of animals, and how animals affect the lives of people... ‘I try to keep them to films that are lighter and that simply uplift you,’ said Tracie Hotchner, the founder of both festivals…The feline festival includes The Cat Duet, by two 12-year-olds who filmed themselves singing Duetto buffo di due gatti, a comic song often attributed to Rossini. (The only lyric is ‘Meow.’) The dog festival features Nepal Arslan’s 47 Seconds, his haiku-like response to discovering decades-old footage of a couple with a dog eerily resembling his own… Neither festival, however, has a shortage of serious documentaries. Michelle Williams’s Bear the Courthouse Canine explores the pivotal role that a gentle Labrador retriever plays for the Contra Costa County, Calif., district attorney. Trained to lie under the witness stand during trials, Bear comforts traumatized victims who are testifying, especially children… What struck Hotchner most about the festivals’ submissions this year was how much they tried to capture the inner lives of animals…. The filmmakers’ speculations are often comic, as in Insomnia, by Kim Best, who provides subtitles detailing a cat’s ruminations on this most unlikely of feline problems: ‘Embarrassingly, I considered sleeping with a dog.’” —Laurel Graeber, The New York Times

Thu

7:00 Godzilla Minus One

Fri

7:00 Godzilla Minus One

Sat

2:00 Godzilla Minus One 6:30 Godzilla Minus One 9:30 Godzilla

14 Sun

7:00 Boy and The Heron 15

Mon 7:00 Boy and The Heron

16 Tue 17

7:00 Boy and The Heron

Wed 7:00 Boy and The Heron

18 Thu

7:00 Boy and The Heron

19 Fri

7:00 Boy and The Heron

20 Sat

2:00 Freud’s Last Stand 7:00 Freud’s Last Stand

Sun

7:00 Freud’s Last Stand

22 Mon 7:00 Freud’s Last Stand 23 Tue

7:00 Freud’s Last Stand

24 Wed 7:00 Freud’s Last Stand 25 Thu

7:00 Freud’s Last Stand

26 Fri

7:00 Rolling Thunder

27 Sat

2:00 NY Cat Film Fest 7:00 NY Cat Film Fest

28 Sun

7:00 NY Dog Film Fest

29 Mon 7:00 NY Cat Film Fest 30 Tue

City Cinema presents

2:00 Mothra vs Godzilla

7:00 NY Dog Film Fest

Wed 7:00 NY Cat Film Fest

Be sure to follow us on our social media pages for up-to-date reminders and updates to our schedule. Email info@citycinema.ca to sign up for our newsletter and stay in the know with all the goings on!

citycinema.ca

Radical Pages BIPOC Book Club

The newest BIPOC Book Club, Radical Pages, was created by and for the BIPOC community on Epekwitk (PEI), through a partnership between the Native Council of PEI, Black Cultural Society and BIPOC USHR. Radical Pages is a place to share and learn together while building community, having fun and amplifying the voices of BIPOC authors and their stories. The club started in November and plans to meet once per month. Visit the Black Cultural Society of PEI website at bcspei.ca to sign up for their newsletter and get all the details and registration information.

Poet-in-Residence

PEI Poet Laureate Tanya Davis is the Poet-in-Residence at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre on the second Thursday of each month. Davis will be writing, reading, and happy to speak one-on-one with Island writers about a specific project of theirs, or the writing life in general. The next Poet-inResidence day is January 11 from 3–5 pm. Contact the library in advance (or day of) to set up an appointment via phone at 368-4642 or in person at 97 Queen Street, Charlottetown.

Book Lovers Talk Books

Join Book Lovers Talk Books, an informal conversation-style book club, on January 16 at 6 pm at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre. Participants talk about the books they are currently reading with fellow certified book lovers, get recommendations, and share the love of reading with others. 97 Queen St, Charlottetown.

Deirdre Kessler book launch Penumbra Press and Bookmark present Deirdre Kessler and the launch of Darwin’s Hornpipe at 7 pm on January

18 at the Gallery Coffee House & Bistro in Charlottetown (82 Great George St). Darwin’s Hornpipe is loosely based on Deirdre’s great-grandfather’s actual whaling ship experience—he, too, was wrongly accused of mutiny and thrown overboard near one of the islands in the Galápagos archipelago.

So You Want To Write A Novel

So You Want To Write A Novel is a two-day interactive workshop starting January 20 at 10 am at the Summerside Rotary Library. L.P. Suzanne Atkinson, author of eleven books, will cover a variety of topics, including the elements of a novel, character development, point of view and active voice, plotting and pacing, book building, and getting read (publishing option). Space is limited. Call the library at 436-7323 to register. 57 Central St, Summerside.

Summerside Rotary Library Book Club

Join the Summerside Rotary Library Book Club for a lively discussion about some of today’s most thought-provoking books. Pick up a copy of the latest book club selection at the main circulation desk. The next meeting is January 27 at 2 pm. 57 Central St, Summerside.

2024 PEI Book Awards

The Prince Edward Island Book Awards celebrate the best in Island books. Awards are presented every two years to the author, editor or creator of the books that most clearly show excellence in content, design and production. Entries can be submitted for the 2024 PEI Book Awards in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children’s literature. The entry deadline is January 31. Info: princeedwardisland.ca/ peibookawards

Hideout residency program scholarship open

Applications are open for a unique writing and creative residency program in PEI. Now in its fifth year, the Hideout Residencies welcome writers, artists, and self-care practitioners to a quiet rural setting on PEI’s south shore each spring and fall. Residencies are a week in length and allow for uninterrupted time to work on a creative project. In order to support Maritime writers and practitioners, one full scholarship covering residency costs is available to an emerging or established writer or practitioner with financial need. Writers or wellness practitioners who identify as BIPOC or 2SLGBTQ+ are especially encouraged to apply. The scholarship deadline for 2024 is March 1. For more information about the Hideout Residencies, the application process, or the scholarship, visit thehideoutpei.com.

Effective writing prizes UPEI celebrates 12th annual MacLauchlan Prizes UPEI celebrated the 12th annual MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective Writing at a presentation ceremony on November 17. The awards were presented to 36 students and one faculty member this year, acknowledging their effective writing skills, which are the foundation of academic success and lifelong learning. Brennan McDuffee, a Faculty of Arts student and an award winner, read an excerpt from his piece, Best Summer Wade MacLauchlan (left) and UPEI Vice-President Ever! A Family Comedy. Academic and Research Greg Naterer (right) congratuFaculty of Arts student and late Brennan McDuffee and Athéna Marine Esmeralda award winner Athéna Quirin Quirin, two of this year’s winners also read an excerpt from her piece, “L’obsession dans Du Akila Thomas, Alexandra Kowalchuk, côté de chez Swann de Marcel Proust.” Ally Felix, Athéna Marine Esmeralda The MacLauchlan Prizes for Quirin, Aurora Ryder, Caitlin Perrot, Effective Writing distribute up to Claire MacPhee, Easton Power, $30,000 annually in awards. The family Emma Coughlin, Joel Compton, has made previous contributions to the Keridwen Campbell, Larissa Storey, Harry W. MacLauchlan Scholarships Laura Apblett, Lauren Rainford, Liah in Entrepreneurial Leadership, Clayton, Lily Greenan, Madison Walsh, MacLauchlan Arena, Robertson Maretta Moore, Marley Lucas, Olivia Library, athletic scholarships, and Van Hul, Patience Smith, Payton Kelly, student prizes in mathematics and Peng Shen, Quinn O’Brien, Sheila entrepreneurship. Walsh, and Tobiah Rowswell. The 2023 recipients of the The awards were established in MacLauchlan Prizes for Effective 2011 by the MacLauchlan family to Writing are Dr. Wendy Shilton, honour H. Wade MacLauchlan’s conCatherine-Lynne Curtis, Peiming Ye, tributions to the University and his 12 Ryanna Ryan, Brennan McDuffee, years of service as UPEI president and Deborah Langston, Olivia McNeill, vice-chancellor from 1999–2011.

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READERS/WRITERS

New brand and website Visual identity for Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI The Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI has launched its new visual identity and website. As an organization dedicated to supporting an empowered Mi’kmaq and Indigenous community in the journey towards self-determination, the intention was to create a brand that is equally empowering and future focused. Capturing the essence of Epekwitk’s vibrant culture and beauty, the new logo intertwines colours that reflect its natural landscape and elements central to Mi’kmaq and Indigenous cultures. Featuring many traditional teachings and sacred symbols, the new visual identity highlights the unique connection to land and the interdependence of all forms of life. Honouring traditional teachings

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Page 22 The BUZZ January 2024

in the brand identity empowers the organization to excel in its work. The Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI expresses gratitude to the Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and community members whose guidance led to the development of this new visual identity. mcpei.ca

A gift of Island Poetry FROM THIS DISTANCE The space between the stars is merely millimetres wide. Some are just a kiss apart, while close at hand there may be lightyears between my fingers and your skin. Distances can be breached, reachable as the reddest apple on the lowest branch – just a tongue-tip away. Yet, the spruce tree’s blue shadow on the field of snow drifts farther and farther from its home, and the river’s rift between its iced-up shores makes an easy route for mallards moving downstream. We sail with winds whose source we scarcely know. First departures and then we sidle up to things – ships bumping the pier. Here comes a dove in its classy greys pecking the roadway grit; its separateness hurts the eye, for it will not be stayed. Meanwhile, the seasons nudge each other: frost laying jewellery on the necks of sprouted bulbs. We are either side by side or singly in between – watching, waiting for green shoots to crack the cold earth. Brent MacLaine. From his forthcoming collection, A Skeptic in Springtime, published by Island Studies Press. Each month Deirdre Kessler selects a poem by an Island poet for The Buzz.

2024 PEI Book Awards The Prince Edward Island Book Awards celebrate the best in Island books. Awards are presented every two years to the author, editor or creator of the books that most clearly show excellence in content, design and production. Entries can be submitted for the 2024 PEI Book Awards in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children’s literature. The entry deadline is January 31, 2024. For more information and the entry form visit:

www.PrinceEdwardIsland.ca/PEIBookAwards Paid for by the Government of Prince Edward Island

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 23

LECTURES & TALKS Hospice PEI presentation

Visit the Seniors Café at the Summerside Rotary Library at 11 am on January 11 for a cup of tea or coffee and an information session about Hospice PEI presented by guest Catherine Gaudet. 57 Central St, Summerside.

BIS Winter Lecture Series

The Benevolent Irish Society’s 2024 Winter Lecture Series, “Diversity and Reconciliation,” will feature guest lecturers on select Monday evenings this month at the Irish Cultural Centre. All lectures will begin at 7 pm. Author Teresa Redmond will present “A Force to be Reckoned With—A Brief Look at How Women Shaped PEI Over the Last Three Centuries” on January 15. Betty Begg, founder and president of Gifts from the Heart, will present “Over the Years—the Face of Poverty on PEI” on January 22. Julie Pellisier-Lush, actress, Mi’kmaq storyteller, and former Poet Laureate for PEI, will present “The Story of the Seven Generations of Women in My Family”on January 29. Admission by donation. 582 North River Road, Charlottetown.

Island Lecture Series

Presented by the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, the Island Lecture Series on January 23 will feature Time Flies: An Aerial History of Coastal and Ribbon Development on Prince Edward Island with Dr. Josh MacFadyen. The lecture will be held from 7–8 pm in the SDU Faculty Lounge on the UPEI campus. Based on his new book, Time Flies, Dr. MacFadyen will show that development in the coastal zone and along rural roads is accelerating on PEI, just as the province is experiencing sustainability challenges in both areas. The talk will offer a unique combination of aerial photographs, historical maps, and more traditional sources, as it describes the province’s journey into modernity. Info: islandstudies.com/events/island-lecture-timeflies-with-josh-macfadyen.

PEI Cannabis presentation

A PEI Cannabis presentation will be held at the Charlottetown Learning Library Centre on January 25 at 1 pm. Sandee from PEI Cannabis will inform the public about the different kinds of cannabis and their uses. 97 Queen St, Charlottetown.

Season Affective Disorder presentation

A representative from the Canadian Mental Health Association will be at the Summerside Rotary Library on January 29 at 6:30 pm to talk about Seasonal Affective Disorder and answer any questions. 57 Central St, Summerside.

Page 24 The BUZZ January 2024

PEI BOOKS Darwin’s Hornpipe Deirdre Kessler

eventually reunite. Set during the American Civil War, Kessler’s Darwin’s Hornpipe is loosely based on her great-grandfather’s actual whaling ship experience: he, too, was wrongly accused of mutiny and thrown overboard near one of the islands in the Galápagos archipelago. Kessler lives in Charlottetown, PEI. She is the author of more than two dozen books of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry and is a former Poet Laureate of PEI. penumbrapress.com

The Bridge Effect Edited by Laurie Brinklow and Andrew Jennings

Penumbra Press has released a new novel by Deirdre Kessler, Darwin’s Hornpipe. “Cat o’ nine tails or overboard, McDonough.” So begins Deirdre Kessler’s novel, Darwin’s Hornpipe. After being accused of mutiny aboard the Morning Star, a whaling barque, Will McDonough does a jig on the Union Jack and is thrown overboard. He swims to an island in the Galápagos archipelago and is marooned. After his rescue, he seeks justice for Rafael, his CofánEcuadorean friend who was co-accused by the barque’s captain and succumbed to a cruel flogging. A parallel narrative follows Will’s soulmate, Nixie Austin, whose missives to him depict her trek overland with a dog and companion donkeys from the California gold fields to Prince Edward Island, where she and Will

A new book co-edited by Laurie Brinklow and Andrew Jennings examines the effect of bridges—be they physical or digital—on island life and culture. The Bridge Effect: Critical Reflections in the Age of Technological

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Solutionism features essays about bridged islands around the world, including Prince Edward Island, Scotland, Malta, China, Japan, and the Netherlands. Bridging an island is often a polarizing subject. A permanent link allows for the transport of people and goods on- and off-island and can even allow an island to remain a viable place to live. At the same time, it changes the character of an island as bounded and set apart from the mainland. Not all bridges are physical. In recent years, access to broadband is allowing islanders to be part of the global world but still make a living on their islands. From the economic effects resulting from these links to how islanders feel about themselves once they’ve been joined to a mainland or another island, The Bridge Effect explores if and how “islandness”― and, ultimately, island identity―has changed on these small islands. Laurie Brinklow is a writer, editor, assistant professor, and the coordinator of the Master of Arts in Island Studies (MAIS) program at UPEI. She is the author of My island’s the house I sleep in at night and Here for the Music. Andrew Jennings lives in Shetland, Scotland’s most northerly islands. He is an associate professor of Island Studies based at UHI Shetland, where he works with the Institute for Northern Studies. The Bridge Effect was published by Island Studies Press with the support of a SSHRC Exchange Publication Award from the Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Research at UPEI. For more information about the book, contact Bren Simmers at 5660386 or ispstaff@upei.ca.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World Mima Island author Michelle Arsenault, also known as Mima, has released her 18th book, Everybody Wants to Rule the World.

A former Mexican narco transitions into Canadian life with family, politics, and business while holding tight to his ruthless, criminal ways. Meet Jorge Hernandez. He may be the king of gangsters, but lately, Hernandez has been the king of lazy. The former Mexican cartel boss starts to change his mind when a blue-haired freak slashes his tires, calling him a climate criminal. He finally breaks out of hibernation when rumors of a new medication said to be for children with behaviour issues is about to become mandatory for all schoolaged children. Jorge suspects that the drug is more about making kids compliant and easily controlled, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Who is at the top of the pile of degenerates that are pushing this agenda? Is it just Big Pharma trying to make their next billion, or is it something much more sinister behind this latest plot? Jorge and his gang intend to find out. Readers do not need to read the entire series to enjoy this book. Mima novels are available at all online retailers. Visit mimaonfire.com for more information, follow her socials, sign up for her newsletter, or to request free bookmarks.

The Cove Journal by JoDee Samuelson

Morning walk

A sparkling morning, one of the shortest days of the year, sun low over the Strait, long blue shadows. Walking down to the Cove I turn to the woman beside me: “So what’re you doing these long dark nights?”

perfect to waste on gloomy thoughts. “Looking on the bright side,” I say, “here we can get help without losing our homes or being in debt for the rest of our lives. It’s kind of amazing. I know I take health care for granted.”

Friend replies, “Binge watching New Amsterdam.”

“Me too. It’s a real—oh, look!!” An eagle glides directly overhead, soundless, perfectly balanced, with white head and tail gleaming in the sunlight. “He came out of nowhere!” The others join us: “That was amazing! So close up! He was probably as surprised as we were.”

“Good?” She shrugs. “I don’t know. It’s addictive.” “Okay, what’s it about?” “There’s this imaginary hospital in New York City with gorgeous sexy doctors, and sick people who have no health insurance and all scared stiff that they won’t get treatment. But New Amsterdam Hospital treats patients, if they have insurance or not, with—you know—MRIs, CT scans, open heart surgeries.” “And they all live happily ever after?” She laughs. “Of course. Well, it is television. I was addicted to ‘House’ too. I guess I just like hospital dramas.” We stop at the park gate and wait for the others to catch up. “Did I tell you,” she says, “that George [her brother-in-law] had a pain in his side last week? He and Alma waited in emergency from 11 at night till 7 in the morning, him just walking around, couldn’t sit down the pain was that bad.” “Eight hours! What happened?” “Kidney stones. Worst pain in the world, Alma said.” “Everybody seems to be waiting in emergency for hours... but we do get seen eventually.” The day is too

Black History Month Celebrations begin with Opening Gala—Jan 27 The Black Cultural Society of Prince Edward Island will celebrate the launch of Black History Month at the Opening Celebration Gala on January 27 at the Delta Prince Edward in Charlottetown. BCSPEI will launch its 2024 Black History Month programming at the Gala, which will begin at 7 pm and feature local performing artists, a multicourse meal, and a dance from 10 pm–midnight. Doors open at 6:30 pm. To register and purchase tickets, visit black-cultural-society-of-pei.tickit. ca/events/22276. Registration closes on January 11 at midnight. Visit bcspei.ca or follow @blackculturalsocietypei on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

PEI Winter Woodlot Tour Glasgow Hills Trail—Jan 27

We tramp through a tumult of fallen trees, scarlet rosehips, Nova Scotia holly berries, and delicate brown asters. Winter. So beautiful. “Careful!” The path is icy underfoot and we don’t want any accidents. At water’s edge the sea gently nudges a long roll of seaweed that was washed in with the last storm. Otherwise the beach has been washed clean of everything but a few oyster shells and one long straight log that would make someone a nice flagpole. Today the sea is calm and unthreatening, yet a few days ago it was a roaring mayhem, a perfect showcase of whitecaps and foam. Uprooted spruce trees tumble over the capes, their branches decorated with strands of rockweed and stalactites of ice. Our shore. Where tides rise and fall right on cue, eagles appear out of nowhere, icicles form and melt away one droplet at a time. “Look at these snails!” someone calls. “All snuggled together in this long crack, ready for winter. Happy New Year, little snails,” she says. We settle ourselves on slabs of ancient sandstone and watch the day unfold.

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“Never heard of it. Is it good?” (What a question!)

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 25

Winter Woodlot Tour 2017

The tenth annual PEI Winter Woodlot Tour takes place at the Glasgow Hills Trail on January 27 from 9 am–1 pm. The tour celebrates Island organizations, individuals, and practices that promote native wildlife, forest ecosystems, and sustainable woodlot use. There are opportunities to try snowshoeing, take a sleigh ride, or learn about maple syrup production. Visitors can enjoy a free apple cider as they walk through the many exhibits on forest management, woodland crafts, and conservation practices. Visit winterwoodlottour.ca or follow on FB for details and to check for storm cancellation updates. The Glasgow Hills Trail is located at 98 Glasgow Hills Drive in New Glasgow.

Page 26 The BUZZ January 2024

CTCA Tai Chi classes

The Charlottetown Chapter of the Canadian Tai Chi Academy (CTCA) will offer beginner/intermediate Tai Chi training on Saturdays from January 13 to May 25. Classes take place from 9:30–11 am in the Upton Room at the West Royalty Community Centre, 1 Kirkdale Road, Charlottetown. Those interested are invited to attend a CTCA Open House on January 6 at 11 am. A Tai Chi demonstration will be provided, along with an explanation of the CTCA approach to training. The Charlottetown Chapter of CTCA looks forward to welcoming new participants and answering any questions. Email charlottetown@ canadiantaichiacademy.org for more info.

City of Summerside 2023 Heritage & Culture Awards

Nominations are open for the 2023 City of Summerside Heritage and Culture Awards until January 26 at 4 pm. The awards are given annually in recognition of individual and group contributions to the preservation, promotion, education and celebration of heritage, arts and culture in the Summerside community. There are plenty of people and groups to nominate as they are the ones building the vibrant cultural community that all citizens enjoy. Nominators are invited to think outside the box when considering a nomination. The preservation of heritage and the interpretation of culture takes many forms. It can be anything from architectural preservation, oral storytelling, language preservation, natural heritage preservation, storytelling, exhibits, etc. The nomination categories are: Heritage Activities; Arts/Culture Activities; Publication of the Year; Heritage, Arts or Culture Volunteer of the Year; Heritage, Arts or Culture Youth Volunteer of the Year; and Award of Honour for Heritage/Culture. Nomination forms are available online at culturesummerside.com, via phone at 432-1298, or in person at MacNaught History Centre and Archives, 75 Spring St, Summerside. The awards will be presented at the Mayor’s Heritage Tea. culturesummerside.com

Tracadie Lions fundraiser

The Tracadie Lions Club is selling tickets for its annual Calendar Cash Draw until the end of January. Cash prizes totalling over $3000 will be awarded and participants can win more than once. Ticket proceeds support many Lions’ initiatives, including Christmas hampers, youth mental health and addiction, medical travel funding, and more. Draws will take place daily through the month of February. Tickets are available via phone at 218-6047 (call/text) and by email to tracadielions@winterbay.org.

GEBIS Happy Course

The GEBIS Happy Course, Emotional Resilience & Mindfulness, will be offered on Wednesdays at 6 pm from January 10–31 in Summerside at Three Oaks Senior High and in Charlottetown at Colonel Gray Senior High. This course explores the important role the body plays in one’s own happiness and

COMMUNITY #1 well-being. In everyday life, the human body can react to danger when there is no real threat or it can hold onto a sense of danger after any threat has passed. This process can lead to stress, anxiety or being unable to concentrate and learn. Often this also leads to a deterioration in physical well-being. Using tools based on scientific research, ancient wisdom and common sense, participants will learn to regulate emotions through mindfulness and meditation, and classes will have presentations as well as group discussions. Seating is limited. GEBIS (Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society) is a volunteer, not-for-profit organization aimed at promoting mental and physical well-being within communities. Info/register: @AboutMonks on FB; happycourse@gebis.org

Kinesiology students seeking volunteers

Students taking the Kinesiology 3440-Active Living Practicum course at UPEI are seeking volunteers to participate in personal training sessions. The sessions start on January 16 at the UPEI Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, at either 9:30 am or 10:30 am. Participants, between 30–70 years of age, will meet with their student trainers twice a week for 10 weeks. There is a cost to participants for this program. No previous experience with personal training sessions is necessary. Info/register: email Brett Roberts at broberts@upei.ca

Annual Alzheimer’s Awareness Conference

The 12th Annual Alzheimer’s Awareness Conference will be held on January 25 at the Rodd Royalty Hotel in Charlottetown (14 Capital Dr). The full-day conference will feature a line-up of experts. Presenters will share essential, emerging, and impactful education for persons living with dementia, family caregivers, healthcare providers, and the public. Registration will open at 8:30 am, with presentations beginning at 9 am. After lunch there will be storytelling by a well-known local duo. Virtual tickets are available for those unable to attend in person. Tickets/info: alzheimersawarenessconferencepei.eventbrite.ca

ElderDog PEI seeking volunteer Pawd leader

ElderDog PEI, a branch of ElderDog Canada, is recruiting for their next volunteer administrative leader (Pawd leader). The fully volunteer-driven organization assists aging people and their pets. With help and support from the organization’s national office and local coordinators, the Pawd leader is the first point of contact with the public, redirecting folks to the appropriate PEI team members in areas of volunteers, dog care support and rehoming. The leader will represent the Pawd at national online

information-sharing meetings and with local organizations and businesses. The time commitment varies but averages about 15 hours per month. Interested candidates can contact Lynne Craddock at elderdogpeitr@gmail.com or 969-2926.

PEI Rainbow Youth Club

Members and allies of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community who are looking for new pals and fun times are welcome to join the PEI Rainbow Youth Club at the Summerside Rotary Library in the Inspire Learning Centre. Each meeting provides youth with the opportunity to participate in youth-led discussions and fun activities, complete with opportunities for creativity and self-discovery. These sessions are led by trained PEERS Alliance staff and volunteers, and include a healthy snack. The Club is open to youth ages 12–18. Youth will not be asked to identify and all are welcome to attend. The next meeting is January 16 at 6 pm. 57 Central St, Summerside.

Free income tax clinics

Through the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP), community organizations host free tax clinics where volunteers complete tax returns for people with a modest income and a simple tax situation. The Canada Revenue Agency is looking for volunteers to file taxes for free to help those in need get their benefits and credits. To become a volunteer, visit canada.ca/ taxes-volunteer today. Organizations are needed to host the free virtual or in-person tax clinics so that volunteers can help those in need access qualifying benefits by filing their taxes for free. Visit canada.ca/taxes-volunteer to learn more. To find out if an organization is eligible for a grant to help cover expenses of running free CVITP clinics, visit canada. ca/free-tax-clinics-grant.

Nominations of candidates for honorary degrees open

The University of Prince Edward Island calls for nominations of candidates for honorary degrees to be conferred at Convocation in May 2024. Honorary degrees are conferred honoris causa, “for the sake of honour,” and are intended to recognize outstanding provincial, national, and international contributions in any field of endeavour. Contributions should reflect extraordinary intellectual or artistic achievements, or significant service to society at a standard of excellence that merits the University’s highest honour. A list of all those who have received honorary degrees from UPEI, Saint Dunstan’s University, and Prince of Wales College can be viewed online at upei.ca. Nominations can be made online, or a form can be downloaded at upei.ca/nominatehdr. The deadline for nominations for 2024 candidates is January 15. Info: presidentea@upei.ca

CCOA seeking summer housing for artists

Confederation Centre of the Arts (CCOA) is currently seeking summer housing for artists involved in The 2024 Charlottetown Festival. PEI’s housing crunch makes it challenging to find accommodations, and the Centre relies on the support of the community to welcome top-tier talent to the Island. The Centre assists seasonal artists with their housing search by assembling a list of options from the community. Artists will then connect with a host directly to book, arrange payment, coordinate details, etc. There are artists coming to PEI this summer who need accommodations between mid-May and late September. The dates and lengths of their stays vary; most artists will stay for the whole summer, but others only stay for three to eight weeks. Hosts with any availability within that window are encouraged to reach out. All types of accommodations are welcome, including houses, condos, apartments, secondary suites, spare bedrooms, etc. Places in Charlottetown are preferred but hosts in other communities can also submit. Locations within walking distance to the Centre, or near transit lines / bike-friendly areas are ideal. Providing accommodations for incoming artists is vital to the success of The Charlottetown Festival, and hosts will receive a few perks for making their rental space available. CCOA asks the community to share this call with friends, family, and co-workers to help spread the word. Info: confederationcentre.com/housing; rshaw@confederationcentre.com

Care Giver Support Group meetings

Monthly Care Giver Support Group meetings take place on the third Monday of each month at 1 pm in Queen’s County; on the last Wednesday of each month at 1:30 pm in East Prince; and on the second Thursday of each month at 6 pm in West Prince. To register, call the Hospice PEI Coordinator in Queen’s (368-4095), East Prince (438-4231) or West Prince (859-3949). Learn more about Hospice PEI, their programs and services, and how to get involved at hospicepei.ca.

PEI Autistic Adults

PEI Autistic Adults is an online and in-person peer-support group for autistic adults/seniors on PEI to talk about autism, share experiences of navigating PEI as autistic adults, and support each other. The website, peiautisticadults. com, has a public blog where members can share their views, a private discussion forum, private chat functionality, and links to their social media. There are weekly meetings via Zoom and the group is currently discussing becoming a non-profit. PEI Autistic Adults was started by an autistic senior and currently has over 70 members ranging from students to seniors. Those who wish to participate in the meetings but do not wish to interact online can email peiautisticadults@gmail.com. PEI Autistic Adults is not affiliated with any organization.

The Nature of PEI by Gary Schneider

Rhodes Scholar

PEI Forestry Commission could play a big role

UPEI’s Luke McCarvill gets prestigious award

While we still don’t have any provincial legislation protecting locally rare and endangered species of flora Forestry Commission tour of the Glenaladale woodland. or fauna, we do know that many of our rarities are in that across the province. We’ve visited sawsituation due to habitat loss. Forest mills and wood chip producers, looked management can have a significant at provincial properties—including impact on wildlife—both positive and forest wildlife management areas— negative. and private woodlands. Other stops included a wood chip burner that proBarred owls are relatively common duces heat for a provincial building, on PEI but run into problems because and several nurseries. We’ve listened for the most part they nest in cavities to forest technicians, viewed different and those wildlife trees must be large harvesting operations, and toured a enough to not only house the birds but watershed being restored. also to remain standing. The size of their territory varies, but in Michigan One of most exciting parts of the the home range of barred owls is about Commission’s mandate is that it will: a square mile. They tend to favour “Assist the Department to develop a mixed forests that are 80 years or older. new Forest Policy for Prince Edward Island.” We are long overdue for a new Other species, especially some of the Forest Policy, the last one came together migratory warblers, are adversely in 2006. Much has happened since affected by forest fragmentation, a then, including witnessing the effects condition common both in individof significant storms and the raising of ual woodlands and certainly when public awareness about the wide range viewing larger blocks. The excess of of values that forests can provide. forest edge allows predators such as cats, raccoons and blue jays easy access The previous policy was aided by the to the eggs and nesting young. Nesting hundreds of Islanders who showed success of birds such as black-throated up at meetings across the province to blue warblers, red-eyed vireos, and discuss all kinds of issues related to ovenbirds are much higher in larger forests. I think everyone was surprised blocks of continuous woodlands. at the public interest and turnout. And this was reflected in improvements to A recent initiative has the potential the policy at that time. to bring benefits to both humans and wildlife. I was asked to be a member In order to gather public input, the of the PEI Forestry Commission by Forestry Commission is producing a its Chair, Jean-Paul Arsenault, who I discussion paper, and will host a series knew from my days on the Provincial of meetings across the province. These Round Table on Resource Land Use meetings will provide a place to talk and Stewardship. Jean-Paul was the about anything related to forests— Executive Secretary of that group including climate change, wildlife, and did a great job bringing people carbon storage, biodiversity, and forest together from different sectors. For this harvesting. Commission, he has gathered thirteen people with expertise in waterThere will be notices of the meetings sheds, wildlife, forest management, in the media and on the Commission’s Indigenous issues, native plants, and website (princeedwardisland.ca/ the forest industry (both harvesting en/information/environment-enand planting). ergy-and-climate-action/pei-forestry-commission). We welcome your The group has toured many sites participation.

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On Prince Edward Island, many of our rare plant species are linked to how we’ve treated our forests over the past three centuries. We have lots of coastal areas, windbreaks, fields, wetlands, even bogs (though some of these continue to be under pressure), but we lack large blocks of older forests.

PEI FORESTRY COMMISSION

Healthier forests

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 27

Luke McCarvill

University of Prince Edward Island undergraduate student Luke McCarvill is one of 11 young Canadians to be awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarships for Canada this year. McCarvill is completing his Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design Engineering (FSDE), holds a 4.3 GPA, and has received multiple

academic awards. He will head to the University of Oxford in 2024 for fully funded post-graduate studies. At Oxford, he hopes to pursue graduate studies in Energy Systems and Environmental Change and Management. McCarvill is a Sailor 3rd Class with the Royal Canadian Navy, where he works to bring a bilingual (FrenchEnglish) perspective to the Naval Reserve Division. He has been heavily involved in the UPEI Engineering Society, has volunteered with Special Olympics, has taught coding to Girl Guides, and founded the UPEI Ultimate Disc sport team. After he entered UPEI in 2019 for post-secondary studies, McCarvill expanded his scholarship by studying abroad at Arizona State University through a Fulbright Canada’s Killam Fellowship in 2022, achieving a 4.0/4.0 GPA; representing Canada at the 2023 Japan-Canada Academic Consortium in Tokyo; and competing at academic competitions such as the Atlantic Engineering Competition. The Rhodes Scholarship is the world’s preeminent and oldest graduate fellowship, based at the University of Oxford since 1903. McCarvill is only the third Rhodes Scholar from UPEI since the university was established in 1969. Dr. Heather Morrison was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship in 1991 and Dr. Hélène Deacon in 1999.

There are trained professionals available 24/7, ready to help. This ad is paid for by the government of Prince Edward Island

Page 28 The BUZZ January 2024

Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group meetings A Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group meets at 1 pm on the second Sunday of each month at Stratford Town Hall. The meetings are for anyone who has, or knows someone who has, pulmonary fibrosis. There is some time spent discussing the illness but mostly the group shares tips on how to handle it. The next meeting is on January 14. Everyone is welcome. Info: Doug/Allison, 675-2970. 234 Shakespeare Dr, Stratford.

Gifts From The Heart

Supported by donors, Betty Begg-Brooks and her volunteers at Gifts From The Heart offer free food, clothing, furniture and housewares to qualified low income families and those experiencing temporary hardship. Starting January 15, donations of new and gently-used clothing, furniture and household items can be dropped off on Monday and Wednesday from 10 am–4 pm. Monetary and food donations are gratefully received throughout the week. The next end of month sale, which is open to the public to help defray operating costs, is February 24. Betty and her volunteers also manage three community fridges which are located at 10 Maple Hills Ave in Charlottetown, the West Royalty Community Centre and the Stratford No Frills parking lot. Food donations can be dropped off directly at the nearest fridge during operating hours, Monday– Friday from 9 am–5 pm. Volunteer shifts

COMMUNITY #2 at the community fridge locations are from 9 am–1 pm or 1–5 pm. Training is provided for those who are interested in volunteering. Call Betty at 393-0171 for after hours drop-offs, to volunteer, or to register as a client. 10 Maple Hills Ave, Charlottetown.

Online Grief Support Group meetings

Online Grief Support Group meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 7 pm. These sessions use the Zoom online meeting app. To register, call the Hospice PEI grief coordinator at 330-3857. Telephone-based grief support with hospice trained volunteers is also available. Learn more about Hospice PEI, their programs and services, and how to get involved at hospicepei.ca.

UPEI nursing professor seeking families for study Dr. Margie Burns, an assistant professor with the UPEI Faculty of Nursing, is conducting a research project about communication between paramedics and the relatives of critically ill patients when the patient is being transferred off-Island for advanced critical care services. Her goal is to determine the feasibility of an indirect communication intervention whereby transferring paramedics will provide information to family members at two points during off-Island patient transfers. Dr. Burns is hoping to find 20 family members who will take part in the study, which started in December at the QEH emergency department. Between 8 am–3:30 pm, Monday–Friday, eligible family members will be given a letter of invitation to take part in the project. The family member will scan a QR code on the letter and complete a survey. Once the survey is submitted, Dr. Burns will get an email notification and then activate the intervention by calling the clinical support desk paramedics at Island EMS. Paramedics at the Island EMS clinical support desk in Charlottetown will contact the transferring paramedics at the halfway point to Halifax, Moncton, or St. John, and

on arrival at the receiving centre. After receiving this update, the clinical support desk paramedics will contact the family member by telephone to provide this update and ask that person to complete a survey to measure stress and anxiety. This system allows transferring paramedics in the ambulance to quickly communicate information to the clinical support desk paramedics, she said, minimizing interruptions in their care of the critically ill patient. The clinical support desk paramedic, who is not involved in the direct care of the critically ill patient, can take time to share information with family members and answer questions.

PEI Veterans Success Centre

The PEI Lest We Forget Veterans Committee has partnered with The East Prince Women’s Information Centre to establish the Veterans Success Centre for PEI, a newly established career development and entrepreneurship centre that caters to the unique needs of Island Military Veterans and their immediate family members. The Bunker Lab, a new entrepreneurial ideation program for women and gender diverse people, is launching this month. The employability programming dates will be announced in February. Island Veterans needing oneon-one support can call Barb Gallant at 724-4308. To learn more about the Centre and its services, or to enroll in the entrepreneurial and employability programs, visit epwic.ca/peiveteranssuccesscentre.

Living with Loss: Stillborn and Infant Loss group

Join other families for support at the Stillborn and Infant Loss group. The therapist facilitated grief and loss group sessions run twice a month from 6–8 pm in Charlottetown. A variety of topics are explored, including integrating loss in life, navigating social and family dynamics, secondary losses, coping with holidays, post loss family planning, and more. This group is a safe space to connect with other families and process surviving the loss of a baby together. For more info, email jfitzpatrick-hopkin@ihis. org or call 894-2962.

Peace in the Middle East

The Island Peace Committee is a group of Islanders who promote the non-violent resolution to conflict. Currently, the Island’s local group, along with peace activists around the world, are lobbying for a ceasefire in Gaza due to the death of thousands of civilians, which is a crime against humanity. Peace events will take place in Charlottetown until there is a ceasefire on Saturday afternoons at 2 pm in the park next to the Cenotaph on Grafton Street. Public participation is welcome. Call 368-7337 for more info.

Trade HERizons

Trade HERizons starts again on January 22 and will run to April 26. Trade HERizons is a 14-week no-cost career exploration and college preparation program for women and gender-diverse people. With a focus on exposure to trades and technology careers, enhancing essential skills, career exploration and personal development, the program participants experience hands-on learning opportunities with Holland College, receive training with the Construction Association of PEI, meet mentors, and tour with employers in industry. Visit wnpei.org for details.

Brain injury meetings

A brain injury support group, hosted by the Brain Injury Association of PEI, is held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in Stratford. Meetings take place in the Battery Point room at the Stratford Town Hall. There are outings on occasion. Follow @BrainInjuryPEI on FB. Contact Jo-Ann McInnis (213-1480) or Elton Poole (916-2750) for more info. 234 Shakespeare Dr, Stratford.

PEI Sociable Singles

PEI Sociable Singles is a non-profit, non-denominational, social group for members ages 50 and over. The group provides the separated, divorced, widowed and unmarried with an opportunity to get out of the house and participate in healthy group and social activities with other singles. Sociable Singles is not a dating club. Meet compatible people who are unattached and in similar circumstances. The group holds Meet and Greet Socials every Tuesday at 7 pm at Hillsborough Hall Community Centre, 199 Patterson Dr, Charlottetown. Info: sociable_singles@yahoo.com

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 29

LIBRARIES & SCHOOL

Talking from Experiences by Ashleigh Tremere

Just be Claus

LANS PHOTOGRAPHY

Free children’s activities at the Summerside Library

Some Santas getting ready to set out carolling and collect more Santas along the way

Full disclosure, I love winter. I don’t think I’d enjoy living in a place where the seasons didn’t change as dramatically as they do here on the East Coast. I love big, fat, slow snowflakes. That sparkle when the sun hits the trees all painted with ice and the land just dances in a glittery suit of white. Along with winter comes our last of the big holidays of the year though, which can become more overwhelming than joyful. For me it’s Christmas and plenty of traditional holiday gatherings to be had come December, all of them with their own blend of nostalgia and obligation. Christmas takes on a different form when you’re an adult. All the bits I actually love about it become tasks to orchestrate. If I could have all the holiday cheer and peanut butter balls without any of the work, that would be optimal. Since it doesn’t work like that, there’s this other thing I do for pure joy in the season, and I’m not alone. Thankfully there’s anywhere from 50–80 other people here in PEI who also consider it a holiday tradition for the last 13 years. It’s called SantaCon. Yes, a convention of Santas. They have them in 33 countries; over 350 of these gatherings took place in 2023 alone. Only six of those were in Canada, and that number is actually up now from past years. So, what’s the point? What’s the draw? Well, you dress up like Santa, or other Christmas motifs like Mrs. Claus, a reindeer or even a Christmas tree. Personally I’ve always gone as an elf. Then you head out caroling around town, stopping into pre-warned establishments for libations, holiday trivia, karaoke and dancing. Along our route, while singing loud and clear for all to hear, we pass out little treats and tell people they are on the nice list.

Sounds ridiculous, right? Ridiculous fun that is! It is this strange, joyful wander that you only really get after you’ve done it. Pretty much everyone we meet finds SantaCon fun, and if it seems like people don’t enjoy our singing, then we just “Ho Ho Ho” and move on. But more often than not, people run to open their windows, listen and laugh. In a lot of cities it seems like SantaCon is something business owners and residents don’t really look forward to. However here in PEI, we have kept our boots polished up and Santa’s good name from being tarnished. We have a set of rules that seem to keep the sleigh on the right cheerful track and out of naughty list territory. So if this type of merriment sounds like just the way to pick up your holiday spirit, I recommend you watch for SantaCon 2024 announcements next year. The event is open to anyone who can abide by the “rules,” and plenty of us actually only see each other for this one event a year. I promise you don’t have to be able to sing well, but you do need to dress up and “Ho Ho Ho.”

Children’s programming continues this month at the Summerside Rotary Library. Ongoing programs include: Wiggle Giggle Read (9:30 am, Wednesdays); Toddler Time (9:30 am, Thursdays), Family Storytime (10:30 am, Thursdays); Puppet Play for the whole family (January 6, 10:30 am); Check This Out: MBots (January 13, 10:30 am); and Saturday Family Storytime (January 27, 10:30 am). 57 Central St, Summerside

PEI Public Library Service

PEI Public Libraries offers community programming for all ages—babies, children and families, teens, adults and seniors. Visit the Public Library events calendar at library.pe.ca or follow @PEI Public Library Service on FB.

Free programming at the Charlottetown Library

Community programming continues at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre. Some of the many ongoing activities this month include: Tech Help Drop-In on Saturdays (except January 6) from 10 am–12 pm; Virtual Reality for ages 10+ on Thursdays from 3–5 pm and Saturdays from 10 am–12 pm; French Conversation Group for all skill levels

ages 12+ on Mondays at 4 pm; and the Board Game Café at 6 pm on January 31. 97 Queen St, Charlottetown.

In-school mentors needed

Sign up to be an in-school mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS). Mentors spend an hour a week with a child at their school, helping them reach their full potential. Mentors can build a child’s self-esteem and confidence while having fun playing games, making crafts, or just chatting. BBBS activity boxes are provided. For more info, call 569-KIDS, email info@bbbspei.ca or visit bbbspei.ca.

Montague Community School

Montague Community School returns in January. Classes will run on Monday evenings from January 8 to March 11 from 6:30-8:30 pm. Confirmed courses include ukulele, knitting, ESL, Tai Chi, painting, yoga, and more. For details, follow @ montaguecommunityschool on FB.

FEBRUARY BUZZ DEADLINE Monday, January 15

HERE TO HELP

MP Office Services  Employment Insurance  Canada Child Benefit / Disability Tax Credit  Immigration  CPP / OAS / GIS  Student Financial Assistance

Office: 75 Fitzroy Street, Suite 201 Phone: 902-566-7770 Email: sean.casey@parl.gc.ca

www.seancasey.ca

Winter comes to play Jack Frost returning to Charlottetown in February Jack Frost Winterfest presented by Island Coastal returns to Charlottetown for two weekends of frosty fun February 16–19 and February 23–25. Jack Frost Winterfest is where winter comes to play and family memories are made. Over both weekends, the Nordic site at Mark Arendz Provincial Ski Park at Brookvale will transform into Snowtopia, Jack Frost Winterfest’s new outdoor activity zone presented by Dairy Farmers of PEI. It offers an array of activities from tube runs and snow painting to ice sculpting and live music. Guests can enjoy busker performances, an obstacle course, and the charm of horse-drawn sleigh rides. There will be dedicated warming zones and food and beverage options. Exclusive to the Family Day weekend, February 16–19, the Delta Prince Edward by Marriott will be home to Frosty Funland, the hub of indoor entertainment. Offering an extensive range of family fun, this spacious venue is tailored to accommodate the influx of visiting families. Bounce in inflatable castles and enjoy interactive games, carnival activities, live children’s shows, and Once Upon A Time, a brand-new musical production curated solely for Jack Frost Winterfest by Craig Fair Music Productions, featuring melodies from Disney tales and stories. During the second weekend, from February 23–25, Port Charlottetown becomes the site of the Seaport Snow Globe, a cozy indoor activity space. This smaller play zone offers interactive games, carnival activities, and the Frosty Stage will host live children’s shows, and the Once Upon a Time musical show. Swift Kick, a local Taylor Swift Tribute Band, takes the Frosty Stage on February 16 at Frosty Funland, and February 23 at Seaport Snow Globe. At the heart of the festival, the Warm & Glow Zone at Founders’ Food Hall & Market offers an outdoor skating rink and DJ dance parties on both Friday evenings. Buskers entertain while cozy fire pits light up the nights. Inside, indulge in unique culinary delights. As night falls, check out Sleigh Bell Boulevard on Victoria Row for the fireworks each Saturday at 7 pm, accompanied by live music, buskers, and horse and wagon rides. For those seeking a weekend getaway or staycation, exclusive VIP hotel packages are available at select Charlottetown hotels. Tickets are required for Snowtopia and Frosty Funland (Feb 17–19) and

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Snowtopia and Seaport Snowglobe (Feb 24–25). Swift Kick requires separate admission (Feb 16 and Feb 23). Activities at Founders Food Hall & Market and Victoria Row are complimentary and accessible to all. Individual one-day access tickets are available online at jackfrostfestival. com or in person at Kent Street Market at The Shops of Confederation Court Mall. The complete schedule, additional details, and tickets can be found at jackfrostfestival.com. Follow @ jackfrostpei for updates.

Psychic Fair Hilda Woolnough Gallery—Jan 20 Step into the realm of mysticism at the Charlottetown Psychic Fair, a celebration of the mystical with eight readers and an energy healer to guide visitors through the unseen. The event, hosted by the PEI Witch Market, will be held from 12–5 pm on January 20 at the Hilda Woolnough Gallery. With a modest admission fee, attendees can enjoy walk-in appointments with the practitioners. The gathering will feature tarot card readings, palmistry, tea leaf interpretations, and rune readings. The energy healer will be on hand to balance and rejuvenate spiritual well-being. The Charlottetown Psychic Fair welcomes all, from seasoned enthusiasts to curious newcomers, to gain insight, explore the unknown, and tap into the energy that surrounds us. The fair aims to be a monthly rendez-vous; a recurring space for those seeking guidance and connection. The Gallery is located in The Guild at 111 Queen Street, Charlottetown.

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 31

UPEI music department The talents of both faculty and students from the UPEI Department of Music will be showcased at the upcoming events on the SDU Stage at Dr. Steel Recital Hall. UPEI piano professor Dr. Magdalena von Eccher will present a Faculty Recital on January 13 at 7:30 pm. This solo piano recital will feature a diverse program of works ranging from Mozart to Kelly-Marie Murphy, centering around a group of works by Clara and Robert Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, her brother, Felix, and Johannes Brahms. The program is steeped in lyricism and poetry, a vivid portrayal of Magdalena’s broad range of musical interests. The Dr. Frances Gray Music Performance Competition will take place on February 2 at 7:30 pm. This annual competition showcases five of the UPEI Department of Music’s outstanding young artists performing their specially selected repertoire on a variety of instruments. The top awards include a cash prize, and are chosen by a diverse adjudication panel consisting of distinguished members of PEI’s music community.

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Recital and performance competition at Dr. Steel Recital Hall

Piano professor Dr. Magdalena von Eccher

Admission to the Faculty Recital by Magdalena von Eccher is payable by cash at the door. The Dr. Frances Gray Music Performance Competition is being offered free of charge, though donations to the Department of Music will be gratefully accepted. Visit upei.ca/music for updates on all the UPEI Department of Music’s upcoming recitals and events.

Birdsong PEI award-winning choral ensemble will sing of the diversity and uniqueness of birds. Exploring that mastery of nature’s creativity, Sirens will present two performances of “Birdsong” this month. The first concert will take place at 7:30 pm on January 20 at Park Royal United in Charlottetown, with the second concert at 2:30 pm on January 21 at Trinity United in Summerside. Amidst the countless species of birds that grace the planet, each one is a masterpiece of nature’s creativity, showcasing the boundless diversity and uniqueness that enriches the world’s tapestry of life. Artistic Director Kelsea McLean says, “Our program will explore the profound interconnectedness of nature, music, and humanity. This show hopes to unite hearts towards a sustainable future, emphasizing the importance of music as a powerful force in nurturing our shared harmony with the natural world.” Highlighted in this concert are

FARAAZ HUSSAIN

Sirens presents two choral concerts in January

pieces from The Lost Words: A Spell Book, a choral project that features compositions by 10 Canadian composers who set poems from Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris’s book of the same title. These pieces will include collaborations with several Island musicians featured regularly with the PEI Symphony Orchestra, including: Branden Kelly, percussion; Sean Kemp, violin; Darin MacBeth, French horn; Morgan Saulnier, flute; Amy Simon, clarinet; and Natalie Williams Calhoun, cello. Tickets are available online at sirenschoir.com/concerts or at the door for each performance.

Page 32 The BUZZ January 2024

NEW RECORDINGS Bluegrass concert

PEI Bluegrass and Old Time Music Society fundraiser—Jan 28

The Dangerous Ones:

“January” Noah Malcolm PEI’s Noah Malcolm is one of the East Coast’s most eclectic emerging acts. The five-time 2024 Music PEI Awardnominated and 2022 Music PEI New Artist of the Year shares “January,” the third single off his forthcoming LP. “January” is a track for coasting

“Open Mind” NEBO

The Charlottetown-based band NEBO is releasing their third single, “Open Mind,” on January 5. The song has a Cuban feel and the genre is quite different from the band’s first two singles. “Unkind behavior seems to be on the rise all over the world. It populates the media and, above all, it pervades the news. NEBO offers a solution to unkind behavior: open your mind! With your mind wide open you will see beauty in the world and virtue in all human beings,” says Neb Kujundzic, the band’s songwriter, when describing his motivation in writing the song. “NEBO is proudly inspired by the music of Carlos Santana and the Buena Vista Social Club. Enjoy and keep an open mind!

The Stiff Family (above) and Janet McGarry and Serge Bernard will perform

McGarry in renditions of many songs. Bernard was recently inducted into the Canadian Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. He is also well known as the co-host of the popular radio program “Bluegrass Island,” which airs each Saturday evening on CFTA Tantramar 107.9FM radio. The PEI Bluegrass and Old Time Music Society presents this concert on January 28 at 2 pm at the Beaconsfield Carriage House, 2 Kent St, Charlottetown. Admission is at the door with all proceeds going to the 37th Annual Bluegrass & Old Time Music Festival, a three-day family festival, July 5-7, in Dundas, PEI. This signature festival will bring some of the best in bluegrass music from Canada and the US.

Jack Pine Folk Club Featuring Logan Richard, Margie Carmichael Scotto and Tre Sutherland—Jan 24 Take a step back in time with some fantastic folk music at the Jack Pine Folk Club on January 24 at 7:30 pm. Host Shane Pendergast will welcome songwriters Margie Carmichael Scotto and Logan Richard to the stage. Métis fiddler Tre Sutherland will round off the night for what promises to be an eclectic and entertaining evening at The Pourhouse in Charlottetown

Logan Richard (upstairs at The Old Triangle). Admission is at the door, which opens at 7 pm.

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The Nick and Marty recently released their album The Dangerous Ones: Lost TV Theme Songs on Bandcamp. Nick and Marty Grant are brothers from Charlottetown, PEI, where Nick currently lives while Marty is based in Quebec. “For this album we wrote and recorded the songs in our basements and shared the music files over the cloud,” says Nick. “It’s just my brother and I, and we’re each having a go at all the different instruments and sounds. It was a fun project and a great exercise in writing songs that were different from what we might usually write. “We thought it would be fun to make up TV pilots that were never aired and write their theme songs. The result is this album. Each song has a little blurb that describes the show.” Not every TV pilot produced for network television makes it to the air. Some lose their creative team due to delays, some fall apart through internal conflict, tragedy or happenstance, and some are simply bad. But what of the unheard music created for these unseen TV shows? Every TV pilot, ready for broadcast, cancelled or not, would have a signature opening music theme. Here, gathered together for the first time ever, are 20 lost theme songs to never-aired TV pilots from the 70s and 80s. Listen to the album online at thenickandmarty.bandcamp.com.

through the cold monotony of the new year; for the homebodies who don’t bother with resolutions. A hypnotizing guitar progression is the cozy bed for this grungy, synth-laced anthem with a chorus the listener can’t not sing. “January” was released on December 29 by CYMBA Music Publishing. Written by Noah Malcolm and produced with JUNO winner Jake Charron of The East Pointers, it follows Malcolm’s previous releases “Feel The Same” and “The More I Stare.” The song was mixed by Donald Richard and mastered by Bryan Lowe.

The Stiff Family and Janet McGarry and Serge Bernard will perform at a fundraising concert this month in Charlottetown. The Stiff Family has called PEI their home for five years. Their busy farm life brings excitement and challenge, and their music continues to bring them great fulfillment and joy. This family of six plays bluegrass instruments including: banjo, fiddle, guitar, bass, dobro and mandolin. Included in their repertoire is bluegrass gospel, traditional bluegrass and Celtic music. Husband and wife duo, Janet McGarry and Serge Bernard have performed for years at bluegrass festivals and other events throughout Eastern Canada and beyond. Their unique vocals make them a crowd favourite wherever they appear. Janet McGarry is a five-time Female Vocalist of the Year award winner, earning her a “Masters” at the Eastern Canadian Bluegrass Music Awards. She is also a proud Daughter of Bluegrass, a group of international leading women in bluegrass. With a voice that is sweet and true, McGarry sings classic country and bluegrass numbers with ease. Multi-instrumentalist Serge Bernard plays guitar, mandolin, bass, and his instrument of choice, banjo. He is a powerful harmony singer and joins

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Lost TV Theme Songs The Nick and Marty

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 33

Old Time Radio Music Show East Coast Kitchen Party The Island Jubilee continues in January

Richard Wood & Friends are bringing the East Coast Kitchen Party to The Mack in Charlottetown on January 26. This marks the fourth year of the East Coast Kitchen Party series, featuring five-time ECMA and multiple Music PEI award-winner Richard Richard Wood Wood and his friends Rémi Arsenault and Caroline Bernard; speDoors open at 7 pm and the show cial guests Shane Pendergast, Peggy starts at 7:30 pm. Tickets can be purClinton, Lawrence Maxwell and chased via phone at 566-1267 or online Jolee Patkai; Somerset dancers Alexis at confederationcentre.com. Wood MacLaren and Isla Rousseaux-Bridle; is again partnering with the Great and Samuel Richard, this year’s George Hotel to offer package deals. To College of Piping Wood Family Fiddle reserve, call the hotel at 1-800-361-1118. Award recipient. rwood.ca

(left–right); Melissa MacKenzie, Frank Whitty and Janelle Banks

107.9FM CFTA and previous recordings are available at tantramarfm.ca. Proceeds from the 50/50 draw and guitar raffle will be donated to the QEH Foundation at the end of the season. Co-hosted by Nudie, Janet McGarry and Serge Bernard, the show’s house band includes Bernard, Thomas Webb, Bobby McIsaac, Courtney HoganChandler, Johnny Ross and Nudie. Tickets are available at ticketpro.ca.

ONGOING MUSIC

Kevin Drew

ceilidhs, dances, sessions… Blues Jam at Baba’s

Trailside Music Hall—Jan 15

Plain Dirty Blues band plays at Baba’s Lounge on the last Saturday of each month (Jan 25) from 5:30–8 pm. Admission is by donation. Follow @Plain Dirty Blues on FB for updates. 181 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Dunstaffnage Ceilidh

A ceilidh takes place on the first Sunday of each month at 7 pm at the Dunstaffnage School Centre. Hosted by Road Masters Band and guest entertainers. There is a 50/50 draw. Admission at the door. 13529 St. Peter’s Rd, Dunstaffnage.

Got Blues Matinee NORMAN WONG

The Island Jubilee Old Time Radio Music Show’s second season continues on January 14 with special guests Melissa MacKenzie, Frank Whitty and step dancer Janelle Banks at the Florence Simmons Performance Hall in Charlottetown. Showtime is 2 pm. MacKenzie, a multidisciplinary artist, educator and activist, holds an Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance from Sheridan College (2018). She grew up in a musical family and has been performing on stages throughout Atlantic Canada since 2014. In 2020, she co-founded Kitbag Theatre with Jacob Hemphill and Rebecca Parent, aiming to establish an accessible, independent, year-round theatre scene in PEI. The trio has since produced several sold-out productions, including two Maritime tours. MacKenzie directed the music and also starred as June Carter Cash in the Kitbag production The Songs of Johnny and June which sold out performances throughout the Maritimes. Whitty is from Farmington, PEI, and has been singing and playing guitar since he was 12 years old. He released his first two albums, The Choices I’ve Made (2010) and Real Country (2012), collections of classic country songs by Lefty, Haggard and Jones, all favourites that Frank covers with smooth baritone vocals that come from the heart. Banks is a skilled and accomplished dancer from Springvale, PEI. A champion step dancer with over 20 years of experience in the dance world, she has established herself as a top competitor and performer. Banks has taken part in numerous dance competitions across Canada and has won many awards including the National Dance Competition and World Cup in Quebec last year. Banks has danced at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom parade, and been a part of The Charlottetown Festival’s outdoor amphitheatre dance show for the past two seasons. Island Jubilee Old Time Radio Music Show performances are recorded for broadcast on Tantramar

Trailside Music Hall welcomes Kevin Drew on January 15 at 8 pm. Aging, the third solo album from Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew, was the inevitable title of his meditative new record—because he was living everything that comes with it. Influenced by the recent passing of friends and family, the album brings together songs written over a decade marked by the signifiers of midlife— love, loss, and illness—all while wrestling with the hard truths of aging. trailside.ca

Got Blues Matinee with Chris Roumbanis, Reg Ballagh, Mike Robicheau and special guest(s) is held at the Salvadore Dali Café from 2–4 pm. The second set is always an electric blues jam. Special guests in January include: singer/guitarist Logan Richard and Connor Fox (Hypochondriacs) from NB (Jan 6); singer/guitarist Troy McArthur and singer/guitarist James Phillips (20); and singer Nathalie Duguay (27). 155 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Island Jazz

Jazz on Thursdays at Baba’s Lounge features top local musicians performing original music, standards, jazz and pop favourites. Each show features a different group and two sets starting at 8 pm. Admission is by donation. The January lineup includes: Carlie Howell

(Jan 4); Island Jazz Celebrates Birthdays (11); Jacob Reddin with the Striped Shirt Band (18); Joey Kitsen with Sean Ferris and Chris Corrigan (25); R&B Jazz with Spencer Soloduka Mercy Please (Feb 1). 181 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Schooner Sessions

Sessions with Mark Douglas and friends take place weekly on Thursdays at 7 pm at The Old Triangle, 189 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Summerside Kitchen Party A Kitchen Party at the Summerside Legion is held on Saturday afternoons from 2–5 pm with a different entertainer each week. 340 Notre Dame St, Summerside.

Sunday Session

An afternoon Tune Session featuring traditional music and craic with host fiddler Roy Johnstone takes place weekly on Sundays from 2–4 pm at The Old Triangle. 189 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Trad Night at Village Green

PEI’s smallest brewery, specializing in traditional and modern beer styles, hosts a Trad Night every Thursday evening. Enjoy free, live music from 7–9 pm in the cozy taproom. Space is limited. Located at 30 Church St in the old post office/ dental clinic (turn at Church St and Cornwall Rd), Cornwall.

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Richard Wood & Friends at The Mack—Jan 26

Page 34 The BUZZ January 2024

Music PEI Awards Nominees announced for 2024

Colin Buchanan Jon Matthews Sergey Varlamov Terra Nova Fund Achievement in Classical/Jazz Music Dan Rowswell Luminos Ensemble Sarah Hagen Sirens Choral Association Inc. SOCAN Songwriter of the Year Dylan Menzie Lawrence Maxwell Lennie Gallant Logan Richard The East Pointers ECMA Single of the Year KINLEY—Eiffel Tower Lennie Gallant—On the Minnehaha Noah Malcolm—Feel the Same Tara MacLean—Sparrow The East Pointers—We Will Meet Again

(clockwise from top-left): Some of this year’s multiple nominees include Noah Malcolm (5), Inn Echo (4), Sirène et Matelot (4) and Tara MacLean (4).

Music PEI announced the nominees for the 2024 Music PEI Awards on December 19 at The Guild in Charlottetown. These awards recognize the outstanding achievements and contributions of Prince Edward Island’s musicians and industry professionals. The awards were adjudicated by a selection of independent music industry professionals, both regionally and internationally. This year, leading the way with five nominations is Noah Malcolm. There are also three artists with four nominations each—Inn Echo, Sirène et Matelot and Tara MacLean. Music PEI’s public vote category, SaltWire Entertainer of the Year, is open and runs until January 5. To cast your vote go to saltwire.com. The winners will be announced during Music PEI Week 2024, which will be held March 6–10. Tickets for events will be available for purchase through musicpei.com. This year Music PEI has renamed their Community Contributor of the Year Award to the “Leo Cheverie Community Contributor Award.” Leo was a dedicated community member and avid music supporter who was always willing to lend a hand to the community. The nominees for the 2024 Music PEI Awards are: FACTOR Album of the Year Inn Echo—Hemispheres KINLEY—Daylight Sirène et Matelot—Un Monde de

Dissonances Tara MacLean—Sparrow The East Pointers—Safe in Sound The Buzz Album Art of the Year Absolute Losers—At The Mall (Artwork by Brandon Hood) Inn Echo—Hemispheres (Graphic Designer Jud Haynes) Logan Richard—Learning To Love (Graphic Designer Sam Hughes, Photographers Logan Richard and Emma Rudy) Noah Malcolm—Feel The Same (Graphic Designer Niamh MacMaster, Photographer Andrew Lewis) Sirène et Matelot—Un Monde de Dissonances (Graphic Designer Olivier Bichard, Artist Lison Mezzina)

ExamOne Atlantic Music Video of the Year KINLEY—Eiffel Tower (Directed by Jenna MacMillan) Lennie Gallant—On the Minnehaha (Directed by Lennie Gallant and Patricia Richard) Nadia—Intertwine (Directed by Griffin O’toole) Noah Malcolm—Feel the Same (Directed by Noah Malcolm) Tara MacLean—Sparrow (Directed by Catherine MacLellan) Olde Dublin Pub Contemporary/ Traditional Roots Recording of the Year Dylan Menzie—Modern Classic Inn Echo—Hemispheres Rick Sparkes—Picture Yourself in a Riot Sirène et Matelot—Un Monde de Dissonances Tara MacLean—Sparrow Discover Charlottetown Rock Recording of the Year Absolute Losers—At the Mall Brad Milligan—Gettin’ Better Heather—Foundations Liam Corcoran—Hints and Traces Rick Sparkes—Picture Yourself in a Riot

Hijinks Design Agency Digital Presence Award Brooke MacArthur Knull Lawrence Maxwell Noah Malcolm Rightflow

GFL Environmental R&B/Soul Recording of the Year Lee Rosevere—Samplextra Le Funk—Le Disco Nadia—Intertwine The Umbrella Collective—Welcome to Studio UC!

Rising Tide Community Fund Lloyd Doyle New Artist of the Year Absolute Losers—At the Mall Brooke MacArthur—Nobody Knows Julia Robichaud—Jealous Pearly Gates—For Your Amusement The Umbrella Collective—Welcome to Studio UC!

Arsenault Best Cameron Ellis Pop Recording of the Year Ava + Lily Rashed—I Won Emily MacLellan—Logical Logan Richard—Learning to Love Noah Malcolm—Feel the Same Pearly Gates—For Your Amusement

Stay Golden Customs Recording Sector Award Andrew A Melzer

Downtown Charlottetown Rap/HipHop Recording of the Year BraedenV—The Trendsetter Sessions Rightflow—Into the Abyss

The Umbrella Collective—Welcome to Studio UC! SaltWire Entertainer of the Year Brandon Howard Roy Brooke MacArthur Inn Echo Lawrence Maxwell Richard Wood Maritime Electric Live Sector Award Canada Games IllumiNATION Festival Cloggeroo - the Island Folk Festival Craig Fair Music Productions Dan Rowswell - Island Jazz Shane Pendergast - The Jack Pine Folk Club Prix de L’Acadie Aubin pi la S.C.B Nathalie Duguay Sirène et Matelot Achievement in World Music Dr. Zoo Güiza Tiffany Liu Tzu-Cheng Wang City of Charlottetown Leo Cheverie Community Contributor of the Year 30 Russell Chris Roumbanis Mi’kmaq Heritage Actors Richard Wood Long & McQuade Educator of the Year Alan Dowling James Phillips Jonathan MacInnis Karson McKeown Krista Bryson Sara Roach Lewis - SRL Solutions Industry Person of the Year Alyssa Gallant Faye Williams Sarah MacDonald Atlantic Lottery Lifetime Achievement Award Chris Roumbanis Keelin Wedge CYMBA Music Publishing Live Music Production Professional of the Year Aaron Comeau Curtis Klein Keelin Wedge Sergey Varlamov Shawna Picard Caledonia House Rooted to The Island Ben Chase Jenn Grant Holland College Musician of the Year Craig Fair Danny Drouin Hannah Melanson Robin Anne Ettles Roland Beaulieu For more info about Music PEI Week contact music@musicpei.com or visit musicpei.com

Cavendish Beach Music

Don Ross

Headliners and performers announced for 2024 festival

With special guest Sean Hall at Trailside—Jan 16 Don Ross with special guest Sean Hall will perform at the Trailside in Charlottetown on January 16 at 8 pm. Don Ross released his latest album Water in 2023. It is his 18th solo album, and his 21st including collaborations. For this new recording, Don decided to launch a Kickstarter fundraising campaign and do the release 100 percent independently. He managed to raise his financial goal in 28 hours, and was able to make many musical concepts come true as a result. Water features collaborations with legendary guitarist and songwriter Bruce Cockburn, fretless bass wizard Michael Manring, Washington State-based guitarist and composer Sean Hall, singer and guitarist Brooke SUBMITTED

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Sarah Hagen solo piano recital at St. Paul’s—Jan 19

With Absolute Losers and Carson McHone—Jan 17

Hotel California SUBMITTED

A Night of The Eagles at Trailside—Jan 25 to 27

which has garnered a reputation as a powerhouse supergroup, is lead by Daniel Romano and consists of Carson McHone, Julianna Riolino, Roddy Rosetti and Ian Ski Romano. Paste Magazine says “The Outfit’s live shows are nothing short of explosive, leaving audiences in a state of awe and wonderment.”

Miller, PEI-based quintet Atlantic String Machine, and one track with the 70-piece City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. The album’s cover art is by luminary Mi’kmaw visual artist Alan Syliboy of Millbrook First Nation in Nova Scotia. Visit trailside.ca for tickets.

Night Music

Daniel Romano’s Outfit

Daniel Romano’s Outfit will be on stage at Trailisde Music Hall in Charlottetown on January 17 at 8 pm. Sharing the bill are Absolute Losers and Carson McHone. Daniel Romano’s Outfit is a Canadian indie rock band shrouded in mystery and known for their high intensity live performances. The band,

Don Ross

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Bell Presents Cavendish Beach Music Festival (CBMF), taking place this year from July 5–7, recently announced that Grammy award winning duo Brothers Osborne will headline the festival Friday night. Festival organizers also released the Bell Main Stage performers. Returning to Cavendish for the first time since 2017, Brothers Osborne will headline the Bell Main Stage on July 5. The six-time CMA Vocal Duo of the Year will wrap an evening of performances by PEI born and raised Brothers Osborne return to PEI in summer 2024 to headBen Chase, 2023 SiriusXM line Friday night at Cavendish Beach Music Festival Top of the Country winner Hailey Benedict, iHeart Pure Canadian singer-songwriter Shane Country’s Future Star Owen Riegling Douthwright will start Sunday’s and Billboard’s October Rookie of the Bell Main Stage festivities on July 7, Month Sam Barber. followed by performances from the Saturday’s Bell Main Stage party all-female CCMA award winning on July 6 will kick off with seven-time group Nice Horse, JUNO award winSaskatchewan Country Music award ning group Tim & The Glory Boys and winner Shantaiaand, 10-time Alberta CMT award nominee Kylie Morgan. Country Music award winner Dan One of Nashville’s rising stars and cerDavidson, CMT’s Next Women of tified-platinum recording artist Warren Country Madeline Edwards, certiZeiders will kick it up a notch, leaving fied-gold and JUNO award winning fans ready for more when Grammy artist Corb Lund. The evening will culaward winning super group, Zac minate as certified-platinum, GrammyBrown Band closes the weekend. nominated artist Hailey Whitters Stay tuned on socials and cavensteps onto the stage, just before fellow dishbeachmusic.com for more talent Grammy nominated singer, songwriter announcements for the remaining two and musician Tyler Childers. stages coming soon.

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 35

After a sold out run, Craig Fair Music Productions returns to Charlottetown with Hotel California: A Night of the Eagles. Performances will take place at 8 pm on January 25, 26 and 27 at Trailside Music Hall. This night of music celebrates one of the most iconic country/rock bands of all time. The production stars local musicians Brad Milligan, Joce Reyome, Alyssa Harper and Craig Fair. Visit trailside.ca for tickets.

Pianist Sarah Hagen returns to St. Paul’s in Charlottetown with a January edition of Night Music. Inspired by Natkirke, a contemplative initiative in Denmark, Night Music is an opportunity to settle into the thoughtful coziness of the winter season through music. During this quietly magical hour, the carefully curated programme by Chopin, Satie and others will flow from one piece to the next without pause or applause. The recital will take place on January 19. Music will begin at 8 pm. Admission is pay-what-you-will at the door or by etransfer to sarah@ sarahhagen.com.

The Hounds Tyler Childers Tribute at Copper Bottom—Jan 27 Copper Bottom Brewing Company in Montague presents The Hounds: A Tyler Childers Tribute on January 27 at 7:30 pm. The Hounds are a Tyler Childers tribute band comprised of Island musicians Taylor Buote (lead vocals/ rhythm guitar), Lucas Pineau (lead guitar), Dennis Dunn (bass/supporting vocals) and Logan Hammond (drums). The band has performed multiple sold out events in Charlottetown and covers a wide selection of songs from Childers’ discography. Tickets can be purchased in the taproom or online via Locarius.

Martha Wainwright In concert at Trailside Music Hall—Jan 21

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Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Martha Wainwright is coming to the Trailside Music Hall in Charlottetown on January 21. Martha Wainwright is beginning again. The beguiling performer and songwriter returned in 2021 with Love Will Be Reborn. Not since 2012’s Come Home to Mama has a Martha Wainwright record been so full of

original written material. The album follows recent years of loneliness and clarity in search of optimism and joy. Martha has released seven critically-acclaimed studio albums over her career. She is the daughter of musicians Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III, and the sister of singer–composer Rufus Wainwright. Tickets are available at trailside.ca.

TRIVIA

Fridays at 8 pm with Doc. 189 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Baba’s Lounge

Jan 20 at 7 pm with Greg Webster. 181 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Charlottetown Firefighters Club Fridays at 7:30 pm. 89 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Coach’s Restaurant & Sports Bar Thursdays at 7:30 pm. 345 Mt Edward Rd, Charlottetown.

Copper Bottom Brewing

Fridays at 7 pm with PEI Beer Guy. 567 Main St, Montague.

Hunter’s Ale House

Name That Tune Trivia on Sundays at 9 pm with Andrew Rollins and Entertainment Trivia on Thursdays at 9 pm with Darcy Campbell. 185 Kent St, Charlottetown.

The Local Pub and Oyster Bar

Wednesdays at 7 pm with Campfire Dave. 202 Buchanan Dr, Charlottetown.

Olde Dublin Pub

Thursdays at 7:30 pm with Cone. 131 Sydney St, Charlottetown

The Old Triangle

Saturdays at 2:30 pm with Dave Connolly. Team reservations: 892-5200. 189 Great George St, Charlottetown

Crapaud Curling Club

The Silver Fox

Jan 19 at 8:30 pm with Dan Casely. 20573 Rte 1, Crapaud

Tuesdays at 7:30 pm in The Lounge. 110 Water St, Summerside. 110 Water St, Summerside.

The Factory

Upstreet Craft Brewing

Entertainment Trivia on Thursdays at 7 pm with Darcy Campbell and

Jan 12 and 16 at 7 pm with Ross. 41 Allen St, Charlottetown.

GAËLLE LEROYER

Page 36 The BUZZ January 2024

LIVE MUSIC bars, lounges, cafés… Open Mic w/KINLEY on Wednesdays at 8:30 pm. Island Jazz on Thursdays at 8 pm. Live music at 10:30 pm (unless otherwise noted): Low End DJs Dubstep/ Bass night (Jan 5); Customer Service, Dad Patrol, Gizmo (6); Todd King Solo Acoustic (9); Pineo and Loeb (NS) (12); Danny Gallant band (13 @5 pm); The Umbrella Collective (13); TBA (16/30); Baited (19); DMayne Event (20); Joe MacMillan (23); Astrofalcons (26); Blues Jam with Plain Dirty Blues Band (27 @5 pm); Diego and Javier (27). 181 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Bogside Brewing

Lone Oak Brew Pub

Lone Oak at Fox Meadow

Fridays from 6–8 pm: Nathan Carragher (Jan 5); Mike Stratton (12); Brad Milligan (19); Brooke MacArthur (26). 167 Kinlock Rd, Stratford.

The Lucky Bean—Stratford

Open Mic with Robert McMillan every Sunday 1–4 pm. 17 Glen Stewart Dr, Stratford.

Marc’s Lounge

Brothers 2

Olde Dublin Pub

Charlottetown Legion

Piatto Pizzeria + Enoteca

Saturdays at 9:30 pm: Roundabout (Jan 6); Hache (13); Wrecking Crew (20); Kim Albert (27). All are welcome. 99 Pownal St, Charlottetown.

Fridays and Saturdays at 9 pm: Rodney Perry (Jan 5); Fraser MacCallum (6); Brian Dunn (12); Adam MacGregor (13); Barry O’Brian (19); Wayne Gallant (20); Nathan Carragher (26); Brooke MacAurther (27). 125 Sydney St, Charlottetown.

Fridays and Saturdays at 10 pm: TBA (Jan 5); Gypsy Soul (6); Main Street Bullies (12); Alyssa Harper Band (13); Saul Good (19); Down With Darby (20); Roundabout (26); Wannabeez (27). 132 Sydney St, Charlottetown.

Fridays from 6–9 pm. 45 Queen St, Charlottetown.

PEI Brewing Company

Saturdays at 10 pm: Diego (Jan 6); TBA (13); Dekz (20); TenType (27). 156 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Acoustic Fridays from 5–8 pm: Acoustic Brothers (Jan 5); Stephen Szwarc (12); Brothers MacPhee (19); Curtis Reginald (26). 96 Kensington Rd, Charlottetown.

The Fiddling Fisherman

RCAF Wing Summerside

Gahan House

The Silver Fox

Craft Beer Corner

Pub Nights with live music on Fridays from 7–11 pm. 13 Lower Rollo Bay Road, Souris.

Acoustic music on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9 pm: Lawrence Maxwell (Jan 3/10); Nathan Carragher (17); Stephen Szwarc (23); Adam MacGregor (30). 126 Sydney St, Charlottetown.

The Local Pub and Oyster Bar

Todd MacLean & Justin Simard (Jan 5/12 @7 pm); Carter MacLellan (6 @7 pm); Kelley Mooney (7 @5 pm); Alyssa & Corey (13 @7 pm); Lawrence Maxwell (14 @5 pm); Thatcher MacKay (19 @7 pm); Taylor Buote & Dennis Dunn (20 @1:30 pm); Vintage 2.0 (20 @7 pm); Cole Brioux (21 @6 pm); Norman Stewart & Maxine MacLennan (25 @12 pm); Todd MacLean and Gordon Belsher (25 @7 pm); Dan Doiron (26 @7 pm); Luka Hall (27 @2 pm); Adam MacGregor and Liam Kearney 27 @7 pm). 202 Buchanan Dr, Charlottetown.

Trailside Music Hall—Jan 4

Thursdays from 6–8 pm: TBA (Jan 4/ 25); Brian Dunn (11); Dave Woodside (18). 15 Milky Way, Charlottetown.

Fridays and Saturdays from 6:30–9:30 pm: Stephen Szwarc (5); Keira Loane (6); Rick Arsenault (12); Taylor Johnson (13); Lisa Birt (19); Carter MacLellan (20); Winterval Festival—Billy White (26); Winterval Festival—Dan Doiron (27). Blizzard Goat Band on Saturdays from 3–5 pm. 11 Brook St, Montague.

Thursdays and Fridays at 7 pm: Steve Zaat (Jan 4); Chris & Eric (5); Dave Woodside (11): Steve & Page (12); Trevor Cameron (18); Karen & Mike (19); Dave Woodside (25); D’Arcy & Moe (26). 618 Water St, Summerside.

The Hounds of Winter

Live music on Fridays and Saturdays at 9:30 pm. wingpei.com. 329 North Market St, Summerside.

Fridays at 9:30 pm in The Lounge (unless otherwise noted): Swamp River (Jan 5); Shipwrecks (12); The VLTs (19); Wrecking Crew (26). Saturdays in the Den: Lohri Dance Party—DJ Sahil Sally (6 @9 pm, ticketed event); Disco Dance Party—DJ Biggar Beats (13 @9:30 pm, ticketed event). 110 Water St, Summerside.

…more at buzzpei.com

SUBMITTED

Baba’s Lounge

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 37

(left–right); The Hounds of Winter are Sean Kemp, Chris Corrigan and Adam Hill

Sean Kemp, Chris Corrigan and Adam Hill are bringing their show, The Hounds of Winter, to the Trailside Music Hall in Charlottetown on January 4. Old friends Pete Richards, Reg Ballagh and Mike Mooney will open the show at 8 pm. The Hounds of Winter will feature diverse rearrangements of music ranging from jazz and pop, to folk and rock, to Prokofiev. Sean, Chris, and Adam will showcase their original compositions and songs during the performance. Collectively, they have individually contributed to over a hundred and fifty albums, earning recognition through numerous awards and nominations. Their collaborative efforts extend to renowned musicians such as Barbara Streisand, David Foster, Lennie Gallant, Gordie Sampson, Rita MacNeil, Laura Smith, Natalie MacMaster, Great Lonely Wild, Marmota, Rogue Motel, The Central Oregon Symphony, The National Arts Centre Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, The English Chamber Orchestra, and The Atlantic String Machine. Pete Richards, Reg Ballagh and Mike Mooney have been a part of PEI’s music scene spanning two centuries. Think: Blue Heron, Touch n Gone, The Strangers and The Dogs. Old friends, new songs. Visit trailside.ca for tickets.

Page 38 The BUZZ January 2024

Happy New Year! from The Buzz Let’s make 2024 great with these golden words: kindness compassion humility

FEBRUARY BUZZ DEADLINE

submissions / advertising booking deadline for the February issue:

Monday January 15 Advertising: sales@buzzpei.com Editorial: info@buzzpei.com

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.

Little Kit Bag Inc., operating as The Buzz, acknowledges that we are located on and operate on Mi’kma’ki, the traditional unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people who have lived here for many thousands of years, and who continue to live here.

ISSUE# 361 • JANUARY 2024

www.buzzpei.com @buzzpei Editor: Yanik Richards Editor: Michelle Ollerhead Website: Nakeesa Aghdasy Advertising: Adriane Gaudet Partners: Maggie Lillo (Ruby Square Graphic Design), Carly Martin (Hawthorne House Media) Contributors: Julie Bull, David Garcia Jimenez, Deirdre Kessler, Brent MacLaine, Sean McQuaid, Takako Morita, JoDee Samuelson, Tara Reeves, Gary Schneider, Ashleigh Tremere

Office: 160 Richmond Street, Charlottetown Mail: P.O. Box 1945, Charlottetown, PE C1A7N5 Phone: 902-628-1958 E-mail: info@buzzpei.com Social Media: @buzzpei The Buzz is published monthly by Little Kit Bag Inc.

Cover:

Fragmented View from the Confederation Centre, 12” x 16”, acrylic on canvas by David Garcia Jimenez. Island painter David Garcia Jimenez focuses on capturing scenery around PEI—mainly of Charlottetown. He often gets commissioned to create tattoos or make paintings of peoples homes and buildings. Jimenez has shown his works at various galleries and walls around Charlottetown and also competed in Art Battle at PEI Brewing Company. You can see more of his work on Instagram @davidsartbrush.

The BUZZ January 2024 Page 39

BUZZ IFIEDS

Styx in Summerside

SUBMITTED

Live in concert at Credit Union Place in May

American rock band Styx will tour the Maritimes in May 2024 and will be on stage at Credit Union Place in Summerside on May 18. A new era of hope, survival and prosperity comes calling with the release of Crash of the Crown, Styx’s 16th studio album. The multi-platinum rockers are James “JY” Young (lead vocals, guitars), Tommy Shaw (lead vocals, guitars), Chuck Panozzo (bass,

MUSIC Informal Jam Session

The next Jam Session for adults at the Summerside Rotary Library will be held on January 8 at 6:30 pm. Bring an instrument or borrow one from the library and join other musicians for an informal evening of playing music. 57 Central St, Summerside.

PEI Independent Songwriters Circle

Songwriters of all levels and genres are welcome to share their original songs and, if desired, receive feedback in the supportive setting of the PEI Independent Songwriters Circle. Alternatively, individuals can just attend and watch. The next Circle takes place on January 20 from 2–4 pm at the The Lucky Bean, 17 Glen Stewart Dr, Stratford. Info: june@junemorrow.com

Join a Confederation Centre choir

Registration for the choral music program at Confederation Centre of the Arts is open until January 30. Anyone who loves to sing is invited to try a Centre choir, no audition necessary. Registration is open for the Junior Youth Chorus (ages 8–12), Intermediate Youth Chorus (ages 12–18), and Confederation Singers (18+). Any curious singers are invited to attend the first rehearsal in January and see how they like singing at the Centre. Info/register: artseducation@confederationcentre. com or 628-6134.

vocals), Todd Sucherman (drums, percussion), Lawrence Gowan (lead vocals, keyboards), Ricky Phillips (bass, guitar, vocals), and producer and co-writer Will Evankovich (guitars). Tickets for the Summerside show are available at the Credit Union Place Box Office (511 Notre Dame St), by calling 432-1234 and online at creditunionplace.ca. For more information on STYX, visit styxworld.com.

Ruby SQUARE graphic design

Meet and Squeak

For those intrigued by the idea of playing a band instrument with a group— whether it’s a clarinet tucked away in the closet, an alto sax in the attic, or a trumpet stowed in a trunk—this is their opportunity. Continuing the legacy of the Miscouche band, individuals are invited to attend a Meet and Squeak session with their instruments to investigate the possibility of establishing a community band in the East Prince area. The inaugural meeting will be held at 6:30 pm on January 31 in the band room at Summerside Intermediate School (247 Central Street). For more info, email Kim Knight-Picketts at raxawa7@yahoo.ca.

Kings County Music Festival

The Kings County Music Festival is preparing for 2024 and invites young musicians who enjoy performing to consider participating in the festival scheduled for May 6–10. The Kings County Music Festival is one of the four local divisions of the PEI Kiwanis Music Festival Association whose purpose is to promote and encourage growth in music through local festivals in competitive and non-competitive classes. Competitors may be recommended to the provincial music festival by adjudicators at the local festivals. Classes in piano, voice, instrumental and choral (school and community) are offered for all levels, from beginner to advanced. Visit peikmfa.ca/kings-county for the guidelines, a list of classes, and online entry forms. The deadline is February 29. Contact Lynda Sharp (651-2560, flynda240@gmail.com) or Anne White (838-2681, dawhite@pei.sympatico.ca) with any questions.

MCASKILL WOODWORKING LTD

FURNITURE

refinish • paint • repair • restore KITCHEN refinish • reface 26 BEASLEY AVE - CHTOWN - 902-566-3416

MCASKILLWOODWORKING.COM

BUILD MORE AUTHENTIC CONNECTIONS IN 2024. Attend Let

Go of Loneliness, an in-person workshop Saturday, January 6 for anyone tired of feeling alone. See https://tinyurl. com/conquerloneliness or email june@ junemorrow.com for details.

CHARLOTTETOWN PIANO LESSONS. Experienced Royal

Conservatory teacher Helen Holman offers piano lessons to students of all ages and skill levels, in her Brighton, Charlottetown studio. Contact: facebook/charlottetownpianolessons, (902) 566-1434.

PRIVATE VOICE LESSONS for

non-classical singers with JUNO nominated recording artist Teresa Doyle. For shy beginners to touring musicians. Contact teresa@teresadoyle.com

FULL BODY AND POSTNATAL FITNESS CLASSES at Stratford

Town Hall. Led by Keely Turner, certified personal and pre/postnatal exercise specialist. “Full Body Fitness” on Wednesdays at 5:45 pm from January 10–February Strength & conditioning workout. Scalable for every fitness level; “Postnatal Fitness” on Tuesdays at 2:45 pm from January 9–February 27. Rebuild core strength and stability, improve posture and body awareness, enhance mental health and connect with other moms in the community. Babies welcome to postnatal classes. Bring your own mat for both classes. Other equipment provided. Info/regester: app. univerusrec.com/tospub/courses/

TEXT ONLY BUZZIFIEDS

30 words = $25 (+tax). Buy in bulk to save—6 months for $100 (+tax). Text and payment due by mid-month deadline.

Page 40 The BUZZ January 2024

NEW YEAR,

SAME AWESOME YOU! Our unique stores love your uniqueness. Let go of ‘New Year, New You,’ and keep being the same awesome you!

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confedcourtmall www.confedcourtmall.com

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CHARLOTTETOWN

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February 23/24, 2024 Charlottetown, prince edward island Presented by

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