The Buzz - May 2023

Jordan Beaulieu

Comically inclined

he lived in Calgary. “Courage is a miracle. Don’t overthink it, just do it!” He underwent intensive and immersive self-study when he lived there by attending as many comedy shows as he could. “Showing up and being part of the comedy crowd was a big steppingstone to creating and sharing my own comedy on stage.”

With the foundation in his pocket, Shawn moved to Toronto where his commitment and dedication to comedy continued. “I’m open to playfulness and fun and I think that’s what keeps me going.” He produced a patio comedy series that went on for eight years. These unconventional shows were intimate with no microphone. “There’s magic that happens in these kinds of gatherings.” The relational aspect to Shawn’s performance style is evident in both these intimate gatherings and on large stages. Along with the smaller, intimate shows, Shawn has also been on popular comedy stages such as Just for Laughs and Yuk Yuks. He recently opened for Canadian comedian Gerry Dee at the Confederation Centre of the Arts, and he has an extensive background in comedic performance. “Once you find your comedic voice, you can make anything funny!”

Shawn’s comedy style has a strong storytelling base, and his sets often include those interesting characters that we can so easily relate to because they are our friends, family, and neighbours. “It’s important to create art to integrate our experiences. I ask myself ‘how am I using the world around me right now? What can I learn from and draw on from the world around me?’ It’s all about perspective.”

Shawn Hogan was born and raised on PEI, and he spent time living in Calgary and Toronto before moving back to the Island at the start of the pandemic. Among other things, Shawn is a writer, producer, performer and comedian. He is also the Executive Director of the PEI Writers’ Guild. Before making the shift into the world of performance, Shawn spent 15 years working in the trades.

Shawn is currently sharing a monthly comedy show called Work-in-Progress at The Gallery Coffee House and Bistro in Charlottetown. The poster for this series boasts an adorable picture of little-Shawn. We started our conversation by talking about that little kid on the poster. “In grade two, I asked for, rather, I demanded we have a stand-up comedy showcase in my class.”

“I told some joke by [comedian] Steve Martin and was immediately stopped in my tracks.”

Work-in-Progress is a fun, unique, and

intimate way for Shawn to hone his craft by telling stories and jokes to create a full-length comedy album that he plans to record later in 2023. “Overcoming the hurdles along the way helps us see that nothing has to be perfect, nor does perfect even exist.”

Like many kids who enjoy performing, Shawn’s first stage was in living rooms of family and friends. Interestingly, during the early days of the pandemic, Shawn returned to those living room roots and could be found performing in living rooms across PEI.

“It was a lot of fun to share comedy in these personal and intimate settings. And of course, you are fed well when you’re in someone’s home. Those charcuterie boards!”

With no formal comedic training and a lifetime of funny-making behind him (and that sprinkle of East-coast humour), Shawn started to find himself on the stage of comedy clubs when

Though he exudes confidence and courage, Shawn acknowledged that he doesn’t always feel that way. “Despite feelings of doubt, insecurity, or imposter in day-to-day activities, there isn’t even a whisper of doubt when I’m performing.” This isn’t meant to sound arrogant; rather, it is a common experience that performers have where we are so enveloped in the moment on stage, fully present, unable to access all the fears and insecurities that are likely felt immediately before getting on stage and again immediately when we get off the stage. “Regardless of how an event goes, at the end of the night, I am home and in my own bed.”

Shawn has not only shared his own comedy across Canada and here at home, he also has brought many comedians to the Island and is encouraging of new, upcoming comics on PEI.

“PEI gives us the gift of playfulness and laughter. It’s also a soft spot to land when we fail and a supportive place when we succeed. There’s no place like home.”

BUZZ

Pro le: Shawn Hogan by Julie Bull

Confederation Centre Art Gallery

Generations

Private collection of Canadian art on display this summer

One of Canada’s most impressive private collections of Canadian art will be on public display in the Maritimes for the first time this summer.

Coming to Confederation Centre Art Gallery (CCAG) in June, Generations: The Sobey Family and Canadian Art braids together works by early European newcomers, titans of Canadian 20th century art, a rich display by the Québec Impressionists and Les Automatistes, as well as trailblazing artists of today, including contemporary Indigenous artists.

The exhibition comes from the private collections of Nova Scotia’s Sobey family, who have championed Canadian art for three generations, starting in the 1960s and ’70s with the trailblazing collecting of Irene and Frank H. Sobey. Organized and circulated by McMichael Canadian Art Collection, the nationally touring exhibition gathers the family’s collections for public display for the first time.

“We are thrilled to be hosting this high-profile exhibition in Charlottetown and look forward to welcoming many new and returning visitors,” says CCAG director Kevin Rice. “The outstanding works of art in the Generations exhibition provide a unique opportunity to explore narratives in Canadian art that reflect on an evolving Canada.”

Generations includes pieces from nineteenth-century painter Cornelius Krieghoff; the Group of Seven and their twentieth-century contemporaries David Milne and Emily Carr; Québec luminaries from Maurice Cullen and Marc-Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Coté to the modern abstract painters Jean Paul Riopelle and Paul-Émile Borduas; and the leading contemporary artists of today—among them Indigenous artists such as Brenda Draney, Brian Jungen,

Ursula Johnson, and Kent Monkman.

“Rather than treading predictably through the chronology of Canadian art, this exhibition takes its cue from the art of private collecting itself, in which new and unorthodox connections between artists can be made,” says McMichael’s chief curator Sarah Milroy. “The result is a panorama of Canadian creativity past and present, revealing landscapes, personal narratives, and vivid revisions of Canadian history.”

Generations opened to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Sobey Art Award, the country’s preeminent award for contemporary Canadian art. The exhibition celebrates that milestone, demonstrating the range and depth of the Sobey family’s engagement with Canadian art, and their prescient and visionary leadership in the cultural sector.

Generations will open at CCAG on June 10 and be on view until September 10. confederationcentre.com

Evening of the Stars

The 15th annual Evening of the Stars Gala Dinner and Auction will take place on May 19 at the Delta Prince Edward in Charlottetown. Funds raised will support the Stars for Life Foundation for Autism.

The evening will feature a fourcourse dinner, a live and silent auction, and entertainment by PEI comedian Patrick Ledwell.

Corporate tables and individual tickets are available by calling 894-9286 or by email to kandice@starsforlife.com

Kent Monkman (b. 1965), Study for “mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People): Resurgence of the People,” (Final Variation), 2019, acrylic on canvas, 107.3 x 213.4 cm, Collection of the Sobey Art Foundation, © Kent Monkman

SUBMITTED

A Division of Love

A video retrospective of the art of Stephen Clement

Mari Basiletti exhibition

Opening at Cornwall Library Gallery on May 16

Presented by the Cornwall Library Gallery, Pondiorama and Recent Works by Mari Basiletti opens May 16. All are invited to attend the opening celebration at 7 pm.

The exhibit will feature the art installation Pondiorama as well as Basiletti’s recent works in oils, acrylics and watercolour.

To mark the one-year anniversary of the retrospective art show held in the Studio Gallery (Victoria, PEI), a new video retrospective, A Division of Love, is being launched in honour of the late PEI artist Stephen Clement.

Created by Henry Dunsmore and sponsored by the South Shore Arts Council, the video surveys Clements’ life and art, exploring his process and his interests.

Each section of the video explores one facet of what he loved: his early attraction to art and specifically to depicting boats and seascapes; his work as a world-class physicist; his fascination with the process of etching; his research into the history of ship-building on the Tryon River and Westmoreland River; and his affection for the village of Victoria.

Get a close-up peek at his sketchbooks, as well as paintings, life-drawings, and of course, his etchings.

This is an opportunity for anyone who missed the exhibit last April to enjoy it now. Steve’s wife, Barbara Clement, narrates the video, recounting how the retrospective came together collaboratively, and giving the viewer a very personal behind-thescenes tour of the exhibit.

A Division of Love can be viewed online at YouTube (youtu.be/ PzB4H5urpm8).

The spring group exhibition, Poetic Imagery, is currently on display until May 12. Each artist has contributed one piece of art inspired by a poem.

Contact the library for information on displaying in the gallery. The Cornwall Library is located at 15 Mercedes Drive, Cornwall.

Breadalbane Gallery

New show opens May 12

Meet the artists at the May show opening on May 12 from 6–8 pm at the Breadalbane Gallery.

Artists participating this month include, Vian Emery, Will Baker, Zoe Novaczek, Laura Bain, Joan Sutton, Haley Lewis and Marianne Janowicz.

The Gallery is a casual community space that hosts PEI artists. If interested in showing at the Gallery, artists may submit photos of their work to breadalbanegallery.com.

The Breadalbane Gallery is at 4023 Dixon Road. Open Tuesdays (11 am–3 pm), Wednesdays (9 am–1 pm), Thursdays (4–8 pm) or by appointment. Call 303-8333.

Artwork by Laura Bain

Pondiorama by Mari Basiletti

PEI artist Stephen Clement

Over & Over

Recent works by Donnalee Downe and Ahmon Katz

The Merry Month of May

A group exhibition at Kings Playhouse

Presented by this town is small, Over & Over features recent works by artists Donnalee Downe and Ahmon Katz. The exhibition will be on view at Receiver Coffee on Victoria Row in Charlottetown until June 19.

The exhibition leverages collections of both mundane and treasured objects to explore how memory is performed when we revisit memorabilia. The works consider repetition, memory, time, touch and loss. Downe’s works include renderings of object and data collections amassed over decades and in a series of aluminium sculptures Katz casts a beloved mechanical camera again and again in a process designed to consider both the power and absence of touch.

Donnalee Downe is a multidisciplinary artist. Her practice seeks to trace habits, people, activity and evolving memory through research, ongoing

futile documentation and archival processes. Downe completed her MFA at Cardiff School of Art and Design, UK in 2012. Her work is included in collections at Confederation Centre Art Gallery and the PEI Art Bank.

Ahmon Katz is a sculptor who has been building public art on PEI for the past 25 years. He works with various metals and cement to create blown up versions of semi-realistic sculptures.

He earned his BFA at Eckerd College in 1994.

JUNE BUZZ DEADLINE

Monday, May 15

Artisans Waterfront and Kings Playhouse, two community arts organizations in Kings county, have collaborated to present The Merry Month of May, a group exhibition at the Playhouse Gallery in Georgetown. The show runs to May 28.

The Merry Month of May features painting, photography, quilting and rug hooking from 12 members of Artisans Waterfront in Montague. The participating artists hope to surprise visitors with the feelings that the

happy month of May evokes in artistic interpretation.

The centrepiece of the show, a bright quilt created by Ruth Aquilani, is surrounded by paintings created by Helene LaRouche, Claire Nantes, Chris Mollins, Sylvia Poirier, Dagny Rossignol, Donna Marie Serres, Rosemary Terris and Lorraine Vatcher. Photography is represented by Gary Nicholl. The exhibition also includes Sue Anne Jay’s rug hooking and jewelry designed by Jim Aquilani.

Sculpture by Ahmon Katz

SUBMITTED

Jo-Ann Ford and Catherine O’Brian of the Kings Playhouse admiring Ruth Aquilani’s quilt

CANADA'S100BESTRESTAURANTS

THE FIREWORKS FEAST

PEI Photo Club show

41st annual exhibition at Hilda Woolnough Gallery

The PEI Photo Club will hold their 41st annual exhibition at the Hilda Woolnough Gallery @ The Guild in Charlottetown from June 3 to 15. Everyone is invited to attend the opening reception on June 3 at 2 pm.

“For this year’s show, we are continuing with our open exhibition format,” says photo show chair Elaine Schuller. “The goal is to encourage our diverse members to express who they are as photographers, with no limitations. No judging, no winners. Just an exhibition of what we are all about.”

The Photo Club has resumed their monthly meetings in person this year but they have continued to hold some of them virtually. This allows the Club to invite talented photographers from across Canada as well as from the Island to give presentations. These learning opportunities have allowed Club members to increase their knowledge and skills in the art of photography.

For the first time in the history of the PEI Photo Club, this years’ show will also include short video entries. This will showcase the work of members who are venturing into new territory and going beyond still photography.

“I think that our annual exhibitions are getting better and better each year,” says club president, Phil Matusiewicz. “With the diverse interests of photographers in the club, this show is sure to provide something for everyone to enjoy.”

The show will be open for viewing until June 15 during gallery hours, from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays. peiphotoclub.com

Sixty Days of Fame

Collaboration of eight artists and eight writers

The Sixty Days of Fame exhibition, Everyone Has a Story, continues at Lefurgey Cultural Centre in Summerside until May 30.

Everyone Has a Story features the works of eight artists challenged to capture on canvas the image of an elderly person that they might encounter in their daily travels. Eight writers then gave each of the portrait characters a life story.

The exhibit is the idea of Summerside artist, Vivian Aho who wanted to give voice to the sentiment she often hears expressed by older people about feeling invisible in public.

Aho is delighted at what the artists and writers, working separately, collaboratively created.

Curated by Aho, the exhibition features Noella Richard, Pam Detlor, Marlene Cameron, June Ellis, Joan Savage, Phyllis Gay, Lise Genova, Vivian Aho, Jackie MacNeill Doiron, Anne Farrell, Karen Mellish-May, Wayne Wright, Mary Callaghan, Marlene Campbell, Sara Zilke and Sheila Forsythe.

Everyone Has a Story can be viewed on weekdays from 9 am–4 pm at the Lefurgey Cultural Centre, 205 Prince Street, Summerside. Admission is free.

Chef Michael & Chastity Smith's Farm-to-Table Live Fire Dining Experience

PHOTOS COURTESY THE ARTISTS

(top-bottom): A Snowy Day in February by Eliza Blacquiere; Untitled by Rick Dunphy; Laundry Day by Louise Lortie

Fix Your Plate by Tara Reeves

Lighten up!

Feel refreshed and energized with revitalising foods

Spring is here and it’s time to lighten things up with some revitalising foods! As the temperature warms up and the days get longer, many of us are looking to boost our health and feel rejuvenated. Did you know that there are certain foods that can help support our liver and kidneys, which are responsible for removing toxins from our bodies? These foods can help us feel refreshed and energized, so let’s take a look at some of the best ones!

Leafy greens are amazing for helping our body feel renewed. Vegetables like kale, spinach and collards are packed with chlorophyll, which supports our liver in processing environmental toxins. Plus, they are a great source of fibre, which promotes healthy digestion and helps to control blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are another group of rejuvenating foods. They contain compounds called glucosinolates, which our body converts into sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is a powerful ingredient that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which may help to reduce the risk of some chronic diseases.

Beets are another fantastic food to add to your springtime menu. They are high in betaine, which supports our liver function and protects it from damage. Plus, beets are also a good source of vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamin C, iron and potassium.

Citrus fruits such as lemons, limes and grapefruits are also great foods to keep on hand for their refreshing flavours and high nutrient content. They are loaded with vitamin C, which is important for immune function, skin health and wound healing.

Berries like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries are some of the best foods to eat when you want to freshen up your diet due to their high antioxidant properties which help protect the body against cell damage caused by free radicals.

Finding fresh asparagus in stores is a

sure fire sign that spring has arrived. Asparagus is packed with nutrients, including vitamins A, C, K and folate which are important for immune function and skin health. Asparagus is also great for digestion due to its high fibre content and always makes a refreshing and light side dish, especially when it’s paired with other powerhouse ingredients like garlic and lemon.

Incorporating these revitalising foods into your diet can help support your body’s natural processes and help you feel your best. Remember that a balanced, whole-foods diet is key, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to healthy eating. It’s important to listen to your body and give it what it needs to thrive. Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated is also crucial for overall health and vitality.

As the days get longer and warmer, take the opportunity to try new recipes and experiment with different fruits and vegetables. Incorporating a variety of fresh produce into your meals can help keep things interesting and ensure that you are getting a wide range of nutrients. Don’t be afraid to get creative in the kitchen and try new flavour combinations.

Overall, making small changes to your diet and eating with the seasons can have a big impact on your health and well-being. By adding more of these nourishing foods into your meals, you are bound to feel refreshed and energised this spring.

CONVERSATION PIECES

A selection of works in and about dialogue. In the Federic S. and Ogden Martin Concourse Gallery MAY 20 - SEPTEMBER 3

SPONSORED BY

AFTEREFFECTS:

Emerging New Media Artists in Winnipeg

CONTINUING UNTIL MAY 21

LOU SHEPPARD AND WILLIAM ROBINSON:

Cabinet Music (Cantata for Erosion)

CONTINUING UNTIL MAY 21

IBGHY & LEMMENS:

Land is not a mat to be rolled up and taken away

CONTINUING UNTIL MAY 21

ARTSMARTS

GénieArtsSmarts is the largest education initiative in Canada dedicated to improving the lives and learning capacity of Canadian children by injecting arts into academic programs.

APRIL 29 - MAY 14 / OPEN HOUSE MAY 4 AT 6:00PM

ARTTALK

Pan Wendt, Gallery Curator, will give a short tour of the exhibitions followed by a Q&A.

MAY 11 - 12:00PM

145 Richmond Street, Charlottetown, P.E.I.

confederationcentre.com/artgallery

admission by donation

Jean Paul Lemieux (1904-1990) Study for Charlottetown Revisited , 1964, oil on paper 31.9 x 58.6 cm, Gift of Charles R. Bronfman, Montreal, 1989 (CAG 89.10)

EXHIBITS galleries and museums

Breadalbane Gallery

Artists this month are Vian Emery, Will Baker, Zoe Novaczek, Laura Bain, Joan Sutton, Haley Lewis and Marianne Janowicz. Meet the artists for the May show on May 12 from 6–8 pm. Open Tues (11 am–3 pm), Wed (9 am–1 pm), Thur (4–8 pm) or by appointment (303-8333). 4023 Dixon Rd, Breadalbane.

Charlottetown Library Learning Centre

On view: (re)Visions by Damien Worth in the TD Art Corridor until July 22. Presented by this town is small. Dominion Building, 97 Queen St, Charlottetown.

Confederation Centre Art Gallery

On view to May 14: ArtsSmarts exhibition with open house May 4 at 6 pm in the Gallery Concourse. Opening May 20: Conversation Pieces. On view to May 21: Lou Sheppard and William Robinson: Cabinet Music (Cantata for Erosion); Aftereffects: Emerging New Media Artists in Winnipeg; and Land is not a mat to be rolled up and taken away. Opening June 10: The Sobey Family and Canadian Art. 145 Richmond St, Charlottetown.

Cornwall Library Art Gallery

On view: Poetic Imagery to May 12. The Spring Group Art Show features one piece from each artist that was inspired by a poem. Pondiorama and Recent Works by Mari Basiletti opens May 16 with an opening celebration at 7 pm. Contact the library for info on displaying in the gallery. 15 Mercedes Dr, Town Hall, Cornwall. 629-8415, library.pe.ca

Eptek Art & Culture Centre

On view: Yesterday, Today II: A Portrait of Summerside by Eddy Schwartz to May 12. The annual ArtsSmarts exhibition opens May 25 with a reception at 6 pm. It will be on view to June 2. Visit the permanent

exhibition at Eptek on the history and architecture of Summerside. 130 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside.

Hilda Woolnough Gallery

The Time of Our Lives featuring artwork by UPEI Seniors College students and instructors will be on view May 9–28, with an opening reception May 10 at 7 pm. The PEI Photo Club will present their 41st annual exhibition from June 3–15 with an opening reception June 3 at 2 pm. 111 Queen St, Charlottetown.

Kings Playhouse Gallery

On view to May 28: The Merry Month of May featuring works by 12 members of Artisans Waterfront in Montague. Open weekdays (10 am–5 pm) and May 6 and 27 (12 noon–4 pm). 65 Grafton St, Georgetown.

Lefurgey Cultural Centre

On view to May 30: Everyone has a Story Curated by Vivian Aho, the exhibition features eight artists and eight writers, including Noella Richard, Pam Detlor, Marlene Cameron, June Ellis, Joan Savage, Phyllis Gay, Lise Genova, Vivian Aho, Jackie MacNeill Doiron, Anne Farrell, Karen MellishMay, Wayne Wright, Mary Callaghan, Marlene Campbell, Sara Zilke and Sheila Forsythe. Open weekdays (9 am–4 pm). 205 Prince St, Summerside.

Receiver Co ee

Over & Over by Donnalee Downe and Ahmon Katz is on vew to June 19. Presented by this town is small. Receiver Coffee, Victoria Row, 128 Richmond St, Charlottetown.

Timothy’s World Co ee

Works of travel by Island artist Haley Lewis and Island paintings by Danielle Plante. Open daily. 154 Great George St, Charlottetown.

The Time of Our Lives

11th year for Seniors College group show

The Time of Our Lives, featuring the artwork of Seniors College students and instructors, will be showcased at the Hilda Woolnough Gallery @ The Guild from May 9–28.

This is the 11th year for the Seniors College group show, with some old favourites exhibiting and lots of new faces as well. Many of the pieces will be for sale.

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

Seniors College is open to anyone over 50 years old. It is a great opportunity to learn something new in a wide variety of topics. The camaraderie among the students adds a lot to the enjoyment. Visit seniorscollege.ca for a full list of Seniors College courses,

ArtsSmarts

Annual exhibition on display in Charlottetown and Summerside

Showcasing works of art created by students from schools across the Island, the annual ArtsSmarts exhibition will be on display April 29–May 14 at Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown and May 25–June 2 at Eptek Art & Culture Centre in Summerside.

Collaborating with local artists,

schedules and descriptions.

An opening reception for The Time of Our Lives will be held May 10 at 7 pm. There will be refreshments and everyone is welcome.

The Guild is located at 111 Queen Street in Charlottetown. The gallery is open on weekdays from 9 am–5 pm.

Info: Marion Copleston (675-4093, mcopleston@gmail.com)

artisans, and knowledge keepers, each class produced a project showcasing knowledge students gained through studying and learning a variety of creative media and traditional crafts.

GénieArtsSmartsis the largest education initiative in Canada dedicated to improving the lives and learning capacity of Canadian children by injecting arts into academic programs.

There will be an open house for the CCAG exhibition in the Gallery Concourse on May 4 at 6 pm. The opening reception at Eptek will be May 25 at 6 pm. All are welcome.

Artwork by students Kathy Stuart (above) and Barry Bain

Tides of Emotion

Raising awareness for mental health

May is Mental Health Month and professional photographer Debbie Brady is raising funds to promote awareness of Fitzroy Centre in Charlottetown. A member of the Canadian Mental Health Association PEI (CMFA PEI), Fitzroy Centre is devoted to providing a wide range of supports and services for individuals aged 18 and up living with mental illness.

“Macrophotography of oyster shells is a tool in my wellness arsenal,” says Brady. “Creating it lifts me from depression and helps keep me in a positive mental health space.” Research has shown that viewing art is indeed beneficial for mental and emotional health. “When I am immersed in the creative space, the rest of the world falls away. I feel happiness and joy in my photographic discoveries.”

With May bringing attention to the importance of good mental health, Brady felt moved to create a four-minute video featuring stills of her shore walks, photographic process, and images of her Oyster Art collection. The stills are set, with permission, to Rose Vaughan’s composition, “Stone and Sand,” performed by the Rose Vaughan Trio from their album Fire in the Snow

“The lyrics in this piece speak to me,” says Brady, “especially the lines ‘I am strengthened by the sea, Something broken mends in me‘ and ‘I feel the spirit lift me high, Stone and sand and sea and sky.’”

Designers guild

New organization to host information session

The newly-formed PEI Designers and Decorators Guild (PEIDDG) will host its first informational session on June 5 at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre (97 Queen Street) for all interested parties.

PEIDDG was created by four local interior designers (Kyle Timothy Blood, Damien Packwood, Susan Snow, and Irene Strang) to create an inclusive and supportive community for like-minded professionals working on the Island.

“The idea of creating the PEI Designers and Decorators Guild was

Brady hopes this simple video, available on her social media accounts and website (oysterart.ca) will gift others a moment’s calm and peace.

In the hope that sharing her artwork provides others with the same positive effects she experiences, Brady will donate $50 for every Oyster Art: The Book sold during the month of May to assist Fitzroy Centre with ongoing fundraising challenges.

“This organization is close to my heart, “says Brady. ”I am well aware of the incredible efforts of the Fitzroy Centre to provide a sense of belonging, hope and recovery to its members.”

Oyster Art The Book is available for purchase at oysterart.ca/oyster-artthe-book and at Oyster Art Studio & Gallery, 795 Canada Rd, Tyne Valley. Visit fitzroycentre.com to learn more about Fitzroy Centre and its programs.

inspired by associations I have worked with over the years in other provinces and countries,” said PEIDDG President Kyle Timothy Blood, owner of Kyle Timothy Home. “We have been working on building and structuring the Guild over the past year and a half, and I want to thank the founding members for their dedicated efforts that have led to our public launch.”

PEIDGG is a non-profit corporation, and the information session, which will provide details about membership opportunities, code of ethics, programming, and events, will be held on June 5 at 4:30 pm at the Charlottetown Library in the Rotary Auditorium. Light refreshments will be served.

To RSVP or for more information, please contact Kyle Timothy Blood at 316-0807.

SUBMITTED

Debbie Brady with a copy of her Oyster Art book

ART

ArtTalk and exhibition tour

to apply for their May 15 Jury session. Information and application forms can be found at artisanswaterfront.ca.

PEI Arts Grants

The spring round of the PEI Arts Grants will close on May 17 at 4 pm. There are three streams of grants available for artists who are PEI residents: Create grants for the creation of artistic projects by professional artists; Share grants are available for professional artists to present their completed works to the public; and Learn grants are for both professional and amateur artists who wish to advance the development of their career through targeted training or conference. Info: princeedwardisland.ca/artsgrants

Art Gallery notice

Join Confederation Centre Art Gallery curator Pan Wendt on May 11 for a noon hour tour of the current exhibitions, including Land is not a mat to be rolled up and taken away, Aftereffects: Emerging New Media Artists in Winnipeg, and Lou Sheppard and William Robinson: Cabinet Music (Cantata for Erosion). The exhibition tour will be followed by a Q&A.

Artisans Waterfront seeking new members

The artist run gallery, located at the Montague Marina, encourages fine artists and craft artisans in all mediums

Confederation Centre Art Gallery will be closed May 22–June 10 to prepare for their upcoming exhibitions. It will reopen on June 10 for a Summer Gallery Opening Party. Visit confederationcentre. com/artgallery for updates.

The Good Art Talks

Hosted at The Guild in Charlottetown, the Good Project Art Talks is a series of ten community conversations facilitated by artist, political scientist and activist King Kxndi. The series aims to explore goodness and art on PEI. Attendees will enjoy locally made food in an intimate gallery setting, surrounded by art. The guiding questions are: What is art? Who

COMING SOON

makes art? Where is art? What is good? Who is good? Why be good? Is art inherent and/or good? Can art create/lead to collective good? The next event in the series will be held at 5:30 pm on May 26. Organizers welcome anyone and everyone to this series. There is a monthly capacity of 20 guests. theguildpei.com

Membership with TTIS

This town is small’s 2023-2024 membership year has started and the organization is welcoming new members to register and inviting current members to renew their membership. Information about membership benefits and the application process is available online at thistownissmall.com/membership or by contacting Communications Coordinator Alexandra O’Sullivan at info@thistownissmall.com.

Life drawing sessions

Life Drawing sessions take place weekly at the Gertrude Cotton Art Centre, 57 Bunbury Rd, Stratford. The drop-in drawing sessions with nude model are held on Sundays from 2–4 pm (unless otherwise posted on their FB page @Life Drawing PEI). All skill levels welcome. Must be 18+ or have parent/guardian written permission. Easels are provided but participants must bring their own drawing material. Organizers are always looking for models. If interested, reach out on FB or email lifedrawingpei2022@ gmail.com.

Kindred Spirits Quilt Guild

The Kindred Spirits Quilt Guild meets from 7–9 pm on the third Wednesday of the month—except July, August and December—at the Irish Cultural Centre, 582 North River Rd, Charlottetown. New members and visitors are welcome. Masks are optional and refreshments will not be served at this time. Follow @ Kindred Spirits Quilt Guild of PEI on FB for updates or call Roberta at 393-3222.

PEI Modern Quilt Guild

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

Quilters’ bus trip

The PEI Modern Quilt Guild is planning a bus trip to help Islanders attend Quilt Canada in Halifax from June 8–10. Sit back and enjoy the drive with fun games, Shop Hops and more than $1000 worth of prizes and gifts along the way. Discounted entry to the Quilt Show is available to those participating on the bus trip. The national quilt show doesn’t come to the East Coast often and organizers say it is definitely a must-see. Email peimqg@gmail.com for details and to book a seat.

Summerside Arts Club

The Summerside Arts Club presents Inspirations 2023, an arts and craft show to be held on June 10 and 11 at the Sherbrooke Community Centre. The multi-faceted and talented artists of the Club will be sharing not only their artwork but their other artistic expressions—basketweaving, fabric arts, jewelry and more. Stay tuned for more details. 26998 Sherbrooke Rd (access road to Summerside).

Scavenger hunts for kids

Eptek Art & Culture Centre offers exhibit-related scavenger hunts for kids. Drop-ins are welcome but visitors are encouraged to call ahead. Admission is by donation. Follow on FB for upcoming activities. 130 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside. 888-8373, peimuseum.com

Summer arts camps at Confederation Centre

Registration is open for summer arts camps at Confederation Centre of the Arts. Arts education programs at the Centre encourage creative expression in a variety of ways, from dancing and drawing to sculpting and singing. The wide range of summer camps for ages 4–17 include guided tours of the Gallery, performances at The Charlottetown Festival, visits from guest artists, and more. The following one-week camps are available between July 3–August 25: Visual Arts; Exploring Performing Arts; Dance (Junior, Intermediate, Senior); Kinder Performing Arts; Kinder Visual Arts; Analogue Animation; and Musical Theatre Intensive. Info/register: confederationcentre.com

JUNE 10 – SEPTEMBER 10

GENERATIONS: THE SOBEY FAMILY AND CANADIAN ART

One of Canada’s most impressive private collections of Canadian art. This exhibition demonstrates the range and depth of the Sobey family’s engagement with Canadian art, and their prescient and visionary leadership in the cultural sector—a gift to Canada like no other.

JUNE 10 – SEPTEMBER 30

HUMAN CAPITAL

Curated by Tak Pham Organized and circulated by

This exhibition presents work that o ers insight into the impact of Canada’s immigration policies and history: how it treats humans as capital, and the role it plays in shaping the complex and contested formation of a “Canadian identity”.

confederationcentre.com/artgallery admission by donation

Architectural Scavenger Hunt

The Summerside Architectural Scavenger Hunt awaits. Pick up a leaflet illustrating various architectural features found in the Summerside Historic District and follow the clues to discover the locations.

Leaflets are available free of charge at MacNaught History Centre and Archives (75 Spring Street) or Lefurgey Cultural Centre (205 Prince Street).

For more information, call 432-1332.

H&S

Richard Ibghy & Marilou Lemmens, Movement of Spot and Futures Market Prices for Agricultural Commodities (2005-2012) from the series Futures, 2019. Wood and ink; 72 x 24 x 23 cm.

Organized and circulated by

Kent Monkman (b. 1965), Study for “mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People): Resurgence of the People,” (Final Variation) 2019, acrylic on canvas, 107.3 x 213.4 cm, Collection of the Sobey Art Foundation, © Kent Monkman

Curated by Sarah Milroy

Charlottetown Film Fest

Dates announced and submissions open for ChFF2023

The Charlottetown Film Society—a non-profit Canadian charity established in 2012 to support the PEI film community—will host the 2023 Charlottetown Film Festival from October 12–15.

Festival submissions open May 1. Filmmakers are invited to submit films of all lengths and genres by June 30. To be eligible for consideration, films must be: Canadian; a new work (completed within the last three years); and show a reflection of our diverse and fluid society.

This year’s Charlottetown Film Festival (ChFF2023) aims to be a vital

learning experience for up-and-coming filmmakers. Through mid-morning learning sessions in the form of workshops and panel discussions, filmmakers will gain valuable insights from industry professionals.

The Festival will also encourage more audience interaction with the filmmakers through formalized Q&A sessions after screenings—filmmakers want to talk about their art and film buffs are eager learn about it.

Films can be submitted to Charlottetown Film Festival via FilmFreeway at filmfreeway.com/ CharlottetownFilmFestival-ChFF

FILMS

Kids Cinema Series

Arts Grants

The spring round of the PEI Arts Grants will open applications on April 12th, 2023 at noon and will close on May 17th, 2023 at 4pm.

There are three streams of grants available for artists who are PEI residents:

• Create grants are for the creation of artistic projects by professional artists

•Share grants are available for professional artists to present their completed works to the public

•Learn grants are for both professional and amateur artists who wish to advance the development of their career through targeted training or conference

If this town is small (TTIS) had its very own space, what would it look like? Would it have a gallery? Studio spaces? Specialized equipment like a darkroom, printshop, or more? Where would it be? How big would it be? Would it be shared with other organizations and groups?

These are some of the questions this town is small seeks to uncover with their new project. Through an organizational assessment and research, a series of community consultations and an internal visioning session, the development of a space needs assessment document and public presentation of the findings, TTIS will have a better understanding of the impact of a dedicated space on our surrounding communities.

TTIS looks forward to sharing more information about this project, the space and facilities experts who will be involved, and ways people can contribute as it gets started this May.

The Kids Cinema Series continues at Kings Playhouse in Georgetown with Dreamworks Puss In Boots: The Last Wish playing May 6 at 3 pm. Info: kingsplayhouse.com, 652-2053

Filmworks Summerside

Filmworks Summerside presents a monthly film series at Harbourfront Theatre. The next film screening will feature Living on May 10 at 7 pm. Newly renovated with a new screen and projector, the Harbourfront Theatre is the largest performing arts centre in Summerside. 124 Heather Moyse Dr. harbourfronttheatre.com

VISUAL ARTS

Ages 6 - 12

KINDER VISUAL ARTS

Half-Day camp | Ages 4 - 5

MAKE IT MOVE: TEEN ANALOGUE ANIMATION CAMP

Ages 13 - 17

Ages 6 - 12

DANCE CAMPS

Junior | Intermediate | Senior MUSICAL THEATRE INTENSIVE

Ages 12 - 17

KINDER PERFORMING ARTS

Half-Day camp | Ages 4 - 5

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 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.

Admission

Regular $11.00

Member $8.00

65 and over $8.00

14 and under $8.00

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

Annual membership - $25.00

Beau is Afraid until May 3

18A, sexual content, disturbing content. Dir: Ari Aster, Canada/Finland/US, 2023, 179 min. Joaquin Phoenix, Parker Posey, Amy Ryan.

“Richard III didn’t need a horse for his kingdom. He just needed Philippa Langley. Langley, a single mother and amateur historian living in Edinburgh, Scotland, became increasingly obsessed with the late English monarch, long portrayed as one of the great villains of history… Stephen Frears’ new film dramatizes the true tale of Langley’s dogged pursuit to unearth the true story of Richard as well as his actual, longlost remains - a journey that leads, remarkably, to a parking lot in Leicester. It’s the kind of comic, eminently British underdog story that Frears excels at. And with Sally Hawkins playing Langley as a woman undeterred by pompous academics and condescending naysayers, The Lost King makes for a charmingly droll tale of long-ago and not-so-long-ago.” —Jake Coyle, Associated Press

National Theatre Live: Life of Pi

May 11–15

“Hereditary and Midsommer writer-director

Ari Aster opens his canvas to the horrors that could plague anybody in Beau Is Afraid. He finds shocking new ways to convey horror in mundane situations. Beau is trying to visit his mother when situations conspire to prevent it. The loss of his house keys escalates to stab wounds, convalescence and more that stand in his way... Beau has anxiety medication that he takes, but the instructions and side e ects of those pills only suggest more things Beau can worry about... As soon as Beau ventures out, the real world becomes a surreal obstacle course of potential threats... He wanders from situation to situation like the protagonist in an Alice in Wonderland or The Odyssey-type story. The difference is that Beau just wants to be le alone, and the world keeps intruding.” —Fred Topel, UPI “It’s a weird beginning that only gets stranger... Reality gets totally destabilized in the stream-of-consciousness plot... It’s the work of an acclaimed filmmaker operating with maximum confidence... It’s quite remarkable that, in making a comedy, Aster has created something even more depraved and unsettling than his horror movies.” —Alex Hudson, Exclaim!

The Lost King

May 4–10

PG. Dir: Stephen Frears, UK, 2023, 108 min. Sally Hawkins, Shonagh Price, Helen Katamba.

Winner, Best Film, Boulder International Film Festival.

PG, violent scenes, mature content. Dir: Max Webster, UK, 2023, 146 min. Hiran Abeysekera.

$15 Regular, $12 Member/Senior/Child

a clearly apparent joy in simply spinning a fun, funny, dramatic and suspenseful story make this his most tonally complex work to date... Garrel himself plays Abel, whose 60-year-old mother, Sylvie, works in a prison... Much to Abel’s chagrin, she has a tendency to date and even marry the men she meets in prison... Her latest conquest is Michel, whom she marries behind bars before he’s finally released. Abel doesn’t trust his new stepfather one bit, as he tells his best friend, Clémence… This being a crime comedy, it doesn’t take long for Abel and Clémence to find themselves part of an elaborate, illegal and possibly harebrained get-rich-quick scheme piloted by Michel… With a sprinkling of action, some romance and a lot of comedy, The Innocent is simply a good time at the movies” —Boyd van Hoeij, The Film Verdict “Flat out entertaining.” —Deadline

Queens of the Qing Dynasty

May 20, 22—25

Rating TBA. Dir: Ashley McKenzie, Canada, 2022, 122 min. Sarah Walker, Ziyin Zheng, Xue Yao. In English, Mandarin Chinese, and Russian with English subtitles. Best Feature Film Nominee at The Berlin International Film Festival.

Puppetry, magic and storytelling combine in a unique, Olivier Award-winning stage adaptation of the best-selling novel. A er a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, a 16-year-old boy named Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a Royal Bengal tiger. Time is against them, nature is harsh, who will survive? Filmed live in London’s West End and featuring state-of-the-art visuals, the epic journey of endurance and hope is bought to life in a breath-taking new way for cinema screens. “One of the most visually stunning theatre shows I’ve ever seen… an out-and-out triumph for the technical team… It is, at its best, utterly transcendent.” —Andrzej

Lukowski, Time Out

The Innocent (L’Innocent)

May 16—21

PG. Dir: Louis Garel, France, 2022, 98 min. Louis Garel, Noémie Merlan, Roschdy Zem, Anouk Grinberg. In French, with English subtitles. César Award Winner, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress.

“A delightful crime comedy that recalls Stanley Donen’s films from the 1960s (Charade, Arabesque…), The Innocent is an unexpected surprise from the o en very serious French star Louis Garrel... An obvious lightness of touch and

“The most unexpected and perfect follow-up that any fan of Ashley McKenzie (Werewolf), one of this country’s most exciting filmmakers, could possibly anticipate… It confirms her as one of the more original, unpredictable voices in Canadian storytelling. Following two lost Cape Breton souls struggling to anchor themselves in a world that feels strange and hostile, McKenzie’s film focuses on the teenage Star and the twenty-something An. The two meet a er Star is admitted to hospital following a suicide attempt,

and An is assigned to watch over her as part of a volunteer outreach program. Star is a neurodiverse teen who has been deemed unfit to live independently… When An is assigned to watch Star in hospital, a peculiar, promising relationship is ignited… Star comes from a broken home stacked floor to ceiling with trauma… An, meanwhile, is an international student from Shanghai, genderqueer and unsure what to make of this cold, beige country… Yet slowly and carefully, Star and An form an unexpectedly intense relationship… What might initially sound like an exercise in Maritime miserablism… is instead a delightfully playful, energetic and extraordinarily empathetic work. While McKenzie is extending the themes that she previously explored in Werewolf—the thrills and dangers of codependency, how easy it is for people to become stuck in one place—she is also stretching the limits of Canadian cinema to create something elastic, thrilling, new.” —Barry Hertz, the Globe and Mail

BlackBerry

May 26—June 1

Rating TBA. Dir: Matt Johnson, Canada, 2023, 122 min. Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Cary Elwes.

Best Film Nominee at The Berlin International Film Festival.

city cinema schedule

“Who knew a Canadian biopic of an infamous smartphone could be this entertaining, even poignant and moving? BlackBerry is all that and more… This long and winding tale of the rise and fall of the BlackBerry… is at once wonderfully funny, suspenseful and ultimately tragic… Centering on nerdy and inventive Mike Lazaridis (a never better Jay Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie, Johnson’s film starts in 1996 with the emergence of this unheard of idea of a phone that can also send and receive emails... Johnson tells the whole saga, soup to nuts, in a highly entertaining and fast-moving fashion that keeps you riveted throughout. You really find yourself rooting for these guys and their ragtag team of tech nerds… In the fast-moving technological age in which we live, the epic tale of the BlackBerry now plays like a period piece, a nostalgic look back for people like me who deeply loved that little Canadian device.” —Pete Hammond, Deadline

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 at City Cinema!

LIBRARIES

Charlottetown Library Learning Centre

Programming continues this month at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre (97 Queen St). Bring supplies and join fibre and textile makers at Fibre Arts Club on Tuesdays at 1 pm. Use an Oculus VR headset at Virtual Reality for ages 10+ on Thursdays from 3–5 pm. Get Tech Help from one of the teen volunteers on Saturdays from 10 am–12 pm. Asian Heritage Month celebrations will take place on Saturdays in May. John from Public Archives will present Intro to Genealogy on May 2 at 1 pm. Join Kelly from Career Development Skills for Building Your Resume on May 3 at 2 pm and Preparing for the Interview on May 10 at 2 pm. PEI Emergency Measures Organization will present Emergency Preparedness on May 11 at 1 pm. Register for Planting with Library Lomi Compost (ages 16+) and plant a tomato plant on May 15 at 6 pm. Join Danya from PEI Family Violence Prevention Services Inc for a Healing Communities presentation on May 15 at 7 pm. Topics include healing, self-care, managing mental health and trauma. The Seniors Café on May 18 at 1 pm will feature an introductory session to improv with Nancy McLure. Participation is not neccessary; join for the laughs, snacks and socializing. Create a little hedgehog from a paperback book at Crafternoon on May 24 at 1 pm. Register in advance; supplies provided. The Board Game Café takes place May 31 at 6 pm and has a wide variety of new and traditional games to suit all types of gamers.

Summerside Rotary Library

Programming continues this month at the Summerside Rotary Library (57 Central St). Adult programming: Learn All About Cannabis, its workings, types and uses, on May 1 at 6 pm with Sandee MacLean from PEI Cannabis. Join Nifty Knitters and Needlecraft with fibre and textile makers on Thursdays at 1 pm. Bring supplies. All skill levels

welcome. Play games May 10 and 24 at 2 pm at Cards, Crokinole, and Cronies Visit the Seniors Café for a cup of tea or coffee and an engaging info session May 12 at 11 am. Join the Book Club on May 27 at 2 pm and discuss some of today’s most thought-provoking books. Pick up a copy of the latest selection at the main circulation desk. Children’s programming: Wiggle Giggle Read for 0–36 months (9:30 am, Wednesdays); Family Storytime for ages 3–5 (10:30 am, Thursdays); Puppet Play for the whole family (11 am, May 5); Outrageous Origami for ages 5–12 (11 am, May 13); Nature Immersion for ages 5–12 (10 am, May 19); Baby and Toddler Yoga for ages 0–3 years (9:30 am, May 20); Bridge Over Library Waters on Science Saturday for ages 6–12 (11 am, May 20); and Multicultural Storytime & Conversation Hour with IRSA (11 am, May 27). Teen programming takes place on Tuesdays in May at 4 pm (unless otherwise noted) with Teen Advisory Group (2); Brain Busters (9); Pause & Putter (16/30). Call to reserve a spot at Try-A-Trade with Etta Esler from Skills Canada PEI(21, *2 pm); and May Flowers (23).

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.

Eptek Centre Book Club

The members of the Eptek Centre Book Club will meet May 4 at 7 pm to discuss the book The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

For more info, call 888-8373, visit peimuseum.com or follow on FB @EptekCentre.

Eptek Art & Culture Centre is located at 130 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside.

BOOK LAUNCHES

Suzanne Atkinson

Island author L. P. Suzanne Atkinson will launch Mallory Gorman Won’t Be Buried Today, the fifth book in her Stella Kirk Mystery series, at a Book Launch and Reading on May 7 from 2–3:30 pm in the Key Family Room at the Summerside Rotary Library. All five books in the series will be available.

Libby Osgood

Experience the wisdom and spirituality of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a priest and paleontologist, at the Teilhard de Chardin: A Book of Hours book launch on May 17 from 7–8 pm at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre’s Rotary room. Hear his words turned into prayers from one of the editors, Sister Libby Osgood.

Deirdre Kessler

Hosted by Bookmark, Island author Deirdre Kessler will launch Adventures of an Island Cat Named BRUPP at 2 pm on May 21 at Beaconsfield’s Carriage House in Charlottetown. Deirdre will read from the new book and there will be a singa-long of Brupp songs. Participants will make up a group poem about cats and do quick sketches of a favourite cat (real or fictional) to be hung on a clothesline at the Carriage House. There will be catshaped cookies and a display of artwork of the original BRUPP books.

Kathleen MacMillan

Bookmark and Penumbra Press will present and evening with From Sword to Pen author Kathleen MacMillan at 7:30 pm on May 25 at Beaconsfield Carriage House. Free admission. 2 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Alexander MacLeod

Bookmark is celebrating Short Story Month with the launch of the paperback edition of Animal Person by Alexander MacLeod. The free event will be held at 7 pm on May 31 at Beaconsfield Carriage House in Charlottetown.

A gift of Island poetry

CALL OF THE WILD GEESE

High above osprey nests, cold gulls are tossed skyward by wind and fall, tumbling sharp-eyed circles towards the tense surface of the sea.

Their acrobatic hunt taunts vernal wild geese, who carry their hunger southwards, winging their aerial language,

away from origins. Against sky, ight unfolds orderly and severe, while mourning cries ll time and space, bristling the down of my skin.

Jane Ledwell. Return of the Wild Goose. Island Studies Press, 2019. Each month Deirdre Kessler selects a poem by an Island poet for The Buzz

Short Story Month

Bookmark celebrates with launch of Animal Person in paperback

May is Short Story Month and Bookmark, Charlottetown’s locally owned, independent bookstore, is celebrating with the launch of the paperback edition of Animal Person by Alexander MacLeod. The free event will be held at 7 pm on May 31 at Beaconsfield Carriage House in Charlottetown. Everyone is welcome.

Named a Best Book of the Year by The New Yorker, CBC Books and the Globe and Mail, Animal Person is a favourite of Bookmark Manager Lori Cheverie: “I tend to read short stories as a type of amuse bouche between novels but not in the case of Alexander’s stories where I always want just one more. Each of these stories left me wanting more but perfectly satisfied at the same time. He is a master of the craft. “

Animal Person is a collection about the needs, temptations and tensions that exist just beneath the surface of our lives.

Startling, suspenseful, deeply humane yet alert to the undertow of our darker instincts, the eight stories in Animal Person illuminate what it means

to exist in the perilous space between desire and action, and to have your faith in what you hold true buckle and give way.

A petty argument between two sisters is interrupted by an unexpected visitor. Adjoining motel rooms connect a family on the brink of a new life with a criminal whose legacy will haunt them for years to come. A connoisseur of other people’s secrets is undone by what he finds in a piece of lost luggage. In the wake of a tragic accident, a young man must contend with what is owed to the living and to the dead. And in the O. Henry Award-winning story “Lagomorph,” a man’s relationship with his family’s long-lived pet rabbit opens up to become a profound exploration of how a marriage fractures.

These stories explore the struggle for meaning and connection in an age when many people feel cut off from so much, not least themselves.

MacLeod was born in Inverness, Cape Breton and currently lives in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He teaches at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.

BOOKS PEI

Adventures of an Island Cat Named BRUPP

Deirdre Kessler

Illustrated by Cecily Donnelly

Island author Deirdre Kessler will launch Adventures of an Island Cat Named BRUPP, a one-volume edition that includes all of the previously published Brupp-the-cat novels as well as a new, never-before-published story, “Brupp and the Milk River Orphans.” The cover art and illustrations are by Cecily Donnelly.

Deirdre will read from the new BRUPP book and there will be a singa-long of Brupp songs—Brupp fans know that the Island’s most famous cat not only keeps an imaginary diary, but also he makes up songs. Deirdre will bring her trusty guitar and songsheets for all. As well, participants will make up a group poem about cats and do quick sketches of a favourite cat (real or fictional) to be hung on a clothesline at the Carriage House. There will be cat-shaped cookies and a display of artwork of the original BRUPP books. Bookmark will host the launch of Adventures of an Island Cat Named BRUPP at 2 pm on May 21 at Beaconsfield’s Carriage House.

Keening: Poems of Love and Loss

Sue Woodworth-Scalia

Keening: Poems of Love and Loss, Sue Woodworth-Scalia’s premiere book of poetry, is an intimate journey through the seven stages of grief, spoken through the poet’s authentic, passionate, and sometimes raw voice.

Sue is a self published author from PEI. She can be found roaming beaches looking for hagstones with her faithful canine companions, Sam and Frodo.

Keening will be available for purchase at Coles in Summerside, Indigo and Bookmark in Charlottetown, and at several small locations across the Island. It will also be available from the author at dancer2@eastlink.ca.

Sue is planning a book launch at Lefurgey Centre in May.

About Friday

Jocelyn Adams

complicates their already misunderstood relationship.

About Friday is a short novelette by Island author Jocelyn Adams.

It is a messy love story about a transsexual woman, Emmy, and her cis roommate/girlfriend, Holly. Their relationship is beautifully imperfect— complex, like a fine wine for those with a pallet for excessive drugs and punk rock. The comfort of a routine bad Friday in their small East coast town is lost when Emmy and Holly’s shared online crush and her rich girlfriend show up unexpectedly. All four women must reconcile their impulsive behaviour along with their substance use, and come to terms with the nature of their new complex relationship.

Adams is a writer, designer, musician and podcaster. She lives on the North shore of PEI with her wife, dog, cats and chickens. She is the co-host of Salty MotherClutchers podcast, a queer and trans podcast on motorcycle culture, and is the owner of a boutique creative firm, J.Adams Co.

About Friday is available directly from Deadname Café at deadname. ca, as well as Amazon, Kindle, Kobo, Google Books, and Apple Books.

Teilhard de Chardin: A Book of Hours

Kathleen

Deignan, CND

Libby Osgood, CND

the cosmic horizon of mystery.”

Sister Libby Osgood is an Aerospace Engineer who teaches sustainable design engineering at UPEI and is a religious sister with the Congregation of Notre Dame. The book is available at the Bookmark in Charlottetown.

Mallory Gorman Won’t Be Buried Today

L. P. Suzanne Atkinson

When an online crush and her bougie girlfriend relocate to their small town, a punk barista and her—sort of partner—roommate are forced to reconcile their impulsive behaviour before it

Experience the wisdom and spirituality of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a priest and paleontologist, at the Teilhard de Chardin: A Book of Hours book launch on May 17 from 7–8 pm at the Charlottetown Library Rotary room. Hear his words turned into prayers from one of the editors, Libby Osgood.

“This Book of Hours is an edited volume of Teilhard de Chardin’s most inspirational work,” says Osgood, “not a text to be read or studied but a work of liturgical poetics to live with and support your daily prayer in view of

This month, PEI author Suzanne Atkinson will release Mallory Gorman Won’t Be Buried Today, the fifth book in the A Stella Kirk Mystery series.

Stella Kirk refuses to be put off by Detective Aiden North’s lack of enthusiasm. A body has been discovered at the bottom of a grave not yet inhabited by the intended owner. Two residents of Harbour Manor are missing—according to her demented father. There must be a link and Stella struggles to connect the dots. Growing old is not for the faint of heart and growing old alone increases the struggle. Follow Stella Kirk as she learns the challenges of caring for the elderly and discovers the opportunities available to take advantage of the vulnerable. Murders may or may not have been committed. You be the judge.

All five Stella Kirk stories are set in the small town of Shale Harbour, (based on Victoria-By-The-Sea, PEI). The books are availalbe worldwide and will be for sale at a Book Launch and Reading to be held May 7 from 2–3:30 pm in the Key Family Room at the Summerside Rotary Library.

“Lost Boys” shortlisted

Trevor Corkum’s short story in the running

“Lost Boys” by PEI author Trevor Corkum has been shortlisted for the 2023 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded annually for the best piece of unpublished short fiction from any of the Commonwealth’s 56 Member States. The 28 stories on the 2023 shortlist were selected from a total of 6642 entries, and tackle subjects from illness, human trafficking and decay, to relationships and hope—as well as family secrets, growing up gay in a hostile world, generation gaps, bittersweet friendships, and making one’s way in the world of work. They span genres from speculative and comic fiction to historical fiction and crime.

Corkum’s “Lost Boys” tells the story of Gideon, a 17-year old boy sent to a remote re-education camp for 2SLGBTQIA+ teenagers by his religious parents.

“It’s a story about the challenges of growing up queer in a hostile world— particularly at a time of increasingly violent backlash,” says Corkum. “But it’s also a story about competing

Hideout residency

Island writer Lauren Jean Lawlor has been named this year’s Hideout residency scholarship winner. The scholarship will allow Lawlor to attend a one-week self-directed fall writing residency at The Hideout, a boutique retreat and vacation property located in North Tryon, PEI.

Lawlor is a writer currently based in Charlottetown. She was shortlisted for the Irving Layton Fiction Prize and her work has appeared in carte blanche and at the Neighbourhood Film Festival. During her time at the Hideout, Lawlor plans to work on a short story collection that re-imagines queer narratives in rural spaces.

The Hideout residency program providesopportunities for writers, artists and practitioners from across Canada and the world to spend a full week focused on their practice. Each year, up to two full scholarships are awarded. Hideout scholars join a line-up of invited artists and a selection of artists and practitioners chosen through a general application process. thehideoutpei.com

ideologies of masculinity, and the lasting damage toxic ideas of masculinity enact upon us all.”

Corkum’s debut novel The World After Us will be published by Doubleday Canada in 2024. He lives in Epekwitk (PEI), where along with his partner Joshua Lewis, he is a co-proprietor of The Hideout, a rural riverside property which offers retreats and self-directed residencies for Canadian and international writers.

S’side Lobster Carnival Trivia Competition

Sponsored by StandardAero, a Trivia competition with host Wil MacDonald will be featured on July 6 at the 67th Summerside Lobster Carnival.

Trivia teams from across the province are encouraged to sign up for the opportunity to win some great prizes. The first place team will claim $600, second, $300, and third, $200. There will be five rounds of ten questions across all genres.

Registration is now open at summersidelobstercarnival.ca.

Writer Lauren Lawlor receives 2023 scholarship

JOSHUA LEWIS

PEI author Trevor Corkum

SUBMITTED

Lauren Jean Lawlor

Asian Heritage Month

There will be Asian Heritage Month celebrations at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre on Saturday afternoons in May. Events include a mix of cooking demos, cultural performances, a family storytime and a panel discussion. Stay tuned for all the details. Follow @PEI Public Library Service on FB or visit library.pe.ca.

Family Violence Prevention

Family Violence Prevention Week is May 15–21. Every Islander can play a role in preventing and responding to family violence. Wear purple on May 17 to show support and observe a moment of silence at noon. This year’s activities will focus on healing communities and will include a variety of free community events across the province throughout the week. Visit stopfamilyviolence.pe.ca for resources and event details.

Digital Literacy events for Island seniors

The Office of Seniors is partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters to hold a series of Tech N Talk digital literacy events for seniors (65 years or older). At Tech N Talk, each senior attending will be partnered with a youth volunteer for technology support and will get help using email, social media, texting, FaceTime and/or other software or application programs on their own technological or mobile devices. Upcoming events will take place at the Montague Rotary Library (May 6, 10:30 am–12 noon); Charlottetown Library Learning Centre Rotary (May 13, 10 am–12:30 pm); Montague Rotary Library (May 27, 10:30 am–2:30 pm); and Summerside Rotary Library (June 3, 10:30 am–12:30 pm). For more info on upcoming Tech N Talk events, visit princeedwardisland.ca/ TechNTalk, email seniors@gov.pe.ca or call the Office of Seniors at 620-3785.

Pulmonary Fibrosis Support

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 time spent discussing the illness but mostly the group shares tips on how to handle it. Everyone is welcome. Info: Doug/ Allison, 675-2970

COMMUNITY #1

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

QEH Big Day of Giving

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation’s Big Day of Giving is May 24. The Big Day of Giving is a 24-hour community celebration of those who are a big deal to the QEH. Celebrate with with them on social media and tune in to Ocean 100 and HOT 105.5 for heartfelt stories of grateful patients, community supporters, QEH staff and life-saving equipment needed at the hospital. Phone in support by calling 1-833-335-0545 or donate online at qehbigday.ca.

Coronation viewing

St. Peter’s parish and the Royal Commonwealth Society of PEI are hosting a public viewing of King Charles’ coronation on May 6. The viewing will begin at 7 am at St. Peter’s Cathedral, 7 All Souls Lane, Charlottetown. All are invited to attend. Info: 566-2102

Care Giver Support

Hospice PEI hosts monthly Care Giver Support Group meetings at three locations across the Island. In Charlottetown, meetings take place on the third Monday of the month from 1–3 pm at the Hospice PEI provincial office, 119 Water St. Meetings take place in Summerside on last Wednesday of each month from 1:30–3:30 pm in the ADL room at Summerside Rotary Library, 57 Central St. Meetings take place in Alberton on the second

Thursday of the month from 6–7:30 pm at Kids West Family Resource Centre, 630 Main St. To register, call 368-4095 (Charlottetown), 438-4231 (Summerside), 859-3949 (Alberton). Visit hospicepei.ca to learn more about their programs and services, and how to get involved.

Family Feud auditions

Family Feud Canada is currently on the hunt for Canada’s most dynamic and energetic families to feud for a chance to win up to $30,000 on Season 5 of the CBC game show. In an effort to represent all Canadian families and all Canadian communities, and to help make this opportunity to win accessible nationwide, Family Feud Canada supports competitor travel and accommodations for anyone living outside of Toronto. While there is no official deadline for applications, families are encouraged to apply soon. More information, including eligibility criteria, applications and more, can be found online at cbc.ca/familyfeudauditions.

PEI Museums Open House

The Community Museums Association of Prince Edward Island and Creative PEI invite the public to meet the staff and Board members on May 13. This is an opportunity to see their new location at suite 302, 85Fitzroy Street in Charlottetown and to discuss heritage and culture. Drop by any time between 1–4 pm. RSVP by May 10 at info@museumspei.ca to let organizers know the number of guests to anticipate.

Community Impact Fund

The Community Foundation of PEI (CFPEI) Community Impact Fund is a hybrid endowment and flowthrough fund that has been established to help improve the overall wellbeing of PEI and to respond to grant applications, emergency requests and emerging needs from the charitable and not-for-profit sector throughout the Island. Granting from the Community Impact Fund (CIF) is used to meet these ever-changing community needs and priorities. Each year, the CFPEI Board of Directors determines the area of interest for the granting capacity of the fund. As Islanders continue to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, it is clear that the environment, and its sustainability, should be key priorities and this will be the focus of the 2023 CIF granting. Island charities and qualified donees are invited to submit applications to the CIF via the CFPEI application portal at cfpei.ca/communityimpact. The fund is currently estimated to grant $25,000. The goal is to support projects/programs which encourage individuals to change their attitudes, lifestyles and actions to collectively minimize environmental impact and to build sustainable practices. Environmental and sustainable projects/ programs include, but are not limited to, those that address climate change and its impacts; promote a circular economy,

and/or utilize commercial agriculture adaptation strategies. Organizations seeking to apply and individuals and businesses interested in supporting the CIF can find more info at cfpei.ca/ communityimpact. All donations will receive a charitable donation receipt for tax purposes in the year the donation is made. All funds received will support the charitable and not-for-profit organizations that will apply for funding.

Ancestor Hunter Conference

Part of genealogical research is based on the bonds that are made through kinship and relevance. Join Gail Steele, founder and host of the Ancestor Hunter Conference, for an engaging weekend (August 4–6) filled with quality speakers, vendors and exhibitioners while soaking up the historical elegance of the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel in historic downtown Charlottetown. Visit ancestorhunter.ca for details.

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 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 plans to expand once the group is larger. PEI Autistic Adults was started by an autistic senior and currently has over 70 members ranging from students to seniors. Visit peiautisticadults. com for info. To participate in meetings but would prefer not to interact online, email peiautisticadults@gmail.com. PEI Autistic Adults is not affiliated with any organization.

Propelle in Kensington

Women’s Network PEI will be offering their Propelle program in Kensington from May 8–June 30. Propelle is a no-cost life skills and employment readiness program for women and gender-diverse people who are interested in building employability skills and community connections. The online application form and program details are available at wnpei.org/propelle. Email admin@ wnpei.org or call 368-5040 for more info.

Bonshaw AGM

Notice is hereby given that an annual meeting of the shareholders of the Bonshaw Hall Co-operative Limited will be held at the Bonshaw Hall on May 17 at 7 pm for the following purposes: to receive the financial statements of the Corporation for the year ending March 30, 2023; and to transact such further and other business as may properly be brought before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. The Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on April 28, 2023 as the record date for the meeting. All shareholders of record on that date are entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting. By order of the Board of Directors Karen L. Graves, secretary. 9 Green Rd, Bonshaw.

Farmers Bank of Rustico

One of three organizations to receive John Bragg Award

Canada’s History Society recently announced the Farmers Bank of Rustico as one of three organizations to receive the John Bragg Award for Atlantic Canada.

The new granting program, made possible by the River Philip Foundation, promotes and preserves the histories of community leaders in the region. Each of the recipient’s projects aims to expand knowledge and increase public awareness of key leaders in their communities.

The Farmers Bank of Rustico will receive a $50,000 contribution to carry out their initiative—Father Belcourt: missionary, educator, visionary, fighter for human rights, helping people to help themselves. In addition, the Farmers Bank of Rustico will be featured in a content piece developed by Canada’s History to help further share these stories with a national audience.

Father Georges-Antoine Belcourt (1803–1874) was born in Baie-duFebvre, Quebec and ordained to the priesthood in 1827. He served as a priest mainly in Manitoba, North

Taco battles

Charlottetown Chefs compete

Ultimate Chef Battles, a grassroots event developed by Sea City Collective in partnership with Discover Charlottetown, will continue this month with Taco Battles from May 4–13. The campaign featured Burger Battles in April.

Charlottetown chefs compete head to head with their signature dishes,

Dakota, Prince Edward Island and Quebec. Among the first missionaries to the Red River, Belcourt sympathized with the Métis and supported them in their grievances against the Hudson’s Bay Company. He relocated to Rustico, PEI in 1859, where he set out to help the Acadians, mainly poor Frenchspeaking farmers and fishermen. There, he founded the Farmers Bank of Rustico, the precursor to the credit union movement in North America.

This project will create a bilingual museum and education program and lecture series to investigate and share Belcourt’s complex life and legacy.

DANCING

Social dance at DownStreet

A social dance is held on the third Saturday of each month at DownStreet Dance studio in Charlottetown. The next dance is May 20 from 8–10 pm A social dance is 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 and more. All levels and styles of dance are welcome. 101 Grafton St, second floor, Charlottetown. Info: downstreetdance@gmail.com, downstreetdance.com

Dance and Social

Join members of Royal Canadian Air Force Association 201 (Confederation) Wing Charlottetown for a monthly Dance and Social at Malcolm Darrach Community Centre (1 Avonlea Dr). The next event takes place May 28 from 1–5 pm. Music is provided, a light lunch is served, and there is bar service. These events are open to the public. Admission is at the door. Info: debbie.reid1234@ outlook.com

DownStreet dance classes

Cape Breton-style step dancing lessons

Learn steps from Cape Breton’s own Gerard Beaton. Cape Breton-style step dancing lessons for any students 16 years or older will begin on May 18 at Stonepark Intermediate School in Charlottetown. The lessons will run for six weeks, until June 22. Gerard has 35 years of experience and has taught step dancing for years in Nova Scotia and most recently in Scotland. Info/register: cbstepdancing@gmail.com

PEI Witch Market

A pop-up PEI Witch Market will be held May 6 from 12–5 pm in the Hilda Woolnough Gallery at the Guild in Charlottetown.

Created by Blair Holloway, the magical market will feature some of the Island’s most crafty witches. There will be a selection of vendors with treats, crafts, oracle/tarot card readings, entertainment during the day and witchy brews.

featuring modern twists on the classics. During each campaign, Charlottetown Chefs present their themed signature dish and diners are invited to vote for their favourite creations.

The program is free for all Discover Charlottetown partners and showcases over 30 restaurants, providing a wide selection of options for diners to choose from. The program is designed to be inclusive and accessible to as many restaurants as possible, with the aim of showcasing the best that Charlottetown has to offer. chefbattles.ca

Downstreet Dance Studio offers a variety of ongoing, drop-in and special event classes and lessons. The volunteer-run non-profit group is dedicated to community, wellness and inclusivity through social dance for adults. The weekly schedule in May includes Tuesday Bellydancing at 6:30 pm (May 2/9/16/23/30) and Lindy Hop at 7:30 pm (May 2/9/16/23/30);

Wednesday Ballroom Foxtrot at 6 pm (May 3/10/17/24/31), ConfiDANCE at 7:15 pm (May 3/10/17/24/31), and POISE at 8:30 pm (May 3/10/17/24/31);

Thursday Persian Fusion at 5 pm (May 4/11), Beginner Salsa at 6 pm (May 4/11/18/25) and Line Dancing at 7:15 pm (May 4/11/18); Saturday West Coast Swing at 5 pm (May 13/20/27) and Beginner West Coast Swing at 7 pm (May 6/13/20/27); and Sunday Salsa Rueda at 6 pm (May 7/14/21/28). The studio is located at 101 Grafton St, second floor, Charlottetown. Info: downstreetdance@ gmail.com, downstreetdance.com

The vendors are: The Whimsical Fish (crochet witch hats, figures, pouches); Posh Pixie (custom tumblers, earrings, apparel); The Witchery (witchy self care, potions, tarot readings); D&D Custom Creations (handmade polymer wands, elven circlets, candleholders); Taylor’s trinkets (handmade candles with essential oils); White Witch Cottage (memento mori soaps, spell candles, bone trinkets and other dark creations); Glitter Ghost Clothing and Accessories (reworked clothing, crochet accessories, crochet catnip toys and pet accessories); Emerald Moon Alchemy (original essential oil blends); Renée Laprise Arts (original contemporary mystical paintings reproduced on art cards, matted prints, and the Cosmic Portal Oracle deck).

The Guild is located at 111 Queen Street in Charlottetown.

Pop-up event brewing at Hilda Woolnough Gallery—May 6

Online Grief Support

Online monthly Grief Support Group meetings are held on the third Thursday of the 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.

Family Place programming

Family Place offers prenatal, postnatal and family programming that is held online via Zoom and in-person in Summerside at the Family Place (75 Central St) and Credit Union Place (511 Notre Dame St, S), in Kensington at Murray Christian Centre (School St), and in Borden-Carleton at the Community Library in the Fire Hall (244 Borden Ave). Some of the programs offered are: New Beginnings Prenatal Group (free/online); Music, Movement & Me (free, Family Place, Summerside); Beyond the Bump Postnatal Group (CUP, Summerside); Kensington Playgroups; Full Circle Family Doula (free/ Family Place, Summerside); Rock & Talk Playgroups (Family Place, Summerside); BordenCarleton Playgroups; Summerside Playgroups (Family Place). Visit familyplacepei.com for the full programming schedule. For more info or to register, call 436-1348, email familyplace@ eastlink.ca, or drop in to Family Place in Summerside.

National Mental Health Week

The Canadian Mental Health Association’s (CMHA) National Mental Health Week is May 1–7. This year’s theme, My Story, will shine a spotlight on community-based mental health care champions, programs and communities while showcasing the importance of securing universal mental health care for all. Each year one in five Canadians experiences a mental illness or mental health issue, five in five of us—that’s all people—have mental health. CMHA will also help Canadians connect with resources, program and service support and self-care practices. For more details about the week and to download a Mental Health Week toolkit, visit CMHA’s National Mental Health Week

COMMUNITY #2

website at mentalhealthweek.ca. For info on CMHA PEI’s programs and services, visit pei.cmha.ca. Throughout Mental Health Week, CMHA PEI will be promoting activities and featuring their programs and services on their social channels using the hashtag #MyStory and #MentalHealthWeek.

Host families needed

The Prince Edward Island International Student Program (PEIISP) is looking for host families for the 2023-2024 school year. The PEIISP welcomes students from around the world to live and study in PEI and works with Study Abroad Canada (SAC) to match students with local families to encourage complete immersion for their study abroad experience. Families share their home and community with international students, grow their understanding of different cultures, and make life-long global friendships. Hosts help students get the most out of their international study experience, while ensuring they feel safe and welcome during their time in PEI. Host families receive $850 per four weeks in exchange for providing an international student with care, a private room with a space to study (desk) and three daily meals. Contact peiisp@ gov.pe.ca for info on the program or homestay@studyincanada.ca for more info on becoming a host family.

New Bridge course

A new Bridge course called Play it Safe: Making Sure of Your Contract from authors Barbara Seagram and David Bird will take place at the Irish Cultural Centre in Charlottetown beginning May 4. The course is for beginner and intermediate players and will run from 9:30 am–12 noon on Thursdays until June 8. Using an adult learning model, this course will focus on playing it safe in a single suit. Topics include: finessing the right way; holdup plays in notrump; how many tricks do I need; safety plays when missing the ace; safety plays when missing the king; safety plays when missing the queen; safety plays when missing the jack; hold-ups in a suit contract;

establishment plays in notrump; establishment plays in a suit contract. The course fee will be on a sliding scale based on the number of tables. Info/register: ray.teaches.bridge@gmail.com, 368-8416

Chamber of Commerce AGM

The Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce will hold their 136th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Delta Hotel by Marriott Prince Edward on May 31. Doors open at 9 am. The Chamber will review the year that has passed, their Annual Report, and introduce their new President and Board of Directors. As part of the AGM, they will also host A Conversation with Premier Dennis King with a focus on the economic outlook of the province and business priorities moving forward. The Chamber’s Annual President’s Luncheon will follow, with keynote speaker Jennifer Ménard-Shand, founder and CEO of Staff Shop, an award-winning certified diverse staffing firm and an IndigenousFrench-Canadian entrepreneur. Her keynote address, The Reality of the Great Resignation: Employment & Labour Best Practices, will share the keys to attracting and retaining talent and explore why finding the right talent is not only critical to an organization’s success, but also the right thing to do for employees. Register at charlottetownchamber.com.

New Community Garden Framework

The City of Charlottetown launched a new Community Garden Framework intended to guide how the City works with and supports community groups leading the implementation of community gardens in Charlottetown. The Framework is composed of three parts: a Community Garden Policy, an application process for community gardens seeking City support, and a Community Garden Handbook, intended to guide community groups through the process of starting a new community garden. Community groups seeking City parkland for a new community garden can submit an Expression of Interest through

the City’s website. The Handbook contains more details on navigating this process and can be downloaded at charlottetown.ca. This work was one component of a project completed in partnership with Immigrant and Refugee Services Association PEI that was funded by the PEI Alliance for Mental Wellbeing. An additional component was a collaboration with a group of newcomers to Canada to create a community garden in J. Frank MacAulay Park which will open this spring. The new Community Garden Framework will complement the City’s ongoing work to promote food growing in Charlottetown, including ongoing support for Desbrisay Community Garden, the City’s Community Vegetable Planter Program, and a set of City maintained edible orchards. Info: charlottetown.ca/gardens, communitygardens@ charlottetown.ca

Ostomy Peer Support Group

The Charlottetown Ostomy Peer Support Group will meet from 6–7:30 pm on May 31 and June 28 in Room 207 of the Murphy’s Pharmacies Community Centre at 200 Richmond Street in Charlottetown. Info: 566-1459

Search and Rescue project

The PEI Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR) recently completed a four-year Public Safety Canada Search and Rescue New Initiatives funded project trialling new technology. With the assistance of ESRI Canada, PEI GSAR developed a web-based mapping application which automatically tracks the locations of its search teams, and allows search planners to plot priority locations to be searched. Search teams using mobile phones can then view the same map and use their phone’s global positioning system and compass features to easily navigate these locations. Moreover, search teams can upload to the map search evidence such as footprint photos and audio/video of witness statements. This rapid sharing of information allows search planners to quickly process evidence and amend the tasks of nearby teams accordingly, improving the likelihood of success. Information regarding this pilot project will be shared nationally with other ground search and rescue teams for their consideration. PEI GSAR carried out this project with the support and assistance of Public Safety Canada, ESRI Canada, PEI Public Safety, the RCMP, and Parks Canada. Info: peigsar.ca/esri

Forty- ves in Tracadie

The Tracadie Community Centre hosts a Forty-fives singles card game every Monday at 7 pm for a small fee to play. There are cash prizes and a 50/50 draw. Everyone is welcome.

Island Stroke Support

The Island Stroke Support Network offers Stroke Support Club Meetings from 6–7 pm on the first Tuesday of every month at Trinity United in Charlottetown (220 Richmond St). Connect with other stroke survivors and caregivers to share experiences and practical advice with one another. Info: Haylee at 219-0970, hnauss@marchofdimes.ca

PEI by Gary Schneider

Not prickly at all

Salmon habitat

Funding to assess Fiona damage and make improvements

The Hillsborough River Association (HRA) has received a 2023 Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation grant of $24,714 to assess damage to salmon enhancement infrastructure and work access trails caused by Hurricane Fiona. The funding is also for implementing improvements to salmon habitat once salmon enhancement work trails are opened. Depending on the severity of damage, this work will take place on Clark’s Creek, the Head of Hillsborough main stream, the Pisquid River and the Vernon River.

NATURE

Nature PEI meeting

Juniper is such a non-descriptive plant name on Prince Edward Island. We often refer to Eastern Larch as juniper, though it is not. Native junipers are shrubs, usually under a meter at their tallest. I have developed a love a air for one of our natives, Creeping Juniper. The other one—Common Juniper—not so much.

Initially, I believed my bias came from collecting seeds from both plants. Common Juniper is a very prickly plant that doesn’t give up its fruits very easily, almost as if it has a grudge against you. Whereas Creeping Juniper is relatively soft and you don’t need to put a death grip on the plants to acquire their bounty.

But really, I just find the Creeping Juniper to be almost off the charts as a beautiful plant. I have written about this before, but sometimes people make the mistake of thinking native plants are somehow inferior in appearance. For many of our natives, such as trilliums, witch hazel, sugar maple, and red oak, nothing could be further from the truth.

Creeping Juniper is a pale green, needled, low-growing shrub. Personally, I find most Latin names are not very helpful, but Juniperus horizontalis makes total sense to me. Horizontalis is a great description of this plant, even if you don’t speak Latin.

The needles look more like cedar than anything else. In fact, the plant is sometimes called Creeping Cedar, just to add to the confusion. The pale blue fruits are actually cones, since junipers are conifers. It is extra confusing, since they sure look like fruits, but trust me, they’re not. The “berries” are used to make gin and to flavour foods.

I was introduced to this plant while

exploring Krummholz areas—those short, twisted tangly “forests” you’ll find in places along the north shore of this province. One of my favourite spots to see them is around the West Point Lighthouse, growing right in the sand alongside the Poison Ivy.

It grows with little to no attention, and in very dry conditions. Full sun? It will take all that it can find. Acid soil? No problem. And it seems to have no pest problems, though it is known to be an alternate host to cedar apple rust, a fungal disease that can cause problems in apple and crab apple trees.

As for how it is used by wildlife, in one dune system I found piles of husks that once covered dozens of seeds. Red squirrel? Red fox? I’m not quite sure, though something found the seeds attractive. They are said to be a favourite food of robins, chickadees and waxwings, as well as many mammals.

I don’t see it used much as a landscape plant, but I think it has great potential. It seems to grow in waves, with longer and longer branches cascading down a slope or trailing over a landscape bed. Its gracefulness just adds to its overall beauty.

Creeping Juniper is ranked at an S2 by the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre, meaning it is imperiled in the province because of rarity due to very restricted range, very few populations (often 20 or fewer), steep declines, or other factors making it vulnerable to extirpation from the province. You can find it, and you can carefully collect small amounts of seed, but you should never transplant these sweeties from the wild. You’d probably kill them since they would have very small roots, and then you’d have wasted your effort and degraded another ecosystem—something we really don’t need.

This funding will assist HRA and Pisquid River Enhancement Project staff to: maintain beaver-free zones on Pisquid River and Clark’s Creek; free silt from cobble to improve salmon spawning; remove log jams to maintain fish access; continue temperature and nitrate monitoring; support salmon redd and electrofishing surveys; and educate student employees, elementary school students and landowners. In addition, they will: install a pair of natural log flow deflectors; install at least 50 meters of brush mats to capture silt; plant and maintain native trees and shrubs to enrich diversity and create stream shade; and install floating log cover structures.

This enhancement work is being facilitated with financial support from the PEI Watershed Management Fund and the PEI Wildlife Conservation Fund as well as skills development funding from the Canada Summer Jobs, Jobs for Youth, EDA Special Projects, and Post Secondary Student programs.

Part of $1.7 million in ASCF 2023 grants, this is one of 76 grants for wild Atlantic salmon enhancement in Atlantic Canada and Quebec.

Join Nature PEI for their next monthly meeting on May 2 at 7:30 pm in Charlottetown. The meeting will feature guest speaker Iain Crowell, Botanist and Lichenologist with the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre (AC CDC). Iain will share photos and stories from his experience over the last field season documenting rare plants in PEI. Iain grew up in Charlottetown and has a degree in Environmental Science from Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB. Since graduating, he has worked with Island Nature Trust in Charlottetown and the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq in Nova Scotia, before joining the team at the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre (AC CDC) in 2022. In his work with AC CDC, Iain explores important habitats across Atlantic Canada documenting rare species. The AC CDC was established in 1997 with a mission to provide data and expertise about species and ecosystems of conservation concern and to conduct biological inventories to support decision-making, research and education in Atlantic Canada. The AC CDC is part of a network of conservation data centres across the country that gather, maintain, and update spatially accurate occurrence data for species and ecological communities of conservation concern. The meeting starts at 7:30 pm at Beaconsfield Carriage House, corner of West and Kent St, in Charlottetown. Admission is free and all are welcome to attend.

Hillsborough River Association AGM

The Hillsborough River Association is holding its Annual General Meeting on May 17 at Stratford Town Hall’s Stanhope Room starting at 7 pm. There will be a photo essay on the impacts of Hurricane Fiona and the stream improvement work done during 2023. Mr. Bob Harding, an Island naturalist who has surveyed a wide variety of animal and plant species on the Island, will be offering his presentation “Who Knew? Recent natural history discoveries on the Hillsborough River Watershed.” Follow @hillsboroughriverassociation on FB for details.

Info: pisquidwatershed@gmail.com

The Cove Journal by JoDee Samuelson

Thermal baths

Tracadie May Flower Walk

The annual May Flower Walk will take place on May 7. Meet at the Tracadie Community Centre at 2 pm for a pleasant walk in the area. Open to all ages. No charge. Info: 330-2248

Kidney Walk PEI

It’s good to be back in the Cove. Yes there is still snow along the edge of the woods and the potholes are worse than ever, but the bees are humming, the crocuses are blooming, and I’m home.

April is the perfect month for a change of scenery and a shot of energy, so we slipped away to the Black Forest or Schwarzwald in southwest Germany. This mountainous region of 6000 km2 is called “black” because of the dark color of its conifer forests, but it’s easy to see how unwanted intruders might have felt uneasy among its swamps, streams and spirits.

There’s nothing forbidding about the Black Forest today, thanks to tourism at its finest. A visitor’s rail and bus pass for the whole region is practically free; there are walking trails everywhere; towns have cobbled streets and sometimes a castle; local wine and beer are inexpensive and delicious; houses have red tile roofs… and there are thermal baths.

If you look at a map of Germany and see the name Bad Something-orother—Baden-Baden for example—you will find a thermal bath there, because bad means bath. Thermal baths require a heated aquifer (layer of groundwater) plus a crack in the ground. Water bubbles up through the crack, eager citizens scoop out rocks and dirt and create a pool, then step into the warm mineral-laden water and let their cares drift away.

The baths at Bad Krozingen being a mere 5 km away, “Just follow the river,” we decided to walk there and spend the day immersed in water. Sure enough, after passing fields of sprouting grain and row crops under cover, transmission lines, horse paddocks, and a stork flying overhead with long legs trailing behind, we arrived at Vita Classica Thermal Bath and Sauna Paradise.

What do you do in such a place? Watch what other people do. Buy a plastic bracelet for 22 euros, swipe it at the turnstile, change into bathing suit, swipe bracelet at a locker, place items in locker, swipe again, shower, and enter the baths. The many pools indoors and out at 36° C (human body temp 37°) are enhanced by beautiful ceilings, mirrors, palm trees, potted plants, flowers, fountains, mists, whirlpools, music and happy voices. Perfect? Yes.

After three hours we were as rejuvenated, enriched and cured as we could get. Also slightly shrivelled… in a good way. Like the figures in the sign we marched home, heads held high.

Germany is a wonderful country, full of history, art, and incredible bakeries. But it’s a country for the industrious people who live there, not for me. I live in Canada! There might be more litter in our ditches than in theirs, but we’ll be cleaning that up this month. (W.I. Roadside Clean-up Day is May 13). Maybe I can’t buy the same Black Forest cake here, but how many pastries do I need?

No, I’m happy to get up in the morning, drink my non-cappucino coffee, step outside and breathe the fresh Cove air, then see my neighbors coming down the road to meet me for our ordinary but priceless morning walk.

Sun ower seed planting workshop

The Kidney Foundation of Canada is the national volunteer organization committed to reducing the burden of kidney disease. Since 1964, their fundraising campaigns have allowed them to contribute to research, and to provide services to individuals living with chronic kidney disease and related conditions. The annual Kidney Walk PEI Stronger Together events will be held in September to raise funds and awareness for The Kidney Foundation Atlantic Branch. Walk with friends and family to help support those living with kidney disease in our community. There will be entertainment and refreshments. The annual walk will take place in Charlottetown on September 9 beginning at Victoria Park Pavilion (Victoria Park Hwy) and in Summerside on September 16 beginning at Credit Union Place (511 Notre Dame St). Registration is at 10 am followed by the walk at 11 am for both locations. Info/register: kidneywalk.ca, velta.tomsons@kidney.ca

A free sunflower seed planting workshop will be taking place on May 8 at Kings Playhouse in Georgetown. Decorate a terracotta pot and plant a seed for a special Mother’s Day gift. For more info call 652-2053.

Community Report

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Editor: Michelle Ollerhead

Website Editor: Nakeesa Aghdasy

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

Contributors: Jordan Beaulieu, Jane Ledwell, Julie Bull, Deirdre Kessler, Takako Morita, Tara Reeves, JoDee Samuelson, Gary Schneider

Office: 160 Richmond Street, Charlottetown

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

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E-mail: info@buzzpei.com

Social Media: @buzzpei

The Buzz is published monthly by Little Kit Bag Inc.

BUZZIFIEDS

CAPE BRETON STYLE STEP

DANCING LESSONS will begin for any student 16 years or older May 18th and run every Thursday until June 22. They will take place at Stonepark Intermediate and cost 60$. The instructor, Gerard Beaton, has 35 years of experience and has taught step dance in Nova Scotia and Scotland. To register please email cbstepdancing@gmail.com.

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To read the report, scan the QR code or visit: charlottetown.ca/annualreport

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 over 12 thousand years, and who continue to live here.

Cover: I have not wings (detail), graphite on paper by Jordan Beaulieu.

Jordan Beaulieu is a coordinator, book designer and visual artist exploring poetry, rural living, comics and other pop media. They hold an MFA in Expanded Media from NSCAD University (Halifax).

Jordan is a co-chair of this town is small and frequently collaborates with local projects including the River Clyde Pageant, Art in the Open, Festival Route 11, Radiant Rural Halls, and The Vessel Artist Studios. They co-founded the Charlottetown Zine Fest in 2022. jordanbeaulieu.com, instagram @ thriving_on_mainst

Submissions and advertising deadline for the May issue:

Monday, May 15

Advertising: sales@buzzpei.com

Editorial: info@buzzpei.com

Learn about some of the projects that are helping to make Charlottetown an even better place to live, work and enjoy!

SALES

Come Grow With Us Sale

Come Grow With Us, the annual St. Mark’s Presbyterian Compost Sale, will be held May 13 from 9 am–1 pm. Compost will be sold by the bag or by the scoop in the church parking lot off Pine Drive in Charlottetown.

Harbourfront Theatre Spring Yard Sale

Harbourfront Theatre will host its first ever Spring Yard Sale on May 13 from 8 am–1 pm. Following a backstage spring clean-up, the theatre is selling off an interesting and varied range of props and costumes. Members of the community are invited to attend and bargain hunt through the unique collection of items. There is no entry fee and all proceeds from the sale of items will go towards supporting the theatre, a registered charity. Light refreshments will also be offered, as well as some exclusive ticket deals. 124 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside. harbourfronttheatre.com

Online silent auction

An online silent auction for Heather Elia and her family will be live on Facebook from May 17 at 9 am until May 21 at 9 pm. Heather was recently diagnosed with metastatic stage 4 cancer. She is currently undergoing investigations to determine treatment options. Heather

has been advised by her doctor not to return to work and to focus her energy on her treatments and spend time with her husband Harrison, daughter Nicole (3) and son Paul (1). All proceeds from the online auction will go to financially support Heather and her family. Search “Silent Auction in Support of Heather Elia” on Facebook. The direct link is: facebook.com/events/1696547117431257

Zion Presbyterian Clothing Sale

Zion Presbyterian is holding its clothing sale on June 2 and 3 from 9 am–1 pm. There will be a huge selection of clothes, shoes, purses and accessories at great prices. A barbeque will be available from 11 am–1 pm each day of the sale. Corner of Grafton St and Prince St, Charlottetown.

Gifts from the Heart Sale

Gifts from the Heart End of Month Sales are held in Charlottetown on the last Saturday of each month (May 27) from 10 am–3 pm. The sales are a chance for the public to thrift shop the inventory. Sale proceeds defray operating costs so that Betty Begg-Brooks and her volunteers at Gifts from the Heart can offer free food, clothing, furniture and housewares to qualified low income families and those experiencing temporary hardship. Betty and her volunteers also manage three new Community Fridges (10 Maple Hills Ave, Charlottetown; West Royalty Community Centre; Stratford No Frills parking lot) that will be up and running by May 15. Gifts from the Heart is

supported by caring donors. Donations of new and gently-used clothing, furniture and household items can be dropped off at 10 Maple Hills Ave Mon–Wed from 10 am–4 pm. Monetary and food donations are gratefully received. Call Betty at 393-0171 for more info or to register as a client. Open Mon–Thur from 10 am–4 pm, and Fri from 10 am–3 pm at 10 Maple Hills Ave (across from Krown Rust Proofing on Brackley Point Rd in the Airport Business Park).

Charlottetown Farmers Market

The Charlottetown Farmers Market is open weekly on Saturdays from 9 am–2 pm. 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. charlottetownfarmersmarket.com

Summerside Farmers Market

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

May 2023

Section B

A MacAusland Jam (photo: Buzz)

Lives"

River Clyde Pageant

Workshops welcome all to join in the creations for 2023

The River Clyde Pageant (RCP) celebrates its eighth year of outdoor, community-engaged theatre in New Glasgow this summer. Along with that milestone, the company begins a new, two-year performance cycle exploring themes of disruption and transformation. Public performances of the 2023 River Clyde Pageant will run July 27–30 and August 3–6. Leading up to the performances, a program of free, public arts workshops are on offer, taught by professional artists from PEI, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Vermont and Ohio.

Each summer’s Pageant is created in collaboration with artists and community participants who co-author material to be featured in the production—songs and music, puppets and design elements, stories, scenes and choreography. This material is created within community workshops that cover an array of artistic disciplines and are open to participants of all ages and experience levels. Workshops begin in early June and run until mid-July.

Ian McFarlane returns to lead the popular Puppet Ensemble workshop, which introduces participants to ensemble performance techniques, large and small-scale puppetry, mask work and object theatre. Laura Astwood will train new and returning performers in the spectacular art of walking on stilts, stilt choreography and character development.

Pageant choreographer Reequal Smith is excited to work with a new ensemble of dancers for Dance with the Wind, a workshop exploring creative movement and the outdoor environment. Two of RCP’s American collaborators, Kristian Brevik and Michael Geither, are back to lead workshops in lantern creation and playwriting, respectively.

New to the RCP is music director

Garry Williams, of Halifax, who joins this year’s creative team as Music Director. Garry will work with choir director Andrea Ellis and will deliver a new music workshop in early June to build songs and scores for the show in collaboration with workshop participants. Puppet designer Laura Stinson joins the Pageant following her work on the 2022 Solstice Walk, and will offer weekly Design Drop-In sessions on puppet building, paper-mâché, and flag-making.

Pageant co-directors Jane Wells and Megan Stewart will co-lead a drama workshop for children in late June, as well as Art & Storytelling, a workshop for teens and adults exploring the art of storytelling and performance creation.

All are welcome in the creation of the 2023 Pageant, especially those who are new to the Pageant and to artistic creation in general. Workshop spaces are limited, and participants should register early to reserve a spot. Register for workshops or sign up to volunteer at riverclydepageant.com/get-involved. Tickets for the Pageant go on sale in early July.

Kings Playhouse call for submissions

Submissions are open for the annual Fresh from the Island: A New Works Festival at Kings Playhouse in Georgetown. New writers and playwrights are invited to submit their work for the Festival, which will take place later this season.

This is an opportunity for emerging playwrights to bring their work to a larger audience. Submissions will be accepted until June 16. Visit kingsplayhouse.com for more details.

ROBERT VAN WAARDEN

The 2022 River Clyde Pageant

The Charlottetown Festival

MAGGIE

New musical at Sobey Family Theatre this summer

MAGGIE, a new Canadian musical from the originating producer of Come From Away and celebrated recording artist Johnny Reid is set to play in The 2023 Charlottetown Festival this summer. Confederation Centre of the Arts has announced the cast and creative team bringing MAGGIE to the stage at The 2023 Charlottetown Festival.

Set in post-war Scotland, MAGGIE tells the inspirational tale of a fiery school cleaner living in the mining town of Lanarkshire. After suffering an unthinkable loss, she must rely on her strength, sense of humour, and fiercely loyal group of friends to raise her boys and protect them from the harsh and ever-changing world around them. The heartfelt show features a soul-stirring score by award-winning recording artistJohnny Reid, a Scot who immigrated to Canada as a teenager. The musical is based on the true story of his grandmother.

“MAGGIE celebrates not only my Gran and her life, but also an entire generation of women who fought through some tough times by keeping faith, hope, love, family, friendship, and humour close to heart,” says Reid. “It reminds us that joy and laughter can be found, even in the darkest of times.”

The musical was first workshopped as part of Sheridan College’s Canadian Music Theatre Project, a program that incubated new musicals and launched the global hit Come From Away. The originating producer of Come From

Starring in the musical’s titular role is Dharma Bizier, a Sheridan graduate who has been involved with the production since 2018. Bizier went on to travel with Reid on his 2022 national tour, where she opened the concert with three songs from the musical.

“The music comes from the heart, and you can tell that it was written with a lot of love for the characters and story,” says Bizier. “There are songs that make me laugh or cry every time I hear them, and they beautifully connect the audience to the narrative.”

Several Festival alumni are set to join Bizier, including Charlottetown native Aaron Ryder, Michelle Bardach, Nicola-Dawn Brook, Jay Davis, Jeremy Legat, Sweeney MacArthur, and Andrew McAllister.

Cast members making their Festival debut include Dharma Bizier, Aiden Burke, LiamCrober-Best, Lawrence Libor, Alyssa LeClair, Will Lincoln, Clea McCaffrey, Jamie McRoberts, Kaitlyn Post, Julius Sermonia, and Adam Stevenson.

MAGGIE is co-produced by Confederation Centre of the Arts and Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton, Ontario, where the musical premiered in April. The production’s music is written by Reid,Matt Murray, andBob Foster. It is directed by fellow Scot

MAGGIE will play at throughout the summer from June 21–September 2. Tickets for all performances are on sale now at confederationcentre.com. The studio cast recording is available on all digital platforms.

The Centre is holding a contest for the opening weekend of The 2023 Charlottetown Festival. Open to residents in the Maritimes, one winner will be drawn to receive a prize package that includes hotel accommodations, a gas card, Confederation Bridge pass, a $600 Canada’s Food Island gift

card, tickets to see MAGGIE and The Play That Goes Wrong, and more. The contest runsuntil May 23. For details and to enter, visit confederationcentre. com/contest.

To celebrate Mother’s Day in May, patrons can get 25 percent off Tier 2 and 3 tickets for performances of MAGGIE. The sale runsMay 11–13through the Centre’s box office. Tickets can be purchased in-person, via phone at 1-800-565-0278, or online at confederationcentre.com using the code: mother23. This discount is valid on new purchases only and does not apply to opening nightor preview performances.

Away, Michael Rubinoff, is producing MAGGIE with Reid.

Mary Francis Moore, who is the artistic director of Theatre Aquarius.

MIKE PELESHOK

Dharma Bizier as Maggie on the Johnny Reid Love Someone Tour 2022

PERFORMANCE

music, theatre, dance, comedy…

Mondays | 8 pm

Rat Tales Comedy Night

Hosted by Britt Campbell. Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

May 1 | 7 pm

Michael Harrison: Ventastic Ventriloquist comedian. Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

May 3 | 8 pm

Fortunate Ones

With special guest R.C. Stanley. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 4 | 7:30 pm

This is Elton

Tribute to Sir Elton John. Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

May 4 | 8 pm

Island Jazz ft. Trio from Mars ++ Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

May 4

Cinco do Mayo Eve

Taco Battles Launch Party with The Love Junkies. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 5, 6 | 8 pm

Dancing Queen

Tribure to ABBA. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13 | 7:30 pm

May 7 | 2 pm

Noises O

ACT a community theatre. Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

May 6 | 2:30 pm, 7:30 pm

Meet Me At The Barre dance umbrella: Year-end Showcase. Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

May 6 | 7 pm

Julie & Danny Red Dirt Girl Music Room, Middleton

May 7 | 2 pm

The Sti Family Band

With Janet McGarry & Serge Bernard and Marnie & Harold Noye. Cornerstone Baptist, Stratford

May 7 | 7 pm

Queen: It’s a Kinda Magic

Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

May 7 | 7 pm

Ballet Jörgen: The Dance for All Project Kings Playhouse, Georgetown

May 9 | 8 pm

Adyn Townes

With Benny Von. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 10 | 8 pm

The Good Brothers Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 11 | 8 pm

Island Jazz: “Latina Jazz” ft.

Paulina Hernandez Trio

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

May 11 | 8 pm

TUNS

With Absolute Losers. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 12 | 7:30 pm

Ana & Eric

The Guild, Charlottetown

May 12 | 7 pm

Original Rhythm Rules Band

Red Dirt Girl Music Room, Middleton

May 12, 13 | 8 pm

Nolan Compton with band

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 12, 13

The 27 Club (sneak preview)

Harmony House, Hunter River

May 13 | 2:30 pm, 7:30 pm

Atlantic String Machine

Featuring mezzo-soprano Hannah

O’Donnell. West River United, Cornwall

May 13 | 7 pm

Phase II & Friends

West River United, Cornwall

May 13 | 7:30 pm

Dennis Ellsworth, Ashley

Condon and Adyn Townes

Copper Bottom Brewing, Montague

May 14 | 2:30 pm

Forte Men’s Choir: Why We

Sing

Kirk of St. James, Charlottetown

May 14 | 8 pm

Mother’s Day with Catherine

MacLellan and Irish Mythen

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 15 | 8 pm

Farewell Town: An Acoustic Evening

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 16 | 7 pm

Diverse Voices

Presented by Music PEI. The Guild, Charlottetown

May 16 | 7:30 pm

David Greenberg

Bonshaw Hall, Bonshaw

May 17 | 8 pm

Johh Gogo + Duke & Goldie

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 18 | 7:30 pm

Don Ross & Pipo Romero

The Guild, Charlottetown

May 18 | 7:30 pm

Nick Done

With East Coast Connections. Souris Show Hall, Souris

May 18 | 8 pm

Daniel James McFadyen

With special guest Emily MacLellan. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 18 | 8 pm

Island Jazz ft. Patrick

Nabuurs Trio

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

May 18, 19 | 7:30 pm, 20 | 2:00 pm

Parkside Elementary School: Frozen Jr.

Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

May 19 | 8 pm

Brew-HA-HA Comedy Series

With special guest Maggie Estey and host Katherine Cairns. PEI Brewing Company, Charlottetown

May 19 | 8 pm

Dan Hendricken & Friends

With special guest comedians. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 19 | 9:30 pm

Irma & Vivian: East Coast Tour

Featuring Irma Gerd and Vivian Vanderpuss (Canada’s Drag Race). VIP Meet n Greet at 8 pm. The Guild, Charlottetown

May 19 | 8 pm

Tanya Davis single and video release (dance!) party

Featuring Devon Ross and live DJs. Haviland Club, Charlottetown

May 20

Don Ross & Pipo Romero

Fiddling Fisherman Lookout, Souris

May 20 | 7 pm

Haus of Zhoosh: Welcome to the Doll Haus

With special guest queens Vanity Station and Anna Mona-Pla. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 20 | 7 pm

Acoustic Tradition

Red Dirt Girl Music Room, Middleton

May 21 | 2 pm

Island Jubilee

Featuring Norm Stewart, Michael and Shane Pendergast, and step dancer Nicole Watts. Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

May 21 | 8 pm

Pierce Clarke Band

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 23 | 7 pm

Tanya Nicolle Comedy

Album Release

Upstreet Craft Brewing, Charlottetown

May 23 | 8 pm

Great Lake Swimmers

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 24 | 8 pm

The Rural Alberta Advantage

PEI Brewing Company, Charlottetown

May 24 | 8 pm

Cancer Bats + guests

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 25 | 7:30 pm

The Comic Strippers

Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

May 25 | 8 pm

Island Jazz ft. Chris Martell Group

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

May 25 | 8 pm

Cavy with DJ Molex

Album release show (Energy Thief) with Spivey, The Pro2type, S.N.K., Kay Em and Loki250. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

…continued on page B8

Noises O

ACT brings Michael Frayn play to the stage in May

Noises Off by Michael Frayn is opening at Florence Simmons Performance Hall in Charlottetown this month.

The Play portrays a harried stage director and rag tag team of actors who are putting together a farce called Nothing On. Misplaced props, doors that won’t open, and a love triangle or two all contribute to the chaos behind the scenes.

“My hope is that the audience is left briefly overwhelmed by laughter and the sheer size of what we are pulling off” says Director Keir Malone. “People should come to this show more than once. There is so much to see!”

Noises Off was originally planned to celebrate ACT’s (a community theatre) 25th anniversary in 2020.

“Noises Off was the fourth show that ACT had done, back in 1996. It showed me how quickly ACT grew and changed, and that was a part of our history that I wanted to celebrate.”

Performances take place May 5 and 6 at 7:30 pm, May 7 at 2 pm, and May

Kids Theatre Camps

Registration is now open for the Kids Theatre Camps running July 31–August 11 at Kings Playhouse in Georgetown. The first week is for kids ages 6–8. Weeks two and three are for kids ages 9–12. Info/register: 652-2053, kingsplayhouse.com

PLAY

10–13 at 7:30 pm. For more information visit actpei.com. Tickets at ticketpro.ca and at the door.

BRIAN COLLINS, LANDWASH STUDIOS

Improv classes

Learn from experience with HA Club

Two-day intensive

Crocnado

Tanya Nicolle releases debut comedy album—May 23

audience at The Guild in Charlottetown and features a compilation of material that Tanya has built over the last three years. The album explores her childhood, growing up on a bizarre farm in rural PEI; and now her life as an adult living with mental illness.

“I think it’s important for everyone to explore who they are, the hardships and wins that make us who we are today,” says Tanya, “and what better way to do that, than with comedy.”

HA Club presents a two-day improv intensive by Tom King on May 19 from 7–10 pm and May 20 from 11 am–2 pm. The classes will explore music and singing in the context of both improv games and scene work.

Praised for his virtuosity, versatility, improvisational skills and dynamic stage presence, pianist Tom King has performed across Canada and abroad. He was a founding member of the Toronto-based Payadora Tango Ensemble and performs regularly with some of Canada’s finest jazz musicians.

He is currently on faculty at the Fountain School of Performing Arts at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Tom also spent time as a music director at the legendary Second City Toronto where he also completed, as an actor, the Second City Training Centre Improvisation and Long-Form Improvisation Conservatory Programs.

Drop-in classes

HA Club drop-in improv classes with Laurie Murphy happen weekly in Charlottetown and Summerside.

Join HA Club Charlottetown on Mondays from 7–9 pm at the Irish Culture Centre (BIS), 582 North River Road. HA Club Summerside weekly drop-in improv classes are on Wednesdays from 7–9 pm at Brothers 2, 618 Water Street East.

“Yes, and…” is the mantra of improv players around the world and it has been Laurie Murphy’s philosophy to live by since she began learning improv thirty years ago. Her love of learning improv has transferred into a love of teaching improv to others. As an improv teacher, she has won TheatrePEI Awards for directing improv and for music innovation with Charlottetown’s F.I.G.H.T. Club (Female Improv Group Having Tea).

No theatre experience is necessary, just a willingness to learn and have fun. Visit murphystudios.ca for more information or contact Laurie at 9601735 or lauriemurphy@marram.ca.

Join Comedian Tanya Nicolle & Friends on May 23 at Upstreet Craft Brewing for a night of laughs in celebration of her debut comedy album, Crocnado

Crocnado was taped before a live

Intimacy for Stage

Tanya also notes how important it is to continue to talk about mental health on PEI: “We’ve come so far, but we still have a long way to go. Depression and anxiety are now openly discussed, but many other mental illnesses and diagnoses are still stigmatized.” She believes that comedy is a vehicle to talk about difficult topics, and a way to bring people together. “When it comes to the heavy things in life, laughter is truly the best medicine.”

Catch Tanya and friends at Upstreet Craft Brewing, May 23 at 7 pm. Entry is only pay-what-you can-afford at the door. Reservations are encouraged as seating is limited. Visit tanyanicollecomedy.com for more information.

Social arts organization Sheatre is presenting an Intimacy for Stage Workshop in Charlottetown, led by Siobhan Richardson, May 27–28. The workshop is the second part of a twopart spring Theatre Workshop Series, with the previous workshop, on Forum Theatre, having taken place in April.

In the Intimacy for Stage workshop, actors learn specific techniques for accessing their vulnerability in a dramatic context, resulting in powerful chemistry between characters without compromising personal boundaries. Focus is on subtle and specific details in choreography, and on acting exercises to keep partners connected

physically and emotionally. It’s an exploration of intimacy within a dramatic context for the purpose of telling the story of the scene.

Oftentimes actors are told to “just figure it out” without an outside eye, which can lead to dangerous situations where an actor may unwittingly cross their own physical or psychological boundaries. “Many storytellers today are no longer willing to be put into these uncomfortable, unsupported situations,” says Sheatre’s PEI Producer Rebecca Parent. “This workshop is an incredible opportunity for training that is not readily available in PEI, and an important step forwards in creating safer spaces for artists.”

Siobhan Richardson is a pioneer voice in Intimacy for Stage and Screen across Canada and around the world. As a part of the negotiating team, Richardson was an instrumental element for bringing terms regarding Intimacy and Intimacy Directors into the Canadian Theatre Agreement. Her Intimacy Direction has been seen on some of Canada’s premiere stages, at numerous universities, and around the world through online performance and education.

A select number of spots will also be available to those who are interested in a more in-depth exploration of Intimacy Coordination and Direction to be mentored by Richardson leading up to the workshop.

Bursaries and artist rates are available by contacting Parent at loinducoeur@sheatre.com. Registration information at linktr.ee/loinducoeur.

Theatre workshop with Siobhan Richardson

Tom King

Siobhan Richardson

Theatre and dance

Watch and learn at Kings Playhouse in Georgetown

Irma & Vivian

East Coast Tour stops at The Guild—May 19

Brew-HA-HA

Brewing Company—May 19

The Kings Playhouse is leaping into May with Canada’s Ballet Jörgen on May 7 at 7 pm. Great for all ages, “The Dance for All Project” is a mixed program that will showcase excerpts from major classical ballets such as Romeo & Juliet, The Nutcracker, and their smash hit Anne of Green Gables—The Ballet®, along with new contemporary works by Canadian choreographers. This show has a pay-what-you-can option.

Registration is open for the Kids Theatre Camps running July 31–August 11. The first week is for kids ages 6–8. Weeks two and three are for kids ages 9–12.

This spring, Oshun Dance Studios will be partaking in their first artist residency at Kings Playhouse. The artist’s residency will consist of a public workshop, followed by a creation and exploration movement performance at

PonyBoat Drag Brunch

Starring Pythia—May 28

Presented in partnership with DragX Entertainment, this month’s PonyBoat Drag Brunch will be held on May 28 at PonyBoat Social Club in Charlottetown. Doors open at 10 am. Showtime at 11 am.

Treat yourselves to a morning of mimosas, brunch, and uproarious yet glamourous drag performances starring Grecian Drag Goddex Pythia (Canada’s Drag Race). Don’t forget your $5 bills.

Hosted by Treyla Parktrash, the Drag Brunch will also feature Tori

the end of the residency. The residency will be running for one week in May and one week in June.

To wrap up the month, the Playhouse presents: Knitting Pilgrim Actor, writer and knitter Kirk Dunn will be presenting his one-man play featuring Stitched Glass tapestries on May 28 at 7:30 pm. The large knitted panels—designed in the style of stained-glass windows—look at the commonalities and conflicts of the Abrahamic faiths, and took Kirk fifteen years to knit. The play tells the story of Kirk’s artistic and spiritual journey working on this ambitious project about interfaith empathy. It has been seen over 50 times across Ontario at theatres, places of faith, and the Aga Khan Museum.

For more information or tickets, visit kingsplayhouse.com.

Irma Gerd & Vivian Vanderpuss are touring the East Coast and they are coming to The Guild in Charlottetown on May 19.

Audiences may be familiar with Irma and Vivian from watching Canada’s Drag Race Season 3 and now they are reuniting for a one of a kind tour across the East Coast.

The VIP Meet and Greet starts at 8 pm. Doors for General Admission open at 9 pm and the show starts at 9:30 pm.

This show is a 19+ event. 111 Queen Street in Charlottetown.

Hosted by comedian, writer and actor Katherine Cairns, the Brew-HA-HA Comedy Series returns to the PEI Brewing Company on May 19 with special guest headliner Maggie Estey. Showtime is 8 pm.

The Brew-HA-HA Comedy Series showcases a variety of up-and-coming comedians workshopping brand new material. Each series features a special guest from the comedy scene. Save and buy advance tickets in person at the PEI Brewing Company, 96 Kensington Road, Charlottetown. Cash only on the day of the show.v

MAY

Featuring

artist Johnny Reid.

Pythia

Nylon, Miz. Majestix, Dorian Gay.

This is an all-ages event. Mature audience recommended. Patrons 18 years and under must be accompanied by a guardian. Tickets at ponyboat.ca.

MATTHEW SAROOKANIAN

Ballet Jörgen (left); Actor, writer and knitter Kirk Dunn

Irma Gerd and Vivian Vanderpuss

Host Katherin Cairns

PERFORMANCE

music, theatre, dance, comedy…

…continued from page B4

May 26 | 8 pm

Absolute Losers + Diamondtown

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 26 | 8 pm

Sarah Hagen: A European Vacation

St. Paul’s, Charlottetown

May 26 | 9 pm

Big Shiny Tunes Tribute

Featuring an all-star local lineup and band. Peake’s Quay Restaurant & Bar, Charlottetown

May 27 | 7 pm, May 28 | 2:30 pm

Charlottetown Legion Choir

Featuring Montague Regional High School Choir (May 27) and Prince Street Elementary Glee Club (May 28). Carrefour Theatre, Charlottetown

May 27 | 7:30 pm

Wild owers

Tributes to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

May 27 | 7:30 pm

Rockers for Recovery

Bene t for Lennon House and CMHA featuring The Busted Skulls, Powerhouse and Random Zero. Scott MacAulay

Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

May 27 | 8 pm

Nathan Wiley with band

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 28 | 11 am

PonyBoat Drag Brunch

PonyBoat Social Club, Charlottetown

May 28 | 2 pm

Summerside Community

Choir

Trinity United, Summerside

May 28 | 7:30 pm

The Knitting Pilgrim Kings Playhouse, Georgetown

May 28 | 8 pm

Skydiggers

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 29 | 8 pm

Jon Dore Comedy Night

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

May 31–Oct 5

Anne & Gilbert - The Musical

Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

June 1 | 8 pm

Island Jazz ft. Jon Rehder

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

June 1 | 8 pm

The Hounds

Tribute to Tyler Childers. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

June 2 | 7 pm

Playing with Choir

Singing Go Your Own Way (Fleetwood Mac). The Guild, Charlottetown

June 2 | 7:30 pm

Hells Bells

Celebrating 50 Years of AC/DC. Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

June 2 | 7:30 pm

Fiddle Fandemonium

Featuring Richard Wood, Keelin Wedge, Roy Johnstone, Louise Arsenault and Ward MacDonald, and stepdancer Jordan Chowen. Centre 150, Summerside

June 2, 3 | 8 pm

Two Hours Tra c

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

June 3 | 8 pm

Bobcaygeon

Tribute to The Tragically Hip.

Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

June 4, 5 | 7:30 pm

The Addams Family - A New Musical

Carrefour Theatre, Charlottetown

June 6 | 7:30 pm

Coronation St. The

Honeymooners: Tim & Abi

Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

June 7 | 8 pm

Shawn Hogan: East Coast

Comedy Spotlight

Featuring East Coast comics. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

July 7–Sept 16

The 27 Club

Harmony House, Hunter River

June 8 | 8 pm

After Hours Band

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

June 8 | 8 pm

Island Jazz: “Folk Jazz” ft.

Jordan Taylor Trio

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

June 9 | 7:30 pm

Side Hustle Improv

The Guild, Charlottetown

June 9 | 8 pm

Coyote + The Darvel

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

June 9–18 | 7:30 pm

PEI Mutual Festival of Small Halls

See ad on page B20 or smallhalls.com. Venues Island-wide.

June 10 | 10 am

De nitely Not The Symphony Spring Concert

Park Royal United, Charlottetown

June 10 | 8 pm

Glory Days + Green River Revival

Tributs to Bruce Springsteen and CCR. Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

June 10 | 8 pm

Lawrence Maxwell & The Family Band

With special guest Cameron Nickerson. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

June 14–Sept 23 | 7:30 pm

The Play That Goes Wrong

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

June 16 | 8 pm

Swift Kick

Tribute to Taylor Swift. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

June 16 | 7:30 pm

Jeremy Dutcher

Under the Spire, St. Mary’s, Indian River

June 20 | 8 pm

Al e Zappacosta

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

June 21 | 7:30 pm

Rumours

Tribute to Fleetwood Mac. Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

June 21–Sept 2 (select dates)

MAGGIE

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

June 22 | 8 pm

Elton Songs: The Elton John Experience

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

June 23 | 7:30 pm

Abra Cadabra

Tribute to ABBA. Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

June 23 | 8 pm

Katie McGarry

Tribute to Miranda Lambert. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

June 23–Sept 14 (select dates)

Inside American PEI Harmony House, Hunter River

June 24 | 7:30 pm

Sirens: Spark

Under the Spire, St. Mary’s, Indian River

June 24 | 8 pm

The Love Junkies Summer

Kick O

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

June 25

Progressive Organ Recital

1:30 pm: St. Peter’s, Charlotteotwn

2:30 pm: St. Paul’s, Charlottetown

3:30 pm: St. Dunstan’s, Charlottetown

June 25 | 7:30 pm

Elton Songs: The Elton John Experience

Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

June 25 | 8 pm

Caroline Marie Brooks & Ben Kunder

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

June 27–July 8 | 12 pm

Mi’kmaq Stories of Rabbit & His Friends

The Mi’kmaq Heritage Actors. Confed Centre: Outdoor Amphitheatre, Charlottetown

Jun 27–Aug 26 (select dates)

Steel Magnolias

Watermark Theatre, North Rustico

June 28 | 8 pm

James Mullinger

10 Years in Canada Tour. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

The Charlottetown Festival

Munschables

Featuring an all-local Young Company this summer

Family-friendly programming returns to the Outdoor Amphitheatre at Confederation Centre of the Arts this summer as part of The 2023 Charlottetown Festival.

Back by popular demand, the high-energy show Munschables will bring a selection of stories from beloved children’s author Robert Munsch to life through an interactive and musical performance. Sponsored by TD Ready Commitment, the show will be performed by the Centre’s Young Company—which is made up entirely of local performers this year.

“Prince Edward Island is full of diverse local talent, and we have put together an exceptional group to bring this fun and silly show to life,” saysDawn Dames, the Centre’s associate artistic director. “The Outdoor Amphitheatre has become a summer staple for the community, and I am excited for Islanders to see themselves reflected on stage.” Dames will choreograph the show and co-direct with Adam Brazier, the Centre’s artistic director of performing arts.

The cast of emerging artists includes Rebekah Brown, Isabella Butler, Claire Byrne, Krysten Cameron, Kierrah Celeste, Catherine Cummins, Livia Duncombe, Hayden Lysecki, Katie Shaw, Samel Sunil and Victoria Turnquest.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary at the Centre this year, the Young Company is a program for emerging performers to hone their skills through performance opportunities and training from top theatre professionals.

“This program is an incredible opportunity for local performers in the early stages of their careers to develop their skills in a professional and supportive setting,” says Brazier. “There

is no other program like this on the Island, and we are excited to offer local talent a chance to perform and grow at the Centre.”

Munschables runs on select dates from July 11–August 26. Admission to these noon hour performances is free, with donations welcome. For full details on The Charlottetown Festival, visit confederationcentre.com.

The Addams Family

Musical coming to Carrefour Theatre in June

Havenwood Studios will present a production of The Addams Family A New Musical by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice at the Carrefour Theatre on June 4 and 5. Showtime is 7:30 pm.

Based on the original characters by Charles Addams and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, this new musical comedy features an original story that is every father’s nightmare: Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart man from a respectable family—a man her parents have never met.

Rehearsals are underway at Havenwood. This production of The Addams Family will feature a cast of Island performers.

Visit havenwooddance.ca for more information. Call 314-1800 for tickets.

The Carrefour Theatre is located at 5 Acadian Drive in Charlottetown.

Presented by

JUNE 9 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

JEREMY DUTCHER •  SIRENS • DAN MANGAN CHRISTINA BOUEY • PIERRE ANDRÉ DOUCET

HARD TIMES ORCHESTRA • ARCHETYPE TRAD

ISIDORE QUARTET • LOGAN RICHARD

THE HAPPENSTANCERS • JESSICA GALLANT GUILLAUME VILLENEUVE AND BERTRAND

CUILLER • MIDORI MARSH •  PARKER CLEMENTS

ALEX HALLIDAY •  PETER TIEFENBACH

ROBERT KORTGAARD •  PIERCE CLARKE BAND

JOCE REYOME •  KAIA KATER • THE NORTH SOUND

SHANE PENDERGAST • THE COUNTY LINE ROMANCE

BEN CAPLAN • CHARLES RICHARD-HAMELIN

IRISH MYTHEN • COWAN-CICCHILLITTI •  MALLORY JOHNSON • SCOTT MACKAY •  LA FIAMMATA

Tickets

1-866-856-3733

Cast of Young Company’s Munschables

Winsloe Summer Ceilidhs

Fundraising series continues at Winsloe United

On May 8 at 7 pm, host Eddy Quinn and the Winsloe United House band will welcome special guests, Luka Hall and Abi McCarthy at the Winsloe United Fundraiser Ceilidh.

Hall and McCarthy are young musicians making a name for themselves in the PEI music scene. The duo has been entertaining audiences with their music and dance at events such as Farm Day in the City, the Christmas Daddies Telethon, the PEI International Shellfish Festival, and at Port Charlottetown. Their performances are filled with singing, fiddle, ukulele, guitar and step dancing.

Hall is a 16 year old fiddler who has been playing since the age of six. He has performed at the PEI Festival of Small Halls, PEI International Shellfish Festival, Super Fiddle Show (NB), in Luka’s Fiddle at Harmony House and at numerous ceilidhs and fundraisers. In 2021, he was a Junior Showcase Performer for the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Competition. He has released two albums, That Little Fiddle Player (2017) and Category 1 (2020).

Fourteen year old McCarthy has been playing piano, singing and dancing since the age of three. She took up playing the ukulele when she was nine. McCarthy has performed all over PEI, including singing the National Anthem for the Charlottetown Islanders and PEI Storm, at Spinnakers Landing and at Founder’s Hall. She represented Old Home Week as the Youth Talent Show winner in 2021.

On May 22 at 7 pm, the fundraising ceilidh will feature host Dino Dunsford and the Winsloe United House band with special guests, Lisa Logan Campbell and fiddler Steven Perry. Campbell sang harmonies for Michelle Wright, when opening for Kenny Rogers. She provided background vocals for Gorden Lightfoot and has toured with Carol Baker.

Perry has spent the majority of his career in Ontario playing fiddle with the likes of Tommy Hunter, Stompin’ Tom Connors, Harry Hibbs and Shania Twain. He has also recorded several albums.

The church is wheelchair accessible and serves tea, coffee and cold drinks at intermission. Admission is at the door, which opens at 6:30 pm.

Open Mic & BBQ

Souris Show Hall—May 25

Souris Show Hall will present a showcase of local youth talent from Souris Regional High School at their Home Opener Open Mic & BBQ on May 25. The barbeque will start at 5:30 pm with the show at 6:30 pm.

Hosted by emcee Louise MacKinnon, this is an opportunity for emerging artists of all disciplines to present and refine their performance skills in a friendly venue.

The barbeque is free for all audience members attending.

Admission is at the door. Souris Show Hall is located at 5 Church Street in Souris. sourisshowhall.com

Souris Show Hall

Nick Done and East Coast Connection—May 18

Nick Doneff with guest East Coast Connection will launch the Souris Show Hall SummerFest 2023 on May 18 at 7:30 pm.

Charlottetown-based songwriterNickDoneffis a staple in PEI’s musical landscape. Tom Power, host of CBC’s Q, describes him as a cross between Joel Plaskett and John Prine.Doneffregularly works onstage as an instrumentalist with PEI acts, including Tara MacLean, Liam Corcoran and Two Hours Traffic.

East Coast Connection is made up of Carter MacLellan and Ben Mitsuk. MacLellan hails from Cardigan, PEI. He will capture the listener’s ear with his guitar picking skills and his harmonica playing. Mitsuk is a self-taught guitar player who then fell in love with playing the bass. He hails from Hopedale, Labrador and currently resides in Souris, PEI. Mitsuk grew up listening to the sounds of old

country music and recently expanded his influences to include some blues, ‘70s rock and folk music. sourisshowhall.com

The Rural Alberta Advantage

Performing at PEI Brewing Company—May 24

The Rural Alberta Advantage (The RAA) is coming to Charlottetown on May 24 with a show at the PEI Brewing Company. Showtime is 8 pm.

The RAA’s 2022 EP The Rise, which features six songs including “CANDU,” follows their 2017 release, The Wild.

The trio’s music connects the listener to untold stories and an unpacked history we all have a part in

owning, reflecting on, learning from and possibly seeing from a different vantage point: the overview effect.

On the road this year, the RAA (Amy Cole, Paul Banwatt and Nils Edenloff) will continue to drive the musical conversation with their fans, in real time. Expect to hear more new and yet-to-be-released songs make their live debut on this tour.

peibrewingcompany.com

Luka Hall and Abi McCarthy

Nick Done

Harbourfront Theatre

Songs of Gene MacLellan

MacLellan’s new musical memoir concert

The brand new show, Catherine MacLellan: The Songs of Gene MacLellan, will make its world premiere at Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside this summer with eight performances across July and August.

Daughter of the legendary songwriter, Catherine is set to re-embark on a series of shows featuring the songs of her father. Part concert, part memoir, the show will be both moving and uplifting. Catherine will be singing songs ranging from country to pop to gospel and will be backed by a band of acclaimed musicians.

Gene MacLellan, one of Canada’s most recognized and celebrated songwriters across the world, came to fame in 1970 with the smash hit “Snowbird” and in 1971 with “Put Your Hand in the Hand.” And though he tried out the spotlight, it was his songs that became famous. First by Anne Murray and Ocean, and then covered by hundreds of other artists including Elvis, Joan Baez, Bing Crosby and Loretta Lynn.

Gene died in 1995, when Catherine was just a teenager. Ever since, she has been searching for him. He was a man known to many but few really knew him. The myths and errors surrounding the details of his life are numerous, and with this show Catherine hopes to shed some light on who he was and to celebrate the treasure trove of songs he left behind.

A follow up to her 2017 show and album If It’s Alright with You, this show is an inspirational tale of a shy, working-class Islander who ended up having his music cover the globe.

Catherine says, “I’m so thrilled to be coming back home to the

Harbourfront Theatre, especially to sing my father’s songs, tell his story and bring a piece of PEI history back into the spotlight.”

Catherine is a JUNO Award winner, ECMA songwriter of the year, and has released seven albums over the past 20 years while touring around the world. She makes her home in PEI and much of her music reflects the landscape of the Island. Her music takes listeners through struggles, triumphs and the joy of life. Catherine released an album, in tribute to her father, as well as produced a stage show and an award-winning documentary that has shone a light on his life, success and struggles with mental health.

Catherine MacLellan: The Songs of Gene MacLellan will be performed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays July 4, 5, 18 and 19, and August 1, 2, 22 and 23. All performances start at 7:30 pm. harbourfronttheatre.com

Gospel and bluegrass band The Sti Family headline—May 7 Bluegrass

The Stiff Family gospel and bluegrass band will headline a fundraising concert presented by the PEI Bluegrass & Old Time Music Society at Cornerstone Baptist in Stratford on May 7. The show will also feature Janet McGarry and Serge Bernard, and Marnie and Harold Noye. Showtime is 2 pm.

fundraiser

The Stiff Family—Dave and Heather, along with their children Aaron, Hannah, Elizabeth and Abigail—have been performing together as a family band since 2013. Each family member is a talent in their own right, playing acoustic stringed instruments that include banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin and upright bass.

Husband and wife duo Janet McGarry and Serge Bernard will be performing songs from Janet’s latest album Wearing the Blues. Janet and Serge are part of the PEI Bluegrass & Old Time Music Society, a great team of volunteers that recently capped off its first annual PEI Winter Bluegrass Festival in January.

With almost 35 years of performing,

Harold and Marnie Noye have played shows both on and off PEI with bands

A Touch of Grass, Jericho Road, Dusty Roads and Dunromin.

Admission is at the door with all proceeds going to the 36th Annual Bluegrass & Old Time Music Festival, a three-day family festival, July 7–9, in Dundas, PEI. This signature festival event will bring some of the best in bluegrass from Canada and the US.

Doors at 1:30 pm. For information, call 566-2641 or email smedleyjay@ icloud.com. Cornerstone Baptist is fully accessible with lots of parking.

DAVE BROSHA

Catherine

Catherine MacLellan

SUBMITTED

The Sti Family

NEW RECORDINGS

Hello, PEI! Tzu-Cheng Wang

“Bluebell” Shane Pendergast

The Island Jubilee

A new old-fashioned-style show presented live—May 21

The Island Jubilee continues to welcome the Island’s brightest stars at the Florence Simmons Performance Hall in Charlottetown. The next old-fashioned-style show will be presented live on May 21, showcasing father and son duo, singer-songwriters Michael and Shane Pendergast, step dancer Nicole Watts, and musician Norm Stewart.

PEI-based professional violinist, conductor, arranger and producer Tzu-Cheng Wang recently released the digital album Hello, PEI!

Produced by Tzu-Cheng, Hello, PEI! was composed by Rhen-Zu on PEI.

Hello, PEI! features violin, cello and piano, and natural sounds that were recorded across PEI by Tzu-Cheng. It also includes a booklet intended to spark the listener’s reflections on the meaning of each song. “This album talks about Zhen-Ru the composer and her journey on this Island. She visited a lot of places and different kinds of sceneries,” says Tzu-Cheng.

In 2018, Tzu-Cheng made a momentous decision to move to PEI. Hello, PEI! is the first album that he produced in Canada. It was nominated for the 2023 Music PEI Instrumental Recording of the Year and for Musician of the Year Awards.

Hello, PEI! is a gesture of appreciation for the kindness shown to his family and friends by Islanders. “I have received much care and love from this Island, and Hello PEI! is my attempt to share this spirit with others. I hope my audience will also feel and be inspired by the beauty of [PEI]”

tzuchengwang.net

“Bluebell” is the title of Shane Pendergast’s latest single, released April 28. It is available on all major streaming platforms as well as Bandcamp.

Produced by Andrew Murray (Sorrey, Baby God) and engineered/ mixed by Sergey Varlamov (Crabbe Road Productions), “Bluebell” is a heartfelt song that captures the excitement, vulnerability and uncertainty of falling in love. The tune features Shane’s smooth crooning vocals and meticulous lyricism at its best.

In the dead of winter in 2022, Shane began a new chapter of life, taking up residence in an old homestead on the banks of the Winter River in Corran Ban, PEI. Under the shadow of a pandemic and in a time of self-discovery, he found himself inspired by a Scottish song book where bluebell flowers were used to symbolize budding romance. Over the course of a January evening, the promise of spring was encapsulated in a song, and “Bluebell” was born.

Shane is an accomplished folksinger from Tracadie Cross, PEI. “Bluebell” follows his third album, The House Before the Bridge, which earned him a 2022 ECMA nomination for Roots/ Traditional Recording of the Year.

Norman Stewart is a proud Islander hailing from Wood Islands West and his musical roots were handed down from his father William, a noted Gaelic singer. Traditional and folk music are his most comfortable genres. Norman has played with MacKenzie Drive, Treble with Girls, Lester Stubbert and Russell LeBlanc. His present gig is with Maxine MacLennan and Courtney Hogan in the Irish Scots.

Nicole Watts is a 17-year-old from Hampshire, PEI. Her love for step dance started at age three. She has danced with Havenwood Dance Studio for many years, performed in musicals, and competed in Halifax, Moncton and Miramichi. Nicole is now a dance assistant to aspiring young dancers.

Michael Pendergast is a bilingual Island entertainer and songwriter, and a fixture in the Island ceilidh scene. His son Shane has appeared at acclaimed folk festivals and back-room cafés,

The Web

Tanya Davis single and video release (dance!) party—May 19

PEI Poet Laureate Tanya Davis and filmmaker Millefiore Clarkes are celebrating the release of “The Web,” a video for Davis’ latest single of the same name (available on all platforms May 19).

The short, directed by Clarkes, is a poetic rumination on the world we inhabit and the complex connection— and disconnection—we feel.

Featuring local dancers Reequal Smith and Devon Ross, “The Web” cycles through imagery at the speed of unanswered questions, giving hints of angst, flashes of awe, and a sense of joy worth dancing to.

cementing himself as one of Atlantic Canada’s finest young folk troubadours. Both hailing from a long lineage of Island storytellers and musicians, Shane and Michael are keeping the Maritime folk tradition alive with honest and insightful compositions.

Tickets are available at ticketpro. com, 894-6885 and at the box office on weekdays from noon to 4 pm. Proceeds from a guitar raffle and 50/50 draw go to QEH. A portion of the admission fee supports Holland College’s School of Performing Arts.

Doors open at 1:30 pm. Showtime is 2 pm. Info: @islandjubileeradio on FB, islandjubilee.com

In celebration of collaboration and connection of all kinds, “The Web” will be released at a public screening at the Haviland Club in Charlottetown on May 19 at 8 pm. The screening will be followed by a dance party featuring a live sound performance by Devon Ross and DJs (TBA). All welcome (19+). Admission by donation.

The Web project was funded by PEI Arts Grants.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Norman Nicole

Shane Michael

MUSIC ONGOING

ceilidhs, dances, sessions…

Assumption Parish Ceilidh

A ceilidh takes place every third Sunday of the month from 2-4 pm at Assumption Parish Hall in Stratford. A 50/50 draw, tea and light refreshments are included with admission. Proceeds go to Our Lady of the Assumption Parish. Hosted by Assumption Knights of Columbus and Assumption Catholic Women’s League. 145 Stratford Road, Stratford.

Blues Jam at Baba’s Plain Dirty Blues band plays at Baba’s Lounge on the last Saturday of each month (May 27) from 5:30–8 pm. Admission is by donation. Follow Plain Dirty Blues on FB for updates. 181 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Dunsta nage Ceilidh

The Dunstaffnage Ceilidh is held 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. 626-1698

Got Blues Matinee

Blues matinee with Chris Roumbanis, Reg Ballagh, Mike Robicheau and special guest(s) from 2–4 pm. The sedond set is always an electric blues jam. Upcoming guests are: singer Kenny “Pearl” Arsenault and guitarist James Phillips(May 13); singer/guitarist Mark Haines (20); singer/keyboardist Doris Mason from NS (27). Dali Café, 155 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Ceilidhs at the Irish Hall

The Benevolent Irish Society’s Ceilidhs at the Irish Hall will feature Fiddlers’ Sons with Eddy Quinn, John B. Webster and Keelin Wedge (May 19, 8 pm); Fullerton’s Marsh with Randy Diblee, Willie Arsenaulth and Frank McQuaid (May 26, 8 pm); and Irish Piano Bar with Mike Pendergast (May 28, 2 pm). Tickets tickets at eventbrite.ca or at the door. 582 North River Road, Charlottetown.

Island Jazz

Island Jazz takes place on Thursdays at Baba’s Lounge. Top local musicians perform original music, standards,jazzand pop favourites. Each show features a different group and two sets starting at 8 pm. Admission is by donation. Lineup: Trio from Mars++ (May 4); “Latina Jazz” with the Paulina Hernandez Trio (11); Patrick Nabuurs Trio (18); Chris Martell Group (25); Jon Rehder (June 1). 181 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Music at the Corner

Music at St Lukes Hall takes place on Wednesdays at 7:30 pm. Music by the Kitchen Party Band featuring Kevin

Kelly, Orville Rogers, Dale Howard, Ray Arsenault and Robbie Thibideault, along with special guests and emcee Perry Batten. Admission is at the door. 1020 O’Leary Rd, O’Leary.

Schooner Sessions

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

Stratford Ceilidh

A ceilidh takes place at the Robert L. Cotton Centre on the second Sunday of each month from 2–4 pm. Featuring local entertainers and a light lunch. The venue is air-conditioned. Admission at the door with all proceeds going to Camp Gencheff. 57 Bunbury Rd, Stratford.

Stratford Lions Club Ceilidh

The Stratford & Area Lions Club Ceilidh takes place at the Robert L. Cotton Centre on the third Tuesday of each month at pm. A light lunch is provided. Airconditioned. 57 Bunbury Rd, Stratford.

Sturgeon Ceilidh

A ceilidh takes place at St Paul’s Parish Hall in Sturgeon every other week on Sundays from 6:30–9 pm. Featuring live music, fiddling, singing, comedy and fun. Everyone is welcome. Doors open at 6 pm. 1133 Cambridge Rd, Route 17a, Sturgeon.

Summerside Kitchen Party

Kitchen Party at the Summerside Legion every Saturday from 2–5 pm. Featuring Rheal Arsenault, Andy Paynter and a different special guest each event. 340 Notre Dame St, Summerside.

Sunday Session

Sunday Afternoon Tune Session, traditional music and craic with host fiddler Roy Johnstone, take place weekly on Sundays from 2–5 pm at The Old Triangle. 189 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Winsloe Ceilidh Series

The Summer Series Fundraising Ceilidhs at Winsloe United continue. On May 8, host Eddy Quinn and the Winsloe United House band will welcome special guests Luka Hall and Abi McCarthy. On May 22, host Dino Dunsford and the Winsloe United House band will welcome special guests Lisa Logan Campbell and fiddler Steven Perry. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Ceilidhs begin at 7 pm. The church is wheelchair accessible and serves tea, coffee and cold drinks at intermission. Admission is at the door. 121 Winsloe Rd, Winsloe South.

David Greenberg

Solo concert and ddle workshop—May 16

David Greenberg, Baroque violinist and Cape Bretonstyle fiddler, will present a solo concert of Baroque, Cape Breton/trad and original music on May 16 from 7:30–9 pm at the Bonshaw Hall. A hands-on Cape Breton style fiddle workshop will be offered ahead of the concert, from 5–6:30 pm.

For more than three decades, David has enjoyed a double career as a Baroque violinist and Cape Breton fiddler. His fluency and experience in these two genres make him uniquely qualified to interpret the wild music of 18th-century Scotland. He has performed, taught, & recorded all over the world, appearing on over 80 albums.

For the concert performance, David will be performing works from his recent album Multiple Voices for One “Multiple voices” refers not only to playing more than one musical line at a time (melody, harmony or bassline), but also to the intermingling of different musical aesthetics—Baroque, Cape Breton, and his own original tunes. The workshop, although geared toward fiddlers and violinists, is open

to all to attend. There is an option to audit as well, for those who don’t feel quite ready to leap in and play. Now living on the West Coast in the US, David’s visit is a rare event opportunity to learn some Cape Breton tunes and fiddle style from the co-author of the popular DunGreen Collection Tickets are available on eventbrite. (eventbrite.com/e/david-greenberg-concert-fiddle-workshop-tickets-617397802447).

Fiddle Fandemonium

Centre 150 has joined forces with five-time ECMA and multiple Music PEI Award winning fiddler, Richard Wood to present an evening showcasing both Centre 150 and PEI’s vibrant traditional fiddling culture. The Summerside venue will present its debut music concert event, Fiddle Fandemonium, on June 2 at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 7 pm.

Five first-class fiddlers, Richard Wood, Ward MacDonald, Keelin Wedge, Roy Johnstone and Louise Arsenault will showcase five fiddling styles—Irish, Old Tyme, Scottish, Acadian and Jazz. The guest stepdancer is Jordan Chowen.

The fiddling quintet will also be accompanied by Up Home Tonight alumni guitarist, Skip Holmes. And as a bonus, both Ward and Richard will take turns on the keys.

Centre 150 is a soft seat music complex with state-of-the-art sound, onsite

Richard Wood, on of ve ddlers who will perform in the ddling showcase

parking, and a café. It is located at 150 Industrial Crescent in Summerside.

Info/tickets: rwood.ca

PEI Bluegrass Festival

Headliners are High Fidelity and The Tommy Webb Band

The Prince Edward Island Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival announces the line-up for the The 36th Annual PEI Bluegrass & Old Time Music Festival being held at the Dundas Fairgrounds, Dundas, PEI on July 7, 8 and 9.

Headline performers from the USA are High Fidelity and The Tommy Webb Band. Maritime bands include Bluegrass Tradition and the Oxbow Mountain Boys from Nova Scotia, Third Harmony and Blue Road from New Brunswick, and the Janet McGarry Band and The Stiff Family from PEI. More Island bands will be announced later.

High Fidelity were nominated for International Bluegrass Music Association New Artist of the Year in 2019. Their sound is influenced by the bluegrass stars of the 1950s and ‘60s such as Don Reno & Red Smiley, The Stanley Brothers, The Louvin Brothers, and Jim & Jesse.

Tommy Webb is from Langley, Kentucky. He performed with Clyde Bowling and the Southern Bluegrass Boys before starting The Tommy Webb

Rock bene t

Scott MacAulay Performing Arts

Centre—May 27

Rockers for Recovery: A Benefit for Lennon House and the Canadian Mental Health Association will be held on May 27 at the Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre in Summerside, featuring three bands rocking the stage—The Busted Skulls, Random Zero and Powerhouse.

Doors open at 7 pm. Showtime is 7:30 pm. Tickets are available in person at the box office and online at collegeofpiping.com.

Band in 2005. Tommy sings lead, tenor, and guitar is his main instrument, but for an eager crowd he will always pull out the old time claw hammer banjo.

Nova Scotia is represented at this year’s festival by Bluegrass Tradition, featuring Trevor Boutilier and Karen Dacoste, and by the Oxbow Mountain Boys from the Annapolis Valley.

The Festival welcomes two bands from New Brunswick this year: Third Harmony who have been part of the NB bluegrass scene since 2015, and Blue Road, an newly-formed group of young musicians.

PEI bands this year are the Janet McGarry Band featuring Daughter of Bluegrass Janet McGarry and Serge Bernard, and The Stiff Family, a sixpiece family band known for their gospel and bluegrass repertoire.

More Island bands will be added to the program, watch for the next announcements from the 36th Annual PEI Bluegrass & Old Time Music Festival.

Ticket information and festival details are available at peibluegrass. ca/tickets or by calling 566-2641.

Phase II & Friends

West River United—May 13

Phase II & Friends will perform Music to Inspire, two hours of lively, uplifting music at West River United in Cornwall on May 13.

Enjoy some traditional gospel songs mixed with tunes by Rod Stewart, Elvis Presley, Rita MacNeil and Celtic Thunder. This show will also feature music by Gene MacLellan, as well as original songs written by Keila Glydon and Gerry Hickey.

Doors open at 6:30 pm with music beginning at 7 pm. Tickets: 566-4052

JEAN-BAPTISTE MILLOT

David Greenberg

High Fidelity, one of the headliners for this year’s festival

Debut concert for Centre 150 in Summerside—June 2

Trailside Music Hall

Some of the many upcoming live performances

Fortunate Ones

May 3

Matt Murphy (The Super Friendz) are bringing their East Coast tour to Charlottetown. The popular PEI band Absolute Losers will open.

Daniel James McFadyen with Emily MacLellan

May 18

Out of a period of isolation, introspection, and honesty, emerges That Was You and Me, the new album from Fortunate Ones. With lush harmonies rising out of warm acoustic sounds, the St. John’s, Newfoundland duo reflect on life, loss, grief and hard times, and ultimately choosing love. The result is an album stacked with songs about family, love and finding one’s place.

The Good Brothers

May 10

ECMA-nominated folk musician Daniel James McFadyen will be making his Trailside debut in Charlottetown with special guest Emily MacLellan opening the show.

Great Lake Swimmers: album release

May 23

The eight-time JUNO-Award winning and Canadian Country Music Awardnominated band, The Good Brothers, has headlined gigs at Massey Hall, Roy Thompson Hall, the National Art Centre and performed countless shows at LA’s Universal Amphitheatre with their mentor, Gordon Lightfoot. They were inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004.

TUNS with Absolute Losers

May 11

Doubt, followed by discovery. Demos that ended up as finished tracks. New beginnings, rear-view reflections, and ruminations on the fluidity of time: Uncertain Country captures these feelings and so much more. This celebration, 11-songs long, follows a prolonged period of collective anxiety. Though recorded in different locales— and with a variety of musicians—a theme of questioning runs throughout. The “uncertain country” chosen as the album’s theme is not a specific place. Rather, it’s a territory we, as humans, inhabit in the 21st century—a world that, more often than not, is confusing, unfamiliar and unsettling.

Fueled by a burning desire to rage harder, play louder and have more fun than any other band, Cancer Bats mix hardcore, southern metal and punk rock into a lethal rock and roll explosion. The band originated in 2004 with singer Liam Cormier and guitarist Scott Middleton, former member of Toronto metal band At The Mercy Of Inspiration. The two wanted to form a project that combined their favourite parts of bands. The line-up was rounded out with the addition of Andrew McCracken on bass and Mike Peters on drums.

Cavy: album release

May 25

Andrew Cash’s Monday night series called Acoustic Meltdown. We put an ad in Now Magazine, answered by Ron Macey, and together with Wayne Stokes and Andrew’s brother Peter Cash, Skydiggers were born.”

New songs, new covers and a sound that grew to include electric instruments developed in the hothouse atmosphere of rehearsals, songwriting sessions and live performances. Today, thanks to years on the road and in the studio, Skydiggers are riding all of those years of momentum and continuing to evolve.

Trailside Music Hall is located at 155 Kent Street in Charlottetown. Showtimes are 8 pm with doors opening at 6:30 pm (unless otherwise stated). For tickets and info visit trailside.ca or call 367-3311.

Canadian indie rock supergroup TUNS, consisting of Mike O’Neill (The Inbreds), Chris Murphy (Sloan) and

Cancer Bats with Diner Drugs, Thousand Knives, and

Knull

May 24

Known for his fast flows, snappy delivery and expressive insight through lyricism, Cavy is one of Atlantic Canada’s rising rappers. His debut album Energy Thief, 2022 debuted at number two on the Canadian Hip-Hop/Rap iTunes Charts and at number 13 overall. Cavy has shared the stage with Joyner Lucas, Hopsin, Rakim, Freddie Gibbs, Token and more. His live show has the ability to capture an entire room.

Skydiggers

May 28

Chemistry, passion, energy and evolution are a few words that come to mind when Andy Maize and Josh Finlayson talk about 25 years together in Skydiggers.

“It all started in the beverage room of the Spadina Hotel. That is essentially when the band came together,” says Finlayson. “Andy and I performed there as a duo as part of

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HEATHER POLLOCK

ADAM HEFFERMAN

ADAM CK VOLLICK

Cancer Bats

Don Ross & Pipo Romero

Two performance dates in Charlottetown and Souris

Bruce Cockburn

In concert at Confederation Centre in October

PEI-based Indigenous guitarist, vocalist and composer Don Ross welcomes Spanish guitarist Pipo Romero for a short string of dates in the Maritimes, including two shows on PEI this May. The pair will bring their double-bill to The Guild in Charlottetown on May 18 and The Fiddling Fisherman Lookout in Souris on May 20.

Born and raised in Montreal to a Mi’kmaw mother and a Scottish immigrant father, Don Ross has established himself as one of the world’s leading fingerstyle guitarists. He is also a professional orchestrator and composer of music for films, television and video games. After years in Montreal and Toronto, he and his wife have made their home in the Maritimes, including PEI since 2021. He recently won the prestigious Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts, administered by the Canada Council

Big Shiny Tunes

All-star line up performing songs from compilations

Craig Fair Music Productions, Lone Oak Brewing, Back Alley Music and Trailside Music Hall will present a night of Big Shiny Tunes in Charlottetown. Featuring an all-star line up and band performing songs from the Big Shiny Tunes album compilations, this event will take place May 26 at 9 pm at Peakes Quay Restaurant & Bar.

Big Shiny Tunes will feature some of the biggest hits from the 90s–2000s by Sloan, Blink 182, Oasis, Our Lady

for the Arts. His new album, slated for a May 10 release, is entitled WATER. Madrid-based Pipo Romero hails from Cadiz in southern Spain. His music fuses the flamenco influences of his hometown with the innovation of playing his original music on a steel stringed guitar, as opposed to a traditional gut-strung instrument. The result is a thoroughly modern take on Spanish music, taking the tradition and growing it for the 21st century. His latest release is entitled IKIGAI, a Japanese word meaning, “What gives one’s life worth.”

Tickets can be purchased online for the Charlottetown performance at theguildpei.com and at checkout.square. site/buy/VP5PODVBDHJHIYD2CLFUFSYV for the Souris performance. donrossonline.com piporomero.com

Bruce Cockburn will perform at Confederation Centre of the Arts on October 17 in support of the release of his latest album, O Sun O Moon.

Cockburn has enjoyed an illustrious career shaped by politics, spirituality and musical diversity. His remarkable journey has seen him embrace folk, jazz, rock and worldbeat styles while earning high praise as a prolific, inspired songwriter and accomplished guitarist. He remains deeply respected for his activism and humanist song lyrics that thread throughout his career.

On all his albums Cockburn has deftly captured the joy, pain, fear and faith of human experience in song.

O Sun O Moon is his first vocal album since 2017’s Bone on Bone. It’s

also only the third album Cockburn has released since writing his memoirs (Rumours of Glory, 2013), after which he felt creatively spent.

Cockburn has won 13 JUNO Awards, an induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, and has been made an Officer of the Order of Canada, among many other accolades. He has 22 gold and platinum records including a six-times platinum record for his Christmas album. Cockburn continues to tour.

Tickets can be purchased starting May 12 through the Confederation Centre box office at confederationcentre.com, by phone at 566-1267 or 1-800-565-0278.

Peace, The Killers, Jet, Fastball, Foo Fighters, Semisonic, Bif Naked, Evanescence, No Doubt, Everclear— the list goes on.

The all-star lineup includes vocalists Brad Milligan, Josh Carter, Brand Howard Roy, Alyssa Harper, Mathew Hannah, Ben MacDonald, Dave Woodside, Liam Cocoran Laura Morgan, Trinity Bradshaw, Robbie Dogherty, Nathan Carragher, Kierrah Celeste, Taylor Buote, Evan McCosham and Craig Fair. The band consists of Evan McCosham (bass), Craig Fair (keys), Ben Aitken (keys), Tiffany Deriveau (vocals), Andrew Murray (guitar), Nick Gauthier (guitar) and Mat MacEachern (drums).

Enjoy a night of nostalgic music and be automatically transported back to a simpler time.

Tickets are available at trailside.ca.

Ana & Eric

Folk duo perform at The Guild—May 12

The Guild presents an intimate evening of music and stories with folk duo Ana & Eric on May 12 at 7:30 pm.

Ana & Eric are a Brazilian duo based in St John ́s, Newfoundland & Labrador. The duo offers a unique combination of folk, bossa nova and Brazilian popular music featuring original songs and covers in English and Portuguese.

The duo has been performing together for over ten years. They have played extensively in Brazil, toured Portugal twice, and played in

Denmark, Austria and Scotland.

Ana & Eric will be debuting songs from their sophomore release, The View From Here on this tour. theguildpei.com anaericmusic.com

ROB PORTER, RMS MEDIA

Bruce Cockburn at the Royal Theatre in Victoria

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

MUSIC LIVE

bars, lounges, cafés…

Albert & Crown Pub

Live music at 8 pm (unless otherwise noted): DanaLee Lynch-Veinot (May 5 @6 pm); Joey Doucette (May 11/18/25); Bruce and Robert Jones (13 @6 pm); Louise and Jonathan Arsenault(19 @6 pm); Julie and Danny (20); Kurk Bernard (26). 480 Main St, Alberton.

Baba’s Lounge

Open Mic w/KINLEY on Wednesdays at 9 pm. Island Jazz on Thursdays at 8 pm. Live music at 10:30 pm (unless otherwise noted): Dub Step Night (May 5); Out From Under + guest (6); Kilbride Spitting Out Chaos Hip Hop Show (12); Danny Gallant Band (13 @5 pm); MisStreak (13); Spirits in Prison, Big Huge, Turbo (19); Veev, Nick Nonsense, Diego (20); Foggyswoggle (21); Au Ben pi la S.C.B, Devil’s Punchbowl (26); Plain Dirty Blues Jam (27 @5:30 pm); Caboose (27); Dayglow Abortions (28). 181 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Bogside Brewing

Blizzard Goat on Saturdays at 3 pm. Fridays and Saturdays at 6:30 pm: Jordon Cameron(May 5); Lisa Birt (6); Dan Doiron(12); Brandon Gillis (13); Taylor Johnson(19); John McAllar (20); Marvin Birt(26); Adam MacGregor (27). 11 Brook St, Montague.

Breakwater at Silver Fox

Fridays and Saturdays at 9:30 pm. 110 Water St, Summerside.

Brothers 2

Thursdays and Fridays at 7 pm: Roland Beaulieu (May 4); Nick Hann (5); Alyssa & Corey (11/25); Darcy & Moe (12); Logan Maddix (18); Karen & Mike (19); Dave Woodside (26). 618 Water St, Summerside.

Charlottetown Legion

Saturdays at 9:30 pm: Rustlers (May 6); Powerhouse (13); Kim Albert (20); Roger Jones (27). All are welcome. 99 Pownal St, Charlottetown.

Copper Bottom Brewing

Acoustic music on Saturdays at 3 pm: Roger Stone (May 6); Craig Fair (13); Nick Doneff (20); Nate Carragher (27). 567 Main St, Montague.

Craft Beer Corner

Live music on select Wednesdays/ Thursdays at 9 pm and Live DJ on Saturdays at 9 pm: Josh Carter (May 3); Möjo (6); DJ Novah & Burgerz (13); Brock Mattsson (17); Reade Gauvin single release (18); Jocelyn Fraser (24); Final Ascension (27). 156 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Gahan House

Acoustic music on Wednesdays at 9 pm: Fraser MacCallum (May 3/31); Dave Woodside (4); Lawrence Maxwell (10/18/25); Stephen Szwarc (11/24); Adam MacGregor (17). 126 Sydney St, Charlottetown.

Harmony House Lounge

Live in the Lounge Friday at 7:30 pm: Nathan Wiley (May 5); no show (12); Hamorama—Rob Drew & Harmony Wagner (19); TBA (26). 19814 Rte 2, Hunter River.

Hunter’s Ale House

Matt & Friends (May 1/8/15/22/29); Lieutenant Dan (2/9/16/23/30); CopyCat (6/13/19); Hired Guns with Ghost Town (20). Corner of Kent & Prince Sts, Charlottetown.

John Brown Grille

Friday nights and Saturday afternoons from 2–5 pm: Main Stree Bullies (May 5); Kim Albert (6); other dates TBA. 132 Richmond St, Charlottetown.

The Local

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays: Stratton & Kays (May 5 @ 7 pm); Dino Dunsford & Judy Lowe (6 @1:30 pm); Holy Hannah (6 @7 pm);Shane Pendergast & Isaac King (12 @7 pm);Stephen Szwarc & Marvin Birt (13/20/27 @7 pm); Josie Thibodeau (14 @11 am); Harvey MacPherson (14 @5 pm);Adam MacGregor & Liam Kearney (19 @7 pm); Lawrence Maxwell (21 @6 pm). 202 Buchanan Dr, Charlottetown.

Lone Oak Brew Pub

Thursdays at 6 pm: Fraser MacCallum (May 4); Shane Pendergast (11); Nathan Carragher (18); Brian Dunn (25). 15 Milky Way, Charlottetown.

Lone Oak Brewing Co

Live Music on Saturdays at 6 pm, Sundays at 1 pm: Saul good duo (May 6); Thatcher Mackay (7); Laurence Maxwell (13); Dan Doiron (14); Jonny Ray (20); Dave Woodside (21); Mike Stratton (27); Lucy and Chris (BluRobin) (28). 103 Abegweit Blvd, Borden-Carleton.

The Lucky Bean—Stratford

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

Marc’s Lounge

Fridays and Saturdays at 9 pm: Dave Woodside(Mar 5/20); Fraser McCallum (6); Lawrence Maxwell(12/26); Mike

Stratton (13); Adam MacGregor (19); NathanCarragher (27). 125 Sydney St, Charlottetown.

The Old Triangle

Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm. 189 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Olde Dublin Pub

Fridays and Saturdays at 10 pm (unless otherwise noted): Vintage 2.0 (May 5 @7 pm); Brad Milligan (5 @11 pm); Marvin Birt (6 @1:30 pm); MacBeth (6); Main Street Bullies(12); Big Shiny Party Band (13);Hired Guns (19); Down With Darby (20); Wannabeez (Sun, 21); Gypsy Soul (26); Adam MacGregor and The Foes(27). 132 Sydney St, Charlottetown.

Peake’s Quay

Live DJ 11 pm: DJ Deuce (May 5/12); DJ Flycore (6/20); DJ Hype (13); DJ DEX (27). Live Music at 7 pm (unless otherwise noted): Brian Dunn (19); Mike Stratton & Albert Kays (20); Big Shiny Tunes (26 @9 pm); Gypsy Soul Duo (27). 11 Great George St, Charlottetown.

PEI Brewing Company

Fridays from 5–8 pm: Adam MacGregor(May 5); Live Music TBD (12); Shane Pendergast (19); Stephen Szwarc(26). 96 Kensington Rd, Charlottetown.

Piatto Pizzeria + Enoteca

Fridays at 6 pm: Ryan Merry (May 5); Nathan Carragher (12);Mike Stratton (19); Rodney Perry (26). 45 Queen St, Charlottetown.

RCAF Wing Summerside

Saturdays at 9 pm: Roundabout (May 6); Rockin Country (13); Dave Doyle Band (20); Hoss and Friends (27). No cover. 329 North Market St, Summerside.

The Salvador Dalí Café

Got Blues Matinee on Saturdays from 2–4 pm (May 13/20/27).155 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Cinco de Mayo Eve

Trailside Music Hall—May 4

Cinco de Mayo Eve at Trailside Music Hall on May 4 will feature the Taco Battles Launch Party, presented by Sea City Collective. Taco Battles will run May 4–13 in Charlottetown.

The launch party will feature PEI personalities competing in a taco eating contest and entertainment by the Love Junkies.

Food bank donations will be collected at the door. Visit chefbattles.ca for details.

Summerside Community Choir

Singing at Trinity United in Summerside—May 28

A European Vacation

For those longing to travel abroad while avoiding the hassles of airline travel, pianist Sarah Hagen brings A European Vacation through music to St. Paul’s on May 26 at 8 pm.

The 75-minute programme will include a hike through Finland’s forests with Sibelius, a coffee in a Parisian café with Poulenc, and a romantic evening in Italy with Respighi.

After a joyful re-boot last December, Summerside Community Choir is once again preparing to sing their hearts out on May 28 at Trinity United in Summerside.

The choir will be singing a moving and uplifting program titled “Stand by Me,” which celebrates their resilience and ability, together, to face

Why We Sing

Forte Men’s Choir at Kirk of St. James—May 14

Forte Men’s Choir will sing ten pieces of popular appeal at 2:30 pm on May 14 at the Kirk of St. James in Charlottetown.The concert is a stylistic smorgasbord which shows off the rich four-part blend of TTBB voices. Audience members can expect to hear “Why We Sing” which gives this concert its title, the lyrics of which inspire the members of this choir. There will be a couple of contrasting folk tunes: Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Linden Lea” and the American-sassy “Mama Don’t ‘Low No Dancin’.” A pair with gospel roots: “Here Comes the Light”

Charlottetown Legion Choir Spring concert—May 27

The Charlottetown Legion Choir will present their Pure Imagination spring concerts this month at Carrefour de l’Isle-Saint-Jean in Charlottetown.

On May 27 at 7 pm, the community choir will be joined by the Montague Regional High School Choir, directed by Christie Beck. On May 28 at 2:30 pm, the choir will be joined by the Prince Street Elementary Glee Club, directed by Ellen Davis.

life’s challenges. Their selection of contemporary and well-loved songs, includes “The Seal Lullaby” and “True Colors.” The choir will also perform “Ignite,” an original composition by young Canadian composer Emile Deedes-Vincke.

Showtime is 2 pm. Trinity United is located at 90 Spring St, Summerside.

Hagen enjoys a rich and diverse concertising life touring across Canada and internationally as both soloist and humorist.

Admission is Pay-what-you-will at the door. St. Paul’s is located at the corner of Prince and Grafton Streets in Charlottetown. sarahhagen.com

with barber-shop harmonies, and “Gwahoddiad” which somehow became a sort of Welsh anthem. Forte will sing the two poems: “Good Night Dear Heart,” which is a musical rendering of the inscription on the headstone of Mark Twain’s daughter; and Eric Whitacre’s tender setting of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Seal Lullaby.” One other poem for pure fun, the “Old Mother Hubbard” nursery rhyme sung in the style of Handel. They will perform Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “A Parting Blessing,” for an emotional closing.

Forte is the 16-voice choir led by Dr. Margot Rejskind, noted for leadership of Luminos Ensemble and Island Choral Society. Jacqueline Sorensen Young is the accompanist. This concert will feature surprise guest artists.

Admission is at the door.

Progressive Organ Concert

At three churches in Charlottetown—June 25

Music lovers will have a unique opportunity to experience a variety of organ music performed in a variety of churches in Charlottetown on June 25 at the Progressive Organ Concert presented by members of the Royal Canadian College of Organists.

“It’s a bit like a Farmer’s Market for music,” says Leo Marchildon, one of the concert performers. “People walk into a church to attend a 30 minute recital, and then walk down the street to another church where another 30 minute concert is being given, and so on. Each recital is held in a different church on a different instrument, performed by different artists. It’s a

bit like a musical sampler platter, as well as a chance to check out some of the most beautiful churches in Charlottetown.”

The fun begins with a 30 minute program at St. Peters (All Souls Lane) from 1:30–2 pm. The next concert is held at St. Paul’s (Prince Street) from 2:30–3 pm, and the final portion takes place at St. Dunstan’s Basilica (Great George Street), from 3:30–4 pm. There is a 30 minute break between each concert allowing people to leisurely make their way to the new location and “clean their ears!”

Concert performers include Leo Marchildon, Don Fraser, Jason Chen, Tom Loney, Gloria Jay, Clement Carelse and Ann Francis.

As the date of this event coincides with DiverseCity in Charlottetown, plan ahead to ensure nearby parking. Admission to any or all recitals is by free will offering. All proceeds will go to establishing a scholarship fund to help educate aspiring student organists.

Pure Imagination will feature choral selections celebrating the wonders and magic of childhood. Concertgoers will hear both nostalgic songs and contemporary choral pieces that will appeal to all ages.

A reception will be held following each concert. Guests can enjoy a light lunch while viewing over sixty student art pieces inspired by Matthew Gawronski’s song, “Imago Dei,” which is one of the featured choral pieces.

A portion of each ticket sale will go to the participating schools’ art and music programs.Tickets are available from members of the three choirs and at the door.

Visit @Charlottetown Legion Choir on Facebook for more information.

De nitely Not The Symphony

Park Royal United—June 10

Definitely Not the Symphony (DNTS) is an eclectic group of music enthusiasts who gather to play instrumental pieces on a regular basis.

DNTS will present a spring concert at 10 am on June 10 at Park Royal United in Charlottetown. Musical

directors Marti Hopson and Lucy Morkunas will conduct this concert, which will feature a mixed selection of popular, film and light classics.

Admission is by donation.

DNTS is recruiting people interested in string, percussion and wind instruments, and are welcoming all ages, genders and musical abilities. Rehearsals are normally held on Saturday mornings throughout the fall, winter and spring in Charlottetown. The venue has plenty of parking and is accessible by bus.

Info: DNTSStratford@gmail.com, @ DNTSPEI on FB

KAREN MCKINNON

Sarah Hagen solo recital at St. Paul’s—May 26

Stompin’ Tom Award

The East Coast Music Association (ECMA) recently unveiled the ten 2023 Honourary East Coast Music Award recipients and Richard Wood will receive the Stompin’ Tom Award for Prince Edward Island on May 7 during the 2023 East Coast Music Awards in Halifax which run May 3–7.

Named by MacLean’s Magazine as one of the Top 100 Canadians to watch in the 21st Century, Richard Wood has been a proud East Coast Canadian ambassador for over 30 years. Having played for Prime Ministers, Governors General, the Queen, Princes, Princesses, the Emperor of Japan and for Canada’s Armed Forces in the North Pole, Bosnia, and twice in Afghanistan, Wood has been playing to sold-out audiences around the globe with his fiery-brand of Celtic music.

Wood has taught at over twenty fiddle camps across North America and the United Kingdom and continues to help keep tradition alive by establishing a fiddle scholarship for students. The scholarship provides a full year of

fiddle lessons and is awarded annually to a fiddle student at the College of Piping in Summerside, PEI.

Last year, Wood and his wife, Faye, were presented a Cultural Activity Award by the City of Summerside for their production of Richard WOOD: Through the Years, a live concert highlighting his 30 year career. Wood continues to evolve an innovative approach to traditional Celtic jigs, reels and strathspeys, tempering the mix with sweet airs and lively polkas.

Atlantic String Machine

Season nale with mezzo-soprano Hannah O’Donnell

Atlantic String Machine will present the final concert of their 2022-23 Season: Coming Together on May 13. This concert will feature mezzo-soprano Hannah O’Donnell. There will be two performances (2:30 pm and 7:30 pm) at St. Paul’s in Charlottetown.

One of the highlights of the concert will be the world premiere of “Four Songs” for vocalist and string quintet by the contemporary Australian composer Don Kay. The piece sets four poems from Island poet Laurie Brinklow’s recent book My Island’s the House I Sleep in at Night. Kay and Brinklow connected when the writer’s research in Island Studies brought her to Tasmania, and one of the poems in the book is dedicated to the composer. Retired from a post at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music, Kay has composed works for opera and theatre, symphony orchestra and choirs that have been performed around the world. In 1991, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the arts.

Also on the program will be original compositions by bassist Adam Hill and violinist Sean Kemp. Hill’s “Oilblood” will see O’Donnell joined by recent

SoPA grad Hayden Lysecki for a thrilling setting of a text by Vancouver poet Kevin Spenst. Kemp’s piece “Hope” will lead listeners through an emotional journey of sonorous harmonies and minimalist textures.

In classic ASM fashion, the show will include a diverse mix of selections from early and romantic classical music to tango, pop and folk numbers. Visit atlanticstringmachine.com to purchase tickets.

2023 Stompin’ Tom Award recipient Richard Wood

Richard Wood receives ECMA honour for PEI

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mezzo-soprano Hannah O’Donnell

2023 SHOW SCHEDULE

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culinary experiences featuring GAIL SIMMONS I MATT MOORE I ADAM LOO I ILONA DA NIEL

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