The Buzz - January 2026

January 2026 Ashley Anne Clark (detail)

Page 2 The BUZZ January 2026

FROM 2001-2026: CELEBRATING 25 YEARS!

The Awards Gala Returns to Summerside.

Right Where It All Began.

P S!! 9 other events US LU PL

to check out across PEI

February 28th to

March 7th, 2026!

Get tickets at www.musicpei.com

15% OFF Use promo code MPEIW15 for 15% off a festival pass.

Valid until Jan 31, 2026

PRESENTED BY

Book by DON HARRON

Music by NORMAN CAMPBELL

ANNE Lyrics by DON HARRON & NORMAN CAMPBELL

Additional Lyrics by MAVOR MOORE & ELAINE CAMPBELL

BOOK, MUSIC, AND LYRICS BY

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Cast of Anne of Green Gables – The Musical™ 2024

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The BUZZ January 2026 Page 3

TASTE OF CANADA JANUARY 9, 16 & 17, 23 & 24

TASTE OF ASIA

JANUARY 30 & 31 FEBRUARY 6 & 7, 20 & 21

PUB FAVOURITES FEBRUARY 27 & 28 MARCH 6 & 7, 13 & 14

FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS 6:00 - 8:30PM

Top of the Park is closed for a private function on Jan 10TH.

Located on the casino floor at Red Shores Charlottetown, Red’s is your new go-to spot for Italian-inspired comfort food, live entertainment, and a massive 14-foot screen that puts you right in the action.

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Know Your Limit. Play Within It.

Page 4 The BUZZ January 2026

Profile: Richard Lemm by Julie Bull

writing, Richard’s teaching, guidance, and mentorship have touched a myriad of people over the course of his abundant career. In November 2025, he delivered his last lecture, “A Wondrous Thing Happened on the Way to Dystopia,” celebrating his career and commemorating his retirement.

Connected by stories

With several books published across multiple genres—poetry, fiction, memoir, and biography—Richard is continuing to write into this retirement. “I am excited to have more time to do my own writing and continue to pay close attention.” Richard’s attentiveness to the people and places around him was clear throughout our conversation and is evidenced in his many works.

One of his current works-in-progress is a collection of personal essays with the working title, Citizen of Shorelines. “I’ve always lived near the ocean and have been greatly influenced by that reality.”

He is also working on revising a novel and a new collection of poetry.

BUZZ

Along with his solo creations, Richard is working with his wife, Lee Ellen Pottie, to curate and edit an anthology of holiday writing to be published by Acorn Press. “We are eagerly accepting submissions from people with a strong connection to Epekwitk, though the stories themselves can be set anywhere.”

I often meet folks at The Gallery Coffee House & Bistro to chat for these profiles, but it was an especially poignant and powerful location for my conversation with Richard Lemm. Richard started his artistic journey as part of the Great George Gallery back in 1983.

Now a coffee shop that supports the local arts community, Richard shared stories of the space as it was 42 years ago. He took me back in time, walking through the decades of artistic and creative development of Charlottetown.

“This space was the home of more than 200 readings, and countless book launches, music debuts, and visual art exhibitions.”

Sitting with Richard and listening to his stories that span the decades was like being immersed in a library of one’s favourite books, with behind-thescenes commentary from the authors.

From sharing spaces with Milton Acorn to being hired as a coordinator by Hilda Woolnough, Richard has built a living legacy alongside many of the Island’s most famous and prolific creators.

Originally from Seattle, Washington, Richard made his way east for his

graduate studies, eventually landing in Halifax, Nova Scotia as a doctoral student at Dalhousie University. “I was finished the residency component of my PhD so I could go anywhere for the final two years to write my dissertation.” He was encouraged by his advisor to take the time to travel abroad but luck and love brought him to Prince Edward Island, and he has lived here ever since.

With a strong sense of community, Richard’s contributions to and connections with Island life are immeasurable. Whether it was being part of the Take Back the Night marches in Charlottetown, learning from the women’s movement, or being active in the Island peace efforts, Richard has been immersed in the arts and activism communities since the 80s. “Art and activism are closely related, and I was swept into both.”

Richard has been an English professor at the University of Prince Edward Island since 1988, teaching creative writing and Canadian and post-colonial literatures. From introductory courses to masterclasses in creative

Richard is a passionate storyteller who generously shares his own stories and encourages others to share theirs. “I often ask myself, what stories will make the world a better place?” Stories hold us all together and create the world in which we live. “We’re all telling stories—whether in books, music, visual art, or even as a bank teller.”

With a career that included president of the League of Canadian Poets, faculty at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and a founding member of the Island Literary Awards, Richard notes that one of the biggest highlights has been witnessing others blossom and mature into themselves. “Whether it’s a past student or a colleague or a friend, I am endlessly inspired by the ways in which people face and overcome hardship.” Linking back to some of his own mentors, Richard says that he feels privileged “to support people in navigating riptides and helping them flow with the current.”

Listening to Richard talk about his journey of witnessing so many people thrive in their respective fields was inspiring. “It’s not just people who are creative writers; it’s people in all professions and across many disciplines.”

Regardless of our profession, position, or place, “our stories are important and our individual voices matter. The greatest gift is hearing that I have helped someone in finding their voice and telling their story.”

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 5

Rooted & Rising

JAIME VEDRES

ANDREW LEWIS

KRISTA COMEAU

MARC SAMUELS/QNP MEDIA

The Guild unveils its 2026 Summer Season

(top, L–R): Coming Home—The Musical Play; The Princess Show. (bottom, L–R): 333: The Toronto Bathhouse Raids; Queerly Canadian.

In 2026, The Guild unveils Rooted & Rising: A Season of Performances That Evoke and Provoke, a lineup that champions bold voices, transformative stories, and artists who push the boundaries of performance. This summer’s presentation series invites audiences to explore history, identity, resilience, and joy through four major productions, a monthly music series, and returning favourites.

Kicking off the season is 333: The Toronto Bathhouse Raids, a gripping look at a defining moment in queer Canadian history. Set during the 1981 Operation Soap raids, the play follows three “found-ins,” Honey, Darren, and Eddy, as the community’s uprising sparks what many view as the beginning of Canada’s Pride movement.

Each must confront what they’re willing to risk when dignity, livelihood,

and belonging are on the line. This vital, often-overlooked chapter in queer history explores homophobia, identity, intergenerational dialogue, and the ongoing fight for liberation.

Also featured is Coming Home – The Musical Play, a soul-stirring tribute to the brilliance and resilience of Black women. Through the voices of Nina Simone, Josephine Baker, and Jessye Norman, audiences are guided on a journey through jazz, blues, and opera as these trailblazing artists confront racism, advocate for justice, and ascend to international stardom. More than a performance, Coming Home is a celebration of legacy, courage, and the unbreakable spirit of Black women whose art continues to inspire movements for justice and healing.

The season’s boldness continues with The Princess Show, an

BOGSIDE BREWING

award-winning, camp-filled multimedia spectacle that blends drag, musical theatre, and anime. In a dazzling dystopian world, Princess Edward and her beloved Abel battle depression, shame, and a literal inner monster through psychedelic projections, outrageous drag, and lip-synched performances.

“This very fun show is actually quite personal for me as it was born out of a period of self-care and reflection following years of battling depression on my own,” says co-creator Aaron Collier. “It feels great to transform that into a show that leaves audiences delighted, and it’s a privilege to finally be sharing it in my birthplace of PEI.” After a successful debut, Queerly Canadian: A Late Night Drag Revue returns this September even bigger and bolder. Starring drag artists Didi d’Edada and Castrati, this late-night cabaret delivers campy Canadiana, sharp sketch comedy, powerhouse vocals, surprise guests, and a rotating showcase of local talent. No two performances are ever the same—and that’s exactly the point.

“At The Guild, we’re incredibly proud to support works that challenge, inspire, and reflect the diversity of our community,” says Brian Markham, General Manager. “This season brings truly unique performances to our stage, and we’re thrilled to share stories that we know will resonate deeply with audiences.”

In addition to these presentations, The Guild will have a Monthly Music Concert Series, offering intimate evenings of live music that spotlight connection, creativity, and community.

Audiences can also look forward to a full slate of summer programming, including returning crowd favourites such as Popalopalots, Side Hustle, and Charlottetown Burlesque.

As The Guild continues its commitment to accessible, diverse, and impactful arts experiences, the 2026 summer season is an invitation to witness artistry that challenges, celebrates, and inspires.

For tickets and full programming details, visit theguildpei.com.

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Improv, theatre, and dance Workshops and classes at Confederation Centre of the Arts Confederation Centre of the Arts is offering improv, theatre and dance workshops and classes this winter.

Led by storyteller and improv veteran Cameron MacDonald, the Centre is offering two new improv programs at Studio 1. The Adult Improv workshop is a six-week class for seniors running from January 7–March 4.

Participants will learn improvisation through accessible games and storytelling exercises designed to support creativity, confidence, and connection, with no experience required. Teen Improv is a six-week class running on Fridays at 4:30 pm from January 16–February 20. The program focuses on comedy skills, collaboration, and imagination in a supportive setting for teens aged 13–18 who want an afterschool activity that helps them meet people and try something new.

The Centre is also offering an Adult Musical Theatre class for participants aged 18+, open to both beginners and experienced performers. The course covers basic vocal and performance techniques, group singing, duet work, optional solo performance, and musical theatre scenes, with each participant selecting a song to develop into a supported in-class performance.

The Centre has new dance training options in Charlottetown, including Adult Heels and Hip Hop, a six-week class running from January 22–March 12 on Thursdays at 7:45 pm. The course covers hip hop basics and beginner heels technique, focusing on posture, weight placement, walking, and foundational movements such as body rolls, hip isolations, and turns.

Additional programs include Inclusive Dance, running from January 24–February 28 on Saturdays at 4 pm, designed to make dance accessible for students of all abilities and inspired

by Boston Ballet’s Adaptive Dance Program. A Highland Dance Workshop takes place on January 25 at 3 pm and focuses on the Highland Fling. An Open Ballet Course runs from January 10–March 7 on Saturdays, featuring a traditional barre and centre class emphasizing alignment, musicality, balance, and strength.

For more details and registration information, visit confederationcentre.com, call 1-800-565-0278, visit the Centre’s box office.

FEBRUARY BUZZ DEADLINE Jaunuary 15th

Page 6 The BUZZ January 2026

DANCE & MOVEMENT Harbourfront’s 30th Dance to traditional Irish reels, polkas, jigs, and slides at the Benevolent Irish Society in Charlottetown at 6:30 pm on Wednesdays. The series runs for 10 weeks, from January 7–March 11.

Experienced instructors and dancers guide participants through easy-to-learn partner dances in a relaxed, social setting.

Couples and singles of all experience levels are welcome; no previous experience is required. Dancing can be vigorous, but the speed of the music is adjusted to suit participants. Light, smooth-soled shoes and comfortable attire are recommended.

There is a small fee per class. To register, email fredchorne@gmail.com or call 902-388-9277.

or by e-transfer to thenestpei@gmail.com (include “giveback” or “Oliver’s Song” in the note). Info: thenestpei.com.

Flow to Fierce dance workshop

Jimmy Rankin (left) and Rum Ragged

Little Hands, Big Hearts Elan Mackey

Held on Blue Monday—often described as the most emotionally challenging Monday of the winter—Little Hands, Big Hearts is a pay-what-you-can music and movement class taking place at The Nest in Charlottetown on January 19 at 12:30 pm. The class welcomes babies, toddlers, and young children alongside their caregivers and is designed to bring families together through song, movement, and shared experience. It emphasizes the role of group music in supporting early development, emotional regulation, and social connection, while offering caregivers a sense of routine, community, and belonging. Proceeds will support Oliver’s Song, a PEI-based organization that helps to remove financial barriers.

Donations may be made in person (cash)

Milestone season will honour theatre’s history

A monthly, beginner-friendly dance workshop, Flow to Fierce, welcomes all ages, bodies, and abilities at The Guild in Charlottetown. The next session takes place on January 24 at 6 pm. Dance teacher Elan Mackey leads a joyful, judgment-free movement experience designed especially for 2SLGBTQ+ community members. Each session moves from gentle, grounding flows to playful, runway-inspired strutting, exploring breath-driven sequences, character walks, and expressive movement that celebrates gender euphoria and authentic self-expression. The focus is on connection, embodiment, and fun—not technique. The session is free, and no dance experience is needed.

Eat, Move & Groove

Eat, Move & Groove is a healthy eating and daytime dancing program for folks 50 and older, held on the fourth Saturday of each month from 2–5 pm in Charlottetown. Each session features a different food and dance theme, encouraging gentle, joyful movement and the shared preparation of a meal. No partner is necessary. Email foodexchangepei@ gmail.com to register.

Harbourfront Theatre will mark its 30th anniversary in 2026, celebrating three decades as a cornerstone of live performance and community programming on Prince Edward Island.

Since opening in 1996, the theatre has welcomed hundreds of artists and audiences from across Canada and beyond, becoming a gathering place for music, comedy, theatre, dance, and shared cultural experiences.

Plans are underway for a milestone anniversary season that will honour the theatre’s history while looking ahead to the future. While full programming details have yet to be announced, early confirmations point to a year filled with returning favourites, special moments, and performances that reflect Harbourfront Theatre’s diverse legacy.

Among the first Harbour Highlights selections announced are Canadian artists Jimmy Rankin and Rum Ragged, alongside internationally recognized dance company Ballet Jörgen.

“Thirty years gives you a deep sense of perspective,” says Mary Dennis, Executive Director of Harbourfront Theatre. “Audiences will see many familiar faces returning to our stage in 2026, artists who have been part of Harbourfront Theatre’s story over the last three decades, alongside exciting new work. It really speaks to our belief in ‘Our Theatre,

Your Theatre,’ and the role this space plays in the community.”

In addition to curated programming, the 2026 season will feature a strong lineup of rental presentations from long-standing partners, including Rocklands Entertainment’s Megastars of Country, Shantero Productions’ The Comic Strippers, and the full slate of Craig Fair Productions’ 2026 season.

The anniversary year will also mark the inaugural season of Stages for Students programming, launching in January, February, and March.

Confirmed productions include Jamie Adkins’ Circus Incognitus, Boom X, Tunes and Tall Tales, and Maritime Marionettes, bringing live performance experiences to student audiences and reinforcing Harbourfront’s commitment to education and youth engagement.

“Harbourfront Theatre has always been about more than what happens on stage,” Dennis adds. “It is about belonging, shared experiences, and creating memories together. As we head into our 30th year, we are proud of the relationships we have built with artists, partners, and audiences, and excited to welcome everyone back for what promises to be a very special season.”

Additional announcements and programming details will be released in the coming months. harbourfronttheatre.com

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Irish Set Dancing

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 7

Leadership and experience Pan Wendt is new Director of Confederation Centre Art Gallery

BRUNCH Saturday & Sunday 10am - 1pm Reserve online or call (902)894-4800 SUBMITTED

Confederation Centre of the Arts has appointed Pan Wendt as the new Director of the Confederation Centre Art Gallery (CCAG). Wendt brings a strong record of leadership, artistic vision, and community engagement to one of Atlantic Canada’s leading public art galleries.

In his new role, Wendt will lead the artistic and strategic direction of the CCAG, overseeing exhibitions, collections, publications, and public programming, while advancing the Gallery’s mandate to reflect diverse voices and perspectives from Prince Edward Island and beyond.

“Pan brings an exciting combination of leadership Director of the Confederation Centre Art Gallery experience and a deep Pan Wendt commitment to artists and audiences,” said Steve Bellamy, in 2011 and has served on a wide CEO of Confederation Centre of the range of regional and national arts Arts. “His long-standing relationship juries. Most recently, Pan and his team with the Gallery and his national were awarded the Premier’s Standcuratorial profile will be a tremendous out Project of the Year for the Erica asset as we look ahead.

Rutherford: Retrospective at the PEI Arts “We are thrilled to have Pan lead the Awards. This exhibition is now on tour Gallery and look forward to the vision across Canada until the end of 2027. and energy he will bring to the role.”

“I am honoured to step into this Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and role and to continue working with the raised on Prince Edward Island, Wendt dedicated team at the Confederation comes from a family of artists and has Centre,” said Wendt. “The Art Gallery been deeply involved in the arts for plays a vital role in supporting artists most of his life. He studied art history and engaging communities, and I am in New England and, after spending excited to build on its strong foundanearly a decade producing “unofficial” tion while exploring new opportuniart-forward events, began publishing ties for collaboration, learning, and contemporary art criticism, organizing creative exchange.” exhibitions and happenings, and workThe CCAG is home to a significant ing as an arts administrator. collection of Canadian art and presents In 2010, Wendt was appointed a year-round program of exhibitions Curator at the CCAG, where he has and public programming. As Director, organized more than 100 exhibitions Wendt will play a key role in shaping and contributed to numerous publithe Gallery’s future and strengthening cations on Canadian contemporary its connections locally, nationally, and art. He co-founded Art in the Open internationally.

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CCAG Winter exhibitions

Documentary on artist Brian Burke— Jan 17

Celebrating craft, labour, and the living world

The premiere of Portraits, a documentary on Island artist Brian Burke, RCA, will be held at Florence Simmons Performance Hall in Charlottetown on January 17 at 8 pm. Doors open at 7:30 pm. All are invited to attend and admission is free.

The decade of the 1960s marked a major cultural and political shift in the world. For Island artist Brian Burke and those he grew up with in the streets of Charlottetown, it was an exciting time with lots of laughs, good music, and great friendships.

Brian became one of Canada’s foremost figurative painters with a stellar international reputation. His ties to the people he grew up with were never broken. In tribute to his fond memories, Brian painted a series of portraits of his friends. No doubt many Islanders recall seeing the portraits hanging at Mavor’s lounge at Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown for several years.

Portraits focuses on these paintings,

New at Eptek Exhibitions highlight creativity and human experience January and February at Eptek feature two exhibitions that highlight community, creativity, and shared human experience.

Red Sands Photography Club returns with Through the Lens, on display in Eptek’s main gallery from January 13 to February 20. This exhibition features work by group members

SUBMITTED

Portraits

Brian, and his friends. The documentary includes parts of a lengthy interview done with Brian before he died, and intimate interviews with all the portrait subjects. Portraits also incorporates archival film footage of Charlottetown from the 1960s. There are old family photographs, along with 1960s high school yearbook images.

The whole piece is held together with music composed and played by internationally celebrated guitarist Don Ross.

Portraits, a film by Island filmmakers Brian Pollard and William Harrington, is a subtle, delicate, and even gentle piece. It shows how the ordinary souls of this world have a rightful and powerful place in the midst of high art. It is innovative in its simplicity and avoids a lot of conventional notions about documentary production.

The storm date is January 24.

ranging from beginners to seasoned professionals. Red Sands Photography Club meets monthly in Summerside and often goes on excursions, offering members a variety of ways to learn together about the art of photography.

All are invited to the official opening on January 18 at 1 pm. Get up close with wildlife, get lost in the details, or be transported to a peaceful Island scene. The opening is a free event, and all are welcome.

Nan Ferrier’s painting series, Somebody’s Child, will be on display in the Eptek lobby throughout January and February. Ferrier began attending the free breakfast program at Trinity United Church in Summerside and started drawing the people there— those who came for breakfast, family members, and others who were present. She has said they have “interesting faces,” and noted that people are not often the focus of exhibitions.

Somebody’s Child captures people in action, doing everyday things, and speaks to our shared humanity.

Eptek is a site of the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation and is located at 130 Heather Moyse Drive in Summerside. Exhibition admission is by donation. For more information, call 902-888-8373 or visit peimuseum.ca.

For updates, follow @eptek.centre on social media.

Confederation Centre Art Gallery (CCAG) welcomes visitors this winter with two brand new exhibitions and one revamped exhibition. From contemporary sculpture and textile work that reframes “women’s work” through a feminist lens, to a rare selection of Canadian fine craft and painting drawn from Expo 67, these exhibitions invite audiences to consider how objects carry stories of bodies, botanicals, place, and history.

Brenda Whiteway, Yield, 2001, oil on canvas, 120 x 150 cm.

Sarah Maloney’s Pleasure Ground, co-curated by Jennifer assembled by CCAG’s first director, Matotek and Laura Ritchie, will be Moncrieff Williamson, and it offers exhibited in the Main Gallery from a timely reflection on the enduring January 31–May 17. Maloney, RCA, is a desire for hand-made objects. In a contemporary sculptor and textile artworld shaped by ready-made goods ist nationally recognized for her comand mass production, we continue to pelling representations of botanicals seek connection through objects that and the human body. Working across proudly display their makers’ marks— media ranging from embroidery to objects that carry the evidence of bronze, Maloney challenges assumptouch, time, and technique. tions about craft, artistic labour, and “Hand-made objects hold a wealth “women’s work,” drawing attention to of information about the places they the value systems that shape what is come from. They tell the story of a celebrated, collected, and preserved. region’s natural resources, the peoPleasure Ground showcases artple that live there, and show us the works created between 1993 and 2021, rhythms of everyday life,” says Jill tracing Maloney’s artistic developMcRae, the Art Gallery’s Conservator. ment while highlighting her ongoing Together With Time, curated by explorations of sexuality, reproductivPan Wendt, continues until April 5. ity, economics, and colonial systems The works selected for this exhibition of representation. Meticulous, witty, embody art’s capacity to bring past and grounded in historical research, and present together in imaginative Maloney interprets mythology and ways. A part of the exhibition features symbolism using labour-intensive a rotating selection of Prince Edward techniques from welding to stitching.

Island artists. The second Island Through a feminist lens, her work Focus, on display until mid-February, reflects on Western history and culture, will shine a spotlight on the work of and reconsiders icons of Western coloCharlottetown-based artist Brenda nialism such as museum collections, Whiteway. domestic gardens, and landscape art.

Whiteway was recently awarded The results are joyful and striking the Father Adrien Arsenault Senior depictions of plants, bones, and organs Arts Award, honouring the lifetime that speak to gender, pleasure, desire, achievement of a PEI artist every and power while also hinting at the two years. Her allegorical paintings structured nature of our biological, explore the shifting patterns of life and social, and economic systems. the effects of modernization in rural This exhibition was organized by PEI. Her work juxtaposes elements Art Windsor-Essex, and toured with from disparate sources and moments, support from the Canadian Heritage ranging from personal family history Museums Assistance Program through to observations from nature; a favourAccess to Heritage. ite rhetorical device is the insertion of Out of Hand, curated by Jill McRae, smaller pictures within a larger paintwill be exhibited in the Gallery’s coning, generating meaning through an course from January 24–May 3. This is internal conversation between images.

The Gallery will host its Winter an exhibition of Canadian fine crafts Exhibition Opening Reception on and paintings originally assembled January 31 from 2–4 pm. All are for the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 67 welcome to attend this casual event which was a influential moment when to meet, mingle, and explore the new the nation’s arts and crafts movement exhibitions. Artist and curator tours was distilled into a showcase of skill, begin at 2:45 pm. material knowledge, and regional confederationcentre.com identity. This collection was originally

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 9

Fix Your Plate by Tara Reeves

Food trends 2026 Design your pantry for body, mind, and the future You know that feeling when you finally organize a drawer, and suddenly your whole kitchen feels more efficient?

That’s exactly what’s happening to the world of food. For too long, nutrition felt like a chore, a list of things to cut out. But the 2026 forecast isn’t about deprivation; it’s about curation. It’s about building a pantry that works harder, tastes better, and actively supports your busiest days. We’re moving from a rigid diet mentality to one of confident, inspired intentionality.

Here’s how you can get ahead of the curve and start organizing your wellness with the year’s biggest trends.

The shift is clearest in two areas: what we eat, and why we eat it. First up is the quiet takeover of Fibre-First Nutrition. Protein has dominated the conversation for a decade, but fibre is finally having its moment. We’re realizing that our gut health isn’t just about digestion; it’s tied to our mood, energy, and metabolism. Brands are responding by flooding the market with delicious, high-fibre pastas, breads, and snacks, often made with ancient roots like chicory and konjac. This pairs beautifully with the continued Protein Evolution.

It’s not enough to just get more protein; we’re getting smarter about the types we choose, whether it’s innovative plant-based sources or expertly fortified snacks designed for specific times of day. Suddenly, every meal is a performance opportunity, not just fuel.

This new focus on performance leads us directly into the kitchen. The revival of flavour and tradition is undeniable with Fermentation Going Mainstream and a compelling Return to Ancestral Ingredients. Forget watery condiments; we’re seeing deep, complex vinegars, live-culture beverages, and global fermented sauces that add incredible layers of flavour while boosting your gut flora. This ties in seamlessly with a return to heritage practices, specifically traditional fats like tallow and heirloom tubers and roots. It’s an embrace of ingredients that are both sustainable and satisfying. It’s comforting, practical, and it just tastes better.

But perhaps the most personal and exciting development is how we’re eating for our minds and our life stages. The massive growth in MentalWellness Foods is proof that we’re finally taking the food-mood connection seriously. Think of it as stocking your personal wellness kit: we’re seeing botanicals, calming blends, and adaptogens like Ashwagandha

integrated into everyday drinks and snacks to manage stress and support cognitive clarity. This deeply individualised approach extends to Granular Life-Stage Nutrition, particularly for women’s health. Brands are finally creating products specifically tailored to support women through perimenopause, pregnancy, and hormone fluctuations, giving women the specialised support they’ve long deserved.

Finally, our conscience is catching up to our consumption, bringing ethics right to the checkout line. Economic pressures are colliding with environmental values, driving interest in affordable staples that also boast Regenerative and Transparent Sourcing. We want to know the land is being healed, not just sustained. This movement is beautifully highlighted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ declaration of 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer. This spotlight on Women-Led Agriculture means that supporting sustainable, ethical, and equitable food systems is easier than ever. When you buy a product that supports a femaleled farm, you’re not just buying food; you’re casting a vote for a better world.

It’s clear the future of food isn’t about complexity; it’s about clarity. It’s about taking the guesswork out of eating so you can focus on living. By embracing fibre, demanding transparency, and choosing foods that actively support your mental and physical health, you’re not just following a trend, you’re designing a more sustainable, satisfying, and inspired life. The tools for confident wellness are already on the shelf, waiting for you to pick them up. Now, go fix your plate.

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Page 10 The BUZZ January 2026

GET CREATIVE Life drawing for adults

Drop-in life drawing sessions with a nude model are held twice a month on Sundays from 2–4 pm at the Gertrude Cotton Art Centre (57 Bunbury Rd, Stratford). The next sessions are January 4 and 18. All skill levels are welcome. Doors open at 1:30 pm. Participants are encouraged to arrive early for set up and must be 18+ or have written parent/guardian permission. Some easels are provided, but participants must bring their own drawing materials. Life Drawing PEI is a not-for-profit organization. There is a fee for sessions, with proceeds going toward an honorarium for the model.

Email lifedrawingpei2022@gmail.com if interested in being a model. Follow @ LifeDrawingPEI on FB for updates.

Paint Club for adults

Adults can drop in to the Charlottetown Library to paint, socialize, and hang out on January 5 and 19 at 1 pm.

Creative PEI Artmobile

Drop in to the Makerspace at the Charlottetown Library on January 7 and 21 from 5–7 pm for creative art time with the Creative PEI Artmobile. Make something new from the art supplies provided, or bring your own materials or work-in-progress project.

Seniors Art Activities

Seniors Art Activities are offered at Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown. The next session will be held on January 8 from 10 am–12 pm.

Explore and discuss diverse works from current exhibitions through a guided tour, followed by refreshments and a relaxed art and craft session in the Michael S. Schurman Family Studio. Visit confederationcentre.com/artseducation to register.

Sewing Club

Join fellow sewing and mending enthusiasts (ages 12+) in the Charlottetown Library Makerspace on the second Thursday of the month from 5–8 pm.

The next meeting is January 8. Bring a machine and projects, start a beginner-friendly project, explore sewing tools and techniques, or try a machine with guidance.

Creative fun for youth at the Summerside Library Free arts activities continue this month at the Summerside Library (57 Central St). Crafternoon for Kids takes place as a drop-in session on Saturdays and Sundays from 1–3 pm. For the month of January, teens can make DIY bookmarks during open hours. Teens can also create

a book lamp on January 11 at 2 pm (registration required). On January 27, families can celebrate Family Literacy Day with stories, crafts, and activities at 1:30 pm.

The Creative Corner runs on January 19 at 6:30 pm and January 21 at 2 pm; call 902-436-7323 to register.

Creative fun for youth at the Charlottetown Library

Free hands-on activities for children and teens continue at the Charlottetown Library (97 Queen St). Creative Kids Club is held on Wednesdays at 3:30 pm and offers a selection of crafts and activities. Crafternoon takes place in the Makerspace on January 14 at 1 pm, where participants can create collective works of art with Art Roulette (pre-register at 902-368-4642). Crochet and Chat takes place during a Hooked on Crochet session with Julie in the Makerspace on January 17 at 10 am. There will be someone available to teach beginners. Families can celebrate Canadian author Phoebe Gilman with the Phoebe Gilman Gallery through stories, games, and crafts on January 25 at 2 pm.

Kindred Spirits Quilt Guild

The Kindred Spirits Quilt Guild meets on the third Wednesday of the month at the Benevolent Irish Society, 582 North River Rd, Charlottetown, from September through June. The next meeting is January 21 from 7–9 pm. New members and visitors are welcome. This is a scent-free meeting. Info: 902-676-1000; @ Kindred Spirits Quilt Guild of PEI on FB.

EXPLORE BOX OFFICE ENTRANCE

130 Queen Street Charlottetown, P.E.I.

DIY Screen Printing

The Charlottetown 2SLGBTQ+ Adult Drop-In is bringing back a popular session for January: the DIY Screen Printing Workshop with Hannah Gehrels. Learn the basics, create unique designs, and leave with a print at the end of the workshop. The workshop will be held at the PEERS Alliance Office (250 B Queen St, Charlottetown) on January 21 from 6–8 pm. All materials are provided, and no previous experience is needed. Info: josie@peersalliance.ca, 902-566-2437.

Eptek Makers Session

The next drop-in makers session will be held from 1–3 pm on January 25 at Eptek & Art Culture Centre in Summerside.

Makers are invited to bring their latest project—or one they’ve been meaning to finish—and join the free session. There is no admission, and all are welcome.

Fibre Arts Club

Fibre Arts Club runs weekly on Tuesdays at the Charlottetown Library. Bring supplies or a current project and drop in between 1–3 pm to join other knitters, crocheters, rug hookers, and fibre and textile makers.

Library for All

The PEI Association for Community Living invites adults and youth with intellectual disabilities (and their caregivers) to Library for All, a monthly program at the Charlottetown Library.

This month, participants can create decorative, non-edible gingerbread houses on January 31 at 11 am.

WINTER EXHIBITIONS OUT OF HAND

Featuring Canadian craft and paintings from Expo 67.

OPENS JANUARY 24 Curated by Jill McRae

SARAH MALONEY’S PLEASURE GROUND

OPENS JANUARY 31

Showcasing artworks created between 1993 and 2021, exploring sexuality, reproductivity, economics, and colonial systems of representation.

Co-curated by Jennifer Matotek and Laura Ritchie

TOGETHER WITH TIME

UNTIL APRIL 5

Island Focus updated with works from Brenda Whiteway, recent winner of the Father Adrien Arsenault Senior Arts Award.

Curated by Pan Wendt

TRASH!

by the Charlottetown Comics Club

EXTENDED TO JANUARY 18

This exhibition features the subversive wit of ten Prince Edward Island artists whose work draws upon and twists comic book tropes and traditions.

Curated by Pan Wendt

EVENTS JAN. 15 | 7PM TRASH TALK:

Featuring excerpts of underground art comics by members of the Charlottetown Comics Club.

JAN. 31 | 2 - 4PM WINTER OPENING

Featuring free tours with artists and curators at 2:45pm.

JAN. 25 | 11AM FAMILY SUNDAYS

Explore our current exhibitions at a leisurely pace and create fun and simple crafts to take home. This event is FREE and all materials will be provided.

CONFEDERATIONCENTRE.COM/ARTGALLERY Sarah Maloney, Collapse, 2009, antique fainting couch, bronze, fabric, 74 x 66 x 194 cm. Photo: Morrow Scot-Brown.

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 11

Odds and Ends

Mini Canvas Exhibition

Dragonfly at Breadalbane Gallery

Blank Canvas Art Supplies invites artists of all ages and skill levels to participate in its third annual Mini Canvas Exhibition. This free, family-friendly event is designed to showcase a range of artistic expressions, from paintings and printmaking to collage, photography, and fibre arts.

Artwork must be 3” x 3” or smaller, and artists may submit one piece each.

The event is a public event, and images of violence or mature subjects will not be accepted. Only one application is necessary for families and groups.

To apply and for more details, visit blankcanvasartsupplies.ca. The application deadline is January 30, and submissions can be dropped off

Patrick MacDonald decided early in his artistic career that, to stand out from the many MacDonalds in the phone book, he would exhibit his art work under the name Dragonfly.

Dragonfly will be the featured artist in the Annex of the Breadalbane Gallery beginning January 9, with an opening reception from 6–8 pm.

Oil painting by Dragonfly (Patrick MacDonald) The genesis of MacDonald’s signature imagery comes from childBorn and raised in rural PEI, hood memories of biking to the beach MacDonald was introduced to oil and watching dragonflies flutter. They painting at a young age by his mother. looked prehistoric and magical to him.

His deeper interest in the visual arts Appropriately, the first piece of artwork developed later, while working with he ever sold was a wire dragonfly. children.

MacDonald calls this exhibition The Breadalbane Gallery is a casual Odds and Ends, a collection that spans community space, with a new show from his early work to his most recent opening on the second Friday of every creations. The show is rich in conmonth. Approximately 15 artists contrast and, as described by the artist, is tribute work to the gallery, with some interspersed with subtle, bold, simple, bringing in new pieces monthly. and complex elements. It includes The gallery is located at 4023 Dixon stark imagery alongside quiet, private Road and is open Tuesdays from 11 moments. Working primarily in oils am–3 pm, Wednesdays from 9 am–1 and wire, MacDonald integrates a varipm, and Thursdays from 4–8 pm, or ety of media to create his own contemby request by calling 902-303-8333 or porary style. He is a self-taught artist. emailing mjanowicz@hotmail.com.

Art gallery activities Programs at Confederation Centre in January Confederation Centre Art Gallery invites the public to a series of January programs for seniors, families, and comic fans.

Seniors Art Activities take place on the first Thursday of the month (January 8, February 5, March 5, April 2, and May 7) at 10 am, featuring a guided tour of current exhibitions, followed by refreshments and a relaxed art and craft session in the Michael S. Schurman Family Studio. There is an admission fee, with coffee, tea, and cookies provided.

Families are welcome at Family Sundays on the last Sunday of the month (January 25, February 22, March

The Young Masters This Town is Small is hosting The Young Masters: The Artwork from the Graduating Class of 2026 exhibition at the Hilda Woolnough Gallery from January 21–31. All are welcome to attend the opening event on January 22 at 6 pm.

This group exhibition showcases the final independent artwork of the 2026 Charlottetown Rural and Colonel Gray Grade 12 art classes. The show is a collaborative venture featuring approximately 30 students, each presenting an independently developed art piece that explores their individual interests. Students have been working to develop their artwork throughout their high school careers and, in the last few weeks of their final semester, have created their own young masterpieces.

The exhibition offers an opportunity not only to highlight the work of dedicated young artists, but also

SUBMITTED

Artwork from the Graduating Class of 2026

to bring together graduates from two schools to celebrate their accomplishments. The artwork spans a range of mediums—from sculpture and painting to sketchbook work—and explores a wide variety of subject matter, reflecting each student’s personal interests and passions.

The gallery is located at The Guild in Charlottetown and is open for viewing Wednesday to Saturday, from 12 noon to 5 pm.

SUBMITTED

Submissions open for third annual event

at Blank Canvas during store hours between January 19–31.

“The first year we had 134 participants, and last year we had 302,” shares Beth Arsenault, owner of Blank Canvas Art Supplies. “This year we hope to surpass 500!”

The exhibition will run from February 2–28 at the Confederation Court Mall in Charlottetown. All are welcome to the opening reception on February 2 from 5–7 pm.

29, and April 26) at 11 am, offering free, drop-in art and craft activities for all ages, with materials provided.

Registration is required.

Comic lovers can join the Charlottetown Comics Club for Trash Talk: Underground Art Comics Readings on January 15 from 7–8:30 pm for an in-person evening of readings, conversation, and local creators.

Admission is free.

The Art Gallery will also host its Winter Opening Exhibition Reception on January 31 from 2–4 pm, welcoming visitors to view the new exhibitions and meet members of the curatorial team and participating artists. Curator and artist tours begin at 2:45 pm, offering guided insights into the work on view and the ideas behind the exhibitions.

For more details and registration information, visit confederationcentre. com, call 1-800-565-0278, or visit the Centre’s box office at 145 Richmond Street, Charlottetown.

Page 12 The BUZZ January 2026

EXHIBITS galleries, museums...

Breadalbane Gallery

This month’s show is entitled Odds and Ends by Patrick MacDonald (Dragonfly).

All are welcome to the opening reception on January 9 from 6–8 pm. The gallery is open Tuesday from 11 am–3 pm, Wednesday from 9 am–1 pm, and Thursday from 4–8 pm, or by appointment (mjanowicz@hotmail.com, 902-3038333). 4023 Dixon Rd, Breadalbane.

Confederation Centre Art Gallery

Exhibitions on view include Undergrowth until January 11, A New Definition of Home until January 16, TRASH! by the Charlottetown Comics Club until January 18, Out of Hand from January 24– May 3, Sarah Maloney’s Pleasure Ground from January 31–May 17, and Together With Time until April 5. All are welcome to attend the Winter Exhibition Opening Reception on January 31 from 2–4 pm.

The Gallery is closed on Mondays this winter. Admission is by donation. 130 Queen St, Charlottetown. confederationcentre.com/artgallery

Cornwall Library Art Gallery Aiden Barbour’s Movie Silhouettes, a collection of iconic 80s movies painted in coloured silhouettes, opens with a

meet-the-artist event on January 6 at 7 pm. All are welcome. The show runs until February 13. Contact the library at 902-629-8415 for details. 15 Mercedes Dr, Town Hall, Cornwall. library.pe.ca

Eptek Art & Culture Centre

Through the Lens by the Red Sands Photography Club is on display from January 13–February 20 with an opening on January 18 at 1 pm. All are welcome to attend. Somebody’s Child, a series of paintings by Nan Ferrier is on display through January and February. A permanent exhibition on the history and architecture of Summerside is also on display.

Admission is by donation. 130 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside. peimuseum.ca

Hilda Woolnough Gallery

This Town is Small is hosting The Young Masters: The Artwork from the Graduating Class of 2026 exhibition from January 21–31. All are welcome to attend the opening on January 22 at 6 pm. The gallery is located at The Guild, 115 Richmond St, Charlottetown. Open Wednesday–Saturday, from 12–5 pm.

Info: thistownissmall.com

Summerside Rotary Library

Over 100 artworks by local artists, including original paintings, photography, handmade knits, mosaics, digital art, and more, adorn the library walls across three wheelchair-accessible levels, with an elevator for easy access. This ongoing exhibition changes throughout the year.

57 Central St, Summerside.

Sponsored by:

MATT ANDERSEN

DWAYNE GRETZKY

THE HAMMER AND THE ROSE TOUR JANUARY 29 SOBEY FAMILY THEATRE A moving performance from intimate to wallshaking.

2025/26

MARCH 28 SOBEY FAMILY THEATRE Canada’s greatest party band celebrate’s hits of the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

AT THE CENTRE

PEISO

GRAVITY & OTHER MYTHS

TEN THOUSAND HOURS APRIL 14 SOBEY FAMILY THEATRE Eight world class acrobats investigate physical skill.

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW:

ONCE UPON A SCORE: THE MUSIC OF HOLLYWOOD MAY 3 SOBEY FAMILY THEATRE Photo by Mack Long

confederationcentre.com/live

Heartfelt symphonic experience.

SUPPORTED BY

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 13

63rd Lebanese Levee One of the Island’s longest-standing cultural traditions, the 63rd annual Lebanese Levee, will take place at the Delta Hotels Prince Edward in Charlottetown on January 10. Presented by the Canadian Lebanese Association of PEI (CLAPEI), this year’s celebration promises an evening of Lebanese cuisine, live performances, and cultural connection.

Since 1963, the Lebanese Levee has brought Islanders together to celebrate Lebanon’s rich heritage (clockwise from top-left): George Shalhoub, DJ Eddy, Tony through food, music, Nahas & Camil Yazbek, and The Bellysimas dance, and community.

Today, the event continues to be a cornerstone of cultural life in guests can expect favourites like Charlottetown—uniting generations, hummus, baba ghanouj, falafel, spinhonouring tradition, and offering ach and meat pies, Fattoush, spiced Islanders a warm invitation into potatoes, Lebanese rice, cabbage rolls, Lebanese hospitality. kibbe, and baklava.

This year marks a new chapThe evening’s performances will ter under the leadership of Nadine offer a dynamic blend of dance and Haddad, the Association’s first female music from across the Lebanese president. “It’s a real honour to build diaspora. Entertainment includes: The upon the work of those who came Bellysimas, a Montreal-based bellybefore us,” Haddad says. “The Levee dance troupe; Tony Nahas (Tabul) is about connection, celebration, and and Camil Yazbek (Darbuka) bringcreating space for future generations to ing traditional rhythms to life; singer carry our culture forward.”

George Shalhoub, performing classic New for 2026, guests will enjoy and contemporary Arabic music; an a Lebanese mezze-style dinner, a electrifying closing dance party with traditional and communal way of DJ Eddy, an emerging Lebanese artist sharing food. The menu is crafted gaining recognition across Canada and

by Chef Pierre El Hajjar, the Delta’s the Middle East. new Executive Chef, who brings both Tickets and tables are available Lebanese roots and culinary expertise now at clapei.ca. Islanders are encourto the event. With guidance from longaged to reserve early for an evening of time CLAPEI member Olinda Gossen, extraordinary food, music, dance, and who has led the buffet for many years, cultural celebration.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Food, music, dance, and a fresh vision

ARTS EDUCATION

INCLUSIVE & YOUTH DANCE PROGRAMS

Youth Dance Classes

Square dance with Colin Grant

CREATIVE MOVEMENT AGES 3-5

Queens County Fiddlers event at the Pourhouse in February Cape Breton fiddler Colin Grant will bring his high-energy traditional music to Charlottetown for a special square dance on February 14 at the Pourhouse, presented by the Queens County Fiddlers.

“Colin’s a fantastic fiddler who’s in high demand on all kinds of stages,” shares John Murley, music director of the Queens County Fiddlers. “Whether it’s at Celtic Colours, a West Mabou square dance, or a benefit concert, he’s always going to give the audience a great time.”

The evening will feature a spirited mix of jigs, reels, strathspeys, and

waltzes, with Grant joined on stage by well-known PEI piano accompanist Darla Chaisson MacPhee. Ward MacDonald will call the dances, making the event accessible to dancers of all experience levels—no prior square dancing experience required.

Doors open at 5 pm, with a full menu available. Dancing begins at 7 pm. This is a 19+ event.

Tickets will be available in advance and at the door on the night of the event, subject to availability. Additional ticket details will be posted on the Queens County Fiddlers Facebook page by mid-January.

KINDER DANCERS MY PARENT & ME

AGES 3-5

AGES 18M-3 YEARS

Starts January 24

Classes run Jan-May

FOR ALL PROGRAM INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER

confederationcentre.com/artseducation

Page 14 The BUZZ January 2026

READERS/WRITERS

17 from 2–4 pm at the Benevolent Irish Society. Everyone is welcome and parking is available. 582 North River Rd, Charlottetown.

PEIWG Poetry Club

Afternoon Book Club

The Poetry Club meets at 10 am on the first Saturday of each month at the Voluntary Resource Centre (81 Prince St) in Charlottetown. The next meeting is January 3. Members share a favourite poem by another writer and, if they wish, one of their own. Open to PEI Writers’ Guild members. To join, visit peiwritersguild.com.

Summerside Book Club

The Summerside Book Club meets for lively discussions of today’s most thought-provoking books. Pick up the latest selection at the circulation desk.

The next meetings are on January 3 and 31 at 2 pm at the Summerside Library (57 Central St).

Silent Book Club

The Silent Book Club will meet on the upper level of Founders Food Hall & Market, 6 Prince St, Charlottetown, on January 5 from 2–4 pm for the first meeting of the new year. Participants are encouraged to bring whatever they are reading and any donations they may have for the club’s Free Little Library. Info: sites.google.com/view/ sbc-charlottetown/home

Story Makers

A weekly writing group for kids (ages 6–12) is held on Tuesdays at 3:30 pm at the Charlottetown Library. The group includes story prompts and challenges, and gives writers space to work on their own projects.

Writers’ Social

The PEI Writers’ Guild (PEIWG) invites writers of all genres to a free, drop-in social at bar1911 in Charlottetown. Meet other writers, share ideas, and build community over tea or coffee. The Writers’ Social happens on the second Saturday of each month at 1 pm. The next meeting is January 10. Info: peiwritersguild.com

Creative Writing Group

A creative writing group meets at bar1911 in Charlottetown on the third Saturday of each month at 10 am. The next meet-up is January 17. Hosted by the PEI Writers’ Guild, the group offers a supportive space for writers to share work, receive constructive feedback, and develop their skills. Info: peiwritersguild.com

Kathy Birt Book Launch

Island author Kathy Birt will launch two new books—the picture book Island Photos Down Memory Lane and the memoir The After Thoughts—on January

The Afternoon Book Club will meet at the Summerside Library on January 19 at 1 pm. Pick up this month’s selection at the circulation desk.

Book Lovers Book Club

The next Book Lovers Book Club meeting at the Charlottetown Library is on January 20 at 6 pm. Join an informal, conversation-style chat about books with other bibliophiles. No assigned reading or registration required.

Writers’ Open Mic

The PEI Writers’ Guild hosts an open mic on the fourth Thursday of every month at the Gallery Coffee House and Bistro in Charlottetown at 7 pm. The next open mic is January 22. Writers, readers, and keen ears come together to experience an evening filled with support for the courageous wrtiers. Email openmic@peiwritersguild.com to sign up to read.

So You Want To Write A Novel

Author L.P. Suzanne Atkinson will facilitate a two-day interactive novel writing workshop at the Charlottetown Library on January 24 (10 am or 1:30 pm), and on January 25 (1:30 pm). The workshop is designed for those who have ideas and concepts but need help building a book, such as organizing the components, focusing on content, and moving their project forward. The goal for participants is to realize a framework and formulate their goals in order to assemble the structure of a manuscript. Register by calling 902-436-7323.

Ask an Author

The 2020 PEI Book Award Winner J.J. Steinfeld will be at the Charlottetown Library for Ask an Author on January 28 from 4–7 pm to answer questions about the writing process, sign books, talk about the PEI Book Awards, or simply chat with the public. Steinfeld is a published playwright, poet, and author of 25 books including novels, short story collections, and poetry. All are welcome.

Call for submissions: Holiday Stories Anthology

The Acorn Press invites submissions for an anthology of holiday writing by PEI writers, with a focus on holiday seasons such as Christmas, Yule, Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Eid, Diwali, Chinese New Year, and Kwanzaa. This will be a successor to the 2015 anthology Snow Softly Falling: Holiday Stories from Prince Edward Island. There is no requirement for “Island” content; stories may be set anywhere. Writers may submit unpublished short stories, poems, and/or creative non-fiction (for example, personal essays).

Potential contributors must have a significant PEI connection, for example: born or raised in PEI, lived in PEI for six months of the past two years, or another strong

connection, such as a summer residence.

Potential writers should indicate their connection with PEI in the cover letter.

Submission guidelines for fiction and/ or creative non-fiction: a maximum of two submissions (maximum 3500 words per story). For poetry: a maximum of five poems (10 pages total). All submissions must be typed and submitted by email as a Word document: prose double-spaced; poetry single-spaced. Include a covering letter that states the Island connection, an email address, and a phone number. Send submissions by email to co-editors Lee Ellen Pottie and Richard Lemm at lpottie@upei.ca. The deadline for submissions is February 20, 2026.

2026 PEI Book Awards

The Prince Edward Island Book Awards celebrate the best in Island books.

Awards are presented every two years to the author, editor, or creator of books that best exemplify excellence in creation and publication. Entries can be submitted for the 2026 PEI Book Awards in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children’s literature. The entry deadline is January 31. Visit princeedwardisland. ca/bookaward for the entry form and more information.

Susan Buchanan Hideout Scholarship

Applications are open for the 2026 Hideout residencies and the Susan Buchanan Hideout Scholarship. Now in its seventh year, the Hideout offers residencies on PEI’s south shore for writers, artists, musicians, and self-care practitioners. To support Maritime writers and practitioners, the Susan Buchanan Hideout Scholarship covers residency costs for an emerging or established writer or practitioner with financial need. Writers or wellness practitioners who identify as BIPOC or 2SLGBTQ+ are especially encouraged to apply. The scholarship deadline for 2026 is March 1.

Info: thehideoutpei.com

Write OutLoud 2026 Fourth season kick-off at Breadal Community Hall The Breadalbane Community Hall is kicking off its fourth season of Write OutLoud this month with a lineup of Island talent.

Special guests will include singer and writer Faye Pound, poet Leon Berrouard, storyteller Stuart MacFarlane, and musicians Peter Richards and Jon Rehder.

Write OutLoud will be held on January 21 from 6–8 pm at the Breadalbane Community Centre (4038 Dixon Road).

Admission is cash only at the door.

Tea, coffee, and snacks are included.

A gift of Island Poetry LIFE MEASURED OUT IN BLUEBERRIES Late in the summer we bought our blueberries.

Scoop after scoop, we stowed them in bags in our basement freezer beside the beans and bread, the strawberries, the carrots, the peas and the cauliflower, the Brussels sprouts, and all the other frozen bits lying in wait for the long winter.

Now day by day we measure out our lives in blueberries, a quarter cup at a time, across the mixtures of bran and oats, the müesli and granola, the cold white milk.

These mornings we light the fire, build upon the coals of the day before, clear a path for air through the ashen grate, open wide the draughts, pile on the dry kindling —old shingles from summer construction, bits of branches from trimming hedge and deadfall, dying trees— then the precious beech, maple and birch.

We fill the kettle from the sink, water from our own pure well, and set it rocking on the stove above the snapping flames, drop a teabag in the pot, ready the bowls and cups, the spoons, and set the table.

—Hugh MacDonald Hugh MacDonald is an editor, author and past poet laureate of PEI. He has received the L.M. Montgomery Children’s Literature Award and a Distinguished Contribution to the Literary Arts on Prince Edward Island. He lives in Brudenell.

Each month Bren Simmers selects a poem by an Island poet for The Buzz.

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 15

Page 16 The BUZZ January 2026

PEI BOOKS Radiant. White. Light.

A Divorce Memoir in Poems and Stories Mo Duffy

of deconstruction through to the easement of rehoming, Radiant. White.

Light. brings the reader through a divorce to the tenderness of vulnerability and displacement, under the waters of forgiveness, and finally to a place where life will never be the same.

For those walking through the unknown of separation, this memoir offers clarity, courage, and the comfort of shared experience.

The founder and editorial director of Pownal Street Press, Duffy holds an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction, and is the author of four books: Unpacked: From PEI to Palawan (2017), The Chemistry of Innovation: Regis Duffy and the Story of DCL (2021), Crescent Moon Friends (2022), and A is for Anne (2023). Mo lives in Charlottetown, PEI.

Answering the Call:

PEI author Mo Duffy will release Radiant. White. Light. A Divorce Memoir in Poems and Stories on February 3.

A vulnerable poetic memoir of the aftershocks, displacement and resettling that comes after a divorce, Radiant. White. Light. underscores the spiritual and emotional dimensions of self-discovery and personal transformation. The memoir explores the evolving relationships and new perspectives that come from navigating the dynamics of blended families.

When the author’s marriage breaks down after 16 years, she embarks on a journey of transformative learning. Sometimes heart-wrenching, sometimes celebratory but always ethereal, Duffy’s testimony bears an examination of the emotional plane that everyone in a marriage should explore. From the shock of discovery

The People Stories of PEI Ambulance Services (1905–2005) Sandy MacQuarrie and Sylvia Poirier

2026 PEI Book Awards The Prince Edward Island Book Awards celebrate the best in Island books.

Awards are presented every two years to the author, editor or creator of the books that best exemplify excellence in creation and publication.

Entries can be submitted for the 2026 PEI Book Awards in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children’s literature.

The entry deadline is January 31, 2026.

For more information and the entry form visit:

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

Born and raised on PEI and now living and working in Australia, paramedic, academic, and author Dr. Alex “Sandy” MacQuarrie, along with co-author Sylvia Poirier, has released Answering the Call: The People Stories of PEI Ambulance Services (1905–2005).

Answering the Call uncovers a century of resilience, compassion, and ingenuity as Islanders built and transformed emergency care. This narrative history weaves together the personal stories of paramedics, ambulance drivers, nurses, dispatchers, funeral directors, and community volunteers—unsung heroes who responded at all hours, every season, simply because someone needed help. From the earliest horse-drawn ambulances, through decades of family-run funeral-home operations, to the modern era of trained professionals and province-wide EMS, the book captures how PEI’s ambulance service evolved in response to hardship, innovation, and community spirit.

The authors combine exhaustive archival research, dozens of interviews, and firsthand experience to illuminate the resourcefulness, rivalry, and camaraderie central to PEI’s emergency response. Readers will discover how Islanders braved midnight storms, drove makeshift ambulances across muddy roads, and answered urgent calls with little more than basic first aid and determination. Each chapter spotlights both the establishments—funeral homes, local hospitals, and fledgling ambulance companies—and the people behind the scenes who shaped, modernised, and sometimes revolutionised care on the Island.

The book chronicles the vital transition from informal, often improvised efforts to a coordinated and professional paramedicine system, nurturing roots of cooperation and training that would culminate in the unified provincial Island EMS service of 2006. Readers meet the pioneers and the quiet stalwarts, the innovators, and those who answered the call repeatedly, passing down a legacy that still shapes PEI today.

Whether drawn to rural histories, the evolution of medicine, or the strength of small communities in adversity, this tribute promises a vivid journey into the heart of PEI’s ambulance service and its people.

Lee West:

Reluctant Sheriff Katie Mac PEI writer Katie Mac, author of Ken’s Corner, has released her second novel, Lee West: Reluctant Sheriff, published by Dusty Saddle Publishing.

Set in the Old West, the western novel tells the story of a young man aiming for a simple life but instead he is roped into the dangerous job of the

sheriff of a corrupt mining town.

“I think westerns are making a comeback on television, but there aren’t very many publishing companies specializing in this genre,” said Mac. “When I learned about Dusty Saddle Publishing’s work in bringing back the traditional western novel to new audiences, I thought Lee West would be a great fit.”

The story starts off with Lee looking for work as a blacksmith and he is trapped by a winter storm, away from his home and his new wife. When he witnesses a young girl being orphaned by senseless violence, Lee has no choice but to don the sheriff badge.

He’s not afraid of criminals or corruption, but he dreads breaking the news to his no-nonsense young wife Victoria.

“I like the idea of a winter western. People get stuck indoors and all kinds of bad behavior crops up. If the weather is very bad, there is no escape at all,” said Mac. “I also wanted to explore why someone would do such a dangerous job when—even in the Old West—there were safer ways for someone like Lee to make a living.”

Lee West: Reluctant Sheriff is available on Amazon.

Lest We Forget Pat Duffy Pat Duffy, a sixth-generation Islander, has released Lest We Forget, his second book exploring community life and history in Fort Augustus and the surrounding area.

Lest We Forget is a community-focused book that offers a glimpse into Island life during the 20th century. It is divided into three sections.

The first section consists of 13 short stories as seen through the eyes of the author, growing up in rural Fort Augustus during the 1960s and ‘70s.

This section will send the reader down memory lane, with a few chuckles along the way.

The second section deals with a more serious matter: the military

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 17

Currie – An Eastern Western Made-in-PEI series stars Island actors

contributions of local Islanders from 1914 to 2025. It delves into the lives of five local military members who died during the First and Second World Wars, highlighting their civilian lives and how they met their death overseas. This section also includes a list of 176 community members who served during this period.

The third section contains a list of 1152 people buried in St. Patrick’s Ancestral Cemetery, along with a brief note on each individual. This section offers a valuable resource for anyone researching their family history with roots in the Fort Augustus area.

“There is so much history in Island communities and the window of opportunity of retaining that history is quickly closing,” says Duffy. “My hope is to record as much of it as possible so current and future generations can maintain a link to the contributions and sacrifices made by their ancestors.”

To purchase the book, contact the author at patduffy.2058@gmail.com or 902-213-0702.

Island Photos Down Memory Lane ——

The After Thoughts...

Conversations With Myself Kathy Birt Island author Kathy Birt, with 48 years of writing and 17 published books behind her, will launch two new titles in January: Island Photos Down Memory Lane and The After Thoughts…

Conversations With Myself.

Birt began working on the photo book and her third memoir several years ago and made the decision to release both titles together.

Island Photos Down Memory Lane features Island landscapes and seascapes, accompanied by historical context gathered through extensive research.

She added historical details for each photographed location, noting that

A team of PEI filmmakers has brought the Old West to Western Canada with a new TV series: Currie — An Eastern Western, airing on Bell TV1.

Katie Mac and Justin O’Hanley teamed up to pen a fun romp through 1902 Prince Edward Island told from the point of view of two real-life Wild West outlaws visiting the province.

Nicholas Reeves (left) and Kristen Thompson “We really wanted to take the fun of an old western O’Hanley. “His two best friends in adventure and set it around PEI sandthe world—Kid and Josie—return to bars and red cliffs,” said O’Hanley, his birthplace to honour his memory, who also directed the project. and get stuck here in a quagmire of George Currie was born on PEI kindness.” and left when he was young, as many The series stars Islanders Kristen Islanders do. George, however, went Thompson as Josie and Nicholas on to run with Butch Cassidy and the Reeves as Kid Currie. The five-episode Sundance Kid. Harvey Logan was comedy series is shot entirely on PEI. part of the gang, and while he wasn’t The series is based on the related to George, Logan took on the award-winning PEI short film Currie, which took the Best Western Short alias Kid Currie. award at the Billy the Kid Film Festival “Because it’s anchored in this real and the Best Foreign Film at the 307 history, but we’ve added a bit of a International Film Festival.

PEI-spin, we like to say it’s sort of Watch Currie — An Eastern a true story. We picked up the story Western on Bell TV1. after George’s untimely death,” said

some images date back 20–30 years.

While some scenes have changed over time, Birt believes this only adds to their historical value.

“There was a tragedy in my life February 1, 2024, and I put the books on the back burner until June of 2025,” shares Birt. Her son, Tyler Russell Jorgensen, took his own life on that date. “My heart was shattered into a million pieces. I still grieve to this day.”

After reviewing the printer’s proofs, Birt decided to dedicate The After Thoughts to her son.

“His name is mentioned several times in the stories. These would be stories I would have written several years ago. I just felt the dedication was what I wanted to do. I’ll miss my Tyler Russ forever.”

The book launch will take place on January 17 from 2–4 pm at the Benevolent Irish Society in Charlottetown. Parking is available.

FEBRUARY BUZZ DEADLINE Jaunuary 15th

SCREEN

15, The Man Who Shot Tutankhamun on January 22, and Karsh is History: Photographing Icons on January 29. 130 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside.

Screenings at the Charlottetown Library

Roving Picture Shows + Island Jazz at the Movies

The Charlottetown Library Learning Centre offers a full slate of screenings this month. Family movie events feature The Mitchells vs the Machines on January 2 at 10 am and Frozen on January 18 at 1 pm.

The afternoon movie series continues with Father of the Bride (PG) on January 6 at 1 pm. On January 13, adults can join the Anime Club (18+) at 6 pm to watch and discuss two episodes, with titles chosen at the start of each meeting.

Afternoon Movie Club

The Afternoon Movie Club meets once a month for a movie screening at the Summerside Rotary Library. This month’s screening is Little Women (2019) (G) on January 8 at 2 pm.

Eptek Lunchtime Film Series

The Friends of Eptek Centre’s Lunchtime Film Series runs on Thursdays at noon in the main gallery until the end of April.

The lineup includes both new films and selections from the late Friend Blanche Hogg. There is no charge for admission.

Upcoming selections include The Nature of Things: Making the Wild Canadian Year on January 8, Mr. Polaroid on January

Roving Picture Shows presents ciné-concerts co-presented with Island Jazz. On January 16 at 7:30 pm, musician Chris Corrigan will perform an improvised live guitar score to The Hands of Orlac (1924) at the York Point Community Centre in Cornwall. On January 25 at 2 pm, guest musicians will perform a live improvised musical score to Au Bonheur des Dames (Ladies’ Paradise, 1930) at City Cinema in Charlottetown. Follow @rovingpictureshows on socials for updates and for tickets, visit linktr.ee/rovingpictureshows.

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour—Charlottetown Edition, presented by the PEI Adventure Initiative, will take place at the UPEI Performing Arts Centre on January 30 and 31. Doors open at 6:30 pm, with screenings beginning at 7 pm. Tickets can be purchased at Sporting Intentions in Charlottetown.

For more information, follow the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour— Charlottetown Edition on Facebook, @ Banff_film_fest_chtown on Instagram, or visit banffmountainfestival.ca/worldtour

Page 18 The BUZZ January 2026

Rental Family

home — she’s always busy feeding vulnerable wildlife babies, who occupy every wall of her tiny house. She’s a colourful individual who applied every two years for decades for a permit from the province. Now, after more than fifty years of rehabilitating wildlife, she inspires others to pay attention to the natural world around us.

January 2–8 Drama. PG. Dir: Hikari, Japan/US, 2025, 110 min. Brendan Fraser, Paolo Andrea Di Pietro, Takehiro Hira. In Japanese and English with English subtitles.

Audience Award Winner: Chicago, Hawaii, Heartland, Woodstock, and Middleburg Film Festivals.

Classic of the Month:

Margaret’s Museum January 14–18 Sara waits for Sumi to recover, she takes on the challenge of fulfilling her motherly duty: finding a suitable husband for her daughter….

This quest plunges Sara into the complexities of Sumi’s life, leading her to uncover hidden aspects of her daughter’s world. Along the way, she meets Sam, a warm-hearted restaurant owner who offers her a comforting connection to home… There is also a lot of humor throughout and watching Kim Ho-jung on screen is a true delight. She’s the heart of the film, and it’s a a playful performance that shows her extensive range… Johnny Ma delivers a story that blends comedy and drama with genuine care.” —Kristy Strouse, Film Inquiry

Welcome to City Cinema from The Charlottetown Film Society City Cinema is owned and operated by our non-profit Society. We welcome donations, and can provide tax receipts.

We will continue to present a diverse mix of films and welcome your suggestions and support. Become a member, bring friends, and share feedback!

Advance Tickets Please visit our website at citycinema.ca, we accept all major credit cards online and both debit and credit at the cinema.

Seating may be limited, advance tickets are strongly recommended.

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

Rent City Cinema City Cinema is available for rent for private film viewings! We provide the projectionist and will have the canteen and bar open for your group. Please check the Venue Rental on our website and send us an email! We’ll respond with information and rates.

Admission Regular Member 65 and over 14 and under

$12 $9 $10 $8

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

Annual membership - $30.00

14A, Offensive Language. Dir: Mort Ransen, Canada, 1995, 114 min. Helena Bonham Carter, Kate Nelligan, Kenneth Welsh.

Winner of 6 Genie Awards including Best Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay, and Music.

Wild Hearts Grand River Grand January 10, 2 pm “Brendan Fraser delivers a superlative performance in Rental Family, a dramedy that proves a charming surprise balancing poignancy and humor with rare delicacy...

At the story’s beginning, Philip [an actor] is struggling after living in Tokyo for seven years... He’s more than willing to accept an unspecified gig for which he’s only told by his agent that he’ll be playing a ‘sad American.’…

Philip has been hired by the ‘Rental Family’ agency that specializes in providing actors to deliver ‘specialized performances’ in personal role-play situations... Impressed by Philip’s suitably somber performance, the agency’s owner offers him a permanent job... Philip’s next assignments prove challenging because he can’t separate his feelings from his professional obligations. In one case, he plays a journalist pretending to interview a legendary Japanese actor because his daughter doesn’t want him to feel forgotten. In the other, he plays the American father of an 11-year-old girl, Mia, whose single mother is desperate to get her enrolled in a prestigious private school... Philip’s tender relationship with Mia… proves the story’s most moving element. But Rental Family also wittily explores the manner in which we all role-play in our lives to varying degrees... Fraser’s superbly nuanced and expressive performance proves key to the film’s power, and he’s well matched by excellent supporting players.” —Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter

The Mother and the Bear January 9–13 Comedy/Drama. 14A, nudity. Dir: Johnny Ma, Canada, 2025, 100 min. Kim Ho-jung, Lee Won-jae, Jonathan Kim. In Korean and English with English subtitles.

“A charming and whimsical story brimming with enduring adventures, and self-discovery... The icy expanse of Winnipeg is the backdrop… Schoolteacher Sumi finds herself in a coma after a startling encounter with a wild bear. Her devoted mother, Sara, rushes from South Korea to her daughter’s side... As

Documentary. Dir: Susan Rodgers, Canada, 2025, 110 min.

Stay afterwards and meet director Susan Rodgers.

Grand River Grand: Souls and spirits heal when people and horses at a small ranch on Canada’s east coast get involved! Grand River Grand is a sweet and poignant documentary series about a remarkable woman, her staff, and the selfless volunteers who run a joyful equine adapted learning program for adults and children at a horse ranch in scenic Grand River, Prince Edward Island.

Wild Hearts: Every job Candy Gallant has ever had was with animals and over the years she’s learned to care for a number of creatures. Injured raccoon? Skunk? Crow? It’s well known on Prince Edward Island that if you come across an injured animal or abandoned babies, they should be transported to Candy for care. A charitable organization with a board of directors as well as a lively transportation network have been set up to help, since Candy rarely leaves her small

“The opening shot of Margaret’s Museum looks like a painting by Andrew Wyeth, of a little clapboard cottage in a sea of grass... We are in Cape Breton in the late 1940s, where the coal pits take a terrible toll in life and limb – and where Margaret (Helena Bonham Carter) and her family live in half a house, because the earth subsided into a mine shaft beneath the other half... Margaret’s Museum is the story of the people who must make their living from the cold-hearted mining company, but it isn’t like other films with similar themes. It’s quirkier and more eccentric, and has a thread of wry humor running through it... Most of the movie is the love story of Margaret and Neil. The margins of the movie are filled with colorful characters.

With old grandfather, who coughs and writes his song requests on a note pad. With Uncle Angus, who dreams of sparing his nephew a life in the mines... Helena Bonham Carter might seem an unlikely candidate for this role but she is just right – plucky, sexy, bemused, glorious in a scene where Neil sneaks her into the miners’ cleaning area and she takes the first hot shower of her life. Russell, as Neil, is sort of a rougher-hewn Liam Neeson, strong, gentle and poetic. And Nelligan is astounding in the way she allows her humanity to peek out from behind the mother’s harsh defenses.

Margaret’s Museum is one of those small, nearly perfect movies that you know, seeing it, is absolutely one of a kind.” —Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com

The Choral January 19—24 & 26—28 Drama. PG, language, sexual content.

Dir: Nicholas Hytner, UK, 2025, 113 min.

Ralph Fiennes, Emily Fairn, Mark Addy, Taylor Uttley, Roger Allam.

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 19 and stylish montage sequences make Au Bonheur des dames appear strikingly modern, yet it can be seen as an elegy to silent filmmaking. One of the last silent films shot in France, the film shows influences from silent cinema throughout the world—hand-held shots of street scenes from the Germans, crowd scenes from the Americans, a climactic montage sequence from the Soviets, and elaborate tracking shots and long takes from the French.” —silentfilm.org

Dead Man’s Wire January 29–February 3 Crime Drama. 14A, coarse language. Dir: Gus Van Sant, US, 2025, 104 min. Dacre Montgomery, Bill Skarsgård, Al Pacino, Cary Elwes.

city cinema schedule JANUARY 1

Thu

7:00 Dust Bunny

2

Fri

7:00 Rental Family

3

Sat

2:00 Rental Family

4

Sun

Roving Picture Shows and Island Jazz present:

The Ladies’ Paradise (Au

Bonheur des dames) January 25, 2 pm

Drama. Dir: Julien Duvivier, France, 1930, 94min. Dita Parlo, Ginette Maddie, Andrée Brabant. Silent with English and French Intertitles.

Live Musical Accompaniment by Island Jazz.

Tickets $20 regular, $15 Youth & Students.

5

Mon 7:00 Rental Family

6

Tue

1 week in the French Alps

7

Wed 7:00 Rental Family

8

Thu

7:00 Rental Family

9

Fri

7:00 Mother and the Bear

10

Sat

2:00 Wild Hearts

11

Sun

12

Mon 7:00 Mother and the Bear

13

Tue

14

Wed 7:00 Margaret’s Museum

15

Thu

7:00 Margaret’s Museum

16

Fri

7:00 Margaret’s Museum

17

Sat

2:00 Margaret’s Museum

7:00 Mother and the Bear 7:00 Mother and the Bear

18

Sun

19

Mon 7:00 The Choral

20

Tue

7:00 Margaret’s Museum 7:00 The Choral

21

Wed 7:00 The Choral

22

Thu

7:00 The Choral

23

Fri

7:00 The Choral

24

Sat

2:00 The Choral 7:00 The Choral

25

Sun

2:00 Bonheur des dames 7:00 PRIVATE FUNCTION

26

Mon 7:00 The Choral

27

Tue

28

Wed 7:00 The Choral

29

Thu

7:00 Dead Man’s Wire

30

Fri

7:00 Dead Man’s Wire

31

Sat

2:00 Dead Man’s Wire

7:00 The Choral

7:00 Dead Man’s Wire

FEBRUARY 1

Sun

2

Mon 7:00 Dead Man’s Wire

3

Tue

Email info@citycinema.ca to sign up for our newsletter and stay in the know with all the goings on!

citycinema.ca

An epic journey of AWAKENING

7:00 Rental Family

7:00 Dead Man’s Wire 7:00 Dead Man’s Wire

Be sure to follow us on our social media pages for up-to-date reminders and updates to our schedule.

Adapted from an Émile Zola novel, the film describes the fate of a family-owned tailor shop that is driven out of business when a gigantic department store opens across the street. “Soaring camerawork, luminous decor,

5 weekend modules on PEI

7:00 Rental Family

7:00 Margaret’s Museum

“Bill Skarsgård leads this thoroughly gripping based-on-fact kidnap drama. He plays Tony Kiritsis, an Indianapolis businessman who, in 1977, snaps and abducts a mortgage broker, Richard Hall, after a business deal goes sour. Taking Hall to his apartment in full view of the police, he puts a ‘dead man’s wire’ around his captive’s neck, attached to a shotgun, that will trip if the cops try to intervene. From here, he tries to negotiate his demands, with TV news crews adding to the chaos. Director Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk) pays obvious tribute to fellow film-maker Sidney Lumet, notably bank robbery tale Dog Day Afternoon, especially with the casting of Al Pacino in a pleasing cameo as Hall’s unsympathetic father. There are potent turns, too, from Colman Domingo and Myha’la as, respectively, a local radio DJ and TV news reporter, although its hard to look past Skarsgård, quite sublime as Kiritsis, a man whose headline-grabbing fight against corporate bullies feels timely and resonant.”

—James Mottram, Radio Times

PEI + France 2026

7:00 Rental Family

7:00 Mother and the Bear “Lovers of old-school quality, rejoice - director Nicholas Hytner, writer Alan Bennett (The Madness of King George), and leading man Ralph Fiennes have just the film for you. It will leave you with a song in your heart and, probably, a lump in your throat. This quintessentially British comedy-drama is set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Ramsden in 1916.

Conscription has begun, and the glue that keeps the community together, the Ramsden Choral Society, is in danger of losing its hold.

When the lads turn 18, they’ll be sent to the front. Others have already volunteered, including Ramsden’s chorus master… Enter Dr Guthrie (Fiennes), a once-celebrated musical director who is now turning a shilling in a local hotel… The Choral deftly changes gears between humour and poignancy: a laugh-outloud first half becomes a profound second.

The singers and Dr Guthrie lose themselves in the moment while reality waits in the wings. With a soundtrack by five-time Oscar nominee George Fenton the music in this gorgeous-looking film is beautiful - uplifting and elegiac all at once… The Choral is a crowdpleaser, but there’s bite behind the bonhomie too.” —Harry Guerin, RTÉ.ie

KUNDALINI YOGA

KUNDALINI YOGA TEACHER TRAINING TEACHER P E I + F RTRAINING ANCE 2026

LEAD BY:

CHARLOTTE GOWDY

KundaliniAwakening2026@gmail.com

Page 20 The BUZZ January 2026

PERFORMANCE music, theatre, dance, comedy...

Mondays | 8 pm

Rat Tales Comedy Night Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Jan 2 | 8 pm

Museum Pieces and Shane Pendergast

Jan 22 | 8 pm

Island Jazz: Oscar Peterson Trio feat. Coby Nabuurs

Jan 24 | 7:30 pm

Songs For Shelter: An Evening of Music & Meaning Ft. Alicia Toner, KINLEY, and Tara MacLean.

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 8 | 8 pm

Island Jazz: Chris Coupland Trio from Mars Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Jan 9 | 8 pm

Groove Company

QEH fundraiser. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Feb 10 | 8 pm

Ashwyn Singh

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 15 | 8 pm

Peter Forbes & Friends: Neil Young Tribute

Feb 28–Mar 7

Classic Albums Live: Pink Floyd—Dark Side of the Moon

Various locations. musicpei.com

Feb 12–13 | 7:30 pm

Jan 3 | 8 pm

Jan 7 | 8 pm

Feb 12 | 8 pm

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Jan 23 | 8 pm

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

With Sweet Gale. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Brother’s MacPhee: Nirvana Unplugged in New York

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Lady Soul

Dunk River Band: Bad Moon Rising Tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Jan 29 | 7:30 pm

Matt Andersen: The Hammer and The Rose Tour

Ft. special guest Mariel Buckley. Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Jan 29 | 8 pm

Island Jazz: Joey Kitson with Sean Ferris Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Jan 29–31 | 8 pm

Glory Days: The Music of Bruce Springsteen

Craig Fair Productions. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 30 | 7 pm

Richard Wood & Friends: An East Coast Kitchen Party

Gab n Greg, Greg n Gab’s Variety Show

Yuk Yuks: Nikki Payne

Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

Feb 13 | 8 pm

Dee Hernandez

Ella Fitzgerald tribute. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

With Jalen MacLeod. Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 17 | 8 pm

Brooke & Brad Play Country Classics from 1990s–2000s Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Jan 22 | 7:30 pm

Jack Pine Folk Club Ft. host Shane Pendergast with Fiona MacCorquodale & Isaac King, Friends of Gordon Cobb, and Catherine MacLellan.

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Beaconsfield Carriage House, Charlottetown

Feb 1 | 2:30 pm

Amabile Singers

Spring Park United, Charlottetown

Feb 5 | 8 pm

Mar 5 | 7:30 pm

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Feb 15 | 2 pm

Island Jubilee Old Time Radio Music Show Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

Feb 19 | 8 pm

Island Jazz: Tribute to Grahame Rhodes

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Winter Shine Series. Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Feb 20–21 | 8 pm

After Hours Band

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Feb 26 | 7:30 pm

Salt Water Dollies, Rémi Arsenault, and Caroline & Family

Winter Shine Series. Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Island Jazz: Mercy Please! with Spencer Soloduka

Feb 26 | 8 pm

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Feb 12 | 7:30 pm

Feb 27 | 7:30 pm

Winter Shine Series. Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Ft. Catherine MacLellan and JP Cormier.

Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

Fiddlers’ Sons

Mar 4 | 7 pm

Amanda Jackson with Route 225: Valentines Show

With guests Roland Beaulieu and Adam Gaudet. Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Janet McGarry and Friends

Ft. Simon King and Wes Barker.

Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

Feb 14 | 8 pm

Jan 15 | 8 pm

Whose Line Is It Anyway? PEI Edition

The Very Big Show: Magic + Comedy

Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue

Ledwell and Haines

Feb 1 | 2 pm

Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical

Mar 1 | 7 pm

Jan 31 | 7:30 pm

Jan 16 | 8 pm

Feb 27–28, Mar 5–6 | 7:30 pm Feb 28, Mar 1, 7–8 | 1:30 pm

Feb 13 | 7:30 pm

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Music PEI Week

Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown

Feb 20 | 7:30 pm

Island Jazz: Corduroy

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

The Guild, Charlottetown

St. Paul’s, Charlottetown

Blues Summit 4: Tightrope

Feb 27 | 8 pm

Island Jazz: Forgalhorn with Ken Fornetran

Baba’s Lounge, Charlottetown

Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

NEBO

Feb 12 | 8 pm

Island Jazz: Groove Company

Jimmy Rankin’s Kitchen Party

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Rum Ragged

Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

Mar 5 | 7:30 pm

Bad Reputation Tribute to Joan Jett. Winter Shine Series.

Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre, Summerside

Mar 5 | 8 pm

The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight

Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

Mar 7 | 7:30 pm

25th Annual Music PEI Awards Gala

Harbourfront Theatre, Summerside

Mar 8 | 7:30 pm

Braden Lam & School House The Guild, Charlottetown

Mar 9 | 8 pm

War on the Catwalk

With host Alyssa Edwards. Sobey Family Theatre, Charlottetown

…more at buzzpei.com

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 21

New director at Music PEI Music PEI has announced that longtime Program Officer and respected industry professional Andy Glydon will step into the role of Executive Director on March 14, 2026, as the organization enters a new chapter focused on industry development, community building, and strategic growth.

Following the announcement of Executive Director Rob Oakie’s upcoming retirement, the Board undertook an internal review of Music PEI’s strategic priorities, operational needs, and long-term goals.

Given Music PEI’s current strategic momentum and the importance of maintaining continuity during a period of growth, the Board determined that an internal candidate would best support a smooth and stable transition. Andy’s extensive institutional knowledge, trusted relationships with staff, members, and Music PEI Executive Director Andy Glydon funders, and demonstrated leadership made them the clear and advocacy, and innovative program unanimous choice. The Board also development has earned trust across believes that promoting from within the sector, both locally and nationally. reflects Music PEI’s commitment to “I’m deeply honoured to be stepdeveloping and advancing its staff, ping into this role at Music PEI. I’ve sending a positive message about built my career around a community investing in the people who help drive I admire and respect, and I’m beyond the organization forward. excited to continue supporting and “As announced at the 2025 Music advocating for the Island’s music PEI AGM, I will be stepping down as industry in this new capacity,” said the Executive Director in March 2026 Andy Glydon, incoming Executive after 18 years of the most fulfilling Director. “I’m grateful for the trust work of my life,” shares Rob Oakie, placed in me by the Board, by Rob, and outgoing Executive Director. “I could by our wider industry, and I look fornot be happier to see Andy Glydon ward to working alongside our artists, step into the role. Promoting from industry professionals, and partners within is exactly the right step for the to create opportunities that reflect the organization. Andy has demonstrated heart, creativity, and future of PEI’s unwavering dedication and passion for music sector. Music PEI has a strong our members over the past five years, foundation, and I’m committed to and I have complete confidence in their stewarding its next chapter with care, leadership and vision. Music PEI is in collaboration, and vision.” very capable hands.”

Music PEI is a non-profit orgaBefore stepping into the Executive nization dedicated to supporting, Director role, Andy spent five years promoting, and advancing the careers working across nearly every area of of PEI’s musicians and music indusMusic PEI’s operations. They first try professionals. The organization’s joined the organization through a signature events, Music PEI Week, workforce development program in Showcase PEI, and the Canadian Song 2021, later becoming the Community Conference, highlight and celebrate Outreach & Communications the exceptional talent of the Island’s Coordinator and ultimately the music community locally and globProgram Officer. In this capacity, ally. In addition, Music PEI delivers Andy expanded Music PEI’s funding a robust slate of artist and industry programs, secured new operational development programs designed to and program investments, strengthfoster growth, build capacity, and ened internal systems and policies, create opportunities for its members. and led initiatives aimed at improving Committed to inclusivity, innovation, safety and equity within the Island’s and collaboration, Music PEI champimusic industry. Andy’s reputation for ons the Island’s music as a vital part of thoughtful leadership, community its cultural and economic identity.

SUBMITTED

Board selects Andy Glydon for leadership role

SEEKING SUMMER RENTALS

Confederation Centre of the Arts is currently seeking housing for artists involved in The 2026 Charlottetown Festival.

If you are able to help, visit

confederationcentre.com/housing

Page 22 The BUZZ January 2026

COMMUNITY #1 Rainbow Youth Club

Members and allies of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community who are looking for new pals and fun times are welcome to join the PEI Rainbow Youth Club at the Summerside Library. The next meetings are January 6 and 20 at 6 pm. Each meeting offers an opportunity to participate in youth-led discussions and fun activities, complete with opportunities for creativity and self-discovery. These sessions are led by trained PEERS Alliance staff and volunteers, and include a healthy snack. The Club is open to youth aged 12–18. Youth will not be asked to identify and all are welcome to attend.

Study Hall for teens

Teens looking for a place to study in January can do so in the rotary auditorium at the Charlottetown Library. Study hall hours are from 3–8 pm on January 19, from 3–5 pm on January 22, from 1–5 pm on January 23, from 9:30 am–4:30 pm on January 24, and from 12–4:30 pm on January 25.

Canadian Legal Information: Supporting Youth Online

Parents, caregivers, and adults who support youth are invited to join Community Legal Information (CLI) for a free online

workshop on January 14 at 12 pm. This session will help adults have supportive conversations with youth about cyberbullying. Participants will learn how to: have helpful conversations about cyberbullying; support youth in staying safe online; and respond effectively to cyberbullying situations. Topics include peer-to-peer cyber violence, online luring, sextortion, youth experiences, PEI trends, and local supports. CLI is a registered charity that provides free legal information to people living in PEI. Visit honest-conversation. eventbrite.ca to register.

Tech help

Tech help is offered at the Summerside Library, 57 Central St, on Thursdays at 3 pm. Call the library in advance at 902-436-7323 to register for a one-on-one session.

Free Strong Start playgroups at Chances

Chances is offering free playgroups from Monday–Friday for children 0–6 in Charlottetown, Cornwall, and Stratford.

Caregivers and their children can join Chances staff for activities, sensory experiences, and various play, while building a sense of connectedness and community.

Info/register: chancesfamily.ca, 902-8928744, or follow @ Chances Family on FB.

Lymphedema education

The next monthly meeting of the Lymphedema Education and Support Group will take place at Beaconsfield Carriage House in Charlottetown on January 11 at 12:30 pm. Facilitated by Rose Goulet, these meetings are open to anyone interested in preventing lymphedema or living with it, and can be attended in person or online. Info: rlygoulet@yahoo.ca, 902-940-6780

EAL conversation circles

The Immigrant & Refugee Services Association of PEI offers EAL conversation circles for adults in Summerside and Charlottetown. Adults looking to practice their English skills are welcome to join for informal conversation.

Beginning January 10, sessions are held at the Summerside Library on Tuesdays at 6 pm and Saturdays at 10:30 am, and at the Charlottetown Library on Thursdays at 6:30 pm and Saturdays at 10 am. No registration is required.

World Religion Day 2026

The PEI Chapter of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women and the PEI Sikh Association Inc., in collaboration with the World Religion Day Interfaith Committee, are hosting a World Religion Day 2026 event on January 18 at 2 pm at the Malcolm J. Darrach Community Centre in Charlottetown. The event celebrates the beauty, unity and oneness of the world’s religions. This year’s theme is “One Light Guiding All.” The celebration

is open to the public, and all are welcome. Refreshments will be served at the end of the program. To RSVP, contact Farida Chishti (wastigb@hotmail. com, 902-388-5370) or Gagandeep Kaur (gagan.kittu@gmail.com, 782-377-6834).

Puzzle Swap

A puzzle swap will will be held at the Summerside Library on January 18 at 2 pm. Attendees can bring puzzles they are looking to part with and swap with other puzzle enthusiasts. The storm date is February 1.

PEI Community Schools

PEI Community Schools across the Island are gearing up for another winter session, with 10-week classes beginning the first full week of January. Islanders can enjoy a wide variety of affordable, engaging courses—from guitar and crafts to hobby and skill-building classes led by community volunteers. A one-time registration fee covers the full session.

Community Schools offer a chance to learn something new, stay active during the winter, and connect with others. Visit peicommunityschools.com for the full list of classes and locations.

Seniors Cafés

Seniors Cafés take place at the Charlottetown and Summerside libraries. The next session at the Summerside Library will be held on January 9 at 11 am. Seniors can enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and a friendly discussion. Guest speaker Shelley King from the Alzheimer Society of PEI will speak about brain health. Charlottetown Seniors Cafés run on the third Thursday of each month at 1 pm. The January 15 session features guest Margaret Prouse, who will give a cooking demonstration and tasting. Light refreshments, coffee, and tea are provided.

Teen Volunteer and Leadership

Teens interested in developing leadership skills and helping their community can join a volunteer and leadership program at the Charlottetown Library every Thursday from 3–6 pm. The first meeting is January 15. Participants can drop by to work on a volunteer project from start to finish, and make a valuable impact in the community.

PEI Autistic Adults

PEI Autistic Adults is an online and in-person peer-support group for autistic adults and seniors on PEI to talk about autism, share experiences of navigating PEI as autistic adults, and support each other. The website, peiautisticadults.com, has a public blog where members can share their views, a private discussion forum, private chat functionality, and links to their social media. PEI Autistic Adults was started by an autistic senior and currently has over 160 members ranging from students to seniors. Those who wish to participate in the meetings but who do not wish to interact online can email peiautisticadults@gmail.com.

PEI Autistic Adults is not affiliated with any organization.

Seniors Navigator

The Seniors Navigator will be at the Charlottetown Library on January 14 and 28 from 9:30 am–3:30 pm for drop-in assistance. The program helps seniors access services and programs offered by community organizations and all levels of government more efficiently.

PEI Group Meditation

A group meditation session will be held at Beaconsfield Carriage House, 2 Kent St, Charlottetown, on January 15 at 7 pm. Guided by Susana Rutherford and Michael Gaudet—experienced mindfulness educators with backgrounds in mental health care—the session aims to create an accessible, equitable, and inclusive space where secular, spiritual, and religious meditators can practice together, build community, and learn from one another. Comfortable, warm clothing is recommended, along with personal comforts such as cushions and blankets. Open to all experience levels.

Info: firehoursestudios66@gmail.com, michaelgaudet53@gmail.com

Montague Community School

Montague Community School classes run from January 6–March 10 on Tuesday evenings from 6:30–8:30 pm.

Confirmed courses include crochet, hulafit, crib, line dancing, and more.

Follow @Montague Community School on Facebook for details.

Charlottetown Thrift Market

The Charlottetown Thrift Market will be held in the cruise ship building at the Charlottetown Seaport, 1 Weymouth St, every Sunday 9 am–2 pm. Over 100 tables and booths will offer household products, baked goods, collectibles, antiques, vintage clothing, crafts, jewelry, and more.

Teen advisory group

Teens are welcome to join the teen advisory group on Mondays at 3:30 pm at the Summerside Library. Meetings start with an opportunity for teens to share their voices and opinions, followed by assisting staff with various tasks. Participation allows teens to earn volunteer hours toward the Community Service Bursary.

2026 Winter Woodlot Tour

The annual PEI Winter Woodlot Tour, a fun, free morning event for the whole family, is taking place on January 24 from 9 am–1 pm. This year’s event will take place in the woodlot behind Bluefield High School, at 924 Colville Road in North Wiltshire. The tour celebrates Island organizations, individuals, and practices that promote native wildlife, forest ecosystems, and sustainable woodlot use. There are opportunities to try snowshoeing, take a sleigh ride, or learn about maple syrup production.

Attendees can enjoy a free apple cider as they walk through many exhibits on forest management, woodland crafts, and conservation practices. Visit winterwoodlottour.ca or follow on socials to check for storm cancellation.

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 23

Black History Month 2026 10th Anniversary celebration of BCSPEI

GILBERT MANGER

Nominations for the 2026 Order of Prince Edward Island are open!

(L–R): Omar Broderick, Dineshio Barr, Elisha Baptiste, Antenique Young, Reequal Smith, Tamara Steele, and Jedidiah Richards at the Black History Month Opening Gala 2025

The Black Cultural Society of Prince Edward Island (BCSPEI) invites the community to mark their calendars for Black History Month 2026, taking place from January 31 to February 28. This year’s observance is especially meaningful as BCSPEI commemorates its 10th anniversary as the first Black-led organization on Prince Edward Island.

The month-long program will kick off with the Opening Celebration

Send completed nominations to: Secretary to the Advisory Council PO Box 2000 Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8 or orderpei@ assembly.pe.ca

Gala on January 31 at the Delta Prince Edward in Charlottetown. This signature event will bring together community members, artists, leaders, and partners for an evening of culture, reflection, and celebration. Gala tickets are available via bcspei.ca.

Join the Black Cultural Society of PEI as they honour Black history and culture, and celebrate a decade of impact across the Island.

Legal info for survivors

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Resources now available in more languages Community Legal Information’s RISE Program is launching new Arabic, Chinese and Spanish resources about how to report sexual assault in PEI. “Every survivor should have access to clear legal information in the language they understand best,” says RISE Program Manager Sarah Dennis.

Sexual assault can cause survivors to experience trauma responses such as shock, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating. These normal responses can make it extremely difficult for survivors to learn about their legal options, or court processes.

“It’s even more challenging if the information a survivor is looking for is only available in their second or third language,” says Dennis.

Reporting a sexual assault, participating in medical exams to provide evidence, and testifying in court can retraumatize survivors. Offering survivors information about what to expect and about the decisions they have a right to make, can reduce the likelihood of causing further harm.

Nominations for 2026 must be received by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.

Sarah Dennis

“By offering these translations, we hope to reduce barriers, empower survivors to make informed decisions, and prevent further harm,” says Dennis. These translations mark a step toward improving access to justice for the growing number of people in PEI who are most fluent in Arabic, Chinese, or Spanish.

Find the new Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish translations at legalinfopei. ca/information/resource/reporting-sexual-assault and at legalinfopei.ca/information/resource/ sexual-assault-prosecution.

For more information, visit legalinfopei.ca/program/rise-program.

The Order of Prince Edward Island is the highest provincial honour awarded to residents. It’s presented annually to three Islanders who have made remarkable contributions to the social, economic or cultural life of our province.

If you know someone who has shown excellence or outstanding leadership in their community or in their chosen profession, this is your opportunity to nominate them for this special recognition.

Nomination forms and information about the Order are available online at OrderPEI.ca.

The Council accepts nominations in English and French.

Page 24 The BUZZ January 2026

COMMUNITY #2 ADHD monthly meeting

A monthly discussion for people interested in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is held at the Charlottetown Library. The next meeting is January 21 at 7 pm. This is a supportive space where peers can share personal experiences, seek advice on specific topics, or simply connect with others who understand the challenges of living with ADHD.

PEI Sociable Singles

PEI Sociable Singles is a social group for members aged 50 and over that meets weekly on Tuesdays at 7 pm at the Hillsborough Community Centre in Charlottetown. This is not a dating group—just friends getting together for meals, dances, outings, screenings, and games. Become a trial member and attend any activities for four weeks before deciding to join. After that, the membership fee is paid annually and members can attend as many activities as they want. If interested in attending a Tuesday meet-andgreet, email sociable_singles@yahoo.com.

Confederation Centre seeking summer housing

Confederation Centre of the Arts is seeking summer housing for artists participating in the 2026 Charlottetown Festival. Due to PEI’s housing crunch, the Centre relies on community support to help welcome artists to the Island.

The Centre assists seasonal artists with their housing search by compiling a list of housing options from the community, after which artists connect directly with hosts to arrange booking, payment, and details. Artists coming to PEI this summer need accommodations between mid-May and late September.

The dates and lengths vary, with most artists staying for the whole summer, and others only staying for 3–8 weeks.

Hosts with any availability during this period are encouraged to reach out. All types of accommodations are welcome, including houses, condos, apartments, secondary suites, and spare bedrooms.

Charlottetown locations are preferred, but hosts in other communities can also submit. Providing accommodations is vital to the success of the Charlottetown Festival, and hosts will receive a few perks for making their rental space available. To submit an accommodation, visit confederationcentre.com/housing or email housing@confederationcentre.com

Seeking applicants for PEI Arts Guild Board

The City of Charlottetown is inviting applications from residents interested in serving on the PEI Arts Guild board, which currently has two vacancies. The City is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment and encourages applications from individuals whose skills, experience, and perspectives reflect the community the board serves. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and reside within the City of Charlottetown. Applications will also be considered from individuals who work in the city and have expertise required to support the board’s mandate. Interested applicants are encouraged to review the City’s Public Appointment Policy and apply online charlottetown.ca/boards.

Applications may also be submitted in person by picking up a form at City Hall reception, located at 199 Queen St. Completed applications must be accompanied by a resume. The deadline to apply is noon on January 28, 2026. Only applicants selected for appointment will be contacted.

Order of PEI nominations open

Nominations for the 2026 Order of Prince Edward Island are now open. The Order of PEI is the province’s highest honour, awarded annually to up to three Islanders who have made remarkable contributions to the social, economic, or cultural life of Prince Edward Island.

Nominees should demonstrate excellence or outstanding leadership in their community or chosen profession.

Nominations are accepted in English or French. The deadline to submit a nomination is 4 pm on March 26. Nomination forms are available at orderpei.ca.

Completed nominations may be mailed (Secretary to the Advisory Council PO Box 2000 Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8) or emailed (orderpei@assembly.pe.ca).

CFPEI Vital Signs® Report

The Community Foundation of Prince Edward Island (CFPEI) will release its 2025 Vital Signs Report on January 14, 2026. The report offers a comprehensive snapshot of quality of life and well-being on PEI, drawing on publicly available data, expert analysis, and community feedback. CFPEI’s first Vital Signs report in 2019 revealed optimism around community belonging and economic performance, alongside concerns about

healthcare access, environmental vulnerability, and youth employment. Six years later, the 2025 report shows these challenges have intensified. Affordability pressures and housing shortages are now critical, climate impacts are accelerating, and gaps in healthcare persist. At the same time, PEI continues to benefit from strong educational outcomes, cultural vibrancy, and population growth—highlighting both opportunities and urgent priorities for action. Vital Signs® is a community-driven reporting program led

by Community Foundations of Canada and delivered locally by community foundations across the country. CFPEI will host a livestream announcement on January 14 at 11 am. Sign up at cfpei.ca/ vitalsigns2025 to receive the full report on release day and register for the livestream to hear insights and ask questions.

New Climate Action Tracker

The City of Charlottetown has launched a new online tool to track the municipality’s progress on the goals and actions of its Climate Action Plan. City council adopted Charlottetown’s first-ever Climate Action Plan in April 2025. It is available at charlottetownhall.ca/ climateaction. The plan sets out an ambitious strategy aimed at preparing the city for the impacts of climate change and reducing community-wide greenhouse gas emissions. The Climate Action Tracker is a public online platform designed to keep residents, community partners and staff informed and engaged in the plan’s progress. Users can monitor progress on each action within the Climate Action Plan, explore key performance indicators that measure success, visualize achievements and milestones through interactive charts and updates, and stay connected with opportunities for feedback and dialogue as the plan evolves. Visit the Climate Action Tracker at climateactiontracker.charlottetown.ca.

Access PEI publishing wait times to improve service

Access PEI locations in Charlottetown, Royalty Crossing Mall, Cornwall, Montague, and Summerside are now providing real-time wait times, giving people more flexibility in choosing when and where to visit Access PEI. This enhancement will help manage demand and improve service by giving people up-to-date information on customer flow and estimated wait times. Government expects to provide wait times for other Access PEI sites in the near future. Visit servicepei.princeedwardisland.ca/ access-pei-wait-times to view the realtime updates.

PEI MFRC funding to support survivors of sexual trauma

The Prince Edward Island Military Family Resource Centre (PEI MFRC) has received funding from the Department of National Defence’s Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre to support Military Members and Veterans who have experienced sexual misconduct and trauma. The PEI MFRC was named one

of 20 service providers across Canada to receive this funding. The grant marks the first initiative of its kind in PEI, introducing a new approach to trauma recovery through Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Through the Community Support for Sexual Misconduct Survivors Grant Program, the PEI MFRC, in partnership with Stratford Occupational Therapy and Counselling Services, will deliver a threeyear Brazilian Jiu Jitsu program that may serve hundreds of participants. The program aims to help participants reconnect with their bodies and restore a sense of control that trauma often disrupts. It will be delivered by a multidisciplinary team that includes a 4th-degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt from Wulfrun Martial Arts, a clinical social worker, and a mental health occupational therapist.

Beyond individual recovery, the program also seeks to build resilience and reduce stigma within Military, Veteran, and public safety communities across the province. The PEI MFRC plans to launch the program in January. Participation requires a referral, and anyone interested is asked to contact either the PEI MFRC or Stratford Occupational Therapy and Counselling Services.

2026 PEI 55+ Winter Games

The PEI 55+ Games Society will host the 55+ Winter Games in Summerside from February 23–28. All those 55 years of age and over are encouraged to register to participate in one or more of the dozen activities being offered. More information and registration forms will be available at pei55plusgamessociety.ca in early January.

Mindful Media with CMHA

Guests from the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) will give a presentation on the complex relationship people have with social media at the Charlottetown Library, 97 Queen St, on January 13 at 6:30 pm. Attendees will learn how social media affects people’s daily lives and impacts mental wellbeing.

Storm date is January 20.

Service Canada Employment Insurance info session Service Canada will give an overview of the Employment Insurance (EI) program at the Charlottetown Library, 97 Queen St, on January 22 at 10 am.

EI provides support for workers who cannot work due to job loss, sickness, or other situations. The application process, factors that impact benefit amounts, and client rights and responsibilities will be discussed.

Introduction to Estate Planning: Wills & More

Experienced legal professionals Zach Geldert, TEP, and Sean Seviour (Stewart McKelvey) will give an introductory presentation on the basics of estate planning, wills, and more at the Charlottetown Library, 97 Queen St, on January 28 from 6–8 pm. Attendees will learn how to be prepared to ensure loved ones have clear instructions if they are unable to give them. Register at forms.office.com/r/ csiuKwcfSA, as space is limited.

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 25

Winterval 2026

The Cove Journal by JoDee Samuelson

Always amazed PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Celebration of community and winter in Three Rivers

Winterval 2025

Is there ever a day when I am not amazed by something down at the shore? It might be a spruce tree’s elaborate root system dangling in midair over the cliff, or an orange-red fossil peeking out of ancient sandstone, or—a giant lobster.

One early December morning we made our way down the slip to the beach., where high tides and winds had scoured the shore, leaving only bare rocks and periwinkles. Where does the sand go during a storm? It must be out there shifting around somewhere because it always comes back.

Lost in thought I stepped carefully from wet rock to wet rock, avoiding ones with slippery black algae, until “Come look at this!” My friend was pointing at a golden brown mound of seaweed… that moved ever so slightly… because it was not seaweed at all but a giant lobster waving its antennae, barely.

I eat lobster. I buy them cooked so I don’t have to think about the whole boiling thing. But this lobster wasn’t like the ones in the seafood store. It was a creature in need, and a wave of tenderness washed over me.

Obviously it had been washed inshore, but why? A big strong creature like that should be able to find a foothold on the ocean floor.

Once we had oohed and aahed and taken photos from various angles, I picked up the lobster by the carapace (using both hands, it was heavy!), carried it to a tidal pool and laid it gently in the water. Although not completely submerged, by some vague motion it seemed to signal appreciation of being back in its natural element.

I wish I had observed this handsome creature more closely. Now, zooming in on the photos, I see white spots

that look like barnacles. I look up “barnacles on lobsters” and learn that barnacles will settle on old sedentary lobsters, and once they get in knuckles and joints, or on the eyes, the lobster can’t move freely or hunt or eat.

Was it male or female? What about the tiny right claw? It must have been torn off sometime and regrown. Also I don’t know how old it was. Lobster age can apparently be determined by counting growth rings on the eyestalk, but I didn’t do that.

Maybe our lobster was in terrible health and had climbed onto that rock to die. If it was human it might have waited a few more days, saying, “I’d just like to make it to Christmas.” But I don’t think Christmas means much to lobsters.

Christmas means a lot to us though, and on that subject let me briefly report that Open Houses in the Cove were as satisfying as ever. To walk up a snowy star-lit lane, enter a neighbour’s porch without knocking, kick off your boots, find a vacant spot for your coat, then open the kitchen door and be greeted by smiling faces, a table full of Christmas treats and the smell of a wood fire: what’s not to love? Long may traditions continue!

And long may the Cove continue to amaze me. Happy New Year!

Chef Nation Chef Nation is held in the community kitchen at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre on Tuesdays from 3–5 pm. The first meeting of 2026 takes place on January 13. Teens aged 13–18 are welcome to try crafts and activities, learn to cook, or just hang out.

As January settles in and Prince Edward Island dons its familiar winter coat, the Town of Three Rivers is preparing to welcome residents and visitors alike to Winterval 2026, taking place January 23–25. More than just a festival, Winterval has become a celebration of community spirit—a reminder that winter on PEI is not merely something to endure, but something to embrace.

This year’s festival stretches across Three Rivers, with the Rodd Brudenell River Resort serving as the central hub and other local venues joining in, including Kings Playhouse, Bogside Brewing, Copper Bottom Brewing, the Cavendish Farms Wellness Centre, and the Montague Rotary Library.

Winterval regulars will see the return of the horse-drawn carriage rides, indoor play zone, SEA Frolic zone, outdoor skating, sledding and games (weather permitting), the lighted trail, and of course, the fireworks signature finale.

Winterval 2026 is also a year of exciting new growth as the festival rolls out several additions that promise to elevate the experience for all ages.

Chief among them is the GFL Stage, an enclosed, heated outdoor venue that will host a full slate of entertainment, from children’s performers and

Jack Frost Winterfest February celebration features three key venues Jack Frost Winterfest presented by Island Coastal returns February 13–16, promising family fun, entertainment, three festival venues, and Craig Fair Productions’ original and exclusive children’s show, Winter Forever: A KPop Tribute!.

musicians to a magician and a dazzling winter science show by STEAM. This new stage brings a fresh energy and expanded lineup that will keep families engaged all weekend.

New evening highlights include the Fire and Ice Dance, offering a blend of winter ambiance and lively music, and the Light Brigade, a New Orleans–style parade in the heart of Three Rivers.

Local snack vendors will be popping up throughout the festival grounds, and accommodation offerings have grown as well, Lane’s Riverhouse Inn hosting a movie night on their large screen, and Rodd Brudenell River Resort continuing its tradition with guest-only indoor play sessions, festive buffet breakfasts, pool parties, and additional movie nights.

Winterval isn’t just an event—it’s an investment in local tourism, community connection, and seasonal creativity. It gives families something to look forward to in the heart of winter, provides local businesses with a welcome boost, and showcases Three Rivers as a vibrant place to visit year-round.

For the full schedule, book Winterval packages, and more, visit threeriversfestivals.com or follow @ ThreeRiversFestivals on Facebook.

See the ad on the back cover of this issue of The Buzz for the full schedule.

In 2026, Jack Frost Winterfest will feature three key venues: Snowtopia, the snow-covered outdoor activity zone, returns to the Mark Arendz Provincial Ski Park Nordic Site; Frosty Funland at the Delta Prince Edward; and the Warm and Glow Zone at Founders’ Food Hall & Market, home to all of Jack Frost’s free programming.

The celebration kicks off February 13 with Swift Kick, an all-ages Taylor Swift tribute concert at the Delta Prince Edward. A separate ticket is required.

For the full schedule of events, hotel packages, and to buy tickets, visit jackfrostfestival.com or follow on social media @jackfrostpei.

Page 26 The BUZZ January 2026

Conservation moments January’s Nature PEI meeting will feature an illustrated presentation by Julie-Lynn Zahavich titled “Stories from the Field.” The evening begins with a short AGM at 7:30 pm on January 6 at Beaconsfield Carriage House in Charlottetown, followed by a brief raffle break. The presentation begins at approximately 8 pm.

Zahavich will share a collection of photos and stories gathered over 15 years of working in the conservation field on PEI. “My goal is to share some of the magical moments I’ve experienced in nature to hopefully inspire others to spend time outdoors and notice the plants and animals, big and small, that share our environment,” she says.

Zahavich works with the PEI Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action as a Forest Conservation Specialist and volunteers as Program Coordinator for Nature PEI. She holds a Master of Science in Environment and Management from Royal Roads University (Victoria, BC),

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Nature PEI AGM and presentation

Julie-Lynn Zahavich and one of two spotted salamanders

has worked with several Island environmental non-profits, and is an avid fibre artist in her spare time.

Nature PEI meetings are free and open to all. Annual memberships will be available at the meeting (cash or cheque).

The presentation will also be livestreamed on Facebook @naturepei. For more information, visit naturepei.ca.

Power Plays The Island Lecture Series presents a talk by Jeff Collins, “Power Plays: Newfoundland’s Fight Over Churchill Falls” on January 20 at 7 pm, in the Faculty Lounge, Main Building Room 201, UPEI. “No more giveaways” is a longstanding idea built into Newfoundland nationalism. Controlling resources and achieving as many benefits as possible for the local population even predates Confederation with Canada in 1949.

However, it is the sense of betrayal and lost opportunity associated with a 1969 agreement with Quebec to develop the Churchill Falls hydro-electric dam that stands alone as the symbol of this sentiment.

Now, as the people of Newfoundland and Labrador near the closing decade-and-a-half of that original contract, they are presented with a new deal, a “memorandum-of-understanding” between the two provinces that would extend the partnership and potentially develop even more hydro-resources in the province. The deal’s proponents, chiefly the provincial Liberal party, which lost this year’s election, say it will bring billions in new revenue to a province teetering

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Island Lecture Series with Jeff Collins

Jeff Collins

on financial calamity. For detractors, chiefly the new provincial Progressive Conservative government, it is a deal that, at a minimum, is worthy of review given the legacy of 1969.

This talk will situate the current debate within this historical context and show that for the government in St. John’s, and the province as a whole, there are no nuanced answers when nationalist sentiment shadows public policy.

Jeffrey F. Collins is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at UPEI. A native of Placentia, Newfoundland, he has written numerous articles and essays on Newfoundland political history and public policy challenges.

The lecture is free, and all are welcome to attend.

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 27

GAMES

The Nature of PEI by Gary Schneider

A special visitor

Meat Bingo

Meat Bingo takes place at the BordenCarleton Legion every Saturday at 2 pm.

240 Main St, Borden-Carleton.

Scrabble Club

The Charlottetown Scrabble Club meets weekly on Tuesdays from 5–8 pm at the Charlottetown Library Learning Centre.

Scoresheets, strategy tips, and cheat sheets are provided. All skill levels are welcome, and it is free to attend, with prizes and snacks.

FEIP DE BIE

Duplicate Bridge Club

Red-bellied woodpecker

Watching birds is a growing pastime on Prince Edward Island. Once upon a time —let’s say 40 years ago—there was an active Natural History Society of Prince Edward Island that today exists as Nature PEI. There were many good birders involved in the organization, but without the numbers that we have today.

Part of the growth involves the internet. Who would have predicted that almost everyone and their brother would have the Merlin app on their phone these days? Knowing nothing about bird calls, you can turn on the app, wait for a bit, and then it gives you a list of the birds it hears in the area. What a great way to learn!

There are also tons of online courses from Cornell University and other outstanding sites where you can learn the intricacies of gull identification or how to tell one species of confusing fall warbler from another. Much of the online material is free—including hundreds if not thousands of videos that are produced by excellent birders from around the world. And the Sibley series of identification books has really been a boon to those trying to elevate their birding skills.

As much as I love getting out to see birds, I’m especially over the moon when they come to visit me at my home. Over the years in Tea Hill, there have been Northern cardinals, a pileated woodpecker, barred owls, several saw whet owls, evening grosbeaks, and many other species that kept me glued to the windows watching the feeders.

This year there has been a special visitor for the past two months—a female red-bellied woodpecker. I find all woodpeckers to be very interesting birds. The fact that they almost single-handedly teach valuable lessons about the importance of dead trees

(where they create cavities for nesting) makes them winners in my book. They are also lovely birds, especially if you get a close look at them.

These woodpeckers are a little smaller than a robin. The back is black and white but more heavily patterned than most woodpeckers. The male has a beautiful red crown that runs down the back of the head. The females, on the other hand, only have red at the back of the head and not at the crown. Both sexes have pale, slightly red bellies.

The Tea Hill visitor has really been going at the suet feeder and chowing down on both the black oilseeds and cracked corn. They will take peanuts and fruits at feeders and also eat spiders and small insects.

This is one of nine species of woodpeckers that you may be able to see in the province. Some, like the downy and the hairy, are common around feeders and are here year-round.

Others, like the yellow-bellied sapsucker, mainly migrate to us from the south in late spring. The red-bellied woodpecker used to be a rare sighting and is still listed in the PEI Field Checklist of Birds as Occasional (spring), Accidental (summer), and Rare (fall and winter). It is a bird of the southeast part of the continent, though it is locally becoming increasingly common.

Besides Tea Hill, they’ve been sighted in other places recently, including Orwell and Marshfield. While there are no reports of them nesting in the province, that may change as the range of these birds expands. They will nest in cavities they make in dead or dying trees if they do decide to take up permanent residence here.

For now, we’ll just be happy to see them whenever they visit our area.

The Charlottetown Duplicate Bridge Club promotes duplicate bridge for all ages, particularly encouraging seniors to engage in the social game. The club meets at the Irish Cultural Centre in Charlottetown on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons year-round. From September to June, instruction and coaching for novice players are offered in a non-competitive learning environment on Tuesday mornings. Everyone is welcome. Info: charlottetownbridge.ca

PEERS Alliance Tabletop Roleplaying Games

PEERS Alliance will facilitate a weekly tabletop roleplaying games program for kids 12 and older at the Charlottetown

Library on Thursdays from January 29–March 26 at 6 pm. The games are beginner-friendly and queer- and trans-inclusive. Advance sign-up is required. To register, visit bit.ly/2026LibraryTTRPG. For questions, email kels@ peersalliance.ca.

Defense Bridge Course

Ray Malone will teach the Defence in the 21st Century bridge course from 9:30 am–12 noon, January 8–February 26, at the Irish Cultural Centre in Charlottetown. The course follows an adult learning model and covers opening leads against no-trump and suit contracts, second- and third-hand play, defensive signals, developing defensive tricks, and interfering with the declarer.

To register, or for details and fees, email ray.teaches.bridge@gmail.com.

Crokinole

Drop in to play crokinole on January 14 and 28 at 2 pm at the Summerside Rotary Library (57 Central St).

Board Game Café

Bring family and friends to the Summerside Library, 57 Central St, on January 26 at 6:30 pm for an evening of board games. Bring your own, or play one from the library’s collection.

Eptek Scavenger Hunt

Visitors of all ages are invited to test their skills in Eptek Art & Culture Centre’s scavenger hunt. Try to find all 20 images.

130 Heather Moyse Dr, Summerside.

Page 28 The BUZZ January 2026

Harmony House 2026

Jack Pine Folk Club

Dangerous New single from LIAH Emyvale, PEI artist LIAH recently released her debut single “Dangerous,” an electro-pop/R&B anthem for young adults. It is available on major streaming platforms.

Now age 22, LIAH has been writing lyrics and music since she was 12 years old. As a teenager, she recorded original Christmas songs “Hurry Santa” with Ally MacLeod, “Dear Old Santa,” and “Christmas Without You” featuring Gordon Butler to raise money for charities like Santa’s Angels and CBC Feed a Family. With the release of “Dangerous,” she is ready to make her mark on the music scene.

Produced and engineered by Josh Pitre, the single was mixed and mastered at the Soundmill with additional production and engineering by Jon Matthews. The track is a pop song with an electronic vibe that explores a toxic relationship one can’t let go of. It

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Host Shane Pendergast will bring the Jack Pine Folk Club to the Trailside Music Hall in Charlottetown on January 22. Attendees can immerse themselves in the nostalgic ambiance of a 1960s coffeehouse for an evening of music, poetry, and revelry featuring four acts.

Pendergast will set the tone with a set of original Maritime folk songs, followed by traditional fiddle and guitar duo Fiona MacCorquodale & Isaac King, whose set of spirited tunes will lift the room. A selection of poetry will be read by Friends of Gordon Cobb, and JUNO Award-winning songwriter

Harmony House in Hunter River has announced its 2026 season.

Featuring a cast of local artists, the lineup includes the return of Inside the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Inside American Pie, Behind The Veil, and Ladies of the Canyon.

Fifty years ago, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior, taking all 29 crew members with her. This tragic shipwreck Fiona MacCorquodale & Isaac King was immortalized in song by Canadian songwriter Gordon Catherine MacLellan will close the Lightfoot. In this signature evening with an intimate performance.

Harmony House production, Don’t miss the chance to experience Mike Ross and a band of PEI the spectacle of PEI’s folk club. musicians and storytellers bring Doors open at 6:30 pm. The show the story of this ill-fated ship begins at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available (clockwise from top-left): Inside The Wreck of the to life. Inside The Wreck of the at trailside.ca.

Edmund Fitzgerald features Alicia Toner, Brielle Edmund Fitzgerald: Songs of Gordon Ansems, Greg Gale, Cameron MacDuffee, Lightfoot runs on select dates from and Mike Ross (centre) May 29 to July 18, featuring Shane Pendergast, Brielle Ansems, Cameron Research and writing for both MacDuffee, Alicia Toner, Greg Gale, Inside the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and Mike Ross. and Inside American Pie are by Sarah After five years of sold-out shows Wilson and Mike Ross, with musical and a successful three-week run at arrangements and music direction by Toronto’s CAA Theatre/Mirvish Mike Ross.

Productions, Inside American Pie Following its successful world returns to Harmony House on select premiere at Harmony House last year, dates from July 22 to September 24.

Behind the Veil: A Lucy Maud Concert The production will also make its UK Experience returns on select dates from premiere at Curve Theatre in Leicester August 5 to September 26. Featuring in February–March 2026. Many people all original compositions, Alicia Toner know that “American Pie” was written and Mike Ross created a concert expeby Don McLean to commemorate the rience that examines the life and soul plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, of iconic Canadian author Lucy Maud Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper.

Montgomery through letters, diary showcases LIAH’s vulnerable vocals, What is less known is that the song is entries, poetry, and song. The tightdelivering the lyrics with an intimate jam-packed with references to other knit ensemble includes Brielle Ansems, purity yet soulful texture. “Dangerous” fascinating events in history. Mike Ross Carlie Howell, Julain Molnar as the is the first single from LIAH’s debut and Islanders Brielle Ansems, Greg voice of Lucy Maud, Toner and Ross, album After Dark, slated for release in Gale, Alicia Toner, and Kirk White with Max Gallant on drums. early 2026. explore the mysteries of this #1 hit— Ladies of the Canyon, Harmony “I wrote all of the songs on the What happened that tragic night in House’s 2025 headlining concert album when I was in high school,” says 1959? How do The Beatles, Bob Dylan, with 34 performances, returns from LIAH. “It draws on experiences I had Janis Joplin, and Charles Manson all September 30 to October 24. Joni as a teenager, but amplifies them until fit in? Why were the Rolling Stones Mitchell, Mama Cass, Crosby, Stills and they become something that I think all blamed for a murder? And who was Nash, Carole King, The Eagles—these of us can relate to in some way.

Miss American Pie? are just a handful of the songwriters who took up residence in the legendary neighbourhood of Laurel Canyon in California. Located just outside Los Angeles, this artist commune created a musical alchemy that birthed some of the greatest songs and artists of the 20th century. Created by Alicia Toner and Mike Ross, the production features MP Office Toner, Brielle Ansems, Robin Anne Services Ettles, and Emilea May telling the story of this time in music history and celebrating the songs that came out of  CPP / OAS / GIS  Employment Insurance Laurel Canyon.

Tickets are on sale now at har Canada Child Benefit /  Student Financial Assistance Disability Tax Credit monyhousepei.com and ticketpro.  Immigration ca. Wheelchair-accessible seating is available. For accessible bookings or Office: 75 Fitzroy Street, Suite 201 to reserve a table for dinner before the Phone: 902-566-7770 • Email: sean.casey@parl.gc.ca show, call 902-964-2255 or email harmonyhousepeiresos@gmail.com.

ANDREW LEWIS

An 1960s coffeehouse-style evening of music and poetry

Four favourite shows return, featuring local artists

HERE TO HELP

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 29

Talking from Experiences by Ashleigh Tremere

ASHLEIGH TREMERE

A frosty tradition

I’m sure I’ll lose a lot of you on this one pretty quick—but hear me out! I’m not saying it has to become an annual thing, but I do think everyone should give it a try at least once in their lives.

I’m talking about Polar Dipping. I know many people are doing cold plunges as a regular activity and I’m so happy for you—if that’s your thing, I hear it’s great. Definitely not for me though; I’m cold just thinking about it. Yet in my mind, the New Year’s Day Polar Dip is an entirely different animal.

Renewed interest in this frosty tradition began growing in my household two winters ago. We have friends who have done the dips as a kick off to the new year for ages. They swear by it.

I myself have only partaken on three occasions, but I didn’t regret it any of those times. So as plans began to form, it was decided we’d take the family and join in a little private dip off a spot close to one of our homes.

There’s something to be said about willing yourself into our East Coast waters in the middle of winter. It’s intimidating—you stand there thinking, “Why do I want to do this? Maybe I don’t really?” Then the countdown is on and you’re running straight in! I suppose the reasons are different for everyone: it could be the challenge, a metaphorical clean slate, or just for a laugh. Whatever brings your mind to it, I say let the body follow. You

become so invigorated. The shock to your system is really unparalleled, but in the most surprisingly pleasant way.

I had already decided to start 2026 off with a polar dip, partially because writing about it has reminded me of the thrill you get, but also because my daredevil 11-year-old has been “training” for weeks. Her first attempt to do it stalled out at the shore, and I didn’t drag her in—she said I should have.

After a year of that talk, the next dip required no hand holding. Although she’s yet to face a year with ice (at the time of this writing), she may be a lifer.

There are a number of places that hold an annual Polar Bear Dip— Charlottetown, Summerside, and North Rustico, for instance—each with a solid group of enthusiastic plungers. If a big crowd isn’t your preference, you can always grab a group of buds and head to an open shore. We do live on an island; there are plenty to pick from.

Now that I’ve convinced you (for next year), let’s get the basics in your bag.

Wear a pair of sneakers and socks— you don’t want to cut up your feet.

Take those off as soon as you’re out though. Packing a robe or easy-on sweater, a toque, mitts, and a couple towels is a must. You come out feeling very invincible, but you’re not, so bring a friend and something warm to put in your belly afterwards. Dippers’ choice.

Page 30 The BUZZ January 2026

Matt Andersen

A few of the shows on offer in January

LIVE at the Centre—January 29

Museum Pieces and Shane Pendergast

Confederation Centre of the Arts presents Matt Andersen: The Hammer and The Rose Tour as part of CompassTech LIVE at the Centre. The concert takes place on January 29 at 7:30 pm in the Sobey Family Theatre, with special guest Mariel Buckley.

New Brunswick songwriter and powerhouse performer Matt Andersen brings a live show shaped by decades of touring clubs, theatres, and festivals worldwide, with music that moves between intimate folk and stirring soul. His latest album, The Hammer & The Rose, continues that range with songs focused on the things that matter most, delivered with the same craft and detail heard in his studio work.

Andersen has shared stages with artists including Marcus King, Beth Hart, Marty Stuart, Gregg Allman, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Randy Bachman, Serena Ryder, and Tab

Groove Company January 9 ›› 8 pm

Groove Company kicks off its 17th year with a fundraiser for the QEH Foundation. All of the band’s proceeds are being donated.

Pete Forbes & Friends: Neil Young Tribute January 15 ›› 8 pm Pete Forbes and friends come together for two sets of music spanning several decades of the Neil Young songbook.

This is the tribute’s first appearance at the Trailside.

NEBO with Sweet Gale January 3 ›› 8 pm

Brooke & Brad Play Country Classics SUBMITTED

January 17 ›› 8 pm

Formed in 2023, Charlottetown-based band NEBO features Liam Corcoran on vocals, Sergey Varlamov on lead guitar, strings, and keyboard, Garrett Sherwood on drums, Cameron Menzies on bass and vocals, and Neb Kujundzic on rhythm guitar.

Opening the show is Sweet Gale, a Kinkora, PEI–based band that released its debut single, “Bend,” in December.

January 23 ›› 8 pm

SUBMITTED

Tara

Songs for Shelter, with Alicia Toner, KINLEY, and Tara MacLean, brings an evening of music and meaning to Trailside Music Hall. Spend an evening surrounded by stories, songs, and heartfelt connection as these Island musicians share their original music in an intimate, acoustic setting.

All proceeds from Songs for Shelter will go directly to Anderson House, a local women’s shelter providing safe refuge and support for women and children in our community.

SUBMITTED

Alicia

First concert of the year with Janet McGarry and Friends

Lady Soul

January 7 ›› 8 pm

Catherine

PEI Bluegrass fundraiser

Between heartfelt ballads, boot scootin’ anthems, and playful duets, Brooke MacArthur & Brad Milligan pay homage to the nostalgic sounds of country classics from the 1990s–2000s.

Songs for Shelter Channeling soul and funk divas of yesterday and today, this nine-piece ensemble performs dynamic renditions of classic tracks by Aretha Franklin, Jackson 5, Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, and more. Featuring Kelley Mooney, Emi Smith, and Heather McIsaac on vocals, the group includes Mark Parsons and Joanna McKearney on horns, Dave Gordon on keys, Jason Rogerson on bass, Kirk White on drums, and Chad Deagle on guitar.

Trailside Music Hall is located at 155 Kent Street in Charlottetown.

Showtimes are 8 pm, with doors opening at 6:30 pm. For tickets and info visit trailside.ca or call 367-3311.

Benoit. His accolades include top solo honours at the International Blues Challenge (Memphis), multiple Maple Blues Awards, and European Blues Awards for Best Solo Acoustic Act. Tickets are available through confederationcentre.com, by phone at 1-800-565-0278, or in person at the Centre’s box office, 130 Queen Street, Charlottetown.

The PEI Bluegrass & Old Time Music Society fundraising concert scheduled for February 1 at Beaconsfield’s Carriage House in Charlottetown will feature Janet McGarry and Friends, with another band to be announced. The concert will begin at 2 pm.

For over 20 years, Prince Edward Island’s Janet McGarry has been a dominant presence in bluegrass music, releasing twelve albums on her own label, Diamond Productions. Janet is the only Canadian member of Daughter of Bluegrass, a leading group of female bluegrass artists recognized on Blue Circle Records, Nashville, TN. Janet is a fivetime Female Vocalist of the Year at the Eastern Canadian Bluegrass Awards.

She is accompanied by her husband, Serge Bernard, an accomplished instrumentalist who plays mandolin, guitar, fiddle, dobro, bass, and his instrument of choice, the banjo. Janet expects to include other Island bluegrass music friends to join her on stage. A second band will be added to the concert and

SUBMITTED

Museum Pieces is the musical project of Halifax-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Tyler Messick, known for blending rock with traditional, 60s pop, and folk influences.

Island artist Shane Pendergast has performed across the world, from acclaimed folk festivals to the small halls of PEI. He was recently nominated for Songwriter of the Year at the 2026 Canadian Folk Music Awards.

SUBMITTED

SUBMITTED

January 2 ›› 8 pm

ALICIA MONTAG

Live music at Trailside

Janet McGarry and Serge Bernard

announced on Bluegrass Society social media when confirmed.

Admission to the concert is at the door. All proceeds go to the PEI Bluegrass Society fundraising program for the 38th Annual PEI Bluegrass & Old Time Music Festival, scheduled for July 3, 4, and 5 at the Dundas Fairgrounds. There will be a 50/50 draw and raffle tickets for a Martin guitar. The Carriage House is wheelchair accessible.

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 31

ONGOING MUSIC

Music Arcade by Dennis Ellsworth

The East Pointers It was 2010 and Jake Charron was on Prince Edward Island for a project with Stephanie Cadman. On that trip, he made a connection with Koady Chaisson. Koady told his cousin Tim about this guy from Ontario he had to meet, hang out, and play music with. They spent a good bit of time together and forged a strong personal and musical curiosity. The idea of starting a project was floating around them, but nothing concrete had been discussed.

During that initial session, the trio spent time playing tunes and solidifying their musical chemistry and personal bond. They worked on original songs and things came together very fast. They made recordings that would become their first release and the band they’d talked about three years earlier was suddenly a reality. The East Pointers essentially formed around Koady to help him through that tough time. For Koady Chaisson, it marked the beginning of a very positive personal transformation and over the years that followed, he and the band were thriving.

Although Jake was still living in Ontario, the band was quite active.

They started touring and creating new music. In 2015, their debut full-length album Secret Victory was released, and in 2017, it won the group a JUNO Award for Traditional Roots Album of the Year.

They toured and developed a dedicated audience in Canada, the United States, the UK, and Australia. The music kept coming—they released What We Leave Behind in 2017 and Yours to Break in 2019. They were on the rise and then, Covid sidelined the world.

In 2020, in an effort to carry forward during Covid, Jake moved his family to Charlottetown.

Suddenly, in 2022, Koady passed away from an aortic aneurysm and it rocked the music community. Jake and Tim

Blues Jam

The Blues Jam with the Plain Dirty Blues band runs on the last Saturday of each month from 5:30–8 pm at Baba’s Lounge.

The next jam is on January 31. Admission is by donation. Follow Plain Dirty Blues Band on FB for updates. 189 Great George St, Charlotteown.

Dunstaffnage Ceilidh

JUSTIN RIX

Jump to 2013. Koady was struggling, and in an effort to help his cousin, Tim called Jake and urged him to come to PEI for a visit. The hope was that their musical connection and Jake’s presence would bring some light into Koady’s orbit, and it worked. It energized Koady and gave him direction and drive to dig into something he had always felt so passionately about.

ceilidhs, dances, series, sessions...

Jake Charron (left) and Tim Chaisson

had to reach deep to find their way through this tragedy, but it was their musical connection that carried them through the grief of losing their bandmate, cousin, and most of all, their beautiful friend.

During their grieving period, they got an offer from JUNO Fest to perform at the annual event, but they weren’t sure how they would perform without Koady. After careful consideration, they said yes. It was uncharted territory for them, but they wanted to use this chance to honour Koady.

This performance gave Tim and Jake a confidence to carry on, and to keep the memory of Koady alive through the music that empowered him.

Slowly, they began to work on and finish musical ideas they’d started with Koady, or ideas they pulled from Koady’s voice memos. From this work, they completed and released the House of Dreams and Safe in Sound EPs. They found that the music helped them, and they also made the conscious decision to leave Koady’s space on stage unfilled. They say they can still feel him up there with them. For all their high points, the path for The East Pointers has been one marked with grief, struggle, and unbelievable loss.

Tim and Jake have done so well to harness these dark moments and to move forward with light and love.

On January 23, 2026, they will release their brand new album Schoonertown on Nettwerk Records. This is the first album that does not feature Koady, although it ends with one of his compositions. The upbeat and almost party-like energy of the album threads through the story of a lobster fisherman who struggles with life, overcomes his problems, and finds his way through hard times into a place of peace and happiness.

A ceilidh hosted by the Road Masters Band with guest entertainers is held at the Dunstaffnage School Centre on the first Sunday of each month. The December event will take place on December 7 at 7 pm. There will be a 50/50 draw, and coffee, tea, and juice will be served at intermission. Admission is at the door, and the venue is wheelchair accessible. 13529 St. Peter’s Rd, Dunstaffnage.

Got Blues Matinee

Got Blues, led by Chris Roumbanis with friends Mike Robicheau and Alan Dowling, hosts a weekly Saturday matinee from 2–4 pm at the Salvadore Dali Café. Each week, a special guest joins the first set, followed by an electric blues jam in the second. There is no cover charge; they pass the hat. The upcoming performances feature: Chris & Nick Gauthier (guitars/vocals) on January 3; Connor Fox (guitar/vocals) from NB on January 10; Christine Campbell & Blake Johnston (guitars/vocals) from NS on January 17; Dan Doiron guitar / vocals on January 24; and James Phillips & Troy McArthur (guitars/vocals) on January 31. 155 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Island Jazz

Jazz on Thursdays at Baba’s Lounge features top local musicians performing original music, standards, jazz and pop favourites. Each show features a different group and two sets starting at 8 pm.

The upcoming lineup includes: Chris Coupland Trio from Mars on January 8; Corduroy on January 15; Oscar Peterson Trio featuring Coby Nabuurs on January 22; and Joey Kitson with Sean Ferris on January 29. Admission is by donation.

181 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Our Lady of Assumption Ceilidh

The Assumption Catholic Women’s League and Assumption Knights of Columbus host a ceilidh on the third Sunday of each month from 2–4 pm at Assumption Parish Centre in Stratford.

The next ceilidh on January 18 features afternoon of entertainment showcasing the music of the Young at Heart (Paul Chandler, Dave Moore, Dave Shephard, Leo Gallant, Randy Cheverie, Robert Cain, and Norman LeClair) with special guests Frank Whitty, and Fullerton’s Marsh (Randy Dibblee, Frank McQuaid, and Willie Arsenault). Admission is at

the door. A 50/50 draw, tea, and light refreshments are included. 145 Stratford Rd, Stratford.

Saturday Sociables at The Olde Dublin

Saturday Sociables, Charlottetown’s newest Saturday afternoon entertainment experience, is a weekly celebration of live music, community, and winter fun. Guests are encouraged to come for the afternoon and stay for the night, supported by a special accommodation offer from Rodd Charlottetown. The lively series runs on Saturdays from 2–5 pm. House bands The Wannabeez and Vintage 4.0 will anchor each show, joined throughout the series by musical guests, including Christine Campbell, Dave Carroll, Tim Chaisson, Tara MacLean, Richard Wood, Craig Fair and more.

The rotating lineup of weekly hosts includes Rob Barry, Robbie Doherty, Kirk MacKinnon, and Kiel Vessey. Admission includes entry into a draw for an exclusive trip to Benjamin Bridge winery, with the winner announced during the final show of the season. Follow on social media for updates.

Schooner Sessions

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

Sunday Hootenanny

Join The Blizzard Goat Band at Copper Bottom Brewing for the weekly Sunday Hootenanny from 3–5 pm. Free admission. 567 Main St, Montague.

Sunday Session

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

Trad Night at Village Green An Irish Trad Night is held every Thursday in the taproom at Village Green. Enjoy free, live music from 7–9 pm. Space is limited. Located at 30 Church St in the old post office/dental clinic in Cornwall.

Winsloe United Ceilidh

Fundraising ceilidhs take place at Winsloe United every second Sunday at 2 pm. On January 4, host Jacinta MacDonald and the Winsloe United House Band welcome special guest duo Kim Albert and Mike Arsenault. On January 18, the afternoon will feature Lawrence Maxwell and Colleen MacPhee. The church is wheelchair accessible, and a light lunch will be served during intermission. Admission is at the door, which opens at 1:30 pm. 121 Winsloe Rd, Winsloe.

Music PEI Week 2026

New performance series features Island performers

Roots and next chapters

The Scott MacAulay Performing Arts Centre in Summerside presents Winter Shine, a new performance series showcasing the best of Island performers and billed as the ultimate winter pick-me-up.

“We are excited to bring this event to Islanders and visitors alike for the very first time. What a great way to shake off the winter blues and warm up to some fabulous entertainment,” says Theatre Director Peter Gallant.

With four shows on tap, the lineup begins with Island folk favourites Fiddlers’ Sons on February 12. The band features singer-songwriter Eddy Quinn, (L–R): Fiddlers’ Sons - John B. Webster, Keelin songwriter and guitarist John Wedge, Eddy Quinn, and Fiona MacCorquodale B. Webster, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Keelin Wedge, along with fiddler, Fiona MacCorquodale.

Alyssa Harper, will round out the Audiences can expect down-home series on March 5 with a tribute to rock songs and fiery fiddling. icon Joan Jett.

Island winter comedy and music Tickets and ticket packages can be take centre stage on February 20 with purchased online at smpac.ca or by Patrick Ledwell and Mark Haines and calling the box office at 902-436-5377. their dynamic show.

The Scott MacAulay Performing The Saltwater Dollies—PEI Arts Centre is a state-of-the-art, multi-instrumentalist Keelin Wedge fully accessible theatre. Open since and singer Christine Cameron—will 2018, it is one of Atlantic Canada’s headline on February 26, joined by best acoustic venues and is attached Remi Arsenault and Caroline Bernard to the College of Piping and Celtic and Family.

Performing Arts of Canada, where it is Bad Reputation, led by PEI singer used regularly by students.

In 2001, the Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside hosted the very first Prince Edward Island Music Awards. Gracing the stage that inaugural night were PEI musical mainstays like Janet McGarry, Gordon Belsher, Kerri Wynne MacLeod, Roy MacCaull, and Fiddlers’ Sons, alongside newer bands of the time such as Flush, Port Citizen, and Ninth Hour.

Thanks to the foresight of the founding Board of Directors of the PEI Music Fiddlers’ Sons (above) opened the first PEI Music Awards Awards Association Inc., this Show at the Jubilee Theatre (now Harbourfront Theatre); event marked the beginning Kindle and Mary Lou Jordan were multiple award winners of what would eventually become Music PEI, the province’s nominees sit alongside the live conofficial music industry association. certs audiences have come to expect, That initial Board included Blaine with a few twists—including the Corkum, Brian Dawson, Nick Gamble, PEI Symphony Orchestra joining the Charlie Hansen, Janet McGarry, Chris Songwriter of the Year Concert—reinRoumbanis, Bob Stright, Mike Surette, forcing Music PEI Week as the biggest and Wayne Walsh. celebration of PEI’s music industry.

In 2002, the Awards Gala moved The event was last held in to Confederation Centre of the Arts in Summerside in 2005, and it returns Charlottetown, alternating between on March 7, 2026, when the Music Charlottetown and Summerside for PEI Awards Gala heads back to the the next three years. By 2008, Music Harbourfront Theatre for its 25th PEI had established a full-time office, anniversary. More than an awards building on the foundation laid by the show, the Gala is a homecoming—a Awards Association. full-circle moment that honours the Since 2001, PEI’s music community artists, industry builders, and commuhas grown tremendously, with Island nity members who have shaped PEI’s artists touring the world, landing film music story over the past quarter-cenand television placements, and contribtury, while looking confidently toward uting to a richly diverse music scene. what comes next.

Music PEI Week 2026 reflects that Music PEI Week 2026 runs from evolution, featuring everything from February 28–March 7, with events punk and R&B to blues, country, across the Island. Stay tuned for the folk, rock, and global sounds. New full schedule of events. For the list events like the Battle of the Bands and of 2026 Music PEI Award nominees, a curated double-feature screening festival passes, and more details, visit celebrating Music Video of the Year musicpei.com.

SUBMITTED

Winter Shine

Richard Wood & Friends An East Coast Kitchen Party at St. Paul’s—Jan 30

Richard Wood at rwood.ca or by phone at 902-3303293. Wood has again partnered with The Great George Hotel to offer a hotel package; reservations can be made by calling 1-800-361-1118.

To snow on roofs and the peace of Sunday Amabile Singers, directed by Clem Carelse, with collaborative accompanist Sarah White, will present a Sunday afternoon concert on February 1 at 2:30 pm at Spring Park United in Charlottetown. The storm date is February 15.

The program includes Don Macdonald’s setting of wistful poetry

by Malca Litovitz, three movements

Amabile Singers

from John Rutter’s Requiem, and selections from the songbook of Billy Joel.

Music by Eric Whitacre, Ola Gjeilo, and Gordon Lightfoot will round out the afternoon, with themes of winter sun, shades of night, and silence.

Admission at the door is pay-whatyou-can, with a suggested ticket price.

SUBMITTED

Amabile Singers STEWART MACLEAN

Richard Wood & Friends: An East Coast Kitchen Party will be presented at St. Paul’s in Charlottetown on January 30 at 7 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm.

Five-time ECMA and multiple Music PEI Award winner Richard Wood will be joined by Brent Chaisson and Kimberley Holmes, with special guests KINLEY, Shane Pendergast, Ava & Lily, and Jonny Ray Arsenault. The evening will also feature the College of Piping dancers and Wood Family Fiddle Award recipient Samuel Richard.

This year’s Richard Wood & Friends show marks the sixth year of the series. Wood organized the first event in 2021 to bring his community together during the pandemic and to provide much-needed work for musicians, venues, and technicians. That inaugural concert—and every show since—has sold out.

Advance tickets are available online

BUZZ ARCHIVES

Page 32 The BUZZ January 2026

LIVE MUSIC bars, lounges, pubs, cafés...

Albert & Crown Pub

Floyd Gaudet (Jan 16 @6 pm); Perry Batten & Jim Williams (17 @6 pm); Blair Gaudet (23 @6 pm); Very Best of Up West (30 @7 pm). 480 Main St, Alberton.

Baba’s Lounge

Fridays & Saturdays (10 pm *unless noted): Ruby, Corduroy, Striped Shirt Band (Jan 2); DJ Night–Breaks Breen, D-Rok, Breezy (3); TBA (9); DJ Night–Javier & Diego (10); Sam O (16); DJ Hype–Retro Night (17); Radio Roulette (23); DJ Night–PURDY and guests (24); Good Dear Good (30); Plain Dirty Blues (31 @5 pm); DJ Night–Diego (31). Open Mic with KINLEY on Wednesdays (9 pm). Island Jazz on Thursdays (8 pm). 181 Great George St, Charlottetown.

Be You Bar

Monthly Queer and Allie Talent Show on January 23. Be You Does Broadway (piano bar) on January 23. 119 Grafton St, Charlottetown.

Bogside Brewing

Fridays & Saturdays (6:30–9:30 pm): Stephen Schwartz (Jan 2); Molly & Chris (3); Lisa Birt (9); Kev MacPhee (10); Dave Woodside (16); Adam MacGregor (17); Ethan MacPhee (23); Dan Doiron (24); Barry O’Brien (30); Billy White (31). 11 Brook St, Montague.

Brothers 2

Thursdays (7–9 pm) & Fridays (7–10 pm): D’Arcy & Moe (Jan 2); Jordan Cameron (8); Marc Coughlin (9); Dave Woodside (15); Todd & Chris (16); Ryan Merry (22); Lawrence Maxwell (23); Logan Maddix (29); Danny Drouin (30). 618 Water St, Summerside.

The Cave at The Factory

Live DJ on Saturdays (10 pm–2 am): DJ Oh

Zil (Jan 3); DJ BraedenV (10); DJ Viraaj (17); DJ Fernando (24); Open Decks with DJ Purdy (30 *Fri); DJ Purdy (31). 189 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Charlottetown Legion

Saturdays (9:30 pm–12:30 am): Haché (Jan 3); Dunk River Band (10); Neon Country (17); Roundabout (24); Kim Albert and Faces (31). 99 Pownal St, Charlottetown.

Copper Bottom Brewing

The Blizzard Goat Band on Sundays (3–5 pm). Ode to Outlaws with Lawrence Maxwell & Nudie on January 24 (7:30 pm *ticketed). 567 Main St, Montague.

The Factory

Country Night Line Dancing with JJ on Fridays (10 pm). Live DJ on Saturdays (11 pm). 189 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Lone Oak Brewing Co

Jordan Cameron (Jan 2 @7 pm); Dave Woodside (9 @7 pm); Nathan Carragher (23 @7 pm). 103 Abegweit Blvd, Borden-Carleton.

Montague Legion

Saturdays (bi-weekly, 6–9 pm): Lisa Birt (Jan 3); Margarita Wayne (17); Taylor Johnson (31). 15 Douses Rd, Montague.

Olde Dublin Pub

Fridays & Saturdays (6–9 pm/10 pm–2 am): Lawrence Maxwell/Gypsy Soul

(Jan 2); Pierce Clarke/Holy Hanna Trio (3); Carter MacLellan/TBA (9); Saul Good Duo/Wrecking Crew (10); Tarky Whitlock & Dennis Dunn/TBA (16); Ryan Merry/Crimson Clay (17); TBA (23); Allison Blacquiere/Gin N Tonic (24); TBA (30); TBA/MacBeth (31). Saturday Sociables (2–5 pm) with The Wannabeez, Vintage 4.0, and weekly guests. Trivia and Tunes on Thursdays (7:30 pm) with Cone and weekly guest: Dan Doiron (8); Brian Dunn (15); Steve Szwarc (22); Carter MacLellan (29). 132 Sydney St, Charlottetown.

FiN Folk Food

PEI Brewing Company

Fridays (5:30–7:30 pm): Nathan Carragher (Jan 2/16/30); Fraggle Rockers Band (9); Nathan Crasher (16); Luka Hall & Sydney Thompson (23). 106 Beach Road Grand Tracadie.

Acoustic Fridays (4–7 pm): Curtis Reginald (Jan 2); Lawrence Maxewell (9); Brothers MacPhee (16); Barry O’Brien (23); Ethan MacPhee (30). 96 Kensington Rd, Charlottetown.

Founders’ Food Hall

Razzy’s Roadhouse

Chris Burke (Jan 24 @5 pm); Ross Boyd (31 @5 pm). 6 Prince St, Charlottetown.

Gahan House

Fridays (9 pm). 126 Sydney St, Charlottetown.

John Brown Grille

Saturdays (2–5 pm): Saul Good Duo (Jan 3); Richie Bulger (10); Stratton & Kays (17); Kim Albert (24); Dave Woodside (31). Live DJs on Saturdays (11 pm): DJ Dekz (3); DJ Purdy (10); DJ Möjö (17); DJ Jérémie (24); TBA (31). 132 Richmond St, Charlottetown.

Fridays (6–9 pm): Kevin Arthur (Jan 2); Rod & Blake Duo (9); Brian Dunn (16); Dan Doiron (23); Margarita Wayne (30).

161 St. Peters Rd, Charlottetown.

RCAF Wing Summerside

Saturdays (9 pm): Nightshift (Jan 3); Dave Doyle Band (10); Roundabout (17); Neon Country (24); Dunk River Band (31). 329 North Market St, Summerside.

Slaymaker & Nichols

Nick Gauthier on Fridays & Sundays (2–5 pm). 82 Fitzroy St, Charlottetown.

Summerside Legion

Johnny G and the Legionaires on Fridays (9 pm). 340 Notre Dame St, Summerside.

To the Front Jam Session #2—Jan 16 To The Front, an open jam session and community hangout focused on getting more women involved in the music scene, takes place at Beaconsfield Carriage House in Charlottetown on January 16 at 6:30 pm.

Presented by Music PEI, the event offers a supportive space and community resources to help overcome the barriers that women and gender-diverse folks face in participating in the local music scene. Attendees are invited to bring their own instruments to jam, connect, and share advice and resources aimed at encouraging greater participation in the scene.

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 33

All levels of musical experience are welcome, though some basic familiarity is required. Amps, drum kit, and backline will be provided. Open to everyone regardless of gender, the jam is centred on those who experience gender-based discrimination in music spaces and whose experiences align with those of women in the industry.

Priority time may be given to individuals the event is intended to empower.

Page 34 The BUZZ January 2026

MUSIC

crowd-pleasing covers across rock, pop, funk, and soul. The group includes PEI musicians Todd MacLean, Liam Kearney, Adam MacGregor, and Deryl Gallant.

Audience members who want to sing backed by a live band are encouraged to review Take The Mic’s song list and register early. This is a 19+ event. Admission is cash only at the door, with advance tickets available online. For tickets, the song list, singer registration, and more, visit takethemicband.ca.

Cornwall Community Choir Winter Session

The Cornwall Community Choir is planning a winter session starting in January. The choir practices traditional and contemporary music on Wednesdays from 12:30–2:15 pm under the direction of Lisa Stead at the West River United, 10 Church St. New members are welcome and no experience is necessary. Those interested should contact Nancy Jack at 902-675-3838.

Sound Series

Island electronic musicians and audio experimentalists can meet up for Sound Series, a workshop and open jam, at the Benevolent Irish Society on January 31 from 7–9 pm. Anyone with an interest in any genre of electronic or experimental music is invited to listen, learn, and participate. Attendees should bring any gear they have to make some noise. 582 North River Rd, Charlottetown.

SUBMITTED

Take The Mic Live Band Karaoke

Take The Mic brings live band karaoke to the Pourhouse in Charlottetown on January 17 at 7:30 pm. Take The Mic is a PEI-based live band known for interactive performances featuring

Abegweit Chambers Singers

New choral group The Abegweit Chamber Singers will begin rehearsals in early to mid-February. The ensemble brings together singers from communities across PEI under the direction of Ruth Ann Read-Clay. Weekly rehearsals will be held in Charlottetown on Monday evenings and in Summerside on Thursday evenings, with monthly combined rehearsals at a location TBA. More information will be available in the new year.

ISSUE# 385 • JANUARY 2026

buzzpei.com This issue is dedicated to Gordon Cobb Editor: Yanik Richards Editor: Michelle Ollerhead Website: Nakeesa Aghdasy Partners: Maggie Lillo (Ruby Square Graphic Design), Carly Martin (Hawthorne House Media) Contributors: Julie Bull, Ashley Anne Clark, Dennis Ellsworth, Hugh MacDonald, Takako Morita, Tara Reeves, JoDee Samuelson, Gary Schneider, Bren Simmers, Ashleigh Tremere

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

TRIVIA Be You Bar

January 8 & 22 (8 pm) with Andrea. Music Bingo on January 15 (8 pm) with Andrea.

119 Grafton St, Charlottetown.

Bogside Brewing

Tuesdays (6:30 pm). 11 Brook St, Montague.

Churchill Arms

Saturdays (2 pm) with Wade Babineau.

Reserve by calling 902-367-3450. 89 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Copper Bottom Brewing

Taproom Trivia on Fridays (7 pm) with Dana Jones. 567 Main St, Montague.

The Factory

Thursdays (7 pm) & Fridays (8 pm) with Mark Cameron. Music Bingo on Saturdays (7 pm) with Darcy Campbell.

189 Kent St, Charlottetown.

FiN Folk Food

Tuesdays (6–7:30 pm). 106 Beach Road Grand Tracadie.

Hopyard

Wednesdays (8 pm) with Hank. 151 Kent St, Charlottetown.

Hunter’s Ale House

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

Lone Oak Brewing Co

January 16 & 30 (7–9 pm). 103 Abegweit Blvd, Borden-Carleton.

Montague Legion

Thursdays (7 pm) with the Catch the King of Clubs draw. 15 Douses Rd, Montague.

Olde Dublin

Hurricanes Trivia on Mondays (7:30 pm); Trivia & Tunes on Thursdays (7:30 pm) with Wade Babineau. 132 Sydney St, Charlottetown.

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

COVER:

Blue Heron Buds (blue heron #63), 2024, mixed media on wooden panel canvas, 10”x10” by Ashley Anne Clark. Created using natural materials, including seaweed to form the landscape, layered with hand-painted watercolour depictions of herons on paper, and mounted on wooden panels. Each piece is uniquely constructed, emphasizing emotion, character, and a deep connection to nature and the animal world.

Ashley Anne Clark is a multidisciplinary artist from Prince Edward Island whose work explores wilderness, animal life, and natural materials.

Holding an MFA from Concordia University, she has exhibited across North America, created public murals, and designed album artwork. Her first children’s book Nocturnal Animals was just released this past November.

See more of Ashley’s work on Instagram @ _ashleyanneclark_ and ashleyanneclark.com.

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

Happy New Year from The Buzz!

“Hate’s goin’ ‘round Breaking many hearts Stop it please Before it’s gone too far…

Love’s in Need of Love Today” —Stevie Wonder

Village Green

Saturdays (7 pm) with Bryan Carver. 30 Church St, Cornwall.

SERVING PEI SINCE 1981 ORGANIC VEGGIE DELIVERY

New customers get $5 off first order.

Home delivery (year-round) of fresh local organic veggies and more.

Veggie Boxes or custom orders.

Aaron Koleszar 902-659-2575, aaron@organicveggiedelivery.com, organicveggiedelivery.com

masonry fireplace and chimney builds

factory built stainless steel chimneys and liners

wood stoves and fireplace inserts

sweeps and WETT Inspections

WWW.REDCLAY.CA • 902.962.3363 • DAN HANSEN

The BUZZ January 2026 Page 35

Contraception: Know Your Options Making informed choices about your sexual and reproductive health is important!

Did you know? Most prescription contraceptives are FREE, thanks to National Pharmacare, for PEI residents with a valid health card.

No application is needed, and many options can be prescribed by a pharmacist.

Learn about your contraception options and how to access them at the Women and Gender Diverse People’s Health Hub. Ad paid for by the Government of Prince Edward Island

SCAN ME

Page 36 The BUZZ January 2026

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