First Annual Winter Festival ATV Poker Run on Isle Madame

The Isle Madame ATV Riders, along with the Municipality of Richmond County are hosting the 1st. Annual Winter Festival ATV Poker Run. The Poker Run will take place on Saturday February 19th, Storm date-February 20th. Registration will take place from 9am until 10:45am at Rocky Bay Hall, Isle Madame. The cost to register is $20.00 per poker hand (includes meal). The ride begins at 11am from Rocky Bay Hall and ends at 5pm, the meal will follow. A after party with music by Jason Williams, with no cover charge for participants, will take place at the Island Nest in Arichat at 6pm.
Prizes for the event includes: Grand prize for best poker hand is a trip for 2 to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. Other prizes include cash prizes, door prizes, and draw prizes. Registration contact person is Norma Boudreau at 1-902-631-2860 or by email at c.h.boudreau@ns.sympatico.ca. For more information or to register visit www.islemadameatvriders.com.

My Funny Valentine

Lisa LeBlanc and Joseph Edgar in Concert at La Picasse

News in from La Picasse on an event taking place on Tuesday February 1st 2011:

Spectacle Lisa LeBlanc et Joseph Edgar: Mardi le 1 Fevrier à 19h à La Picasse. Acheter vos billets à La Picasse 226-0149 -$10.00 adulte et $8.00 pour étudiant-e. Joseph Edgar, originaire de Moncton, est un nouveau sur la scéne musicale acadienne. Lisa LeBlanc fait du folk et elle est originaire de Rosaireville, un petit village au sud du Nouveau-Brunswick. Cette activité est une tounée duo 2011 "Sur la route avec Dorice".

Concert featuring Lisa LeBlanc and Joseph Edgar:Tuesday February 1st. at 7pm. Buy your tickets at La Picasse by calling 1-902-226-0149. Tickets cost $10.00 for adults and $8.00 for students. Joseph Edgar is formally from Moncton, and is one of the newomers on the Acadien musical scene. Lisa LeBlanc is a folk player, originally from Rosaireville, a small village in New Brunswick. This is part of their 2011 duet tour, "Sur la route avec Dorice".

Fun At Ski Ben Eoin

Ski Ben Eoin is holding Home Grown Nights. The event will be held on January 29th from 9pm until 1am-in the Pub, U BBQ Steak, spud, salad and roll. Home Grown Nights will be Featuring Live entertainment with BETTY SUPPLE and the FIRE Show with Laurel Collins. Tickets at the tickets building / customer service building. There are only 60 tickets available for this fun event so GET THEM NOW. Tickets are $15 for Season Pass Members and $20 for non-members.

Every Saturday enjoy Pub Special with live entertainment, from 3-6pm.
Ski Ben Eoin is reporting that snow conditions are great so come on out for some great exercise and lots of fun for the whole family!!!

View of Richmond

Dinner Theatre returns to Isle Madame with the production of "L’avenir d’Hortense et d’Aimé" ("Le Birthday Party á Judique"). This delightful comedy will run for the 2 day event at Centre La Picasse in Petit de Grat, on February 12th and 13th, starting at 7pm. The Petit de Grat Red Caps baseball club, in partnership with La Picasse, will present two enjoyable evenings of dinner theatre presenting the romantic comedy production of Hortense and Aimee written by very talented Isle Madame playwrite Eunice Boudreau. The dinner menu will consist of lasagna or meat pie, caesar salad, tea or coffee with dessert. Tickets for the evening are $25 per person and are sold by reservation only. Tickets have already sold out for the evening of the 12th, but there are still some tickets available for the evening of the 13th. For more information on tickets and the production, please phone La Picasse at 226-0149.

Dinner Theatre on the beautiful historic island of Isle Madame is nothing new. The Acadiaville Community Centre located in West Arichat had a very successful Summer Lobster Dinner Theatre production which ran from 2006 to 2008. The production which created summer work for students of the area gave these youngsters a taste for the arts. I attended these productions and found them totally enjoyable and found the plays by Eunice Boudreau, very well written and performed. The young theatre group, under the direction of Eunice, was amazing and the interaction between actors and their audience between acts as they served as waiters was great. These productions were a great promotional vehicle for Isle Madame tourism and drew quite a number of visitors as well as locals. The production left many of the patrons enthusiastic about returning to take in future productions. Unfortunately that production ceased in 2009. It is nice to see the latest production highlighting the antics of Hortense appear on the island and I am sure "Le Birthday Party á Judique" will be a great success. So purchase your ticket early and enjoy an evening of great entertainment and delicious food.

On February 6th, the Royal Canadian Legion in Arichat Branch 150 will host as part of Richmond Recreation Department's Winter Fest a community breakfast from 8 until 11 am, a 45 card game at 2pm with door prizes, and canteen services, and a bake sale which will run throught both events.

Tourism in Richmond County

Dinner Theatre is alive and well in Richmond. On January 29th The Tara Lynne Tousnard Centre in River Bourgeois will be presenting an evening of Dinner Theatre featuring the community players acting troop from River Bourgeois in the production of "River Royale Casino". The dinner for the eventing will begin at 6:30pm with a menu of Roast Beef and Roasted Potatoes, lasagna, cheese and vegetable casserole, and salads, tea or coffee and dessert. Tickets are $25.00 per person and will be sold in advance, for information on the tickets call 535-2141 for Rose or 535-2512 or Sharon and for information on the production call 631-0500 for April. For an evening that is sure to be a lot of fun call right away.

On February 12th and 13th , starting at 7pm, the Petit de Grat Red Caps baseball club, in partnership with La Picasse, will present two enjoyable evenings of dinner theatre presenting the theatre production entitled ‘L’avenir d’Hortense et d’Aimé’. The dinner will consist of lasagna or meat pie, caesar salad, tea or coffee with dessert. Tickets for the evening are $25 per person and are sold by reservations only. Tickets have already sold out for the evening of the 12th, but there are still some tickets available for the evening of the 13th. For more information on tickets and the production, please phone La Picasse at 226-0149. Dinner Theatre is not new in Isle Madame. The Acadiaville Community Center had a very successful Lobster Dinner Theatre production which ran for a couple of years, which I attended and truly enjoyed. The acting by the young theatre group was amazing and the interaction between actors and their audience between acts as they served as waiters was great. These productions were a great promotional venue for island tourism and drew guite a number of visitors as well as locals to the center. The production left many of the patrons enthusiastic about returning to take in future productions. Unfortunately that production ceased a couple of years ago. It is nice to see a new production appear on the island and I am sure L' avenir d'Hortense et d'Aime' will be a great success. So make sure to purchase your ticket early and enjoy an evening of great entertainment and delicious food.

Until next week, enjoy some great food and great entertainment.

Come and Enjoy a Spaghetti Supper

To those who enjoy Italian food, I have an event that you will want to hear about. On Janurary 29th, the L'Ardoise Jolly Club will sponsor a Spaghetti Supper from 4:30pm to 7pm at the L'Ardoise Community Centre in L'Ardoise, There will be a delicious meal of Spaghetti served with garlic bread, tea or coffee and the all time favorite Apple Crisp for dessert. Fee is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children under 10 years of age. All funds raised will be donated to the L'Ardoise Community Centre. Come and enjoy a meal and support their community.

The Hearthstone Inn

Hearthstone Inn Gives Most Bite for the Buck

For all those folks that would like a treat during these cold days, I have a spot where you can go to dine that is very enjoyable and affordable. The Hearthstone Inn in Port Hawkesbury is offering a special on Saturdays of Steak cooked to perfection, served with your choice of potato, coleslaw and toasted garlic bread for $10.95 plus tax. And a treat it is, the 8oz steak which I chose to have cooked medium rare served with a side order of mushrooms was delicious, cooked just the way I like it. I chose the mashed potatoes with a side order of homestyle gravy, instead of butter and the cole slaw was sweet and very tasty. My husband chose to have homefries with his steak which he said were delicious. The value of the meal was excellent, the meal was appealing to the eye and delicious to the taste as well, with a very good sized portion, and served up promply which I really like. The service was spectactular, our waitress was friendly and courtious and checked with us to see that everything was to our liking. The dining room is also licensed and is opened 7am to 7pm during the off season and from 7am to 9pm during full season. The Inn is prepaired to accommodate party's as well as regular dining fare. I would definitely recomment the Hearthstone as a great place to dine. The Hearthstone Inn is located at 388 Hwy 4 Port Hastings, the Inn's restaurant can accommodate approximately 100 plus guest for meals and during the summer is usually filled to compassity. The menu has an excellent varity of items from Appetizers and snacks to soups and salads and sandwiches to main courses of Chicken, steak, ribs to seafood and Italian dishes, to delicious desserts, something to meet everyones taste, at competitive prices. If you are a fish lover, check out their Friday Fish Special it is sure to be a hit.
The Hearthstone Inn which is open year round, overlooks the Causeway and Strait of Canso and offers excellent accommodations for visitors travelling to the area. The Inn offers 26 Air conditioned rooms (all non smoking). Their service offers cable television, wireless internet, phone with free local calls, coffee maker and hairdryer, iron and iron board, and some units have a microwave and fridge. For a comfortable stay away from home check it out!

Wedding Show at The Membertou Trade & Convention Centre

Planning a wedding in the near future? Come see what is new on the wedding scene to make your special day extra special. At the 2011 Wedding show at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre in Sydney on January 23rd there will be exhibitors showcasing everything for the bride and her wedding party. Enjoy the Bridal Fashion show from 3-3:45pm, as models parade down the runway in the most up to date bridal fashions. Find everything you will require for your wedding. The Wedding Show will take place on January 23rd from 12:30pm until 5pm. General admission is $8.00, you will also have a chance to win some great prizes as well. Please note that scheduled special guest, Randy Fenoli from the popular TLC Show "Say Yes To The Dress", is unable to attend.

Elvis Performs in Glace Bay

The Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay will be the platform for World Champion Elvis Tribute Artist Thane Dunn and the Cadillac Kings as they celebrate the King of Rock and Roll's 2nd Annual Elvis Birthday Bash. Thane Dunn has become widely known as one of the best entertainers in his performance of the King. Dunn provides the complete proformance package, giving the audience an incredible stage presence from Elvis's voice, looks and lenendary moves. Dunne who has pefected his Elvis performance over the past decade, won the title of "Grand Champion" at the world's largest International Elvis Tribute Arist Contest in Cllingwood, Ontario in July of 2009. Since then Dunn's career has really picked up speed with requests coming in from all over the world. He has preformed from Memphis to Las Vegas performing with Elvis's original back up group the Imperials. The birthday tour features five costume changes ranging from the 68 Comeback Special black leather suit to the jumpsuits used in the MGM Elvis on Tour Documentary. The Cadillas Kings who have backed Thane over the last 10 years are incredible performers and along with Thane's haunting rendition of Elvis, one would be hard pressed to distingush Dhane from the King, it is truly a tremendous performance. If you are a fan as I am you will be thrilled to hear Dunn perform favorites such as Suspicious Minds and Love Me Tender along with the crowd favorites that filled the Kings career spanning two decades. Make sure to take in the Savoy Theatre Performance by Thane Dunn, a show you will definitely not want to miss. Show time is 7pm and tickets are $37.50, with tickets still available.

"River Royale Casino" Brings Mystery and Intrigue and Suspense to the Tara Lynne Centre

Dinner Theatre is alive and well in Richmond. On January 29th, the Tara Lynne Centre in River Bourgeois will be presenting an evening of Dinner Theatre featuring the River Bourgeois community players in the production "River Royale Casino". This production has been created just for this event. The mystery, intrigue and suspense, should keep you guessing all evening long while you enjoy a delicious meal. The dinner will begin at 6:30pm with a menu of Roast Beef and Roasted Potatoes, lasagna, cheese and vegetable casserole, and salads, tea or coffee and dessert. Tickets are $25.00 per person and will be sold in advance by January 22nd. For information on the tickets call 535-2141 for Rose or 535-2512 for Sharon and for information on the production call 631-0500 for April Sampson.

"L’avenir d’Hortense et d’Aimé" Comes to Arichat Stage

Dinner Theatre Production back for 2 day event on the Island. On February 12th and 13th, starting at 7pm, the Petit de Grat Red Caps baseball club, in partnership with La Picasse, will present two enjoyable evenings of dinner theatre presenting the comedy production entitled ‘L’avenir d’Hortense et d’Aimé (Le Birthday Party á Judique) by the very talented Eunice Boudreau. The dinner will consist of lasagna or meat pie, caesar salad, tea or coffee with dessert. Tickets for the evening are $25 per person and are sold by reservations only. Tickets have already sold out for the evening of the 12th, but there are still some tickets available for the evening of the 13th. For more information on tickets and the production, please phone La Picasse at 226-0149.
Dinner Theatre on the beautiful historic island of Isle Madame is nothing new. The Acadiaville Community Center located in West Arichat had a very successful Lobster Dinner Theatre production which ran during the summer for a couple of years. The production which gave summer work to students of the area; giving these young artists a taste for the arts. I attended the productions both season and found them totally enjoyable and found the plays well written and performed. The acting by the young theatre group was amazing and the interaction between actors and their audience between acts as they served as waiters was great. These productions were a great promotional venue for island tourism and drew guite a number of visitors as well as locals to the center. The production left many of the patrons enthusiastic about returning to take in future productions. Unfortunately that production ceased a couple of years ago. It is nice to see a new production appear on the island and I am sure L'avenir d'Hortense et d'Aime' (Le Birthday Party á Judique) will be a great success. So make sure to purchase your ticket early and enjoy an evening of great entertainment and delicious food.

More Pictures from Muin Book Launch

Eddy Doucette performs smudging ceremony before drum performance

Student artwork depicts Muin story

Pictures from Muin Book Launch

Speaker/Educator Lindsay Marshall of Potlotek
Dr. Cheryl Bartlett

Book Launch in Potlotek

The book launch for Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters (Muin aqq L'uiknek Te' sijik Ntuksuinu'k) took place at the Mi'kmawey School in Potlotek (Chapel Island) on January 20th. I was very please to have been invited to attend the Launch celebration by one of the authors of the book Lillian Marshall of Potlotek. The book whidh is printed in both Mi'kmaq and English is the story of the very old Mi'kmaw legion of the Bear and the seven bird hunters and is brought ot life by Mi'Kmaw elders Lillian Marshall and Murdena Marshall in partnership with the Cape Breton University's Intergrative Science initiative. The legend was told through the ages by members of the Mi'kmaw nation to their children, sometimes used as a bed time story during the long winter months. The story follows the celestial pattern of movement, of stars around the North Star. The Mi'Kmaw people named these stars Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters and it was by watching the movement of the stars that they used as their calendar.

In 2009, during the United Nations International Year of Astronomy, which included Aboriginal astronomy that this version of Muin was orginally created for electronic presentation to school and community groups and on the internet. Its creators decided to make the electronic version into a childrens book, capturing forever in print this beautiful legion. The book is dedicated to the Elders of Mi'Kma'ki, Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters is a joint venture between Lillian Marshall is instrumental in developing innovative learning and educational material to be used in Aboriginal Education and is a highly respected elder, in Potlotek, Murdena Marshall is a retired Assosciate Professor of Mi'kmaw Studies at Cape Breton University and continues to be highly active in projects locally, regionally and nationally and is also a highly respected Elder from Eskasoni first Nations.
The book launch was attended by a large number of locals, members of UCB, Elders from the Mi'kmaw communities and representatives of the media. The opening address was given by Lindsay Marshall representing the educational community, who welcomed everyone to Potlotek. The Mi'kmawey Drummers, a young group of drummers/singers which have only been together since October performed under the leadership of instructor Edward (Eddy) Doucette a traditional Mi'kmaw welcoming number. Next Mr. Marshall intruduced Dr. Cheryl Bartlett who is in charge of the Intergrative Science Program at Cape Breton University and who work closely with the authors, commented that the book launch of this book was for herself and Lillian, like giving birth to a child and being a proud parent. Next to speek were the authors Lillian Marshall and Murdena Marshall commenting on the importance of these legends in education and to the community and the children especially. The launch was completed with a reading of the book Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters. The book is very well done, an excellent story for children, easy to understand, great learning material and beautifully illustrated.

The Story of the Celestial Bear

The Mi'kmawey School in Chapel Island will be the official launch site for the childrens book "Muin aqq Lúiknek Te'sijik Ntuksuinu'k/Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters". The book launch will take place on January 20th at 11am followed by a community launch event at noon. Everyone is welcome to attend. the children's book is written by Lillian Marshall, Murdena Marshall, Prune Harris and Cheryl Bartlett with ilustrations by Sana Kavanagh and Kristy Read. The book is being published by Cape Breton University Press.

The children's book tells the story of The Great Bear. When the bear awakens from hibernation in late spring, it is chased across the heavens by seven birds. All summer long, the hunters chase the bear across the northern horizon. In the fall, with only three hunters left, the bear is struck by the hunters' arrows! As the bear rears up, then falls on its back, its blood drips down to Earth. The drops of falling blood turn the leaves red. During the long winter, the wounded bear lies on its back until its spirit enters another bear. When the next spring arrives, the newly enchanted bear starts fleeing across the sky, the next seven hunters in pursuit.

2011 E-Force Racquetball Tournament Results are In

Results are in from the 2011 E-Force Racquetball Tournament held in Port Hawkesbury on January 14th and 15th. Dan Smith passed along this information on the event, congratulations to all participants.


“The 2011 E-Force Racquetball Tournament held in Port Hawkesbury, January 14-15 was a huge success”, tournament chairman Dan Smith said. All three Maritime Provinces were represented, 27 participants vied for the position of number one in their divisions this past weekend. The divisions ranged from Junior to Masters as well as skill levels, which included singles and doubles. Before the tournament began, a free players clinic was held for all new players in the area, run by Dan Smith and Mario DeMello.

The Port Hawkesbury Civic Center will be the premier facility being used to host the Canadian National Racquetball Championships May 22-29th. The top players from all 10 Provinces will be participating in this prestigious event. Over 200 players are anticipated, ranging from ages 16 – 70+, players compete with other players of the same skill level or age group. The Port Hawkesbury Civic Center will be used by the very best players who will be competing for a place on the National Team which will then represent Canada at International competitions. All other matches in this week long event will be held at the SFX facility.

Results from this weekends tournament are:

Singles:
Open – Josh Keil, Dan Smith, Mike Cleary
‘A’ – Josh Lefty, Greg Farrell, Barry Moore(NB)
‘B’ – Eric Wood, Harley MacCaull, Darrin McLean
‘C’ – Darrin McLean, Lynn Gillis, Colin Yeadon
Juniors – David Walker, Connor Bussard, Colin Yeadon
Masters – Mario DeMello, Postie Connolly(PEI), Dave Bell
Doubles:
Open – G.Farrell/J.Keil; D.Ring/D.Smith; D.Bell/M.DeMello
‘A’ – M.Cleary/D.MacDonald; B.Haverstock/J.Peck; W.Ezekiel/H.MacCaull
‘Masters’ – D.Ring/M.DeMello; D.Bell/D.Smith; P.Connolly/B.Moore

Kitchen Racket's Second Open Jam Session to Take Place January 29th

Music is such a large part of our Cape Breton culture and heritage which draws the interest of visitors to the area each year. We have some great news for all music lovers in the Richmond and surrounding areas. Calling all entertainers and music enthusists , bring your musical instruments and come down to the MacBouch Beverage room and Lounge in St. Peter's on January 29th, for the second Jam Session of 2011. Greg Silver has sent out this memo on the upcoming event:

Hello Kitchen Rackets Fans:
You are invited to our second open jam session of 2011:
Saturday January 29, 3 pm - 5 pm
at the MacBouch Restaurant and Tavern
Grenville St., St. Peter's
All are welcome. No cover charge. Meet all kinds of players and singers, for all kinds of music.
This is an accoustic jam, but if you need an amp for a keyboard or bass guitar please bring it along.
We are looking forward to seeing the old gang and any newbies who want to join in.
Please pass the word along, and feel free to forward this email to anyone you know who might be interested in coming out.
Thanks again to the folks at MacBouch Restaurant and Tavern for hosting this event!


For further information please contact:
Greg Silver
Tel: 902 535 3990
Cel: 902 631 5050
gsilver@cdg.ns.ca

Scottish Country Dance envites you to join in the fun

St. Peter's is definitely a community that takes its Scottish culture seriously. Not only is St. Peter's the home of MacIsaac Kiltmakers famous all over the world for its beautiful hand stitched kilts and Scottish garb, but it is also the location for Mac's Celtic Gift Shop where visitors can find a wide variety of beautiful Celtic gift items with everything from jewellry to tartan ties and children's wear. St. Peter's also offers a location for folks to learn the Scottish form of Country dancing, This beautiful lively from of traditional dance is taught by locals under the direction of Stan and Joyce Richards, enjoy nothing better that sharing this fine old part of our culture. Every Sunday afternoon from 2 to 4pm an avide group of dancers join together to enjoy an afternoon of Scottish Country Dancing. The dancing takes place at the St. Peter's Fire Hall on Toulouse St. and admission is just $1.00 ot cover expenses of the hall, if you would like to drop in and join the group, they would love to have you.

Cape Breton Entrepreneurs at the Golden Globes

Being part of Cape Breton Tourism just keeps on getting better for those of us who want to see the industry grow. The goal of tourism organizers over the last few years is to get Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia's Masterpiece, out there to the public and have our name recognized. Get people asking where is this location we are hearing about and the more news happenings that include Cape Breton the better it is for the Island's tourism industry. All these mentions the Island receives, such as being given the title of Best Island Destination to Visit, Best Motor Cycle Route in the World to Travel, Veronica MacIsaac of Veronica MacIsaac Apparel being asked to show at a New York City Fashion Show in April etc., will create interest for people to come and see what we are all about. So I am so excited to be able to pass along this information that has just come to me from the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design in Sydney about another event where Cape Breton was on the scene. Michique Designer Handbags and Galloping Cows participated in the Golden Globe Gifting Suite in Beverley Hills from January 13th to January 15th. Congratulations to Michique and Galloping Cows for being given the opportunity to capture another venue and create interest in our Island destination.

According to the information I received from the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design: You can follow Michelle and Monique's excellent adventure in Hollywood. The duo will be capturing some of the goings on by camera, "We thought it would be fun to bring Cape Bretoners with us on this incredible journey, so we're going to be video blogging via our Youtube channel - we're hoping to get a sneak peek of the rich and famous and infamous!" Follow Michique on www.youtube.com/Michiquebags and www.facebook.com/capebretoncentreforcraftanddesign.

View of Richmond

Celebrating our Scottish Heritage is very important to all Cape Bretoners so mark January 22nd on your calendar as the day to celebrate the 9th Annual Robbie Burns Dinner & Dance. This very popular event will take place at the St. Peter's Lions Hall starting at 6:30pm, tickets are $20.00. Dress Code is in effect. Roast beef dinner will be served at 7 with dance to follow speeches. For the enjoyment of all who attend, the dance will include modern, square, Scottish Country, and ceilidh style dances. For more information on this event contact Stan or Joyce Richards at 1-902-345-0741. If you enjoy Scottish Country dance, or would like to learn, come to St. Peter's every Sunday afternoon from 2-4pm at the St. Peter's Fire Hall and join the lively dancers. Admission is $1.00.

The cold weather may be here but that does not slow down the amount of fun to be had on the Cape Breton Heritage Coast. On January 14 and 15th, E-Force a leader in Racquetball Technology, will be sponsoring a Singles and Doubles Racquetball Tournment in Port Hawkesbury. The tournment will be held at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre, with sessions taking place on Friday January 14th from 6-10pm and on Saturday January 15th from 8am to 8pm. The tournament will cover all skill levels from novice to pro, from juniors to masters. Organizers expect approximately 40 entrants to take part, coming in from across the Maritimes for the tournment. The Civic Centre is the best facility east of Montreal for racquetball because of its high glass walls which provide great visibility. The January Tournment in Port Hawkesbury will be the prelude event for the National Championship Tournment which will take place in Antigonish and Port Hawkesbury in May and is expected to draw 250 participants from across Canada. Anyone wishing to learn more about Racquetball and its rules can attend a free clinic today at 4pm at the Civic Centre. For more information you can contact Dan Smith by email at ranking@eastlink.ca or by calling 1-902-483-2499.

Artists as Entrepreneurs

I just received this information update from Sonya Mroz for an upcoming event at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design, and I thought I would pass it along.

Calling All Artisans, the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design presents "Artists As Entrepreneurs". It's lively, it's interactive and it's highly informative. This two day workshop features Jeffrey Cowlings, well known designer-maker-instructor with NSCAD since 1999. The workshop will deal with:
Promotion "How to get noticed. The right look."
Pricing "Putting a price on success."
Packaging " Showcase you work and increase sales."
Product Development "Fads, fashions, trends-use them effectively."
The two day workshop will take place at the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design at 322 Charlotte Street in Sydney on January 22nd and 23rd, from 9am to 4pm.
Bring your product and promotional material for hands on advice. The two day workshop fee is $100.00 plus HST. Lunch and refreshments will be included. For more information or to register contact michelle@capebretoncraft.com or by 1-902-539-7491 ext. 114. The deadline for registration is January 17th, 2011.

MacIsaac Fashions Takes New York

Just received some outstanding news on an event taking place in New York City. Residence of Cape Breton take note, especially if you are from the St. Peter's area of the Island. One on our own namely Veronica MacIsaac of Veronica MacIsaac Apparel, who is now living in Halifax and who has been making quite a name for herself with her spectacular fashion line, is heading to New York City. That's right Veronica has been invited to show at the "Dressed to Kilt" Fashion Show in New York City in April, hosted by none other than one of my favorite actors Sean Connery!

As a prelude to the New York extravaganza, Veronica of Veronica MacIsaac Apparel has created an event to which you will definitely want to be in attendance, in Halifax on January 22nd, 2011. There will be an amazing afternoon of Celtic Music, Dance and Fashion, to support the Celtic Arts! This amazing event will take place from 1-6pm at Durty Nelly's on Argyle Street in Halifax. The event features Cassie and Maggie MacDonald, the Celtic Sole Highland Dance Troupe, Andrea Beaton, Jeremy Keddy, amongst many other musicians, dancers, and a Veronica MacIsaac Apparel Fashion Show! They will be accepting donations at the door to support all of the performers, and also to help fund the big trip to New York :) They will also have a 'Celtic Arts' Shop set up, where you can purchase your favourite CDs, clothing, and get more information on the New York event.
So if you are from the area or a Cape Bretoner now living in Halifax you will definitely want to make plans to attend this this afternoon event. So come on out and support our own, on January 22.

Tourism in Richmond County

The cold weather may be here but that does not slow down the amount of fun to be had on the Cape Breton Heritage Coast. On January 14 and 15th, E-Force a leader in Racquetball Technology, will be sponsoring a Singles and Doubles Racquetball Tournment in Port Hawkesbury. The tournment will be held at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre, with sessions taking place on Friday January 14th from 6-10pm and on Saturday January 15th from 8am to 8pm. The tournament will cover all skill levels from novice to pro, from juniors to masters. Organizers expect approximately 40 entrants to take part, coming in from across the Maritimes for the tournment. The Civic Centre is the best facility east of Montreal for racquetball because of its high glass walls which provide great visibility. The January Tournment in Port Hawkesbury will be the prelude event for the National Championship Tournment which will take place in Antigonish and Port Hawkesbury in May and is expected to draw 250 participants from across Canada. Anyone wishing to learn more about racquetball and its rules can attend a free clinic at 4pm on January 14th at the Civic Centre. For more information you can contact Dan Smith by email at ranking@eastlink.ca or by calling 1-902-483-2499.

Celebrating our Scotish Heritage is very important to all Cape Bretoners so mark January 22nd on your calendar as the day to celebrate the 9th Annual Robbie Burns Dinner & Dance. This very popular event will take place at the St. Peter's Lions Hall starting at 6:30pm, tickets are $20.00. Dress Code is in effect. Roast beef dinner will be served at 7 with dance to follow speeches. For the enjoyment of all who attend, the dance will include modern, square, Scottish Country, and ceilidh style dances. For more information on this event contact Stan or Joyce Richards at 1-902-345-0741.

For those who enjoy outdoor activities and are ATV enthusiasts, there will be an ATV Poker Run on Saturday February 19th, 2011 (Storm date: Feb. 20th). The Isle Madame ATV Riders, along with the Municipality of Richmond County are hosting the 1st. Annual Winter Festival Poker Run will take place on Isle madame. Registration contact: Norma Boudreau at 1-902-631-2860 or by email at c.h.boudreau@ns.sympatico.ca. Registration is from 9am to 11am at Rocky Bay Hall in Isle Madame. The fee for the event is $20.00 per poker hand (includes cost of meal). Ride begins at 11am from Rocky Bay Hall and ends at 5pm. The Grand Prize for the best poker hand is a trip for 2 to Puerto Plata in the Donminican Republic, in addition there will be cash prizes, and door prizes and draw prizes. There will a ATV Rally Party with live music with no cover charge for participants at the Island Nest in Isle Madame starting at 5pm. For more information or to register visit www.islemadameatvriders.com.

Until next week, remember to use safety on our highways, leave your blood at the Red Cross not on the highway.

Tourism spending rises for fifth straight quarter

Monday January 10, 2011, 8:46 am
By The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - Spending on tourism in Canada rose 1.5 per cent in the third quarter, its fifth straight quarterly increase.

Statistics Canada reports Canadians' spending on tourism in Canada continued to trend upward, while spending by international visitors rose after dropping in the second quarter.

The agency says tourism spending has fully recovered from the year-long downturn that began in the third quarter of 2008.

It stood 2.6 per cent higher in the third quarter than it was before the decline began.

Canadians' spending on tourism in Canada increased for the fifth straight quarter, advancing 1.6 per cent from the second quarter.

Spending by international visitors to Canada increased 1.3 per cent in the third quarter, after a 0.4 per cent decline in the second quarter.

Travel was up from both the United States and overseas countries.

Tourism employment rose 0.7 per cent, boosted by strong job gains in the accommodation industry and travel services.

Racquetball Tournament Comes To The Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre

On January 14 and 15th, E-Force a leader in Racquetball Technology, will be sponsoring a Singles and Doubles Racquetball Tournment in Port Hawkesbury. The tournment will be held at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre, with sessions taking place on Friday January 14th from 6-10pm and on Saturday January 15th from 8am to 8pm. Deadline for registration is January 11, 2011. The tournament will cover all skill levels from novice to pro, from juniors to masters. Organizers expect approximately 40 entrants to take part, coming in from across the Maritimes for the tournment. Anyone wishing to learn more about Racquetball and its rules can attend a free clinic which will take place at the Civic Centre on January 14th at 4pm. The Civic Centre which is a new court for Racquetball is considered to be the best facility east of Montreal for the sport, due to its high glass walls which provide great visibility. The January Tournment in Port Hawkesbury will be the prelude event for the National Championship Tournament which will take place in Antigonish at St. FX and at the Civic Center Port Hawkesbury from May 22th to 28th and is expected to draw 250 participants from across Canada. The top participants in the National Championship will compete at the Civic Centre in Port Hawkesbury which will have judges present from the Canadian National Team. Tournament winners will become part of the National Team and take part in international events. The last time the National Championships took place in Nova Scotia was in Halifax in 1979. For more information you can contact Dan Smith by email at ranking@eastlink.ca or by calling 1-902-483-2499.

Photo Contest comes to St. Peter's

Exciting News for amateur photographers. The St. Peter's Community Club invites you to take part in their photo contest! They are looking for photos of Richmond County Winterscapes (people, places and things) to use on a series of Christmas Cards for the 2011 season. Photos can be old or new but must feature local winterscapes. Each person entering the contest may submit up to 3 photographs (digital files and or photographic prints). The deadline for submission is March 31, 2011.
Please send photos to one of the following addresses: Mailing address:
Nicolas Denys Museum
PO Box 464
St. Peter's, N.S. B0E-3B0 or email nicolasdenysmuseum@gmail.com. For more information email nicolasdenysmuseum.com.

Tourism in Richmond County

The holidays are over for another year and now we can look forward to the new year ahead and all it has to offer. There will be lots of work as we set forward to market Cape Breton Island as a destination of choice to visit in 2011. Every year competition gets toughter as we aim to draw from the world market, but we are very fortunate to have a product such as Cape Breton Island with all its assets that keeps us competitive.

We should also take a look back at the past year and be thankful. In Richmond our tourism season was excellent. Against the grim outlook that hovered over the minds of tourism operators as the season began, we managed to come out of the season having seen visitors in numbers that were not expected. Operators that I spoke to, who had been expecting a decline in their numbers, actually saw an increase, which I am happy to say reflects business around the entire Island. The comments we received from visitors as to why they came to Cape Breton continue to give hope that the local tourism industry will continue to grow. Numbers at the Visitor Information Center were as expected, and althought we saw a change in why the visitors were stopping in at the center, they were still overjoyed to have our service center available to meet their needs. In previous years, the center saw many tourists looking for help with obtaining reservations during their stay on the island and as they travelled onto the mainland of Nova Scotia; this year we saw more visitors who although they booked ahead some using the online service and some using travel agents they used the services of the Visitor Center to change reservations. Some because they wanted to stay and take in activities longer in a certain area others because they had not realized just how big an area they would be covering in their travel and the reservations they had were just not fitting in their time frame. We were only to happy to assist them with their changes and also to advise the visitors as to what festivals and activities they could take in while in the area that they had not been aware of on line. We had only the best comments as to the quality of service offered by the visitor Centres around Cape Breton Island and the mainland of our beautiful Province and what a value they were to the traveler. We were very proud to be able to offer this service and look forward to being able to assist them in the year ahead.

The communities around Richmond did a remarkable job of offering everything from community breakfasts to lobster suppers, from variety concerts to Scotish country dance lessons as well as weekly Ceilidhs and surf lessons, which gave the visitors to our area a real taste of the local charm and culture and entertainment of which we have to offer. And it is only with the help of local volunteers, community leaders and Municipal Departments and our very hard working Tourism Associations that we as a county are able to offer the visitor this sought after experience.

The Celtic Colours International Music Festival had another successful year and saw strong attendance by visitors and locals alike at all festival events and concerts. Again this year Richmond was proud to host 3 of the concerts for Celtic Colours, and at the Visitor's Center we were happy to hear only rave reviews of the performances offered by our very popular entertainers giving all indications that these visitors will be returning for next years events as well.

On the local scene: There will be a Merchandise Bingo held at the Riverdale Community Center in Lower River on January 9th, starting at 2pm.
If you enjoy outdoors activities, Ski Ben Eoin will be offering its scheduled winter ski programs starting on January 9th, this is always a lot of fun for the entire family.

Until next week, with the winter weather setting in making traveling a little more difficult, please remember if you care to drive, drive with care.

Holiday Greetings

I am sending out best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year to all our followers and hope that you had a very merry Christmas.
The year ahead will be filled with anticipation for a prosperous and busy tourism season and hopes of seeing the industry continue to grow. This past tourism season was filled with lots of great memories. In June I was fortunate to be asked to travel to New York with the Clipper representatives to promote our beautiful island. During the summer I met some of the nicest people from all over the world as they stopped in at our Visitor Information Center. Gary and I were happy to have had the opportunity to represent Richmond County along with Charlene Marshall of Destination Richmond Tourism Association at the The Saltscapes Travel Expo in Halifax, where we were part of the Destination Cape Breton Association promotion. We also took part in the annual Cape Breton Tourism Fam Tour where we visited with operators and members of the tourism industry which we had not visited in previous years. Seeing what were new and exciting features to which we could direct our visitors. During the Tour we were able to experience first hand the brand new tourism experience in Louisbourg, The Beggars Banquet at The Point of View Suites in Louisbourg. This new tourism attraction drew rave reviews and created a brand new experience for visitors traveling to Louisbourg. The Beggars Banquet, which took place every evening in the community of Louisbourg, offered visitors a chance to step back in time, dress in period costume, enjoy live entertainment and experience an 18th Century dining. The Beggars Banquet was the perfect addition to round out the day, after a visit to the historic Fortress of Louisbourg.
During this past year visitors were introduced to some new facades to our area streets. St. Peter's put a very impressive face forward to visitors as it underwent a facelift to its stores and accommodation adding new beauty to this already friendly and welcoming historic village. Richmond pulled out all the plugs in providing visitors to the area with excellent local entertainment, suppers, community festivals and concerts and Ceilidhs which all added to the visitors experience and expectations. This passed summer visitors could expect to find activities such as top class golfing, surfing, horse back riding and kayaking and boat excursions and fine dining all available for their enjoyment.Making Richmond a perfect spot to chose as a facation destination.
The community of Louisbourg also underwent a image makeover as the Paint the Town Red project was undertaken. New signage, 18th Century Flower Buckets throughout the town, freshly painted chairs located outside storefronts and residents homes added to the charm of the town and brand new introduction to the Fortress by costumed representatives at their Visitor Center was provided to visitors traveling to the community.
Yes it was indeed a year of making the visitors experience come first and foremost on the minds of all those in the industry.

View of Richmond

With New Years approaching, we look forward to the new year and all it has to offer. Lets look back at the past year and be thankful. With the grim outlook that hovered over the minds of tourism operators as the season began, we managed to come out of the season having seen visitors in numbers that were not expected. Operators that I spoke to who had been expecting a decline in their numbers actually saw an increase, which I am happy to say reflects business around the entire Island. Comments we received from visitors as to why they came to Cape Breton continue to give us hope that the tourism industry will continue to grow in the area. Despite a change in the reasons why visitors are stopping at our VICs, their comments continue to express satisfaction at having staff available to assist them with their travel needs. In previous years, the center saw many tourists looking for help with obtaining reservations. This year we saw visitors who had already booked their reservations, but needed assistance in making changes to them. Changes whether due to the fact the area was larger than they had expected, causing difficulty with reservations fitting into their time frame or there were festivals and attractions that they had not been aware of and wanted to attend, which resulted in their need for assistance in changing their reservations. Our service, enabled them to change their itenirary, cancel previous reservations and obtain accommodations in the areas they wanted to spend more time in, which helped greatly with releaving the stress of the situation and enabled them to remain in our area longer. Visitors appreciated the fact the VICs around the Island were able to assist them on events which added to their travel experience, that they would have other wise missed out on. We were very pleased to have received positive feedback from visitors on the quality of service offered by the Visitor Information Centres around Cape Breton. Of course it is only through the remarkable job that the local communities groups in combination with Municipal Departments and our local Tourism Associations do in offering everything from community breakfasts, concerts, suppers, to Scotish country dance lessons and Ceilidhs, which enabled visitors to receive a taste of the charm, culture and entertainment which enhanced their experience.