Vote For The Cabot Trail to Become One of The Top 5 Sites To See In Canada

Attention all Cape Bretoners,seemoresites.ca, the official sponsor for sight seeing is hosting a contest to choose the top five sights to see in Canada and Cape Breton's Cabot Trail is one of the options to vote for. The competition is stiff, the Cabot Trail is up against Niagara Falls,Old Quebec City, Old Montreal City,the CN Tower,The Canadian Rockies,Stanley Park, BC, the Bay of Fundy, NB, Peggy's Cove, and the Pacific Rim National Park in British Columbia. We have the opportunity to put the Cabot Trail where it belongs, among the top five sights to see in Canada. Being given the distinction of this degree would definitely bring added attention to Cape Breton Island. Cape Breton Island has drawn accolades for being the number 1 lsland in North America and number 3 island in the world to visit, it has also been given the destinction of most romantic place to visit in Canada and the Cabot Trail has already received the accolade of being named the most scenic drive by motor cycle drivers world wide, lets add this new distinction to our list. Visitors who will be planning a vacation to Canada will want to include the top sites to see. So lets do our part, go to http://www.seemoresights.ca/thegreatcanadiansightstour.aspx and vote for the Cabot Trail. Vote Now!!! Share the above mentioned link and encourage your friends and associates to get in on the vote.

Light Up The Stage Fundraisers Gala

Feed the Cold with a bit of Spring when the Savoy Theatre presents its First Annual 'Light Up The Stage' Fundraising Gala.

The Savoy Theatre is celebrating the beginning of our 85th year of theatre and arts in Nova Scotia! With a history steeped with the performances of this century’s greatest talents from Cape Breton Island and beyond, we are thrilled to announce our first annual fundraising concert to be held on Sunday, April 22, 2012.

With the exciting confirmation from multiple-award winning songstress Rita MacNeil, as well as The Men of the Deeps, Peter Gillis, The Three Pianos, Wendy MacIsaac and Mary Jane Lamond , the evening is set to be a night to remember.

In addition to a night of fabulous music and a chance to support the Savoy Theatre, patrons will start the evening off with a Wine and Cheese reception while they bid on fun and fantastic silent auction items, services and much, much more. All proceeds go in support of the Savoy Theatre and community programming.

For tickets please contact the Box Office at 902-842-1577.

Time: 8:00 PM | Price: $54.95 Includes wine & cheese reception, silent auction & fabulous star

Tourism in Richmond County

Spring is here officially and with the change of the season our weather has taken its queue and jumped from seasonal temperatures to beautiful warm t-shirt weather. What a change! Let’s hope it continues. It is no wonder that our tourism associations are busy looking to the upcoming season. Planning for the tourism season is quickly moving ahead, and with this planning Destination Cape Breton Association (DCBA) is in the process of developing its new Experience and Packaging Booklet. This beautifully done marketing booklet will be used as a marketing piece at trade shows and special events, as well as a mail out for those visitors requesting information on our area for their upcoming vacations. The booklet will also be distributed to Visitor Information Centers around Cape Breton Island, as well as the Kiosk located on the Halifax Waterfront, to be used as handouts to our visitor. The cover of the Experience & Packaging Booklet will display an iconic image of the island capturing the interest at a glance of visitors planning a trip to the island. This new marketing piece will feature beautiful photos throughout the book, showcasing the highlights of the island. This excellent advertising piece offers Cape Breton tourism operators the opportunity to develop and promote their products and experiences to a greater degree, which will be beneficial in growing their customer base and to increasing their exposure in the existing markets as well as to broaden exposure to new markets. If your package or experience meets the criteria set or the booklet, operators can join DCBA in producing this new promotional piece at a nominal fee. For more information go to www.cbisland.com or call Dan Coffin at DCBA at 1-902-563-4636.
Destination Cape Breton Association will host Tourism Industry Day on April 19th. DCBA will do a presentation on what the Association has planned with regards to moving Cape Breton’s Tourism industry ahead for the rest of 2012. With the completion of DCBA’s marketing plan it now has a clear focus on how they will proceed this year. So make sure to mark April 19th on your calendar and discover what the great opportunities lies ahead. More updates will be coming as the day draws
closer.
Attention all non-profit groups, if your organization is planning on applying for a grant from DCBA to help market your 2012 Festival or Event, you will want to have your application in by the March 31 deadline. As part of the grant criteria, all festivals must be listed on www.novascotia.com. Also keep in mind that if your organization received funding in the last fiscal year, you must have submitted a final report from your event with DCBA, as part of the criteria in order to have your application to be eligible for consideration this year.
Accolades continue to build up for Cape Breton. This time Cape Breton has been noted as the Number 1 Romantic Destination in Canada according to the travel website vacay.ca. Cape Breton was chosen for this distinction because of the charm of our country setting with its easy going life style, cozy pubs, charming B&Bs and romantic resorts, beautiful scenery and pristine beaches. On the website they mention White Point and the Baddeck area but this is a designation that could describe any area in Cape Breton. From Inverness to Cheticamp to Louisbourg to St. Peter’s and Isle Madame the charm of the country setting of our communities are a certainty, with amazing scenery, great local pubs that offer Ceilidhs and traditional music, resorts and B&B’s that offer a romantic setting and our easy style of living. Whatever the reason couples pick Cape Breton Island for their getaway, be it an anniversary or their honeymoon, a stop at any of our quaint, peaceful communities would offer a perfect setting.
Until next week, have fun exploring the beautiful scenery of Richmond.

Let’s Play at Strathspey Place

The youngsters are taking over the stage! Let’s Play at Strathspey will give the youth of the area a chance to sing, dance, read, and act for an afternoon of fun! The youth emcees- The Fluffels (Ka-Fluffel, Ina-Fluffel, Alla-Fluffel, and Mora-Fluffel) will only calm down when there is singing, so the audience, both young and young at heart should be ready to sing along! This matinee show will also highlight local children’s stories such as Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters, by Murdena Marshall, Lillian Marshall, Prune Harris, and Cheryl Bartlett. This Strathspey Place Players production hopes to give the young actors, singers, and dancers of Inverness County a place to shine!

Showtime is Saturday March 31st at 2pm at Strathspey Place in Mabou and tickets are only $5.

View of Richmond

The planning for the upcoming tourism season is definitely on the move. Destination Cape Breton Association (DCBA) is in the process of producing an Experience & Packaging Booklet. This small information booklet will be used as a handout and distributed to Visitor Information Centres around Cape Breton Island, as well as at the Cape Breton Kiosk located on the Halifax waterfront, used for mail outs to potential visitors, and used as a marketing piece at trade shows and special events. The booklet will sport an iconic image on the front cover and have a beautiful variety of photos throughout this marketing piece. It will be used to showcase the experiences and packages available to visitors.

This beautifully done advertising piece will give operators of the tourism industry across Cape Breton Island the opportunity to develop and promote their products and experiences to a greater degree, making it more effective to grow a potential customer base and increase the exposure in the existing markets as well as to broaden exposure to new markets.

If your package or experience meets the specific criteria set for the booklet, operators are encouraged to join DCBA in producing this new and exciting lure piece at nominal fee. For more information go to www.cbisland.com or call DCBA at 1-902-563-4636.

On April 19th, Destination Cape Breton Association will be hosting Tourism Industry Day. This year’s presentation will be on what DCBA is doing to move into 2012. DCBA has completed its marketing plan and has a clear focus on how they will proceed this year. So make sure to mark April 19th on your calendar. More updates will be coming as the day draws closer.

If you are a member of a non-profit group and are planning on applying for a grant to help market your 2012 Festival or Event, keep in mind that the deadline for your application to the DCBA marketing Program is March 31st, 2012. Remember that as part of the criteria, all festivals must be listed on www.novascotia.com. For those organizations applying, if your organization received funding in the last fiscal year, make sure that your final report from your event was sent in to DCBA so that you will be eligible for consideration this year.

Tourism in Richmond County

Spring temperatures have finally arrived and our thoughts turn towards getting outside and preparing the yard and garden for spring planting. I find that as soon as the snow disappears and the sun starts to dry up the ground that I am drawn to my flower beds to see what I have to do to freshen them up and prepare the beds for the summer ahead. I don’t have a lot of time as the tourism season is also quickly approaching and with the opening of the Visitor Information Center, whatever stage my flower beds are in at that point is how they will be for the summer. For the flowers at the Visitor Information Centre we are so fortunate to have the staff at the Greenhouse Co-op Flower Shop located in St. Peter’s donate their services and flowers for our Centre’s flower boxes. Visitors are always commenting on how attractive the flowers are and all I have to do is apply water and hope for sun. The visitors stopping in at our VIC often comment on the beautiful flower baskets that adorn the lampposts along main street, many asking about the types of flowers that make up the baskets and about the amount of maintenance that it would take to keep the flowers looking so nice. Luckily, St. Peter’s has a Village Commission that does an excellent job of keeping the village looking its best all year round. Visitors also ask a number of questions about flowers that they see growing along the sides of the roads, describing them by colour and size, some actually bring in a sprig of the plant to see if we can shed some light on what it might be, as they do not see these plants in their area. Luckily we can refer them to the Greenhouse Cooperative where their knowledgeable staff can give them the answer. Some of the visitors to the area last season couldn’t help but wonder what the problem was with all the trees that were down in a crisscross fashion along the main travelways, asking whether the cause was hard winters or lack of rain and high winds. Visitors also comment on different areas of North America where they have travelled, talking about how programs to beautify their communities by planting flowering shrubs and trees along the highways, going a long way to add to the attraction of the area for visitors. When I drive along some of our roads where the trees look like matchsticks ready to tumble, I can’t help but think how nice it would be if we had a program where land owners would replace the damaged trees with a beautiful colourful shrub or fruit tree. I remember when I was a child there was a radio show that ended with an inspirational message of “ if everyone lights but one little candle what a bright world this would be”. In our case, if land owners planted one little tree along our roadways, what a beautiful area this could be. Just something to think about.

Accolades continue to build up for Cape Breton. This time Cape Breton has been noted as the Number 1 Romanic Destination in Canada according to the travel website vacay.ca. Cape Breton was chosen for this distinction because of the charm of our country setting with its easy going life style, cozy pubs, charming B&Bs and romantic resorts, beautiful scenery and pristine beaches. On the website they mention White Point and the Baddeck area but this is a designation that could describe any area in Cape Breton. From inverness to Cheticamp to Louisbourg to St. Peter’s and Isle Madame the charm of the country setting of our communities are a certainty, with amazing scenery, great local pubs that offer Ceilidhs and traditional music, resorts and B&B’s that offer a romantic setting and our easy style of living. Whatever the reason couples pick Cape Breton Island for their getaway, be it an anniversary or their honeymoon, a stop at any of our quant, peaceful communities would offer a perfect setting.
Until next week, have fun exploring the beautiful scenery of Richmond.

Destination Cape Breton Update on Important Upcoming Events and Projects

This information from Destination Cape Breton Association has come to my attention, and so I am sending this important update out to all those involved in tourism in Cape Breton Island.



Destination Cape Breton Association Update:

Destination Cape Breton Association is producing a Experience & Packaging Booklet:

A small handout booklet consisting of an iconic image on the front cover, along with photos throughout, is being developed to showcase the experiences & packages available to the visitor on www.cbisland.com. This booklet will give you, the tourism industry operators across Cape Breton Island, the opportunity to develop and promote your products and experiences with greater effectiveness, grow your potential customer base, increase your exposure to new markets and broaden your reach in existing markets.

The DCBA Experience & Packaging Booklet will be distributed to visitors at our Visitor Information Centres throughout Cape Breton Island, used for mail outs, tradeshows, special events, and will also be the main handout at the Cape Breton Kiosk located on the Halifax Waterfront.
All industry are encouraged to take part for a nominal fee upon meeting specific criteria.

It’s that time of the year again!
Destination Cape Breton Association will be hosting Tourism Industry Day - April 19, 2012.

We are pleased to invite you to be a part of this year’s presentation on what we are doing moving into 2012. The Marketing plan is complete and we have a clear focus moving forward. Please mark your calendars and stay tuned for updates as further information becomes available.

Reminder – Funding Program Deadlines

The 2012 Festival & Events Marketing Program applications deadline is March 31, 2012. Remember that as part of the criteria, all festivals must be listed on www.novascotia.com.
For those who received funding in the last fiscal year, please ensure that your final report is in.
The ECBC Festival and Events Funding Program deadline is March 15, 2012 – 4p.m. The Community Centres Program deadline is March 22, 2012 – 4 p.m.
Guidelines and applications are available on the ECBC website:www.ecbc-secb.gc.ca


Destination Cape Breton Association
70 Crescent St.
Sydney, Nova Scotia B1S6Z9

Tourism in Richmond County

Spring temperatures have finally arrived and our thoughts turn towards getting outside and preparing the yard and garden for spring planting. Richmond County is fortunate to have Greenhouse Co-op located in St. Peter’s, which offers an excellent variety of Annuals and Perennials for our gardens, as well as flowering shrubs and many of the popular trees such as Maples, Flowering Crabs and fruit bearing varieties suitable for our climate conditions. Every year, visitors driving through St. Peter’s stop in at the Visitor Information Centre and comment on how nice the village’s main street looks with the beautiful baskets of flowers hanging from the lamp posts, and flower boxes located along main street and at the VIC. We get many questions asked about the types of flowers used in the baskets and the care that goes into maintaining them. Visitors also ask a number of questions about flowers that they see growing along the sides of the roads, describing them by colour and size, some actually bring in a sprig of the plant to see if we can shed some light on what it might be, as they do not see these plants back home. Luckily we can refer them to the Greenhouse where their knowledgeable staff can give them the answer.

Many visitors also comment on different areas of North America where they have travelled, talking about how beautiful some communities have made their area by hosting programs where landowners have planted flowering shrubs and trees along the highways, adding to the attraction of the area for visitors. Whenever I drive along some of our roads where the trees look like matchsticks ready to tumble, I can’t help but think how nice it would be if we had a program where land owners would replace the damaged trees with a beautiful colourful shrub or fruit tree. Just think what an improvement that would be and how much nicer the drive for visitors to our area.

Accolades continue to build up for Cape Breton. This time Cape Breton has been noted as the Number 1 Romanic Destination in Canada according to the travel website vacay.ca. Cape Breton was chosen for this distinction because of the charm of our country setting with its easy going life style, cozy pubs, charming B&Bs and romantic resorts, beautiful scenery and pristine beaches. This is a designation that can describe all areas of Cape Breton, from the beautiful scenery of Inverness, Cabot Trail, Bras d’Or Scenic Drive, to Mabou with the Red Shoe Pub, Baddeck’s Ceilidhs at St. Marks Hall and the Bras d”Or Lakes Inn in St. Peter’s, intertainment at the Louisbourg Playhouse or the Eighteenth Century Experience with traditional music at the Begger’s Banquet at the Point of View Suites in Louisbourg. For accommodations, the island has many different types that would be perfect for a romantic getaway, from the resorts and Inns such as the Inverary Resort in Baddeck, Castle Moffet in Whycocomagh, the Dundee Resort in Dundee, Point of View Suites in Louisbourg and the Bras d’Or Lakes Inn in St. Peter’s. To the charm of a country B&B and Inns found at such places as the English Country Garden in Indian Brook, Cranberry Cove in Louisbourg, Grandma’s B&B in River Bourgeois and the Canal House B&B and MacDonald’s Country Inn in St. Peter’s and the L’Auberge Acadian Inn in Arichat. Cottages around the island would be another romantic setting for couples looking for an intimate getaway. The charm of these accommodations are just some of the many romantic locations found around the island. Whatever the reason couples pick Cape Breton Island for their getaway, be it a anniversary or their honeymoon, a stop at any of our quant, peaceful communities would offer a perfect setting.

On the local scene: Remember March 17th is St. Patricks Day. St. Peter’s will be celebrating St. Pats Day at the Bras d’Or Lakes Inn with traditional music and Paul Davis and your choice of Corned Beef and Cabbage or Coq Au Vin, reservations are necessary for this event. St. Patricks Dance at the Framboise Community Center from 9pm until 1 am. The Riverdale Community Center in Lower River will be having an Adult Dance from 9pm until 1am. A St. Paddy’s Day Dance will take place at the West Bay Community Centre from 9:30pm until 1:30am. Until next week, Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

View of Richmond

Thinking ahead to warmer temperatures and the outdoor activities that will be drawing visitors to the area, it is only 6 months to the 9th Annual Surf Classic at Point Michaud. Michelle Richards is already planning this year’s event and is in the process of looking for sponsors to help make the event a success. Ms. Richards, the Municipality of Richmond’s Recreation Department’s Surf Instructor at Point Michaud since the start of the surf program, has worked diligently making the surf program a success. Richards has managed the Surf Classic the last number of years, making the season ending event a reality for all the surfers who have taken the recreation department’s program, as well as those coming to the area to enjoy the competition. Last year was the first year that the Municipality of Richmond’s Tourism, Culture and Economic Department funded the Classic in hopes of expanding the one day event to a full weekend, with hopes of attracting more visitors into the area. It is unclear if the the event will be receiving funding from the Department of Tourism, Cultural and Economic Development this year, as they feel the Surf Classic may be more of a Department of Recreation rather than a Tourism event. Besides the Municipality’s support, the village of St. Peter’s stepped up to the plate as it showed its support for last year’s Surf Classic in many ways; from giving discounts on rooms, to donating venues, to holding events and donating prizes. The Village On the Canal Association, VOCA, lent its support to the Surf Classic as one of the Host Sponsors for this very popular event.

Outdoor Tourism is one of the most sought after and growing avenues of the industry in Nova Scotia. It is important to stay in tune with what the visitors are looking for, especially with all the excellent reviews that Cape Breton has been drawing as the number one island destination in North America. The Surf Classic takes place just as the tourism industry starts its shoulder season, as families with school aged children have already left for home. The Surf Classic, Paddlefest, as well as ATV events are drawing quite a bit of attention to Richmond County from visitors around the area and beyond. It is gratifying to see that the communities surrounding these events see the importance of outdoor tourism.

Point Michaud Surf Classic Looking for Support

The 9th Annual Point Michaud Surf Classic is only 6 months away. This information has just arrived at my desk from Michelle Richards, organizer for the Classic, and so I want to pass it along to all those who would like to see this event grow even bigger and better than past years. Michelle could use your help, and if you would like to become a supporter of this fun filled event give her a email or call her.


9th Annual Point Michaud Surf Classic


The 9th annual Point Michaud Surf Classic is scheduled for Saturday, August 25th 2012 at Point Michaud Beach on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

This event is the longest running (non name changing) annual surf contest held in Canada. It attracts people of all ages from Nova Scotia, who participate in surf sports.

We would love to have your involvement for this year’s upcoming surf contest. Anything is greatly appreciated, as we will accept prize donations, food and beverage donations, media coverage, ideas, etc.

The Point Michaud Surf Classic will generously promote you in return. Your name and logo will appear on the posters announcing the event. Your logo will be printed on certificates handed out to all participants during the award ceremony. Sponsor names will also be announced at the event. For the duration of the contest on Aug 25th, all sponsor prizes will be on display for participants and spectators to view.

The Point Michaud Surf Classic is like no other surf contest. With multiple divisions, everyone is encouraged to enter in many categories. These divisions are as follows:

Surf Board: Kids, Jr Boy, Jr Girl, Men’s, Women’s, Master, Long Board, Short Board,
Team Surf Relay, Finless, and Open

Other Divisions include: Body Board, Skim Board, Kayak Surf, Body Surf Team Expression Session, Kite Surf, Wind Surf and Stand Up Paddleboard

With so many divisions that are further broken down into age categories, everyone walks away a winner with a prize, certificate and trophy at the Point Michaud Surf Classic. The emphasis for this event is placed on fun. It is a time to celebrate the end of another great summer at Point Michaud Beach.

I look forward to working with you towards a successful 9th annual Point Michaud Surf Classic this year.


Thank you for your consideration,

Michelle Richards
Point Michaud Surf Classic Organizer
surfmichuad@yahoo.ca
Hm Phone: (902) 345–0741
Cell Phone: (902) 227–1230

Plans For Surf Classic at Point Michaud Underway

Tourism in Richmond County
By
Ann Marie Yorke

March is here and we are now counting down the days until Spring, with it’s longer days and warmer temperatures; I can hardly wait. But since we still have to deal with snow, we may as well make the most of it. And when you think about it, there are still lots of things to do to keep busy. This is perfect weather to take to the slopes for an afternoon of sledding, or travel to Ben Eoin’s Ski resort and have fun skiing. These are great activities to keep in mind over March break. Thinking ahead to warmer temperatures and the outdoor activities that will be drawing visitors to the area, it is only 6 months to the 9th annual Surf Classic at Point Michaud. Michelle Richards is already planning this year’s events and is in the process of looking for sponsors to help make this year’s event a success. Ms. Richards, who has worked as the Municipality of Richmond’s Recreation Department’s Surf Instructor at Point Michaud since the start of the program, has worked tirelessly making the surf program a success. It is Richards who has managed the event the last number of years, making the Surf Classic a reality and an event that all the surfers who have taken the recreation department’s surf program, as well as those coming to the area, have come to enjoy.
Last year was the first year that the Municipality of Richmond’s Tourism, Culture and Economic Department funded the Classic in hopes of expanding to a full weekend of activities, which they hoped would bring more visitors into the area. It is unclear that the event will be receiving funding from the Department of Tourism, Cultural and Economic Development for this year.Besides the Municipality’s support, the Village of St. Peter’s stepped up to the plate as it showed its support for last year’s Surf Classic in many ways. Rhoda and Jean Pierre Gillet of the Bras d’Or Lakes Inn lent their support to the event by offering surfers travelling to the area to take in the Classic a discounted room rate which was a great benefit for the surfers. The Inn also hosted the first night and donated one of the major prizes. The MacBouch Restaurant and Lounge hosted the Saturday night event for the Classic, which was very successful seeing many visitors taking in the event. VOCA, the Village On the Canal Association, lent its support to the Surf Classic as one of the Host Sponsors for this very popular event. As well as the above mentioned support, there were also other business from the area that supported the Classic by donating prizes for the events. Outdoor Tourism is one of the most sought after and growing avenues of the industry in Nova Scotia. It is important to stay in tune with what the visitors are looking for, especially with all the excellent reviews that Cape Breton has been drawing as the number one island to visit in North America. With outdoor activities offered in Richmond County, it will continue to draw the interest of visitors. The Surf Classic, as well as last year’s new Paddlefest, have caused quite a bit of interest from visitors around the area and beyond.
It is great to see the renewed interest of businesses and community organizations from the county lending their support to our tourism ventures. In order to see our county grow in the tourism sector this support is a necessity. The Surf Classic which takes place the last weekend of August also aids the increase of visitors coming to the area during the start of what we refer as our shoulder season, as this is the time period that many of the visitors with families have already headed back home due to the start of school. Well until next week, I hope you enjoy your time in Richmond and have fun during the school March Break!

Tourism in Richmond County

February is finally coming to an end and I can honestly say I will be glad to see the month behind us. I guess that I have become a little spoiled by the mild weather we had in January and then the shock of February with the cold temperatures and abundance of snow was just a little too much, since I was so looking forward to that early spring that the knowledgeable but slightly confused groundhog had predicted. Oh well! Spring is just around the corner I hope and now we can look forward to some nicer weather.
Great news for St. Patrick's Day lovers. Make sure to mark March 17th on your events calendar and get ready to celebrate. If you come from an Irish background as I do, you have probably grown up listening and enjoying Irish music, and making sure that you had something green to wear on St. Patrick's Day. This year I am looking forward to attending the sixth annual St. Patrick's Day party at the Bras d'Or Lakes Inn. There will be lots of great traditional Irish music to get your toes tapping, while enjoying a tasty meal, sound like a party to you? Well you are right, so dig out something green to wear and join in the fun. The Sixth annual St. Patricks’s Day event is the biggest live traditional session of the year in these parts, featuring an acoustic jam with dozens of players, in the very amiable surroundings of the Bras d'Or Lakes Inn. This year's celebration will also be a tribute to Paul Davis, who will be celebrating the 30th Anniversary of his weekly radio show, “The Music of Ireland”. Without a doubt, Paul definitely deserves to be roasted and toasted by his friends and fans, after producing 1,560 hour-long shows for our enjoyment. Anyone of his friends or fans who would like to make public remarks for Paul during the meal may do so. If you are interested in making a toast to Paul you can contact Greg Silvers at 1-902- Office 1-902-535-3990 or at 1 902- 631- 5050 in advance of the event, to answer any of your questions and to schedule your toast or roast for the evening’s event. On Saturday, March 17, starting at 5 pm, the Jam session will begin, then there will be a break while guests enjoy a delicious meal served at 7pm and following the meal, the Jam session will resume Chef JP Gillet from the Bras d’Or Lakes Inn, has planned a delicious supper of your choice of either Corned Beef and Cabbage or Coq au vin for their guests. Reservations and advance tickets are required, as this is a private function at the Inn. Seating is limited, so book early to avoid disappointment. Tickets are $17.25 including taxes and can be purchased in advance from Rhoda or Jean Pierre at the Bras d'Or Lakes Inn.

Also on the entertainment scene: On March 4th, there will be a Community Breakfast held at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 150 in Arichat from 8am until 11am. Also on March 4th, there will be a Merchandise Bingo held at the Riverdale Community Centre in Lower River starting at 2pm. On March 9th, there will be an Adult Dance held at the D’Escousse Hall from 9pm until 1am with music by Mike McNamara. Attendees must be 19 years of age and over to attend this event. Until next week, I hope you have fun as you enjoy some of our excellent entertainment and explore our beautiful county of Richmond.