A few of my favourite things
Columnist knocks a few other items off summer bucket list
Before going away to university, I wanted to make sure that I experience some of my favourite things to do in Cape Breton.
With the warm weather lately, many people have been going to some of the lovely beaches Cape Breton has to offer. I visited my favourite spot for swimming two weeks ago, Dalem Lake Provincial Park in Boularderie. It has picnic tables, a nice spot for swimming and walking trails all around the park.
A great way to appreciate some Cape Breton talent is by stopping into a local theatre.
Sydney’s Highland Arts Theatre is offering four of their most-loved shows all summer long on different days of the week. I’ve been enjoying taking in the different shows since they began.
Last week, I watched their Thursday night show, “Kitchen Party.” The show references some of the amazing parts of Cape Breton while portraying a classic Cape Breton kitchen party.
Their Friday night show is called “Heart of Steel” and it’s also a Cape Breton show that touches on the steel plant.
On Tuesday, they have the Broadway musical “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” On Wednesday, they have an original piece combining the 70s and Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” called “Disco Nights.”
Kevin Munroe, 17, works at the Highland Arts Theatre but also performs in three of the four shows every week.
He performs in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” “Kitchen Party” and “Heart of Steel.” He enjoys being able to learn about Cape Breton culture while doing what he loves.
“It’s really cool to be involved with both “Heart of Steel” and “Kitchen Party,” especially having been in “Heart of Steel” during its first run in 2015 and having seen “Kitchen Party” as an audience member in 2016. For me, both of these shows tackle quintessentially Cape Breton issues and stories and do so in a very unique way through a combination of dialogue, song and dance,” Munroe said, “While my mom’s side of the family does hail from the island, I was born in Ontario. Although I moved here fairly young, I’ve always felt sort of apart from the more traditional aspects of our culture here. So, spending upwards of 12 hours a week preparing for and performing in such singularly Cape Breton themed shows is definitely pretty personally fulfilling.”
Munroe especially enjoys performing “The Chemical Worker’s Song” by Great Big Sea.
“It tells a harrowing tale of how brutal it can be to work in the blue collar industrial sector, a topic especially familiar to those who’ve had experiences with the steel plant and the coal mines,” Munroe explains.
Last weekend was filled with food, food and more food. Ribfest was in Sydney for the weekend and Cape Bretoners proved their generosity and love for ribs. According to Sydney Ribfest’s Facebook page, more than $525,000 was raised to support the Cancer Patient Care Fund at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital and Caleb’s Courage.
The food was fantastic and the energy from
the vendors made it so much more exciting. This year, there was a high demand for a new ice cream truck that stayed at Ribfest for the weekend. The ice cream truck is called Annie’s Ice Cream Parlour. I visited it on George street a few weeks back and also grabbed myself a milkshake while enjoying the hot weather on Sunday of Ribfest. Ice cream is a great way to cool down in the summer and with Annie’s Ice Cream Parlour, their fun toppings and creative desserts make it even better.
There are plenty of fun things to do in Cape Breton and these are some of my favourites. I can’t wait to take in more of the island’s treasures and talent before the summer ends.