Back to normal
The Thursday evening rain that gave way to a chilly Friday morning was somehow a fitting end to August and an appropriate start to September. After a warm, dry summer, change is in the air. This is the month, after all, that life returns to “normal” for many families with the start of a new school year and the settling in to regular routines. This is not a bad thing, just a change from the carefree days of summer.
The start of a new school year means many other changes, too. Many attractions that rely on students for summer help also close even though many tourists are still around looking for things to do.
The new school year is starting on a quieter note this year than it might have been if the school closures debated last winter had actually happened. There were five schools recommended for closure but the day after the Board of Directors of the P.E.I. Public School’s Branch accepted the recommendations affecting just two of those schools, the provincial cabinet met and decided all the schools would remain open.
In the end, the process created a whole lot of anxiety for many students, parents and school staffs across Prince Edward Island with little to show for it. Only a few recommendations affecting boundaries are going ahead.
But the outcome certainly did spare a lot of people – students, parents, school staff and politicians – a summer of worry and anxiety.
Growing the shoulder season
As already mentioned, there are still many tourists around. Prince Edward Islanders have taken on the challenge of helping to grow the tourism season.
Events like fall flavours and, now, Fall Halls, are giving tourists more reasons to extend their stay and enjoy all that a Prince Edward Island September has to offer.
It is, after all, a long year. Spreading their season out makes for a more profitable industry and helps to grow the Prince Edward Island economy, and giving tourists more to enjoy during the shoulder season gives them more reason to come back. It’s a win-win for the industry and the tourists.
Hockeyville fever
Hockeyville fever has started to sweep all over O’Leary again. This time it’s all for a chance to win a ticket to the Kraft Hockeyville NHL exhibition game on Sept. 25.
The game will be played in Summerside but the prize is O’Leary’s. It’s only right, then, that people wanting to get registered for a chance to win tickets to the game would do so in O’Leary. O’Leary might not be getting the game day traffic, but anyone who wins tickets through the lottery will have had to visit the West Prince town at least once during the process. It’s good, too, that the local Hockeyville committee saw fit to award all O’Leary Minor Hockey and Figure Skating children a ticket.
They had said from the beginning of their bid to win the national Hockeyville competition that they were in it for the kids. They are walking the talk, and they are also ensuring through the lottery process that O’Leary and area residents get the bulk of the tickets.
That’s the way it should be.