Cheers & Jeers
CHEERS: To Adam Casey of Winsloe who earned a chance to represent Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Casey has been invited to join the field for the 2017 Road to the Roar Pre-Trials in Summerside, Nov. 6-12 at Credit Union Place. The event will determine the final two direct-entry berths for both men and women into the 2017 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings in Ottawa in December. The latter event will decide Canada’s teams for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Casey skipped a Saskatchewan-based team at March’s Tim Hortons Brier in St. John’s, N.L., and gained enough qualifying points to earn one of the 12 invitations (in each gender) to the Pre-Trials.
CHEERS: To P.E.I. artists and bands who performed at ECMA 2017 in Saint John, N.B., last weekend. As an audience member, it was wonderful to hear the diversity and richness of music — from roots and classical to rock and blues. Kudos also to the newly minted ECMA award winners. And we can’t forget the organizers. Saint John did a first-class job at hosting the ECMAs. It was a well-organized event that ran at a variety of downtown venues, interconnected through an enclosed pedway system. Other venues included theatres, churches, as well as Harbour Station where the awards show took place.
CHEERS: To Rev. Brian MacDougall for being named Chaplain of the Year at the recent provincial Knights of Columbus convention. He needed a boost after the Nashville Predators swept his Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of NHL playoffs. In Al MacAdam’s playoff draft, Fr. Brian cast his lot with the Hawks. Needless to say, he is mired near the bottom of the Lakeside pool.
CHEERS: To a civic-minded family who showed up on a recent Sunday to collect trash on the Confederation Trail in the vicinity of UPEI and the Charlottetown Mall. Ten members of the family, including parents and children, donated their time to perform a much-appreciated public duty. A man who witnessed their volunteer effort was inspired to purchase some trash nabbers/grabbers and passed them out to the civic-minded family.
CHEERS: To Darrell Glenn who was selected as the new coach of the UPEI Panther men’s basketball team. Glenn, from Ontario, played for the Panthers from 1988 to 1994 and was a member of the 1988–89 AUS championship team. Island basketball fans will remember Glenn for quarterbacking the Panthers offense from his point guard position, and for his infectious smile and positive personality. He is an excellent choice.
CHEERS: To Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee who was given a special honour — the Bruce Yeo memorial award — for his contributions to municipal government, at the recent annual meeting of the Federation of P.E.I. Municipalities.