PC Party to take stand against drugs

Caption: From left, Myles MacKinnon, Shirley Anne Campbell, Leader Olive Crane and Merlin Cormier of the P.E.I. Progressive Conservative party stand outside Three Oaks Senior High school Friday afternoon before a press conference where the Conservatives announce programs for youth addiction.

Island Progressive Conservatives say yes to addiction treatment

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

The Progressive Conservative Party in P.E.I. is committed to battling youth addictions, said Party Leader Olive Crane Friday at a press conference in Summerside at Three Oaks Senior High School.

The party announced a three-part platform aimed to help families with kids struggling with addictions.

The three programs in the party’s stand to address youth addictions including establishing a residential youth addictions facility on P.E.I., reinstating and investing drug prevention programs such as DARE, SAVE and Peer Education and creating a community fund to enhance community addictions treatments and prevention programming.

Provincial PC Candidates Myles MacKinnon, Shirley Anne Cameron and Merlin Cormier were also there for the event.

Crane said talking to families, drug prevention and rehabilitation is a big concern.

“For the last several weeks and months we’ve had our candidates out on the door step listening to Islanders,” she said. “One of the big issues that continually come up is the issue with youth addictions and how it’s impacting on the individual and their family and our entire communities.”

She said the province has been lacking a youth rehabilitation facility for too long.

“Right now what we’re committed to is a residential treatment facility. There’s a lot of work to be done to determine the best location, the best model of treatment.”

Crane used the Portage Residential Centre in Cassidy Lake, N.B., which offers up to a year for treatment, as an example of what she would like to see.

“Right now in the province we do have a day treatment program for young people, but this is a 24-hour seven days a week residential program many addicts themselves and their families have been asking for,” she said. “When you get to do this, we have to do it right.”

Shirley Anne Cameron, who’s teaching resume includes Athena Consolidated School and Three Oaks Senior High school, said the approach is critical in her experiences.

“They deserve this and we really need to make this happen for them to give them a fighting chance against addictions.”

STRONG MAN

CAPTION: John MacDonald lifts a Honda Civic Thursday night at the new Evangeline Recreation Centre during the P.E.I. Men’s 230-Pound Strongman Competition. MacDonald eventually won the event.

CAPTION: Ashley Profitt picks up two gas cans on her way to the finish line at the P.E.I. Ladies Strength and Fitness Championships Thursday night at the new Evangeline Recreation Centre. Profitt eventually won the event.

John MacDonald wins P.E.I. Men’s 230-Pound Strongman Champshionship

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

John MacDonald defeated Terry MacKay in a tie-breaker tug-of-war competition to become the P.E.I. Men’s Under 230- Pound Strongman Championship winner Thursday night at the new Evangeline Recreation Centre.

MacDonald, of York P.E.I. and MacKay, of Bridgewater, N.S. and reigning two time champion of the competition, were tied on the leader board after four events that seen them pulling tractors 50 feet, flipping tractor tires, lifting a car and a medley race lifting a log, a large rock, a keg and a cement weighted lobster trap.

The men then faced off in a tug of war to determine the winner, something MacDonald says he was intimidated by.

“‘I suck at tug-of-war,’ that’s what was going through my head,” he said. “I was kind of hoping we’d go for a pose down or a push-up competition, but tug-of-war it was.”

Third place finisher for the event was Summerside resident Allie Gallant.

MacDonald felt pretty good about his win Thursday night.

“I didn’t think it was going to happen. I don’t really train the strongman that often. I was just hoping to come out and have some fun and winning was a big plus.”

The natural power lifter said the dead lifting the car was the hardest event of the night for him.

“I got in the wrong position, kind of on my toes for it and hanging on for dear life,” he said. “(Dead lifting) is something I train everyday but it’s totally different when you’re lifting those kinds of implements and holding it there all day long.”

MacDonald wasn’t the only winner of the night.

Ashley Profitt took home the P.E.I. Ladies Strength and Fitness Championships crown, beating out her closest competitor by only a few tenths of a second.

“It was pretty intense, I knew I was going to be close,” she said. “It was scary too, I knew I was going to do not bad but I wasn’t expecting to be first, that’s for sure.”

The 23-year old Lot 16 native said she was happy to have won.

“I worked hard to get here and stuff. I did a major weight loss since last August so it was kind of a, ‘Good job Ashley, you’re going in the right direction,’” she said. “It tells me I can do whatever I want if I put my mind to it.”

Profitt beat out second place finisher Rachelle Arsenault and third place finisher for the title.

Evangeline Rec Centre set to host first event

Evangeline Recreational Centre set to host first event

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

In April 2010, the Evangeline community was struck hard as the Evangeline Recreational Centre burned down.

Thursday will help repair it, as only five months since construction began the first event in the newly built Evangeline Recreational Centre will be held as a part of the community’s Acadian festival.

The 400- seat centre, complete with a National Hockey League sized ice surface and a full work out gym, will be hosting the festival’s Strongman/ Women’s strength and fitness competition at 7:30 p.m.

Cedric Gallant, Evangeline Recreational Centre manager, was quite excited to be able to unveil it to the public Thursday.

“(It feels) unbelievable. It’s going to be so great to see people walk into this building and just look their faces saying, ‘Wow.” It’s going to be awesome, great.”

Gallant said people avoided coming in while construction was going on so they could just see the finished product.

“Definitely everybody will be pleased. Our old rink was great, but everything is brand new and that type of thing,” he said. “Their reaction is the main thing and they’re just going to love it.”

Gallant said though the old rink burning down was a “heart wrenching experience” it’ll be heartwarming to have the new one open.

“There’s always a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. The way the community got together with this and the fundraising that they did was just amazing. It’s their building.”

The complex is 95 per cent done with only minor details needing to be finished, like glass, boards and the ice for the ice surface and seats. Though they were on schedule, Gallant said they still had to scramble to finish a few things.

“Everything has been going smoothly but the last couple of days we may have scrambled a bit,” he said. “But everyone here has been working hard.”

Gallant said when he walks in tomorrow night with the Evangeline Recreational Centre filled he will be very emotional.

“It’s just because the old rink wasn’t supposed to burn but it did and now the new rink wasn’t supposed to be here yet, maybe another year or so, but everything went so quick and so fast,” he said. “We went from being very, very sad to being very, very oh my God type of thing. It’s going to be very emotional all weekend here.”

Elvis Burned

Police recovered a burning Elvis behind Elm Street School Thursday afternoon, said Summerside Police Service Sgt. Barry Arsenault.

At 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon police responded to a call from the janitorial staff of Elm Street school reporting a burning scarecrow behind the building in the playground area.

Upon arriving at the scene, Summerside police recovered the charred remains of who they suspected to be Elvis.

Friday morning blue suede shoes and a wig were recovered in the grass and surrounding area.

The Summerside Police Service is in the process of obtaining the video from the school’s outdoor cameras. 

GW

Summerside native spends summer cleaning city

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

Graffiti met a new enemy in mid-July. After discussing the idea with his mother, a Summerside native left his house riding a bicycle, dressed in a bike helmet, dark sweater, heavy rubber gloves, backpack to carry his tools and wireless headphones to listen to music, leaving a streak of clean signs and mailboxes behind him, five to be exact.

The Graffiti Warrior was born.

“I can get a sign done in two minutes roughly,” he said. “I’ve done a whole box, one of those grey Canada Post boxes, it usually takes me three minutes.”

The graffiti washing vigilante has been doing this since the beginning of the summer, now doing roughly 10 signs a morning, getting up at 5 a.m. to use his tools, industrial paint thinner, a plastic brush, a rubber wheel and a wireless power drill on stop signs, mailboxes and various publicly owned property littered with graffiti.

“If I see a sign, I can spot the ink just by looking at it, the ink I can take off just with thinner, and I know the thinner doesn’t hurt the sign, cosmetically or structurally,” said the Graffiti Warrior, who’s pseudonym came from close friends who know his identity.

It all began with his travels all over the world. After being impressed by one city in particular and its cleanliness he became inspired to do something about his hometown but didn’t know how.

Back at home in Summerside, one day at work, he discovered a work to have been vandalized with spray. Deciding to clean it, he grabbed the paint thinner and was shocked at how easily it came off.

That was when it came to him. How easy would it be to clean his own neighbourhood of the vandalism that covers it?

After his initial foray into the world of graffiti clean up went well, it became a regular thing, waking up at about five in the morning and working on cleaning graffiti-laden public property until six, taking on street at a time.

He estimates to have cleaned about 100 items in his work period and all the pictures of before and after are on his blog.

But with great power (or cleaning supplies) comes great responsibility.

The Graffiti Warrior has received plenty of threats, some of which can be violent.

“I’m not trying to aggravate (graffiti artists),” he said. “I’m hoping they’ll understand. They’re free thinkers, you can tell by their writing, I’m just hoping they’ll have respect for me. They’ll see what I’m doing and say, ‘Hey, the guy has got guts.’”

But not all reviews have been bad. Recently the Graffiti Warrior has spent some afternoons cleaning up and has been greeted by locals.

“They immediately know I’m cleaning signs,” he said. “They say, ‘Oh, you’re working for the city right?’ ‘No just volunteering,’ (he responds). A lot of them say ‘neighbourhood hero’ and stuff,” he laughed. “All the locals I’ve talked to have encouraged me.”

From his experiences this summer he has learned two things.

“If you’re going to start something, you got to finish it,” he said. “The second thing I learned that whatever you do, someone’s going to give you some bull over it, you know, try to push you around and give you some flak. But just take your guard and stand up.”

All in all he has no regrets, but hopes he inspired people to help keep their city clean.

“Hopefully I’ll have a better effect on people than bad,” he said. “I was hoping other people would here what I’ve done and start doing it themselves. Start doing a little bit of cleaning.”

Safe Boxing

Former Boxer says boxing still safe

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

Boxing is no more dangerous than any other sport, says former pro boxer Joe Borden.

In a press release on Monday the Canadian Paediatric Society, along with the American Academy of Paediatrics, have advised against allowing children and teens to participate in the sport of boxing.

The release included statistics from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program listing, between 1990 and 2007, boxing as the leading all combat sports in hospitals admissions. In those admissions 58 per cent were because of facial fractures and 25 per cent were sustained closed head injuries, such as concussions.

Claire Leblanc, Canadian Paediatric Society’s chair of Healthy Active Living and Sports Medicine Committee said in the press release that they want children to participate in sports and recreation but not boxing.

“We recommend young people participate in sports where the prime focus is not deliberate blows to the head.”

Borden said that if the sport is well supervised with officials it is safe.

“It’s no more dangerous than anything else,” he said. “I mean you take football, guys end up crippled for life. I strongly belief it’s safe as long as it’s run right.”

Borden also sited boxing’s importance to some community children.

“Back in the old days a lot of kids got in to boxing to keep them off the street and give them a place to go.”

He said he can understand people being worried about the sport.

“When you have people who’ve never been involved in boxing and they’re watching and they say, ‘God, there is a shot to the head and another shot to the head’ and their heart is probably in the right place but you can’t ruin a sport because of what might happen.”

Borden said he thinks problems arise from people who unsafely and improbably run boxing programs.

“When I use to watch boxing on the Olympics, you never saw anybody getting hurt,” he said. “I haven’t seen a lot of serious injuries in boxing over the years.”

He said the sport has evolved to become safe since it’s earlier days, amateur boxing especially.

“Things have changed gloves were made bigger, I remember they use to use eight ounce gloves then they went to 10 ounce gloves, and amateurs use head gear and a special mouth piece and officials are trained better to make sure if a guy gets hit and he looks hurt, it’s up to you if you thought he was hurt you stop the fight.”

Borden said he hates to hear of injuries with kids but thinks the sport is safe.

“If it keeps a kid safe, I’m all for it. But I think the sport itself is mandated to look after the kids with the proper gear and proper officials. And if they have that, I think it’s alright.”

Golf Tourney

CAPTION: Dallas Desjardins makes a putt on the 18-hole at Summerside Golf Course Monday morning where he is the general manager. Desjardins will be taking part in the Atlantic Professional Golf Association’s Tour Championship hosted at the course Sept. 7-8.

Summerside to host Atlantic Professional Golf Association’s tour championship.

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE- The Summerside Golf Course will be this year’s host of the Atlantic Professional Golf Association’s Tour Championship Sept. 7 and 8.

The tournament will see about 45 professional golfers from Atlantic Canada, including Kevin Dugas and Canadian Professional Golf Associations alumni Craig Taylor and Gordie Smith, competing for a purse of $15,000 over the two day stroke play event. Summerside will be represented in the tournament by Summerside Golf Course’s general manager Dallas Desjardins and its head professional Paul Bonefant.

Summerside was chosen to host the event after the original city couldn’t get settled in time. Desjardins who is tour captain volunteered Summerside for the event and received a warm reception to the idea.

“I announced it at our last three day event and everybody seemed really excited to be coming to Summerside.”

The APGA holds two major events each year including the tour championship and the Atlantic Zone challenge, held this year at Kingswood Golf Course in Fredricton, N.B.

Atlantic Region businesses will have a chance to play in the Pro-Am event on Sept. 6, which will see three amateurs paired with one professional.

Desjardins said he was excited to be able to host the tournament in Summerside.

“This is a great feather in our cap. You know, we get to show off how far this course has come in recent years, because in my opinion it is one of the better venues with positioning, playability and challenge,” he said. “People don’t realize how much of a challenge this golf course can be.”

Desjardins said he believes the tournament will be great for the city.

“Hopefully our course and the city can see a little influx of tourists coming in after (the tournament) might not be this year but hopefully next year once they realize this is one of the better places to play on the Island.”
He said though he doesn’t think the home field advantage will be working for him, it will for Bonefant.

“He’s been playing pretty well this year and having home field advantage might get him to put up some great numbers for the other guys to challenge.”

Desjardins said the amount of pros attending the event has been consistent every year.

“We only have 176 golf professionals in Atlantic Canada, so it is usual about 45.”

He said he isn’t too sure what to expect crowd wise, especially being the first week of school for most homes in Summerside.

“If there is people interested in wanting to come out and watch some great golf being played, we will have a big scoreboard up and will have signs following groups to show how well they’re doing.”

Six Nations Exhibition

CAPTION: Quebec’s Vincent MacDonald, left, tries to break through the Summerside Spartans’ defence as Branson Mayne zones in for a tackle Friday afternoon during an exhibition game at the Eric Johnson turf field in Summerside. Both teams are competing in the Six Nation’s Football Challenge in Charlottetown this weekend.

Combat Computers

CAPTION: Steve VanDuinkerken, owner of Combat Computers, stands in his newly opened Summerside shop in the Granville Street Plaza Thursday afternoon. The third Combat Computers location on P.E.I. will have it’s grand opening today at noon. Photo Ryan Quigley / Journal Pioneer

Snowbirds

CAPTION: The Snowbirds arrived in Slemon Park yesterday for the Atlantic Canada International Air Show yesterday. The planes will be giving media tours tomorrow flying around the P.E.I. in preparation for Saturday and Sunday’s show. Photo Ryan Quigley / Journal Pioneer 

Getting Tanked

CAPTION: Members of the 2^nd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment sit around a LAV III tank Friday morning. They will be giving rides this weekend at the Atlantic Canada International Air Show this weekend.

Air Show offers more than airplanes

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

Though the Atlantic Canada International Air Show this weekend will have a lot of plane displays, they won’t be the only attraction.

The Canadian Army will be providing visitors with armoured vehicle rides during the event.

Attendees will be able to ride in one of the Canadian Army’s vehicles such as the LAV III. The 22 foot long Light Armoured Vehicle will take people along for a 5-minute ride around the fields surrounding Slemon Park.

During media day at the field, I participated in one of the rides in the gunner seat. As I climbed into the tank, the back was white, with bench seats adjacent to each other on the walls, surrounded by helmets and other gear. Over head was two hatches for viewing outside, while at directly ahead when walking in was a monitor sat attached to the wall.

Arriving into the gunner seat, I was able to poke my head out through one of two hatches, one for the turret man, one for the commander. Sitting in the seat you were surrounded by metal and a wide array of switches, levers, scopes, buttons and one joy-stick.

As I looked around, I was allowed to move the tanks top piece, with a 25 mm chain gun attached. As you moved the toggle from side to side, the top part of the tank would move, while the bottom half would continue on straight. It was a weird feeling.

As we moved from the parked position, we headed from the runway to an open field. As we drove, the ride was bumpy but had a good feel to it. Driving them in video games and watching them on TV doesn’t live up to the experience of the actual experience of moving through terrain in one of the toughest vehicles known to man.

The tank moved quickly for its size, much like a bear in full pace and was soon over.

“Pretty cool eh?” remarked a member of the crew to me.

I agreed. As we parked, one of the men in uniform greeted us, remarking to the driver, “Just like driving momma’s mini-van eh? You never forget.”

Talking to Sgt. Jim Butler of the 2^nd battalion Royal Canada Regiment said the rides have been wildly popular in the past.

“I just did Canadian Forces appreciation day in St. John’s, NFLD. and we had at least 2500 people come through for a ride. Kids were waiting in the lineup three hours just to go for a two minute ride,” he said. “I’ve done this a few times now and it’s one of the best parts of doing this job.”

They will try some different formations and maneuvers during the rides, said Butler.

“We’ll go up and have two vehicles going. We’ll make it an exciting ride for the children.”

Butler talked about how the vehicles have been used in wars such as in Afghanistan.

P.E.I. Humane Society overpopulated

P.E.I. Humane Society struggles with large cat numbers

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

The P.E.I. Humane Society is over capacity with cats this summer.

The Charlottetown complex can usually hold 50 cats comfortably, but this year it has about 100 cats.

This time of year usually sees an influx for the society, with plenty of pregnant cats giving birth and families on vacation instead of adopting new animals but this year has been worst than last, said P.E.I. Humane Society spokesperson Lisa Hashie.

“All of the animal shelters all across North America it’s a busy time for animals coming into the shelter. With a lot of animals coming in and not a lot of animals going out it quickly builds up,” she said. “As of yesterday we had over 120 in our care, some are out on foster care.”

Space and health become a challenge for the facility when dealing with overpopulation, she said.

“The concern is keeping them healthy and giving them the space and enrichment that they all require. So that’s where the big challenge comes from when they’re all packed like this,” she said. “The spread of disease happens fairly quickly when you have that many cats together. Not only are they in so close encounters together they get stressed out so close together as well.”

With too many cats and not enough adoptions also come tough choices.

“We have to make difficult decisions such as having cats euthanized because we don’t have the resources that we would usually have when we’re not busy,” said Hashie. “The animals that we have euthanized have had mild disease, who would ordinarily receive some treatment and nursing care, but were euthanized because our resources are stressed so thin.”

“Even one animal in the building being euthanized because we have too much is sad for us,” she added.

Hashie said that having your cats neutered or spayed, having them identified with a collar or microchip, adopting cats or donations to the society would help them save more animals and cut down on those who need to be cared for.

“If anybody is interested in volunteering they can do so. They can find the application on our website.”

Western Heat

Prince County softball All-Stars hope for strong finish at Eastern Championships

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

The Western Heat begin play at the Eastern Canadian Midget Girl’s Softball championships in Cornwall on Thursday.

The All-Star team is made up from 16 outstanding fast-pitch softball players from Borden to Tignish who played in the P.E.I. Midget Girl’s Softball league with Prince County teams.

The tournament includes 10 teams, from Ontario to Newfoundland, divided into two divisions of five. Each team will play four round robin games, requiring at least two wins to make it to the quarter-finals beginning on Saturday and then to the semi-finals and finals on Sunday.

The Heat will play at least four games during the tournament at the East Wiltshire Softball Complex starting Thursday at 12 p.m. against the team from Cole Harbour, N.S., followed by an evening date with Bathurst, N.B. at 5 p.m. Friday will see the team play one of the two teams from Ontario at 12 p.m. and finishing off the day with Lac St.-Louis at 5 p.m.

Ken Cashion, coach of the Western Heat and recent Provincial champion Summerside Heat, said he believes his team stacks up well with the competition.

“We’re in a tough division but we have a very solid team and so we’re hoping to be playing in the playoffs,” he said. “This would be the best team I’ve ever taken to an Eastern Canadians, no doubt about it.”

Cashion, who has coached in the Eastern Canadian Softball Championships for 15-years, said having three good pitchers in his rotation will help the team’s chances of a high finish,

“A lot of this comes down to pitching,” he said. “(Ontario and Quebec) come down with three or four exceptional pitchers, we come in with three pitchers and we come in with one that can pitch at the Ontario, Quebec level. So what tends to get us is pitching. But straight up this team can play with Ontario or Quebec, there’s no doubt in my mind.”

Cashion said having some good leaders on his team will help.

“When the kids are younger it’s tougher to compete. But as they get bigger they catch up in skill,” he said. “We have four or five leaders that have to play well for us to do well and that’s one of the key things with any team.”

Cashion said picking their spots in the round robin will be key to making it to the playoffs for the Heat.

“You got to pick your games you are going to go for. The goal for us in the round robin is to go either 2-2 or 3-1,” he said. “Once you get into Saturday, anything can happen.”

Come On Irene

Hurricane Irene set to visit the Island

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE- Hurricane Irene is making its way up the Eastern Seaboard, approaching the Maritimes.

As of Wednesday afternoon the storm was in the Caribbean, gathering strength as a category three hurricane, which is Major Hurricane Status with maximum winds at 195 km/h according the Canadian Hurricane Centre meteorologist Bob Robichaud.

Robichaud said, if the storm remains on the water it could be more devastating when it arrives versus if it made its way into the Eastern U.S. before arriving in the Maritimes as hurricanes lose energy quicker on land than on water.

“If things keep going on their current track, it would probably be more of a wind type event for the Island,” he said. “The storm is coming this way and it’s a more wait and see what it does in the U.S.”

“We’ll have a much better idea of it Saturday and Sunday for sure,” he added.

The storm is not believed to make its way to P.E.I. until Monday morning, but too arrive earlier is not out of the realm of possibility, said Robichaud.

“Sunday would be pretty early, at least that’s how it’s looking now. It would have to accelerate pretty quick to get there Sunday,” he said. “It’s pretty unlikely.”

For the Atlantic Air Show, which is happening this weekend, the Hurricane is on their radar but not a worry at this point.

“No matter what happens, the first thing we’re going to do is make sure our fans, our performers and our volunteers are safe. If we have to close down our show because of weather then we will,” said Atlantic Canada International Air Show Executive Director Colin Stephenson. “If it’s not a dangerous situation then we’re going to open both days, rain or shine.”

For the air show to cancel, there would have to be only a 3,000-foot air ceiling, the height a pilot can fly, and that decision would be made the day of the event, said Stephenson.

“If you get cloud and it’s high, we do the whole show. If you get cloud and it’s low, you do a different type of show. If it gets too low then you can’t fly,” he said. “Nine times out of 10 in an overcast sky we’re flying. It doesn’t need to be a blue clear sky.”

Even if there is no flights that day, Stephenson said the show will still be open so people can see inside planes, talk to pilots, tank demonstrations and an army ride.

“If the rain is coming in sideways and the tents end up in Newfoundland then we’ll probably shut her down. But we’re a long way from that right now.”

Air Force Heritage Park walk down memory lane

CAPTION: From Left, Archie Johnstone, Lowell Huestis and Erroll Laughlin stand at the Air Force Heritage Park with Huestis’ original painting of how he envisioned the Park. The three men were on the original planning committee for the soon to be opened attraction.

RANDOM DISCLAIMER

Took Picture, Not Story

Summerset Students

Summerset’s Student Hires makes difference

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE- Summerset’s student hiring program was a success this year, said Summerset Manor Activities Assistant Wendell Cameron.

The program hires people 18 years of age and older with an interest in nursing to help with activities and to take care of residence in the Summerset manor.

The main focus of the program is to get the students to spend extra time with the seniors that regular employees of the manor aren’t able to. Time was spent taking the seniors on walks, playing cards, shopping with them, helping the seniors set up email accounts and setting up activities, even setting up a lobster picnic on the boardwalk for the seniors.

When the program, which has been going for over 20 years now, started at the beginning of the summer, the students asked where residents would like to go for a drive. After the most popular request was Fred’s Restaurant in Cap-Pelé, the summer hires took the residents there for a nice meal.

As the time begins to wind up for the seasonal employees of the manor, finishing up on Friday, Cameron reflected on how well the seven hires had done.

“This has been the best bunch of students we ever had. They seem to be able to find themselves things that needed to be done and they seem to want to be here not just for the money.”

Cameron recalled one student in particular received a higher paying job offer at the start of the year, but decided to stay at the manor.

“She decided to stay here and she’s said so many times through the summer she’s glad she stayed here.”

Anita Casey, one of the students said her experience was fun and has made her think about taking a job in the field.

“I loved it, it was fun and good to make an impression in the residents lives,” she said. “I never wake up in the morning and not want to come to work.”

Jenna Johnston, another one of the students who just finished her first year nursing, said it was good work experience for what she wanted to do.

“Everything I’ve done this summer is things I learned in school last year.”

Both of the students said they’d apply next year.

Cameron said the seniors really enjoy those who come in for the program.

“They go through a week or two where they really miss the students and it takes time to get back to the reality of the fall and winter setting, not having quite as much attention as they had.”

Margaret MacLellan, a resident of the Summerset manor, agreed that she will miss the students when they’re gone.

Centre Goéland

The Centre Goéland holds fundraiser to make ends meet

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

The Centre Goéland is holding a fundraiser to help save the establishment from financially collapsing.

The $1.2 million building, owned by the community of Evangeline, was built in 1975, but it began to need repair. The repairs, which finished four years ago, also included expanding the Centre from 24 rooms to 48 putting Goéland $60, 000 in debt.

Recently the centre, which serves as an event centre and vacationing lodge, located in Cape Egmont, was worked fully by volunteers during customer visits, which helped bring down the debt, but that became strenuous for those involved.

“At this point it’s been run by volunteers, but that can’t happen anymore. I’ve been one of them who’s been putting in 20 or 30 hours a week but I have a full time job,” said the Centre Goéland president Claudette Gallant. “It’s just not feasible to think that volunteers can operate an operation of that size.”

Holding a meeting in June to decide how to approach the problem, the community refused to sell the property.

“Basically what we told the community on the 20^th of June, if we can’t find the funding in the community or elsewhere that we’re not going to have any other options, it’s going to have to go up for sale,” said Gallant. “One guy got up and said at the end of the meeting, ‘There are no three options, there’s only one option and we’re going to keep it.’”

The property is holding a year-long fundraiser to help curb some of the debt while helping establish permanent employment positions and helping contributing to the marketing of the nine-acre centre, which is a cost Gallant said will amount to $5,000 a month.

They are selling $100 tickets for a lottery in which first two tickets picked will each win weekend stays at the centre for up to 48 people, worth over $2000. Third prize will receive a quilt valued at over $500.

Other fundraising events are being planned.

“Just over the weekend here there was the fiftieth reunion at the (Evangeline School) so we had a table there and sold a few tickets there and got the message out to several hundred people there,” said Gallant.

There are other fundraising events in the works with Gallant’s goal of for them is pretty clear for her.

“My goal would be to establish a regular cash flow coming in, to be able to pay our operational costs, be able to find a team to run the place and that eventually we would want to erase the mortgage because that mortgage is costing us 40 per cent of our operational cost.”

Tickets for the lottery can be bought at the RDEE P.E.I. offices in Charlottetown as well as the Rural Action Centre in Wellington, the Acadian Festival and later to be announced locations. 

Pool Closed

Took Picture, didn't do story.

Long Jump Competition

CAPTION: Dustin Powers jumped 14 feet three inches and then 14 feet two inches in a tie breaker to win the long jump competition at Holman’s Harbour Friday afternoon in Summerside. Powers’ prize was tickets to the April Wine concert at Credit Union Place Aug. 26. Photo Ryan Quigley / Journal Pioneer

Harvest Festival

CAPTION: Aiden Campbell, back left, pushes teammate Tyler Parsons to the finish line narrowly beating Eve Keirstead, back right, and partner Katie Stavert-Bernard during a wheel barrel race at Community Gardens in Kensington Friday afternoon. The wheel barrel race was part of the Harvestfest activities Friday. Photo Ryan Quigley/ Journal Pioneer

And Justice For All

Minister of Justice says rehabilitation funding will be “case-by-case” funding

CAPTION: Federal Minister of Justice Robert Nicholson, left, stands with Atlantic Police Academy executive director Edgar MacLeod Thursday morning after a crime roundtable held at the Academy’s facility in Slemon Park. PHOTO Ryan Quigley / Journal Pioneer

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE- The Federal government will take it on a case-by-case basis for providing funding for provincial rehabilitation programs, said Minister of Justice Robert Nicholson.

The Minister was in Summerside Thursday morning for a roundtable on crime at the Atlantic Police Academy. The minister met with officials from the province, particularly in Summerside, to hold a closed forum on crime, something he’s done in several other provinces.

“These have been helpful to me for the past number of years I have been justice minister,” said Nicholson. “I think it went very well I’m always looking for insight and input into people, with the challenges that we have with law enforcement, crime, causes of crime, the consequences of crime.”

Nicholson said the roundtable’s consensus was that the local crime issue is complex.

“I was pleased to tell them I believe a comprehensive approach is important,” he said. “We talked about the challenges that happen in Summerside and elsewhere with people getting involved with drugs.”

Nicholson is part of the Canadian government’s quest to crackdown on crime.

In February, police in Prince County listed prescription drugs as the number one drug problem here. With prison sentencing for drugs comes rehabilitation, which need money. Nicholson said the federal government will listen to provinces when it comes to funding, but will give money on a case-by-case basis.

“There are existing government programs and I always encourage people when I go across the country to make us of them,” said Nicholson. “Our national crime prevention strategy and national anti-drug strategy is a good one to try to get the message out to young people to stay away from drugs.”

With more prison sentences comes the need for more prison guards. 

Housing Development

Province and federal ministers celebrate affordable housing construction

CAPTION: Provincial Minister of Community Services and Seniors Janice Sherry, left, holds up a blue print of the affordable housing complex for seniors with federal Minister of State Alice Wong at the construction site in Summerside Thursday afternoon. Photo Ryan Quigley / Journal Pioneer

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE- Federal and Provincial Ministers were in Summerside to celebrate the beginning of construction for the first publicly built housing for seniors in almost twenty years.

Federal Minister of State Alice Wong and Provincial Minister of Community Services, Seniors and Labour were in attendance for the ceremony, both delivering speeches about the project.

The affordable housing, located by the Prince County Hospital on Roy Boates Avenue will have 34-units including five two bedroom apartments and eight barrier free apartments for those disable to be able to navigate comfortably.

The project, which was announced in November, will cost about $8.45 million and is receiving equal funding from both the provincial and federal governments.

The last house built with public money for seniors was in 1993. The new building will increase Summerside’s publicly owned and operated units to 175.

Sherry was excited to see the project underway.

“This is pretty exciting for our seniors in the Summerside area,” said Sherry. “There’s a lot of interest from seniors in our area looking for affordable housing, so it is wonderful.”

Sherry said the federal and provincial governments continue to work together to be able to provide projects to help area seniors.

“We do realize that the number of seniors will continue to grow. In Prince Edward Island right now we have the largest and fastest growing seniors per capita in the country, so we will be relying on keeping those relationships strong with our federal counterparts.”

Sherry said the building is fairly monumental being the first of its kind in P.E.I. since ’93.

“I think it’s a good example of how communication works between all levels of government and I think it’s reflective of the relationships that are important to move projects such as this forward in our community.”

Fit for Film

Fit for film

Film about Summerside Armory set for premier at the end of Aug.

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

The Summerside Armory has been a lot of things in its 100-year existence.

It has been a first and second World War recruiting centre, it’s where the red cross has worked out of, boy scouts and sea cadets meetings, most recently it has become a museum and more.

Now the building, part of Summerside since 1911, will be the star of a film.

Directed by local filmmaker Susan Rodgers, of Blue Mountain Entertainment, and written by Wyatt Heritage Properties Cultural Programs Assistant Marlene Campbell the documentary will premiere Aug. 25^th at 7 P.M. in the Trinity United Church in Summerside.

The premiere will also have musical entertainment from Peter and Alexandria Gallant, vignettes and a wartime sermon reenactment by the Reverend Andrew Richardson. Refreshments will also be served.

“We want as many people as possible to turn out for it to have a nice enjoyable evening with it. I mean how often do you have a film premiere in Summerside?” laughed Campbell.

Produced by the Wyatt Heritage Properties the movie, named “Summerside Armory: Fit for Duty”, was shot over two days and follows a 100 years in Summerside Armory history, including vignettes of World War recruiting, the architect designing the building and a few others as well as narration of the history over the hour long duration.

Campbell, who has seen the film, was quite impressed with it.

“It was very gratifying because a lot of work went into it,” she said. “It’s a pretty exciting project for us because it is the 100^th anniversary we’ve applied for funding from Heritage Canada to do a number of projects and this is our big one.”

“It’s just a nice capturing of a 100 years of history in an interesting manner,” she added.

Campbell said working with Rodgers was a lot of fun.

“(Rodgers) use to be the curator for Wyatt Heritage Properties and then she went off to study film. She is actually the person who hired me when I first came here. So it’s kind of neat to come back together and work on a project like this.”

Campbell said the movie should be important to Summerside residence.

“It’s the telling of their story really. The armoury has quietly sat on that site of 33 Summer St. for 100 years but it’s played a really big role in the community.”

Cardinals fly over Chevys in tournament win

Cardinals fly over Chevys in tournament win

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

Summerside player-of-the-game Nic Gunning throws a pitch.

SUMMERSIDE- The Cole Harbour Cardinals took an early lead against the Summerside Chevys and never looked back to win 12-5 Sunday afternoon in the Summerside Source for Sports Mosquito AA Tournament championship at the Gordie Arsenault Field.

Summerside was led by their Most Valuable Player winner Nic Gunning and Dylan Thomas who went 2 for 2 in his plate appearances. Cameron Wall was credited with the loss pitching for Summerside.

Cole Harbour were led by Zach Byard, named Most Valuable Player of the game for Cole Harbour, and Ryan Doyle, who both went 2 for 3 while pitcher Jarret Conrad was credited with the win.

Summerside Chevys coach Nick Creelman said he was proud of his team’s effort in the loss.

“We played the full six innings strong, I couldn’t be prouder of the boys,” he said. “They made Cole Harbour earn the win.”

He said the second inning was the Achilles heel of the team on Sunday.

“We ran into walk trouble early in the game,” he said. “Other than that we hit the ball hard, we battled through the sun.”

The Cardinal’s coach Calvin Byard said his team playing 100 per cent was a key to their victory.

“We have a very deep pitching staff too, so that helps at this level of baseball. The competition (in the tournament) was very decent.”

Byard said the Chevys team reminded him of his own.

“They have really good hitters and play defensively very well. I think what happens in these games, because of a pitch count from all the provincial rules and regulations, sometimes teams get where their pitchers are not their starter pitchers.”

After one and a half innings of 0-0 baseball, the Cardinals were able to rally five runs in the bottom half of the second to take the lead. After a scoreless Chevys top of three, the Cardinals scored four more runs to lead the game 9-0.

It wasn’t until the fourth inning the Chevys rallied behind to score four runs and tighten the score. But in the bottom half of the fourth inning, the Cardinal scored two more runs to make the score 11-4.

After another scoreless inning for the Chevys, the Cardinals scored one more in the bottom of the fifth.

The Chevys were able to score one more run in the sixth before the Cardinals got the final out to win 12-5.

Blues show to provide party atmosphere in Summerside

Blues show to provide party atmosphere in Summerside

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE- The P.E.I. Jazz and Blues festival is holding a concert in Summerside on Wednesday night at the Shipyard Market.

The “Vector Blues Bash” is going to feature a local act, the West End Blues band, who are a staple of “Blues Night at the Wing” at the #200 Wing AFAC and 2010 ECMA Blues Recording of the Year winners the Hupman Brothers.

Both blues bands have strong followings, which makes the P.E.I. Jazz and Blues Festival Chairperson Doug Millington think it will be a huge event.

“There’s going to be a really nice range of styles presented.”

The P.E.I. Jazz and Blues festival lasts seven days and has over 30 performances.

There has been a concert in Summerside the last two years. Millington said the first one wasn’t a huge success, but the second one was.

“(The first year) we didn’t do probably the best job at promoting it,” he said. “Last year was a totally different event. It was right on the shipyard with kind of a bar setting with cabaret seating and was very well attended. I think everyone enjoyed the music.”

Millington said this year they’re hoping for more of the same.

“In the Shipyard it was kind of more of a party and that’s more what we were after anyway. It’s going to be more or less like that again this year.”

Millington described the West End Blues as “a really good blues band that could hold their own on any stage,” and said the Hupman Brothers were, “a contemporary approach to the legacy of early blues.”

Millington said, “there is nothing I would like better” than to bring a second show to Summerside for the festival.

“If the attendance warrants it, then well yeah, expanding in Summerside would only make sense.”

The city is an important part of the festival, said Millington.

“Summerside has demonstrated through the Blues Night at the Wing that there is an audience for other kinds of music,” he said. “This expands people’s palettes a bit and Summerside has shown there is a taste for that.”

Tickets for the event are $15 and the concert starts at 8 p.m.

Source for Sports 10 K Road Race achieves record numbers

Source for Sports 10 K Road Race achieves record numbers

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

CAPTION: Mike MacKinnon crosses the finish line with a time of 33 minutes 38 seconds to be the overall leader of the Source for Sports 10 K Summerside Road Race Saturday in Summerside.

Mike MacKinnon finished first overall with a time of 33 minutes 38 seconds at the Source for Sports 10 K Summerside Road Race Saturday morning.

While MacKinnon took home the crown for the fastest man in the race, Hannah Walker finished with the fastest time for the ladies at 40 minutes 36 seconds.

The 10-kilometre race began at Summerside Intermediate School, taking racers down Central Street to Harbour Drive leading into Water Street then up MacEwan Road. From there racers ran, jogged and walked up Walker Avenue to Granville Street, then onto the All Weather Highway and finally to Central Street where they ran back to S.I.S.

The event drew a record amount of participants in it’s 19^th year with 90. All proceeds from the race going to support the Kristen Cameron Trust Fund, race organizer Mike Cameron’s niece who was paralyzed after being hit by a drunk driver.

Cameron was happy with the incredible turn out for the race on Saturday.

“I’m very pleased. You never know when you start the morning,” he said. “As time gets nearer to the race, you’re wondering how many people are going to show up. I’ll certainly thank them for coming here, but I’m not sure they know the proceeds are going to my niece Kristen.”

Cameron is hoping for another big turn out next year.

“100. Let’s go for triple digits,” he laughed.

After winning the race, MacKinnon said he was happy with the way it went.

“I started off a little quick I guess, a couple people went out fast and I just followed. Anyway, they tapered off and I tried to hold, I faded a bit, but all in all it was a nice day.”

For MacKinnon, his biggest motivation for the day was to beat his personal best.

“I had a (personal best) here today and to me that’s what it’s all about. If there was someone else here today they might have won, but I got my (personal best) so that’s all that matters,” he said. “I had just broken it in the spring at the bunny hop, but it was three years I had it previous and I couldn’t beat it.”

CAPTION: Hannah Walker crosses the finish line with a time of 40 minutes, 36 seconds finishing with the best time for women Saturday at the Source for Sports 10 K Summerside Road Race in Summerside.

Walker felt she might have started off to fast, but fixed it early.

“After about three or four K I settled into a decent pace and I felt really strong towards the end and I finished pretty strong.”

Walker said she was really happy passing the finish line.

“That’s what I was looking forward too, just for it to be over. 10 K is not really my distance, five K is my distance I think.”

First Race

Not everyone was as experienced as MacKinnon and Walker. Cory MacDougall finished 68 with a time of one hour and 19 seconds. Though MacDougall has raced before, it was his first 10 K and his longest race.

“I just started off slow. I just came out to see what I could do and do as much as I could do. I just went slow and steady,” said MacDougall. “(At the start) I was just nervous, I didn’t quite know what to expect, didn’t know what I’d be able to do.”

MacDougall described seeing the finish line in his first five K race as “Awesome.”

“It doesn’t matter what the distance, when you see that finish line it’s a real thrill to know you’re almost done.”

MacDougall said he would be back next year to try and defeat his time this year.

Prince County writer loses computer in robbery

Prince County writer loses computer in robbery

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

Marlene Campbell was walking up to her Arlington house Tuesday night after a day of work.

As the Wyatt Heritage Properties Heritage Cultural Program assistant and writer became closer to her house she noticed her garden doors to her kitchen was wide open and the frame was hanging inward. She began to feel sick.

The feeling worsened as she walked in and looked down the hall to see her front door was wide open.

Cords littered the floor of the living room as she continued walking through her house. As she looked further she discovered her daughters laptop, recently bought as a gift for her graduation from high school, and her own desktop computer, aside from the keyboard, which was left behind, were missing.

Her daughter’s jewelry was all over the floor after the thieves had rummaged her room, leaving a figurative trail of breadcrumbs out the door.

“Your home security, that feeling has been violated because that’s where you expect to feel safe,” she said. “It was just a real feeling of helplessness.”

Like many people in today’s electronic age, Campbell’s hobby and work both lived inside her computer. When that was stolen, so were the hours of life she spent working there.

“I write both for work and for my own pleasure. There are a number of pieces on there that I have lost and some of it is backed up, but the last piece I was working on isn’t backed up and it means a lot to me to have lost that piece. It’s not even the computer I want back, it’s the work,” said Campbell, her voice upset as she spoke. “I’ve done a couple of plays in the past for work and they have been produced and I was working on a new piece.”

“I was to the final editing stages of that… It really hurts, it was a lot of hours of work,” she added.

The damages done to Campbell’s house amount to about $1400, without the stolen laptop and computer, and she has been told if files a claim with the insurance company, the cost of her insurance will increase 20 per cent in the next three years.

Her piece she had been working on wasn’t backed up because she felt like it couldn’t happen to her.

“I thought we were doing pretty well everything right when it came to home security, you know, like locking the doors, not leaving your outside lights on, leaving your radio playing, all that kind of stuff,” she said. “I definitely will back up all future work I will do.”

She said if she could talk to those who are responsible, she knows what she would say.

“It may appear that you have just taken an object and it’s only an object. But in fact your actions have consequences.”

Campbell would like to have the computers back, but really only wants the work. The laptop is worn silver HP model with the serial number, 886111318209. The desktop computer has a black LG model monitor and is custom made by Sites & Bytes Computers. Anyone with information on the computers should contact the RCMP.

Novartis invests in Victoria centre

Animal Health and Research company invests $2.8 million in Victoria facility

CAPTION2: CAPTION: P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz, left, jokes with President of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Riad Sherif and Novartis Director of Aqua Health Reasearch and Development and Marketing Gunter Schuele Friday morning at the Novartis Animal Health Research and Development centre in Victoria. The company announced it is investing $2.8 million in the facility for enhancements. PHOTO Ryan Quigley / Journal Pioneer

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

VICTORIA- Novartis Animal Health Canada announced a $2.8 million investment in its Research and Development centre in Victoria Friday morning at the facility.

P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz and Agriculture Minister George Webster joined Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada president Riad Sherif, Novartis Animal Health Canada Inc. Business Unit Head Frank Carochi and Novartis Director of Aqua Health Reasearch and Development and Marketing Gunter Schuele at the press conference Friday morning to announce the investment.

With the money, they hired 14 new employees as well as began a two-phase expansion. The first half of the renovations, currently underway, will be expanding the laboratory to create a new state of the art one. The second-phase, scheduled for 2012, will have the company creating more offices and meeting spaces for the facility.

Novartis is a health care company, which employs about 95 people on the Island. The Victoria Research and Development centre is part of their Animal Health sector where 30 scientists work on researching and developing vaccines for the prevention of viral and bacterial diseases in fish.

In 2007, Salmon in Chile became infected with Infectious Salmon Anemia. The vaccine used to treat the issue was developed in the Victoria centre, Sherif said during the press conference.

The company’s investment in its Victoria facility is to upgrade and enhance the research that can be done there, said Sherif.

“We have more researchers and more office space,” he said. “Our presence in P.E.I. is a strategic presence and it’s really for the long term.”

Because of how small P.E.I. is Sherif said it hasn’t been easy to attract potential employees.

“(The Island) has pros and cons. The pros are we have very strong support from the authorities, that we can call and ask for specific help, the cons are still it’s a small island and to remain small island,” he said. “So it has pros and cons, as any city.”

Sherif said the company will be creating more jobs in the future on P.E.I.

“Our plan is to continue to grow. We see this market of vaccine, in Salmon mainly, is a growing market and we see our investment continue to grow.”

Although no public money was in the company’s investment, Ghiz said Novartis has been given rebates for bringing in new jobs.

“Since 2006 it’s probably been a $600,000 investment, which really considering the size of Novartis is very good,” said Ghiz. “The expansion they’re doing here, they weren’t looking for any government dollars. They did it all on their own.”

Camp Drizzle

A Tale of Two Camps

Soggy weather leaves camps high and dry on outdoor activities

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

Driving by summer camps on P.E.I., you may not see any kids outside.

The bad weather the Island has been experiencing this summer has forced some summer camps to take their activities for the children indoors.

Camp Triumph, an adventure camp for kids living in situations where a member of their family has serious medical condition, located in Lot 18 is one of those sites.

The camp, which opens at the end of July and ends at the end of August, has been forced indoors for much of the time they’ve been opened so far.

“I don’t think I’ve ever adjusted the scheduling as much as I have been for the last couple weeks,” he said. “We can really take the risk of people getting hurt so when it’s raining we can’t really be outside.”

The camp still holds activities for the kids indoors, but Sheriko said he’s disappointed the weather hasn’t cooperated for their activities outside such as kayaking, trips to the beach and archery.

“Inside we do drama, arts and crafts, some table sports, lots of board games… if we have more we do more creative things,” he said. “It’s definitely disappointing because you want (the kids) to do what you’ve planned because it’s going to be the most fun for them but we still make it fun for them when we’re inside, we make the most of it.”

Meanwhile at Oak Acres Children’s camp in Point Pleasant the weather though rough at time, hasn’t been terrible for them, said camp program director Patrick Richard.

“We’ve actually been pretty lucky. This is the first week where we’ve had a couple rain days,” he said. “The weather’s been not too bad for the summer, the warm temperature just hasn’t been there.”

Oak Acres’ outdoor activities include hiking and biking on their property and days at the beach.

Though the camp, opened from the end of June to the end of August, has had good luck with weather, with about 70 children per nine-week session and with limited space, rain days can become hard on the children.

“(Inside) we have some drama orientated games and mind puzzles and little games like that,” he said. “Day after day inside is not so enjoyable for the kids.”

Cemetery Walk

Cemetery Walk through time

Green Park has second cemetery walk in Port Hill

CAPTION: James Yeo, played by Logan Ellis, with wife Damaaras Yeo, played by Silvia Winn, stand next to Yeo’s tomb Thursday morning at the St. James Anglican Church cemetery in Port Hill. The cemetery will host the Green Park Shipbuilding Museum and Historic Yeo house Cemetery walk.

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

PORTHILL- James Yeo, shipbuilder, merchant and politician, left his mark on Port Hill during his time there. The renowned businessman was even buried in Port Hill at the St. James Anglican Church along with employees and family members.

Now, his resting place, a house shape tomb made of gray stone with a small Washington-monument like piece behind it in the decommissioned church’s cemetery, is the centre-piece for a second time in the Green Park Shipbuilding Museum and Historic Yeo House cemetery walk.

The event being held on August 18 at 7:30 p.m. will highlight 16 gravesites for Yeo, his family and employees at the church, often cited as the Island’s second oldest built in 1841, narrated by the event coordinator Donna Williams.

Admission to the event will $5, $3 for children and free for preschoolers. Refreshments will be served after the event.

Each of the 16 gravesites will have Green Park staff and volunteers from the community portraying the corresponding person, describing their life in the small Western P.E.I. town, such as Yeo, his wife Damaaras Yeo, James Yeo Jr., William Ellis and two sailors who perished in the Yankee Gale and washed on shore.

Williams feels educating residence and tourists about Port Hill’s history is important.

“I like to portray the history of this area because of my great-great grandfather working (at the shipyard),” she said. “I like to see history continue.”

The idea had originated from Williams going to a cemetery walk at the Lot 16 church.

“I had thought it was a good idea and we should do one in our area.”

She said because of mostly locals attend the event, they held off on doing a second one.

“It’s repetitive if you have it too often. That’s the same way we do with our reenactment (at the Historic Yeo House) we do it every couple years or so.”

Accident

CAPTION: Nick Williams helps clean up his grandfather’s yard after a car swerved through, knocking over their garbage can and mailbox early Friday morning.

Miss Community Gardens

CAPTION: 2011 Miss Community Garden pageant contestants Front left, Haylea Campbell, Nicole Mountain, Kristen Reid, Ashley Burt, Stephanie Konstantinou, Shelby Cole. Back left, Jillian Clow, Alyson Campbell, Miranda Garnhum, Olivia MacDonald, Kelsey Mayhew, Zoe Pocock, Megan MacLeod, Meaghan Desroches, Emily Heaney. 

Jewel

CAPTION: Brenda Noland was making her handcrafted jewelry at the Eptek Art and Culture Centre in Summerside Monday afternoon as part of the Celebration of Crafts at the centre.

City Impress Bloom Judges

CAPTION: Summerside’s Chief Administrative Officer Terry Murphy, far left, and Mayor Basil Stewart, far right, talk to Communities in Bloom judges Odette Sabourin-Dumais, left, and Sandy Cairns Monday afternoon at a luncheon at the Wyatt Heritage Properties Lefurgey centre. PHOTO QUIGLEY/JOURNAL PIONEER

Communities in Bloom judges visit Summerside

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

National Communities in Bloom competition judges were in Summerside today to assess the city for the 10, 000 – 20, 000 population prize.

The competition judges cities on their tidiness, environmental action, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscaping, floral displays and community involvement.

Summerside has been in the competition since 1995, when it first began, and has done increasingly well over the years.

The judges attended a luncheon at the Wyatt Heritage Properties

Odette Sabourin-Dumais, a judge with the nation-wide competition, remembers coming here in 1995 and the growth the city has had since then.

“I can say there has been a major change since I was first here in 1995.”

She said Summerside would be high on a list of community growth she has seen over the years.

“(The city) really ranks high, very high because they’re high in all the good areas like heritage, landscaping, urban forestry.”

Sabourin-Dumais and other judge Sandy Cairns, her first time in the city, agreed that one of Summerside’s strengths is in its boardwalk.

“It really fascinates me seeing a boardwalk of that length, 6.5 kilometres in the city, directly on the waterfront. That’s really something,” said Sabourin-Dumais.

“I could tell there were a lot of tourists on the boardwalk walking and that is very exciting and nice to see,” said Cairns.

Cairns said she was impressed with Summerside.

“The people of Summerside’s properties are very well kept and very nice architecture on the homes. They’ve been restored quite well to show the period of Summerside,” she said. “The city is very beautiful. It’s bright, it’s clean and tidy.”

Sabourin-Dumais said she saw a lot of civic pride in Summerside.

“I’ve seen the citizens really take pride in doing their gardens and improving their garden’s appearance. Everything seems so appealing in the city when you go around.”

The Communities in Bloom national awards will be given out Oct. 26 in Quebec City, Que.

At the luncheon Monday afternoon, the local Communities in Bloom recognized residents for their property maintenance and enhancement.

Arthur and Brenda Munro                         174 Cedar St.

Marlene Marie Arsenault-Anderson            384 Poplar Ave.

Nancy and Thomas Perry                        246 Colin Ave.

Albert and Dorothy Stairs                        232 Colin Ave.

James and Margaret Donovan                        242 Walker Ave.

Bruce and Cheryl Turner                        236 Mountain Ave.

Ronald and Patricia Cooper                        128 Gillespie Ave.

Wayne and Carole Giffin                        160 Crozier Dr.

Bradford and Phyllis MacInnis            112 Crozier Dr.

Walter and Margaret Blanchard            49 Lockwood Dr.

Eileen and Gabriel Keough                        43 Darby Dr.