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Council hosts a range of FREE events for European Heritage Open Days 2022 – Fermanagh & Omagh District Council

Council hosts a range of FREE events for European Heritage Open Days 2022 – Fermanagh & Omagh District Council

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has organised a number of free events as part of this year’s European Heritage Open Days (EHOD). Taking place on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 September 2022, EHOD is an annual celebration of local architecture, history and culture across Northern Ireland.  This year’s theme focuses on Sustainable Heritage; Learn, Use and Enjoy.

Get out and about in Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark with a Guided Walk at Gortmaconnell or enjoy a history bike ride at Old Castle Archdale in Fermanagh. Discover some of the sites and stories of Fermanagh’s Medieval Lough Erne Pilgrimage Route at an interesting talk at Enniskillen Castle. Why not take a guided tour of Cole’s Monument or a walking tour of Enniskillen as Gaeilge with Tursa Inis Ceithleann?

In Omagh, you can enjoy a Historic Buildings walk and talk which includes an open door look inside the Provincial Bank Building to find out about the building’s past and its future plans. Find out more about the post glacial landscapes of the Sperrins on an interesting and active bus trip around the southern Sperrrins, and children will love the Forage Walk at Ecclesville Demesne in Fintona.

Still to come, look out for ‘Meet the Giant’ walking tours – an opportunity to walk to the Mullaghcarn summit and meet the new Guardian of the Sperrins. The walking tours will be delivered in English and Irish language.

Speaking about the programme, Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Barry McElduff said;

“I am delighted that the Council (FODC) is actively participating in European Heritage Open Days 2022.

This annual event provides an opportunity for locals and visitors alike to explore the built and natural heritage of the District through specially organised events.

This year’s theme focusses on sustainability and how our historical sites can be more environmentally friendly, which is important in the context of Climate Change.

The Council (FODC) is committed to ensuring that our natural and built heritage is cherished, sustainably managed and accessible.  The European Heritage Open Days provide an opportunity to achieve this and ensure that our heritage is preserved for future generations.

I would encourage everyone to take advantage of the European Heritage Open Days weekend to explore some of the heritage of our District.”

Admission to all events and activities is free of charge but booking is essential.

The full programme of events is available at www.fermanaghomagh.com

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Museum and Archives of Vernon want everyone to get involved with Cultural Days events – Vernon News

Museum and Archives of Vernon want everyone to get involved with Cultural Days events - Vernon News

The Museum and Archives of Vernon will a hub of activity during Culture Days starting at the end of September.

“Our goal is to one day have everyone who comes to the museum see themselves represented in the some way,” says Laisha Rosnau, curator of visitor experience. “We can begin by providing meaningful opportunities for the community to connect with their own lived experiences.”

The museum will be participating in the Culture Days launch at Polson Park on Sept. 23 where residents are invited drop by to create a paper “quilt” square representative of their heritage.

The squares will then be connected with others to create a community quilt, symbolizing the value of each individual, each identity, and diverse experiences of heritage in the context of the larger collective.

Over the course of the following three weeks, the museum will be collaborating with various partners and inviting the community to be an active participant in the curation of specific exhibits.

In recognition of 2SLGBTQIA+ History Month in October, with funding from the UBC Okanagan Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund, the Museum & Archives of Vernon, along with UBC Okanagan Library’s Special Collections and Archives, are seeking community involvement to uncover the rich history of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and communities in the North Okanagan.

Pride in Place: Historical Representation of 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities in the Okanagan will take place Oct. 6, inviting public discussions around the historical underrepresentation of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in collections and archives in the area.

The museum is currently seeking expressions of interest from potential contributors to help tell this story through objects, documents, photographs and audio/visual materials in their care.

To arrange to loan items to be included in this exhibit, contact Rosnau by email at [email protected] before Sept. 23.

Other events MAV is hosting throughout Culture Days include a workshop on genealogical research, and programming in honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. A full listing of the Museum’s Culture Days events is available online.

Participants are encouraged to register early as there is limited seating for most activities.

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Culture Days 2022 will move closer to pre-COVID-19 events while taking pandemic lessons

Culture Days 2022 will move closer to pre-COVID-19 events while taking pandemic lessons

The 2022 edition of Culture Days is weeks away and plans are afoot to make this year’s event a return to form for the festival.

The 2022 edition of Culture Days is weeks away and plans are afoot to make this year’s event a return to form for the festival.

Several new, old and remixed events are on the calendar for this year’s observance, which starts Sept. 23 and runs until Oct. 16. A lack of public health orders and restrictions around COVID-19 will allow organizers to have full capacity events indoors and out.

“We’re still on the post-COVID-19, trying to make sure we have lined things up, but we’re very grateful to have received funding from Hudbay, from the Flin Flon School Division and of course, from the arts council – and we are planning activities,” said lead organizer Crystal Kolt.

“We’re still trying to get a feeling as to what people want to do, but this is what I know – there are some really exciting events happening that are a little bit different than the norm.”

That includes makeovers of longtime Culture Days events. One such change is the Human Books event, which has usually featured prominent Flin Flonners at the Flin Flon Public Library to share stories and their backgrounds with interested onlookers. That event, as the public has known it, has changed – Kolt said it has been replaced with a wine and cheese evening where wines will be paired with books at the library.

Other events will stay on from previous years, like the Dancing Down Main Street event, the Walking Through a Volcano tour, the Wild Things outdoor market, a film screening from the Central Canada Film Group and a return of school programming and the Superstar program, which teaches local schoolkids skills and techniques used in circus training.

Out-of-town performers will also be a major part of this year’s Culture Days, which will include two incoming acts during the course of the events. Juno award winner Serena Ryder will perform at the Flin Flon Community Hall Oct. 16, with the Ivan Flett Memorial Dancers coming from Winnipeg to perform at the hall Oct. 1. Those shows will sandwich the Wild Rice Cabaret, which is set for Oct. 8 and is a charter event for Culture Days.

Yet more events are still in the planning stages and will not likely be firmed up until closer to opening day.

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Maple Ridge horse jumping team takes top spots in Dog Days of Summer event – Maple Ridge News

Maple Ridge horse jumping team takes top spots in Dog Days of Summer event - Maple Ridge News

A Maple Ridge team championed in multiple events at the latest hunter jumper show at the Maple Ridge Equi-Sports Centre.

The Dog Days of Summer Hunter Jumper Show had more than 85 competitors from across the Lower Mainland, in addition to Squamish, and the Interior.

Kaitlyn Harbour’s team from Empire Equestrian accumulated many accolades at the event including:

• Geordan Krysak and horse Story Time took the title of Champion in the Cross Rail Hunter division, with Andrea Sylvestri and horse Attie close behind, earning the title of Cross Rail Hunter Reserve Champion, with the second highest points.

• Georgia Dalrymple and horse Athena championed in the Two Foot Hunter division and received third place in the Hunt and Go division, with Sienna Shayler and horse Hemi taking the reserve spot in the Two Foot Hunter division and sixth spot in Hunt and Go.

• Danika Sojka and horse Flower took first place and top ribbons in the Two Foot Hunter and fifth in the Hunt and go.

• Grace Beeley and horse Secret came second in the Accumulator, third in the Empire Medal, and was the Reserve Champion in the .85 Jumpers division.

• Ivory Butler and horse Cruise were Champions in the 1.10 Jumpers and had other top placings.

• Hannah Pringle and horse Maisy were Reserve Champions in the .90 Jumpers division.

• Emily Bettesworth and horse Echo earned top place ribbons int he Cross Rail Hunter and Equitation on the Flat.

• Kate Payne and horse Sugar also earned many top placings in the Trot Rail and Cross Rail divisions.

• And owner and trainer Kaitlyn Harbour with horse Cosmo had top three finishes throughout the weekend in the Open 1.0 category.

The jumper classes were judged on speed, time, and having no faults, explained Harbour. Hunter classes, she added, were judged on rhythm, style, and position of the rider.

“We have been training year round preparing for our competition season,” said Harbour about the team’s great results.

The team is gearing up for competitions in September at both the Maple Ridge Equi-Centre and Thunderbird Show Park in Langley. Next for the team is the September Fall Day Classic Hunter Jumper Show that runs from Sept. 1-4 in Maple Ridge.


Have a story tip? Email: cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com

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Alberta Culture Days sponsored events announced

Alberta Culture Days sponsored events announced

Photo 40242975 © Juan Moyano | Dreamstime.com

By rdnewsNOW Staff

Month Long Celebration

Aug 8, 2022 | 4:03 PM

This September, the province’s month-long celebration of arts, heritage, diversity and community spirit are expected to offer more than 100 free activities across Alberta.

Provincial officials say Alberta Day will kick off Culture Days. Alberta became a province on Sept. 1, 1905, and the government has designated Sept. 1 as Alberta Day to recognize the anniversary and celebrate the province. This year’s inaugural Alberta Day aims to create ways and means to affirm the province’s cultural, economic and historical uniqueness.

Officials note, the Ministry of Culture and Status of Women recently awarded 104 grants to organizations across the province to host Alberta Culture Days events. About $350,000 has been distributed to applicants hosting events in their communities. Five feature celebration sites also received funding to host three days of free, family-friendly events. A total of 71 host celebration sites received funding to host at least two days of activities and 28 pop-up celebration sites received funding for one-day events.

This year’s feature celebration sites are:

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Gurnee Days featuring family-friendly events return this weekend

Gurnee Days featuring family-friendly events return this weekend

GURNEE, Ill. (CBS) — There are plenty of family-friendly events in the north suburbs for Gurnee Days.

It all starts at 7:30 a.m. Saturday for the 5K, 10K, and fun walk. That’s happening at the Hunt Club Community Center.

More Gurnee Days activities are taking place today and tomorrow at Viking Park. The grounds open at noon.

There are activities for kids, a rib eating contest, and even an ice cream eating contest, where the contestants will go against each other and fight off brain freeze.

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Heat event covers Windsor-Essex for the next few days

Heat event covers Windsor-Essex for the next few days


Heat warnings are in effect for most of Ontario Tuesday including Windsor-Essex.


The multi-day event is expected to last until Sunday with daytime high temperatures of 31 to 33 C with humidex values near 40.


Overnight lows near 21 degrees Celsius will provide little relief from the heat.


Tuesday: Clear early this morning then a mix of sun and cloud with 40 per cent chance of showers this afternoon. Risk of a thunderstorm this afternoon. High 32. Humidex 41. UV index 10 or very high.


Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy with 40 per cent chance of showers early this evening. Otherwise clear. Risk of a thunderstorm early this evening. Low 23.


Wednesday: A mix of sun and cloud. 70 per cent chance of showers late in the afternoon with risk of a thunderstorm. High 32. Humidex 41. UV index 10 or very high.


Thursday: A mix of sun and cloud. High 33.


Friday: A mix of sun and cloud. High 33.


Saturday: A mix of sun and cloud. High 31.


Sunday: Cloudy with 60 per cent chance of showers. High 29.


Monday: A mix of sun and cloud with 30 per cent chance of showers. High 30.

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Coal Dust Days Festival in Cape Breton returns after two years of pandemic cancellations | SaltWire

Coal Dust Days Festival in Cape Breton returns after two years of pandemic cancellations | SaltWire

A sense of community. 

It’s one way to describe the importance of the annual New Waterford Coal Dust Days Festival each year. From seeing old friends at events to having a reason to come home, the festival has a purpose for current and former residents. 

However, there hasn’t been much to celebrate over the past two years in the community. Like all festivals, the Coal Dust Days committee was forced to cancel their festival in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and provincial restrictions.

With restrictions lifted and the province now fully reopened, the Coal Dust Days Festival is set to make its return next week with weeklong events kicking off on Monday in the community. 

Joey Lever, board member for Coal Dust Days, said the committee is excited to be back and ready to move past the pandemic-related cancellations. 

“We think the community needs this back,” said Lever. “It’s a chance to be together again after two years of being stuck at home and it’s a chance to gather and celebrate.”

This year will mark the 37th edition of the Coal Dust Days Festival. After being off the past two summers, Lever admits there’s been a bit of an adjustment period preparing for the festival. 

“It’s more about getting our heads around it again,” said Lever, noting the committee began planning for this year’s festival in February. 

“You roll it out the same way every year. There’s a blueprint for Plummer Avenue Day and the car show and we have great partners with the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and volunteers who also help us along the way.”

The festival will feature both committee-organized and community-hosted events, running until July 24.

One of the larger events organized by the committee is Plummer Avenue Day, which will feature local vendors, entertainment and games on the town’s main street on Thursday. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will finish with a concert from 7-10:30 p.m. featuring Hearts of Kin and Cherrybomb. 

Lever confirmed vendor spots are almost sold out. He anticipates this year’s Plummer Avenue Day to be a record year. 

“If we have the weather, we’re expecting great crowds and everyone to be out,” said Lever. “It’s a great event for people to bump into each other and see people that they haven’t seen in a while and just get out on the main street where they may not have had that chance in a little while.” 

‘It ran its course’

Among the events not returning this year is the Coal Dust Days Tavern Tour, which was one of the more popular attractions when the festival first began for both participants and local establishments. 

Lever said there were several reasons for the committee discontinuing the event. 

“The crowds have been down the last couple of festivals, a lot of people weren’t attending and that was a big reason for it,” he said. “I think the committee and the bars have dealt with a lot of underage drinkers and stuff, so it was really hard to keep a handle on it and make it safe for everybody.”

While it’s too early to confirm, Lever doesn’t anticipate the committee running the event in future festivals, but it’s not to say a tavern tour won’t happen.

“I don’t foresee the committee planning that event anymore – I think it ran its course,” said Lever. “There’s community-organized events, so if a community group wanted to host such a thing they could put it in the brochure.” 

The festival will also not include a parade this year. Lever said the committee removed itself from parades in 2015, noting a community group had tried to organize those events in the past. 

Other events

Some of the highlighted events for the festival include the Kay MacSween Memorial Walk the Loop at 9 a.m. on Monday at Rose Schwartz Park as well as the Family Walk-In Drive-In at 7 p.m. at the New Waterford and District Community Centre.

The annual antique and custom car show will be held on Tuesday from 6-9 p.m. on Plummer Avenue, while the Susan Coombes Memorial Teddy Bear Picnic and Sobeys Children’s Festival will be held on Wednesday from 1-4 p.m. at Colliery Lands Park. 

The closing concert will take place on July 24 at Colliery Lands Park and will feature The Non Essentials Band, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Fireworks will take place at dusk. 

Some events to look out for are listed below. For a full list of festival events, visit the festival’s Facebook page by searching New Waterford Coal Dust Days.

Coal Dust Days highlights

Monday, July 18

• 9 a.m. – Kay MacSween Memorial Walk the Loop beginning at Rose Schwartz Park

• 7 p.m. – Family Walk-In Drive-In, New Waterford and District Community Centre

Tuesday, July 19

• 10 a.m. – Coal Dust Days Bicycle Rodeo, New Waterford Fire Department

• 6-9 p.m. – 13th annual Antique and Custom Car Show, Plummer Avenue

Wednesday, July 20

• 1-4 p.m. – Susan Coombes Memorial Teddy Bear Picnic and Sobeys Children’s Festival, Colliery Lands Park

Thursday, July 21

• 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Plummer Avenue Day

• 7-10:30 p.m. – Plummer Avenue Day Wrap-Up Party featuring Hearts of Kin and Cherrybomb

Saturday, July 23

• All Day – New Waterford Credit Union Minor Baseball Day

• 12 p.m. – Kids Fun Day, New Waterford Fire Hall

Sunday, July 24

• 7:30-9:30 p.m. – Coal Dust Days Closing Concert, Colliery Lands Park

• Dusk – Fireworks

Jeremy Fraser is a reporter for the Cape Breton Post. Follow him on Twitter @CBPost_Jeremy.