Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces

Subject: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 12:55 AM

This summer I am planning to spend about 10 days in July in Atlantic Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island). Anybody have any first-hand info on authentic music (singing more than fiddling) and dance (square, more than step) to be had? From the casual googling that I've done, I've found highland games and festivals and whatnot, but I'm more interested in smaller goings on. There are listings of ceilidhs, round and about, hard to tell how much they are real sessions, versus performances for the tourists, although audience participation is often mentioned. And, fiddling is so hot, it seems harder to find where singing might be had.

Any suggestions?

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 01:13 AM

Hello Becky,

I'm glad to hear you plan a visit to my area. I'm from Nova Scotia and if you tell me what you'd like to hear singing wise I'll gladly help. The main attraction in July is the Stan Rogers Festival. If you could also give me an idea of what you'd like to see other than music I will also help with that.

It would be difficult to cover the entire Maritimes in only ten days.

Regards Jim

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 01:49 AM

Jim,

Well, with only 10 days, obviously I've got to do my research to find the high points to hit! It'll be the second two weeks in July, so we'll miss the Stan Rogers Festival.

I'll be travelling from the south in a small RV with my aged parents and my 7 year old. The folks have always wanted to go to Prince Edward Island, and this is my attempt to help fulfill that wish, while getting some musical benefits myself. I'm into trad. song and dance, and developed my interests due to my parents' influence. (Sadly, Dad's become quite deaf, but he manages to enjoy some of it if there's not lots of background noise.)

I expect that PEI and Cape Breton Island will be our main focus, though maybe we'll take the ferry to or from Bar Harbor so we can hit Kejimkujik Park. I don't have a good sense of the scale of the area to tell what's do-able. I expect we'd want to be camping in two or three different places over the 10 days and doing day trips.

Aside from the music, we've an interest in history and culture in general, and quiet natural settings (maybe renting a canoe somewhere inland). My son's seriously into trains, if there's any to be had, and he'll enjoy exploring the coast and the woods, since that's alien for him as a desert-raised kid. He's also recently encountered Ann of Green Gables, so we'll have to check that out.

~ Becky

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 02:12 AM

Hello Again,

The ferry from Bar Harbour and visit to the park is a great choice. You'll have a long haul from there to Cape Breton. I'd suggest you head there after you've finished and in an RV it will be 6 to 8 hours. I think the Cabot Trail is a must and the area is filled with music for the entire summer. From old time fiddle dances to festivals. There will be tourist info stations that will fill you in on the music and highlights of the area.

I'd suggest you head back via PEI by catching the ferry in Pictou. You can then come back through New Brunswick via the fixed link.

I'm in the Middle East at the moment but I will try and source a web site that is provided by the government. When I find it I'll post it here for you.

I'll give this a bit more thought and try to help with things I think you should see.

Jim

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 12:48 PM

Jim,

I've found these sites by searching on "music" and the provinces (I've left the URLs visible so you can see who's running the site):

Nova Scotia, esp. Cape Breton I.: http://www.celticmusicsite.com/ http://www.destination-ns.com/content/stories/song-6.htm http://www.explorenovascotia.com/music/ and searching here for "Festivals & Events" on the Ceilidh Trail has a good list: http://explore.gov.ns.ca/whattodo/festivalsandevents/default.asp

Prince Edward Island: http://www.gov.pe.ca/visitorsguide/explore/music.php3 http://www.embarkcanada.com/pei.html http://www.familytravelguides.com/articles/canada/pei9.html

So plenty of info there, I'm just wondering if I can get hold of any "insider" info here...

Last night I was surfing on the topic 'til just before bed. This morning my son woke me in the midst of a dream where I was just asking Natalie MacMaster if she had any advice on where to go!

~ Becky

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: GUEST,Kelticgrasshopper
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 07:06 PM

If you are going to be on Prince Edward Island the third weekend in July, the place to be is the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival. This is the granddaddy of all festivals, presenting traditional music in a beautiful setting! The website is www.atlanticmusician.com/rollobayfiddlefest/. Well worth a check out. The Chassion Family who host the event are a delight, the setting is beautiful, camping on site.

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: Kelticgrasshopper
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 07:15 PM

There are weekly ceilidh dances on PEI at several locations. The very best ones, are Monticello at the Eastern end of the island. Every Sunday night year round!! A real traditional setting great music and dancing.

Every Thursday from June through November at the Rollo Bay Fiddle grounds The Chaisson's host a ceilidh dance, great fun as well. Don't count of the visitors guide to give you the real down home places. They are catering to spoiled tourists remember. Pick up a local Eastern Graphic Newspaper published on Tusedays on the Island. This will list all the great dances. The Guardian which comes out daily will list them as well

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From:
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 08:36 PM

Becky,

For Nova Scotia, there is the Doers and Dreamers book, published by the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism

I believe New Brunswick would have something similar.   New Brunswick Tourism

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 10:35 PM

Okay, this is a link to something in Massachusetts the week of July 20-27, 2002, and while Plymouth, Mass. is a few hundred miles south of the Maritimes, the chance to spend a week with Anita Best and Gerald and Tobias Pearson and Baxter Wareham (all of Newfoundland) and Sandy Ives (who wrote the book on PEI songs!) is the chance to learn Maritime songs with an intensity you're not likely to find farther North. Oh yes, and Sandy and Caroline Paton will be there, too.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 22 Feb 02 - 01:49 AM

Sorry about the missing line breaks after the URLs up there.

Kelticgrasshopper -- the local rags: that's the kind of tip I want, so we don't hit just the touristy stuff.

Charlie: yeah, obviously, the timing is perfect for this trip and that staff. We'd be heading south just about then... I've been agonizing over it, and need to come to a decision soon! I love Folk Music Week, have been three times, but there's the question of $$ (having just shelled out the dough for some nice instruments), logistics with a rental RV from New Jersey, and whether my folks want to have my son to themselves for a week again...

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: gnu
Date: 22 Feb 02 - 07:44 AM

I had a load of links but lost all when my puter died recently. I will look for a few for NB later today and post. I'm thinking specifically of Saint John's Festival By The Sea and Miramichi's Irish Festival. Are you up for Acadian, too ?

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: curmudgeon
Date: 22 Feb 02 - 08:23 AM

I don't know what routes you're aking, but in all liklihood, you will be passing through Portsmouth NH on your way North/South.

If doing so on a Frtiday, keep the Press Room session in mind. We have a good mix of songs and tunes and are always happy to have fellow Mudcatters stop in.

Hope to see you this summer -- Tom

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: GUEST,Kendall
Date: 22 Feb 02 - 08:30 AM

I highly recommend the Cabot trail; however, make sure you drive it clockwise, especially in an rv. If you need help in my area, dont be afraid to call. If you want, I'll PM my phone number and address.

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 22 Feb 02 - 12:18 PM

Gnu - Acadian? Sure - I'd like to get the full mix. My dance musical upbringing was in the New England sound, which certainly has a lot of the French-Canadian in the mix.

Carmudgeon - I'll do what I can, but be constrained by my family's desires (and the fact that we're travelling with RV, rather than a trailer and separate car). Thanks for the invite!

Kendall - Why clockwise?? Elevation changes? Whereabouts are you?

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From:
Date: 22 Feb 02 - 11:46 PM

Clockwise because, if you drive "widdershins", you would be on the outside lane.

There isn't much room between the edge of a two lane stretch of road, and the side of the cliff down to the sea.

It can be quite thrilling for those who like that sort of thing.

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 12:00 AM

oooo! I get it! Not a thrill I'm really into, thanks!

~ B in T

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: gnu
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 08:28 AM

Oh yeah, clockwise. I'm not scared of heights, just very fond of the ground... terra firma, the more firma, the less terra. I did the counterclockwise route and it was, ah, never boring.

I shall endeavour to find websites for La Frolique, Fete des Acadians, and others.

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From:
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 08:40 AM

Anyway, Doers and Dreamers give some of the best festivals, and their dates and admissions. Plus information on the closest places tostay. Check them out.

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: gnu
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 08:45 AM

Here's a start, I'm still looking for some particular items. Go to...

http://www.gnb.ca/dept.htm

Click Tourism, click Acadian Culture, click search, click events, click Type - Music/Dance - Go.

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: gnu
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 08:23 PM

Did that help at all ?

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 01:46 AM

Gnu - didn't get online 'til late this evening. I believe that when you do that search you're not just getting the Acadian stuff, but all possible music and dance. A useful resource, though.

George - I've sent for the brochures.

~ Becky

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: gnu
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 06:57 AM

Yeah ? Did you see Festval by the Sea ? Miramichi Irish Festival ? Miramichi Folk Song Festival ? Any others of interest ? I'm still looking.

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: Kelticgrasshopper
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 07:35 AM

Just read an article on line in the Guardian PEI's daily paper. A story was in yesterday's paper ( which you can get today Sunday the 24th on line) all about festivals on the Island. www.theguardian.ca.pe

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: kendall
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 07:42 AM

Becky, I'm in South Portland Maine. Be prepared to meet some of the nicest folks in the world up there in Eastern Canada.

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 24 Feb 02 - 11:21 PM

Kelticgrasshopper, that's www.theguardian.pe.ca (rather than ... .ca.pe). That's us, we'd like to drop our tourist dollars there on shuckin' and fiddlin'!

There's also an article about a recording that Smithsonian-Folkways did of fiddlers on Cape Breton Island in 2000.

There's nothing like a local paper to give you the feel for a place.

~ B in T

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: Kelticgrasshopper
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 04:13 PM

Glad you found it anyway. I read it daily just to keep up with hometown news. Hope your trip to the Maritimes is great. If you make it to "Chaisson Land".. Rollo Bay, PEI and you make it to a Thursday night dance.at the fiddle grounds... Be sure to hunt down Peter Chaisson. Tell him Meg and Dan sent you. Of course we will probably be there also!!

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 25 Feb 02 - 06:46 PM

Thursday night is on the list, if the logistics all work out. On July 11 or 18, look for the long-haired gal with the fiddling sun t-shirt (see www.tftm.org) -- or maybe a sweatshirt, given that your July is pretty different than our July!

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Help: touring Canadian Maritime Provinces
From:
Date: 02 Mar 02 - 06:12 PM

BTW, for others, don't forget to come visit Cape Breton in the Fall. We have the Celtic Colours Festival starting on the weekend of our Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving is on the second Monday of October, and the party starts on the Friday before that. It's a week long series of shows, going through to the Saturday of the following week.

Celtic Colours Web-site