Miramichi Blog

The Moncton Chapter of the Professional Writers Association of Canada will host two skills-building workshops this fall on photography and editing.

Renowned British Columbia photographer John Watson will present the first workshop on October 3 at the Moncton Public Library, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. "Take Photos that Sell" is a full-day session that provides the information and techniques for creating better photographs. The event is tailored for beginning photographers and writers/journalists who want to use their images to accompany articles, enhance a website or build a stock library.

Watson will discuss key elements for good photos and provide information on how to sell photos, what magazine editors are looking for, submission requirements, and more. There will be a presentation followed by a shooting session with 'assignments' and critiques.

Watson began his professional career as a weekend photographer for the local newspaper in Charlottetown, when he was just 15. After receiving his basic education at Holland College, John opened Imagemaker Photographic Studio in 1989. Four years later, he relocated his business to Vancouver, BC, but maintains ties with PEI and often returns to the region on assignment.

John's photographs have appeared on the covers of books and magazines in Hong Kong, the UK, USA, Canada and Europe, and have graced the inside pages of many publications around the world. To view his work, visit his website at imps.ca

Cost is $85 and includes refreshments. Participants are responsible for their own lunch. Payment is required in advance. Please pre-register by emailing your name and telephone number to info@monctonwriters.ca and put "Photography Workshop" in the subject line. Payment is accepted by cheque made payable to "Moncton Chapter PWAC" and mailed to: Deborah Carr, 143 Taylor Lane, Hillsborough, NB, E4H 3C7. The deadline for registration is September 25. Class size limited to 15, so register early to avoid disappointment.

Editing Workshop
The second editing workshop, cheekily called "The Secrets of Sin (oops..Syntax)" will be led by by Frances Peck at the Moncton Press Club on November 6 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.This seminar looks at syntax from various angles, including how to shape it for different documents and readers.

Topics covered include subordination and coordination, periodic versus cumulative sentences, proximity of subject and verb, echo words, and special techniques such as ellipsis and isolation. This is the fourth in a series of very popular editing workshops Peck has given in the Maritimes (which means they fill up fast!).

Cost is $150 for members of provincial writers' associations and $170 for general public. Price includes the seminar, workbook, coffee breaks, and lunch. Advance payment is required to confirm registration. Registration deadline is October 23. Seating is limited to 25 participants, so register early to avoid disappointment.

For any queries, please email info@monctonwriters.ca or call Deborah Carr at 506-734-2367.

Visit the Moncton Writers website at monctonwriters.ca for information on these and other upcoming workshops and events of interest to writers and editors.

Labels: arts, culture, workshop

Priceville Footbridge photo by James E. Stewart courtesy of the McNamee on the Mighty Miramichi Facebook group.

Sunday August 16th, 2009

8 - 11:30 am: Breakfast - Boiestown Lions Club
Prepared by the Lions Club

11:30 am – 1:30 pm: Golf Tournament - Open to registered guests of "Come Home to the River - McNamee 2009" at the Old Mill Pond Golf Course in Doaktown.

12 noon - 3 pm: Salmon and Fiddlehead Dinner - McNamee Recreation Centre
Prepared by Landmark Masonic Lodge members

1:30 pm: Open House - Former New Bandon School now the Women's Institute Hall
Tea and Coffee will be served

2 pm: Memorial Tree Planting and Time Capsule Placement

Late Afternoon / Early Evening: Interdenominational Church Service with participation from all the churches in the community.
Gospel Concert with a Corn Boil - Boiestown Fair Grounds.
Farewll chats.
The organizing committee will also hold a debriefing meeting and wrap-up.

For more information visit www.comehometotheriver.com

Labels: culture, event, festivals, Miramichi

**Calendar pictured right is sold out.

Saturday August 15th, 2009

7-9 am: Community Breakfast at McNamee Recreation Centre
Prepared by McNamee Pentecostal Assembly SOLD OUT

8:30 - 11:30 am: Country Market & Ball Games - McNamee Recreation Centre

12 noon – 1 pm: Lunch at Ludlow Recreation Centre
Prepared by Ludlow Recreation Council

12 noon - 3 pm: Open House at Former New Bandon School now the Women's Institute Hall
Tea and Coffee will be served

2 - 6 pm: Canoe Races from Ludlow to the Footbridge
Perley the Magician at Footbridge
Jam Session (Bring your musical instrument) at Footbridge
Hot dogs, hamburgers, pop will also be available.
Prepared by McNamee Pentecostal Youth Group.

3:30 pm: "We're Going For a Walk"
Parade of People from the Footbridge to Wilson's Homestead

4 - 6 pm: Storytelling at the Wilson Homestead

4 - 6 pm for both Option A and Option B: Dinner Option A Bean and Scallop at the Orange Lodge, Top of Stewarts Hill
Prepared by the Orange Lodge
Dinner Option B Turkey Dinner at McNamee Recreation Centre
Prepared by St. James Anglican Church. SOLD OUT

8 pm - 12:30 am: Night at the Museum 2 For Youth at Woodmen's Museum Boiestown. Limited Capacity.

9 pm - 1 am: Dance at Boiestown Lion's Club Sponsored privately

For more information visit www.comehometotheriver.com

Labels: culture, event, festivals, Miramichi

Wade Hallihan and Kyle Richardson are Half-Snapped!
Join them tonight at O'Donaghue's Pub in downtown Chatham for the very best of a good time!
10pm - 2am
www.odonaghuespub.com

Labels: arts, culture, event, Miramichi, music

Friday August 14, 2009

10am - 7pm: Registration

12 noon - 1pm: Lunch at the McNamee Recreation Centre with Sandwiches, Sweets, Drinks
Prepared by St. James Anglican Church

2pm: Softball Games at McNamee Recreation Centre
Afternoon Tea & Homemade Dessert at the Wilson Family Homestead
Browse Handcrafted commemorative items by Ethel Wilson at the Wilson Family Homestead located in the "Big House"

4pm: Scouts of Canada BBQ Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Drinks

4pm - 6pm: Dinner at the McNamee Recreation Centre with Salad Plate
Prepared by the United Church of Boiestown

7:30pm - 10 pm: Country Jamboree at the McNamee Recreation Centre

For more information visit www.comehometotheriver.com

Labels: culture, event, festivals, Miramichi

Date: Thursday, August 20, 2009
Time: 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Location: Saltwater Sounds, 1738 Water Street Miramichi, NB
Phone: 506.773.8010
Email: editor@breadnmolasses.com

This month the Words on Water series is happy to have Carla Gunn with us to read from her acclaimed debut novel, Amphibian.

Along with writing, Carla Gunn works as an occupational consultant and teaches psychology. Her writing has been published in the Globe and Mail, the National Post and heard on CBC radio. Raised in rural Miramichi, she now lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

About Amphibian:

Nine-year-old Phineas William Walsh has an encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world. He knows that if you wet a dog's food with your saliva and he refuses to eat it then he's top dog, and he knows that dolphins can sleep half a brain at a time. What he doesn't know, though, is why his grandfather died, or why waste-of-flesh Lyle always picks on him. Or why his parents can't live together -- after all, when other mate-for-life animals have a fight, it's not like one of them just packs his bags and leaves the country.

To make it to-infinity worse, he's worried sick about what humans are doing to the planet, and his mother is worried sick about him. But shouldn't everyone be losing sleep over the fact that a quarter of all Earth's mammals are on the Red List of Threatened Species? So, when a White's tree frog ends up in an aquarium in his fourth-grade classroom, it's the last straw, and he and his best friend, Bird, are spurred to action.

Praise for Amphibian:

"Carla Gunn has fashioned (more likely been possessed by) an irresistible voice. I confess this kid grabbed me from the top and held me in tender thrall." – Globe and Mail

"Sometimes you start reading a book and fall in love by page two. That's what happened when I tore through Carla Gunn's novel Amphibian ... [A] sparkling, memorable debut." – The Coast

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And, as WOW has each month, we have a theme for the evening. This month's theme is "Environment". So dig out any stories, songs, poems or skits with an Environmental theme that you've crafted and share it with an attentive and warm audience during the open mic portion of our evening. Or, if you'd like to share something with us that does not have to do with the theme, that's ok too. We'd love to hear from everyone!

Admission is free, but donations are happily accepted to help us continue with the Words on Water series.

Labels: arts, culture, event, Miramichi, music, tourism, Words on Water

Darlene's Tea House and Family Restaurant Annual Victorian Tea Party

Date: Saturday, August 15, 2009
Time: 2:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: Darlene's Tea House Barnettville Road Blackville, NB
Phone: 506.843.7979
Email: eat@darlenesteahouse.com

Join us for our 5th Annual Victorian Tea Party! Enjoy an afternoon in the garden with a Hot & Cold Buffet of Italian & Canadian Cuisine and delectable desserts.

Live entertainment by Amy and Friends. Prizes for best Victorian costume, and best hats.

* All You Can Eat Buffet
* Live Music in the Garden
* Young Princesses Welcome!

2:00pm - buffet meal
3:30-5:30pm - entertainment

Adults $22, Children $12. Reserve your ticket by calling 506-843-7979.

Labels: culture, event, food

Front book cover pictured right of limited edition (250 print run) Come Home to the River coffee table book.

These soft covered (in colour) books feature 200 pages of photographs and short stories including 60 pages of colour pictures and 140 pages of black and white photos. The book measures 8.5 inches by 11 inches with a perfect bind. It is a magnificent book containing picture and story submissions about this stretch of the Main Southwest Miramichi River and its people. The book includes photographs of community area schools, the footbridge, homesteads, work, stores, churches, families - just about anything and everything that depicts the past and present lifestyle in this area.

The price is $30 per book. (Shipping costs not included.) To obtain your copy, you must pre-order with your deposit of the full purchase price. Only 250 copies are available.

Contact Viola O'Donnell Savage at (506) 459-3938 or via email at vhsavage@nbnet.nb.ca

Remember the Come Home to the River - McNamee event happens this weekend August 14-16. For more information and to register visit www.comehometotheriver.com

Labels: arts, culture, event, festivals, Miramichi, music, tourism

Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Rodd Miramichi 1809 Water St. Miramichi, NB
Phone: 506.843.2208
www.thelighthouseevents.com

Tickets are $10 and can be acquired through Genesis Spa and Salon or by calling/emailing LIFE Radio and thelighthouseevents.com for more details.

A bit of history on Warren:

Born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, Barfield's music is often classified as a mix of pop, rock, folk, and soul. His compositions are largely inspired by the Christian writers, Brennan Manning and Philip Yancey. He was part of the "In the Name of Love Tour" in 2005 with Todd Agnew and BarlowGirl. In 2004, he toured with Toby McKeehan and Third Day.

Discography

* Worth Fighting For (2008)
* Reach (2006)
* Warren Barfield (2003)

www.facebook.com/warrenbarfield
www.myspace.com/warrenbarfield
www.youtube.com/warrenbarfield

Labels: arts, culture, event, Miramichi, music

For those who are interested in the Writers in the Schools (WiSP) program, the registration deadline is fast approaching. Ginny Hill, the WiSP administrator, would like confirmations of participation by August 25.

There have been changes this year, including the honorarium being increased to $250 per school visit, but also the requirement of a police check (a necessity that can't be worked around).

If you wish to participate you may write Ginny Hill - Ginnyh@nb.sympatico.ca - for more information.

Labels: arts, culture, Job Opportunity, Miramichi, program

Closing Concert
Time: 6:00 P.M.
ADMISSION: $25.00, by reservation only, Weekly pass will also cover this show.
Location: Beaverbrook Kin Centre, 100 Newcastle Blvd
Featuring: Whoop Step & Driver (A History of the Miramichi Folksong Festival) Written by Bernie Colepaugh and performed by the Heritage players.
Sponsored by: Econolodge & City Square Restaurant, 365 Pleasant St., Miramichi, NB.

Labels: arts, culture, event, festivals, Miramichi, music

Noon Luncheon with live music
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Beaverbrook Kin Centre, 100 Newcastle Blvd.
Tickets: Adults :$12.00 Children : $5.00
Featured Music: 11:30 a.m. - singer - Robbie Currie from Halifax
12:00 Noon - singer - John Lordon & David Bunnell
12.30 p.m. - singer- BobMcCallum
Reservation can be made for the first seating only
By Phone: (506) 622-1780 or by
E-mail: bb2@sympatico.ca or ph. 506-611-1780
Sponsored by Rodd Miramichi River

Story Telling Workshop
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: Beaverbrook Kin Centre, 100 Newcastle Blvd.
Tickets: Free
Featured Music: Peter Pacey, Bull of the woods from Fredericton, N.B.

SPECIAL GUESTS
Ivan & Vivian Hicks, New Brunswick's ambassadors of fiddle music and 2008 ECMA winners, plus Robert Currie, Gerry Roberts, Steve Heckbert, Cathy Daigle, David Stone, Melanie Ross Breen, Elizabeth Smith, Peter Pacey, Wesley Jagoe,and Smith School of Highland Dance.

Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Beaverbrook Kin Centre
Advance Tickets:$12.00 At the Door: $15.00
On Sale at Books Inn, Bills Kwik Way - Stitching Post Bathurst
By E-mail at bb2@sympatico.ca or ph. 506-622-1780
Children under 12 with adult FREE

Jam Session
Following evening concert at the Black Horse Tavern, across the street from the Beaverbrook Kin Centre. For those 19 and over, bring your voice and your musical instruments or just come and enjoy the music.

Labels: arts, culture, event, festivals, Miramichi, music

A volunteer medical services team from The Moncton Hospital will once again be tending to the health care needs of concert goers at the upcoming Magnetic Hill Music Festival's AC/DC concert tomorrow on August 6.

"We are pleased to continue our collaboration with the City of Moncton in providing medical services during the Magnetic Hill concert series," says Donald J. Peters, President and CEO of Regional Health Authority B.

He says the city's construction of a permanent primary emergency building has improved the quality of care by providing a spacious, less noisy, dry and well equipped space for medical treatment and equipment. "We are very proud of the 140 dedicated volunteers that provide this service."

Medical services at the concert will include the primary emergency medical building and two secondary medical tents positioned on the perimeter of the concert site. The tents will be easily identifiable with flags bearing a red cross. During the concert, a team of easy to identify first-aide professionals and paramedics will patrol the crowd to help fans with their minor injuries or illnesses. An ambulance fleet and large gator carts that can transport stretchers will also be available if required.

"Our goal is to treat as many people as possible at the concert site to avoid overcrowding at The Moncton Hospital's critical care and trauma departments with minor injuries," says Carole Morey, Program Administrative Director Emergency, Neuro/Rehab and Internal Medicine for The Moncton Hospital.

"One of the most common types of health related illnesses that we see is related to the hot and humid weather and as a result mist tents will be available for concert goers to cool off." She says the mist tent provides a continuous cool, fine mist that lowers the skin and body temperature instantly when someone walks through the tent. "The mist tents provided at the recent Bon Jovi and other previous mega concerts were extremely helpful and aided in reducing health related illnesses."

"We want to ensure everyone stays safe and healthy while they enjoy themselves," says Dr. Gary Duguay, emergency medicine doctor and medical director for the planning committee. To make sure everyone has a positive experience, he has these helpful tips:

Monitor the weather forecast closely and plan accordingly, but remember this is the Maritimes and the weather can change quickly and drastically. Prepare for both hot and cooler temperatures, and rainy weather. Bring layers of clothing that provide good insulation and keeps moisture away from the skin.

Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Dehydration can occur quickly in hot and humid weather.

Each concert goer can bring a 1 Litre bottle of water into the concert but remember to bring fluids to drink while waiting for the gates to open.

Protect yourself from sun exposure by wearing a hat, sunglasses and applying sunscreen regularly. Wear light-coloured, breathable clothing and move into the shade when possible.

Wear comfortable shoes as concert goers will be walking and standing for long periods of time. Also consider the terrain you will be walking on at the site.

Use common sense, listen to your body and respond appropriately. Drink responsibly and prepare for a safe ride home.

Remember to assign a meeting spot with your group early on to ensure no one gets lost during or at the end of the concert.

Remember to eat to avoid becoming weak.

And most importantly have fun!

Labels: culture, event, festivals, health, wellness

Drea Macdonald is coming to Miramichi, NB to promote her new CD Between You and Me. Based in Charlottetown, PEI, Drea is a talented singer/songwriter/musician.

When: Saturday, May 9th 2009
Time: 3:00-5:00
Where: Saltwater Sounds
1738 Water Street, Chatham (Miramichi), NB
506-773-8010

Labels: arts, culture, event, Miramichi, music

Labels: County Monaghan, culture, Ireland, Irish, Miramichi

Labels: County Monaghan, culture, Ireland, Irish, Miramichi

A delegation from Miramichi are in Ireland this week on their way to County Monaghan, the place our city is twinned with.

The Mighty Miramichiers sent us a few pictures of the sights and hospitality they've been experiencing.

Labels: business, County Monaghan, culture, Ireland, Irish, Miramichi, tourism

A delegation are in Ireland this week on their way to County Monaghan, the Irish region that the City of Miramichi is twinned with. The Mighty Miramichiers are enjoying wonderful hospitality from the Irish people.

Labels: County Monaghan, culture, Ireland, Irish, Miramichi, tourism