The Seniors Getting Involved Association will be presenting the 2nd Annual Antigonish County Older Adult Games on the last weekend in June.  The games are open to Antigonish Town and County residents aged 55 and older.  Most of the activities will take place on Saturday the 25th at facilities in St. Andrews (the games actually kick off at 3:00 PM Friday with a round of golf at Fiddler’s Green Golf course).  The Saturday events are divided into morning and afternoon sessions running from 9:00 AM to noon and 1:00 to 5:00 PM respectively, with lunch provided from noon to 1:00 PM by the St. Andrews CWL.

Participants can select from any of twenty different activities, that cover a whole gamut from sports such as shuffleboard, nordic walking, bowling or softball, to card and board games including contact bridge, scrabble, cribbage and crokinole, to pie baking  (For details zoom in on the schedule at the bottom right of this post).  There’s sure to be something for everybody.  Following the games there will be a dinner and an evening of entertainment, with round and square dancing with music by John Leo and Robert Rennie, plus a DJ playing old time Rock ‘n Roll.

Reservation in advance is required, with a firm registration deadline of Friday, June 10th.  Registrations cannot be accepted after that date.  Fees are $10 for the games and lunch only or $25 for the games, lunch, dinner and evening entertainment (there is an additional $8 green fees charge for those playing golf).  In case of a need to withdraw, a full refund is available up until noon, June 23rd.  Registration forms (as shown at the bottom left of this post) can be printed by clicking on that image, or can be picked up at the municipal office, the town hall or from any seniors’ rep. in your area (for Lochaber phone 783-2532 or 783-2533).  Completed forms can be dropped of at or mailed to Antigonish County Recreation, 285 Beech Hill Road, Antigonish, NS  B2G 0B4.  Please enclose a cheque or money order payable to Seniors Getting Involved Association with your registration form.  Thank you.

For further information, contact Antigonish County Recreation at 863-1141.

LOST – SWIMMING AREA RAFT

Although Bob Inglis and Dave Brown thought that they had pulled the swimming area raft well up on the shore and tied it up securly, they were no match for Mother Nature.  The combination of last fall’s very high lake levels and blustery winds, broke the raft’s moorings and floated it away.

If you are boating on the lake, please be on the lookout for the raft.  It is about 10 feet square and uses styrofoam flotation (not drums), so it floats very low in the water, with the top only a few inches above the water’s surface.  Should you come across the raft, please leave a comment on this post with either a good description of where you found it, or contact information so that we can find out from you where it is.  Thanks in advance for your help.

FOUND – SET OF SYLVAN HALL KEYS

A set of keys for Sylvan Hall were found where they were apparently dropped just outside the hall doors.  If you think that these might be your keys, place a comment on this post and someone will contact you about returning them to their owner.

Renée Brown receives her award from Lieutenant Governor, Mayann Francis & Minister of the Voluntary Sector, Marilyn More

Each year since 1996, Antigonish County Recreation has invited organizations and individuals to nominate volunteers whom they feel deserve special recognition for their work within their communities.  From among the nominees, one person is then selected at random to represent Antigonish County volunteers at the annual Volunteer Awards Ceremony and Luncheon held in Halifax.

Warden Herb Delorey congratulates Renée Brown

The 2011 Antigonish County representative was Renée Brown, who was nominated by the Lochaber Community Development Association.  Renée’s greatest achievement within the community has been her work with the yearly Strawberry Festival.  To quote from the citation from the Awards Ceremony program; “Using her outstanding leadership, marketing and organizational skills, Renée has transformed what has always been an integral part of the community’s social and fundraising activities into, by far, the largest event in Lochaber by any measure“.  In addition, Renée is a member of the local St. Patrick’s parish council and has also organized fund raising and social events in Lochaber.

County & town reps., Renée Brown & Donald MacLellan

Renée is the latest in a long line of nominated volunteers from Lochaber, three others of whom were selected as the Antigonish County representative at the provincial Awards Ceremony.  Those three were Ella Stearns in 2010, Dorothy Ostewig in 1999 and Marie Gillis in 1998.  Other nominees from Lochaber are; Dana Murphy, Merle Taylor, Gloria Greene, Kevin Sponagle, Bob MacKinnon, Pat Gillis, Melvin MacDonald, Allister & Harriet Cameron (jointly), Jennifer Carter, Reg Lagacé, Karen Stewart and David Brown.  All of these 17 people richly deserve this recognition, but they are only a sample of all the people who have, over the years, given of their time and efforts to contribute to making Lochaber the community it is.

New Glasgow representative volunteer, Fleur Mainville, receives her award

Two other regional volunteer representatives who many people in Lochaber are familiar with are Donald MacLellan representing the Town of Antigonish and Fleur Mainville of New Glasgow.  Among some of Donald’s many areas of involvement are the Antigonish fire dept. and the Eastern Nova Scotia Exhibition.  Fleur, who entertained us last summer at Sylvan Hall, was recognized for donating her musical artistry to many causes and especially for her contributions to her community as a big sister and role model to young women.