News Release

For immediate release
May 17, 2004

Preserving our Gaelic Heritage

Christmas Island, N.S. – A community infrastructure project aimed at building on the growing interest in the Island’s Gaelic culture and enhancing the experience of visitors was announced today by the Honourable Mark Eyking, Member of Parliament for Sydney-Victoria.

The Comunn Féis An Eilein (Festival of the Islands Society) plans to upgrade the Christmas Island Community Centre. Improvements include building renovations, improved sound, lighting, seating, stage, and other general improvements. The Centre is home to the annual Féis An Eilein, a summer concert series, as well as other Celtic Colours events.

“With assistance from the Government of Canada to upgrade the Christmas Island Community Centre, participants will be better able to experience Gaelic culture and traditions in a living vibrant cultural community,” said
MP Mark Eyking. “The Comunn Féis An Eilein has been instrumental in promoting and preserving the Island’s Gaelic culture through language and music workshops and various concert series held at the Centre.”

The annual Féis encompasses workshops in Gaelic language and song,
step-dancing, fiddle and chanter over a five day period. Visitors and residents have an opportunity to participate in the Gaelic culture through concerts, milling frolics, céilidhs and square dances. The summer Gaelic concert series features performances by Gaelic singers, pipers, fiddlers, pianists and step dancers.

“The improvements to the Community Centre will make the experience of our visitors more enjoyable,” says Allison MacKenzie, president of the Comunn Féis An Eilein. “The Centre is already a focal point for many community activities and our goal is to enhance existing events, as well as to raise awareness of and increase accessibility to Cape Breton’s Gaelic Culture.”

The total estimated cost of the project is $93,750. Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation will provide a non-repayable contribution of $75,000 through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s Strategic Community Investment Fund (SCIF).

A “Féis” (pronounced “faysh”) is a community-based festival designed to promote the Gaelic language and culture. The first Féis was held on the Isle of Barra, Scotland in 1981. Today the Féis Movement has expanded to approximately 36 communities in Scotland.

In 1991 the community of Christmas Island was home to the first Féis to be held outside of Scotland. Today the Féis Movement on Cape Breton Island has grown to include five communities.

The Strategic Community Investment Fund provides $135 million over five years to help communities in Atlantic Canada create an environment that encourages and enhances economic development.

Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation offers programs in support of economic development initiatives and is responsible for delivering ACOA's programs on Cape Breton Island and in the Mulgrave area.

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FOR BROADCAST USE ONLY:

A COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT AIMED AT BUILDING ON THE GROWING INTEREST IN THE ISLAND’S GAELIC CULTURE AND ENHANCING THE EXPERIENCE OF VISITORS WAS ANNOUNCED TODAY BY THE HONOURABLE MARK EYKING, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR SYDNEY-VICTORIA.

THE COMUNN FÉIS AN EILEIN (FESTIVAL OF THE ISLANDS SOCIETY) PLANS TO UPGRADE THE CHRISTMAS ISLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE. THE CENTRE IS HOME TO THE ANNUAL FÉIS AN EILEIN, A SUMMER CONCERT SERIES AS WELL AS SEVERAL CELTIC COLOURS EVENTS.

THE TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF THE PROJECT IS $93,750. ENTERPRISE CAPE BRETON CORPORATION WILL PROVIDE A NON-REPAYABLE CONTRIBUTION OF $75,000

MP MARK EYKING SAYS THAT THE COMUNN FÉIS AN EILEIN HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN PROMOTING AND PRESERVING THE ISLAND’S GAELIC CULTURE THROUGH THE ANNUAL FÉIS AS WELL AS VARIOUS LANGUAGE AND MUSIC WORKSHOPS AND CONCERT SERIES HELD AT THE CENTRE.


FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:

Stephen Heckbert
Office of the Honourable Joseph McGuire
Tel: (613) 948-7293

John Coady
Office of Mark Eyking, MP
Sydney – Victoria
Tel: (902) 567-6275

Allison MacKenzie
President, Comunn Féis An Eilein
Tel: (902) 622-2605

D.A. Landry
ECBC Communications
Tel: (902) 564-3617