JEERS: To the Toronto Maple Leafs for the team’s bizarre selection of uniforms worn Saturday night at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. The NHL’s final outdoor game of the season had a naval theme and the Leafs tried their best to camouflage themselves by wearing predominately white uniforms which made them almost invisible on the ice - blending in with the ice, boards and uneven outdoor lighting. The Leafs presented themselves as ghostly images but it failed to rattle the Washington Capitals who downed Toronto 5-2 in a windswept match before 34,000 fans. It resembled a scene of white walker zombies from Game of Thrones more than an NHL game. The best shot of the night came from the U.S. Olympic gold medal winning men’s curling team which swept the game puck to the centre-ice dot on a curling stone to officially start the game.
CHEERS: To Claddagh Oyster House on Sydney Street in Charlottetown, for winning the WinterDine People’s Choice Menu for 2018. Chef Mitchell Jackson created three winning Winterdine menus, featuring offerings from both land and sea, which caught the favour of the dining public who voted online. WinterDine is a winter dining festival, which runs for three consecutive weekends in January and February. Participating restaurants offer a three-course menu, designed specifically for Winter Dine by some of Charlottetown’s top chefs, at either a $28 or $38 price per person. This year, 21 downtown Charlottetown restaurants participated.
JEERS: To the Wheatley River septic hauler who attempted to take the easy way out of a problem by illegally dumping his load on an area farmer’s field. The incident stems from August 2017, when a conservation officer responded to a complaint from a farmer after he discovered raw sewage had been dumped on one of his fields. A Wheatley River septage hauler has been charged with two counts under the Trespass to Property Act, two counts under the Environmental Protection Act related to disposal of septage, and one count under the Criminal Code of Canada related to damage to property. The affected field can’t be used to produce root crops for human consumption this season, resulting in a substantial loss to the farmer. The case will be before the courts later this month.
CHEERS: To Derek MacEwen, P.E.I.’s finalist for Curling Canada’s Volunteer of the Year Award announced last week. Roger Smith of La Peche, Que. won the award as part of events leading up to the Tim Hortons Brier. Smith was instrumental in getting a new curling centre built in Chelsea, Que. Curling Canada’s 14 member associations submitted applications for the volunteer award, which was narrowed down seven finalists, including MacEwen who plays a key role publicizing P.E.I. curling events and results on social media and websites.
CHEERS: To Islander John Connolly who will star in ‘On The Road With Dutch Mason,’ when the show has its world premiere at the 2018 Charlottetown Festival at Confederation Centre on June 30. Connolly landed the starring role of Dutch Mason after auditions this winter. Artistic director Adam Brazier said it was a no-brainer to choose Connolly to play Dutch Mason because of his remarkable musical skills with and an authentic voice and appreciation for the blues. Connolly is looking forward to returning to the Festival after an eight-year break and couldn’t be more excited to play “The Prime Minister of the Blues.”
CHEERS: To the upset-minded UPEI Lady Panthers basketball team which lost to powerful Acadia 80-58 in Sunday’s AUS championship final in Halifax. The Lady Panthers, who finished strongly to end the regular season, had a surprising weekend. First, they overpowered UNB 76-70 to open tourney action Friday – led by AUS rookie-of-the-year Reese Baxendale with 30 points and Jenna Mae Ellsworth with 28. Saturday, UPEI upset defending champion Cape Breton in a gritty 78-73 win, again led by Baxendale’s 24 and Ellsworth with 18. Acadia proved too deep and strong in the final where Ellsworth again led UPEI with 21 points. Acadia, ranked #1 in Canada much of the season, heads next weekend to nationals.
JEERS: To federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau who raised false hopes for a long-awaited national pharmacare plan in Tuesday’s budget speech. The minister quickly backtracked the next day, saying the plan will only fill in the blanks not covered by present drug plans. It was one of the quickest flip-flops ever by this Liberal government. Canadians hope that a national task force appointed by Morneau will have the good sense to bring in a strong recommendation for full pharmacare coverage that the minister will be forced to accept.
