CHEERS: To the recipients for the Canadian Red Cross 2017 Humanitarian and Young Humanitarian Awards for Prince Edward Island. For first time, one award will be presented posthumously as the Humanitarian Award will go to Tom DeBlois of Charlottetown, for his dedication volunteering with a host of charitable organizations and causes up to the time of his unexpected death in August 2016 at age 69. The Young Humanitarian Award will go to 18-year-old Lacey Koughan of Charlottetown, who has developed a brand, program and web site called 24STRONG where girls and young women can safely share experiences, discuss life challenges, seek inspiration from female role models, and support each other. The awards will be presented at a fundraising event Wednesday evening, Nov. 8 at the P.E.I. Convention Centre.
CHEERS: To the frantic marathon runner who rushed into Tim Hortons on Kent Street in Charlottetown at 6:52 a.m. Sunday morning seeking anything with egg and sausage. The man was rushing to catch a bus departing for the race starting line but needed a quick breakfast before heading out. He apologized profusely to those in the line-up as cut people off in order to make his connections. One wonders if he got to the bus on time and how he got along?
CHEERS: To Amanda Stanyer who delivered a stirring rendition of the national anthem before Mickey Place basketball tournament action Saturday evening at UPEI. Stanyer, the starting goalkeeper for the Lady Panthers soccer team, is the daughter of UPEI grad Phil Stanyer of Vancouver. Phil was in town for the weekend to attend lots of campus sports action, visit his daughter and numerous Pendergast cousins. Amanda may find herself in demand as an anthem singer for future UPEI events.
CHEERS: To UPEI which bucked a trend at other Atlantic universities to see its student enrolment rise this year. A preliminary survey of 2017-2018 enrolments for universities in the Atlantic region saw student numbers decrease overall in the last year (down by 0.4 per cent). But UPEI’s student population went up by 2.6 per cent, led by a 4.5 per cent jump in full-time undergraduate students, and an increase in full-time international students of 12.8 per cent. The total number of students at UPEI is now 4,549, up from 4,433 last year.
CHEERS: To Team Brudenell who claimed a narrow home course victory Saturday in the P.E.I. Finest Golf Championship which pitted teams from the three provincial courses against each other in match competition. Brudenell claimed 17.5 points to edge out a resurgent Mill River contingent, which earned 16.5 points. Defending champions from the Links at Crowbush Cove managed a meager 4.5 points. Crowbush, which won at home last year, was decimated by injuries and withdrawals, which left many in the starting lineup on the sidelines. Each club sent 12 players - who qualified from their club championships - and the club pro to the event.
CHEERS: To Downtown Charlottetown Inc. for organizing the annual Coats for Kids 2017 collection which started last week and runs to Oct. 28. The collection seeks new or gently used winter coats, (snowsuits, snow pants, hats, mittens, gloves, scarves and boots) for families. The campaign takes place in partnership with The Salvation Army, The Confederation Court Mall, which provides a Drop off Depot, Sterns Laundry, which cleans all the collected clothing and the Guardian. The Salvation Army will open the Free Shop on Nov.13 – 14 where families can pick out what they like from racks of clean winter coats and snow suits.
CHEERS: To Charlottetown Rural graduate Chris Chivilo whose company took over the former potato chip facilities in Slemon Park previously used by Small Fry and Humpty Dumpty. New Leaf Essentials specializes in processing high-protein legume plants like dried peas, beans, lentils, and chickpeas. They are used in pulse products including starches, proteins, fiber and flour for human and pet food markets, including aquaculture feed. The company also serves export markets worldwide. For 2017 New Leaf Essentials had contracted for 6,000 acres of product grown, with a target for 2018 of 12,000 acres. The company estimated that it would contract with 50 farmers this year and create as many as 12 jobs at its Slemon Park plant alone.
