CHEERS: To the P.E.I. Muslim Society and its supporters for organizing a vigil in Charlottetown for the victims of the New Zealand mosque shooting that killed 50 people. New Zealand is more than half a world away, but the senseless act of terrorism resonated around the globe and here in Prince Edward Island. Charlottetown’s Masjid Dar As-Salam mosque has had its own share of racist incidents in the past. Unfortunately, as Muslim society president Zain Esseghaier said in a Guardian story, racism and prejudice is everywhere. But so is humanity and kindness, which we are reminded of through community gatherings like the one on Saturday.
JEERS: To drivers who consistently fail to clear off their windshields on snowy and frosty winter mornings. A 17-year-old driver was charged earlier this week for the offence after he collided with a horse and buggy in the New Perth area. Luckily in this case, the buggy driver was not injured (nor was the teen driving the car), but his carriage was extensively damaged and his horse had some minor injuries. It could have been much worse, and is by no means the only example of someone who didn’t take the time to scrape off their windows before heading out. The time it takes to properly brush and scrape windshields is worth spending to avoid a much more tragic delay on the commute.
CHEERS: To 12-year-old Orwell native Kara MacRae, who left for Toronto on Thursday with her family to attend two Toronto Maple Leafs games. Diagnosed with cancer last year, MacRae’s wish to go to Toronto and watch the Maple Leafs was made possible by the P.E.I. chapter of the Children’s Wish Foundation. Besides attending the games, MacRae would also have the opportunity to meet Maple Leafs alumni and tour the Scotiabank Centre. It’s a nice distraction for the family. Recently, MacRae’s mother Violet Robinson was also diagnosed with cancer.
CHEERS: To the Lou Nowlan-skipped team from the Silver Fox in Summerside that recently won the Maritime men’s curling championship in Rothesay, N.B. The team had four wins and one loss to win the championship held at the Riverside Country Club. In the final, the team came from behind to defeat New Brunswick’s team led by Gary Mitchell. Besides Nowlan, other P.E.I. team members include Dave MacFadyen, Earle Proude and Alan Montgomery. Next year’s curling championship will be hosted by Cornwall.
CHEERS: To 14-year-old Zaneta Ambassa for recording her first song – Hurt Me Without Sound. The young musician and Grade 9 student Stonepark Intermediate School started writing songs about two years ago. Ambassa played the ukulele for the recording. The song is about how people sometimes hurt other without knowing it.
