Category Archives: PEI

Lennie Gallant performs at Halifax Tall Ships

Performing dockside at the Larinda mooring, PEI’s favourite son kept the audience clapping and tapping

Lennie at Tall Ships Lennie Gallant performs at Halifax Tall Ships photo

Lennie Gallant performing at the Halifax Tall Ships 2012, with his nephew Mitchell Gallant on bass (photo Stephen Pate)

A free afternoon concert by award-winning, singer songwriter Lennie Gallant was a highlight of Friday afternoon at the Halifax Tall Ships Festival 2012.

Performing under a beautiful blue sky with picturesque white clouds, Lennie Gallant sang many of his top hits from the past two decades. The crowd loved every toe-tapping minute, singing along and giving him rousing applause.   Continue reading →

Charlottetown and PEI facing dry hot summer

Rain has fallen below 30% for three months with no end in sight

Noah Sad 400 Charlottetown and PEI facing dry hot summer photo

Noah looks in vain for the water fountain on Victoria Row, Charlottetown (photo by Steven Daniel McKenna)

Charlottetown and PEI in general is having its worst summer in decades for heat without rain.

As of July 15th, Charlottetown has only received 4.25″ (108 mm) of rain since May.

Normally, 9″ (230 mm) of rain would have fallen in the same time.

Noah Clements and all the other children who like to play in the fountain on Victoria Row will be disappointed unless rain starts falling, which is not in the forecast.  Continue reading →

Ron Hynes in the Maritimes over Canada Day

One of my favorite performers, the Man with a Thousand Songs, will be at Stan Rogers Festival and on PEI

Ron Hynes Ron Hynes in the Maritimes over Canada Day photo

Ron Hynes, man of a thousand songs (photo Stephen Hawken)

The singer songwriter of “Sonny’s Dream” is touring the Maritimes, June 29th to July 1 at the Stan Rogers Folk Festival in Canso.

On July 3rd and 4th, Ron returns to PEI at the Trailside Cafe in Mt. Stewart.

Ron is currently promoting his Stealing Genius CD, a unique collection of songs written or inspired by Newfoundland poets and writers.

In a quiet way, “Stealing Genius” is one of the most intriguing and authentic albums of the man and Newfoundland.

Continue reading →

PEI Opposition calls for AG investigation of troubled Tourism Department

Contracts worth $4.2 million were handled improperly and the Deputy is tied to a rumored police investigation

pe melissamaceachern PEI Opposition calls for AG investigation of troubled Tourism Department photo

Melissa MacEachern, former PEI Deputy Minister of Tourism in alleged conflict of interest over contracts (photo – CBC)

Updated 8 PM -Opposition Leader, Olive Crane has asked the Auditor Genera to make public all copies of contracts and letters involving the PEI government and the Tourism Research Centre, to determine if the former Deputy Minister of Tourism Melissa MacEachern was in conflict of interest.

“The Auditor General confirmed Tuesday that the former Deputy had signed many of the $4.2 million in contracts that had violated treasury board policies and the Financial Administration Act. Some of these saw large amounts of money paid up front without the work having been started and in some cases, not completed. Some of those contracts were verbal, some did not have the required signatures and many of the invoices for cheques had no explanation for the money paid out.”  Continue reading →

Parks Canada refuses to make the parks accessible

Parks Canada faces dropping visits as Canadians age,  yet they are not willing to make the National Parks accessible

For Canadians with disabilities, Canada’s National Parks are a drive through experience.

A committee in Ontario designed the supposed disabled ramp at the National Park at Brackley Beach, Prince Edward Island.

The ramp is too steep for any person with a disability, excepting perhaps Olympic athletes who use wheelchairs.
Continue reading →

Is UPEI professor Sean Hennessey being charged by RCMP?

Charges of fraud and income tax evasion expected this week against professor with connections to PEI Department Tourism

Sean Hennessey Is UPEI professor Sean Hennessey being charged by RCMP? photo

UPEI Professor Sean Hennessey, working for Tourism Research Centre at UPEI or himself?

Mild ripples of scandal permeated the spring 2011 Legislature sitting when MLA Jim Bagnall went public with fraud allegations against Sean Hennessey, a UPEI business professor.

RCMP have not confirmed this week that charges will be laid against Mr. Hennessey, after a year-long investigation. After the allegations were made in the Legislature, Dr. Roberta MacDonald who held the UPEI Dean of Business position since 2002 stepped down. MacDonald is Hennessey’s wife.

Former UPEI President Wade McLaughlin was criticized at the time for not investigating and disciplining Hennessey before his retirement in June 2011.

Several sources have told NJN the RCMP are getting ready to move on Hennessey.  Continue reading →

EI Reform and the Folly of PEI

PEI Premier Ghiz let $500 million in development money slip away with no industrial development

Ghiz worried EI Reform and the Folly of PEI photo

Premier Ghiz of PEI worried about EI changes that affect 78% of Islanders (Photo CBC News)

Did Premier Ghiz see the shifting sands of Canada coming to hit him with the triple threat of reduction in Employment Insurance benefits, Federal transfer payments and massive layoffs of public servants?

If he had, perhaps some of the $500 million PNP money would have been spent on industrial development and not buying luxury homes and cars, propping up bankrupt businesses and essentially squandered on anything that had a pulse with a partisan connection.  Continue reading →