The Inverness Oran

Maverick Bishop had a very special visit from hockey superstar Willie Nylander at the Toronto Sick Kids Hospital.

-by April MacDonald

                In this county, in Cape Breton and in PEI, and across this country, hearts have banded together to rally around a little boy who has been fighter since the day he was born.

                Maverick Bishop is the son of Woodrow (Woody) Bishop and Marie-Eve Roy; both parents have been updating their army of supporters through their social media accounts.

                Mom, Dad, and sisters, Isla and Lexie have been fighting in his corner from Day One.

                Maverick Bishop had his first operation as a baby when he was just 11 days old. When he was four he had open-heart surgery at the IWK Health Centre.

                Here is a bit of the early days of Maverick’s journey as told by his aunt.

                “As most of you may know, my nephew Maverick AKA ‘Top Gun’ and his Mom (Marie-Eve) and Dad (Woodrow) have been in the hospital for almost two months now. On January 16^th he was taken to the ER in PEI having trouble breathing and then was transferred to the IWK on January 21^st. Since then he has developed pneumonia and most recently plastic bronchitis.

                “He has undergone many procedures including a Thoracentesis procedure, a catheterization procedure, Bronchoscopy, over a dozen X-rays, several ultrasounds, a few echoes, CT scans, daily blood work, a pic line, drainage tubes and most recently a TPN feeding process, just to name a few…The leakage which is from his Lymphatic System has caused the Plastic Bronchitis and the excess drainage we are seeing. He coughed up his 3rd cast of plastic bronchitis today. Ultimately, his Fontan is failing which is what we did not want to hear.

                “We, as a family are hopeful that with the new chest tube and the TPN feeding process for the next week that it will give his Lymphatic system a chance to repair and get his Fontan circuit working effectively again. If not they might need to travel to Toronto, Boston or Philadelphia where they specialize in lymphatic procedures and Plastic Bronchitis.”

                It has been a long journey full of ups and downs and many moments that would shake any parent to the core.

                Maverick had his fourth heart surgery when he was just four years old, one his family had hoped this one will be his last.

                Fast forward to the fall of 2024 when Maverick was placed on the pediatric heart transplant list, and after a long wait he finally received the news of an available heart and underwent his transplant surgery on January 30^th.

                Krishna Bishop is Maverick’s aunt. She spoke on behalf of the whole family on this very scary and hopeful next chapter on Maverick’s journey.

                “Our hearts are full of gratitude – and at the same time, still very heavy. Maverick is only nine years old, and over those nine years he has braved many challenges, medical treatments and open-heart surgeries as a result of his very complicated heart condition. His determination to overcome every setback has been nothing short of an inspiration to all those who know him and even many who don't.

                Thanks to the incredible medical team at Toronto Sick Kids Hospital, the donor family’s unimaginable generosity, and countless prayers from people near and far, he has been given the gift of a new heart. A chance to live the life he always talks about - getting to play hockey with the big boys and getting back to PEI to be home to be with his family and see all his friends. And to just be a kid!”

                Krishna Bishop wanted to sincerely thank everyone who has shared his story, prayed for him, checked in, and wrapped their family in love.

                “Your support has carried us through some of the darkest most unsure moments. That said, his journey is far from over.

                “His heart transplant is not a finish line – it is the beginning of a very long, complex, and fragile road to recovery. Maverick is still in the very early stages of healing and is nowhere near ‘in the clear.’ There are still so many unknowns, ongoing risks, intensive monitoring, medications, and setbacks that can arise without warning. His strength amazes us daily, but the road ahead will require time, patience, and immense support.”

                Throughout this journey, Maverick and his parents, Woodrow and Marie-Eve and sisters, Isla (12) and Lexie (2) have been staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Toronto, allowing them to remain close to the hospital during this critical time while travelling back and forth from Prince Edward Island.

                Maverick has had his favourite teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Blue Jays cheering him on, with some of the biggest names in sports visiting him in hospital and Maverick attending multiple games as well as practices.

                On Wednesday, March 25^th, Maverick the Champ was discharged from Sick Kids Hospital.

                “A day that seemed so far away as recent as just last week, but the Champ has once again overcome all the setbacks and has surprised his whole team here, especially Marie-Eve Roy and I,” said dad, Woodrow Bishop.

                “Just a couple weeks ago his team was talking about a trach and even a G-Tube for feeding. Maverick did not like the sound of that so he worked extra hard and we put as many fat free recipes as we could together for every meal, and with his determination we get to today.

                “We could not be more proud and relieved for Mav after what he has been through. His recovery is far from over, tomorrow the Champ will start a new rehab program, but wow, are we happy today that we are another step closer to returning home to PEI,” added Bishop.

                Woodrow Bishop is from Cheticamp and attended high school at Cape Breton Highland’s Education Centre in Terre Noire. He now lives in Prince Edward Island with his family.

                Your army of supporters can’t wait until you’re all back in the comforts of your own home surrounded by the ones you love the most.

                We send all our love to the family, but especially, to Maverick.

Dalbrae Dragons goaltender Hayden Gillies gave his teammates every chance to win during the SSNS provincial hockey tournament, turning in a 1.96 goals-against average in two Division 2 provincial games on Saturday in Inverness.

-by Bill Dunphy

                Dalbrae Dragons coach Lewis MacLellan knew it would take a team effort for the girls hockey team to be successful – and he got it.

                The Dragons won their fourth consecutive School Sport Nova Scotia Division 2 hockey championship on Sunday in Canning, beating the host Northeast Kings Titans 2-1 in overtime.

                Julia MacLellan was the hero of the day, gathering a rebound on a shot by Gracie Kenny and sending the Titans goalie’s water bottle into orbit for the win.

                Down to 12 skaters at the end of the tournament, Dalbrae had nine players who scored at least one goal.

                “What I liked about it was they knew that they had to work hard, and that they really wanted it,” said MacLellan.

                “Our scoring was spread out and our depth players had goals which I was happy for. It really created a bond to make it a team win totally.”

                The Dragons started the overtime period on a powerplay and coach MacLellan had forwards Julia MacLellan and Violet MacDonald out on the ice with defensive pairing Breagha MacLellan and Isla Gillies.

                “After a minute, Violet changed, Gracie went out, and I was calling for Julia to come off but she had control of the puck. She passed out of the corner to Gracie, and her shot came back to Julia who spun around and hit the water bottle,” MacLellan said. Gillies also picked up an assist on the goal.

                In fact, it was a big day for the MacLellan clan, with Lewis coaching alongside his daughter Marisa, and his daughters Julia and Breagha on the ice.

                The first period of the championship game was scoreless and Dalbrae took a 1-0 lead in the second on an unassisted goal by Kendall Cameron.

                The Titans tied it with 1:29 left in regulation time, but also took a tripping penalty with three seconds remaining to give the Dragons the extra player advantage in overtime.

                Katie Margaret MacIntyre was a stalwart in goal for Dalbrae, turning aside 33 shots for the win.

                “The Titans were a very good team, one of the tightest we played this year, and Katie Margaret was great for us in both games against them,” said MacLellan.

                Dalbrae and Northeast Kings opened the tournament at noon on Friday and the Dragons set the tone by beating them 2-1 in that game.

                Gillies scored the lone goal of the first period on a play with Kenny and Isabel Calder made it 2-0 in the second period, assisted by Jaelyn Kenny and Julia MacLellan.

                The Titans got one back in the third but MacIntyre shut the door after that for the win.

                Dalbrae was back on the ice that evening for a game against the Eastern Shore Coyotes, beating them handily 9-2.

                Penny MacDonald had the start in goal for the Dragons, who led 5-0 and 7-2 by periods.

                Julia MacLellan and Gracie Kenny each scored twice, with singles from Gillies, Ally Beaton, Calder, Mollie MacDonald, and Breagha MacLellan.

                Dalbrae booked their ticket for Sunday’s championship game by beating the Clare Wolves 10-1 on Saturday.

                Up 2-1 after the first, the Dragons scored four in the second and four more in the third for win.

                Violet MacDonald had a big game with four goals and two assists. Jaelyn Kenny notched a pair, with Julia MacLellan, Gracie Kenny, Calder, Cameron adding singles. Blueliner Addison Kennedy picked up four assists.

                MacIntyre, in goal for the win, had a 1.00 goals-against average for the tournament.

                The Titans, meanwhile, beat Eastern Shore 3-1 in the final round-robin game and then beat them 6-1 three hours later in the 2^nd vs. 3^rd semifinal game.

                Breagha MacLellan and Kendall Cameron were the only graduating players on the team.

                “We knew this tournament wasn’t going to be easy and beating Northeast Kings 2-1 in our first game was important. After that we thought, we can do this,” said Breagha.

                “It was a full team effort and a great way to end my high school career,” she said, noting that she will likely keep on the ice playing intramural hockey at St. F.X. next year and playing Senior hockey alongside her mom, Chantelle (Hawley) MacLellan.

                Both Breagha and Kendall will have one more kick at the provincial can this weekend as members of the Quad County Whitecaps  U18 AA team that are hosting the provincial tournament at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre.

Group photo of Encore du Vent Dance Troupe with their signature “Poodle Skirts” – beautiful and vibrant colours. Front row (left to right): Shelley LeBlanc, Jenna LeBlanc, Hannah Harris and Ashley Roach-Poirier. Back row: Evelyn Doyle, Paulette Roach, Bernell Richard, Kathleen Chiasson and Denise Timmons.

-by Rosie Aucoin-Grace

                As spring is attempting to make an appearance, Mother Nature holds the reins so to speak, and winter weather keeps hanging around. It’s that crazy “I wore the wrong coat” time of the year, while fluctuating unpredictable temperatures lingers on.

                The Encore de Vent Dance Troupe, a title that signifies “Wind Again” which is typical for this region especially our phenomenal “suêtes.” Ironically, they had to cancel their shows on the weekend of March 14^th due to unforeseen circumstances, including a suête, stormy weather. The following weekend, they performed on March 21^st La Place des arts Père Anselme Chiasson at École NDA during yet another rainstorm as the wind howled again. Once inside the theatre, one was captivated by this boundless group of energetic dancers.

                With such a diversity in their dance material, an array of colourful costumes especially their signature Poodle Skirts, their incredible energy and joie de vivre, it was a great combination. The number of dancers in the troupe has always fluctuated. Some come and go; others have been there since the beginning. Currently, they are nine members: Ashley Roach-Poirier, Bernell Richard, Cathleen Chiasson, Denise Timmons, Evelyn Doyle, Hannah Harris, Paulette Roach, Shelley Leblanc, and Jenna LeBlanc. For a few of these dancers, due to their age, are referred to as “senior power”.

                The leader of the Encore du Vent Dance Troupe is Ashley Roach-Poirier. It is simply amazing how she can juggle being a carpenter by day, performer by night as a dancer/singer/ musician/composer, Zumba instructor and the list goes on. Whatever the task, she gives it her heart and soul to succeed. It is easy to see with her iconic bubbly, energetic and positive attitude how she can inspire others to participate in various activities including dancing. We spoke about the troupe, and she said, “We have been dancing since the year 2016! The group was founded to allow for adults to continue their passion for dancing and throughout the years; the dance troupe has done various concerts. We hold to heart our love for the traditional Acadian step dancing and incorporate some different genres and styles of dancing. We always look for opportunities to learn new genres”

                Poirier continued, “We are always open to anyone who wants to join our small but mighty group. We encourage anyone who loves to dance to come see us. We are open to all levels of dancers; we just want to share our love for dance.”

                Dancer Evelyn Doyle spoke highly of the dance troupe and enjoys being a member, “I love the social aspect, the camaraderie, the laughter and the exercise. I enjoy the challenges, pushing myself to learn new steps and choreography. It is very rewarding to see and hear the crowd getting into the performances and cheering us on. This year in the concert, we did nineteen dances integrated with lively disco music, the jive, salsa, Acadian step dancing, Irish jig, the waltz – valse-clog, hip hop, performing with black light and more. I love our vibrant costumes and dancing to some fine fiddle tunes and even oldie but goodie songs. We just love having fun on stage!”

                I spoke with the only male dancer in the group, Bernell Richard, who spoke about his experience with the dance troupe, “I love to dance, no matter the type, I will try it. I heard there was an adult dance troupe through Ashley and when she invited me to join in, I explained that I don’t step dance. With her encouragement and guidance, I joined and really enjoyed my first concert with the troupe.” He continued, “Since then, I enrolled at the Mabou Dance School for a week where they taught me some step dancing and I have been building up ever since. It makes me more useful to the troupe. We have a lot of fun, and the girls are very patient with me. When I don’t know the steps, they give me tips and help me get it right.”

                “It takes much commitment, lots of practice and time, but it is all worth it in the end. I love the variety of dances and when I can learn something new, I enjoy it even more. I especially enjoy the waltz and the jives. Ashley is a wonderful instructor, and she spends so much time on the choreography. We appreciate her very much, she is what makes this group, the key person,” says Richard.

                “I would like to thank everyone who came out to see us perform, who continue to support us. As well, we are very grateful those who helped us with the concerts: Muriel Chiasson (costumes), Shelby Deveau (lights), Andrew Poirier (technician), Cory Chiasson (photographer), Jason Eddy (video), and to the volunteers who collected at the door, and sold water and 50/50 tickets. We could not to this without all of you,” says Roach-Poirier.

                Bravo to the Encore du Vent Dance Troupe – well done!