The Inverness Oran

Andi Ryan, age 11, is a very talented young painter. She loves to paint and made this painting of her dog, Ruthie, last year.

-By Beverley Phillips

The Inverness County Centre for the Arts (ICCA) was busy as the annual Hands Dancing exhibit opened on Sunday afternoon.
Hands Dancing is an exhibit for members of the arts centre. Tom Ryan and Virginia McCoy springboarded the first back in the 1980s at the Inverness Legion. It then moved to the upstairs of the Inverness Post Office until it found its home at ICCA in 2003.
One hundred and four pieces from 52 artists make up the extraordinary show that showcases a variety of mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, textiles, and more. While many pieces come from year-round residents, a number of them come from as far away as Florida and New York, contributed by our seasonal residents.The exhibition is on display until July 26th. You can visit Inverness County Centre for the Arts at 16080 Highway 19, Inverness. The gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission by donation.

The owners of MB Meat Company and some family members cut the ribbon to officially open their new facility in Judique. Joining them are Inverness MLA Kyle MacQuarrie, left, and Agriculture Minister Greg Morrow, right.

-by Augusta Hofman

                MB Meat Company of Judique celebrated their grand opening this past Saturday, June 28^th, making it the only provincially inspected beef abattoir in Inverness County.

                Adding to the excitement of opening day was the official announcement that Agriculture Nova Scotia is investing $25,000 into MB Meat Company.

                This investment is part of the province’s Beef Processing Program for the Nova Scotia Beef Initiative – an effort to support local farmers and to provide Cape Bretoners with locally raised beef. Prior to this abattoir, Cape Breton cattle producers’ farmers would have to send their cattle off island to be processed, thus significantly increasing production costs for farmers. “This investment supports local producers, strengthens our food system, and helps more Nova Scotian beef reach dinner tables” said Agriculture Minister Greg Morrow, who attended Saturday’s opening.

                For co-owners Jared and Laura McNabb and Chad and Dawn Boudreau, news of receiving funding came at a crucial time. “When we were notified that we would be entitled to a quarter of a million dollars from the government, it was a massive weight lifted from our shoulders,” said Laura McNabb. “We were about three-quarters of the way through the build and had reached a point where we had to decide what would be prioritized and what would have to be pushed back.

                McNabb also tipped her hat to the provincial government for making themselves available and encouraging them throughout the entire process.

                “From the beginning the Nova Scotia Government has been in our corner. For getting inspected, it feels like it should have been really difficult, but when you have the government in your corner, like we did, it made things very easy for us” states co-owner Laura McNabb.

                “We are incredibly grateful for this investment and the confidence it showed in our vision. The funding allowed us to purchase equipment and supplies that may otherwise have been delayed, while providing the peace of mind that our dream could be completed as intended. The province’s support has helped us build not only a business, but a foundation that will allow us to continue serving our community with the quality products and service it deserves,” added McNabb.

                MB provides custom slaughter and and cut-and-wrap services to regional livestock producers, as well as selling product directly to customers through their storefront. “Our customers want to know where their food comes from and they want to support local farmers whenever they can,” says Holger Hartenstein, owner of the Chanterelle Inn and Restaurant in Baddeck.

                The dream began decades ago for the McNabbs, who were, at the time, residing in Alberta. Realizing there was little need for another abattoir amongst dozens in Alberta, the dream came fully into fruition when they decided, alongside the Boudreaus, to return to Cape Breton to build their operation.

                The funding allowed MB to attain equipment and supplies that would have otherwise been delayed, allowing for a smoother operation at opening. Currently, MB is processing two cattle a week, utilizing every aspect of the animal as possible, from tallow to bones for dogs. Although the funding does not necessarily affect the amount of weekly meat production, as it depends on the readiness of the animals, they are taking measures to increase production to three cattle a week if necessary.

                When asked about more investments into local farming in the foreseeable future, minister Morrow said, “It is always the goal to increase the amount of local food production.”

                “Our goal is to help more beef be raised, finished, and processed, here at home, on Cape Breton Island,” said Morrow. “MB Meat Company is a strong example of families investing in their community and building the kind of local infrastructure that supports farmers, rural communities, and our economy.”

                Abattoirs in Nova Scotia processing meat for sale are required to have a provincial licence; the province inspects licensed abattoirs to ensure they comply with provincial regulations.

                The province has committed $1.5 million through the Nova Scotia Beef Initiative: $750,000 for the Nova Scotia Beef Finishing Equipment Support Program and $750,000 for the Nova Scotia Beef Processing Program.

                Through the processing program and the Beef Finishing Equipment Support Program, support has been provided to two abattoirs and 35 producers to date, helping strengthen local beef production across Nova Scotia.

                There were 360 licensed beef producers in Nova Scotia in 2025. 4,397 cattle were processed at provincially licensed abattoirs in Nova Scotia in 2025.

                Blissfully humbled by the support of the government and the Cape Breton community, the two families are excited to continue providing the community with fresh, quality products.

Three-year-old colt Blazing Cays earned every bit of the winner’s share of the $6,000 stakes purse, going from last to first in 1:58.3 for driver Darren Crowe and Route Nineteen Racing.

-by Bill Dunphy

                A packed race card of 13 dashes at Inverness Raceway on Sunday saw the Maritimes’ best pacers race for big money, including locally-owned Blazing Cays.

                Owned by Port Hood’s Keith and Lewis MacDonell and Route Nineteen Racing, the son of Tobago Cays and the Mach Three mare Jenna Grace won the $6,000 Atlantic Sires Stakes B-Division for three-year-old colts.

                The Inverness oval hosted the second leg of the Atlantic Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings in addition to the Phil Pinkney Memorial Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies.

                Tobago Cays’ win was won of several finishes that had the crowd in the packed grandstand on their feet cheering.

                Getting a rough start off the gate from leaving post three, driver Darren Crowe was looking at the rest of the field heading into the first quarter.

                Undaunted, Blazing Cays began reeling in the six in front of him, taking the lead heading into the stretch for a last quarter in 28.4 and a two-length win over Galway Bay (Monica Sutherland) in 1:58.2.

                Sutherland had her own chance to shine later on in the card with a win in race 11 that saw four horses battling down the stretch for home.

                Eastcoast Invader, trained by Sutherland and co-owned with her dad Todd, who does the breeding, was the longest shot on the board at 20:1.

                However, Sutherland bided her time after dropping into fourth place off the rail before making her move three-wide at the three-quarter pole. From there, Invader found another gear to beat Stay Pumped (Travis MacLean), pace-setter Windemere Best Man (Danny Gillis), and Igot Socks (Rodney Gillis) for the win in 1:59.1.

                Eastcoast Invader paid $22.70 to win and keyed a $765.40 triactor.

                Two of the raceway’s youngest owners, Inverness sister and brother Ella and Danny MacDonald, got their first win of the season when Marc Campbell took Mcland from third at the half, overtaking Southfield Sandy (Lewis MacDonell) and Believe It See It (Rodney Gillis) to a one-length win in 1:59, pacing the last quarter in 28.3.

                Inverness owner-trainer Shaun MacDonald got his first win of the season in race five when Redmond Doucet picked up his second win of the day, driving Afair Somewhere to a 1:59 mile.

                Doucet made it three wins in a row for Drink Up Mouchacho, going gate to wire in 2:01.2 for owner-trainer J.J. MacDonald.

                And Walter Deagle had two three-year-olds looking for their first win on Sunday. His filly, Nevaeh Divine, overcame fourth at the half to win the opening dash in 2:01 with Colin Sheppard on the reins.

                His colt, Shekhan, picked up a fourth-place cheque in the $12,000 A-divison stakes race, pacing in 1:59.2 for Sheppard.

                In Sunday’s $2,000 feature race, Mappos Lion pushed his win streak into the double-digits with an impressive performance that capped off the stakes-filled day of harness racing.

                At the end of the day, Mappos Lion threatened the all-age track record winning in 1:55 flat, just four-fifths of a second off the track mark. The nine-year-old Sunshine Beach-Pacific Playmate gelding had Clare MacDonald back in the bike on this occasion after learning his early lessons from the respected horsewoman.

                Perfect in his first seven starts of the year with his win streak stretching back to last July, Mappos Lion is trained by Kenny Collins and owned by Hailee Currie of Rocky Point, P.E.I., and breeder Carol Campbell of Baddeck.

                Runner-up American Risk (Marc Campbell) had set the pace with fractions of :29, :58.4 and 1:28.1 while MacDonald had the popular 6-5 winner midfield and looped into pocket position down the backstretch the final time. Mappos Lion sprinted a 26.3 final quarter to defeat American Risk by 1-3/4 lengths. JMR Speak Away (Darren Crowe), the co-favourite in his East Coast debut, also closed well from the back to take third.

                In the afternoon's Atlantic Sires Stakes action, Smilin With Lou was the fastest A-division winner as the Bernard McCallum trainee lowered his lifetime mark to 1:56.1 in rein to Corey MacPherson. The winning time matched the three-year-old pacing colt track record set in 2014 by Rancousy. The overall sophomore male record stands at 1:54.2 courtesy of gelding Woodmere Stealdeal.

                Winless in 11 starts as a two-year-old, Smilin With Lou is three-for-five so far this year with stakes wins in back-to-back weekends.

                Windemere Britt claimed his second Atlantic Sires Stakes ‘A’ trophy this season with a wire-to-wire victory clocked in 1:58.4 for trainer Kyle Williams.

                Driver Paul Langille had the Somewhere Fancy-Hart Of Windemere gelding moving to the front ahead of an inside breaker in the first turn and set tepid fractions of :30.1 and 1:01 to the half before picking up the pace to three-quarters in 1:30 and closing it out in :28.4. Woodmere Mahomes (Gilles Barrieau) edged past Woodmere Kobe (Corey MacPherson) in a late drive to the wire to finish second, one length behind the winner, who was the 5-2 third choice on the tote board.

                After winning two of 11 starts as a freshman, Windemere Britt boasts a near-perfect record this year with just a half-length defeat in the Donnie & George Turner Memorial Stakes out of his first four sophomore starts.

                Zero Two Sixty and driver Marc Campbell won the other A-division in 1:57.4 by two lengths after turning back a challenge from first-round winner Darbies Fancy (Gilles Barrieau).

                With the inside post advantage and the leaving favourite Sporty Anthony (Corey MacPherson) breaking stride in the first turn, 2-1 second choice Zero Two Sixty established the lead and cruised through opening panels of :29.4 and :59 before being met with a challenge from Darbies Fancy as they raced by three-quarters neck and neck in 1:29.1. Zero Two Sixty found more, closing it out in 28.3 to fend off that rival and secure his first win of the year.

                Three-year-old pacing fillies Staggerette and Fern Hill Kream headlined a pair of $10,020 Pinkney divisions.

                Trained and driven by Corey MacPherson, 3-5 favourite Staggerette took the lead on the backside before opening up daylight in the fastest division, stopping the clock in 1:57.2, with Tarariser This (Marc Campbell) chasing nearly 10 lengths behind in second and West River Kennedy (Clare MacDonald) third.

                With Brodie MacPhee in the sulky, 4-5 favourite Fern Hill Kream took the lead by the quarter pole and never looked back, ending more than three lengths ahead of Gias Gem (Clare MacDonald) at the wire in 1:59 while first-over mover Saulsbrook Desi (Keith Legge) finished third.

                Live harness racing at Inverness Raceway switches to Wednesday night racing, beginning tomorrow (Wed., July 1) with a post time of 7 p.m.