HOPE Starts HERE volunteers and supporters at the Inverness Raceway with Katie MacLeod, oncology patient and ICMH oncology nurses, Kelly Glabais-Cummings and Laura MacArthur.
-contributed by Brenda Rankin MacDonald
This weekend, the Inverness Raceway wants to help our local cancer patients, but they will need your help. Starting off on Saturday, September 5th, at 1:00 p.m. at the raceway, there will be a merchandise bingo. On Sunday, September 6th, at 1:00 p.m., “HOPE Starts HERE” race day will feature prizes for best dressed race driver and horse, best dressed person, merchandise for sale, kids activities and lots more. People can also donate during the day or go to www.icmhfoundation.com.
“There are not many homes in Inverness County that have not been affected by cancer,” says Inverness raceway driver, Redmond Doucet, “This is a good chance to be able to help those with cancer – 100 per cent of the funds we raise support our cancer patients at ICMH.”
ICMH Oncology nurses Kelly Glabais-Cummings and Laura MacArthur, members of the raceway, and special guest and local oncology patient, Katie MacLeod, came together to help promote this upcoming event.
“A cancer diagnosis can bring many unexpected financial challenges, and our goal is to help ease some of that burden,” explains Glabais-Cummings, “Donations from “HOPE Starts HERE” allows us to provide practical assistance to patients when they need it most including gas cards to help with the cost of travelling to appointments and treatments, co-op cards to help with groceries, and other everyday necessities, and medication assistance, through accounts established with local pharmacies to help cover prescription costs when needed.”
“Cancer affects much more than a person’s health – it can affect their ability to work, travel, pay for medications, purchase groceries and manage everyday expenses,” explains Laura MacArthur, ICMH Oncology nurse, “HOPE Starts HERE” helps give us the ability to step in and help patients and families during an incredibly difficult time. Every dollar raised stays within our oncology program and is used to directly benefit patients in our community.”
So come out this weekend to the Inverness Raceway, make a donation and help our friends, neighbours, and many others who need our help today.
-by Bill Dunphy
Three-year-old pacing colt Captain Tate extended his win streak to seven while competing against older rivals in the winners-over class at Inverness Raceway on Sunday.
Facing five foes at least three years older, Captain Tate cruised wire-to-wire in the $2,000 featured finale for the 1:59.3 victory.
With driver-trainer Walter Walker on the reins, he established the lead from post four and set fractions of :31, 1:01.2 and 1:31.2 before building up an insurmountable five-length lead to hold off his competitors in the sprint to the finish.
Pocket-chaser Crime Boss (Greg Munro) finished a length behind in second and Hippyjohn (Carey Romeo) followed in third after a first-up Talk Some Smack (Keigan Madden) leveled off.
After going winless in five freshman starts, the Captain Crunch-Ginger Tree Nina colt has found his groove for Walker and owner James MacInnis.
From 16 sophomore starts this year, Captain Tate now boasts a dozen wins – a total only eight other horses in North America have topped in 2026.
Captain Tate, who won the winners-over on Aug. 12 before a pair of victories during Old Home Week on Prince Edward Island, paid $2.80 to win in his Inverness return as the 2-5 bettors’ choice.
Walker, who has been a force this season with more drives and predominantly with his trainees, was a double winner on Sunday, including a win in race seven.
Leaving post two with J.J. MacDonald’s three-year-old colt Drink Up Mouchacho, Walker took the front and went wire-to-wire for a new lifetime mark of 1:58.2.
Keigan Madden also enjoyed a good day at the track, putting up a driving double of his own.
With D.F. Beaton’s driver Rodney Gillis in Summerside with their two-year-old colt Victor, Madden made the most of his catch drive with Beaton’s Shir Gain, winning race six in wire-to-wire fashion in 1:58.3.
And in race eight, Madden made it two in a row aboard five-year-old mare Stay Pumped. Owned by Michael Gillis and trained by Ethan MacLean, Madden took an overland route alongside pacesetter Mcseashore (Greg Munro) to the stretch and finished with a :28.1 last quarter for the win in 1:59.
Speaking of Summerside, Monica Sutherland had a huge day on the island, winning the $13,880 Joe O’Brien Memorial for two-year-old pacing colts.
Coming off a maiden mark of 2:01.1 set at Inverness Raceway on Aug. 5, Irish Rover came back from fourth at the quarter to win in 2:01. Sutherland also owns and trains the scion of Somewhere Fancy and the Bettors Delight mare Frenzie.
In the second $13,880 O’Brien pace for two-year-old colts, Sydney owner and Inverness Raceway regular Kevin Bailey watched as Marc Campbell drove his colt Wilson Cassidy to the win in 1:58.3.
Victor and Rodney Gillis came back from parked fifth at the three-quarter pole to pick up second-place money in a 2:00.1 finish.
The other Hawthorne Gillis, Danny, was also at Summerside where John Stephen, a two-year-colt that he shares ownership with Beverley McIsaac, finished fifth in a third $13,880 purse.
Following the cancellation of the Wednesday, Aug. 26, card due to a power outage, a make-up date for the final night under the lights has been confirmed for tonight, Sept. 2, with post time at 7 p.m. Live harness racing at Inverness Raceway continues on Sunday at 1 p.m.
-by Beverly Phillips
A sewing class in the ’80s has culminated in a fabric art show at the J. Franklin Wright Gallery in Port Hawkesbury.
Sherrille MacKeigan of Port Hawkesbury took a sewing class at SAERC in 1982 and began making clothes, dresses, and handmade quilts for her girls. She only makes quilts now, but has diversified her craft, employing new techniques such as foundation paper-piecing, English paper-piecing, machine embroidery, appliqué, and long-arm quilting to create intricate patterns.
Modern quilting techniques come with advantages. “When I first started quilting, it was all by hand,” said MacKeigan, “so, it took much longer to do a quilt then. But now they are machine quilted; and the kids use them, they're washed, and they last so much better.”
The quilts she makes today still take months to create. “They're all different,” she said. “So, some may be over a period of a year, but the ones I made for my daughters, probably three or four months. It just depends on how much time I have.”
Sometimes the biggest quilting challenges create the most precious quilts. What MacKeigan fondly refers to as “the quilt from hell” is one of the most special to her personally, which she completed just before her youngest child left home for university. “It had a black background with a different flower [to sew] each month,” she said. “Some of the pieces were small, like one inch square. It was very time consuming.”
MacKeigan doesn’t sell her quilts, but gives them away to friends, family, and charities. Quilts of valour, the IWK, and mental health organizations have all been lucky recipients of her work.
She simply enjoys making them and is always looking for something interesting to try. “I find a pattern that I want to make,” said Mackeigan, “and I make it, and then it finds a home. I don't do it for specific people, but usually it's just a pattern I want to try or explore, and it ends up in my collection.”
MacKeigan continues to develop her skills, taking classes when she can, and always looking for a challenge. “I've been working on one since the new year,” she said. “And it's taking a while. It's paper piecing [a quilting technique that uses a paper template to create precise and intricate designs], and I've got half of it finished. It’s taking more time than I thought it would, but I like to take on a challenge quilt every year.”
To check out her exquisite quilts in person, they are on display until September 23rd at the J. Franklin Wright Art Gallery in the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre, at 606 Reeves Street. The gallery is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- “HOPE Starts HERE” Cancer fundraiser this weekend
- 100 Women Who Care Rural Cape Breton raise $10,800 for L’Arche
- A passion for quilting on display at the J. Franklin Wright Gallery
- Three-year-old colt Captain Tate streaks to 12th win of the year at Inverness Raceway.
- Colaisde na Gàidhlig | The Gaelic College Foundation Members call for special meeting to address board governance concerns
- Funding available for emergency response projects
- Foundation members call for action as Gaelic College governance crisis deepens
- Families in Inverness want more on new daycare
- Progress on Mass Casualty Commission recommendations must continue: NSNDP
- Kicking PancreAS Cancer with the Cameron family
- A passion for quilting on display at the J. Franklin Wright Gallery
- Summer MacLean takes next step up the hockey ladder
- Port Hood downs the Strait 8-2 to advance to final
The Inverness Oran is a locally owned and operated newspaper publication with offices located in the county of Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada. Printed 52 times per year, The Inverness Oran caters to residents of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia as well as national and international readers.
Readers can take advantage of a flexible subscription package available for 3-months, 6-months or 12-months periods, available in a Print Version, a Digital Version, or both. First published in 1976, The Inverness Oran continues to serve and reflect residents and communities of Inverness County.