The Inverness Oran

Captain Tate has won 16 of his 21 sophomore starts – including 13 wins at Inverness. 

-by Bill Dunphy

Sophomore pacer Captain Tate earned his 16th victory of the season in Canada on Sunday, Oct. 4, leading all Standardbreds for wins nation-wide.

Following his latest victory last weekend at Truro Raceway, the Walter Walker-trained and driven Captain Tate returned to his home track of Inverness Raceway for Sunday’s $2,000 Winners Over Pace and landed a pocket seat behind inside leaver Whats Up Doc (Rodney Gillis) through easy first-half fractions of :29.2 and 1:01. Down the backstretch, Walker urged the 1-4 favourite on and looped to the lead as they passed the three-quarters pole in 1:31.1 then sprinted home in :28.1 to keep clear of late closer Sea Laird (Zach Mullins) for the 1:59.2 victory. Whats Up Doc settled for third, with a distant Rockemsockem Scott (Lewis MacDonell) rounding out the order in the scratch-reduced field. 

After going winless in his five-start freshman season, Captain Tate has won 16 of his 21 sophomore starts – including 13 wins at Inverness -- while earning nearly $17,000 lifetime for owner James MacInnis of Halifax, N.S. 

The Captain Crunch-Ginger Tree Nina colt is just two wins off this season’s North American win leader Cool Man Dude, who has won 18 times this year racing mostly in Maine.

Captain Tate’s victory in the featured seventh race finale capped off a natural driving hat trick for Walker.

Melanie Wood, Claire Leona Apps, and Martina Silcock are thrilled to have won the Atlantic International Film Festival pitch competition and hope to begin filming in Inverness next year.

-By Beverley Phillips

Inverness is getting a new name.

                If all goes according to plan, Inverness will be transformed into Glenbray as filming of a feature-length film gets underway, perhaps as early as fall 2027.

                At the Unama’ki / Cape Breton Film Festival, it was announced that producers Martina Silcock and Claire Leona Apps were in the audience, and they had just won the pitch competition at the Atlantic International Film Festival in Halifax.

                While they both now live and work in Los Angeles, they are from the United Kingdom. Apps has a French-Canadian mother, giving her a Canadian connection, and she has been coming to Inverness in the summer for most of her life. “I really felt a calling to write something set in Inverness,” she said.

                When she finally came up with the idea for the script, she shared it with Silcock, who immediately said, “I want to produce that.”

                Halifax-based producer Melanie Wood is also involved in a project but was unable to be there.

                The film is called Grip of the Kelpie Mother, and Apps said it is a “very Cape Breton story.”

                Silcock added, “It’s very much rooted in Inverness, but we created this fake town called Glenbray, and it delves into the mining history, Celtic folklore and traditions, and the history and people here.”

                “We dig into a lot of the things that, I think, make this place special,” said Apps. “I would describe it as a place-based mystery with a supernatural overtone. My fast way of describing the film is that it’s mothers versus manosphere versus sea creatures.”

                While in town for the film festival, they were scouting locations and looking for just the right company house to set the scene for the film. They are also starting to put together heads of departments and select the main cast.

                There is also room for community members to be part of the project, both behind the scenes and on screen. There will be a need for accommodations, catering, behind-the-scenes work, and music for the soundtrack. They will be looking for extras, and there is one important character for which they want to cast a Cape Bretoner.

                As mentioned, Grip of the Kelpie won the AIFF pitch competition. Four projects were chosen to present their idea for a film before a panel of four judges that included Natalie Iglefeld of Bell Media, Zach Marcovici with the CBC, Claire Peace-McConnell with VVS Films, and Kerry Swanson of Indigenous Screen Office. In choosing Grip of the Kelpie, they said the film had “a clear, compelling vision with broad appeal that will resonate locally with high potential for international audiences. Rooted in place and universal themes, it will offer dynamic roles for women, darkly beautiful cinematography, and contemporary social issues.” Apps and Silcock received an in-kind prize package from Sunbelt Rentals to help them make the project a reality.

                They have appreciated the support they have received from the Cape Breton Partnership. “Bill [Culp, film industry liaison with the Cape Breton Partnership] has been incredibly helpful to us,” said Apps, “and introduced us to a bunch of crew and different places.”

                “It means a lot,” added Silcock, “and it feels the people are really fired up to help us get this made and want this.”

                “It’s very clear that there’s a budding desire for this industry here,” said Apps.

                Along with getting their team together, they are securing financing, so stay tuned for future announcements and how local talent may be able to be part of the project.

Emmet Peck of Wagmatcook was having a great time running around the dance arena at the We’koqma’q mawiomi on Saturday, October 3rd. His grandmother made his regalia which features some favourite Marvel characters.

-by Beverley Phillips

Sunshine and fall colours set the stage for the We’koqma’q mawiomi over the weekend.

                A mawiomi is the Mi’kmaw word for pow wow, and from October 2^nd to 4^th, the First Nation celebrated their culture and heritage with the steady rhythm of the drum, dancing, fine regalia, and food.

                On Saturday afternoon, after four dancers blessed the grounds with a grass dance, Donald Morrison led the flag bearers and dancers in the Grand Entry. He carried the flag for missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

                Miranda Gould sang a song asking the creator to help her not to forget where she came from, as she welcomed everyone to the gathering. The afternoon was then filled with dancers of all ages, from two to 93, moving around the dance arena, demonstrating the various cultural dances.

                One of the dances was a Red Dress Special, hosted by 13-year-old Liluyé Nevin, the head junior female dancer. All of the girls who had red on their dress were invited to take part in the dance, honouring their missing and murdered sisters.

                Speaking to Sheneeka Millier, Nevin’s mother, afterwards, she said she had three daughters, all dancers, and she was regularly talking to them about the problem, warning them always to be aware of their surroundings. The issue was one her daughter wanted to represent.

                Seven drum groups took part in the festivities, providing the songs and rhythm for the dancers. They were Smoky Point, White Bear, Thunder Feather, Amu Singers, Lone Feather, Indian Bay, and Stoney Bear. Arena director Michael R. Denny of Eskasoni kept all the dancers and drum groups organized, and Trevor Gould of Paqtnkek emceed the afternoon, introducing events and bantering with the drum groups.

                Emma Phillips and Tikisha Mitchell organized the event. It was Mitchell’s second year to do so. She wanted people to know that mawiomis are not just for First Nations people. “It’s open to everyone,” she said. “I want everyone to come and dance and enjoy the day. I see on Facebook people asking if they can come. Yes, the more the merrier.”

                Saturday capped off with an impressive drone show, filling the sky with lights and the air with the story of their history. It began, “Tonight, surrounded by Creation, the land we stand on, the air we breathe, the sky we see above us, and the big water that flows through these lands, we recognize 150 years of the Indian Act. We gather as First Peoples with our settler friends and partners to remember, reflect, and to celebrate our resilience.”

                It spoke about life before contact with Europeans, and afterwards noted the impact of colonialism and residential schools, but it ended on a hopeful note. “We cannot return to the past, but we can walk into the future together with the ancestors by our side. Seven generations ago, our ancestors made agreements they believed would protect future generations. We are now the ancestors and are considering our future seven generations.

                Together, with mutual respect, we can build a better relationship that will blossom into a bright future for the next seven generations.

                In this future, our children thrive. First Peoples and settlers live side by side, rooted in respect, learning from one another, sharing and taking care of each other and the land, protecting the land, honouring the treaties, and walking together. Join us in this time of ReconciliACTION. We continue what our ancestors started.

                Under the stars above, on this traditional territory, 150 years later, we are all still here.”

• Youth compete at 4-H Pro Show
• Inverness County Cares: Organic garlic
• County honours its irreplacable volunteers
• Cheticamp cadets 2940 off to a busy new year
• Coyote encounter on MacIntosh Brook
• Council reviews Strait Area Transit
• Council briefs
• Come celebrate Mill Road's 45th anniversary
• New art hive offers community, inspiration, andfood for the soul
• Filmmkers hoping to shoot feature film in Inverness next year
• Cameron introduces and eight-part short story to share with Oran readers
• Lyme disease on the rise in humans and pets in Eastern health zone