August 27, 2025
-by Beverley Phillips
Whether you like the music of Stan Rogers, Dolly Parton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, or the Bee Gees, there was something for everyone at the 9th annual Inverness Beach Concert on Saturday. It was a beautiful sunny day to celebrate and support the Beach Accessibility Program, and to remember Callum MacQuarrie and Rose Mary MacDonald.
The concert, which started at 3:00 p.m. and lasted until 8:00 p.m., was free, though donations were collected to support the Inverness Development Association's (IDA) Beach Accessibility Program. The facilities to make the beach accessible to all abilities include not just a ramp and accessible washrooms, but also a number of wheelchairs designed for use on the beach, including ones that can float, allowing everyone to enjoy the water. And while some may not need a wheelchair, they may still be challenged in getting to the beach, and there is a non-slip beach access mat to make that easier.
None of this would be here without the hard work of Callum MacQuarrie and Rose Mary MacDonald. MacQuarrie, who died in 2021, was a young man when he became a quadriplegic in a diving accident. He loved the beach, and his father, Cecil MacQuarrie, said that after his accident, he worked hard to make this happen.
MacDonald, who passed away in 2023, was head of the IDA at the time and worked tirelessly to see MacQuarrie’s vision come to pass.
The concert couldn’t happen without its many volunteers. A special “thank you” goes to all the performers who generously donated their time and talent, to Mark Poirier, who donated his time and expertise to making sure the sound was crisp, to Billy Gillis, who emceed the event, and to Raymond MacLean, who does many things at the beach, and organizing the talent was one of them.
If you couldn’t make it to the concert, but still want to support the good work the IDA is doing at the beach to make it a space that everyone can enjoy, you can still drop off a donation either at the Visitor Information Centre on Central Avenue, until the end of Celtic Colours, or to the staff at the beach by September 1st.
