Debate updates

 

 “Chic Gamine began in an unconventional way,” said Alexa Dirks, a member of this extraordinary musical group, whose concert is set for the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage on Saturday, April 11, at 7 p.m. “And we have become more than just an a cappella group. In the musical world it is still perhaps unusual to have a woman-fronted band, but one of our goals has been to show the power of the female voice. We are not a ‘traditional girl band,’” Alexa added, with a laugh. “We’re not throw backs as some might think, but really, something very unique.”

And if by unique, she means providing audiences with an exciting, witty, toe-tapping, jaw-dropping, totally stunning musical experience, then, yes, this Juno award-winning band is truly ‘very unique.’

The current members of Chic Gamine, which was founded in St. Boniface, Manitoba, in 2007 (Ariane Jean left the group in 2014) are Alexa Dirks, Andrina Turenne and Annick Bremault with Benoit Morier on guitar and Sacha Daoud on drums. “Originally the founding members of the band sang a cappella together for years as part of a larger group. The three who remained together, brought in Sacha on the drums. I joined them later. I was a teen just cutting my teeth in clubs when the band heard me, and invited me to join them. I’ve never looked back,”Alexa said.

Chic Gamine  (“to us the name means fresh and new, but also very playful”) is not tied to one genre. Soul, rock, Motown, folk, even, as one critic put it, “a bit funk”, this band finds inspiration in all kinds of music. “We love the timeless artists, Nina Simone, Etta James, but we listen to everything from world music to hip hop to country. We absorb these genres, and then we put our own unique twist on our own music.”

To fans and critics alike, one word establishes the keystone of Chic Gamine’s appeal: harmony.

“We remain very based on harmony and vocals,” Alexa Dirks explained. “We are in a new phase of our band, undergoing a kind of metamorphosis. We have brought in instrumentation and we are moving toward experimenting with new sounds, and developing old ones.” The band produced the exciting City City in 2011, and, in 2013, the two record Closer garnered new fans in the US. They performed at the Vancouver Olympics, appeared twice on A Prairie Home Companion, and opened for Smokey Robinson and Mavis Staples. Yet Chic Gamine has proved equally at home singing the lilting “I Love Pie” with ‘Mama’, which delighted some very young CBC fans. 

“Most of our work is original, and writing for us is very much a collaborative effort,” said Alexa. “Our themes tend to be related to our immediate lives: we bring our experiences, even our heart breaks, to our music, focussing on an idea and expanding it. We have a new album, as yet untitled, coming out in the fall, and the sky’s the limit in terms of touring and performing. Chic Gamine is a mixture of anglophones and francophones: we have our musical feet in both doors.”

The music of Chic Gamine is infectious, bursting with energy, and, naturally, very unique.

Also unique is the music of the artist who is opening for Chic Gamine, Tracy Lalonde. Now a seasoned performer, Lalonde was part of an earlier Stage emerging artists showcase a few years ago. An accomplished guitarist who originally was a solo performer, she is now part of a trio with Dylan Groulx and Pamela Cumming. Noted Cornwall musician Graham Greer helped Tracy release her first EP, Little Letters, and has been one of her musical mentors. 

Music is clearly a passion for this young artist. “I’ve always had a tendency to do my own thing – not paying attention to what others are doing, and this is as much a curse as a blessing. While I stubbornly go after a feeling I want in my music, sometimes it is good to hear and compare what others are up to. My sound is, I would say, along the lines of alt-pop/folk. It’s not straight-ahead pop by a long shot, but at the same time, I don’t think it’s what you’d imagine straight ahead folk to sound like either. It’s nestled comfortably between the two.”

What her music definitely is, is personal and deeply felt. “When song ideas come to me, generally the music presents itself first. Sometimes I (can) have a full song from start to finish with complete instrumentation floating in my head before I ever write down a word. In the past I’ve used literature for a source of inspiration, but I have a feeling my new music will draw more from personal experience. There is a feeling I chase through the songs.” Audiences can look forward to a memorable opening act when this young singer steps out on the stage.

The Chic Gamine concert on April 11 represents a wonderful musical coup for the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage: don’t miss the chance to hear these outstanding performers live, right here in South Dundas. Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door. Contact the Stage at www.st-lawrencestage.com for information.

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To celebrate Autism Awareness Day earlier this month, the students at St. Mary – St. Cecilia Catholic School in Morrisburg did much more than just wear the ASD colours of purple and orange.

They also learned a lot about ASD, the importance of understanding, including and celebrating the differences of those with the condition of ASD.

On top of that, they raised funds to donate to the CHEO Autism program.

Autism Spectrum Disorder has many symptoms and levels within the spectrum.

It is a condition that affects the way the brain works and how people develop. 

People who have it don’t look different, but have particular ways of sensing, learning and understanding things. 

They especially have difficulty with communication and social behaviour. 

It can affect people in different ways and degrees.

Nobody knows exactly what causes ASD, but they do know that it is one of the fastest growing diagnoses in the world. 

Nationally, one in 88 children is diagnosed with autism. 

There is a growing movement among adults with autism who don’t think in terms of curing autism, but instead of celebrating difference.

This celebration of difference was how St. Mary – St. Cecilia staff and students chose to honour Autism Awareness Day. 

Pat Cole, Applied Behavioural Analysis Expertise Professional with the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario helped educated the students during a special assembly.

She and a team of similar experts train all staff board-wide on how to help students and educators support each other in a way that is beneficial to all within the classroom, including those with ASD.

The highlight of the Autism Day assembly was a performance by Paskale Pilon, a High School Student from St. Joe’s with autism. He sang a heart-warming rendition of True Colors.

Through the school’s fund raising effort $685 was raised for the CHEO Autism program to support families in need. For every dollar donated, students received a ticket to win some great prizes donated by the Conners family, Mrs. Martel and Canadian Tire. Prizes included sports memorabilia, electronic accessories and recreational gear. 

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Anyone who owns land in or around a provincially significant wetland will now have a new regulating authority.

South Nation Conservation will take over the duties after their board voted resoundingly in favour of a staff motion, tabled at the January 17 meeting.

South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds tried, in vain, to gain enough support from his fellow board members to allow local municipalities within the conservation authority, like South Dundas, to maintain some local control over any projects happening in and around these provincially significant wetlands.

South Dundas council supported Byvelds’ efforts to maintain local control, by providing a resolution of support. However, even with that resolution, Byvelds was unable to sway any of the other board members which include representatives from the City of Ottawa, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Prescott-Russell, and Leeds and Grenville.

“I emphasized that our (South Dundas) staff could do the work of looking after wetlands from a local perspective,” said Byvelds.

“It has always worked fine. I don’t understand why they want to change it,” said Donald Lewis, South Dundas manager of planning and enforcement, head of the department which has looked after regulating the wetlands here. 

“I’m a bit concerned,” he said explaining that with a new authority comes a new interpretation of the regulations used to govern the land. With that new interpretation comes the potential to stymie development. South Dundas council shared his concern.

After a long, lively debate, the SNC board decided to support the staff motion to take over regulation of provincially significant wetlands in all of South Nation Conservation’s jurisdictions.

South Dundas will respect the board’s decision. 

“In the end somebody has to regulate PSWs. South Dundas was just looking at a more local way of dealing with local property owners and their plans,” said Byvelds.

Any work in or around a PSW will need permission from SNC which will have permit fees and a set of rules which must be followed.

As of yet, the Morrisburg Industrial land that has the potential to be declared a provincially significant wetland, is still designated as a local wetland, so it is not yet subject to the new regulation changes. 

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