Stay safe this long weekend

Well, the weather outside may have been frightful, but the warm and cheery greeting   a certain North Pole visitor received in Iroquois on Thursday evening, December 15, more than made up for rain.

Guest of honour, Santa Claus, arrived at the Royal Canadian Legion a little damp of fur, but in great spirits, to join his chief elf in the gala celebration. 

Delivered in a brightly decorated red fire truck by members of the Iroquois Fire Department (we hear his reindeer were off shopping), Santa wasted no time rushing in to visit with the over 400 children and parents waiting to talk to him.

Lots of HoHos and plenty of hugs soon warmed everyone up.

The Iroquois Business Group, which organized the reception for Santa, was assisted by Donald Barkley, River Rat Treasures and the Legion. Presents for every child were donated by the Iroquois-Matilda Lions Club, while Byers Furniture made sure that all kids went home with a special treat bag. 

Joining in the fun were the Parents Council and teachers of Iroquois Public School who arranged a home-made hot chili or hot dog supper for visitors as part of a school fund raiser.

“The food was all made by IPS parents and staff,” said teacher Jennifer Perry. “We served between 350 and 400 meals on Thursday evening. We certainly weren’t expecting that many to turn out, since this was our first time trying things this way, but we were totally thrilled,” Perry laughed. The support of the community allowed the school to raise nearly $800 in the campaign to replace aging school yard playground equipment.

Organizers had set up activity and craft centres for the very excited little visitors.

“We had to change our hay rides around town to see the Christmas lights into bus rides, with all the rain,” said Candace Menges, “but everyone seemed to have a good time.” 

Special contests and draws were held during the celebration. Organizers were happy to note that Santa’s “missing” reindeer had a great time “shopping” in the mall. 

The Leader spotted Santa busily updating his “Nice Files” as he left Iroquois to return to the North Pole. 

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On September 20th, Councillor Evonne Delegarde conveyed to South Dundas council members what she’s been hearing in terms of volunteer concerns about insurance costs.

She told council members that “volunteers are coming forward” and they’re “concerned about their bottom line” when they’re paying so much out in insurance.

In addition, Delegarde mentioned the extra work volunteers are having to expend when they’re already strapped for time.
Mayor Steven Byvelds was concerned that volunteers would leave themselves and their personal assets at risk of lawsuit.
This issue raised discussion from all sides and all angles.

Councillor Archie Mellan was concerned about hockey teams leaving the area to go to Cardinal or Long Sault rinks where they aren’t obligated to pay for insurance coverage.

Clerk Brenda Brunt pointed out that the other municipalities would soon be following suit.

Chief Administrative Officer Stephen McDonald reminded council that the change in policy regarding insurance was done “to transfer risk away from the municipality so that we’re not the sole payer. That’s the whole intent. That’s why we ask subcontractors to have insurance.”

In the end, Byvelds requested that Brunt look into the options available and report back to council at the next meeting.

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 “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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