Picture this: I’m attending a ceilidh in Arichat, Cape Breton. (A ceilidh, pronounced kay-lee, is a cross between a kitchen party and hoedown). The Island Steppers are performing, directed by Trina Samson. Before the crowd breaks up, Trina and I strike up a conversation. The next thing I know, I’m accepting an invitation to visit her grandmother, Marie Boucher, over in River Bourgeois the next day.
Sometimes, the best travel plan is just to relax and go with the flow.
Picture this: I’m attending a ceilidh in Arichat, Cape Breton. (A ceilidh, pronounced kay-lee, is a cross between a kitchen party and hoedown). The Island Steppers are performing, directed by Trina Samson. Before the crowd breaks up, Trina and I strike up a conversation. The next thing I know, I’m accepting an invitation to visit her grandmother, Marie Boucher, over in River Bourgeois the next day.
Marie is in her 90s, knits 30 pairs of mittens a year and is an avid wrestling fan. The visit was pure pleasure. When I left, Trina gave me freshly-picked cranberries and the best date squares I’ve ever eaten.
While I was in River Bourgeois, I picked up a copy of a small paper called The River Round Up. The paper started with volunteers during the war as a way to keep the young men in the trenches in touch with their families. Currently, the newsletter comes out every month, costs a toonie and can be found at Wilson’s Gas Stop, at the post office and at the local credit union. It’s still produced by volunteers.
Sharon Chilvers is one of the two stalwarts who keep The River Round Up going. She knows everything that’s going on in the village. You can find Sharon at her B&B called Grandma’s House. If she’s not making blueberry pancakes for her guests, she’ll be happy to give you the lowdown on who’s who in the community.
You could easily end up, as I did, having a tour of St. John the Baptist Church with Arthur Doary. He’s the mastermind behind the stained glass windows and is doing some unique restoration work in other parts of the village.
For a walk on the wild side, join a group of feisty seniors for a game of bingo at the River Bourgeois Seniors’ Club. You’re bound to meet characters like Charlotte LeBlanc, who’s made more than 1,300 quilts, Edna Casey, who often plays the bagpipes on her back doorstep, or Anne Louise Touesnard, who’s catalogued more than 50,000 photos of people, events and places in the village.
That’s the kind of thing that can happen in Richmond County. It’s full of small villages and people with big hearts.
By the way, Arichat is located on Isle Madame, which is only seven miles wide and 10 miles long (11 kilometres by 16 kilometres), yet it has 12 freshwater lakes and more charm in its wee harbours than can be imagined. One of my favourite drives is to Petit de Grat, about 10 minutes north of Arichat. The scenery is picture-book perfect, so have your camera ready. The crab fishery is huge there and you can visit the wharf and learn all about it. It’s a fascinating story.
Fortunately for travellers like you and me, St. Peter’s is full of other surprises like the St. Peter’s Canal-a National Historic Site with a working tidal lock system. Uptown, I discovered the MacAskill House Museum, which houses a gallery of prints and artefacts from world-famous photographer Wallace MacAskill’s childhood. My day ran out before I had a chance to do everything I wanted to do.
That’s what happens when you go with the flow.