Downtown Arts Centre Naming Contest - Voting - Elliot Lake - is the link to the contest. One vote per person. You have a choice of names.  Pick the one that resonates with you. 

There are four finalists for the 2024 Hockeyville event: Elliot Lake (pop. 11,372); Cochrane, Alberta (pop. 32,200); Wolseley, Saskatchewan (pop. 852) and Enderby, BC (pop. 3,028). Based on population, it would appear that Cochrane has it in the net. Why? The grand prize goes to the community with the greatest number of votes. Volume counts!

Voting opens at 9 AM, March 29, 2024 and closes at 5 PM, March 30. The voting is online and you can vote as many times as you like! Click on the banner above, then bookmark the page so  you can find it easily on voting day.

Don't have access to the Internet, or can't get out to the Library?
The City is making it easy for people who cannot access the Internet to do so, by opening voting stations at various locations around the City. In particular, efforts are being made to ensure the senior population doesn't have far to go to vote. Watch for signs around town and in lobbies to identify your closest voting station.

Who owes you a favour?
Now is the time to cash in any favours owing.  The payment? Vote as many times as possible for Elliot Lake between March 29 and 30, 2024. Ask your family - regardless of where they live. Do you know some snowbirds enjoying the sun in the south?  Send them the link and ask them to vote.  Hold a voting party or afternoon tea where you pass around your tablet as many times as you can.

The community that wins Hockeyville 2024 is the one that tries the hardest and rallies the greatest support. We've got this Elliot Lake, especially if each of us votes and votes often.

When you think of Irish folk music, perhaps you think of the harp. You wouldn't be wrong. Yet there is another instrument that is essential to the Irish sound - the fiddle. You can learn to play the fiddle Irish style, by watching YouTube videos.  We've linked to one above.

According to the 2016 Canadian census 13% of Canadians trace their ancestral roots to Ireland. Except on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, when everyone claims an Irish ancestor.  In Quebec, Irish roots run deep according to the Concordia's School of Irish Studies.  Many Irish immigrants arrived in what is now known as Ontario between 1817 and 1825, long before the arrival of people escaping the Great Famine of 1845.

No matter in which region of Canada they settled, the Irish brought their distinct style of music. If you know of an evening of Irish music to be presented in the Elliot Lake region this St. Paddy's Day, let us know, please.

There is a world of sites on the internet about Amateur Dramatics.  Some sites are home pages for drama groups, some are how-to articles.  One we found is a list of podcasts about amateur theatre.

The obsessed among you may have already found the four listed below. (We are all for obsession aka enthusiasm!)

• amdram.co.uk | The Amateur Theatre Network
• Much Ado About Amateur Theatre - Saltscapes Magazine
• Home - Amateur Drama Council of Ireland (adci.ie)
• https://podcasts.feedspot.com/amateur_theatre_podcasts/

If you haven't found these pages yet,  feed your obsession.

Entertainment season has begun in Elliot Lake with the announcement of Danceworks' 2024 Showcase. Between March and June 2024, people with a passion for live performance can choose from a variety of performances. 

We've added an events calendar to our website to make it easy for Elliot Lake residents to find their entertainment options in one spot.  We cannot claim that it reflects everything available.  If we aren't on your communications distribution list, then we could miss your offering.  So make sure you send us a jpg of your poster.

Right now our calendar has activities scheduled up to April 2025.  You read that right.  And we haven't limited ourselves to entertainment events, you can find craft shows and Arts on the Trail dates.
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