NEWS RELEASE New Richmond, Quebec 3 July 2009 – For immediate release! ‘Just celebratin' in the rain' On Canada Day, more than a thousand people from all around the coast gathered to celebrate in Britville (the Gaspesian British Heritage Village) – collectively echoing the well known song: ‘Just celebrating in the rain The weather was mildly cooperative, sparing us major flooding at least, so people in large numbers were able to brave the clouds and drizzle, joining the parade led by Bagpiper Craig Caldwell. After the flag raising ceremony, officiated by members of the Legion, everyone headed up to the Festival Strip where they heard from Mike Geraghty, President of the Board, and Madame Lucille Duchesneau representing the town of New Richmond, they also had the chance to cheer the recognition Ray Smith received for all the years he devoted to the Village. Bagpiper Craig Caldwell rallied everyone around the food counter for the picnic and set the tone for two hours of songs by Veronic Parker and Kevin Litalien. Kids had fun in the afternoon showers, playing organised games and enjoying a treasure hunt. Mi'gmaq story teller Denise Larocque greeted adults and children in a tepee and shared traditional tales with a captive audience. On a more serious note there were two presentations: A Brief Story of Canada and ‘Why I chose Canada' . Late afternoon and evening saw more music featuring the father and son duo of Michael and Bobby Jerome from Gesgapegiag - who almost set the barn on fire. DJ Stacey Campbell expertly filled in during the BBQ supper paving the way for the much anticipated Ray Legere and friends. The rain held back enough to allow for the most spectacular fireworks ever presented in Britville's history, to the delight of the large crowd. Special thanks go to: Joan Dow and her group of volunteers as well as to Diane Sawyer and her volunteers. Very special thanks go to all staff and all volunteers who made possible such an exciting day for the entire community. Special mention goes to the New Richmond Fire Department and also Sûreté du Québec for their great help. Thanks to the entire community who came out in such numbers as participants in the parade, and all those who supported the Village all day long. The Village acknowledges the generous contribution from Canadian Heritage Team Britville thank you all for your participation! |
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NEWS RELEASE New Richmond, Quebec 25 June 2009 – For immediate release! It's Canada Day in Britville – Welcome all! Canada Day is family celebration day at the Gaspesian British Heritage Village in New Richmond . Meet us at 10.00 a.m. at Carrefour Baie-des-Chaleurs to join the Canada Day Parade heading towards the Village. Dress up and bring your horses, tractors, old cars, and anything else that will make this the noisiest and best parade ever. During the day stay with us for games, activities and music. Make sure to keep your evening open for the biggest fireworks display the Village has ever held. Team Britville has concocted an exciting program for you – after the official ceremonies, Véronic Parker will sing her best ballads during the picnic; followed by games for the entire family. The end of the afternoon will bring a well deserved BBQ and Ray Legere, JP Cormier, Hilda Chiasson and Frank Doody with some great Bluegrass, celtic and folk music. Sunset will make way for the breathtaking fireworks and all the Ahs! and Ohs! and Wows! Plan to spend the day at the Village and don't forget, admission is free! The Gaspesian Britisth Heritage Village acknowledges the contribution of Canadian Heritage through its Celebrate Canada program. Team Britville welcomes you all! |
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How open is open? The twentieth season of the Gaspesian British Heritage Village. This is a question that ‘ Team Britville ' has been trying to come to terms with since their promised relaunch money seems to be stuck somewhere in the Québec Bureaucracy. From mid-March onward, the Village has had repeated verbal guarantees that the basic amount needed for the first phase of the relaunch ($250,000) will be found promptly. Based on these agreements, the Team refined their plan and started the process of hiring the specialists needed. The first injection of money was supposed to be by mid-April, and, as it is still not forthcoming, plans are having to be constantly modified. Luckily, Team Britville had taken into account the probability of this type of bureaucratic meandering – however, no matter how flexible their plans, the twentieth season loses important elements with each additional delay. Certainly, there will be more happening on the site than in 2008, but there are an increasing number of projects which are now being put off to the fall or even next spring. Features such as the planned exhibitions, the system of boardwalks and the renewal of the signage are among the victims. Currently, while the Village has been forced into neutral mode while it waits for the money to come down the pipeline, the community can be an immense help by starting basic work on the site on a volunteer basis. In a way this is only appropriate when it is realized that the relaunch is dependent on a revival of interest in the Village on the part of the community. The message the Village is putting out this year is: ‘ Let us introduce ourselves' – as a way of presenting the vitality and dynamism of the Anglophone presence on the Bay. If enough of the core community comes forward as volunteers and participants, no matter what the financial situation, the place will be a living, fun site to visit. Team Britville is asking you to introduce yourselves to the world through reclaiming your Village. Help Tammy, Leonard and Brian make it live again: call them at 418-392-4487 to find out how you can help. |
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Winter Send off at the Village , Sunday 15 March, 2009 – The large popular success of the sleigh rides during Christmas at the Village calls for a repeat before the end of winter. Al Burton is generously putting the team back together and expects you all at the Village between noon and 4.00 p.m. Sunday March 15. The number of seats is limited, so we will be charging a minimal $5 per person for the sleigh ride. Other Sunday visitors can take free advantage of the Village site – enjoy a walk, snowshoeing or cross country skiing. Come and discover our beautiful trails and, after a good breath of fresh air, drop in the Harvey House. Warm beverages will be available. Team Britville welcomes you all! |
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NEWS RELEASE New Richmond, Québec 20 February 2009 : Become a Brit-villager! To make sure that the plans for the re-launch of the Gaspesian British Heritage Village are properly realized, a group has been formed to get the message out – loudly and clearly – that the Village has extensive community support. The ‘Support Britville Committee' is, so far, composed of: Jules Bélanger, Raynald Blais, Jean-Marie Bujold, Normand Desjardins, Sharon Farrell, Robert Henry, Anne MacWhirter, Thomas Martens, Cynthia Patterson, Luc Potvin, Ellen Schnitzler . The committee will be actively promoting and selling ‘Supporter Memberships' at a mere $2 apiece. Help us get the word out! |
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NEWS RELEASE New Richmond, January 9, 2009: The Village “is alive and well and living in” New Richmond . Plans for the ‘New British Village’ have gained the enthusiastic endorsement of two of the biggest players on the national and international museum scene. Phyllis Lambert , founder and director emeritus of the Canadian Centre of Architecture in Montreal, and Francine Lelièvre , founder and director of Musée Pointe-à- Callières, also in Montreal, were generous with their time, advice and support. ‘Team Britville’, Tammy Burton, Brian Carey and Leonard Jordaan, are redesigning the Village for its twentieth season. This ‘New Village’ will be focused around ten of the twenty-two buildings on site. Once refreshed, cleaned and repaired they will be linked by a new network of boardwalks. Plans for a British Pub, English Garden and an exhibition of ‘Village Treasures’ are in the works, as is a photographic ‘introduction’ to the present-day descendants of the original settlers. Both Ms. Lambert and Ms. Lelievre were impressed by the idea of introducing year round enterprises onto the site as a way of animating certain buildings and also of creating a ‘Village Brand’ of products. Both strongly endorsed this as the first step to actively re-engage the Village with its base. In order to prosper the Village has to become an integral part of the cultural and economic life of all the communities of the Gaspésie. A new website and blog are designed to present and explain these changes and to offer the chance of feedback - http://www.gaspesianvillage.com and http://gaspesianvillage.blogspot.com/ . With a full and active board behind it, the Team is confident of the success of both the membership drive and the new fundraising campaign to be launched at the Annual General Meeting to be held on the second of February at seven-thirty in the evening in the cafeteria of the New Richmond High School. All are welcome! |
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NEWS RELEASE New Richmond, 29 December 2008: Traffic Jam in the Village Christmas in the Village caused a real traffic jam at the Gaspesian British Heritage Village last Friday December 26 th . Brightened by a clear sunny day and crisp winter temperatures, over 230 people in festive mood dropped in to meet old St. Nicholas and his lovely Christmas Fairy; listen to Véronic Parker, accompanied by guitarist Kevin Litalien, sing in the Village Church; taste a turkey stew with some mulled wine as musicians got everyone's feet stomping in the Brown House; listen to a story teller in front of an open fire-pit; or hitch a sleigh ride around the Village grounds. Mike Geraghty, President of the Board of Governors of the Village and Tammy Burton, Christmas in the Village coordinator enthusiastically confirm that this was the best year ever. To see a few of the photos of this sunny afternoon, visit the Village's new blog site at http://gaspesianvillage.blogspot.com/ . The Gaspesian British Heritage Village wishes to thank all its collaborators and volunteers who made this afternoon such a great success, and all the visitors for their enthusiasm and support. See you all again next year. The Village has taken a new direction and, as the recent Halloween and Christmas in the Village successes confirm, enjoys the continued support of communities all around the Bay of Chaleurs. The Annual General Assembly of the Village should be called soon. Why not take this opportunity to become a village member ? |
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NEWS RELEASE New Richmond, 15th December 2008 : Christmas in the Village On Boxing Day, Friday December 26 th , Santa is taking a well deserved break at the Gaspesian British Heritage Village to enjoy some seasonal fun. He is hoping to see you all, tall and small, young and not so young. Come with your children, your parents and grandparents, and friends and all those visiting relatives. Your Village is the perfect setting for a grand family outing. In addition to Santa's jovial welcome and the Christmas Fairy's warmth, enjoy some dishes typical of the period, hot beverages and treats for the kids. Take a ride around the Village in Al Burton's horse-drawn sleigh, listen to seasonal music and let Véronic Parker charm you with her amazing voice in the Village Church . Christmas in the Village takes place December 26 th between 12.00 p.m. and 3.00 p.m. at the Gaspesian British Heritage Village , 351, boul. Perron West in New Richmond. The cost is only $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for those under 12 years old. |
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