local

by Adam Maclsaac

With only 16 boards, agencies & commis- sions created with the help of the dept. of Community & Cultural Affairs, one is left to wonder is that all the culture that this island can provide? With a population of around 138,000 you would think that cultural events would be held in higher regard in our society.

When thinking of Island culture one of two ideas pops into mind, Anne of Green Gables or Celtic music - either thought of as wonderful ways of expressing P.E.I.’s culture or just a fabricated story and some hard on the ear fiddle tunes. It can be said that both have a major economic influence on PEI’s’ entertainment industry. The play itself started in 1965 and the book was also recently turned into an animated series aimed at younger children. It is truly a great accomplishment that one author can contribute so much toward the Island way of life, but imagine if there was no sup- port given towards the author or even to the end- less amounts of plays and the historic Anne’s Land. There would literally be millions of people missing out on “the culture of Prince Edward Island” as if it’s the only culture we have.

I'll give our strongest two representatives their due, but there is a small portion of Island cul- ture that is not receiving the support that is need- ed. PEI’s young musicians and those that attend these gatherings are being left with fewer and fewer places to congregate and express their tal- ents. There has been an increase of “basement

gatherings” due to the costs that are incurred while attaining venues or because of the lack of venues that will allow all-ages shows. This might seem to many a minuscule problem but if we allow this to continue there will be fewer bands on P.E.I. in the future to play at bars and other entertain- ment facilities. This in turn will cause the need for more bands to travel to PEI, at increased costs to the establishments, which will lower the amount of

‘cultural enrichment available while likely also

increasing the cost to that which is found.

Although PEI is known more for its pota- toes than its musicians there is one that sticks out of my record collection as being known for singing about them: Stomping Tom Connors, an artist who brought forth such classics as The Hockey Song and Bud the Spud, which not only helped establish PEI as the land of potatoes, but also helped to develop a love of hockey in the youth of the Island.

With the amount of money being spent on arenas throughout the province it is not hard to see that sports are deemed as a cultural must. With the thought that culture of any kind on P.E.1. is as important as life itself, | hope that with the help of our local politicians and some local busi- nesses there will be the support towards the inde- pendent musical youth of Prince Edward Island that is greatly needed.

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