A selection of the top arts and entertainment stories from July to December 2024.
JULY
4 - Fourth annual Parks Alive returns to Centennial Park this summer
It was announced the RE/MAX Parks Alive Summer Music Series would be returning for the third year in a row.
For eight weeks on Friday, musical acts from across B.C. performed live on Centennial Park's stage from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The head of the organizing committee, Dave Mingo, said he looked forward to bringing the event back in 2024.
Bands who were announced to play were the Tragically Hip tribute band The Hip Replacements, Jazz Kats, Free Beer, Three Scotch In, Kodaroy Band, Bruce Ambler, Country Bumpkins, Backroads, The Markabilies, and finally, Miltown Philosophers. The large number of bands that were local to 100 Mile House - which had been organized by talent coordinator Rob Fry - was praised by Dave Mingo.
11 - Quilts for Survivors gifts 250th quilt in 100 Mile House
The 100 Mile House Quilts for Survivors organization celebrated a milestone in 2024.
On Wednesday, June 26 the 100 Mile House Quilts for Survivors group handed out its 250th quilt to Ernie Combes with a traditional smudging ceremony at Dancing Quilts. Quilts for Survivors is a group dedicated to creating quilts for residential school survivors and Indigenous people suffering from intergenerational trauma from the schools to promote healing and reconciliation.
After the quilt was smudged it was placed upon Combes' shoulders, itself a high honour in Indigenous culture. After the presentation of the quilt, Murray Casey sang and drummed two songs, a Secwepemc honour song as well as Teddy Bear, which is dedicated to the 215 children found buried in unmarked graves at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in 2021.
18 - Newly formed Cariboo Players hosting dinner theatre
A collection of South Cariboo actors invited the community to attend a tropical-themed murder mystery at the end of August.
The newly formed Cariboo Players planned to run the improv murder-mystery Murder in Margaritaland on Friday, Aug. 30 and Saturday, Aug. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Eatery in 108 Mile Ranch. They were led by Cariboo Players co-founders Miranda Wasstrom and Gina Gigliotti who wanted to test the appetite for live theatre in the South Cariboo.
Murder in Margaritaland is a murder mystery set in the titular Margaritaland, a resort run by an eccentric cast of characters. Throughout the night attendees got to interact with the characters before one of them was tragically murdered. It was then up to the audience to help a detective character deduce the identity of the killer.
AUGUST
1 - Beauty of the Cariboo celebrated at Parkside
The Cariboo Artists' Guild managed to capture the beauty of the Cariboo during the 44th annual Fine Show Art & Sale at Parkside Art Gallery.
The show, entitled Cariboo: Through the Eyes of the Group of Seven featured the work of 16 local artists - one of them being Patsy Granberg - who had said she was happy to see 75 paintings and mosaics from so many talented peers on display.
The Group of Seven - also known as the Algonquin School, was a group of seven Canadian landscape artists active between 1920 and 1933 who believed they could develop a distinctly Canadian art through painting nature. One of their contemporaries and associates was Emily Carr, whose likeness graced the walls of Parkside in honor of her time in the Cariboo.
29 - 100 Mile Youth Theatre sells out inaugural show
Dozens turned out for the 100 Mile Youth Theatre's first-ever production last weekend.
A dozen local youth and young adults came together this summer to put on a rendition of Murderer's Crossing, which had been an interactive dinner theatre murder mystery and musical. Sarah Carter, the show's director and president of the theatre, had felt that things had gone great for the actors. With a small cast, every actor had to pull their weight and each of the young actors had done so.
Jasper Gills was named the standout performance by the simplymastery. They stated one of their favourite moments was when their character Father Casse-Cou had tried to get the audience to cry and wail, and when Kat Wetzig's Bennet had a melodramatic temper tantrum.
SEPTEMBER
5 - Close to 100 attend Murder in Margaritaland
Around 90 South Cariboo residents attended the Cariboo Players' rendition of Murder in Margaritaland - which was a dinner theatre murder mystery.
This marked the first time the Cariboo Players put on a production in 100 Mile House. Co-founder Miranda Wasstrom, who served as both director of the show and who played Candy Cotton, felt that the show was a success. Wasstrom added that she really enjoyed watching her seven-person cast come together over the summer and bring their characters to life.
With Murder in Margaritaland now complete, Wasstrom was considering organizing a new dinner production in October - one which was Halloween-themed.
12 - 100 Mile House photographer invites community to find the pictures within the photographs
A new exhibition at the Parkside Art Gallery named Nature's Optical Illusions and More invited the community to find the pictures with photographs.
Photographer Brian Thorsteinson promised that these untouched photographs would test the eyes and imaginations, leaving in wonderment of nature's beauty. Thorsteinson had grown up in the South Cariboo and had long been interested in photography.
The result of the hobby had been thousands of photographs of Cariboo landscapes, plants, natural landmarks and people. He had also become very interested in abstract photographs. In addition, he never edited his photographs with Photoshop to enhance them in any way.
This was the first time he had ever done a show - despite his large collection of photographs.
26 - Missoula Children's Theatre entertains with production of Pinnochio
Well over 40 South Cariboo children of all ages got the chance to take to the stage in the Missoula Children Theatre's production of Pinocchio.
From Monday, Sept. 16 to Friday, Sept. 20 the young actors worked with two of Missoula's travelling directors to memorize their lines, musical numbers and simple dance numbers, all in preparation for two shows on Sept. 21. It can be a chaotic and hectic experience, but one Missoula's Robert Laws and Emma Chippindale were adept at managing.
Watching their actors blossom and rise to the challenge over the course of the week is an incredibly rewarding experience, Chippindale noted. Laws and Chippindale encourage any parents with children who have an interest in theatre to consider having them join Missoula if it returns to 100 Mile House next year. Chippindale noted it's an awesome way for your child to find a community within their community.
OCTOBER
10 - Artists showcase their love of nature at Parkside
A pair of artists showcased their mutual love of nature in The Qi of Art: Inspired by Nature, Parkside Art Gallery's next show.
The Qi of Art: Inspired by Nature was made up of the combined works of artists and friends Dawn Miller and Birgit Bienek. Miller brings her acrylic paintings of natural beauty while Bienek provided a selection of soapstone carvings of animals. Originally from Germany, Bienek made the South Cariboo her home in 1991 and has loved living in the community.
A lifelong artist, Bienek has experimented with several different mediums throughout her life before recently getting into soapstone carving. Miller, meanwhile, practices Chinese medicine in 100 Mile House and enjoys painting in her free time. She remarks that she finds the act of painting to be deeply relaxing and finds it almost meditative.
NOVEMBER
21 - South Cariboo's Sie Douglas-Fish enjoys artistic success
Sie Douglas-Fish is a queer artist with roots in 100 Mile House who has made it big in the arts field.
Douglas-Fish, who goes by they/them pronouns, works for Acrylic Robotics - a Montreal-based company that is "creating a whole medium of fine art for the modern age" according to its LinkedIn. The company recently made a presentation on Dragon's Den seeking investment from the Dragons into their company.
During that appearance, one of Douglas-Fish's art pieces was used as proof of concept. Since graduation from UVic, they have been based in the city of Montreal, working for Acrylic Robotics. Douglas-Fish said they are immensely grateful for the fact they were raised in 100 Mile House.
28 - 100 Mile Performing Arts Society sci-fi spoof entertains
A sci-fi adventure with a song in its heart has come to the stage at Martin Exeter Hall in late November to early December.
The latest production from the 100 Mile Performing Arts Society, A Long Time Ago... was a jukebox musical pantomime full of dastardly villains, noble heroes and one hysterical dame. With a massive cast and crew, the play has a chaotic but endearing energy sure to entertain the entire family.
A Long Time Ago... straddles the realm of fantasy and science fiction, at times feeling like a fairy tale and at others a loose parody of popular sci-fi franchises like Star Wars and Star Trek. Its plot centres around the wedding between the spacey Prince Mooncheese and the strong-willed Princess Orion. However, Orion's heart has been captured by Flash Artois, a would-be fly-boy and son of wedding planner extraordinaire Stella Artois, complicating the celebrations.
Add in the machinations of the evil Emperor Mange and his henchmen Blooper and Gormless and you've got a recipe for star-crossed rip-roaring good time. The show premiered on Thursday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. at Martin Exeter Hall.
DECEMBER
12 - 100 Mile beatboxer looks to share his passion
With only a microphone, his throat and mouth Colby Ouellette can create an entire song from scratch. Not by singing, but instead by beatboxing.
Combining the click of his tongue, repeated sounds and grunting Ouellette can mimic several different percussion elements including drums, basslines and other instruments. It's a skill and passion he's developed over the last two years.
Ouellette, a Grade 12 student at Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School, describes himself as a jack of all trades when it comes to the arts. He loves to dabble in most forms of art be it drawing, music or 3D modelling. Two years ago Ouellette said he was watching a reaction video on YouTube when he came across a clip of a professional beatboxer. Ouellette said that brief clip just clicked with him and made him want to give beatboxing a try, later founding a club at PSO to pass on his love of beatboxing to others.
19 - Choir receives fundraising boost at Christmas concert
As the Eclectica Community Choir sought to give back to the community this holiday season, the community gave back to them.
During their choir's annual Christmas Benefit Concert on Sunday, Dec. 15 the choir raised $2,000 which will be split between the 100 Mile House Foodbank Society and Loaves and Fishes. Musical director Margot Shaw said the concert was great and each of their four conductors picked different music, making for a signature eclectic concert.
Shaw said they had roughly 130 people in attendance, many of whom joined the choir in singing Christmas carols throughout the concert. The fact those attendees donated $2,000 was amazing Shaw said, noting that one of the original conductors of the choir always told her being able to give back to your community is part of a choir's DNA.
26 - 100 Mile students share musical talents at Christmas concerts
School Christmas Concerts are a classic Canadian Christmas tradition.
There's something heartfelt about listening to Christmas Carols sung by nervous and enthusiastic children, or the confident musical ensembles of old youth. Here in 100 Mile House parents got the chance to attend two Christmas concerts, one held at Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School and the other at 100 Mile House Elementary School.
100 Mile Elementary School, meanwhile, held their Christmas concerts on Tuesday, Dec. 17 and Wednesday, Dec. 18. Featuring carols and poems sung by each of their classes, the show was tied together with a humourous play about Santa Claus preparing for Christmas and being confounded by bureaucratic restrictions.
