The Inverness Oran

Grade five student at IEC/A, Harlow MacNeil, is not only an exceptional athlete, she’s now an award-winning essayist.

-by April MacDonald

“The sound of my family laughing in the kitchen, and the warmth of the blazing fireplace, these are the things that make my home itself.”

                That is a line from Beautifully Messy, which is the title of the winning essay written by Harlow MacNeil, a grade 5 student from Inverness, who attends school at Inverness Education Centre/ Academy.

                Her entry won the 2026 Grand Prize in Habitat for Humanity Canada’s “Meaning of Home” contest, which secured a $30,000 grant for Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia.

                She also won a free iPad and a pizza party for her class.

                This year, Meaning of Home delivered record results for Habitat for Humanity in Canada as a national student writing contest. It engaged thousands of youth and raised $440,000.

                Thousands of students across Canada helped to build a stronger future through the power of words. Habitat for Humanity Canada’s annual Meaning of Home writing contest drew more than 19,000 student entries this year, setting a new participation record.

                Students were invited to reflect creatively on the question, “What does home mean to you?” Through their submissions, students in grades 4, 5, and 6 explored the meaning of home while learning about the affordable housing crisis in their communities.

                Every eligible submission sparked a $10 donation to the student’s local Habitat for Humanity, directly supporting the construction of safe, decent, and affordable housing for families.

                Across Canada, three grand prize winners and nine runners-up were selected for their outstanding submissions. Each grand prize winner earned a $30,000 grant for their local Habitat for Humanity, while runners-up received $10,000 grants for their local Habitat, helping extend the impact even further.

                Together, their heartfelt entries reflect a shared understanding of home as a place of safety, belonging, and possibility.

                The grade 4 grand prize winner is Julia S. from Halifax for her entry My New Home. Julia’s $30,000 grant will benefit Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia. The grade 5 grand prize winner is Harlow M. from Inverness, for her entry Beautifully Messy. Harlow’s grant will benefit Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia. The grade 6 grand prize winner is Ella L. from Edmonton, for her entry Home. Ella’s grant will benefit Habitat for Humanity Edmonton. Grade 4 runners-up Imran U. of Calgary, for his entry What Home Means to Me, benefitting Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta; Vsevolod P. of St. Catherines, Ont., for his entry My Home, benefitting Habitat for Humanity Niagara; Estelle S. of Toronto, for her entry What Home Means to Me, benefitting Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area. Grade 5 runners-up Willow P. of Nobleford, Alta., for her entry What Home Means, benefitting Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta; Jeremy S. of Brossard, Que., for his entry Le sens de chez moi, benefitting Habitat for Humanity Québec; Amarachi K. of Fredericton, for her entry Where My Heart Feels Safe, benefitting Habitat for Humanity New Brunswick. Grade 6 runners-up Akthem A. of Mississauga, Ont., for his entry My Everything benefitting Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin; Asif A. of Dartmouth, NS, for his entry Moza is Home, benefitting Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia; Artem S. of Winnipeg, for his entry Meaning of Artem’s Home, benefitting Habitat for Humanity Manitoba.

                “The Meaning of Home contest shows the power of young people to create real change,” says Pedro Barata, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada.

                “By sharing what home means to them, students are helping address the affordable housing crisis in their communities and supporting families in need of a safe and decent place to live. It’s a powerful reminder of why our work matters and why we remain committed to expanding access to affordable housing,” added Barata.

                “When young people reflect on what home means to them, it reminds us why affordable housing matters so deeply,” says Helen Seibel, vice president and head of community and employee giving, BMO.

                Since the Meaning of Home contest began in 2007, over 156,000 students have shared what home means to them, raising more than $3.4 million to help more families in need of homes build stronger lives through housing. The Meaning of Home contest would not be possible without the generous support of title sponsor BMO, founding sponsor SagenR, and award sponsors Metrie and Stantec.

                The Oran reached out to the communications coordinator, Deanna Gillis, with the Strait Regional Centre for Education. She said that there will be a presentation for Harlow in early June.

                Here is the award winning essay:

Beautifully messy

                Many people think home is just a building, a roof with four walls to hold it together. However for me, home is a place where memories are born.

                The scent of the candle my mom lights. The sound of my family laughing in the kitchen, and the warmth of the blazing fireplace, these are the things that make my home itself. It is a collection of small everyday moments that make a boring home into a building of love.

                I call home a museum, because it holds all my great memories. Every room has a story, from the marks on the wall to the scratches on the floor. This is the place I grew taller, the place I became me. The place where I learned the difference between right and wrong. These walls have seen a lot, either my greatest smiles, or my quietest struggles. Acting as a canvas that represents who I am.

                Home is a place of belonging. It is a place where I can express all of my greatest ideas. A place where people won’t judge me. Home is a place I can be myself.

                I used to think home was a castle, where my parents would pretend to be knights that protected me, or my home was the deep blue sea where I’d save my parents from a “shark” attack. I would let my imagination take over. Home is real, home is reality. Now I like to cherish every moment I spend in my home.

                In the end, home isn’t a place you find on a map, it is a place you find in your heart. Thank you, Habitat for Humanity, for building not just homes, but futures and hope for families all across the country.

Dana Ryan works on a new painting in her newly opened studio on the Port Hawkesbury waterfront.

-by Beverley Phillips

                A new art studio opened on the Port Hawkesbury waterfront this week.

                Dana Ryan’s Seaside Studio is having a grand opening week. Along with opening the doors to the public, each day she has invited a different artist to join her in the celebration.

                Ryan is a self-taught artist. She first picked up a paintbrush in 2022 and painted a portrait of her dog, who had passed. She was pleased with how it turned out and painted another. She has since done many pet commissions.

                As a longtime resident of Hawkesbury, Ryan said, “I wanted to see more things on the waterfront, and now I’m part of the solution. We need this kind of thing here. It’s so beautiful, and there’s so much potential.”

                Prints of most pieces in her studio are available to purchase.

                The studio is located at 1 Water Street in Port Hawkesbury. Until June 6^th, the Seaside Studio will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. After that, it will be open to visitors Tuesdays to Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. It is also open by chance or by appointment, and anytime there’s an event, such as a Granville Green concert.

Dueling on the stretch drive, Galway Bay (inside) and owner-trainer-driver Monica Sutherland would edge Blazing Cays (Lewis MacDonell) by a head for the win in 2:01.3 during Sunday’s opening day action at Inverness Raceway.

-by Bill Dunphy

                With a snip of the scissors, Inverness Raceway’s Grand Dame of Harness Racing cut the ribbon to start the track’s 100^th anniversary season.

                Mary MacQuarrie, who is 89 years young and a licenced horse trainer and owner, did the honours with Inverness MLA Kyle MacQuarrie and Inverness County Warden Bonny MacIsaac holding the ceremonial ribbon.

                Sunday’s opening card had a festive feel to it with fiddle player Kyle Kennedy-MacDonald providing tunes in the parimutuel build and old friends reuniting after a long winter layoff.

                Track manager Meagan MacQuarrie said the big season got off to a good start and it’s only going to get better.

                “It was a good day, and the bet was $11,000, which wasn’t bad. Not everyone is home yet, but I think we’re losing the online bet with two races going at the same time in Ontario, so that’s something we may have to look at,” she said.

                “The ribbon-cutting was nice. Mary is an amazing woman, so spry and still active at the stable. And the fiddle was a nice touch. Kyle said he’d be happy to come back, and with so many tourists here in the summer, they would eat that up.”

                MacQuarrie said another change that will be coming soon is the addition of two new ways to wager: a superfecta (pick the first four horses in a race in the correct order of finish) and a Pick 3 or Pick 4 (select the winners of three, or four, consecutive races).

                “Those types of wagers are add-ons, where the money wagered is carried over to the next time with the potential for a big payout.”

                The next centennial event is Father’s Day, Sunday, June 21. The day will include a visit by the Six Little Farmers and their livestock, and free ice cream will be the order of the day.

                On the racing side of things Sunday, there were some sure bets and a few surprises with the majority of horses coming off qualifiers for their first races of the season.

                The biggest surprise came in race five when Sandy MacNeil guided Rankinville Shamus to the eight-year-old’s first win since 2023.

                Owned and trained by MacNeil, the Vintage Master gelding held off early challenges by Cruisin Again (Keigan Madden) and Onions Te Go (Redmond Doucet) to win race five in 2:04.2.

                Paying $22.80 to win, Rankinville Shamus keyed a  $137 exactor and paid a $419 triactor on a 2-5-All ticket.

                There were a trio of three-year-olds in the opening dash and it was Captain Tate who set a maiden mark of 2:06.3 with trainer Walter Walker on the reins.

                Going gate-to-wire out of two hole, the Captain Crunch colt by the Western Ideal mare Ginger Tree Nina is owned by James MacInnis.

                Johnny (Snag) MacDonald’s latest acquisition, three-year-old Shadow Play gelding Drink Up Mouchacho, finished second for driver Redmond Doucet.

                Driver Rodney Gillis and trainer D.F. Beaton teamed up for an opening day double with Nova Scotia newcomer Believe It Sea It posting the fastest mile on the seven-dash card in 1:59.1. The five-year-old by Downbytheseaside was trained previously by Rodney’s son Logan at Century Mile in Edmonton.

                And local award-winning claiming pacer Igot Socks, who won the most races at Inverness in 2025 with 10, was back for more with a 2:02.1 score in the fourth race. Beaton shares ownership with his sister Anita Gillis.

                Another three-year-old found his way to the winner’s circle when owner-trainer-driver Monica Sutherland left from post five with Galway Bay to lead at the half, dropping to second on a challenge at the stretch by Blazing Cays (Lewis MacDonell), but coming back at the wire for a win in 2:01.3.

                MacDonell and Route Nineteen Racing made it to the winner’s circle in the sixth when Southfield Sandy, winner of eight races last season as a $7,000 claimer, led from start to finish for a win in 2:02.2.

                And in Sunday’s go-home pace, American Risk headlined the track’s top $2,000 class, setting fractions of :30.4, 1:01.3 and 1:33.2 en route to the 3-1/4-length victory in 2:00.4 as the 1-2 favourite.

                Trained and driven by the father and son team of Truro’s George Rennison and Ryder Matthews-Rennison, the 10-year-old pacer has raced at Inverness on five occasions in his career, winning four times.