The Inverness Oran

-by April MacDonald

                The Ships of 1801 refers to a fleet of five vessels – the Nora, Sarah, Dove, Hope, and Good Intent – that brought Scottish Highland immigrants from Scotland to Pictou Harbour, Nova Scotia.

These settlers sought to escape oppression, preserve their Gaelic language, and own land.

                Today, the legacy of these settlers is carried on by a local theatre group and they have a brand new production coming to Strathspey, called Father Moses Coady and the Sisters of Saint Martha Go to Keppoch.

                 Interviewing Duncan MacDonald, he explained about how the Ships of 1801 Society came to be, and how the shows have evolved over time.

                For the past 12 years they have been producing original concerts that consist of about 60 percent dialogue and 40 percent music and song. “With this new production, Moses Coady has plenty of dialogue,” said MacDonald. He added that the show is heavy in sarcasm as well as comedy. With most of their shows they blend Gaelic verse, traditional folk songs, step dancing, and live narration to tell the poignant stories of the main characters of their historical stories.

                In their portfolio they have three original shows; their first was the arrival of the five ships in 1801 and was about those people who came on the ships arguing somewhat if they made the right decision. Begging the question, should we have stayed?

                Their second was The Ridges, which is the story of Mabou settlers.

                MacDonald explained that the last seven or eight years they have been focused on Keppoch.

MacDonald said it centres on farmers who moved there as well as the poor. “There is no community there now,” added MacDonald.

                He spoke to the importance and the purpose of the cooperative movement, in which Moses Coast was one of the founders. “Moses Coady tried to tell them how to sustain themselves and a future for the area,” said MacDonald.

                The show can be described as a day in the life of Father Coady and the Sisters of Saint Martha.

                MacDonald explained that the show is closely based on real life. “It was very important to us to stick to who Moses Coady and the Sisters really were. We did extensive research and interviews to maintain truth and integrity for Keppoch, the people who lived there and Coady and the Sisters,” said MacDonald.

                He said the show is filled with music, song and dance, and that there are 31 people in the show who range from ages six to 85 years old. “The show is portrayed as a ‘ceilidh community’ and is done in two acts, most of the show takes place at the MacLean House in the 1940s, which is the beginning of the Credit Union Cooperative and Library in Antigonish,” he explained.

                “We write original music and also use recognizable songs,” said MacDonald. “The Ballad of Moses Coady is an original song,” he added. MacDonald said there would be step dancing and well as highland dancing.

                The shows in Antigonish were sold out.

                MacDonald closed by saying that they are excited to be working with Brenda Dunphy at Strathspey Place and carrying on that partnership.

                The show is on July 7^th at 7:00 pm in Mabou at Strathspey Place!

                Here is a brief synopsis:

During the early 1900s, the farmers and fishermen in Nova Scotia were struggling to make a living. Influenced by his cousin Fr. Jimmie Tompkins, Fr. Moses Coady, through the Extenstion Dept at St FX undertook the task of trying to organize and improve the lives of the people. The Ships of 1801, through their twelfth original show will present a historical production that will portray a day in the life of Fr Coady along with two Sisters from St Martha’s as they visit the struggling farming community on the Keppoch. The show will tell the story with a cast of 25 using comedy and dialogue along with original and traditional music.

Claude Bourgeois accompanied by his wife Shelley Aucoin (centre) and daughter Melanie Bourgeois.

"Talk is cheap, voting is free; take it to the polls."

The people have spoken—and on Tuesday night it was close but the people of Chéticamp–Margarees–Pleasant Bay made their mark and it was in blue ink.

            The winner of the newly formed riding is Conservative Claude Bourgeois.

            Bourgeois is a well-known and prominent business owner with three decades of experience in trucking, marine services, hospitality, including an exemplary community service.

            He owned and operated the Doryman Pub & Grill for ten years and is a known volunteer on numerous committees, including local development boards.

            Bourgeois has supported this region’s music and culture as a host for local talent nights and a weekly fiddle radio show. He is also proud father and grandfather. 

            He vowed if elected an MLA, he would be an advocate for all the communities in his constituency and would ensure they’d be represented at the government’s decision-making table.

            Bourgeois is focused on protecting local jobs, defending Nova Scotia’s economy, and standing up for rural communities.

There were 14 polls with 3923 registered voters. 30 per cent or 1300 people voted early.

The totals for all four parties:

Redmond Doucet waves to the crowd as he heads to the winner’s circle with Dirty Bobby and trainer Lennan MacIsaac after earning his 1,000th career win on Sunday, June 21 at Inverness Raceway.

-by Bill Dunphy

                Sunday, Oct. 7, 2001. Inverness Raceway. Acushla wins in 2:07.1 for owners Geraldine and Bernie Gillis.

                The driver? A young 19-year-old Redmond Doucet Jr. with his first career win as a harness racing driver.

                Twenty-five years and 999 wins later and Doucet became just the third driver out of Inverness to log 1,000 career wins – joining Joe Campbell and Alex (Trapper) MacQuarrie.

                Doucet won three of Sunday afternoon's seven races to reach the milestone mark, which he hit in the $1,300 fourth race with his own pacer Dirty Bobby.

                “It was pretty nice actually, quite an accomplishment, especially doing it with my own horse.”

                Doucet clearly remembers his first win back in 2001.

                “It was pretty exciting, but I had no idea if I was going to be cut out to be a driver or how far I would take it. I have a competitive nature and if I wasn’t going to be good at it then I wasn’t going to keep at it,” he said.

                What makes the accomplishment even more meaningful is that most of Doucet’s wins were at Inverness Raceway.

                “I’ve driven a little at other tracks, Northside, Truro, Charlottetown, but the majority of my wins were here, and getting to 1,000 doesn’t happen every day. It’s hard to stay in the game that long.”

                He has had some memorable days at Inverness Raceway, winning five races in a day three times (2012, 2020 and 2022). And on Sept. 20, 2015, Doucet scored a six-bagger, including winning the $6,000 Inverness Invitational with Jackie Matheson-trained Clic K. The five other wins were with Howmacs Angel, his own trainee Rez Rampage, Blackriver Nannie, Island Reactor and Jackson County.

                Doucet had a career year in 2020, picking up 90 wins in 313 starts, with 75 seconds and 36 thirds for earnings of $170,307.

                “That was a COVID year and I wasn’t afraid of COVID,” he said with a laugh. “So I traveled a little more to get some drives in.”

                He was named Driver of the Year that season at Truro Raceway.

                As well, Doucet has represented Atlantic Canada twice at the National Driving Championship – in 2018 at Grand River and 2024 at the Hippodrome in Quebec. He won the Atlantic championship in Charlottetown in 2024.

                Overall, Doucet has 4,584 lifetime starts. Along with his 1,000 wins, he has 824 seconds and 653 thirds, with earnings topping $1,492,000.

                “I’m happy with the way it turned out,” he said of his career. “The body gets a little sore, and you take a few spills, so we’ll see how far it goes. Who knows, once the weather gets a little nice, I might go to the beach and take a Sunday off.”

                In his third win on Sunday, Doucet sent Dirty Bobby first-up from third after a tepid second panel and wore down pacesetter Fear The Shadow and Zach Mullins entering the stretch for the half-length victory in 2:02. Dirty Bobby notched his second win in a row in taking the optional $5,000 claiming pace.

                Doucet shares ownership of the six-year-old Pang Shui-Fleurke gelding with Andy Stewart. Lennan MacIsaac handles the training duties.

                A pair of wins in the first two races helped Doucet reach the milestone on Sunday. Those wins were courtesy of Drink Up Mouchacho from the J.J. MacDonald stable (You can stop cashing J.J.’s cheques now Snag!) and Philthy Phil, another MacIsaac trainee owned by Doucet.

                Doucet almost picked up another victory with trainer John MacLellan’s homebred Whats Up Doc leading into the stretch of the feature finale, the $2,000 winners-over pace, but favoured Sea Laird caught him in a photo finish to repeat in the top class for trainer-driver Zach Mullins and local co-owner Douglas Lowthers.

                A 10-year-old Custard The Dragon-Devil Likes It Hot gelding, Sea Laird rallied widest of all off the final turn to prevail by a quarter-length in a two-minute mile. Whats Up Doc, who has hit the board in all of his seasonal starts, settled for second again while Shir Gain and Rodney Gillis finished third.