The Inverness Oran

The winner of the nomination was Claude Bourgeois who was born and raised in Cheticamp.

-by Augusta Hoffman and April MacDonald

                About 400 provincial progressive conservatives turned out on Monday night, along with the Honourable Timothy Halman, MLA for Dartmouth.

                He is Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Minister of Service Efficiency, and Chair of Treasury and Policy Board.

                Nominee Doug Chiasson is graduate from Cape Breton Highlands Education Centre and went on to study political science in Ottawa. He has worked on Parliament Hill. He said that during his time in Ottawa he worked on issues near and dear to the people of the Cheticamp-the Margarees-Pleasant Bay such as issues pertaining to fisheries and oceans.

                Chaisson also worked in the federal candidacy in 2015.

                A priority for him is making sure that young families are well represented so that they can continue to afford to live here.

                “So that people’s kids can have the opportunity to say they graduated from the same high school their parents graduated from,” said Chaisson.

                His wife and two children accompanied him at the event.

                The winner of the nomination was Claude Bourgeois who was born and raised in Cheticamp.

                He focused on protecting Acadian culture and language and standing up for rural Nova Scotia.

                Bourgeois served as president of local organizations including Le Portage Golf Course and the Cheticamp Arena. He spent years sitting on boards with community leaders, business owners, and government officials working through difficult challenges that affect their area.

                He worked closely to help represent the concerns of working class people, for instance in industries such as trucking.

                Bourgeois said he plans on giving practical and common sense leadership.

                “I am not a career politician. I'm someone who has spent a lifetime working managing businesses, creating jobs, volunteering, listening to people. I know what it means to worry about losing jobs,” he explained.

                “Labour shortages, keeping small business alive, and making sure our young people have opportunities here at home, instead of feeling forced to leave Cape Breton. Our communities deserve a strong voice in Halifax. A voice that understands rural roads, fishing, communities, tourism, forestry, trucking, seniors’ concerns, healthcare, and challenges facing local families every day,” said Bourgeois.

                “I believe in practical solutions, common sense leadership, and working respectfully with people, even when we don't always agree. Politics should not be about division. It should be about results. It should be about making life better for the people we represent,” he closed.

                A date has not yet been set for the by-election.

Beech Hill (l to r) Neil MacQuarrie, Peter MacInnis, Jesse Ryan, and Jesse Fraser. Photo supplied by Neil MacQuarrie.

-by Beverley Phillips

                Beech Hill has just released their third album, entitled Release.

                The local modern folk band continues to engage the listener with their storytelling and laid-back sound, as they did on their previous albums, Midwinter EP and Chameleon.

                The group is made up of multi-instrumentalist Peter MacInnis, Jesse Ryan on guitar and ukulele, Jesse Fraser on bass, and Neil MacQuarrie on drums. They’ve been together for 15 years and perform a wide range of music when hitting the stage. The venue and the audience determines the set list, and while some festivals and concerts may feature their original music, they cover everything from classic rock and country to top 40 hits.

                As a band, MacQuarrie said they are inspired by groups like the Avett Brothers and Fleet Foxes and the songwriting styles of Tom Petty and Bob Dylan.

                While their songs are a group effort, Ryan and MacInnis are the songwriters of the band. “They wrote lyrics, the chord structures, and progressions,” said MacQuarrie, “and then once we start jamming together as a group, we write our own parts, and we help each other. It’s a collaboration after the boys write the bones of the song.”

                The band will be playing festivals around the county this summer and have a big show as part of KitchenFest, where they will be playing at the Gaelic College on June 30^th.

                On what it means to still be playing together after all these years, MacQuarrie said, “It’s one of the best things happening for us. It’s so much fun. We get together, play, write music, do shows, and have lots of fun. It’s awesome. It was fun since the first time we jammed, and it’s still fun today, so we just keep doing it.”

                The album can be found on all music streaming apps, as well as YouTube and Instagram.

Alex Bonaparte, a former captain with the Cape Breton West U18 Major Islanders, has been named head coach of the Cabot U16 AAA Highlanders for the 2026-27 season.

-by Bill Dunphy

                A former captain of the Cape Breton West U18 Major Islanders is the new bench boss of the Cabot U16 AAA Highlanders.

                Alex Bonaparte, who played all three years of his U18 Major eligibility with the Islanders, takes over the Cabot reins from highly successful coach Craig MacInnis.

                The team was provincial champions last season and were the Nova Scotia U16 AAA Hockey League champions this year.

                Knowing those are big shoes to fill, Bonaparte, who hails from MacKinnon’s Harbour in Victoria County and now lives in Antigonish, said he was encouraged to take the job by MacInnis.

                “I have always loved coaching, high school at Dalbrae and an assistant coach to Craig with Cabot. When he told me he wasn’t coming back next season, he asked me would I consider taking it over. If there was ever a time to take on a head coaching job, now would be it,” he said.

                Along with his tenure with Cape Breton West, Bonaparte went on to play four seasons in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League, including three with the Pictou County Crushers where he was an assistant captain.

                He also saw action with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League.

                Bonaparte said his coaching philosophy was influenced by working with MacInnis.

                “I learned so much from Craig, but the biggest thing was to be a good person and have good habits, be it with the team, the organization, or the community. He was always on time, little habits like that. And I share the same philosophy that way. It’s why I became a teacher...teaching kids how to interact with each other, to be a team.”

                As for the Xs and Os of hockey systems, Bonaparte said he has his own ideas, which will depend on the makeup of the team.

                “In the U16 AAA league, you can only keep four skaters and a goaltender (from the previous year), so the team changes year to year. So things like the forecheck and team defence is based on the players that you have. But regardless of that, the main thing is for everybody to be accountable. We’re here to develop players to get them to the next level,” he said.

                Bonaparte laced the skates up as a player last season, after a five-year layoff, to play in the new Nova Scotia Senior A Hockey League with the Antigonish Bulldogs.

                He said it reminded him of some things that were important to remember, as a player and as a coach.

                “Along with getting better as a player, you have to have fun, and playing Senior hockey was fun,” he said.

                “Also, you remember how fast the game is. You tell a player to do something, but it’s easier said than done. You hop on the ice with guys who are fast and big – it’s hard sometimes to make those decisions.”

                Bonaparte thanked the organization for giving him the opportunity and to all those who have helped him along the way.

                “Thank you everyone for the support and kind words. I’m excited to get started in this new role and for the opportunity to continue building with this great group. Looking forward to getting to work on season nine!”