Winter Ceilidh - February 3, 2018

We held our winter gathering of food, fun and friends on Saturday, 03 February 2018.

More than 40 people and children showed up for the festivities. We had a new venue this year, Estonia House, on Broadview Avenue, in Toronto. It has onsite parking, which is a real blessing when you are bringing in supplies and walking through snowy weather. The building is narrow on the street side, so it took a few tries for some people to find it, as they drove right by. Once in though, everyone found it to be a spacious and welcoming place and the staff were helpful and enthusiastic about having a new group using their facility.

The afternoon began with piper Kayleigh Johnstone, followed by Gaelic songs from Filina MacLean, Zachary Wallace, Matthew Chisholm and Nathaniel Harrington.

A buffet lunch was enjoyed by all and people were able to socialize with friends while they shared the food and the lovely desserts.
A raffle was going on throughout the afternoon, where people purchased tickets and put them in the paper bag accompanying the article they wanted.

Then, the big entertainment of the afternoon began with highland dancers, including three little boys kitted out in kilts and bonnets. They were from the Sheryl Joyner School of Highland Dance and, from what I could see, everyone loved them. The 14 dancers worked hard to please us, and having a stage for them to perform on in the room made all the difference, as everyone had a good view.

Then came the moment of truth for the raffle winners, who walked away from the display tables with their winnings in their arms, obviously happy with the results.

The afternoon was winding down. Donnie MacLean played several accordion numbers. A group of us played games which the games committee had organized. A favourite was the caber toss, with pool noodles. As the ceiling in the auditorium is high, folks were able to give their caber a good go.

Thank you so much to all the helping hands. It was a team event, and your contributions are much appreciated.
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I know that a number of people had to cancel their attendance due to illness, especially this nasty flu. We missed you, and hope you are on the mend.

It was a successful event, and I look forward to next year.


Moira Billard
Events Coordinator.