Not even during the darkest moments of 2020 did we ever throw our hands up and exclaim “Damnit, get me some puppets! It’s the only way we can report the news without inflicting further trauma.” This year came a little closer. 2021 meant more cancellations, re-schedulings, and re-cancellations — all while regularly putting more stuff up our noses than some nostrils will ever see during peak festival season.
2021 was not for the faint of heart, but it wasn’t without its shining moments. Here are all of our top stories from this past year.
Evelyn Jess Offers a One-Way Trip to Bring One Lucky Fan ‘Home to Newfoundland’
Naturally, tourism is still taking a big hit under the current circumstances. Most people haven’t crossed anything more substantial than a municipal border. For some, that means they haven’t had the opportunity to visit home in quite a while.
Newfoundland-based musician Evelyn Jess wasn’t about to stand for that sort of nonsense. She, along with several well-known musical friends, put a plan together to bring one lucky fan “Home to Newfoundland” with a draw for a one-way ticket…. (read more here)
Stoked Artisan Pizza a Contender for Best in New Brunswick
During a year in which we fully embraced living full-time in sweatsuits, one unexpected benefit was a near-limitless capacity for indulging in pizza. While indoor dining was inconsistently on-and-off the table, going out for food was still possible—particularly when it really meant going out.
Stoked Artisan Pizza, with their portable pizza ovens, could regularly be found at farmers markets across Southern New Brunswick. Their often-locally sourced ingredients and skill at crafting Neapolitan-styled pizza made life worth living again…. (read more here)
Saint John Theatre Company Reveal Theatre Design Proposal for Historic Courthouse
Saint John is not a city that is known for embracing change. When it does, it’s either at the hurried pace of necessity or through a protracted process of many grumblings. Fortunately, when it works right the results can be remarkable.
For years now, the Saint John Theatre Company has had plans for Saint John’s historic courthouse. This year, they’ve finally shared some of their proposed designs with the public. Naturally, the public had a superabundance of thoughts on the matter, even if they won’t be seeing the inside of the new theatre for some time to come…. (read more here)
Queen Of The Andes is a Triumph for New Brunswick Cinema
New Brunswick doesn’t usually get a lot of recognition in the filmmaking department, but Queen of the Andes, the debut film written and directed by Jillian Acreman, has really stood out. Receiving national praise, this sci-fi film gently exercises a bit of world-building on the fringes of a slightly dystopian leap into the inky dark with the prospects of colonizing Mars…. (read more here)
Glass Roots to Open Saint John Public Glassworks After Successful Kickstarter
Again, any sort of development in Saint John tends to be big news. Combine that with the city’s natural affinity for small businesses and the arts, and we’re looking at a front-page headline. Curtis Dionne and Charlotte Macloed of Grass Roots made a splash when they announced they’d be moving their glassworks foundry to Uptown Saint John. The challenge is that they were still faced with putting together $75,000 to make it all happen…. (read more here)
Barn Bhreagh – How Keith Mullins Turned from Touring Musician to Producer for Three Cape Breton Musicians
It seems that you can’t toss a rock in Cape Breton without hitting a musician. According to the Law of Infinite Probability, the chances that some of them might form a supergroup are likely better than a coin toss.
Keith Mullins, having recently put together Barn Bhreagh, his home studio, decided he might just assemble a group by the same name. Taking three musicians—Isabella Samson, Morgan Toney, and Jesse Cox—under his wing as their producer, Barn Bhreagh began yielding all manner of collaborative results…. (read more here)
Off Grid Ales Seeking New Ownership
We first wrote about Off Grid Ales, the small brewery located somewhere outside of Harvey Station, New Brunswick, around six years ago. To widespread applause, they combined New Brunswick’s burgeoning love for both craft beer and environmentally friendly business solutions. Their growing solar array and small-scale wind farm—not to mention the alluring mystique of their undisclosed remote location—proved to be more than just a novelty as their high-powered IPAs began hitting taps and beer fridges across the province.
But nothing lasts forever. This year, owners Denise and Randy Rowe announced they would be interested in retiring, provided the right buyers come along…. (read more here)
East Coast Musicians the Latest Targets of Online Scam
There is no shortage of scams out there, and not all of them are aimed at your grandparents. This year, one scam, in particular, was rampant amongst a particularly vulnerable group: musicians. We spoke with Mike Ryan of The Town Heroes about his experience, how he handled it, and what the banks recommend you do to avoid such scams. Since first publishing this story, we’ve heard from countless musicians who have experienced it for themselves…. (read more here)
‘Still The Water’ Wades Through Connection, Guilt, and the Sanctity of Hockey
Brandon Lorimer reviews Still The Water, Susan Rodgers’ first scripted feature film about the messy nature of life in small East Coast towns. Centred around Jorie MacAulay (Ry Barrett), a down on his luck hockey player, we’re given a glimpse into his spiralling family life with a rather poetic look at an abundance of local colour. On top of all that, it comes with a custom made soundtrack from legendary Prince Edward Island songwriter Lennie Gallant, featuring Rose Cousins…. (read more here)
Aaron MacDonald Crafts the Impossible Feel-Good Song of 2021 With ‘Gonna Get There’
Aaron MacDonald stepped into our playlists at a low point in the year with the most unlikeliest of things: a feel-good song about friendship and perseverance. There was clearly something about “Gonna Get There” that resonated with a lot of people at exactly the right time. With a simple chorus designed for even the most tone-deaf of singers to easily carry around in a bucket, the song offered a little glimmer of hope in the darkness…. (read more here)