O'LEARY, P.E.I. — The Town of O’Leary’s 2019 winter carnival starts off with a curling bonspiel celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Maple Leaf Curling Club and concludes with the O’Leary Figure Skating Club’s annual ice show.
The curling bonspiel, which is expected to attract close to 40 teams, will be held Feb. 7-10. The Figure Skating Ice Show at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, will bring the winter carnival to a close.
In between are a series of special events for all ages and some regular events to which O’Leary recreation director Jessica Gillis says the winter carnival is applying a shot of helium.
The helium is in reference to events like rook, washer toss, newcomers curling and bingo – events that are held on a regular basis.
“They need helium to blow back up,” she said.
- Rook is at the town hall Feb. 8 and 15 at 7 p.m.
- Washer toss is Feb. 9, 7 p.m. at the Legion.
- The Newcomers Try Curling event is at the Maple Leaf Curling Club Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m. at Maple Leaf Curling Club.
- Bingo is at the Legion at 7 p.m. on Valentine's Day.
Other regular events getting a little extra air during the winter carnival are the walking club at the elementary school at 6 p.m. on Feb. 13, seniors fitness class 10 a.m. Feb. 14 at the Town Hall, Try Hockey (including sledge hockey for children with mobility challenges) at the Community Sports on Feb. 15 at 3:30 p.m. and the Western Bantam AAA Warriors regular season game at the sports centre 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 15.
Winter Carnival feature events include the O’Leary Fire Department’s Poker Run on Feb. 10 with registration at the fire hall at 12:30 p.m., an Amazing Race-style car rally on Monday, Feb. 11 (6 p.m. start time, but participants must pre-register with Jessica at 902-303-1468), and a Go!West family night at the Mill River Resort on Friday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m.
Town employee Faye MacWilliams, who chairs the town’s P.E.I. Potato Blossom Festival in the summer, sees many positives in hosting an annual winter carnival.
“It gets everybody together in the wintertime and boosts the spirit, and there’s always food involved.”
She likes, too, that there are events planned for every age group.
Saturday, Feb. 16 has a “Meet Your Neighbour” event and features a full day of activities, starting off with food.
Gillis feels the pancake breakfast the town and the curling club are hosting at 9 a.m. Thursday is a great start to a full day of indoor and outdoor fun.
Go!West hosts a Women in Nature event at Trout River Natural Area from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., P.E.I. Inflatables will have bouncing fun at O’Leary Elementary from 1 to 4 p.m.; a seniors music day featuring Victor and Cathy Doucette, Alphy Perry and Steven Perry, and sponsored by the O’Leary Seniors Sunshine Club will be held at the Town Hall from 2 to 4 p.m.; and a Snow Sculpture Contest will be held on Jeff Ellsworth Field at 3 p.m.
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