Midland,
Ontario........................ November 15, 2007. A season highlight,
Sainte-Marie's
"First Light" event returns for its eighth year featuring
a new Huron Carol Exhibit, Children's Christmas crafts, a variety of
musical performances, presentations reflecting Franco-Ontarian and First
Nations cultures, and much more - all amidst the magical glow of over
2,000 candles.
The Huron Carol is believed to have been written by Father Jean de
Brébeuf who lived at Sainte-Marie in 1643. A special exhibit
in the Sainte-Marie museum will focus on Canada's famous carol, and
display reproductions of beautiful paintings by Frances Tyrrell, award-winning
illustrator of the children's book The Huron Carol. Frances will also
be in the foyer autographing her book each night.
"First Light" always includes lots of fun features enjoyed
by families. Children will love making their own Christmas cards with
quill pens and decorating mini-wreaths. Local French group La Clé
d'la Baie will have you create fleur de lis decorations, and The Métis
Nation of Ontario will make festive stockings in the Sainte-Marie foyer.
In the Sainte-Marie Cookhouse, area chef Jesse Ford will assemble an
impressive display of Christmas baked goods, all based on traditional
ingredients. The fascinating "Survival In The Bush" group
returns with their historic encampment, and La Compagnie Franche de
la Marine will be on-site displaying their colourful uniforms and thrilling
crowds with historic musket drill.
Wonderful community music continues to be a central feature of First
Light. Popular French singers Joëlle Roy and Michel Payment will
perform in the reconstructed Church and Chapel. This year Sainte-Marie's
theatre will be filled with area ensembles including the St. Theresa's
Stage Band and their Vocal Group, St. Margaret's Choir and the St. Anne's
Folk Group on November 29th. The Children's Community Choir, Vox Huronia
and Chorale de La Clé d'la
Baie will present on November 30th, and the Huronia Harmonizers and
St. Bernard's School will appear on December 1st. Over all three evenings
in Sainte-Marie's historic longhouses, the lively and all-time visitor
favourite Christian Island Native Drum Group will perform native drumming
and songs, and the Jock family will present traditional native water
drumming, singing and dancing.
After enjoying the historic site, visitors can warm up in Restaurant
Sainte-Marie which will be transformed into a French-style Café,
featuring home-made pea soup, tourtière, pâtisseries, and
hot apple cider. Local artists La Famille Lefaive and Vince Therrien
will provide toe-tapping musical entertainment in the Café. Christmas
shoppers will be tempted by over a dozen exceptional artisans set up
in the Sainte-Marie museum, with the Sainte-Marie gift shop also open
over the three nights.
"First Light" will be presented at Sainte-Marie among the
Hurons the evenings of November 29th, 30th, and December 1st,
from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Admission is just $5.00 per person
with a non-perishable food item that will be donated to the Salvation
Army's food bank. Children ages 5 and under are free. For information
call (705) 526-7838.
Please be advised that with the exception of assist dogs, dogs are
not allowed on the historic site for this event.
Overflow parking for this year's event will be available at Doral Industries,
100 Wye Valley Road. Free shuttle buses will run to Sainte-Marie throughout
each evening.
In celebration of "First Light" some merchants in Midland
plan special store activities downtown during the event. Advanced tickets
for "First Light" are available at the Southern Georgian Bay
Chamber of Commerce Office, 208 King St., Midland. Telephone (705) 526-7884.
For more area information on tourism events, activites and directions
see the Georgian
Bay Tourism website.
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Media Contact:
Bill Brodeur
Coordinator,
Marketing and Media Relations
Huronia Historical Parks (705) 528-7692
E-mail: bill.brodeur@ontario.ca
