LITTLE CURRENT—NEMI Mayor Al MacNevin opened the Home, Cottage and Culinary (HCC) Show on Friday evening, May 30, explaining, “This year we moved it back to the spring, last year we held it in the summer, but a lot of businesses are too busy in the summer to take time to do this, so we’re back to May, and we have over 40 vendors here this weekend. Thank you for coming. I want to give special thanks to our staff and our volunteers, we couldn’t do it without them. He then introduced the new MPP, Bill Rosenberg. “I’ve asked him to say a few words. He didn’t know that till he got here.”
“I’m working my hardest to get that bridge, don’t you worry,” Mr. Rosenberg said right off the top. “I’m not guaranteeing, but we’re definitely moving forward in the right direction. It’s great to see the vendors coming back and I hope the town will be able to carry this on for years to come.” Mr. Rosenberg also invited anyone who wished to talk to him to come and do so. The ribbon was then cut, officially opening the 2025 HCC Show.
The butter tart competition was held Friday evening and the winners were: Sara O’Connor, from Stop 540, in the business division. Second place went to Caleigh Quinlin from Bittersweet Tea. Norma Hughson won first place in the home bakers’ division, Pam Close was second and Shannon Druin came in third. Over 200 butter tarts were sold (sold out) on Friday. (We do love our butter tarts!)
Friday evening’s rain brought people in, but Saturday’s sunshine didn’t stop the crowds. Vendors said they were pleased and surprised at the crowds supporting the show. Leanne Lewis, of the Lewis Team, with Royal LePage, said, “It’s going great. There’s been lots of interest.” Many of the vendors voiced the same enthusiastic response. 45-82 owner, Kathy Wahl felt business was doing well. Scott Willis, employee of Wahl Water, was also pleased. “This is improving each year,” he said and was especially touched when people came up to say ‘thank you’ for the work he had done for them.
In addition to its vendors, the show offered entertainment, music and line dancing, food and a kids’ corner. The culinary delights of the show were sold out far in advance of the show’s opening. The eight course tasting dinner on Saturday evening, featuring three of Manitoulin Islands top chefs—Simon de Sousa of Mast Hospitality, Kevin Hemstreet of Garden’s Gate Restaurant and Louis Simard of Manitoulin Farmstead—all used local products in their culinary creations. On Sunday there was High Tea, a fundraiser hosted by the Manitoulin Health Centre Little Current Auxiliary, also sold out and a great success. There’s already talk of expanding capacity for both events next year.
Undertakings like the Home, Cottage and Culinary Show demand hours of planning and organizing months in advance, physical labour and many workers needed—volunteers as well as employees. It seems like a lot for a short space of time, but the benefits, the working together and coming together of the whole community, is a wonderful thing. As our new MPP Mr. Rosenberg said, “I hope the town will be able to carry this on for years to come.”
by Margery Frisch
