LITTLE CURRENT—Witches have had a bad rap over the centuries, being persecuted and burned at the stake in religious zeal that has since been rejected by modern governments, although pardons for those convicted and executed in the past have been thin on the ground.
Across the globe, Witches Walk celebrations have been growing in popularity in recent years and Manitoulin is no exception, with dozens of cackling broom bearers dressed in their finest witchery garb filling the streets of downtown Little Current on Saturday. The more than 50 Witch Walkers of all ages paraded from in front of the Bank of Montreal building to the Little Current United Church Hall, where dancing and refreshments were on hand for participants and Lavish Your Independent Grocer gift baskets were drawn.
Unlike what the Puritan hype would have us believe, these witches were not bent on the devil’s handiwork but rather aimed at good works while having fun. Donations for the Manitoulin Family Resources Food Bank were collected at the church, and entries for the gift baskets were also provided at the grocery store for cash donations. In all, more than $1,700 was raised by the event.
Witches Walk celebrations are community events, often held in October, where individuals, primarily women, dress up as witches and gather to walk through a downtown area for an evening of entertainment and shopping.
The original plan for the walk was to eventually gather at the Soldier’s Park Cenotaph for dancing and prizes, but the inclement weather led to most of the celebration taking place indoors at the Little Current United Church Hall.
There, Lavish employee Bernie Belanger oversaw the drawing of names for the gift baskets. “I wanted one to be for the participants,” said Ms. Belanger. “They are what helped make this a great success.”
“I was totally blown away at the number of witches who came out,” said Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands event coordinator Lisa Halleart. “This is awesome!”
As part of the festivities, Lori Mastelko led a spirited witches’ line dance that had everyone in attendance in stitches.
