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.
Special Notes:
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.
