By Hazel Smith, Bruce Peninsula Press
Initial hopes for a full scale weekend long Chi-Cheemaun Festival have been dashed as organizers faced a shortage of certified umpires for the multi-day ball tournament.
The wholly volunteer run festival committee remains committed nonetheless to hosting a 2022 festival.
A modified 7 game ball tournament will proceed but consist only of 4 local teams and all games will take place on a single day. The first pitch is expected to be thrown at 11 am on Saturday June 18th and the final game is expected to begin at 6:30pm.
The Tobermory Primary Place Childcare Centre (aka “the Daycare”) will host the food concession at the ball diamond. The requisite beer garden will be open from 11am to 9pm.
The cardboard boat races will entertain many in the harbour area in the afternoon. The first race is planned to start at 2pm. If you need information about boat construction and how to enter a team, contact volunteer organizer, Linda Bain. Best way to catch her? Drop by The Hungry Hiker and pick up a coffee while you’re there. Open daily 7am to 3pm starting May 1st.
The fireworks display is scheduled for 10pm.
Festival Chairman, Tom McAfee, while disappointed a full scale festival isn’t going to be possible this year, says the committee felt it was important to have a community day of celebration of some kind this year.
Smokey Golden, a committee member, also commented “It will be smaller than the past but it will be a good day of community fun. We need that.”
