SpotlightJuly2019

The Tyne Valley Oyster Festival has been around since 1953, and the Canadian Oyster Shucking Championship has been part of the festival since 1973 with competitors and spectators travelling from all over to see the best shuckers in Canada compete. The Rock the Boat Musicfest was added to the Tyne Valley Oyster Festival in 2014 though a Provincial stimulus initiative called the PEI 2014. Spotlight on Business Magazine spoke with festival chairman, Adam MacLennan to learn more about the festival and what it means to the community and the people of Tyne Valley, PE, Canada. Festivals like these need volunteers to make them successful and considering that these events take more than 250 people to put all the events together in a community of about four or five hundred, you are getting more or less everybody in the community involved either directly or indirectly during the event, which is something that most readers might find would be hard to believe in such a small community, but the people of Tyne Valley really love to help out. SBM: Tell us about Tyne Valley, its people and what the Tyne Valley Oyster Festival has meant to the community? AM: Tyne Valley is a village in western Prince Edward Island, located approximately 50 minutes from the Confederation Bridge. Minutes away in one direction is the schoolhouse where Lucy MaudMontgomery once taught, and in another is provincial Green Park where Rock the Boat is held. Our community is composed largely of farmers and lobster and oyster fisherman, but looking beyond professions, you will find a village full of community spirit and pride. The volunteerism in Tyne Valley is unmatched to any other community.

mortgage, where many families flock to in the winter months. Now, we are helping to support the installation of solar panels at the arena, with future goals to reduce the cost of minor hockey and figure skating for families.  SBM:TheCanadianOysterShuckingChampionship has been part of the Tyne Valley Oyster Festival since 1973, tell us about this event that sees competitors and spectators travel to Tyne Valley from all over to see the best shuckers in Canada and what makes this a great part of the festival? AM: TheCanadianOyster ShuckingChampionship is the signature event of our festival. We have about 30 participants each shucking 18 out of 20 oysters, which are donated from local P.E.I farms. The shucking championships can be compared to the Olympics for these shuckers. Competitors come from all over Canada to shuck, with the champion going to the World Championships in Galway, Ireland. This event draws over a thousand spectators, and it’s an opportunity for members of the close-knit oyster community to come together. It’s a really special event for not only the spectators, but the competitors as well. We’ve heard some of the shuckers compare this event to Christmas or a birthday.

Our oyster and scallop suppers alone call for nearly 200 volunteers, and we need a total of about 500 for the whole week to run smoothly. That being said, it is clear to see that without the support and enthusiasm of our community the festival would not be possible. “The shucking championships can be compared to the Olympics for these shuckers.” The festival brings a huge sense of pride to everyone in Tyne Valley, and it is highly anticipated for community members of all ages. The week of the festival is a time where families and friends from all over come together in the community and enjoy the festivities. Our festival is set up with families in mind, with affordable (and often free) events throughout the week as well as lots for all members of the family to participate in. In fact, there is only one event in our whole festival that is restricted to the 19+ crowd. We are very committed to giving back to the community that never fails to support our events, and with the introduction of Rock the Boat came the opportunity to give back in a substantial way. Profits from the concert has allowed our festival to pay off the Tyne Valley Community Sports Centre’s

“The festival brings a huge sense of pride to everyone in Tyne Valley.”

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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JULY 2019

61 JULY 2019 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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