This weekend, Eastern Charlotte celebrated Summerfest, a beloved annual event for the community. On Saturday, the highly anticipated Soapbox Derby took place on L'Etete Road Hill. Children aged 6 to 14 raced their homemade cars two at a time, competing in different age groups. The event drew a large crowd of spectators, including enthusiastic parents and grandparents. Many families dedicate significant time and effort throughout the year to build their race cars, showcasing both creativity and engineering skills.

"That's what summer is all about: people getting together, enjoying the weather, forgetting about the bad times, the negative things that go on in the area, and really having a good time," said Mayor of Eastern Charlotte John Craig.

Later in the day, the Canal Beach Party offered a vibrant atmosphere for all ages complete with a DJ and a foam machine for the kids. Attendees enjoyed the beach and took advantage of the pleasant weather to swim and relax by the water. 

Summerfest also wouldn't be complete without a pitstop for Floggy Dogs, an iconic part of the annual festival.

Saturday evening festivities included a fireworks pre-party at Fundy Middle & High School, featuring food vendors and live musical performances. This gathering served as a lead-up to the night's main attraction—the fireworks display. Sponsored by Cooke, the Summerfest fireworks display is considered to be the largest in Atlantic Canada, drawing spectators from across the region and beyond. The 2024 edition of Summerfest once again showcased the vibrant community spirit of Eastern Charlotte and left residents looking forward to next year's celebrations.

The Chapel of Ease in Chamcook, locally known as the Stone Church, was vandalized and burglarized last week, marking the latest in a string of church break-ins across Charlotte County. Bibles were ripped apart with their pages scattered across the floor, and the church's marble font was broken into three pieces. Among the stolen items were: a brass altar cross, candlesticks, candles, and a silver baptismal ewer. Anyone who sees the stolen items for sale is urged to report their suspicions to the RCMP. The troubling trend of church break-ins has left the Charlotte County community on high alert. 

NB Power has set a date for a highly-anticipated public meeting to address recent power outages in the St. Andrews area. The session will be held on August 21st from 6 PM to 8 PM at the W.C. O’Neill Arena. NB Power representatives will discuss the causes of the outages, planned improvements, and measures to prevent future disruptions. Residents will have the opportunity to ask questions and express concerns. 

Finally, That’s Amor’EH Emporium in St. Andrews is offering a unique piece of music history for sale – the famous Elvis mural by renowned artist local Barbara McLean. Originally commissioned by Graceland in 2001 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, the painting entitled 'Elvis Presley Boulevard,' chronicles the life of “the King.”

"It was actually commissioned by Graceland," said McLean. "I was going there with my smaller art pieces, and they were selling them in their gift stores. They actually gave me a licence agreement. At the time, I was the only Canadian artist that they had licenced. I'm sure that's not true now, but it was then. Carol Butler, who was at the time the head of the licencing Department, asked me to do a big piece so that they could display it for the 25th anniversary of his death. She told me to do whatever I wanted as long as it covered all the highlights of his life. And this is what I did. And they exhibited it in Memphis, across the street from his home, in the lobby of the Heartbreak Hotel for the entire 25th anniversary."

The mural, consisting of three panels each measuring 8 feet by 4 feet, was originally displayed in the lobby of the Heartbreak Hotel, directly across the street from the Graceland Mansion in Memphis. Now, this iconic artwork has travelled back to Canada and is available for purchase at $150,000.00, with 15% of the proceeds benefiting the Canadian Whale Institute. The funds will support the Campobello Whale Rescue Team in their mission to save entangled whales.

"The reason that we actually live in St. Andrews is because of a minke whale," said McLean. "I saw it out there, and it changed my life. The beauty of it, is the realising that they need help, they get caught. And if people aren't helping them to get free, they're going to drown. And we shouldn't be doing that to them. They're so beautiful."