The Municipality of Cumberland is preparing to celebrate a special milestone Sept. 14 and 15 when it marks the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Dr. Carson & Marion Murray Community Centre in Springhill.
The arena opened in the fall of 2004, three years after the former Springhill arena collapsed in early 2001.
"The Dr. Carson & Marion Murray Community Centre is the social and recreational centre of Springhill and area. The community suffered a terrible loss when the arena was destroyed in 2001, but as it has so many times throughout history, the community rallied behind the building campaign and we have a community centre that offers so much to so many people," said Municipality of Cumberland Mayor Murray Scott.
“Join us as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the community centre’s opening with a great concert, a foam party and free public skating.”
A highlight of the celebration will be a concert in the CIBC Room featuring SheNova on Sept. 14 with doors opening at 6 p.m. followed by ceremonies marking the building’s 20th anniversary and the concert at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Advance tickets are available at the Dr. Carson & Marion Murray Community Centre from Monday to Friday.
Celebrations continue Sunday, Sept. 15 with a free foam party with Nova Foam Parties at the community centre at 1 p.m., followed by a free skate at 3 p.m.
SheNova will highlight the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Dr. Carson & Marion Murray Community Centre in Springhill. The concert is set for Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, and will be followed on Sunday, Sept. 15 with a free foam party and skating.
Paizano's Pizza & Donair and Sociables Pub & Eatery are sponsoring the events.
SheNova is a group of four musicians – Laura Wilson and Alycia, Kelly and Robert Putnam - from mainland Nova Scotia who all have a passion for music. Each of their members brings their own skills and instruments to create a dynamic and diverse sound.
Alycia plays the fiddle, concertina and adds some percussive feet with her traditional step dancing. Throughout Alycia’s musical career, she has focused mainly on her love of Celtic music (with a twist).
Laura is a fiddler and the band's lead vocalist. Her expertise in a broad range of styles adds captivating variety to their shows.
Kelly plays the bagpipes and the whistle adding to the Scottish flair of their sound.
Robert is a guitarist and vocalist, adding harmonies and being the “heartbeat” as their rhythm player.
Over the course of their solo music careers, they have amassed a deep repertoire of eclectic tunes, recorded a total of seven albums and have performed at thousands of events.
Together, SheNova's repertoire ranges from traditional tunes to original compositions, from lively jigs and reels to soulful ballads and airs. Their sound is a fusion of foot stompin’ Celtic, old-time fiddling, bagpiping, and singing, with influences from other genres such as folk, country, and pop.
The Dr. Carson & Marion Murray Community Centre opened in the fall of 2004, replacing the former Springhill arena that collapsed in early 2001. The centre will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a concert, foam party and skating on Sept. 14 and 15.