March 3, 2009
100th Anniversary of the first Silver Dart Flight

Snow…lots of it. Schools are cancelled and businesses are closed. We spent the early morning listening for the cancellation of our concert. It really felt like we were back in school again.

The Silver Dart was the first plane to fly in the Common Wealth and was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. The plane was just short of beating the Wright brothers’ flight in America. The Silver Dart was tested on the Bras d’Or lakes off the village of Baddeck. Graham Bell lived in Ben Bhreagh just outside of Baddeck. The Alexander Graham Bell Museum is a popular visiting spot for locals and tourist alike.

This year’s 100th Anniversary of the first flight is a big year of celebration for the village of Baddeck. The Barra MacNeils were asked to perform a celebration concert with special guests Governor General Michaelle Jean and Astronaut Roberta Bondar. The snow caused the cancellation of the Governor General’s flight to Cape Breton. The organizers of the event worked for three years to make this day happen. Most of the audience were already in the Baddeck area and were hoping the show would continue.

After the snow plow came by, the weather became much more pleasant. We arrived with plenty of time to sound check and get ready for the show.

We played to a full room of invited guests and general public. The reaction was fantastic. We haven’t had that much fun on a Monday afternoon in a long time.
After the show, Lucy was presented with a coin by the Chief of Air Staff, Lieutenant General Angus Watt. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Chief of Air Staff and the air force for there lovely gift.