Preparations Underway for Hogmanay and Burns Suppers at the Scottish Cultural Centre
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
VANCOUVER - This is one of the busiest times of the year in the Scottish community with preparation underway to celebrate Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) and the many upcoming Burns suppers. I recently dropped in to the Scottish Cultural Centre to speak with Centre manager Darryl Carracher and learn more about some of the activities taking place there.
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THE SCOTTISH CULTURAL CENTRE located on Hudson Street in Vancouver was opened in 1986.
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Darryl is very helpful and well-qualified to represent the community with a Scottish background. His father Bill is from Hamilton, Scotland, and his mother Bernice from Winnipeg. Darryl has visited Scotland, and like all Celts, has a longing to return some day.
“Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) is probably the biggest night here for the Moray, Nairn and Banff Association,” said Darryl. “It’s generally always booked out with a dinner dance and lots of entertainment. It’s very reasonably priced and a great way to greet the new year.”
The Moray, Nairn and Banff also hold two Burns events: Taste of Burns on January 20, is an informal introduction to Robert Burns in which the whole family can participate. The more formal or traditional Burns Dinner, takes place on January 21. At both events the hugely popular Pepperpot duo from Scotland will provide the entertainment.
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DARRYL CARRACHER
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In addition to the Moray, Nairn and Banff event, the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society and the Scotch Club will also host Burns Suppers at the Scottish Cultural Centre.
The Scottish Cultural Centre organizes two major fund raisers each year. The biggest one, of course, is the Highland Games which is held every year on the last Saturday of June at the Coquitlam Town Centre Stadium in Coquitlam.
The B.C. Highland Games have been ongoing since the 1800s and attract upwards to 10,000 people from all over British Columbia, Alberta, and the United States. Many people come for the heavy events, but that’s not the only thing that takes place at the games. There is also Highland dancing, Scottish Country dancing, massed pipe bands, an antique car show, along with clan tents and vendors tents.
The Scottish Cultural Centre on Hudson Street opened in 1986, and prior to that the venue for the community was the Scottish Auditorium at 12th Avenue and Fir Street in Vancouver.
Since then the numbers of Scottish immigrants to Canada has dwindled significantly.
With an aging population and families grown, many original supporters have sold their homes and moved further away. As a result the Scottish Cultural Centre now relies on the community at large to keep the venue filled.
Some of the activities which take place at the Centre on a weekly basis, include the Angus Mackenzie Highland dance studio which provides instruction for both kids and adults. The Royal Scottish Country Dance group are also regulars at least three times a week.
There is also a Gaelic Mod festival held at the Centre every two years and the next one will be in 2007. In addition, The B.C. Pipers have their knock-out competitions from November to February, with their year-end dinner in March.
The Stewart School of Irish dance holds a practice there every Tuesday. The Sons of Scotland hold their meetings there, and the Gaelic Society has a ceilidh on the first Saturday of every month. The Moray, Nairn and Banff Association also hold their ceilidh on the fourth Saturday of every month.
Daryl said, “but other than that we rent our halls for weddings, fund raisers, social events of all kinds, and meetings. We have people teaching ballroom dancing, ESL four times a week, and a Russian art class.”
The Scottish Cultural Centre has a fully equipped commercial kitchen along with a professional caterer on site whose services are optional. Anyone renting the facilities may also choose to hire their own caterer.
“When we rent to Portugese, East Indian, or Italians, especially for weddings, they are often more comfortable with their own caterers, and we more than welcome that,” said Darryl. “We have weddings booked almost every Saturday, and offer one of the few halls that can accommodate up to 400 people.
“We have a ballroom with sprung hardwood floors, the ceilings are 20-feet high and there are no pillars in the way. There is also a full-size stage with a PA and spotlight system. We have more than one hall to rent and people have been very satisfied when they rent our halls.”
The Scottish Cultural Centre is located at 8886 Hudson Street (at 73rd Avenue) in Vancouver. For more information about the Centre, call Daryl at (604) 263-9911. For more information about the B.C. Highland Games, visit: www.bchighlandgames.com.
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