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Ending summer season with Canmore Highland Games

The Canmore Highland Games returns for its 29th year this Labour Day weekend in celebration of Canmore's Celtic heritage.

CANMORE – With the sound of bagpipes echoing throughout the mountains, the Canmore Highland Games is back to kick off summer's end with a celebration of Celtic traditions over Labour Day weekend.

As a recurring annual event, which takes place in Centennial Park from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1, the Canmore Highland Games is one of the town’s biggest festivals honouring its Scottish roots.

“We got highland dance, pipes and a drum competition, heavy sports, which obviously includes when everyone gets interested in the game of toss. There’s also the sheaf toss, the hammer toss, the rock toss, which is like shot put,” said Sandy Bunch, president of the Canmore Highland Games.

Although the Canmore Highland Games started back in 1991 by founder Don Garen, its history goes back much further.

Dating back to the late 19th century, the Highland Games were born under the rule of King Malcolm ‘Canmore’ III of Scotland. Additionally, the town’s name comes from King Malcom’s surname which translated directly from gaelic means "Big Head."

Featuring athletic competitions, historically the games were used to determine who would be the most suitable people to serve under King Malcolm.

“The sports that was just all strength competitions and they were all taken from things that they did naturally in the field, like throwing the stones, clearing the stones off of the field to plant the crops,” Bunch said.

According to Bunch, each one of the heavy sports originated from an everyday activity challenging a person’s strength and skill.

The caber toss involved hauling a tree trunk vertically and then tossing it so the caber completes a 180 degree rotation. Generally, the caber is about 16 to 22 feet in length, weighing around 100 to 180 pounds. Rumour has it that the sport came either from lumber jack tossing their logs in rivers to transport them or to throw cabers across chasms in order to create a bridge.

Another traditional Scottish athletic competition is the sheaf toss. The sheaf toss has its roots in agriculture as competitors tosses a burlap sack weighing about 16 pounds filled with straw over a metal bar. Each time the sack clear the bar, it moves up in height.

Finally, the Canmore Highland Games will showcase the Scottish hammer, tug of war which puts teamwork to the test and also a sheepdog demonstration.

For the first day of the Canmore Highland Games open up with the Taste of the Highlands. People will have an opportunity to indulge in some of Scotland’s finest spirits, wines, beers and food.

In the Don Garen Festival Tent, patrons will be able to sample wines, beers and spirits from all over the world while experts share their own knowledge on the drinks.

Additionally local restaurants such as Valbella Gourmet Food will present their very own take of Scottish cultural foods from bhraggies to haggis.

Along with the strength and sporting games, Bunch said that there will be a big band competition and  a lineup of Celtic bands performing throughout the weekend.

“We’ve got the old favourite, the Cabot’s Crossing doing entertainment in the morning then we’ve got a Brazillian Celtic band playing in the afternoon, Banda Taverna. They are a very good Celtic band,” Bunch said.

In true highland fashion, the evening will end with a Ceilidh, which is described as a kitchen-style social party involving Scottish, Irish and Highland dancers, folklore, singing and bagpipe music.

Headlining the evening's Ceillidh is the five-piece band Arcana Kings, formerly known as The Johnny McCuaig Band. Combined with bagpipes and influences of rock, folk and blues genres, Arcana Kings are set play throughout the night.

A new addition to the Canmore Highland Games will be the British Car and Motorcycle show which will be showcasing vintage cars throughout the weekend.

For Bunch, he looks forward to seeing people return to the event every year whether they are from Canmore or from out of town.

“It is like a reunion; everybody is meeting up again and that’ll be it until next year for the next event. It’s great to see the same people returning every year and it’s great to see all the new ones. We look forward to seeing all new ones,” Bunch said.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.canmorehighlandgames.ca.

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