Latest news with #MacLean
Hamilton Spectator
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
North Peace Minor Baseball eyes expansion after quick recovery from shed fire
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The president of North Peace Minor Baseball is feeling 'fantastic' despite a fire which burned its equipment shed to the ground at the start of the season. Scott MacLean said there were no delays in the season beginning, even though the club's shed went up in flames in April , one day before opening the season. At the time, the Fort St. John RCMP said it had received a report about the fire but did not give any more information. Several donors stepped up to give the club a hand, including NorthRiver Midstream, Rig Ratz Safety, Jiffy Lube and United Rentals. 'We were able to replace all the equipment that was inside and erect a small storage shed,' said MacLean. 'It was really quick.' MacLean has been involved with the organization for the past 11 years; he became president in 2024 after the former head, Forrest Liddicoat, retired. Last season, he oversaw the development of a youth umpire program, which he says has 'been fantastic' and for his second year, he wanted to see more player enrollment in the league. '[Player growth has] been continual over the last 10 years,' said MacLean. 'We took a chance on moving people from a waiting list and actually had about 300-plus participants. 'In my second year I concentrated a little bit more on growth. Based on our waiting lists that we currently have, I would like to expand even more next year. We had 40 kids on the waiting list, my goal is to have nobody on the waiting list.' As the season draws to a close, North Peace Minor Baseball will host the Montney League Baseball playoff tournament for competitive teams at the U-13, U-15 and U-18 levels and recreational league playoffs in town will begin on Monday, June 23rd. Headquartered in Beaverlodge, the Montney League Baseball will feature teams from Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Grande Prairie, High Prairie and Peace River starting on Friday, June 20th at Kin Park. 'We are fortunate Fort St. John has one of the nicer facilities at Kin Park to host large tournaments,' said MacLean. 'We do find that the other communities do like coming here.' More information about North Peace Minor Baseball is available on the club's Facebook page. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Dougie MacLean to lead Edinburgh Festival 'mass singalong'
Now he has been lined up to lead a mass 'singalong' event on the opening weekend of Edinburgh's main summer festivals season. Read more: The Perthshire musician will launch a free hour-long celebration of singing in Princes Street Gardens on the opening Sunday afternoon of the festivals season. The Scottish Government is funding the Edinburgh International Festival show, The Big Singalong, one of the few musical events given the green light to go ahead in the gardens this August. Singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean. The event has been put together by Stephen Deazley, the artistic director and founder of the Edinburgh-based community choir Love Music, who worked with singer-songwriter Karine Polwart to stage spectacular massed choir shows St Giles' Cathedral on New Year's Day as part of Edinburgh's Hogmanay festival. MacLean, who appeared at the Tartan Week celebrations in New York earlier this year, first made his name in the 1970s with the bands The Tannahill Weavers and Silly Weavers, and set up a record label with his wife Jennifer to release his own music in 1983. A 'mass singalong' event will be staged at the Edinburgh International Festival in Princes Street Gardens in August. (Image: Iain Masterton/Edinburgh International Festival) MacLean's major honours include an OBE, a lifetime achievement award from the BBC and being inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. Mr Deazley said: 'Caledonia has become more than just a song—it's a reflection of Scotland's spirit. 'Nearly 50 years on, it still speaks powerfully about what it means to find home, especially for those who are new to Scotland or have journeyed far. 'Singing it together in Princes Street Gardens this August for the International Festival opening weekend isn't just about music. 'It's about connection. It's a way for people to feel they belong, to share in something bigger. When thousands of voices come together, you feel that sense of welcome, of joy, of community—and that's what Scotland is all about.' Maclean, one of several new additions to the line-up of the festival line-up, will be joined by the Phoenix Choir, the Maryhill Integration Project Joyous Choir and the Westerton Male Voice Choir at the Ross Bandstand in the gardens on August 3. The following day the bandstand will play host to The Ceilidh Sessions, a celebration of music and dance featuring Capercaillie musicians and an all-star ceilidh band appearing alongside the Norwegian folk ensemble Barokksolistene. Festival director Nicola Benedetti is to appear in a 'spontanenous' classical jam session concert, while Welsh jazz pianist will lead an Up Late Jazz Jam event. Ms Benedetti said: 'At the heart of our festival is a commitment to connection – providing a closer communion between artist and audience. 'From our mass ceilidh dancing, to singing Dougie MacLean's iconic anthem 'Caledonia' at the top of our lungs in the Princes Street Gardens, to spontaneous jam sessions for jazz lovers and classical enthusiasts alike, these events invite everyone to take part in the magic of live performance. 'We are all about celebrating artistry in its most human, communal form, and I can't wait for everyone to experience it with us in August.'
Otago Daily Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Scale of planting to meet zero carbon goal ‘unachievable'
Dunedin City Council zero carbon manager Jinty MacTavish. File photo: Peter McIntosh It is "unachievable" for Dunedin to plant a path to its zero carbon goals, city councillors have been told. At a workshop yesterday, Dunedin City Council zero carbon manager Jinty MacTavish told councillors sequestration — capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide, often with trees or vegetation — needed to be combined with a community-wide effort to reduce emissions. Staff had carried out modelling to provide an idea of the trees required to meet the council's goal, although she warned councillors the results were "incredibly theoretical and incredibly indicative". Speaking to the modelling, senior zero carbon policy analyst Rory MacLean said the scale of planting needed to meet the city's zero carbon goal was "unachievable". The council had aimed for Dunedin to be a net zero-carbon city by 2030, excluding biogenic methane, but conceded in January this was unlikely, regardless of the level of investment. Mr MacLean said more than 100,000ha of indigenous planting would have been required to meet the goal by 2030 — "and that's just imaginary numbers really". If the goal was shifted to 2035, 27,000ha of indigenous plantings or 16,500ha of exotic plantings were needed for the city to become net zero as there was more time for the trees to grow. "At present there's about 17,000ha of commercial exotic forests in Dunedin, so you're talking about a doubling or almost tripling of the land area covered by forests." In an "accelerated ambition" scenario, 20,000ha of indigenous plantings or 10,000ha of exotic plantings would meet the 2035 goal. Still, this was an "enormous" land area to be converted to forestry, Mr MacLean said. "One of the assumptions in this is that all the plantings happen this year, which obviously would not happen. "So if you're actually looking to do this, the land area would be even larger because you would need to space out the plantings over multiple years." Ms MacTavish said decreasing emissions would reduce the amount of land required for planting. "The intention of this was just to show that this needs to be a whole of community effort rather than something that the DCC alone would take on if it were to be achieved." In 2021-22, the most recent year the council had full data for, Dunedin's forests absorbed 493,000tonnes of CO₂. "It's not insignificant, and that sets us apart from other cities that don't have the large land area that Dunedin has. " Forests were the only type of sequestration included in the Emissions Trading Scheme and emerging methods of absorbing carbon — such as blue carbon (wetlands) or increasing soil carbon — were not easily measurable and verifiable, she said. A report on carbon renewals would go to council later this month.
Vancouver Sun
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Todd: Auston Matthews-Jean Béliveau comparison a bridge (way) too far
Anyone who talks for a living — a TV sports host, say — is going to say foolish things from time to time. Anyone who writes for a living — a newspaper sports columnist, say — is going to write foolish things from time to time. The best you can do is to keep the imbecilic comments to a minimum. Unless, that is, you're Ron MacLean. By now, we're accustomed to MacLean's Postcards from the Land of the Gormless. Most vanish into the ether like an inert gas, unnoticed and unseen. But when Auston Matthews actually scored a goal in Game 6 of the Leafs-Panthers series (wow!) MacLean reached deep into that vat of tapioca pudding that passes for a brain … And compared Captain Peaheart with Jean Béliveau. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Yes, that Jean Béliveau. The man who won 10 Stanley Cups as a player and seven as an executive. Who won 24 playoff series in an era when teams played at most two or three series a year. Whose goals-per-game production actually went up in the playoffs, where the Leafs captain's goal production falls off a cliff this time of year. Béliveau was a prince among men. A man who lived most of his adult life in the same modest home in Longueuil, who answered every fan letter he ever received and signed every autograph he was asked to sign. Béliveau was, and is, the most respected individual in the history of the game. As an alleged student of hockey, MacLean ought to know that much. Matthews? He's an outstanding regular-season goal-scorer. That's it, that's all. When his team fell apart in Game 7 against Florida, Matthews demonstrated his 'leadership' by throwing his teammates into the bus. 'We had too many passengers,' Matthews told the world. Yes, Auston, you did. Starting with the captain, No. 34. Imagine Le Gros Bill pulling a stunt like that? You can't, because it wouldn't happen. Look, MacLean babbles. He can't help himself. His prattle — by turns vapid, disconnected, nonsensical, spineless, harebrained and often downright daft — is the broadcasting equivalent of tinnitus. After a while, you get used to that empty ringing in your ears. This time, he managed to insult the game, the Canadiens and the province of Quebec with one featherbrained comment. Here, for Ron's sake, are the Matthews numbers that matter: Nine seasons. Two series wins. Zero Stanley Cups. Zero Stanley Cup finals. Zero conference finals. Zero, period. Whoa, un 'ti-minute! To all those who were ready to trade Samuel Montembeault and hand his job to Jacob Fowler right out of Boston College, you might want to hold your horses. Fowler struggled in the series against the Rochester Americans, giving up four goals on 14 shots in Game 4 before he was replaced by Cayden Primeau. On Sunday evening, Primeau closed out the series in style with a 5-0 victory, an exclamation point on a stint in Laval that has reset his career. Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent was lavish with the praise he heaped on his goalie, with reason. Fowler will be fine. Unless your name is Ken Dryden or Patrick Roy, it's unlikely you're going to star in your first playoff appearance in the pros. It takes time. Primeau, meanwhile, is an interesting case. He posted a 1.96 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in 26 games with Laval after being sent down, and his playoff numbers are almost identical: a 2.03 GAA, a .924 save percentage. Primeau is eligible to become a restricted free agent. He turns 26 in August. Some NHL team will have a place for him and the percentage move is to let him go. But to Primeau's credit, he has turned a slam-dunk move into a tough decision. And thanks in part to Primeau, the Rocket will be playing into June. Lies, rumours &&&& vicious innuendo: I would have paid to be on the plane with the Canadian and Danish hockey teams after Denmark eliminated Canada from the worlds. Had to be some world-class chirping going on. That's a Hunter S. Thompson piece, writing itself. … Did Matthew Tkachuk absolutely have to assault Sebastian Aho with the Panthers grinding the Canes to dust in the conference final? Does this garbage have to be part of every NHL postseason? … More than 50 games into the season and US$500 million for the Blue Jays to sign him, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has numbers you'd expect of a utility infielder — a .276 batting average, seven home runs, 23 RBIs. … They should play O Canada before every NBA playoff game. All-defence first-teamer Lu Dort of Montreal and Hamilton MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander anchor Oklahoma City. SGA's cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, is battling the Thunder for the Timberwolves, while Montreal's Bennedict Mathurin and Aurora, Ont., native Andrew Nembhard check in with the Pacers. Heroes: Cayden Primeau, Pascal Vincent, David Reinbacher, Joshua Roy, Florian Xhekaj, Sidney Crosby, Marc-André Fleury, Rafa Nadal, Luguentz Dort, Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard &&&& last but not least, Shaivonte Aician Gilgeous-Alexander, NBA MVP. Zeros: Ron MacLean, Auston Matthews, Brendan Shanahan, Kyle Dubas, Matt Tkachuk, Doug Cifu, Vincent Viola, Tom Dundon, Evangelos Marinakis, Wayne Gretzky, Bud Selig Jr., Claude Brochu, David Samson &&&& last but not least, Jeffrey Loria. Now and forever. @
Montreal Gazette
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Todd: Auston Matthews-Jean Béliveau comparison a bridge (way) too far
Montreal Canadiens Anyone who talks for a living — a TV sports host, say — is going to say foolish things from time to time. Anyone who writes for a living — a newspaper sports columnist, say — is going to write foolish things from time to time. The best you can do is to keep the imbecilic comments to a minimum. Unless, that is, you're Ron MacLean. By now, we're accustomed to MacLean's Postcards from the Land of the Gormless. Most vanish into the ether like an inert gas, unnoticed and unseen. But when Auston Matthews actually scored a goal in Game 6 of the Leafs-Panthers series (wow!) MacLean reached deep into that vat of tapioca pudding that passes for a brain ... And compared Captain Peaheart with Jean Béliveau. Yes, that Jean Béliveau. The man who won 10 Stanley Cups as a player and seven as an executive. Who won 24 playoff series in an era when teams played at most two or three series a year. Whose goals-per-game production actually went up in the playoffs, where the Leafs captain's goal production falls off a cliff this time of year. Béliveau was a prince among men. A man who lived most of his adult life in the same modest home in Longueuil, who answered every fan letter he ever received and signed every autograph he was asked to sign. Béliveau was, and is, the most respected individual in the history of the game. As an alleged student of hockey, MacLean ought to know that much. Matthews? He's an outstanding regular-season goal-scorer. That's it, that's all. When his team fell apart in Game 7 against Florida, Matthews demonstrated his 'leadership' by throwing his teammates into the bus. 'We had too many passengers,' Matthews told the world. Yes, Auston, you did. Starting with the captain, No. 34. Imagine Le Gros Bill pulling a stunt like that? You can't, because it wouldn't happen. Look, MacLean babbles. He can't help himself. His prattle — by turns vapid, disconnected, nonsensical, spineless, harebrained and often downright daft — is the broadcasting equivalent of tinnitus. After a while, you get used to that empty ringing in your ears. This time, he managed to insult the game, the Canadiens and the province of Quebec with one featherbrained comment. Here, for Ron's sake, are the Matthews numbers that matter: Nine seasons. Two series wins. Zero Stanley Cups. Zero Stanley Cup finals. Zero conference finals. Zero, period. Whoa, un 'ti-minute! To all those who were ready to trade Samuel Montembeault and hand his job to Jacob Fowler right out of Boston College, you might want to hold your horses. Fowler struggled in the series against the Rochester Americans, giving up four goals on 14 shots in Game 4 before he was replaced by Cayden Primeau. On Sunday evening, Primeau closed out the series in style with a 5-0 victory, an exclamation point on a stint in Laval that has reset his career. Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent was lavish with the praise he heaped on his goalie, with reason. Fowler will be fine. Unless your name is Ken Dryden or Patrick Roy, it's unlikely you're going to star in your first playoff appearance in the pros. It takes time. Primeau, meanwhile, is an interesting case. He posted a 1.96 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in 26 games with Laval after being sent down, and his playoff numbers are almost identical: a 2.03 GAA, a .924 save percentage. Primeau is eligible to become a restricted free agent. He turns 26 in August. Some NHL team will have a place for him and the percentage move is to let him go. But to Primeau's credit, he has turned a slam-dunk move into a tough decision. And thanks in part to Primeau, the Rocket will be playing into June. Lies, rumours &&&& vicious innuendo: I would have paid to be on the plane with the Canadian and Danish hockey teams after Denmark eliminated Canada from the worlds. Had to be some world-class chirping going on. That's a Hunter S. Thompson piece, writing itself. … Did Matthew Tkachuk absolutely have to assault Sebastian Aho with the Panthers grinding the Canes to dust in the conference final? Does this garbage have to be part of every NHL postseason? … More than 50 games into the season and US$500 million for the Blue Jays to sign him, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has numbers you'd expect of a utility infielder — a .276 batting average, seven home runs, 23 RBIs. … They should play O Canada before every NBA playoff game. All-defence first-teamer Lu Dort of Montreal and Hamilton MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander anchor Oklahoma City. SGA's cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, is battling the Thunder for the Timberwolves, while Montreal's Bennedict Mathurin and Aurora, Ont., native Andrew Nembhard check in with the Pacers. Heroes: Cayden Primeau, Pascal Vincent, David Reinbacher, Joshua Roy, Florian Xhekaj, Sidney Crosby, Marc-André Fleury, Rafa Nadal, Luguentz Dort, Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard &&&& last but not least, Shaivonte Aician Gilgeous-Alexander, NBA MVP. Zeros: Ron MacLean, Auston Matthews, Brendan Shanahan, Kyle Dubas, Matt Tkachuk, Doug Cifu, Vincent Viola, Tom Dundon, Evangelos Marinakis, Wayne Gretzky, Bud Selig Jr., Claude Brochu, David Samson &&&& last but not least, Jeffrey Loria. Now and forever.
