Antigonish, Halifax Highland Games trade weekends
Connor MacEachern connormac@thecasket.ca


      The Antigonish Highland Games and the Halifax Highland Games will switch weekends starting next year.
      The Antigonish Games will be held during the second weekend in July while the Halifax Games will be held the following weekend. As a result, the Antigonish Games and the IWK 250 race at Riverside International Speedway will no longer fall on the same weekend.
      “The decision is important economically for Antigonish and so we very much appreciate the willingness of our colleagues in Halifax to understand and respond to our local dilemma,” Antigonish Highland Society president Danny Gillis said. “We especially want to thank them because we know very well that it was not an easy decision to make.”
      Gillis, Rod Hadley and Robert MacDonald met with Halifax Highland Games organizers in September to present their case, which focused on how the local business community would benefit if the Games and the race were held on separate weekends, Gillis said.
      Halifax Highland Games and Scottish Festival president John Cody said their argument made sense.
      “We looked at it and analyzed it and thought it may be the weekend we have sanctioned, but there’s no reason not to give it up.”
      Summer events are planned for every weekend in Halifax, so Cody said the change shouldn’t affect the Halifax Games.
      “It’s sixes and two threes,” he said. “There’s no good time here in terms of not having competition from other events.”
      The IWK 250 and the Antigonish Highland Games have been held on the same weekend for the past several years. Due to the unavailability of NASCAR drivers on any other weekend in the summer, the race is traditionally held the third weekend in July.
      Riverside International Speedway manager Paul McLean said the move will help the race and the Highland Games.
      “I think it’ll allow both parties to grow their events without the fear of not being able to accommodate everybody,” he said. “It’s great for the business community, too.”
      The race guarantees visitors to the area, McLean added.
      “There’s a lot of people, when they left their hotel this year, booked rooms for next year.”
      Gillis said the switch shows the strength of the Antigonish Highland Games.
      “Antigonish really is the flagship Highland games in the Atlantic provinces,” he said. “It’s important for us to have the support of the business community to put on the best event possible.”