160th Antigonish Highland Games

Press Release and Results

For the 160th time in our long history, the Antigonish Highland Society hosted the Antigonish Highland Games from July 6th to July 13th, and it was one of the biggest and best editions of our annual braemar to date! This annual event is a celebration of the Scottish heritage that has such an influence on the collective culture of Antigonish. There were highly competitive events in Highland Dance, Piping and Drumming, Heavy Events, the Highland Five Mile Road Race, and Tug of War, as well as Cultural Workshops and other competitions and demonstrations, all of which took place at Columbus Field and throughout the community. With a worldwide reputation for its attention to authenticity, detail, and hospitality, the AHG have delivered world class entertainment to our community for over 160 years. We could not do it without the engagement of our hundreds of volunteers and the continued generosity of sponsors and partners. To our many local sponsors, support from all levels of government, hundreds of volunteers, and of course the many event attendees we extend a sincere and gracious thank you!

The 160th Antigonish Highland Games got off to an early start with four sold out shows from July 3-6th of the Ships of 1801 Society’s most recent theatrical production, The Keppoch goes to the Fall Fair!. It was yet another fabulous installment in the Ships Society’s growing body of work, which includes more than 200 original songs, and features some of Antigonish’s most talented performers. Thank you to Duncan MacDonald and Carol Anne MacKenzie for yet another incredible job! Festival Antigonish also got the party started early with their annual Kitchen Ceilidh, a small concert that featured a number of local musicians, dancers, and performers. Great work everyone!

The 160th Antigonish Highland Games began as it always does, with an Official Opening Church Service, hosted this year by St. James United Church. AHS President Carol Anne MacKenzie presented a Gaelic reading, followed by a riveting set of tunes from the Clan Thompson Pipe Band. While the AHS is non-denominational, we are always pleased by the support we receive from local religious institutions like St. James and St. Ninian Cathedral. With a long, shared history of working together, it is wonderful to see so many attend this service each year, and to see our relationship with local stakeholders continue to grow! The church service was followed by the annual Clan Thompson Pipe Band and friends concert, a yearly showcase of some of the finest talents our community has to offer. It was very well received by the several hundred in attendance, and we are thrilled to have this concert in our lineup each year.

The week of 160th AHG started strong, with more seasonally comfortable temperatures, a welcome reprieve from the heat of recent years. There were clear skies from the Opening Service on Sunday and through Monday, however the skies opened early on Tuesday, delivering torrential downpours that necessitated the cancellation of our annual visit to the Culloden Memorial Site in Knoydart. We were disappointed that this event could not proceed this year, however we are excited by the tremendous number of attendees in recent years, and look forward to returning to this important site next year. The Mainstreet Fair on Wednesday saw over 2000 people arrive on a closed section of Main Street between College and Church Street. There was no shortage of artisans’ products, foods, clothing, and other merchandise available, and the concert stage provided a steady stream of local entertainment throughout the day.

With Thursday came the Antigonish Highland Games Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, where 11 new members were inducted into the AHG Hall at a ceremony held at the St. Joseph’s Lakeside Community Center. Congratulations to the class of 2025, which included three Highland Dancers, one piper, three athletes, and four builders. From the graceful and athletic discipline of Highland Dance, we are proud to welcome champions Brenda (MacAdam) Chisholm, Clare (Kiely) Champoux and Michelle (MacGillivray) Dobbin, all from Antigonish. The lone piper inducted into the Hall this year is Pipe Major Jack MacIsaac. Jack, a former MLA, led bands in Pictou County and competed in or attended our Highland Games almost every year since the late 1950’s. In the builders category, we welcome four new honorees from Antigonish. Long time track and field organizer and advocate Ron Fraser; Leo MacDonald who for many years was chief steward of our Heavy Events competitions; Bernie Chisholm who ran track and coached the Highland Society team; and Kevin Grant, who has organized the 5-Mile Road Race since its inception in 1998 until just last year. Heavy Events specialists Greg Hadley and John Allan MacDonald, both of Antigonish, as well as long distance runner Dave MacLennan from Scotsburn, Pictou County, will be joining the Hall on the strength of their athletic accomplishments. It would be hard to find a more deserving group, and we are forever grateful for their contributions to the AHG and its continued success. Special thanks to Danny Gillis, Iain Boyd, and Robert Cochrane, our nominating committee and organizers of this event. Fantastic work everyone!!!

Friday brought about an annual favorite, the children’s athletic competitions known as Tir Nan Og! Almost 250 exuberant children arrived on Columbus Field, where they competed in foot races, the caber toss, stone throws, step dancing, and a variety of athletic competitions. This was followed by a pizza party provided by Kenny’s Pizza, an epic, fun-filled way to start a historic weekend! Thanks to the more than 40 volunteers that helped make this event such a success, and special thank you goes out to Michelle MacKinnon for once again putting together a fantastic day for so many local children! As Tir Nan Og concluded, the skies, that had held off for hours, finally began to crackle with a cacophony of thunder and lightning, and for a brief period rain poured onto the field crew and organizers. Fortunately, the rain was shortlived, and while the skies continued to threaten additional rainfall, we somehow avoided further precipitation for the entire weekend, a blessing from above that helped make the 160th AHG a picture-perfect weekend.

Kicking off the evening’s competitive events on the field, the “Highland Five Miler” Road Race took place Friday evening. It was well attended with thousands lining the streets, including Nova Scotia’s Premier Tim Houston, to cheer on some of the best runners from Antigonish and beyond! In the Open Men’s Class, Jacob Benoit outpaced the pack on his way to claiming the Angus & Marie MacDonald trophy, beating second place finisher Bret King by almost a minute and narrowly missing the course record by less than ten seconds! PEI’s Joel Gallant rounded out the top three. In the Open Female Class, Ali Sandluck took the top spot and won the Alex J MacAdam Plaque, while Eileen Benoit finished second, and Caden Lee from Antigonish rounded out the podium coming in third. The Youth Male class was won by Ben Swinkels from Inverness, who led the second place finished Garrett King by almost 3:30 minutes! Antigonish’s Neil MacDonald came in third with a time of 36:07, an impressive time at any age! Meanwhile the Youth Female class was won by Summer Kersten, followed by Anna Boyd from PEI, and Halle Blais who travelled all the way from Michigan to take part. Great job girls! In the Junior Male division, Antigonish’s own Conlan MacKenzie led the way with a time of 27:45, claiming the Stu MacMillan Plaque over Landyn Cook-Bithrey and Isaac Boudreau, who finished second and third, respectively. Conlan would also take home the Frank MacGibbon Trophy as the top local male runner, a fabulous race for the young up and comer! He was joined by Britney Benoit, who would claim the Evelyn and Donald Gillis Trophy as the top local female runner.

In the Junior Female group, the Joe Earle Award was claimed by Reanne Jean, who bested second place finisher Chloe MacEachern by more than 40 seconds, while Sarah Wallace rounded out the winners by placing third. The Leonard Thompson Memorial Trophy, awarded each year to the best male runner 40 years and over, was taken by Aaron MacInnis, who narrowly beat former Olympian and Elite Mile organizer Eric Gillis by seven seconds, a competitive end to a great race between two local legends. Adam Teasdale of Calgary finished third. The Master Female class was won by Sarah Waugh, who beat Emma Billington and Lavinia Carreau on her way to winning the Fonse MacIntyre Memorial trophy. In the Senior Men’s group, Aaron MacDonald from Lower South River led the pack to claim the Cameron’s Jewelers trophy, followed by Antigonish’s John VandeWeil and Mike King from Hantsport. The Cameron Cup, awarded to the winner of the Senior Women’s winner, was claimed by Linda MacDonald from Bedford, while Corrine Sampson came in second, and Antigonish’s own Cathy Langille finished in third. In the Grand Master group, aged 60 and over, the recently inducted AHG Hall of Famer Dave MacLennan took the Brian MacLeod Award, while Gerard Gillis from Antigonish finished second, and Paul MacLean from Arichat rounded out the podium in third. The winner of the Irene MacLeod Award was Becky Lauch from Tatamagouche, who was followed by Linda Toerper and Helen Shawn. Finally, the fastest runner donning their kilt was Ivan Lewis of Antigonish, who finished in just over thirty minutes! Special thanks to the chair of the Road Race, James Jessome, for putting together an incredible field of competitors and providing yet another exceptional race!

As the road race was taking place, the President’s Dinner was hosted by StFX and featured a number of local dignitaries as well as past-presidents from the AHS, and several members of our current executive. By all accounts it was a lovely meal and the attendees greatly appreciated the opportunity to connect and reflect on the many successes of our humble organization since its inception all the way back in 1861. As the dignitaries arrived on the field, they were led by the Clan Thompson Pipe Band to the ceilidh tent for the opening ceremony. Due to the rain earlier in the day and the ominous clouds that remained overhead throughout the evening, it was decided to move the event from the field to the tent to ensure everyone would remain dry for the evenings events. The Opening Ceremony was met by a packed crowd, a much larger audience than usual and a welcome greeting to the many honorees in attendance. Frank Beaton performed a touching tribute to the dearly departed Donnie Beaton, his brother and a former president and life member of the AHS. We hope the tunes carried beyond the clouds to the waiting ears of our dear friend Donnie, and we thank Frank for this wonderful dedication, as well as Gerardine MacLean for putting together such a wonderful start to the weekend’s events.

The Opening Ceremony was followed by the “Concert Under the Stars”, which itself was a bit of a misnomer given the relocation to the tent. Fortunately those in attendance were more than happy to watch the show under the tent, and the concert was a tremendous hit that once again had a larger audience than usual. Over 400 people watched some of the finest local talent Antigonish has to offer, and by all accounts it was one of the best shows in many years! This was followed by our Friday Songwriters Session, a new event featuring entirely local entertainment from AHS Board Member Rob Halligan, Shane Arsenault, Nate Langley, and Pete Lumsden. The guys put together a heck of a night, with some exceptional music and an enthusiastic audience who rounded out the first day of the Games in a most fitting fashion!

Saturday morning events began bright and early, with the fastest race in town opening the day before the Grand Main Street Parade! The Elite Mile featured 40 of the top men and women runners in our community. At 8:50am sharp, the runners blazed from Convocation Boulevard on StFX Campus, right onto West Street, and continuing until they reached Main Street. From there it is an all-out blitz down Main to the intersection of Main and St. Andrews Streets. The runners certainly put the elite in elite mile, with the average time taking less than five minutes to complete!!! Special thanks to Eric Gillis for putting together a particularly strong field of competitors this year, great work Eric!

At the conclusion of the Elite Mile, the Grand Main Street Parade began its annual migration through the town, a signature event of the AHG for over 60 years! There were thousands that lined the street, and the floats did not disappoint. There were a wide array of floats, fire trucks, and classic cars, as well as pipe bands, cyclists, and even the RCMP marched along the route. We’d like to extend our thanks to Janet and Jerome MacPherson, who have been organizing this event for over 20 years! A remarkable show of commitment to one of the community’s favorite annual traditions. Thank you!

Meanwhile, we were thrilled to offer FREE DAY PASSES for everyone this year, which according to our records was the first time in our organization’s history! We wanted to give back to the community that has sustained this event since 1863, and based on the attendance figures recorded, it would seem this initiative was tremendously popular! We welcomed over 8000 attendees on Saturday alone, an increase of almost 30% from 2024!

Saturday morning on Columbus Field began with the pre-premier Highland Dance competitions, which were in full swing by the time of the parade’s conclusion. In the Primary (4 and 5 years) class, wee Nora MacDougall swept the podium by taking first in the Pas de Basques, the Pas de Basques & HC, the Highland Fling, and the Sword Dance. In the Primary (6 years) group, Emma Douglas would follow suit and win all four events as well! A promising pair of performances and hopefully a sign of even bigger and better in the years to come!

In the beginner’s group (7 years and under), Winslow Druzic was named the pre-premier champion, claiming first in the Seann Triubhas, the Sword Dance, and the Scottish Lilt, while finishing second to Scarlett Melong in the Highland Fling. In the Beginnger 8 & 9 group Paisley Tovee would take the top spot after placing first in the Seann Triubhas, and second in the Highland Fling, Sword Dance, and Scottish Lilt, to Harper Huberts, Amalia Girgis, and Alexa Heppell, respectively. In the Beginner 10 group, Liliana Johnson would place first overall after winning both the Seann Triubhas and the Scottish Lilt, while placing second to Eva Cottrel in the Highland Fling and to Isla McNamara in the Sword Dance. In the Beginner 11 and over group, Evelyn Kane placed first in the Highland Fling, Sword Dance, and Scottish Lilt on her way to winning first overall. Special acknowledgement to Sarah Burns, who bested Kane in the Seann Triubhas. Excellent work girls! In the Novice age group (8 years and under), Annie Boyle placed first in every event en route to winning her age class, while in the Novice 9 and under group, Jennie Tanner claimed first overall by placing first in the Highland Fling, the Seann Triubhas, and the Sword dance, and second in the Scottish Lilt behind Luna Zhang. Keira Lynch would take the top spot in the Novice 10 group, placing first in the Highland Fling, the Scottish Lilt, and the Sword Dance, while placing second in the Seann Triubhas behind Aqua Thomas. The Novice 11 and over class was decidedly more competitive, with Tessa Boyd narrowly edging Leighton Marr for first overall. Tessa would place first in the Highland Fling, second in the Seann Triubhas and Sword Dance, and third in the Scottish Lilt. The complete results can be found on our website, www.antigonishhighlandgames.ca.

In the Intermediate 9 and under group, Eva Reed claimed first overall by winning both the Seann Triubhas and the Scottish Lilt, while finishing second to Reed Osborne in the Highland Fling, and fourth in the Sword Dance, which was won by Marley Conrad. Sophia Krill won the Intermediate 10 & 11 group, finishing first in the Seann Triubhas and Scottish lilt, while finishing second in the word dance to Elly Lacourse, and fifth in the Highland Fling, which was won by Clair Skanes. The Intermediate 12 & Under 14 age group was won by Elise Clements, who finished first in the Sean Truibhas and the Highland Fling, and second to Tyla Cooper in the Scottish Lilt, and to Millie Webster in the Sword Dance. The intermediate 14 and over class was taken by Fiona MacKenzie, who finished first in the Scottish Lilt and Seann Triubhas, second in the Sword Dance to Lily Imrie, and third in the Highland Fling behind Grace Pollon and Emily Campbell, who placed first and second, respectively.

The AHG also hosted the New Scotland Open Championship on Saturday, and there were some exceptional performances that deserve recognition. Briar MacHattie narrowly beat Isla McKeown in the 7 to under 10 class by placing first in the Fling, and second in the Seann Triubhas and Reel to Isla. Katie Taylor would claim first in the Swords. In the 10 to under 12 group, Renee Naime took the top spot by finishing first in the Swords, the Seann Triubhas, and the Reel, and second to Dhara Ghore in the Fling. The 12 and under 14 class was swept by Eilidh Guthrie, who finished first in all four dances. The 14 and under 16 group was hotly contested, with Emma Breeze narrowly beating former World Champion Brooke Hayne, who tied her on championship points and finished only 22 points behind in dance points. Emma would place first in the Fling and the Swords, and second behind Brooke in the Reel and Seann Triubhas. Excellent work girls!!! Emma Baird would take the top spot in the 16 and under 18 years group, finishing first in the Fling, the Seann Triubhas, and the Reel, while finishing second to Amy MacRae in the Swords. Kylie Arsenault easily won the 18 and under 21 years age class, placing first in all four events. Finally, in the over 21 years age group, it was Hannah Delorey that finished first in three of four dance events en route to taking the top spot, with Morgan MacDonald besting her in the Fling.

The Mary Dundas Sword event was also contested, with Renee Naime placing first in the 11 and under group; Ruby Alexander coming in first in the 12 and under 14 group; and Emma Breeze winning first overall in the 14 and under 16 years class. Amazing work everyone!!!

There was certainly plenty of excitement beyond the Highland Dancing stage, with Heavy Events, solo piping and drumming, and other events taking place throughout the field. The Heavy Events welcomed 34 competitors across six classes including youth, junior, amateur, pro men’s, pro women’s, and masters (40+) men’s competitions. The youth class was a new addition this year, and we are so pleased to see interest among younger generations in this time-honored sport. We appreciate the hard work and dedication that Ryan Kennedy and Danny Frame have shown in developing youth training programs in Antigonish and in the Valley area. It is a great sign of the future of the sport, and we are so grateful for your commitment to the next generation!