Latest news with #EmmaStevens
CTV News
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Tattoo tradition returns with global acts and local stars
The Scotiabank Centre in Halifax was full of energy and excitement Wednesday, as hundreds of students and fans got an early look at this year's Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. 'It's a family show,' said managing director Scott Long in an interview with CTV Atlantic's Katie Kelly. 'People were brought up around this show, whether their parents took them, or their grandparents took them, and that carries on through generations. We even have volunteers whose parents volunteer and their parents volunteer and so on. It's a family tradition; it's a Nova Scotian tradition.' The 2025 edition features nearly 700 performers from Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands, Norway, and across Canada. But this year, organizers say there's also a strong spotlight on local talent. 'The Tattoo is a local event,' said Long. 'We want to support our community and make sure our artists have a chance to perform in front of a big audience on a big stage.' Among them is Emma Stevens, a singer-songwriter from Eskasoni First Nation, N.S. Stevens is performing an original song honouring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. 'Music is a good way to bring everybody together and understand what's going on,' said Stevens. 'It's amazing and I'm very grateful to be here and to be doing this.' Also making her Tattoo debut is Paula Braiden, a six-time world champion drum major from Northern Ireland, who leads The Force, a high-impact precision display team. This is her first time in Canada. 'We have travelled quite a lot and performed in many tattoos, but this one was quite special,' said Braiden. Returning to the Tattoo after nearly two decades is the Band of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee - the military police band for the Netherlands- who are celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands. 'It's a beautiful tattoo with nice music and a great atmosphere,' Captain Ido Kempenaar said. 'We're very pleased to be here.' The theme of this year's Tattoo is 'Flourish.' 'Which is all about when we're protected and we feel safe, we have better communities in the role that our armed forces and first responders and police play in that,' said Long. The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo officially opens Friday night and runs through to Canada Day. 'Tickets are on sale, there's good seats available, kids are free with the purchase of any adult receiving a ticket,' said Long.
BBC News
18-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Southampton twin sisters clean grave of first Titanic captain
Two twin sisters who have been cleaning graves for the last five years have restored the burial plot of the first captain of the Titanic and his family. Emma Stevens and Vicky Smith, who call themselves the Graveside Sisters, started cleaning graves in Hampshire cemeteries during pair, who came up with the idea during a walk through a cemetery, now run a fully-fledged grave restoration the request of the British Titanic Society, they recently cleaned the grave of Captain Herbert Haddock, who died in Southampton on 4 October 1946. The society said it tried to contact his family ahead of commissioning the sisters, but believes there are no surviving Herbert sailed the Titanic from Belfast to Southampton from March 25 to 31 in a lot of what they do a secret, the sisters said they did not like to reveal their methods. Ms Stevens said this was because they "don't really want the general public to go out and start cleaning graves, because it can cause thousands of pounds worth of damage"."Generally, a graveside clean involves clearing the grave and restoring them to the colour they originally were, and we paint inscriptions too," she said. From start to finish, a grave clean usually takes a couple of hours, but Ms Smith said it could sometimes take all day."The longest we had was eight hours," she said."We had to go back pick up the kids from school and then come back again."It involved a lot of digging, a lot of scrubbing and a lot of hard work." Ms Stevens said they would often find ashes in the said: "We just have to be respectful and leave them in that area and work around them."When they finish restoring the graves, families could sometimes get emotional, Ms Smith said."The relatives are really thankful for what we do and we try our hardest to respect the graves, but obviously we have to climb on it," she said. "But, we always lay flowers when we finish as a sign of respect."Southampton City Council said graves were "the sole responsibility of the owner of the Exclusive Right of Burial". You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
CBC
17-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Heading to the Saddledome or BMO? There's nearby construction to keep in mind
Social Sharing Whether you're heading to a Flames game at the Saddledome or an event at the BMO Centre, officials are warning that construction is ramping up quickly and it'll likely have an impact on your journey to the area. Crews are currently working to transform Calgary's upcoming Culture + Entertainment District, with one main project at the heart of it all: Scotia Place, the future home of the Calgary Flames. "Calgarians can anticipate detours through the Culture + Entertainment District through 2025 and beyond. This is a long-term city building vision and we have lots of work to do here, so we will see phases of intermittent closures," said Emma Stevens, director of external relations at the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation. Stevens said those intermittent road closures, as well as lane and sidewalk restrictions, will be in place surrounding the Scotia Place construction site for the rest of the year. Additionally, starting Monday, there will be alternating temporary road closures and lane restrictions on Stampede Trail and 14th Avenue S.E., between Scotia Place and the Saddledome. Crews there are undertaking utilities work for the new event centre, which is expected to last until mid-April. From mid-April, additional closures are expected along Stampede Trail — including a full closure of the 14th Avenue S.E. intersection. It's for the second phase of the Stampede Trail redevelopment project. Stevens recommends that everyone checks real-time construction updates through the district's online map. Liz Whittaker, director of building operations at Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC), said anyone heading to the area should plan to arrive early. She said she encourages people to take Calgary Transit to their destination, but there are parking lots within walking distance — including one on the south side of Stampede Park, Platform Parkade on Ninth Avenue and the Stampede parking lot on 11th Avenue. "We need to make sure our customers really, truly understand that this is an ongoing process ... There will be disruption over the next few years as we go toward the final build. So that's where we really want the support our fans and our understanding of them," said Whittaker.
