Many of the degrees hanging on the walls of our nation’s capital were minted in Atlantic Canada, I’ll tell ya right now.
For the seventh year in a row, Ottawan alumni of the fine educational institutions to the East will congregate to celebrate all things Atlantic. I recently chatted with Jennifer Henderson, the event’s lead organizer, to explain what it’s all about. The event has the simple and noble goal of “welcoming alumni and friends from Atlantic Canadian universities. Our focus is on connecting friends and having a good time”. To this end, they are offering discounted beer and Atlantic hangover-killing delicacies like garlic fingers.
Brad McBride, who spearheaded the first Atlantic University Pub Night, said that the event began as “a way for fellow Atlantic alumni to come together in a fun, informal setting to network, reminisce about the good ol’ days, catch up with old friends but also meet new ones that shared in the east coast experience”.
In many ways, the event functions as a traditional university alumni event—there will be nametags, school banners, and prizes to be won—but Henderson promises that there won’t be any speeches or pitches for donations. The focus also isn’t limited to a single institution. Instead, the event was founded to celebrate the entire Atlantic region. McBride says, “We wanted to give all Atlantic alumni – regardless of their school’s presence and frequency of events in this region – a grand excuse to party together!” As anyone who attended these institutions (or visited the East Coast) can attest, such a celebration will inevitably involve live music and copious amounts of beer.
As one would expect, Keith’s will be on special.
When asked what sets Atlantic universities apart, Fellow organizer Stephanie Lord says, “Atlantic universities are special because of their atmosphere. Just like the city or town they reside in, each university has its very own personality. Because the institute are smaller in size, it is easy to become involved and find your own place at an Atlantic university”. With institutions that foster such engagement, it’s no wonder that there is a desire to preserve some aspects of those unique communities here in our fair city.
But the East Coast isn’t just famous for its celebrations—it’s also known for its hospitality. Henderson says that the event functions as “a way for alumni to introduce their Ottawa friends and colleagues to east coast hospitality”. As such, the organizers are striving to celebrate the East Coast’s generosity as well as its boisterousness.
From the beginning, the event has raised money for Charity. The organizers tried to find a charity that covered the four Atlantic Provinces, but that proved difficult, so they’ve settled on a local charity in the Ottawa Food Bank. Henderson says it’s a great fit: “Because of the Food Bank’s buying power, a simple $5 or $10 donation multiplies up to $25 or $50 worth of food which, when all the donations are totalled all together, ends up having a huge impact”. This year, she expects that the event will raise over $10,000.
When asked why Ottawa appeals to East Coasters, Henderson highlights the ways that Ottawa is similar to the saltier and less populous communities to the East. She says, “Ottawa is a small-town big city. It is small enough to run into friends on the bus or at your local coffee shop but at the same time, big enough that if you want to spend some hours of solitude sitting and reading by the canal or hiking in Gatineau Park you can. At least, for me, the east coast of Canada is a bit of the same just on a much bigger scale”.
When asked for notable stories from years past, Henderson recounts everything from surprise encounters with old friends to a soon-to-be father whose pregnant wife was the designated driver. She was due the following day.
And if nothing else, there will be a delightful array of Atlantic accents on display. Lord explains that each province has its own specific linguistic quirks. From the New Brunswick tendency to add an S to make words like “somewheres”, to the ever popular Newfoundland term “b’y”, there should be no shortage of Atlantic-isms to inspire both amusement and nostalgia. Henderson promises that they will all make an appearance: “After a few beers, the various accents from the region start to show up – yes, even the subtle PEI accent”.
In the unlikely event that you’ve forgotten, this event is the perfect reason to brush up on the lyrics to Barrett’s Privateers.
The festivities begin on Thursday, June 6 at 5:30pm at Hooley’s on Elgin. There is no cover, though there is a suggested donation of $5 to the Ottawa Food Bank. For more info (including tons of photos of the event from years past) visit the Facebook page.
