On Tuesday (July 7), the Centre des Loisirs des Draveurs was packed for a display of the performing arts put on by Canada’s Circus Spectacular, who held two shows in the afternoon.
On top of the more typical performances from clowns, jugglers and acrobats, the shows also featured dirt bikes riding inside a globe, and a live rock-and-roll singer to keep the crowd’s energy high.
The circus’s co-owner, Phillip ‘Dusty’ Sadler, a circus performer with more than 30 years experience as a clown, said that their troupe of around 20 people has some Canadians, along with performers from South America and the UK.
“This year’s theme is called circus rocks, and we’re combining circus talent with rock and roll flair,” he said. “It just adds a little bit of excitement.”
Christine Bourque, the arena committee’s vice-president, said that the event was a fundraiser for the facility.
“Our goal was to try and make this a four-season complex, so we’ve been scratching our head to figure out what we can do to get to that end,” she explained. “We brought in pickleball over the last two weeks. A few people suggested a circus and that seemed like a pipe dream a couple years ago, but it’s come to fruition so we’re pretty excited about it.”
Bourque said that the committee recently received an $88,000 grant from the MRC to renovate their washrooms and make them accessible to people with mobility issues.
“We’ve done hundreds of thousands in repairs over the last couple of years, but our newest project, and we just got a nice grant from the MRC, is that our main floor washrooms are original,” she said. “I mean they look like you’re walking into an outhouse at a cottage and they’re not accessible, which is the biggest issue with them.”
Bourque said that looking forward, they would like to add air conditioning of some kind to be able to get more use out of the arena’s upstairs hall.
“I think for me, what I’d like to see, we have a really nice hall upstairs, and it’s great in the winter but in the summer it’s just too hot, we can’t really use it,” she said. “We’re actively looking for grants to look at heat pumps or air conditioning upstairs so we could have other events up there through the summer, so it could truly be a four-seasons venue.”
Sadler said that the company, based in Florida, has been on a ten-week tour across Canada, performing every night along the way.
“We started in Newfoundland and have worked our way over this way,” he said. “Two weeks left. We’re going to finish in the province of Quebec.”
When asked if he had any advice for Pontiac folks looking to join the circus, he was quick with a response: “Finish high school and then come talk to me after,” he laughed.
“It’s something that has to be in your heart, it has to be a passion,” he added. “I would suggest going and seeing as many shows as you can, whether it’s circus [ . . . ] magic shows, see their style, see how they work. If you’ve got the passion, you’ll end up in the circus.”
On Tuesday (July 7), the Centre des Loisirs des Draveurs was packed for a display of the performing arts put on by Canadau2019s Circus Spectacular, who held two shows in the afternoon.u00a0
On top of the more typical performances from clowns, jugglers and acrobats, the shows also featured dirt bikes riding inside a globe, and a live rock-and-roll singer to keep the crowdu2019s energy high.
nnnnThe circusu2019s co-owner, Phillip u2018Dustyu2019 Sadler, a circus performer with more than 30 years experience as a clown, said that their troupe of around 20 people has some Canadians, along with performers from South America and the UK.
nnnnu201cThis yearu2019s theme is called circus rocks, and weu2019re combining circus talent with rock and roll flair,u201d he said. u201cIt just adds a little bit of excitement.u201d
nnnnChristine Bourque, the arena committeeu2019s vice-president, said that the event was a fundraiser for the facility.
nnnnu201cOur goal was to try and make this a four-season complex, so weu2019ve been scratching our head to figure out what we can do to get to that end,u201d she explained. u201cWe brought in pickleball over the last two weeks. A few people suggested a circus and that seemed like a pipe dream a couple years ago, but itu2019s come to fruition so weu2019re pretty excited about it.u201d
nnnnBourque said that the committee recently received an $88,000 grant from the MRC to renovate their washrooms and make them accessible to people with mobility issues.
nnnnu201cWeu2019ve done hundreds of thousands in repairs over the last couple of years, but our newest project, and we just got a nice grant from the MRC, is that our main floor washrooms are original,u201d she said. u201cI mean they look like youu2019re walking into an outhouse at a cottage and theyu2019re not accessible, which is the biggest issue with them.u201d
nnnnBourque said that looking forward, they would like to add air conditioning of some kind to be able to get more use out of the arenau2019s upstairs hall.
nnnnu201cI think for me, what Iu2019d like to see, we have a really nice hall upstairs, and itu2019s great in the winter but in the summer itu2019s just too hot, we canu2019t really use it,u201d she said. u201cWeu2019re actively looking for grants to look at heat pumps or air conditioning upstairs so we could have other events up there through the summer, so it could truly be a four-seasons venue.u201d
nnnnSadler said that the company, based in Florida, has been on a ten-week tour across Canada, performing every night along the way.
nnnnu201cWe started in Newfoundland and have worked our way over this way,u201d he said. u201cTwo weeks left. Weu2019re going to finish in the province of Quebec.u201d
nnnnWhen asked if he had any advice for Pontiac folks looking to join the circus, he was quick with a response: u201cFinish high school and then come talk to me after,u201d he laughed.
nnnnu201cItu2019s something that has to be in your heart, it has to be a passion,u201d he added. u201cI would suggest going and seeing as many shows as you can, whether itu2019s circus [ . . . ] magic shows, see their style, see how they work. If youu2019ve got the passion, youu2019ll end up in the circus.u201d
nnnnn
