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Clinton News Record, 2014-07-30, Page 1010 News Record • Wednesday, July 30, 2014 Celtic Festival has grown from small beginnings to become a huge event Steph Smith Goderich Signal Star Beginning as a memorial for Goderich District Collegiate Institute high school English teacher George Young, the Celtic Roots Festival has grown into Goderich's biggest tourist attraction. Attracting over 2,000 people per day, three- day outdoor festival showcases the best of Celtic art, music and dance from all over the world across five dif- ferent stages. "The event consist- ently draws thousands of people, weather Clinton ews Record N depending, of course," said Kate Johnston, one of the festival's organiz- ers. "After the tornado, there was a big audience because people were curious to see what the area looked like:' Johnston said the fes- tival has seen people from all over the world, including northeastern US and Canada, Ireland and Scotland, over the last 22 years of its exist- ence. She said it is one of the top 10 events in Huron County, accord- ing to the Huron Tour- ism Association. "We have a lot of high- quality acts," Johnston said. "Not to mention it's a family -friendly event. Live, outdoor music festi- vals always a special summer memory:' Johnston said over $1M in revenue is gen- erated for Goderich through the ticket sales, food sales and general tourism. The festival will be featuring its second - annual beer garden, as well as continuing to have fresh local foods, craft artisans, art dem- onstrations and an evening Market. For more informa- tion on the festival, its line-up or to purchase tickets, visit www.celt- icfestival.ca. Request for Submissions from Huron County Artists for the 2014 Huron County Art Show at the Huron County Museum, 110 North St, Goderich Deadline for submissions: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 @ 4:30pm Theme for 2014: "Ebb and Flow" NEW! Art welcome in 2 or 3 dimensional mixed media, photography or digital imagery, as well as our traditional painted works. $10 submission fee Please phone 519-524-2686, ext. 205 for information and regulations. www.huroncounty.ca/museum Exhibit dates: October 19 to December 21, 2014 Piorrh-Jiuroln AI r. t . I JY IV3I I�..�... Multicultural Association of Huron -Perth growing Steph Smith/Goderich Signal Star The Multicultural Association of Perth -Huron, a project of United Way, was out to support the Multicultural Festival is Goderich. From left to right: Mark Hertzberger, chair of the steering committee for the Multicultural Association of Perth -Huron, Jennifer Mills, a member of the steering committee and Dr. Geza Wordofa, the associations founder. The association has had a successful first year. Multiculturalism in Huron County broader than most would expect Steph Smith Goderich Signal Star The Multicultural Association Perth -Huron has been an integral part of bringing together new- comers and communities all over Huron County in order to educate people and create relationships. The association itself was started by a group of volunteers and ran informally for about two years before it's official launch in October 2013 after the United Way Perth -Huron began provid- ing more structure. Ryan Erb, the executive director of United Way Perth -Huron said the project has met their expecta- tions, with the association seeing a lot of success in its first formal year. "It has absolutely met our expectations," Erb said. "We've seen well over 200 family units come through the association. These individuals also represent over 50 countries." Erb said the association has also had alot ofluck in providing unique multicultural events to bring both newcomers and the community together. He said the main purpose of the association is to provide refer- ral services for newcomers, butulti- mately also to bring awareness to residents already living in Huron County that the area has many dif- ferent cultures present "The association puts on events to draw people from around the area in order to build connections and relationships," Erb said. "Some of these events include the Multi- cultural Festival held in Goderich this past June and the upcoming Savour Stratford Festival, which will feature a lot of unique and cultural foods" Erb said there are a surprising number of differing cultures that make up Huron County. He said many of these individuals or fami- lies have lived in Huron County for years or generations, but may not have integrated well into the com- munity because of language barri- ers or not having a sense of belonging. "Huron County is starting to see the spill over effect, meaning the cities where newcomers usually move to are coming to full capacity" Amber -.Leight Durand Registered Massage therapist Accepting New Clients Amber -Leigh is a therapeutic/rehabilitation therapist who focuses on conditions such as: • Acute sport, Occupational and Motor Vehicle Injuries • Chronic pain • Tendonitis • Pregnancy Related Symptoms • Headaches/Migraines Please contact The Clinton Chiropractic & Wellness Centre at: 519-482-3481 Erb said. "Naturally, when the cities run out of room, people will start spreading out. An influx of culture is something that will happen in Huron County, it's just a matter of time." Erb said another draw to Huron County is the amount of lower -skill work opportunities; although he said other counties, like Perth, have more. He said areas with a lot of lower skill work opportunities are also a second choice for those who originally sought employment in larger cities like Toronto. "Huron County, for its size, is also rich in cultural heritage," Erb said. "With more of these cultural assets in comparison to other counties of our size, that alone really sets a strong basis for draw- ing people here." Erb said the biggest challenge the association faces is just trying to establish everything necessary to run a strong organization. "Establishing includes finding volunteers who are willing to ded- icate their time to helping new- comers, as well as coming up with the policies and procedures," Erb said. "The goal is also to get the association funded, with it gradu- ating from partnering with the United Way in approximately the next two years, in order for the association to move on to some- thing bigger:' As for the overall multicultural- ism in Huron County, Erb said there is a lot more than one would expect because there are so many countries represented. "I think the multiculturalism of the area is changing more than people know or understand," Erb said.