Latest news with #ChurchillParkMusicFestival
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
St. John's considers ramping up security on walking trails following string of random assaults
The City of St. John's is looking at boosting its security presence to include public walking trails following three separate assaults on city trails this summer. St. John's Mayor Danny Breen said public safety has become a top concern for residents in the city's resident satisfaction surveys. "It's probably leading in terms of issues that are being brought to us," Breen told CBC. The city is working with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary to develop safety plans in locations where the dynamics of the public space have changed. "Safety and security, the issue has changed a lot in the last few years," Breen said. For example, the city has hired a patrol of private security to service Bannerman Park and the downtown pedestrian mall. Breen said security measures have also been adjusted for large events like the Churchill Park Music Festival and the Royal St. John's Regatta. Breen has been an advocate for increasing police foot patrols in the downtown area of St. John's. With recent reports of two women and one teenage girl getting assaulted by random men between June and July, Breen said the city is working with the RNC to see how they can keep public walking trails safe. The first assault took place on a walking trail in the city's east end on June 15. A girl was walking with her mother when she was approached by a man not known to her, robbed, and sexually assaulted. Less than a month later, the RNC reported a woman was physically injured on June 14, after a man she didn't know assaulted her on the Virginia River Trail near Churchill Avenue shortly after 9 a.m. N.T. On July 23, another woman sustained physical injuries after a man she didn't know attacked her near the soccer field in Bowring Park around 11:30 a.m. N.T. Breen said the city is facing new challenges with illicit drugs in recent years. "The ... illegal drug problem in the city right now is significant and it's one that is not easily solved," he said. "We're working together to try to make the city safer so people can use the facilities and can move around the city in a safe manner." In the meantime, Breen is advising residents to avoid walking alone and to walk with a charged cell phone. "Be aware of your surroundings, wherever you are in the city, and be alert, and if you see anything, no matter what it is, just call the RNC," he said.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
It's bananas: Churchill Park Music Festival books Gwen Stefani
There's no doubt that the Churchill Park Music Festival lineup is glittering with star power, with Gwen Stefani added as the latest headliner announced for the St. John's event. The pop star and former The Voice coach will perform on July 27, with opening acts yet to be announced. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday. The Hollaback Girl singer got her start in the pop punk and ska band No Doubt, and quickly rose to fame before embarking on a solo career in 2004. She's been a frequent Billboard chart-topper throughout her career, selling more than 60 million records to date. Stefani's husband, country singer Blake Shelton, is playing Churchill Park the night before. Def Leppard, The Killers and the Sam Roberts Band round out the list of talent hitting the Churchill Park stage among others later this month. Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.
CTV News
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘I didn't know I wanted to be the bagpipe girl, but here I am': P.E.I.'s Alli Walker reinvents country music
You can take the girl out of the Maritimes, but you can't take the Maritimes out of the girl — just ask Prince Edward Island's Ali Walker. The rising country artist, now based in Nashville, is leaning into what makes her different: a love of traditional Celtic music and a set of electric bagpipes. 'I honestly really fell in love with bagpiping because there's the College of Piping in Summerside, and my mom happened to work there,' said Walker in an interview with CTV's Katie Kelly. 'So I was kind of surrounded by it.' That early connection to her roots would end up shaping her future. A few years ago, she worked the pipes into a tune called Whiskey's Gone — the song that became her most popular. 'I didn't know I wanted to be the bagpipe girl,' said Walker. 'But here I am — the bagpipe country music girl. And I love it because it's so fun and so different.' That difference helped her land a dream moment: performing alongside her childhood idol, Shania Twain in St. John's last year at the Churchill Park Music Festival. 'I recorded a video of me playing my electric bagpipes to Any Man of Mine, and my manager sent it to her team,' said Walker. 'Shania loved it… and they were like, 'Yeah, she wants you to come on stage.' It was in front of tens of thousands of people.' That viral moment capped off a breakout year for the singer-songwriter, who relocated to Nashville from Toronto 12 months ago and quickly built a team that now includes a record label, publishing deal, and agents. 'The team has grown exponentially, which is crazy and exciting,' said Walker. 'But also difficult to handle all in one year.' Still, she's managed to stay creative. Her latest single, I Saw the Devil, continues her genre-blending streak — fusing rock, country, and of course, the bagpipes. 'It's honestly everything I've been wanting to move towards,' said Walker. 'A little bit more rock, a little bit of country, and a little bit of bagpipes.' Now touring across Canada, the U.S., Europe, the U.K., and Australia, Walker brings a little piece of home with her wherever she goes. 'I'm so proud to be from the Maritimes,' said Walker. 'So to have everyone's support is incredible.' For more P.E.I. news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CBC
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Iceberg Alley is going to rock out at Quidi Vidi for 10 days this summer
Festival season in St. John's is full steam ahead as Iceberg Alley joins the growing list of organizations announcing its musical lineup. The Iceberg Alley Performance Tent will be open for ten nights in Quidi Vidi this summer, running from June 19-29. Old Crow Medicine Show, the band that popularized a song co-written by Bob Dylan's, Wagon Wheel, is kicking off the festival. ZZ Top is also hitting the stage, along with Mother Mother, Chilliwack and many more. Filling a ten-night schedule with dozens of musical acts isn't a simple job, says festival producer Shawn Basha. "You can't have five days in a row of classic rock," Basha told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show. "We get a headliner first," he said, "we have to find two other bands that are going to complement that band on that particular night. But then the next night, we don't want the same type of genre of music so we have to try to go get something else." Earlier this week the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival announced its lineup for July 11-13. Last month the Churchill Park Music Festival announced The Killers would be its headline act. Iceberg Alley was under fire last year because of a lack of female representation on the lineup. Basha says in 2024 it was unintentional, but it's a similar situation this year. British Columbia rock band Mother Mother is the only headliner offering up any gender diversity so far. Basha says festival organizers face unique barriers when it comes to booking performers because Newfoundland is an island. His team strategically picks featured acts based on where they're touring, he says. For example, if someone has a stop in Europe, they can play in St. John's on the way there. It may be hard to get there, but Basha says the island still has a distinct charm. "Every band who plays here thinks this place is magical," he said. Iceberg Alley also makes sure local artists are getting their time in the sun, says Basha, withTim Baker, Mick Davis and Thin Love, Damian Follett and Rum Ragged set to perform. A busy summer Newfoundland and Labrador is heading into a summer packed with events like the Canada Games and other music festivals but Basha says that doesn't complicate his job booking acts. He says he also works for the Churchill Park Music Festival and they co-ordinate to make sure they go after different performers for the separate festivals. "We're trying not to step on each other's toes. And Churchill Park is a totally different thing because that is a large outdoor venue," he said. "The bands that they're going after are way out of our wheelhouse because we would never be able to afford them, because we don't have the attendance." Basha says the lineup usually isn't announced until everything is set in stone. June 26 is the only day of the festival where the lineup hasn't been announced yet but Basha says it's coming soon.
