THE LIBRARY
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n true Stan Rogers spirit, Troy Greencorn celebrates the spirit of fellowship, the joy of music, and the wonder that the world of creation can inspire. To mark Stanfest’s 25th anniversary, he created a photo book aptly titled The Power of Song. As Greencorn states early in the book, “The festival is a true testament to what is possible when individuals, passionate about their community work, collectively for change.” Greencorn, created his own passion project with the help of a collective. The group wanted to see Canso, Guysborough County, succeed, as the community had taken a turn from being a fishing village for generations to a village where people struggled to find a reason to stay. In 1992, a Canso Seafood Festival helped shine a light on the community, its people, and its culture, but interest dwindled in its third year, and momentum was lost once again. In 1996, a delegate from the county met with a representative from the East Coast Music Awards to pitch ideas and the legacy of Stan Rogers was one of them. While he grew up in Ontario, Rogers had roots in Guysborough County and spent many summers jamming with anyone who could play and singing to anyone who would listen. In time, through song writing, Rogers deepened his roots and his legend blossomed.
A REVIEW BY SARAH BUTLAND
Greencorn, alongside a community of photographers, sheds light on the effort it has taken to keep Canso in the spotlight and the ease in which it highlights local talent including musicians, volunteers, and how it enabled former fish plant workers to be employed again. “There’s no question this is a Herculean community effort,” writes Greencorn explaining their intentions have made it feel like you live in the area and don’t volunteer, you’re missing out on something grand, and it becomes obvious that he’s right. The festival created the opportunity to involve any one who wanted to contribute. Volunteers were needed for everything from concessions to medical aid and Greencorn celebrates the story about how really working together made a difference. Greencorn’s attention to detail as well as people is evident to participants like local talent Dave Gunning, who says, “I’ve observed and worked with Troy enough times now to more than
appreciate his instincts as a presenter. We are lucky to have him in this part of the world.” In the early years, with the festival getting musical acts lined up, some media attention, and the possibility of large crowds of people visiting the community, made housing the acts a major hurdle. Greencorn describes how quickly the entire community and province were eager to problem solve. With names like JP Cormier, Bruce Guthro, Hunter Hayes, Cindy Church, Footworks, and so many more, the Stan Rogers Festival, known affectionately to many as Stanfest, grew into much more than a celebration of music but a celebration of pride of place. Greencorn tells the story of how the group of volunteers created a unique programming model, grouping performer line-ups that never happened before and are unlikely to happen again. Just as you might miss out if you don’t volunteer, Greencorn has made it perfectly clear that you will miss
IMAGE OF BOOK NEEDED
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