A Local Revival, Sparked at Tait’s Corners

The Glencoe & District Historical Society was honoured to sponsor and support June Journey / Turas an Ògmhìos, a beautifully crafted Gaelic play written by Trevor Aitkens and hosted at the historic Tait’s Corners Schoolhouse. Three sold-out performances on November 15–16, 2025, audiences filled the lovingly restored 1910 one-room school to experience a deeply moving, often humorous, always heartfelt return to the early school days of our region.

The extraordinary turnout for June Journey suggests a renewed interest in reclaiming this nearly lost heritage. Audience members ranged from elders who remembered hearing Gaelic in their childhood to teenagers hearing it for the first time. Many expressed a desire to learn the language themselves.

Across Canada, the Scots Gaelic revival has gained momentum:

• In Nova Scotia, over 500 students now study the language each year through community programs and online learning.

• The province’s Gaelic Affairs Office reports an annual rise in youth participation of 14%.

• Linguists now estimate that Canada has the world’s second-largest potential revival community—after Scotland itself—due to the number of descendants of Highland settlers.

  

A Community That Came Together

This play could not have happened without the collaborative spirit of:

• The Tait’s Corners Community, who steward the schoolhouse as a living heritage centre

• The Glencoe & District Historical Society, which proudly sponsored and promoted the event

• Director Antje Giles, whose vision brought the cast together in joyful harmony

• The dedicated volunteers who handled seating, parking, staging, props, Gaelic pronunciation guides, and refreshments
• The audience – a full house for three performances. 
  

  

The Cast  

• Narrator – Alyssa Giles

• Mr. Ingle – Nathan Reycraft

• Mr. McLauchlin – Trevor Aitkens

• Seanaid – Sophia Rodgers

• Seasaidh – Alexandra Giles

• Rut – P. Thelma Tangah

• Raonaid – Alyssa Vandepol

• Mairead – Kaitlyn Heyda

• Mairi – Jillian Heyda

• Miss McKellar – Amy Giles

• Mr. MacKay – Jeff Giles

• Mr. MacPhail – Ron Hills

• Mrs. Fraser – Bertha Rose Park

• Mr. Dewar – Colin McGugan

• Mrs. Campbell – Marilyn Dolbear

• Mr. McLean – Donald Neil Leitch

• Mrs. MacAlpine – Mary Campbell

Written  by Gaelic scholar Trevor Aitken.  

As a 6th generation descendant of original Scottish highlanders to the Talbot Settlement, Trevor Aitken has had a lifelong interest in the Scots Gaelic language.  Trevor spent studied the Gaelic language for 26 years and wants to bring the Gaelic language back to the local community where it used to be spoken as a first language.  Like many cultures in many places, we too have lost a language and the culture and knowledge that went with it. 

The latest Canadian census from 2021 points to a devastating fall in the number of people learning Scots Gaelic. It is hoped that through these local presentations that interest in learning it can be sparked among old and young alike.