SAULT STE. MARIE—The wheels on the bus went round and round, but music filled the air as country music fans piled into the bus heading to the Northern Ontario Country Music Association (NOCMA) awards ceremony in Sault Ste. Marie on the weekend. The guest of honour was none other than Carol Gilmore, whose volunteer efforts have entertained nursing home residents over the years.
The journey started out with a bittersweet moment as Doug Hore, Manitoulin’s popular “fiddling barber” stepped aboard to wish everyone a safe trip. Mr. Hore, himself a NOCMA Great Northern Opry member and 2010 inductee into the NOCMA Hall of Fame, had intended to join the trip as he has done for many years, but this time was unable to attend.
The trip to and from Sault Ste. Marie aboard the bus is always a country music fans nirvana, as many aboard are accomplished musicians themselves and the songs are pretty much nonstop.
“Every seat on the bus was full,” said music fan Carole Labelle, whose husband Maurice Labelle is also an OCMA Great Northern Opry inductee and a familiar sight behind the keyboard at Island musical events. “We had an amazing time.”
Ms. Gilmore ascended the stage in Sault Ste. Marie to thunderous applause and was presented with an important keepsake at the NOCMA Awards Ceremony by association president Ben Lentir.
“Congratulations, Carol, we have a little token for you,” said Mr. Lentir. “Part of the NOCMA is ‘the ring.’ To be part of the NOCMA is the ring—you get the power of the ring!”
“Carol, it is an honour to have you hear among us,” continued Mr. Lentir. “Congratulations on behalf of Manitoulin. Welcome to the NOCMA.”
“I just want to say thank you to the Northern Ontario Country Music Association,” said Ms. Gilmore in her acceptance speech. This is just an unbelievable thing. I do what I do, because I like to do it, not because of the accolades I get. It is very humbling. Thank you.”
Ms. Gilmore has had a lifelong love of music and performing for people. “I was in the church choir when I was about five, then school plays and I was in just about every musical in high school,” she laughs. “About nine years ago I got this little band together and we play at nursing homes in Little Current, Gore Bay and Espanola, usually one day a month. Lately, we have also been playing at Milltown Homes in Espanola. Why do we do it? Just because we enjoy doing it,” she said. “We don’t do it expecting any kind of payment or reward. I like to help people.”
Following her induction, and as is traditional at the NOCMA Awards, Ms. Gilmore then launched into one of her favourite songs, the Dolly Parton and Porter Wagner standard ‘If Teardrops Were Pennies.’
Joining Ms. Gilmore in the NOCMA Great Northern Opry were Philip Gauthier, Don Brose, Susan Stanlake Gauthier, Cleo Bellemare-Hall, Yvon Dorian, Jerry Bouchard and Kevin Ritchie, while Lyn Mazzonello was inducted into the NOCMA Hall of Fame.
Sudbury’s Wheelhouse, that’s Rolly Lafantaisie, Carey Leonard Blackwell, Brian McDonald and Guy Moncion entertained the sold out NOCMA dance party following the awards ceremony.
