The Scoop — March 31, 2025

Your weekly island insider

March 31, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Howdy Islanders! 🥔

April's knocking on the door, and somehow we've survived another PEI winter! While my mittens refuse to go into storage just yet (fool me once, April weather, shame on you), I'm already practicing my "yes, I'd love to come to your barbecue" smile.

In this week's hot batch:

  • 🎤 Golden Buzzer Glory - Finally, someone made us famous without using the word "Anne"

  • 🏫 Green School Opens - Where kids' carbon footprints are smaller than their actual footprints

  • 🍔 Burger Love Returns - The annual month-long excuse to unbutton after dinner

  • 👗 Fashion Weekend - Runway models showing off clothes you can't fit into after Burger Love

Let's dig in while I still fit into my reading pants!

🎭 THE GIST: LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS

🎤 Island Singer Strikes Gold on Canada's Got Talent

Our own Deedee Austin from Abegweit First Nation had Howie Mandel smashing that golden buzzer on Canada's Got Talent faster than you can say "PEI pride"! Her soul-stirring performance of "Buried Truth," honoring victims and survivors of Canada's residential school system, didn't just move the judges—it catapulted her straight to the live shows.

I'm not crying, you're crying. (Okay fine, we're all crying.)

🏫 Sherwood Elementary Goes Green

Sherwood Elementary students are now learning their ABCs in PEI's first net-zero-ready school. That's right—fully electric, energy-efficient, and probably making your home's power bill look like a tragedy. When these kids grow up saying "back in my day," they'll be talking about how they saved the planet while mastering multiplication tables.

Meanwhile, I still forget to turn off my bathroom light.

🏃‍♀️ Finding Your Fitness Just Got Easier

The province launched an online map of every sport and recreation facility on PEI, finally answering the age-old question: "Where can I embarrass myself trying pickleball for the first time?" Now there's no excuse not to transform from couch potato to sweet potato.

Bonus: when you inevitably get lost trying to find the place, you can claim it was just part of your warm-up routine.

🗓️ REASONS TO LEAVE THE HOUSE: THIS WEEK'S EVENTS

🍔 PEI Burger Love Begins — Editor's Pick!

When: April 1–30, 2025 (all month long!)

Where: Participating restaurants Island-wide

Why Go: The Olympics of eating is back, folks! Creative burgers, Island beef, and $1 from each burger supports Anderson House. My personal record is 17 burgers in 30 days—a feat my doctor has specifically asked me not to attempt again. Challenge accepted? (Sorry, Doc.)

😂 Snowed In Comedy Tour

When: Thursday, April 3, 2025 (7:30 PM)

Where: Sobey Family Theatre, Confederation Centre, Charlottetown

Why Go: Four comedians determined to make you laugh so hard you'll forget about the disappointment of April snow. At $63.50 a ticket, that's roughly $15.88 per comedian—or about 27 cents per laugh, which is cheaper than therapy. Bargain!

👗 PEI Fashion Weekend Kickoff

When: Friday, April 4, 2025

Where: Various venues in Charlottetown

Why Go: Watch beautiful people wear beautiful clothes created by beautiful minds while you sit there in the sweater you've been wearing since Tuesday. Friday's runway show is $50, but Saturday's festivities are completely free—just like the insecurity you'll feel about your own wardrobe!

🎵 Songwriter Circle

When: Friday, April 4, 2025 (8:00 PM)

Where: Trailside Music Hall, Charlottetown

Why Go: Four talented PEI songwriters sharing the stories behind their music, which is basically like getting the songwriter's version of DVD commentary. Tickets start at $37.83, and you'll leave either inspired to write your own songs or comfortably reassured that you should stick to singing in the shower.

🌟 BUTTER SIDE UP: THIS WEEK'S FEEL-GOOD FEATURE

Move over Anne of Green Gables, we've got a new Island celebrity! Deedee Austin, our 19-year-old vocal powerhouse from Abegweit First Nation, just schooled the entire country on what PEI talent looks like on Canada's Got Talent.

Artistic representation only - our Island star Deedee Austin making Howie's golden buzzer finger twitch!

But here's the part that has me reaching for tissues: Deedee performed "Buried Truth," her original composition honoring victims and survivors of Canada's residential school system. That's right—while the rest of us were struggling to decide what to make for dinner, she was using her talents to amplify important voices and create healing through music.

When Howie Mandel hit that golden buzzer, I swear you could hear the collective cheers from Tignish to Souris. The golden ticket means she's skipping straight to the live shows, so mark your calendars, set your DVRs, and prepare your voting fingers.

I'm already planning a viewing party where the only entry requirement is wearing something PEI-shaped. Too much? Never.

🥔 WHAT'S YOUR SCOOP?

What outlandish burger toppings are you hoping to see in this year's Burger Love lineup? I'm dreaming of deep-fried mac and cheese, bacon jam, AND a tiny edible Canadian flag—because nothing says "I've given up on swimsuit season" quite like patriotic gluttony.

Hit reply with your dream burger toppings! Bonus points if your creation would make a cardiologist faint.

Stay saucy,

Chip 🥔

P.S. — Did you know that PEI Burger Love has raised over $175,000 for Anderson House since it began? That's about 35,000 calories worth of good karma, I'd say.