Today is Robbie Burns Day, marking the 260th birthday of the famous Scottish poet, and the big celebration in Cochrane is tomorrow night at the Legion.
It has been organized for the last 12 or 15 years by Holy Trinity Anglican Parish, who picked it up when the Arctic Bathing Club let it go.
Co-organizer Kim Skidmore says the evening begins at about 6:00pm with the piping-in of the haggis. She calls the Cochrane version of the Scottish delicacy a cross between paté and meat loaf.
“It’s made with lamb, some organ meats such as liver and onions and heart,” Skidmore informs us, as official maker of the haggis. “This year, we have a particular northern angle to it: it has moose meat.”
That’s followed by the roast beef dinner, toasts, poetry, of course, and music.
“At the end of it is a favourite song known by most everyone,” says Skidmore,” which is a Robbie Burns song of Auld Lang Syne.”
Skidmore expects everything to wrap up by about 8:30pm.