A musical ode to one of Canada’s most colourful pioneers will be staged in Red Deer this weekend.
Red Deer Arts Council will presents Cougar Annie Tales at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 21, at Red Deer’s newest arts venue, Unit 6- 4919 49th St. in Red Deer.
Singer/songwriter Kat Kadoski lived in Clayoquot Sound for three years, caretaking of real-life Cougar Annie’s garden and immersing herself in folklore surrounding the legendary pioneer-settler.
In the early 1900’s Cougar Annie (also known as the California-born Ada Annie Jordan) was anything but a typical woman. She trapped over 70 cougars, homesteaded a rainforest bog, opened a remote post office, and outlived four husbands.
After settling in the Clayoquot coastal rainforest in 1915 with her first husband and three young children, Annie carved a five-acre garden out of the wilderness to provide he family with food.
A bounty on cougars supplemented her income and earned her nickname when she shot over 70 of the animals. Annie gave birth to eight more children on the remote property she rarely left until old age and blindness forced her removal to Port Alberni, where she died at the age of 97.
Drawing upon many sources, including Annie’s family, Kadoski’s Cougar Annie Tales uses dramatic narrative, images, letters, and original compositions to celebrate the unconventional life of one of BC’s most original characters.
Kadoski has received rave reviews for her show, which has been called “a well-polished cultural addition to Vancouver Island’s heritage.”
Tickets are $20 at the door. To reserve tickets, please email kat_music@hotmail.com.