Cainnt mo Mhathar:

One of the most ambitious initiatives Comhairle na Gàidhlig has yet undertaken, Cainnt mo Mhàthar (My Mother's Language) is a project designed to record idiomatic, everyday Gaelic from fluent speakers in Nova Scotia. Now in its third and final stage the project has produced nearly twenty-five hours of video recordings based on an extension questionaire developmed with the needs of language learners in mind. Project Coordinator Shamus MacDonald and Fieldworker Jim Watson, who volunteered his time on behalf of the Highland Village, visited Gaelic speakers in all four Cape Breton counties to complete the project. Their recordings feature individuals and pairs speaking on a variety of everyday topics including the weather, folklore, childcare, baking, chores, music and clothing. In recent months, the Department of Canadian Heritage and the provincial Office of Gaelic Affairs have announced more than $45,000 in combined funding for the third phase of the project. This funding is being used to create a premiere website showcasing video and audio recordigns of contemporary Gaelic speakers in Cape Breton. Besides making the Cainnt mo Mhàthar collection available online, it allows Comhairle na Gàidhlig to continue its fieldwork with some of the province's most noted Gaelic tradition-bearers. Funding also allows for the inclusion of recordings from other soureces as well; including two important collections completed at the Highland Village Museum. The completed project will give language learners and the general public and good overview of Gaelic Nova Scotia, as related by contemporary tradition-bearers in their native language and available anytime, anywhere, free of charge.