P.E.I. woman will bring 'magical' Island storytelling to Island ears

Patti Arsenault loves to tell stories, and this summer she'll take her talent to a new audience.

Starting June 29, Arsenault will host storytelling sessions every second week at the Princetown United Church in Malpeque, P.E.I.

"The first time I started telling stories was when I was a little girl. I think I inherited that from my nanny. She was a great storyteller," Arsenault said during an interview with Mainstreet P.E.I.

The idea to tell them to an audience came after Arsenault moved to Malpeque recently.

'Kind of magical'

"I was walking by the church and saw the old tree right by the church. When I looked up, the tree looked like the shape of an old man in the tree.

"And I thought, 'Wow, that's kind of magical.'"

That was when she approached the church with the idea, to which they agreed.

Each storytelling event begins at 7 p.m. Admission is by donation only, with half the proceeds going to the church.

The Island's scenic beauty offers plenty of material for storytelling, Arsenault said.

"I find P.E.I. has an irresistible charm. Even the landscape here is comforting and fulfilling. Even if you're having a challenging day, you can drive home from work and go, 'Oh, it's so beautiful here.'"

Courage at Rainbow Valley

One of Arsenault's favourite personal stories involves a trip to the old Rainbow Valley when she chaperoned her son and a young girl. The girl was afraid to enter the spooky Witch's Cave attraction, but Arsenault held her hand tightly to help her get through it.

When they got to the roller coasters, Arsenault's son was the one feeling apprehensive.

"That little girl went over to my son and she said, 'This is my hand. I'm going to put it over yours. And if you get really scared, you just squeeze really tight and I'll be right here the whole time.'"

'They're Island stories'

P.E.I. is full of powerful stories like that one, Arsenault said.

"They'll all be my own personal stories, but they're Island stories. Every little thing that crops up in my world just seems to be magical. I'm going to be so delighted to share our world with anybody who wants to listen."

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