Pop culture lovers, ‘Degrassi’ stars convene at 10th annual Cornwall & Area Pop Event

A fan dressed up at the 10th annual Cornwall and Area Pop Event on Sunday, April 27, 2025. (Jack Richardson/CTV News Ottawa)

The 10th annual Cornwall and Area Pop Event, or CAPE, wrapped up this weekend, bringing together cosplayers and lovers of all things pop culture.

For fans, stepping inside CAPE is like entering a fantasy land.

Countless people are dressed up as their favourite comic book characters, dozens of booths are selling replica weapons from iconic TV shows and movies, and walls of collectible memorabilia are available for eager customers.

“You’re going to find some geek things, pop culture things, collectibles,” said co-organizer Carol Sauve.

She and her husband, Randy, started hosting CAPE in 2015 to share their infectious love for science fiction.

“I love comic books so, I wanted to share that passion with other people,” Randy Sauve said, who also owns a comic bookstore called Fantasy Realm in Cornwall.

The Sauve’s wanted to bring a similar feel to what events like Comic-Con bring to bigger cities because some in the Cornwall area might not have the means to make that trip every year.

“It costs a lot of money sometimes for low-income families. Two or three kids to go to Ottawa or Montreal or Toronto. It’s too expensive. The fact that we’re right here in the backyard, it’s affordable,” Carol Sauve said.

CAPE isn’t meant to be exactly like Comic-Con, which specially celebrates media relating to science fiction or graphic novels. The event includes fans of pop culture of all ages.

the 10th anniversary included two former stars of the Canadian teen drama “Degrassi - The Next Generation” Melissa McIntyre and Mike Lobel.

“It’s a chance to revisit something that was really, really special to us and obviously to a lot of other people, too,” McIntyre said, speaking with CTV News.

Both actors last appeared on the show nearly two decades ago but are still surprised with how many people came by to say how much they loved the show.

“We have a lot of parents who have introduced their kids to Degrassi, and now it means the same thing it meant to them,” Lobel said.

“It’s pretty wild to see that.”