INNISFAIL -- Kane Williams could not be happier.
Thanks to a group of canines, the 2019 edition of the town's Spring Registration and Information Night quickly became a smash hit during the evening of March 5 in the gym of the Innisfail Middle School.
"It's the draw. People just beeline for it, which is really cool. Honestly, that golden retriever has been petted for the last hour and a half but he seems to not mind it all," said Kane Williams, the town's recreation program coordinator and lead organizer of the event.
The group of canines, a new attraction for the annual event, was brought by Buff Co., a recently opened organization for local and regional citizens dedicated to the development of therapy dogs, and focusing on animal assisted activities and education. The canines and their handlers go into schools and public settings, including colleges and libraries to showcase mental health benefits through animal interactions.
"We are just starting with 14 dogs with eight or nine active members that regularly meet to increase the awareness of the animal-human bond and the benefits it can lead to," said Stefan Atkinson, the organization's community relations representative.
While the popular canine attraction was a big hit at the event, Williams said the number of tables set up for this year's spring registration was lower than in 2018. He said 23 tables representing 20 organizations were available for citizens. Last year the event had 27 tables.
Despite the lower number of tables Williams said 200 citizens attended, noting there was much to offer, including information on youth and seniors' programs and services offered by the Town of Innisfail, as well as those from the Innisfail & Area Family Day Home Society, Innisfail Cyclones football organization, Innisfail Dolphins Swim Club, Cottonwood Kayak Club, Innisfail Public Library, local football, baseball, soccer and lacrosse associations, Camp Alexo, and the Innisfail & District Historical Village.
"There's a lot of volunteer-run things so you know it is going to be cost-effective. People really put their hearts into them so you know they are going to be great programs. There are so many great opportunities in Innisfail," said Williams, noting many citizens who attended last week were clearly looking for "value in programs."
"When I mentioned that drop-in programs are only three dollars that is something that really resonates with people. You still get to do the things you really want to do but you don't have to spend a huge amount of money for it," said Williams. "It is a great thing with the town as we have the opportunity to offer things at a reduced rate because we have access to a lot of services, and we can go through them and we can give that program back over to the taxpayer."
He added the town can also point financially challenged citizens to available programs that can provide some financial aid, such as Canadian Tire's Jumpstart.
For others the event is a great opportunity to maintain a healthy and consistent profile in the community, as well as for convenience.
Marion Davidson, manager of the Innisfail Community Garden, said one reason her organization was at spring registration night was to rent out the final available plots and beds for the soon-to-arrive planting season. While most of the 32 available were actually rented out at last year's fall registration evening, there was still five available and the spring event presented a welcomed opportunity.
"Before I was collecting money all through the year from anybody and everybody everywhere but now they know they can come here to pay and it channels it all through here, making my life much easier," she said.
