INNISFAIL – It was almost 16 years ago when the town’s water tower was unceremoniously dismantled piece by piece after serving the community for 60 years.
The public and political discussion around the decision to take down the 100-foot-tall relic was at times controversial and emotional.
But in the end the decision was made to get rid of it, not to preserve it for future generations.
And when the water tower’s final piece was taken down on May 23, 2007, all the passionate talk appeared over; no gatherings to reminisce the grand opening officiated by Mayor W.H. Jackson on April 16, 1947; no reminders of its six-decade importance to the community, no tales of midnight-climbing graduating teens getting into mischief, and no talk of plaque unveiling to mark its glorious past.
There was only empty silent ground soon to be ravaged by noisy construction equipment for new but uninspired housing.
But on March 28 of 2023 a gathering finally emerged for the iconic relic; an artist reception for the Innisfail Water Tower Show on the second floor of The Coffee Cottage that featured the art work of nine talented local artists, including Ann Taylor, Brenda Meding, Carlie Marsh, Carol McKinnie, Iris White, Ken Vogel, Patricia Snowie, Wilma Watson and show organizer Karen Scarlett.
It turned out to be a long overdue requiem; a meeting of remembrance for the once reigning community symbol that stood proudly high over all else, including the town’s historic country grain elevators that had all been demolished more than a decade earlier.
“I just thought it was the dumbest thing I had heard. I was just like, ‘no, you're lying to me. They can't even make up anything worse than that,” said Scarlett, an Innisfailian living in New York City at the time of the water tower’s dismantling. “They had already torn down the grain elevators. What else could they do to wreck the town?”
Jason Heistad, a current town councillor, was the lone council member back in 2007 who opposed the dismantling of the water tower.
He gave a presentation at the reception, and recalled his attraction to the water tower when his family moved to Innisfail from B.C. when he was a young teenager.
By the time the water tower outlived its original usefulness in 2007 Heistad wanted it restored and repurposed for the community he loved, despite opposition from his fellow members on council who wanted the rusting old relic taken down in the name of progress.
“I was like, ‘this is stupid. This is silly, silly,” said Heistad, believing it could have been used as a cell tower or for cameras. “There was more potential, and its beauty. Just clean it up and make it more beautiful, similar to the one in Wetaskiwin.
“There was something beautiful about it, and about the prairies. That's what I saw as a counselor and it reminded me of growing up here in the community,” he added. “I want to thank the artists today for giving that rebirth for the beauty of the past. We’re really fortunate to live in this area and to have that experience. Hopefully young people that see the artwork can identify with that.”
Artist McKinnie, past-president of the Innisfail Art Club, moved to Innisfail in 1977 but did not witness the dismantling of the water tower due to urgent family matters.
However, she always felt the loss of the structure for the community. She seized the opportunity to contribute her art work to the show.
“It's part of who Innisfail is. It provided water for us. It was a landmark that was the tallest in town. You could see it from anywhere,” said McKinnie. “This (show) was a way to come back and think about Innisfail. Our children were born and raised here.
“This is our home and I wanted to honour and treasure what the Innisfail water tower had been to us.”
The Innisfail Water Tower Show continues until the end of April.
