The Innisfail and District Historical Village is officially open for the season, welcoming locals and out of town guests with a pancake breakfast, music, a vintage vehicle display and a new manager.
Best of all for village officials the weather for the May 28 grand season opening was near perfect.
“Awesome weather. We are very happy, considering the type of day we had (May 27). When we were setting up it was freezing cold and pouring rain. We were just praying to the weather gods,” said Jane Duncalfe, events co-ordinator for the village.
The pancake breakfast, which was cooked and served by members of the Rotary Club of Innisfail, began at 8:30 a.m. and continued throughout most of the morning alongside Spruce View's Easy Street band that performed songs from the 1950s and 60s.
The annual celebration also featured the attendance of Innisfail mayor Brian Spiller, Bowden mayor Robb Stuart and Jim Wood, mayor of Red Deer County. As well, the event marked the public introduction of the village's new manager - Gina Hendrickson, a six-year resident of Sylvan Lake and a former citizen of Fort McMurray.
“Gina has museum experience and she worked at the museum in Fort McMurray quite a few years ago,” said Duncalfe of the new manager who was born and raised in the northern Alberta oilsands community. “She has done a great job in getting us organized and the grounds look amazing. She has been training our summer students, which we have four new ones this year, and they are all amazing kids.”
Duncalfe said Hendrickson implemented the many new summer programs that have been put in place, including a Curator's Club on Tuesday afternoons where young people can learn about artifacts and crafts that pioneers used to do, along with a Games and Crafts Club.
Hendrickson, 43, started her new position at the village in the last week of April. Along with her past experience with working at museums, she also brings a strong background working with volunteers. She was the manager of volunteers at the Fort McMurray Regional Hospital.
“I love the planning of events and being a part of that and I love the idea of managing people because my real passion is in the human resources area. So it is the combination of the two,” said Hendrickson. “Managing this has been an opportunity for me to be able to exercise both of my strengths, managing people and loving the idea of community and events.”
Most of all, Hendrickson is looking to attract the interest of more young people as she considers them vital for the future of the historical village.
“(It's) getting that connection going young so as time goes on they become our future board members, fundraisers and managers here at the park,” she said.
For more information on the Innisfail and District Historical Village go to its website at www.innisfailhistory.ca.
Jane Duncalfe, events co-ordinator for the Innisfail and District Historical Village
"Gina has museum experience and she worked at the museum in Fort McMurray quite a few years ago. She has done a great job in getting us organized and the grounds look amazing."
