INNISFAIL – Shortly before 1 p.m. on June 6, a long line of Innisfail’s most revered citizens were lovingly escorted west on 42nd Street to the Innisfail and District Historical Village.
There was a special celebration to attend, and each citizen was met at the village’s entrance as a most special guest.
They were residents from Innisfail’s Rosefield Centre attending the annual Mayor’s Garden Party.
The party was last week’s signature event held in town and many others across the province since 1986 to mark Seniors’ Week.
From June 5 to 11 Alberta communities, including Innisfail, mobilized to celebrate and recognize the contributions seniors have made to enhance the quality of life in Alberta; a fact never lost by venue host Anna Lenters, the president of the local historical society.
“We're acknowledging the people that laid the groundwork to support the museum. We're here because of their efforts. They’re a huge part of it, and now we tell their story,” said Lenters, noting the historical society is a strategic partner with the Town of Innisfail. “It's a pleasure to do this, and we’re facilitating this and doing whatever we can to make it successful.”
Innisfail’s Mayor’s Garden Party began under gloriously blue skies. It was a little windy with a slight chill at first but everyone would soon warm up from the glowing spirit of the event.
While guests were filing in the historical village, well-known entertainers Richard and Deborah Popovich were getting ready in the background on the Bowden train station to offer another lively musical show that is always interactive and fun.
Kristen MacKenzie, community and social services manager for the Town of Innisfail, opened the party by welcoming the scores of senior citizen attendees who were soon treated to ice cream and pie, courtesy of The Jungle Farm.
She also acknowledged the contributions and hard work of up to 25 volunteers, including members of Innisfail town council, who did everything possible to make the afternoon a memorable and joyful experience for each special guest.
“We work with a lot of our wonderful community partners and community volunteers. The planning starts months before the event, and we have great participation from a wide variety of different community organizations,” said MacKenzie, who was coordinating her first Mayor’s Garden Party since coming to the town last year. “This is a fantastic opportunity.”
The event of course is under the name of the mayor, and for the audience it meant Innisfail mayor Jean Barclay offering her own opening heartfelt remarks.
“It’s so wonderful to see the residents from Rosefield come down and participate in the day and be part of the community,” said Barclay. “I absolutely love it that staff members bring them down and they have such a wonderful time. It certainly fills my heart with joy to see that.
“It's inspiring to see the number of people that came out today. It’s basically a full house,” she added. “They (seniors) are really in many ways unsung heroes because they do so much with very little recognition.
“This is always such a fun event; one of my favourite events of the year.”
