INNISFAIL – With the end of this year’s nasty winter fury in sight, Kane Williams especially loves the coming of spring, especially when it means another annual evening for Innisfailians to find out what the town has to offer for the coming weather-friendly months.
Williams, who is the town’s recreation program coordinator, was a key organizational player on March 6 for the annual Spring Registration & Information Night on March 6 at Innisfail Middle School. It was held at the school for the second year in a row, after previously being available to the public at the Innisfail Library/Learning Centre.
“I love these events. It shows there is so much happening in Innisfail,” said Williams, who manned his own booth to show and demonstrate the varied sporting and recreational opportunities the town has created for the public.
He noted the spring event is going through a resurgence since moving to Innisfail Middle School, a bigger venue that gives citizens more room to manoeuvre from one booth to another and make the right connections. Halfway through the scheduled two-hour event organizers counted well over 130 citizens who attended to check out what the town was offering.
“We’ve had some growing pains but we have an opportunity to grow here,” he said. The library just wasn’t working. It was too small. This (school) gives people the chance to hear from people about what is going on.”
The spring event has always been smaller than the fall registration evening, with 28 booths participating as opposed to 50 at the autumn event.
However, the spring event had plenty of ideas to offer, including those for minor sports, town-sponsored activities, educational, recreational and mentorship programs for children and youth, cultural and historical attractions at the Innisfail and District Historical Village, and volunteer opportunities for everyone.
“We are hoping to raise the profile of volunteerism in Innisfail. There are so many benefits,” said Karen Bradbury, community and social development coordinator, adding volunteerism has proven to provide better overall health and improved interpersonal skills.
And for those who may have been interested in trying something different, Penhold’s Arashi-Do Penhold, an established 31-year-old martial arts business, was also represented to promote its own life-changing benefits.
Owner Wayne Pineau noted that when he was 19 he was just 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighed 130 pounds and had limited self-confidence. But the gentle healing power of martial arts changed his life completely and he now passes on what was so generously passed on to him.
“We talk about how to handle bullying and proper self-defence. It gives kids self-confidence,” said Pineau.
However, what was best for many new citizens at the annual event was discovering convenience; where they could find almost any opportunity in an hour or two without going through a laborious process of sifting through brochures or Googling.
“It’s a great chance to see everything going on, and to bring them all in one place. That is just awesome,” said Kane.
Kane Williams, who is the town's recreation program coordinator
"It's a great chance to see everything going on, and to bring them all in one place. That is just awesome."
