Such a busy summer! So much has already been going on, and we’ve got so much more to come.
The Carstairs Heritage Centre has been busy this summer. During Beef and Barley Days the centre regularly shared old photos of Carstairs during Beef and Barley Days in years past on social media; they even had Custom Woolen Mills come out and do some wool felting. They’ve got excellent events lined up for August.
Another great community event is the Carstairs Summer Night Market now enjoying its third year. Enjoy the wares of local vendors, a wide variety of food trucks, and entertainment. Make sure you mark that in your calendar for Aug. 10, from 4 – 10 p.m.
And while we’re on the subject of great events, we all have seen the hard work that Pawsitive Haven Animal Rescue has done rescuing dogs and cats alike. But like with any rescue, the cost of caring and protecting these wonderful creatures is high. Head out on Aug. 17 to their Show & Shine Fundraiser in the Sparkle and Shine Car Wash. They’ll have lots going on to keep you entertained.
It’s sometimes difficult to capture the spirit of a community with just words. It is actions, and often spontaneous ones, that tell you what a town is made of. During Beef and Barley Days a young man went to look at something interesting. He walked past a group of men who felt compelled to tell 14-year-old Dariyn that he should go back to his country and then emphasized the statement by throwing the “n” word in. They didn’t just say this once, they repeated it.
The exchange was overheard by staff at the beer garden, by customers of the beer garden, as well as a couple of competing cowboys. All ran to this young man’s aid and they all put themselves between Dariyn and these grown men and the men were promptly escorted off the rodeo grounds. But what warms my heart is that nobody looked the other way.
The community came together to stand up for this young man and put not only these other men on notice, but everyone on notice. Racism and bigotry are not welcome, and this community will not let it start or fester.
