Despite on-again, off-again rain showers, communities across the district recognized Canada Day with family-friendly celebrations.
Hundreds of residents and visitors of all ages attended the Canada Day parade in Cremona.
Featuring floats from local businesses, service organizations, the local library, horseback rides and others, the parade was once again a highlight for the village.
Other activities during the day included face painting, cribbage in the Gold and Silver Club and a bake sale.
Other communities also had lots of Canada Day activities, with Sundre hosting an official flag raising at the museum, with reeve Angela Aalbers, MLA Jason Nixon and other dignitaries on hand.
The Tim Hus band performed on the museum stage.
“It was an excellent day and the weather didn’t dampen spirits at all,” said Carrie Crouch, executive director of the Sundre and District Museum.
In Carstairs the bike parade was one of the highlight activities in the Memorial Park, while in Didsbury many Canada activities, including a high tea, were held at the museum.
RCMP, firefighters and other public servants, including municipal workers, were part of the services across the region. There were many kids activities at all the cerebrations.
In all communities, volunteers were key to the success Canada Day celebrations.
Fireworks were planned in all communities to wrap up Canada’s 157th birthday.
In Innisfail, Canada Day celebrations began the night before with the traditional fireworks at Napoleon Park Sports Fields beside the Innisfail Twin Arena.
The following day was all Canada Day fun at the Innisfail & District Historical Village beginning with the equally traditional Rotary pancake breakfast.
They were lined up at the gate before 9 a.m. and by 2 p.m. with more than 1,000 people enjoying the good food, friendly visiting, non-stop entertainment and sunshine,” said legendary Innisfail fiddler Murray Cameron. “This was the biggest attendance the historical village has had in a long time, and Anna (Lenters), the committee driver, was thrilled.”
Cameron said the Bouncy Castle was a hit with the kids, as was the face painting and tattoos.
The historical park served up it's famous ice cream and the Innisfail Lions Club fired up the afternoon barbecue.
Barry Lloyd played a great set of country classics, as well as handling the emcee duties for the day.
Second fiddle Cameron and Janice and Barry Beaudry pumped out some tunes and brought on Coleen Dyment-Begeman to sing Oh Canada before adding a Canadiana set by herself.
B.J. Smith had his humorous cowboy poetry stories, and dancers danced as sunshine did break out to lift everyone's spirits to thoroughly enjoy a memorable Canada Day.
In Olds, the parade went ahead as scheduled, featuring the usual appearance by Mayor Judy Dahl and fellow town councillors as well as Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills MLA Nathan Cooper and a march by the Olds detachment of the RCMP.
There were lots of loud blasts from the firetrucks and many colourful floats took to the streets, including from the Filipino community, Oldstoberfest and the the Olds Rotary Club.
The Olds Grizzlys junior A hockey club took part, as did the local boxing club and minor football club.
A cart pulled by a couple of donkeys was another popular feature of the parade.
Due to a weather forecast indicating a good chance of showers, the afternoon festivities were moved indoors to the auxiliary ice surface, where crowds were treated to a magic show by Christopher Cool, who also served as MC for a noisy, colourful watermelon-eating contest.
Crowds also took advantage of many games as well as free hotdogs, water and cookies.
In the evening, Martin Kerr gave a concert in the Cow Palace.
With files from Johnnie Bachusky and Doug Collie
