Community volunteers will be a critical factor if a summer parade is to be revived in Olds, councillors and administration concluded during an impromptu discussion on the topic during last week's regular council meeting.
But councillors had differing opinions on whether or not it should be revived.
The parade can't be organized by town staff alone, Mayor Judy Dahl said. Volunteers from the community also need to step up to help.
“There's got to be something we can do,” she said.
Coun. Mary Jane Harper argued that the community should focus its efforts on the Santa Claus parade, as there is no longer a signature event in Olds during the summer months. There is however, a parade in the winter, which should be supported, she said.
“A summer parade centres around some type of major event. We have (a winter event). We need to build on it,” she said.
Coun. Harvey Walsh said during the summer, it's always a struggle to find volunteers and cited the Olds and District Chamber of Commerce as one example of that.
“It's not that the organizations don't want to do it … they have a lot of challenges on their plate,” Walsh said.
Barbara Hill, the town's director of community services, told councillors that earlier this year the town organized a meeting with service clubs as well as two subsequent meetings to get a parade going in conjunction with Canada Day festivities. A total of four people showed up at each of those two public meetings. She suggested perhaps efforts could be best spent on the Santa Claus Parade held in November.
Norm McInnis, the town's chief administrative officer, said administration didn't want to bring back any recommendations around a summer parade if there wasn't unanimity among councillors.
“Our focus … is to build capacity. If and when the opportunity comes along to build that capacity, we'll be there,” he said.
The discussion was prompted from questions Dahl received during the parade in Didsbury on August 20 as part of the Didsbury Fair and Rodeo. Dahl rode in the parade alongside Didsbury Mayor Brian Wittal.
