Sundre Petroleum Operators Group (SPOG) officials put on another successful Neighbour's Day, with a well-received theme surrounding companies working in the Sundre area.
Tracey McCrimmon, executive director for SPOG, said she was really pleased with the theme ‘My Backyard', which attracted more than 2,000 people to the Sundre Arena on Friday.
“We will want to do something similar (theme-wise) because people really want to know who is operating in their backyard, so I think we kind of need to stick down those general lines,” said McCrimmon on Friday afternoon, adding that the 16th annual event attracted 69 booths.
This year's event featured a meet-and-greet with a guest panel that included the chair and chief administrative officer of the Alberta Energy Regulator and the president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. It also included the chairman of the Farmers' Advocate and a representative from the Petroleum Services Association of Canada.
Alberta Energy Regulator representatives gave a presentation on where they are with the new structure and the new change.
“Our panel this morning went fantastic. The feedback from that was excellent,” said McCrimmon. “We've got great representation, people are milling about. It would be nice if we could make it more of a community event, but I think we'll just see this grow.”
Blake Richards, Member of Parliament for the Wild Rose constituency, had a booth set up at the event and said he was happy to be in Sundre. He has attended the event for six consecutive years and said he enjoys hearing what's on Sundre residents' minds.
Barry Shellian, wildfire ranger and information officer with Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, was showcasing the government's FireSmart initiative. The Mountain View BearSmart Society was also showcasing the society's BearSmart initiatives, which Shellian said relates to FireSmart. For example, he said by thinning and pruning trees, a homeowner reduces the risk of wildfire, but also allows for more open spaces to see if a bear is in the yard.
Meanwhile, the Sundre & District Chamber of Commerce hosted a trade fair at the curling rink.
“It's been a successful day,” said chamber vice-president Heidi Overguard.
Monica St. Dennis, treasurer for the chamber, said there was about 55 booths set up and that it was successful. It was the 6th annual trade fair for the chamber.
At the Sundre Community Centre, Greenwood Neighbourhood Place (GNP) was hosting a community fair featuring adult health and wellness organizations.
Marita Stermann, executive director for GNP, said there was about 40 booths set up and that it was the 3rd annual community fair. However, it was less attended than the other two fairs, which she felt was because it was across the street.
Neighbour's Day started 16 years ago as an industry trade show to network between the community and industry, according to McCrimmon.
SPOG officials wanted to make it more of an all-encompassing community event, so for the last few years, it has partnered with the chamber, GNP and the Town of Sundre.
Last year's Neighbour's Day theme was ‘behind the scenes' and attracted about 83 booths.
