Celebratory family-friendly activities to commemorate Canada's 150th anniversary in Sundre are well underway.
"What we wanted to do is make council aware of what we have planned," Ian James, community services manager, told elected officials during a workshop held on Monday, Jan. 9.
The biggest change this year will be the venue. While Canada Day celebrations have in the past been held at the Sundre Pioneer Museum, town staff decided this year to host events at the Sundre Community Centre's gym as well as the adjacent sportsfield in order to more comfortably accommodate the crowd. The duration of the event was also adjusted to run from 6:30 p.m. to approximately 11:30 p.m. as opposed to largely all day, he said.
Some of the activities lined up are an indoor movie, a family dance, a variety of games as well as a free photo booth. The evening will wind up with a fireworks display scheduled later than last year to ensure dark enough skies for a proper show, he said.
Although the community services department had before the new year applied for grant funding to breathe new life into the Greenwood Campground ó a project which would have included a new gazebo bandstand as well as bocce and horseshoe pits ó the bid was not successful, so the park will remain status quo, he said.
James informed elected officials several question marks remained regarding the annual council barbecue in terms of where the event would be held, who would be involved, as well as whether any support from administration would be required and if so, to what capacity. There was no immediate need to answer those questions, he said, adding the idea was to make council aware so that it could consider a preferred course of action.
Mayor Terry Leslie inquired whether there had been any discussions with the Sundre and District Historical Society regarding the change in venue, or if planning remained in preliminary stages.
Although still early in the planning process, James said available space at the museum was jammed with last year's crowd, which members of the museum society acknowledged. He added discussions would take place about the possibility of sharing events between the two locations.
Coun. Paul Isaac said celebrating Canada Day at the museum is almost a local tradition, or that at the very least there are people who enjoy going there to recognize the country's anniversary.
"I sure hope we can come up with something that still draws people to that site," the councillor said, adding he also hopes the society does not interpret the decision to change locations as a negative development but rather as a positive chance to instead open up two venues.
James said the society has suggested it will host its own activities as well.
Overall, members of council seemed largely interested in being involved in volunteering for the barbecue, but specific details such as location and who will be involved have not yet been determined.
"We really don't want to offend the museum, and if their programs are helped by us doing a council barbecue at lunch time frame rather than a supper time frame, then we want to make sure that we're supporting their efforts as well," said Leslie.
