Yes, it was…. Their Honors, Lieutenant Governor Donald and Mrs. Ethell added a regal element to the birthday celebrations with their warmth and grace, living out their professed interest in rural Alberta. The Centennial Planning Committee left no stone unturned, with upwards of 50 past mayors and council returning for the festivities - including the unearthing and examination of a time capsule and contents buried in 1986, awaiting the reveal on May 5, 2011. Tears and laughter accompanied the reading of emotionally-charged letters from now-deceased grandparents to yet-to-be born grandchildren, along with obsolete technology and photos, and dated Mohawk dollarsJ Other highlights of the day included congratulatory wishes from MP Kevin Sorenson and MLA Richard Marz as well as special guest appearances by Armand Trochu, aka local business man, Tom Frere. A delicious dinner and entertainment by local chorale group, Pleasant Company, musical stylings of Lewis Frere and a nostalgic power-point presentation by Trochu Museum curator, Toni Nelson, rounded out the day’s program (also incidentally, Toni crafted the Trochu ACE Communities pps for the ARPA Conference last fall that can still be viewed on the ACE Communities website.)
Since my last blog, we have had a regional cultural workshop to better understand and welcome new physicians, and other new neighbours from various cultures, and we celebrated a successful joint tri-community School Resource Officer Program with neighboring communities, Delburne and Elnora, and generous corporate partners, Encana. Our on-going project and the jewel in our centennial crown is the pursuit, commencement and ultimate completion of our Trails System. Funding grants are confirmed from Federal and Provincial government; and corporate friends, local businesses and individuals are also generously supporting this ACE Communities inspired-project. We are planning to see the earth being moved, and asphalt in place by late summer/ fall, as the process of an environmental assessment is being conducted as I write. Things don’t always move quickly, but surely is more importantJ
Upon my recent return from a mountain get-away, I realized again how essential it is in our busy lives to pause and reflect. Having dodged yet one more Apocolyptic threat this past May 21, the upside of such annual prophecies is that it makes me renew my appreciation of this wonderful country in which we live. If you, like I, have been spared recent fires, floods and funnel clouds, may we generously remember the victims of these assaults of nature until their sense of normalcy can be restored. With another promise of spring’s new life, may you too enjoy a time of growth, personally and in your community. Till next time…Trochu out !
