By Stephen Dafoe

Morinville – The auditorium of the Morinville Community Cultural Centre will be filled with more than 30 local organizations, groups and businesses next week, each offering residents the opportunity to learn more about what they have to offer. The Active Living Fair takes place Sept. 6 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and organizers are hoping the community, particularly its newest residents, will come out to see just how active Morinville will be this fall and beyond.

“We have a lot of new residents who are coming to the community and even existing residents who aren’t aware of all the different organizations and businesses that actually do provide programing and support services,” said Melonie Dziwenka, Morinville’s Recreational and Cultural Coordinator.

The annual fair, originally held in the Parish Hall, began with a focus on recreation but has since moved on to include general wellness activities as well.

“We’ve tried to keep it open as to what the residents come to look for,” Dziwenka said, adding some groups will offer registration opportunities during the event while others may just have information available on their group. Demonstrations will also take place through the evening on the cultural centre stage.

Healthy living kick-off

The Active Living Fair will once again also act as the launching point for the 21-Days of Healthy Living event, a three-week program organized by the province’s Choose-Well initiative and Sobeys grocery stores.

The program seeks to encourage families to spend time eating healthily together.

“21 Days to Active Living is trying to get parents and families back to the table for a minimum of one meal per day choosing healthier choices,” Dziwenka said, adding the program offers a calendar book that includes quick and healthy recipes for families as well as tips on how to bring conversation back to the dinner table. “It’s about getting families to re-engage each other over food, which is culturally a lot of our history that’s been lost. It’s making a conscious effort in spending quality family time.”

The Active Living Fair takes place Sept. 6 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Morinville Community Cultural centre. For more information contact Melonie Dziwenka at 780-939-7833.

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