By Morinvillenwws.com staff
Morinville – One hundred years ago today Omer St. Germain, Morinville’s first mayor, leaned over a table, signed a document and Morinville became a town. One hundred years to the day later and that historical event will be recreated in the local parish hall Monday night to officially mark Morinville’s centennial and act as the kick-off of homecoming week, seven days of remembering where we came from and looking to where we’re going.
It took less time for Morinville to evolve from a pioneer settlement of Oblate missionary Abbe St. Jean Baptiste Morin to a town of less than 1,000 people than it has for Morinville to evolve from a town to a city. But with a population of nearly 8,000 Morinville is not far off. With that growth will come new struggles and new challenges.
There is much to be proud of in our centennial year as our community grows. Our annual summer festival, revitalized last year, will increase in size and scope this year, thanks largely to the dedication of Morinville volunteers and in part due to the opening of the new Community Cultural Centre which will allow some big name acts to be added to the festival. Our farmers’ market, thought to be on the verge of folding, has been saved thanks to a volunteer stepping forward. Not only will it continue, it will increase to take in part of the parking lot behind town hall. Canada Day will once again be celebrated in Morinville, another event that has resurfaced thanks to local volunteers picking up their figurative working tools just as the pioneers who settled this area picked up their literal working tools to build a community.
In honour of those pioneers past and present, we have chosen to release our Apr. 18 issue of Monday Morning News under the banner of Morinville’s first weekly newspaper, replicating as close as possible the look of yesterday while bringing you the news of today.
Happy birthday Morinville.
Editor’s Note: Pick up your copy of Monday morning News / Le Progres at any of the below locations or at Monday night’s historical re-enactment at the RC Parish Hall.