We’ve had some challenges in this our centennial year. A new council finding its place after the fall election, a misunderstood bylaw that created a media circus (no pun intended), controversy over photo radar, the placement of our new cultural centre, and the controversy over our children’s education, an issue that drove a seemingly immovable wedge between members of our community.
But for six days last week, all of that was forgotten as Morinville opened the doors to a new and modern Morinville, a community mindful of its past, mindful of the small town flavour it’s trying to preserve while it seems to bust at the seams on its growth path to city status, and a community confident it can raise its leg as high as the big dogs to mark its territory on the festival map.
From Aboriginal group Broken Walls on Aboriginal Day to Kenny Shields and Street Heart Saturday night, the Festival Committee combined with private investors took the risk and the initiative to give this community five concerts in five days, bringing in top-name talent, while providing a venue for local talent to open those shows.
Saturday saw the festival kick into high gear with an expanded parade of nearly 100 floats, showing the buy-in from our businesses and community groups. That connectivity with our roots was further exemplified in the variety of activities and sponsorships of those activities throughout the weekend.
When you have so many events lined up for Saturday that you have to either get people to clone themselves or extend the festival well into Sunday, you have a festival and a community of volunteers that is to be applauded.
And with Canada Day restored to Morinville and a crew of people looking to make that event bigger and better in subsequent years, we may all soon have to book our two weeks’ vacation just to be able take it all in.
Festival Photos
Please note: Photo galleries for the concerts and parade are found on other recent articles. To navigate this photo gallery, click on the thumbnail image, then use mouse wheel or arrow key to navigate the gallery.
Very nice coverage Stephen! Ron Custs leadership has been second to none for this years festival and he leaves some very big shoes to fill. Thanks to Ron and Joel Chevalier(Last years chair) a trail has been clearly laid out making my job a little easier for next year. Can we top this next year? All I can truly say is that I think that in ten years we’ll look back and say these were some of the most exciting times we’ve ever had. I made new friends and watched people pull together to define the future of Morinville.
Thanks again to Ron Cust for his tremendous leadership and for blazing the trail.
Paul Smith
(2012 SJB Chair)
WOW! With so many events you did such a great job covering it all!
My hats off to you Sir.
I have a STRONG suggestion for next year Paul. Have the fire works on saturday night. Whose idea was it to have them on sunday at 11:30pm when most people have to work or go to school the next day? I know it woke me, my parents, my in-laws, almost everyone I’ve spoken to about it. We are lucky that the fireworks did not wake up our 4 year old who has a difficult time staying asleep. Besides that, the festival was great!