Morinville News Makers and Shakers: Paul Smith

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Paul Smith – Musician / Morinville Festival Society Chair

We continue our March Break Movers and Shakers feature today with two more Morinville News Makers and Shakers: Paul Smith and Lisa Holmes

By Stephen Dafoe

Paul Smith’s record of community involvement in Morinville now surpasses the length of his trademark rock and roll hair. Best known as the owner of Smith Music, the local businessman is fast becoming known as Mr. Festival. As Chair of the Morinville Festival Society, Smith has built on the work of previous St. Jean Baptiste Festival chairs Joel Chevalier and Ron Cust, growing the annual summer extravaganza into a Morinville trademark. Together with a team of 10 hardworking community volunteers known as the Morinville Festival Society, the group has sought to make Morinville a seasonal tourist destination while reinforcing Morinville’s slogan – the Family Choice.

The society acts as the clearinghouse for cool events, creating opportunities for individuals, businesses and community groups to add their elements to the overall design. The result has been an organization that is, as one nominator put it, “really helping to form a cohesive identity for our many events, and giving the Town something to really boast about.”

In addition to his role as Festival Chair, Smith also offers a reduced rate on his services to help run the Town of Morinville’s Community Band program, donates his time and talent to act as emcee at a number of community events, and is always advocating for local musicians to ensure they are nurtured and have venues to perform at.