by Lucie Roy
with thanks to the Morinville Historical & Cultural Society
In the 1990s, Morinville knitted what was believed to be the world’s largest toque and the community was proud of the five-metre high, 13-metre-wide woolly mammoth.
“We figure it is an Alberta landmark,” said MorinvillesDirector of Economic Development Bea Fricson in a newspaper article from the time.
One hundred and thirty-six volunteers got into a bit knit for six weeks to make the toque. and they beat a feat listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
The volunteers were from Morinville and surrounding communities of Bon Accord and Legal and ranged in age from 8 to 93.
That entry of 30 people fitting under a hat was shattered as Morinville had 106 children under the hat.
Yvonne Pelletier’s kindergarten class was one group of students to pose under the toque.
Before the toque could be officially decreed the world’s largest toque by the folks at Guinness, it had to be documented, so local media pitched in by photographing the toque.
The finished version of the toque made its first appearance during the Town of Morinville’s second annual Christmas parade on December 1, 1990.
Unfortunately, the toque did not have proper storage and was destroyed. Some talks have taken place at various times about recreating the toque.
