“The parades went very well,” Rushing stated. “This was the second year for Boissevain and the first year for Deloraine. We had 24 participants in Boissevain and 13 in Deloraine. There were a lot of people present to watch and they seemed to be well-received.”
She said they were very pleased with the numbers. As it was the first go round in Deloraine, they were not sure how it would go over, but they were thrilled with the participation and creativity. In both towns, there were a great range of participants, including the municipalities, credit union, businesses and fire departments. Rushing said they were very impressed to see the lab and x-ray staff from Boissevain Health Centre and the Deloraine nurses.
“There is always room for more though. If you have a few strings of lights and some imagination, you’ve got a good start already.”
Last Christmas, Boundary Consumers Co-op introduced their lighting parade in Boissevain. In fact, it had become a tradition in town, started by the local Kinsmen Club, who were stepping back from it. From there, the Co-op got involved.
“We had a discussion about how it was such a special event for the community, and we didn’t want to see that come to an end,” Rushing explained. “So, we chose to take it on as our own project. We couldn’t have anticipated the response though. Everyone has really gotten behind it, and it has generated a great deal of excitement.”
“In Deloraine, there has never really been a holiday parade, at least not in recent memory. We thought we’d give it a try and see what the community thought. It proved to be pretty successful for our first go round, so you can expect we’ll return next year!”
Boundary gives out prizes for the top three entrants. The money given out goes to a charity of the winner’s choice. Rushing said this idea came from General Manager Ryan Polnik, as giving back to the community is a big part of what a co-op is. The feeling was it would entice entrants and add a fun way for the participants to give a shot in the arm to their favourite groups.
As Rushing said, weather is always a concern at this time of the year for an outdoor event. The parades in Boissevain have always seen a big fluctuation – quite comfortable to Arctic freeze. However, we are Manitobans and can adapt to nearly anything. Overall, the lighting parades have been a great way for the co-op to contribute to the season in two of its communities, something she has no doubt will continue into the future.
“Having something bright, fun and festive to help celebrate the season is so important when we have so few daylight hours,” Rushing explained. “Essentially, our main goal with the parades is to just bring the community together. We love to see so many people get behind an event like this and give it a life of its own.”
“We are thrilled with the response. It is a great motivator for us to continue doing what we do.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff