“I feel like everything turned out well,” Ducharme said. “The weather cut short the car show and that was unfortunate, but it was out of our control. We had a great crowd before the rain came. The rest of the day was perfect. We had a little storm pass by around 5:30pm but we tore down the stage and the bouncy houses and we all went under a roof. It passed quickly and allowed us to continue the evening!”
Canada Day actually started the day before, with Heritage Day at the museums and Tommy Turtle, and with the Westman Animal Rescue serving hot dogs as a fund-raiser. Ducharme said those involved felt their spots had good attendance, and she gives the museums credit for doing such a good job of promoting local history.
The day itself began with the church service. Ducharme said there were about 180 people attending, with good weather and uplifting music.
“Such a wonderful addition to a Sunday Canada Day.”
The car show started well but ended about an hour early when the wind and rain came in, but was well attended while it was on, helped by the Turtle Mountain Metis BBQ and Willow Branch Coffee. The weather had cleared by the time of the parade, and Ducharme said there were about 38 entries – a few less than hoped as some of the antique cars had moved on due to the storm. She added the kids enjoyed it and were lined up with bags to get some of the plentiful candy.
There were two options for dinner, the Camp Koinoia BBQ or the Turtle Mountain Bible Camp roast beef supper, both of which continued on while the storm rolled through. Because of the rain, they could not start the entertainment at 6, but they made the decision to ride it out and keep it an outdoor event. The sound equipment was put in a safe place, the vendors kept operating and the kids’ entertainment took a hiatus. It was a good decision, as the evening cleared up.
“We handed out some free popcorn and tattoos and Canada Day flags to everyone waiting it out there,” Ducharme said of the short storm. “Once the storm was over everyone worked together to set up and continue on. The Kids Carnival filled up with children and the stage started up with the Parade of Flags.”
Items like the bouncy houses and petting zoo made a good impression on the kids, the Parade of Flags showed the pride in ethnic heritage and the stage entertainment went well. As she said, everywhere you looked there were tired and happy kids. The evening finished off with the fireworks display, which always goes over well.
“We had a large crowd of people watching, as usual they did a fantastic job. It felt to me like a perfect ending to a perfect event.”
It was Ducharme’s first year being involved in the event planning. She felt everything went well and in large part that was due to the people she worked with. She said if she was getting stressed or panicky, they would assure her everything was going well. Ducharme did say there is always room for improvement, and making things better to help keep it fresh and enjoyable for everyone. When all is said and done, Canada Day was well attended and appreciated.
If given the opportunity, would she get involved again?
“Oh, in a heartbeat,” Ducharme stated. “I enjoyed every aspect of it. I love to plan events. The joy it brings to people, the feeling once it’s all said and done. It’s all been a great experience.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff