2015 Canada Day celebrations and annual Duck Race held at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village

Toni Lucas

Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village hosted Pincher Creek's Canada Day celebrations on Wednesday, July 1, with approximately 500 guests in attendance. Light showers in the morning did not deter the crowds that gathered to commemorate the day. Bob Westrop acted as the Master of Ceremonies.  A Colour Guard March composed of veterans, cadets and RCMP members began the official ceremony, which was held in front of the first North West Mounted Police building in the Pincher Creek area, a tiny log building  that was once home to up to four policemen at a time.

Colour Guard

 Pincher Creek Mayor Don Anderberg, Municipal District of Pincher Creek Reeve Brian Hammond, Member of Parliament John Barlow, and Legion member Pierre Comeau were the featured speakers of the day.

MC Bob Westrop, Mayor Don Anderberg, Reeve Brian Hammond, MP John Barlow

Mayor Don Anderberg spoke of the history of the Canadian flag, a symbol that has become a world recognized icon during its short 50 year history.

Reeve Brian Hammond also spoke of the history of the Canadian flag, and reminded everyone there that the national anthem  states 'We stand on guard for thee' three times. He talked of what that means, both on Canadian soil and abroad. He invited the crowd to think about the jobs done by our peacekeepers, both in the military and the RCMP.

Member of Parliament John Barlow said that Canada Day is one of his favorite days of the entire year. He said that he was voted into the position of MP "one year ago, yesterday," and was delighted and humbled to be acting as a liaison between the people of Alberta and Ottawa.

Legion Member Pierre Comeau spoke of his experiences in combat and peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan and Central Africa.

Lt. Commander Pierre Comeau

The museum grounds were packed with activities for all ages, and as the day progressed the light showers gave way to sunshine, keeping the temperatures perfect to enjoy the day. Children ran from station to station enjoying various types of entertainments, including oversized pool-noodle croquet, rope making, bouncy castles, face painting, balloon making, a rice pit, and more. Representatives from Parent Link and Early Childhood Coalition assisted at many of the stations. Children and adults explored the various buildings and exhibits on the ground, learning more about local history, and how life has changed in our area over time.

Antique cars were on display, and people were invited to buy a ticket for the Rotary Duck Race that was held later in the day. Pincher Creek Rotary hosted a beer garden and donated $500 toward the Pincher Creek Spray Park project.  The Spray Park committee provided volunteers to assist with the duck race. Elks Club members were on hand to tell people more about the Wild Pink Yonder celebration, there was a 50/50 draw, and concession areas supplied food from ice cream treats to hamburgers hot off the grill. Kids ran around with bags of cotton candy, ice cream, balloon animals an other items obtained throughout their visit as they listened to music provided by Blue Rock.

At the beer garden

Charlie Price and Ken Neumann at the Wild Pink Yonder booth 

At 1:00 pm there were cakes brought out to celebrate Canada's birthday, and the start of tug-of war challenges.  The entire grounds were a hive of activities, music, fun, and laughter throughout the day.

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