Video: 2017 Cowley Canada 150 Parade

Pincher Creek's Canada 150 fireworks

Canyon School celebrates Canada 150 with a lively maple leaf

Chris Davis (originally published Friday, May 12, 2017) - Approximately 280 students and more than 20 teachers, parents, assistants, and administrative staff from Pincher Creek's Canyon School participated in a fun Canada 150 themed event on Friday morning May 12.  They gathered in the schoolyard, formed a giant maple leaf,, and joyfully sang "O Canada".in honour of our country's 150th birthday.  Canyon School includes students from the Town of Pincher Creek, the Municipal District of Pincher Creek # 9, and the Piikani Nation, from pre-school to grade 6.

As is common in Pincher Creek, the wind played havoc with the sound, as heard from the roof of the school, but this joyful performance of our national anthem deserves to be preserved:

Playlist: Canadian songs

A glimpse of Aboriginal history - Blackfoot chiefs invited to Rideau Hall

Joyce Sasse - Father Albert Lacombe committed his life to working with the Aboriginal people. One of the stories told, in the drama “Man of a Good Heart” is as follows:

In 1883, when the gangs laying the CPR track entered the Blackfoot Reserve, the young starving warriors resented the intruders, and threatened them. Chief Crowfoot sent for Father Lacombe to try to help calm the confrontation.

Town of Pincher Creek plans to celebrate Canada 150 with fireworks

Chris Davis - The Town  of Pincher  Creek is planning to conclude this year's Canada 150 celebrations on July 1 with a bang.  A fireworks display will be held at 11:00 pm at the Agriculture Grounds field at the west end of town.  According to Town Marketing, Events and Economic Development Officer Marie Everts the event will augment the annual Canada Day events at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village.  Everts appeared at the May 9 regular meeting of the MD of Pincher Creek council to explain the event and to ask the MD for a $5000 contribution to help with Canada 150 celebrations. She said the Town of Pincher Creek has already committed $25,000 for various Canada 150 events.

Cowley to celebrate Canada's 150th with parade, show and shine, live music, family activities

Chris Davis - The Village of Cowley will be celebrating Canada's 150th birthday on July 1 with a Classic Car Show and Shine, a parade down Railway Avenue, live music, and a number of other events and attractions. There will be a pancake breakfast put on by the Cowley Lions Club and a burger and hot dog barbeque, and cake. A Village Market will be held in the Cowley Hall, where there will also be a historical display. The event is to start at 8:00 am* and the parade is to start at 11:00 am. Other events include street dancing, bocci ball, horseshoes, archery, 3-legged races, sack races, face painting, a crib tournament, and more. The theme for the day is red and white.  Yours truly will be one of the musicians at the event.  Cowley's last major celebration of this sort was for the village's 100th birthday in 2006.

*change in start time

Southern Alberta communities awarded over $4.8 million in federal funding, including $463,000 for Pincher Creek spray park

Town of Pincher Creek draft conceptual drawings of the water slide and spray park

T. Lucas / C. Davis - Western Economic Diversification Canada yesterday announced a total federal investment of $4,899,327 in grants from three different programs, the 150 Community Infrastructure Program. and Canadian Heritage’s Canada 150 Fund and Canada Cultural Spaces Fund for ten southern Alberta projects "that celebrate our communities and shared heritage" by helping those communities "modernize local recreation facilities, as well as improve social and cultural infrastructure and programs."

“A great legacy for Canada 150 and wonderful addition to the Town of Pincher Creek” - Mayor Don Anderberg, Town of Pincher Creek

Among those projects, the Town of Pincher Creek was awarded a Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program grant of $463,000 to enhance the Pincher Creek Multi-Purpose Facility on Main Street with the addition of a spray park, water re-circulation system, water slide, and landscaping. According to the Town, the facility enhancement will be installed to the north of the facility. "The Town of Pincher Creek has budgeted up to one million dollars for this project including the grant, with an additional contingency for spray park donations. The Town of Pincher Creek is aiming to have the spray park ready for operation in celebration of Canada’s 150th Birthday on July 1st, 2017 and the remainder to be complete by December 31, 2017."