Town celebrates its roots

It’s party week at the Town of Morinville as it officially celebrates its centennial during the St. Jean Baptiste Festival.

The sun is out, the midway is setting up, pennants are flapping in the breeze and touring bands are trickling in for the June 21 to 26 celebrations.

In the past the St. Jean Baptiste Festival was relegated to a weekend. But this year’s expanded six-day event that kicked off yesterday with a performance by aboriginal band Broken Walls has turned into a proclamation of the town’s vision.

“We intend on being a community with our own identity and the heritage we have is coming through — German, aboriginal and French. It’s about recognizing we’re more than a bedroom community. We’re an entity unto itself. We are a small town with big city amenities and we’re ready to kick up our heels,” says festival chair Ron Cust.

A contemporary offshoot of the former Frontier Days, organizers for the St. Jean Baptiste Festival have stepped it up more than a few notches. An old fashioned country fair with modern twists, it is jam packed with events that include concerts, a classic car show, hamster races, a slow-pitch tourney, a performance stage, a tractor pull, bull riding and a firefighters’ combat challenge. There will even be a farmers’ market set up along the midway area.

New this year is the 450-seat Morinville Community Cultural Centre with a different concert scheduled every evening. Tonight, Maritime comedian Jimmy Flynn, a 30-year comedy powerhouse, is out to tickle everyone’s funny bone.

Tomorrow evening Jo Hikk, a rockin’ Calgary country band that popularized gems such as Pimp My Tractor and Dancing with the Devil’s Daughter makes its Morinville debut. “They have a reputation for playing upbeat country music and we were ready to go up the food chain.”

On Friday night, Doug and the Slugs pursue their love of fun gigs while Saturday brings in classic Canadian rockers Kenny Shields and Streetheart.

“We were looking for older bands with original members and both Doug and the Slugs and Streetheart had them. The other thing is that we were looking for party bands and retro is in vogue right now.”

Saturday is the big family day with six blocks in the downtown core blocked off to traffic. The vibrant parade starts at 10 a.m. and this year town firefighters will show off a $1.2-million ladder truck and newly acquired 1903 Firewagon, similar to the first one used in the early 1900s. “It will be presented to the town as an anniversary gift.”

Following the parade the Centennial Fountain, inscribed with the names of all the mayors, will be unveiled at 11:15 a.m. “It’s a brick fountain and aesthetically it looks like the church. It is two-tier and has a 16-foot by 16-foot base with a structure in the centre and the water flows from the four corners,” explains Lil Boddez, who suggested the idea of building a fountain.

For a complete calendar of events visit www.morinville100.ca.