It has been 100 years since Morinville was first incorporated as a town on April 18, 1911 — a growing burg of 85 families with 365 inhabitants.
To celebrate this special centenary, the Morinville Historical and Cultural Society in partnership with the Centennial Celebrations Committee are highlighting the occasion with a look-back in history.
This coming Monday at the Roman Catholic Parish Centre, the two groups have organized a three-hour celebration that encompasses an old-fashioned beef stew supper followed by a re-enactment of several historical events.
In keeping with a historical theme, “the admission is only 100 cents per person,” says Morinville special events co-ordinator Peggy Gilchrist.
“It shows the importance of what the founding fathers brought to the community and where it is going,” she adds.
The supper starts at 5:30 p.m. followed by official ceremonies at 7:30 p.m. The Grade 3 Notre Dame School Choir and the Grade 4 to 5 Georges Vanier School Choir kick-start the formalities by singing O Canada.
The historical society has created three vignettes dubbed “Portals of History” that will flip back the pages of history and give spectators a look-see at Morinville’s early years.
The first vignette is a francophone-English narrative of the town’s first 20 years, after Father Jean Baptiste and the first colonists arrived, to 1891. The second portal examines the council applying for town status and the third shows Alberta’s Premier Arthur Sifton, leader of the Liberal party, handing Mayor Omer St. Germaine a proclamation.
Throughout the evening assorted entertainers from the Morinville Minstrels, to the a cappella all-female quartet Chance, and Eddie Bulger and his band will perform.
“Eddie even wrote a song about Morinville he’s going to sing. He first sung Morinville at the St. Jean Baptiste Fest in 2010,” says Murray Knight, a director at the historical society.
The event is limited to 230 guests and people are encouraged to arrive in period costume. Anyone wishing to reserve can email [email protected].
The town’s centennial website is at www.morinville100.ca.
