В Гранд-Прерии отметили 75-летие уезда концертом Бретта Киссела и шоу из 200 дронов

When Canadian country music star Brett Kissel tells you to raise your glass, have a good time, and sip a little sunshine, you raise your glass and you drink that sunshine down. Kissel headlined the County of Grande Prairie’s 75 anniversary celebration at Evergreen Park Aug. 21-22, a two-day recognition of how far the county and the people who live there have come since 1951, when the MD of Grande Prairie No. 127, became Alberta’s very first county — County of Grande Prairie No. 1. “Tonight we’re celebrating 75 years of hard work and the people who have made this region such a great place to call home. From our farms and our villages to our volunteers and our community organizations and families, this milestone belongs to all of us in this area, so thank you again,” Reeve Amanda McDonald told the gathered crowd from the stage Saturday night. “Over the past 75 years, our county has grown and changed in many ways. The one thing that has remained the same is the strength of our communities and the people who support one another through every season.” Grande Prairie MP Chris Warkentin and Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA Ron Wiebe were among the other officials in attendance. They both spoke of the resilience of those who settled the land and whose many descendants still live and work here. “As we look back to our history, over 75 years as a county, and even years before, there’s people who came to this part of the world to settle it, to build communities, to build a better future for their lives. And that’s really laid the foundation for those of us that have come after, that we can build and continue to provide for our families a better future. And I can tell you that they didn’t come here to have an easy life, because if they had come just for an easy life, they would have never stayed.” Wiebe echoed the sentiment saying those pioneers had “little more than grit and a vision to build a better life.” “That pioneering spirit is still alive and well today and it’s reflected in everything from our vast farmland to thriving industries and our vibrant communities that we enjoy. Looking around this crowd, I see that spirit in all of you, our friends, our families and our neighbours who continue to make this such a special place,” he said. That spirit of co-operation and connection was evident throughout the festivities as sponsors from the community came together to support a variety of activities — from the Rooted in the County Market, to the kids’ carnival games and bouncy castle, and the classic car display to the Indigenous dancers, there was a little something for everyone to enjoy as the TARA Centre overflowed with things to see and do. The draft horse wagon rides, the pancake breakfast and the musical entertainment drew thousands, and the indoor stage provided historical context for the celebration, going back to the first homesteaders. Generations Readers Theatre shared the stories of some of the region’s most renowned historical figures like pioneer midwife and nurse Johanna “Aunt Jo” Haakstad, who is credited with delivering more than 3,100 babies in the South Peace in the first half of the 20th century, and Alexander Forbes, the missionary settler who became one of the first elected trustees of the Grande Prairie School Board. Members of the Brown family, which was recently recognized as one of the families who settled and farmed the county more than 100 years ago, had a chance to share some stories about their family and talk about some of the changes that have taken place in agriculture since their parents and grandparents, Alfred and Jane Brown, arrived from Belfast, Ireland, in April 1926. They told stories of logging timber for a new barn in the 20s, transitioning from horses to tractors and from threshing to combining in the 40s, and the arrival of electricity, running water and television to the family farm in the 50s and 60s. While the world has changed, that connection to the land remains, and the descendants of those delivered by Aunt Jo continue to reside in the county and make it what it is today. Performances from local talent kept the growing crowd warm until Kissel hit the stage at 9 p.m. and gave them a night to remember, which also included the first drone show ever held in the county. As the show closed, more than 200 drones came together to form images of dinosaurs, combines, bicycles and the county logo, among others, keeping heads turned to the sky as they returned home. Following the busy weekend, Reeve McDonald expressed gratitude to staff before the start of Monday’s council meeting, praising those who worked to organize the celebration over the last several months. She said it was great to see all their hard work finally come to fruition. “I just wanted to say that having the opportunity to be out there and participate this past weekend and see the attitude of our staff being impeccable was really impactful for me and the county, and I just really wanted to make it very clear that we saw that. We noticed there didn’t seem to be a job that was too big or small,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure that everybody heard it directly from me, and I know this council agrees, and so I just wanted to make sure that everybody heard it from us. That we really appreciate the work that you’ve done, and you represented the county extremely well.” Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. 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