A highlight of the Canora in Bloom week, held throughout the town from July 18 to July 24, was the family street dance, according to the event organizer, Jo-Anne Sigurdson.
The dance, which was held at the Sylvia Fedoruk Centre, brought in about 350 people who danced and enjoyed the entertainment. Music was provided by Saddles and Steel, and a projector screen showed music videos, as well as the Saskatchewan Roughrider game before the event.
“We have a few changes in mind for the dance next year that we’re very excited about,” Sigurdson said. One of the changes will involve moving the dance floor so it is outside of the beer garden that is also part of the event. That way, children will be able to participate in the dance without an adult accompanying them.
The week of Canora in Bloom featured many other unique events which brought in about the same amount of spectators the event brings in every year. Sigurdson said she was also glad the weather co-operated for most of their events.
The festivities began at the Canora Children’s Centre, which held a cookie sale and a garage sale, with items donated by the families of the children at the daycare. During the event, a raffle for cookie bouquets was also held. Carmen Born said the event raised over $550.
A pancake-and-sausage breakfast was held on July 19. It was supposed to be in front of town hall, but due to rain, it was moved into the fire hall. Members of the Canora Volunteer Fire Department were happy to serve pancakes and sausages to hungry visitors in exchange for a silver donation. Sigurdson said the event brought in a lot of attention. GX 94, which provided the supplies for the breakfast, was broadcast live on location so employees could also take part in the festivities.
A perogy dinner was also held at St. Andrew’s United Church. Perogies were served with many varieties of toppings and sauces, all prepared by the United Church Women’s Group. July 19 finished its festivities with a golf night at the Canora Golf and Country Club.
July 20 featured a hot dog dinner at the Visitor Centre and CN Museum. Sigurdson was pleased with the turnout and the great weather for the event.
An old-fashioned Picnic in the Park was the highlight of the events on July 21. The Canora Lioness club provided burgers and drinks, while spectators were entertained by The Old Country Lads, a band that plays polka and other songs from the past. Over 100 people came to dance, and Sigurdson was impressed with the energy the dancers had.
At the picnic, Val Morhart sold his paintings, and also held a bake sale. All proceeds from the sale went to Paws & Claws Animal Rescue in Yorkton.
On July 22, borscht and homemade bread were enjoyed in the Ukrainian Heritage Museum, and pie and coffee were served at the Keen Age Centre before the street dance.
A staple of Canora in Bloom will always be the parade on Main Street. Sigurdson was disappointed, however, as the storming weather meant many floats could not participate in the event, and some floats even stalled as they were trying to begin the parade. Despite the weather, Sigurdson decided the parade should still go on, and was happy to see so many spectators lined up from Gateway Lodge to Railway Avenue.
Following the parade was a family picnic, organized by the fire department. Burgers were sold at the Sylvia Fedoruk Centre, and inside, The Old Country Lads gave another lively performance, accompanied by a guest, Allan Pasichnyk.
Throughout the week, the Canora Swimming Pool held events, including aquafit classes, public swimming, speed swimming, water gun fights, races, egg tosses, and a slip-and-slide. JilliAnn Sawatsky, the manager of the pool, said the events went very well, with the most swimmers in one day being 80 people. The barbecue held on July 22 also went well, and the workers served 90 hot dogs to hungry swimmers.
The festivities came to an end on July 24 with a non-denominational church service at the town hall.
Sigurdson is already beginning planning for next year’s Canora in Bloom. Next year will be the 150th anniversary of Canada’s birth as a country, and Sigurdson is hoping to change all of the festivities to reflect the important celebration. She is eagerly looking for any volunteers who wish to assist and make next year’s events huge successes.
