Planning is underway for the Canada 150 celebrations in Assiniboia after the planning committee had met on February 1. It is expected that a number of local events will take place on Canada Day, July 1, including the parade organized by the Assiniboia District Chamber of Commerce.
While the Town of Assiniboia will be organizing Canada Day events with a special focus on Canada 150, events marking the commemorative year will take place throughout the year. Many events are still in the planning stages and information will be released as details are confirmed. The Assiniboia Times is planning a special commemorative supplement for later June 2017 to recognize “Our Place in Canada”.
The St. Paul’s United Church in Assiniboia kicks off one of the first events of the year with a Canada 150 supper on Friday, February 24 beginning at 6:30 p.m.
It was also confirmed that the Assiniboia and District Arts Council plans to bring Lisa Way’s “Oh Canada We Sing For Thee” concert on Friday, September 29.
As part of Culture Days, the Ethnic Jubilee is being organized in Assiniboia on Saturday, September 30 at the Prince of Wales Centre in the curling rink with a confirmed start time of 11 a.m. Admission rates will be $7 for adults and $5 for youth. Family rates have yet to be set.
The Ethnic Jubilee takes place once every two years with booths featuring food, beverages, giftware and entertainment from a variety of different ethnic groups.
The Ethnic Jubilee committee has already booked the First Nations, Caribbean, German, French and African booths with more to be confirmed. “We would like the program to be international and intergenerational,” stated Erlinda Blanchette, chair of the committee.
The committee is also considering a fashion show, and now is focusing on bringing in entertainment and raising funds. As a preview to the event, the committee plans to have a float in the Canada Day parade on July 1. “We have a dynamic team that is very passionate and very reliable and dependable,” added Blanchette. The committee includes Blanchette, Gail Mergen, Jeff Feeley, Judy Chubb, Laurie Stianson, Kathy Bergeron and Linda Hall.
For another unique way to commemorate Canada’s 150th birthday, residents might choose to plant a rose bush. Canada Blooms has chosen the new Canadian Shield rose (photo at bottom) as its 2017 flower of the year. This trade-marked rose has been selected from the Vineland Research & Innovation rose breeding program. It’s the first rose in a curated collection known as Vineland’s 49th Parallel Collection.
The Canadian Shield is a versatile garden and landscape rose with a more than one-metre spread, plenty of full, red flowers and glossy green foliage. It’s a repeat bloomer that stays stunning throughout the entire garden season. It is also known as a hardy flower resistant to black spot and winter hardy from coast to coast. Some may have already planted the commemorative Canada Tulip variety in red and white. Now garden buffs can tour the town to spot locations where the brilliant tulips were planted. The tulip bulbs were sold out at Harvey’s, its official distributor.
