A weekend-long celebration to beat all celebrations is planned for ringing in 150 years of confederation in Canada in the South Cariboo.
District of 100 Mile House mayor and council have joined the 108 Heritage Association and the 108 Mile Ranch Community Association (108RCA) to plan a stellar event kicking off June 30 in Centennial Park, the District’s pride and joy for awesome family fun.
One of the organisers, Councillor Bill Hadden, who has lived in the community virtually his whole life, says the event is being co-organized with 108RCA to harmonize with its popular Canada Day event in 108 Mile Ranch.
Events planned in 100 Mile House will not interfere in any way with that celebration at 108 Heritage Site, which will carry on as always, along with its own special recognition of 150 years.
The idea is to build on that special 108 event for a bigger, all-weekend event with more fun activities than ever for families, from a party in the park with great live music and speakers to fireworks near 100 Mile Marsh, he explains.
Hadden says the Rotary Stage will be set up on Friday night (June 30) with a couple of local bands getting entertainment underway at 7 p.m., until about 9.
Then July 1, Canada Day celebrations at the 108 Heritage Site on Highway 97 kick off at 11 a.m. with their always awesome entertainment, wide variety of vendor booths and fantastic food, as well as special guests dignitaries and other action to colour things up all afternoon, as usual, he adds.
“From there, we are going to come back into the park in 100 Mile House, and will have another local band from 7 to 9 p.m. [or so], and then we are going to have fireworks over at the 100 Mile Marsh about 10 p.m. - whenever it gets dark.”
Knights of Columbus (KoC) is handling the meals for the hungry crowd, with a barbecue concession on Saturday night offering burgers and fries.
“Then on Sunday morning, we will have Pancakes & Prayers in the Park, [beginning at 9 a.m.]”
This chapel service with live gospel music “really was a hit” when offered at the Centennial Park 50th anniversary park two years ago by the same 108 Mile Ranch church, Cariboo Christian Life Fellowship, and folks always enjoy the great pancakes served up by the KoC, he notes.
However, unlike the 108 Heritage Site Canada Day event, no vendors will be selling items at the 100 Mile House events other than the KoC food kiosks, he adds.
Hadden explains the local portions of the Canada Day 150th “programme” is intended as a party in the park with the fireworks at the marsh and a Sunday chapel service, and is “not a fair, but a celebration.”
“We have worked very closely with the 108 Heritage Society in the planning of all this, and the folks from the 108 RCA have given us a hand as well,” Hadden explains.
Centennial Park celebrated 50 years two years ago, as it was built in 1965, but does coincide with Canada’s 150th, as it was both built and named in preparation of recognizing Canada’s Centennial in 1967.
The community is strongly encouraged to check out the local action when Canada’s 150th is official this summer on the July 1 weekend. Centennial Park will rock with super local bands from party music to modern gospel tunes, great speakers, fabulous food and fireworks.
Watch for more details to follow on the 108 Heritage Site’s Canada Day event in future Free Press editions, as well as for other 150th events to potentially spring up in outlying South Cariboo communities.