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Stettler had spectacular fireworks for Canada’s 150th

Visitors to Stettler and area were treated to great celebrations on Canada’s 150th.
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Gadsby/Westwoods News. FILE PHOTO

Paulette Heer

Gadsby/Westwoods News

It has been a very successful celebration for Canada’s 150th. And was a proud day for all. In 1967, at Canada’s 100th, a bus load of junior high students from the Gadsby School went to Edmonton to tour the parliament buildings; sit in session, which I remember being very loud with lots of desk slapping and arguing; meeting with Grant MacEwan; and then a tour of the Botanical Gardens near the parliament buildings before heading home. This year the fireworks in Stettler was a thing of beauty.

We are now experiencing a longer then usual heat wave. Haying is going full force with farmers trying to rescue their hay before it burns up. Percy and Paulette Heer headed to Medicine Hat on Thursday, July 6, the hottest day yet at 35 degrees Celsius. They stayed overnight at Percy’s uncle Alvin and Rose Shearer. A quick post op trip to the hospital for Paulette who successfully underwent knee replacement surgery in May. They returned home on Friday with temperatures reaching 37 in Medicine Hat and 36 on the road home.

Doug and Inez (Skaley) Baldwin and Duane Skaley spent the weekend at Percy and Paulette Heer’s taking in the Canada celebrations. On Sunday, July 2, they headed to Stettler to watch the anniversary train pull out, taking pictures and then over to the Stettler Museum where they spent almost three hours touring around. If you haven’t been there lately it’s well worth another trip to see it. Lots of new displays and much work has been put into keeping the museum a very interesting place to go. We were told that on Saturday, July 1, there were over 560 people at the museum.

Canada Day saw Gloria and Stan Diegel at Arden and Deanne’s for supper to celebrate Sadie (17) and the twins Ella and Eva (7)’s birthdays. Richelle and Greg and family, Ybiett and family, Ron and Donna, Heather and kids all enjoyed an outdoor barbecue.

Also, that day Bill and Joyce Hansel joined daughter Sandy and Rod and Rod’s parents from Regina, at the Ponoka Stampede where they spent the day watching the arena events as well as the chuckwagons. Then it was back to Stettler in time for the fireworks and a late supper at Tim Horton’s.

July 2 was Judy Musgrove’s birthday, Bill and Joyce had the Musgrove family over on Monday, July 3, for a weiner roast to help Judy celebrate.

Vic and Barb Carey, son Wes and his son Lincoln as well as grandchildren Victoria and Jonah Jarmin went to Claresholm on June 30 to attend the Canada Day outdoor wedding of Vic’s niece who is Vic’s brother, Brent’s daughter. The weather was perfect for the ceremony and they spent a wonderful weekend visiting with all Vic’s family. On the way home they stopped in Nanton where they went through the aircraft Museum and found it very interesting.  

Word has come of the passing of Marie Bignell at the age of 92 years. Marie and Kenneth farmed north of Stettler for many years and many would remember Marie from her years working in Fields department store in Stettler. The later years she was in a care facility in Red Deer. Sincere sympathies to her family, along with nieces Joyce Hansel and Betty Stotz and all the Bignell family. There will be a gravesite service on July 15, 1 p.m. at the Stettler cemetery.

And let’s wish all our local cowboys good luck at the Calgary Stampede this week!