Louise Bellair / Botha Booster
I would like to take the time out and thank the Botha Playground program and all the children that came out. Without the children, there would be no program. Way to go guys! I hope that everyone had a great time at these activities and I hope to see everyone out again next year. Hopefully, everyone has a great remaining summer. Let’s cross our fingers that it stops raining for a while, so everyone can get out and enjoy the rest of the summer. Kids, don’t forget to decorate up your bikes and come out for the Centennial parade.
Let’s hope everyone can get out the evening of August 2 and come out to join the Bingo players for another fun evening. Everyone is invited. These games start at 7:15p.m. and they are held at the Botha Senior Centre.
With the Botha Centennial weekend coming up really quickly, about two weeks away, everybody wishes these rainy conditions will just leave and things will start drying up some for it. Right now, with so much rain, everything is getting so muddy and the water is laying all over. One thing that’s bad about it getting warm now is the mosquitoes will be out in droves. Everyone, please don’t forget about the mosquito spray.
Ready for the parade? Did you contact Bob Erickson yet? Please contact him at 403-742-4719, with all parade entries, in order for everything to get organized. Let’s have a great Botha Centennial Parade. Parade time is August 13 at 11 a.m.
With the Centennial weekend on August 12-14, let’s hope that everyone has it scheduled on your calendar and be able to attend. There will be free camping at the ball diamond for the whole weekend, with a water and pumping station located at the hall. Come on sun, get all this wet conditions out of your system, and please shine and warm up for this weekend. We need things dried out, so people don’t have to walk through mud puddles.
The Senior Centre will be hosting the registration place for the weekend on August 12 between 5 and 7 p.m., so get there quickly and register please. To follow the registration, there will be an old-time dance starting at 8 p.m. in the hall. The hall is getting a new paint job inside and has new tables. It will be a great time to see the improvements, enjoy a dance or two, and reconnect with old friends and neighbours. Sounds like a great time for all. Lunch will be served. Please plan your activities around Botha for the whole weekend.
To start Saturday off, there will be the parade around 11 a.m. Then, there will be local talent playing throughout the day for everyone’s enjoyment. In the afternoon, there will be a movie at the park scheduled for everyone to take in. To put an end to a perfect day, there will be a beef supper. Sounds like a great day for everyone.
There will be other activities to see and do Saturday. The big activity that weekend is to see the Underwood First Flying machine, which Elmer Underwood and his two brothers invented in the early 1900s. Bob Erickson and his crew made a replicate of the machine, for everyone to see. It’s a must to see. Elmer and his brothers made “Canada’s First Flying Machine” about three and a half miles north of Botha. The flying machine was exhibited in the Stettler Fair shortly after and hit the papers across the country with everyone calling it different names, such as Stettler calling it the Stettler Aeroplane, Edmonton calling it Alberta Airship. Shortly after this, the boys went on with their separate lives but Elmer and his wife Rose continued to stay on the homestead with their children. The children all attended the Botha School. Elmer and his family stayed as active members of the Botha area, until Elmer’s passing. Elmer and his wife Rose are both buried at the cemetery in Botha. Make sure you take the time out to see the replicate of the Underwood Flying Machine that weekend.
Then, to end the weekend, everyone is invited out to a pancake breakfast, with a church service to finish off a great weekend.
If there are any more inquires about the Centennial weekend please contact Sherri Larter at 403-742-8214 or Josie Hunter at 403-742-2170.