Well we had a fantastic Parade Day on June 1st, and thankfully the it didn’t rain on our parade! We’ve had a lot more rain than normal in June, it seems that the weather pattern this year is a month or so behind. Hopefully our summer will be awesome and we’ll have a warm autumn as well.
It’s Canada Day on July 1, when Canada turns 157. In 1867 the various territories (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada) were brought together to be called Canada. Our towns will celebrate Canada Day with a firework show at dusk. This year the fireworks will be shot from the area by the Oilfields Arena/Erma Joy Brown Park. Bring a lawnchair and enjoy the show.
The kids are out of school for the summer. If you are thinking of summer camp for your kids, there are a lot of choices. We have the Boys Girls Club of Foothills, Diamond Valley Sprouts Day Camps, Leighton Art Centre Art and Nature Camps, Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area Nature Camp, Spectacle Blue Circus Arts Camp in Okotoks, as well as Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School Camps, Okotoks Alliance Church Vacation Bible School, and Alberta Dance/Drama Academy Camps. Young authors might enjoy YouthWrite on the Elbow River.
Other fun things to do for the kids this summer are the Turner Valley Dr. Lander Memorial Pool and the spray park, and you can book the pool for a kids party. We also have the Skate Park behind the Oilfields Arena with ramps, rails, and jumps. There’s a basketball hoop in the park where the Water Tower is in Black Diamond, and the Baseball Diamonds with a playground between the two towns. Several other playgrounds are scattered about, and of course the river is one of the best places to cool down on a hot summer day.
In our beautiful Kananaskis there are a plethora of hiking trails, or you can experience the beauty of the Foothills on horseback as well. Day Use Facilities abound also, such as Sandy McNabb, Indian Oils, Sheep Falls, Ware Creek, Volcano Ridge, Junction Creek, North Fork, Big Horn, and Gorge Creek.
Get set for the annual Millarville Races on July 1. This is a day of horse racing action with a smaller version of the Market, beer gardens, and fun things for the kids such as sack and three- legged races. Millarville also has Go All Out Dog Sports on July 7 and 27, and of course they have their wonderful Farmer’s Market every Saturday.
It’s Stampede Time coming up soon, and the Turner Valley Legion invites all to their annual Stampede Breakfast on July 6. The breakfast runs from 9-12 and features pancakes, sausage, eggs, orange juice and coffee. Admission is by donation.
Our neighbours to the south, Longview, will have their annual Little New York Daze on July 20/21. There will be a Parade and lots of fun around town, to find out details, they have a Facebook Page for that.
Our own Diamond Valley Car Show is scheduled for July 28. Feel free to enter your own car, truck, bike, or what have you, registration starts at 8am. The Car Show runs from 10-4 in Black Diamond, for all the details, check out their Facebook page as well. Thanks to our sponsors, the Town of Diamond Valley, Sabretooth Graffix, Foothills Lions Club, Turner Valley’s The Shop, and T & T Disposal. This is an awesome Car Show, be sure to wander down Main Street and Governement Road and poke around in the neat shops we have there, or have a bite to eat.
I hope you have a wonderful start to summer, whatever your plans may be. Any events for August that you would like to see in the High Country News, please drop me a line at elaine.w@telus.net before July 15.
Elaine Wansleeben
