HELLO DIAMOND VALLEY
Hello, Diamond Valley. I just got back from spending the weekend at Longstock, and what a great weekend it was! It was so good to see old friends that we haven’t seen for a few years, and the volunteers did such a good job of organizing everything. The Fire Department did the beer gardens and kept the area nice and clean. The bands were amazing, and the weekend was topped off by the Levesque Family Band, always a favorite at Longstock. Well done and I look forward to next year!
Speaking of seeing old friends, there will be a Homecoming for Diamond Valley and Area on September 10. If you were born in the 40’s and 50’s and raised in Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Longview, Millarville and area in the 50’s and 60’s you are invited to attend the Homecoming of 2022. It will be held at the Flare and Derrick on the 10th from 2:00 in the afternoon. The evening meal is provided by the Legion. There will be special entertainment in the afternoon and a DJ in the evening for dancing to those 50’s and 60’s tunes we all love. For more details contact Glenis Currie at gleniscurrie@msn.com. The first Homecoming in 2017 had 250 people attending and was a great success.
My brother recently came for a visit from Ontario and we did the touristy thing. We went to High River to see the sets from the show Heartland, and visited the Museum in the old train station. Then we went to Chinook Honey Farm and saw how bees produce honey. After then we walked around the Big Rock and learned the story of how it got there, all the way from Jasper. It’s nice to visit these interesting places that are so close to home.
High River also is hosting their annual River City Car Show on Sunday September 25. There are blocks and blocks of the coolest cars, trucks, and bikes around, and lots of vendors, music, and food. Saturday night there will be a burnout show as well. And this year I certainly plan on checking out the annual Balloon Fest, where from September 21-15 the big hot air balloons take to the sky. Visit High River’s website to find out more details.
Over in Millarville, the Alberta Chuckwagon and Chariot Association Finals will be held at the Millarville Racetrack on the weekend of September 9-11. Saturday night they also show Bull Riding at 7:00 pm with a Cabaret to follow. Sounds like an awesome time, for more information, millarvilleracetrack.com.
The 13th annual Kidney March is set for September 9-11. This is a 3 day, 100KM walk from Kananaskis to Calgary, and the March will pass through Turner Valley on September 9 as marchers kick off their epic journey. This is a major fundraiser for Kidney Disease and Organ Donation, as one in ten Canadians has kidney disease. To donate or become involved, visit KidneyMarch.ca.
The Griffiths Quilt and Craft Show will be held on October 1st from 11 to 4 at Griffiths Centre in Black Diamond. There will be several vendors with items for sale and lots of beautiful quilts to view. Admission is free.
It’s time for Fall Registration for Foothills residents. Sports, fitness, arts, culture, general interest and swim lessons are just some of the classes offered. Log in to activeokotoks.ca to find out more. And keep an eye out in Turner Valley’s news as there is usually a Joint Registration Night here for all the youth and adult clubs and classes as well.
Alberta Transportation has a long -term plan to widen Centre Avenue and Government Road in Black Diamond from 2 to 4 lanes to provide additional vehicular capacity. This widening, should it happen, could have significant impacts on the character, functionality, and economic viability of Downtown Black Diamond. The Town has developed an Area Development Plan to address these concerns, mainly of parking and walkability, and safety. For updates, please go to the Town’s website.
Condolences to Erma Brown’s family and friends on her passing, at age 108. I had the pleasure of interviewing Erma a couple of years ago on the history of our towns and boy was she ever a wealth of information, and a very pleasant afternoon it was sitting and chatting with her. She was instrumental in bringing about good changes for our towns and will be missed.
If you have any news or events for October that you would like to see in the High Country News, please drop me a line at elaine.w@telus.net. The deadline for this issue is September 15.
Happy Autumn!
Elaine Wansleeben
