NORQUAY - The Norquay Co-operative marked a special milestone as it celebrated its 75th anniversary with a day of festivities and community spirit on the July 15. The event saw a great turnout, with many locals and surrounding communities joining in the celebration despite the gray weather.
The day began with an enticing lineup for the barbecue, which proved to be a hit with attendees. Despite some less-than-ideal weather at times, the enthusiasm of the children on the bouncy castles remained undiminished, as they gleefully bounced around throughout the day.
The lemonade stand competition, though having only one entry, demonstrated admirable perseverance, staying open throughout the rain and wind to serve refreshments to the visitors. The lemonade stand champions were Nixon Lukey and Grace Peters.
A highlight of the event was the dunk tank, where Aiden Lukey and Doug Nelson raised funds for the Norquay Covenant Church's Youth Group. Notably, Jim Nelson also took part in the dunk tank, attracting quite a crowd while he contributed to Ukraine Relief. The dunk tank cost a dollar per ball.
The entertainment was on point, with A.R. Cash, a band that pays artistic tributes to artists such as Johnny Cash. They delivered an excellent show that received overwhelming positive feedback from the audience.
Supper was a success, with 400 tickets sold at $5 a ticket for a roast beef supper catered by Roxanne Boychuk. The proceeds from the supper went to support the Pelly Daycare.
The celebration included a speech from the General Manager and Board President, Justin Petelski, who highlighted some fun facts from the year 1948, when the co-operative was first incorporated. The speech not only offered historical insights but also emphasized the strong ties between the co-operative and the community.
Here is a part of the Petelski speech, “Good Afternoon Everyone and welcome to the Norquay Co-operatives 75th Anniversary Celebration. 75 years to be in business is an incredible accomplishment that everyone here should be proud of. To put it a little more in perspective, here are a few fun facts from 1948. 75 years ago:
“Lithium (lithium citrate) was used in the beverage 7 UP, until 1948
“It is estimated that Bing Crosby recordings filled more than half of the radio time allocated to recorded music in 1948.
“Cheetos were first created this year.
“The Ford F-series truck was introduced.
“Samuel L Jackson, Steven Tyler, Billy Crystal, Ozzy Osbourne, Rick James and Olivia Newton John were all born that year. I guess the Norquay Co-op wasn’t the only good thing to come out of that year!
“Being in business for 75 years is a testament to the support of the community and our members of the surrounding communities. It is interesting, that if you look at the first incorporation papers signed in March of 1948, there are some surnames that you will still recognize in our community, Nelson, Nystedt, Heskin and Johnson to name a few.
“The support that I personally have received and the way that our cooperative is supported is absolutely incredible. There is no way that a business not only survives but thrives for 75 years without the support of a community and surrounding areas. How else do you start with a coal shed, then get into fuel, then hardware and lumber, building sheds and other commodities and then finally Agro. A business that went from $1 million in 1973, to $10 million in 2011, to $20 million in 2019 , to finally $32 million last year. In just the six years I have been here, we have expanded into a couple of different lines, added more office space to the building and continue to grow and expand the yard. When I got here in 2017, there were 24 employees. Six years later we have grown to 38 and nearly double the sales. There have obviously been a lot of great ideas and visionaries that have come before us on this board. And some great managers to execute these ideas that have come before me.
“A special thanks to Severson farms for the water in the dunk tank, and the friends of Pelly for the barbecue lunch today! If I am forgetting anyone, thank you too!” concluded Petelski.
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