The City of North Battleford is getting ready for a major role in celebration activities leading up to and including Canada Day 2011.
North Battleford will take over responsibility for the fireworks display this year after the Battlefords Provincial Park announced it would no longer hold fireworks at their campground, due mainly to concerns about safety and crowd control at the park during the events.
At council Monday night, council approved a $3,000 request for financial assistance for the 2011 Canada Day celebrations. As well, council carried a resolution directing administration to include an allocation to assist with Canada Day celebrations in future operations budgets. No provision had been made in the current budget for Canada Day celebrations.
"Canada Day celebrations had been hosted at the park for the past 20 years or so," said Mayor Ian Hamilton. "They found they are unable to continue that service to the community going forward."
It fell on the City, then, to ensure Canada Day celebrations went on, he told reporters. A number of meetings were held and it was determined that Fort Battleford and Western Development Museum would be fully operational during the day, so it was felt that it would be appropriate for the City to hold a fireworks display in the late evening in conjunction with those other activities in the community.
In the past $2,000 was granted to the Battlefords Provincial Park for the fireworks display. But with the city now hosting the display more money will have to be committed.
According to a memo from Recreation Co-ordinator Laura Allan, the City applied for grants, at the mayor's direction, from Heritage Canada and from Community Futures for a Canada Day celebration in North Battleford in an effort to bring a fireworks display to the community for July 1.
The Community Futures grant did not come through. However, $4,000 was approved by Heritage Canada, with the grant recipient required to match or increase the amount of the grant awarded with cash or in kind contributions.
Mayor Ian Hamilton told reporters the "vantage point for the fireworks display will be the Don Ross area." The plan is for the fireworks to be fired from the top of nearby King Hill.
It looks like the fireworks display will be a go - weather permitting, of course. Last year, a fireworks night that was to be held in conjunction with the Battleford Parade in July was scuttled due to stormy weather, but it is dry conditions in the area that are the main worry right now..
Hamilton cautioned the fireworks could still be subject to any fire ban that could come into effect. "It is still very dry," he noted.
The fireworks display promises to culminate several day's worth of activities in downtown North Battleford in advance of the holiday.
National Aboriginal Day celebrations are planned for June 21, with a full day of celebrations taking place around the downtown area and in the library park. That will include a pancake breakfast on the 12th Avenue parking mall, followed by events, entertainment, music and dance throughout the rest of the day and into the evening in the library park.
Also, the local francophone community will be celebrating Saint Jean Baptiste Day June 24. Those activities will be at Don Ross Centre beginning that afternoon with a concert and other activities planned to celebrate the French language and culture.
