Tag: Cowley

MD of Pincher Creek searching for water solutions

Written by Dave Lueneberg on August 28, 2023. Posted in Dave Lueneberg, Local News, MD of Pincher Creek. No Comments on MD of Pincher Creek searching for water solutions

With a dwindling water supply and no real sign the situation will improve, the MD of Pincher Creek is looking at its options both now and into the future.

Among the possibilities are moving from current Stage 3 watering restrictions to Stage 4, which would limit water use to essential levels only, or declaring a local state of emergency, a move also discussed by councillors at their regular meeting Aug. 22.

Tony Bruder, deputy reeve and acting chairman of the meeting, feels the district needs to look at both a short-term solution to keep water taps flowing through the upcoming winter and a long-term plan moving forward.

“I don’t think this is going to be an only-this-year problem and we need to consider flushing out a capital project, while not rushing, for next year to mitigate this,” Bruder said.

Council will, however, need to explore available funding from the province or other sources.

As it stands, the MD is spending in the area of $8,500 per day to haul water from an outside source, a cost that could easily reach six figures before the end of August.

“I think we’re going to need temporary infrastructure over the winter,” Bruder continued.

One of the possibilities is an offer by the Town of Pincher Creek to connect to its water supply, until a more permanent solution can be found.

Another option discussed, but decided against, was to reopen standpipes in Beaver Mines and Cowley, something that wouldn’t result in any real savings compared to what’s being paid now for hauling water.

Completely unrelated but a potential impact in all of this is the MD’s decision to eventually add close to 60 properties near Beaver Mines to its system.

Could the eventual hook-ups be delayed with the challenges of finding water?

“We haven’t discussed that up to this point, but in my mind that might be a discussion to be had rather than add a whole bunch more people to the system,” Bruder said following the meeting.

“Most of them are on their own independent wells at this time. Why would we add the extra stress at this time if we don’t have to?”

Efforts to find a reliable water supply now and in the future affect not only the Beaver Mines area but also the hamlet of Lundbreck and the village of Cowley, where water for the communities is bought from the MD’s water treatment plant.

“I feel there wasn’t adequate information given to the domestic users here as it relates to the outflow of the Oldman dam,” Cowley Mayor Barb Burnett said. “I don’t know if that information was available to the MD, but there’s been a drastic reduction in the level of the dam.”

Burnett also agrees with Bruder that this year’s situation isn’t just confined to this year or only a local issue.

“I think it’s water management for this whole southern water distribution area … so it’s not just us.”

Semi with orange cab drives on Highway 3 near Crowsnest Pass

Crowsnest Pass council discusses Highway 3 twinning

Written by Laurie Tritschler on March 5, 2023. Posted in Laurie Tritschler, Local News, Municipality of Crowsnest Pass. No Comments on Crowsnest Pass council discusses Highway 3 twinning

Crowsnest Pass municipal council wants to address residents’ concerns about twinning Highway 3 when councillors meet with Transportation Ministry officials at March’s Rural Municipalities of Alberta convention in Edmonton.

Mayor Blair Painter, who sits on the non-profit Highway 3 Twinning Development Association (H3TDA), added the issue to council’s Feb. 14 agenda, prompting a frank discussion about the project’s economic and traffic safety benefits for the municipality.

“I’ve heard a lot of comments from people wanting to talk about Highway 3, which leads me to the point where I believe that our community wants to have this come back to Alberta Transportation for further discussion,” Painter told council.

Dairy Queen menu items – chocolate-dipped cone, chicken fingers and fries, blizzard, deluxe stackburger, pink orange julius and hot fudge sundae, on an ad for Pincher Creek DQ location

H3TDA has advocated for the project for more than 20 years, according to a December 2022 Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) report commissioned by the association.

Former premier Jason Kenney committed in 2020 to twinning the highway between Taber and Burdett at an estimated cost of $150 million, telling Albertans that shovels would go in the ground in the spring of 2021.

Construction on that span of the highway is now slated to begin this spring, while the province announced last November that it plans to twin the rest of the highway within 10 years.

Painter has long supported the project, and Crowsnest Pass’s 2020 municipal development plan states that “Ultimately, the improved corridor will facilitate positive economic growth in the community and increase safety and mobility for the public.”

Acorn earrings by Holly Yashi on ad for Blackburn Jewellers in Pincher Creek

The MDP further states that “The [province’s] recent confirmation of the highway expansion and realignment project equips decision-makers with the certainty needed to make land-use decisions moving forward.”

With the reality settling in, residents are starting to worry that the project might bypass the municipality altogether, Painter told Shootin’ the Breeze.

The PwC study says the project would yield around $1.5 billion in provincewide spending on one-off construction costs, plus around $400,000 in annual maintenance costs between the Fort Macleod bypass and Sentinel. Regional highway maintenance would create an estimated three full-time jobs between Pincher Creek and Sentinel, while hugely benefiting southwestern Alberta’s agricultural, tourism, mining and renewable energy sectors.

The study also found that twinning the highway would significantly cut down on head-on collisions by allowing motorists to safely pass slow-moving vehicles.

A December 2019 planning study by the engineering firm ISL says the twinned highway would function as “a four-lane freeway” linked to Pass communities through interchanges at Allison Creek Road, Blairmore, Frank, and Bellevue-Hillcrest. The study further recommends another local access point through an underpass at Passburg.

“In the ultimate freeway condition, no other direct highway access will be available for any use, including residential access, business access or field access. All existing highway access, including community access, will need to be directed to the local road network to the ultimate interchange locations,” the study notes.

ISL’s study acknowledges that “previous highway [3] realignments have bypassed” Blairmore, Bellevue and Hillcrest.

Painter said Coleman was also bypassed in the 1980s.

New menu items from Boston Pizza in Pincher Creek.

Speaking at chambers on Feb. 14, Painter reminded councillors that “We’ve all lived here long enough to remember what happened to our commercial areas.”

Speaking to the Breeze 10 days later, Painter noted that local traffic is already much safer thanks to four traffic lights that went up along municipal stretches of Highway 3 roughly a year and a half ago. (The PwC study notes that highway collisions were 1.5 times higher on untwinned highway sections between 2014 and 2018, based on period data from the Government of Alberta).

The lights also make it easier for tourists and residents to directly access Crowsnest Pass’s communities, Painter added.

The mayor said up to 25 properties and businesses might have to be expropriated to accommodate highway expansion through parts of Frank.

The ISL study was less specific, noting, “The community of Frank is anticipated to be a challenging area for land acquisition given the residential properties and active businesses impacted by the recommended plan.”

The mayor also told the Breeze that the project risks disturbing the west side of the historic Frank Slide, which is considered a graveyard.

Bill Chapman, president of H3TDA, says the association hears Painter’s concerns “loud and clear.”

H3TDA strongly supported Painter’s initiative to install Crowsnest Pass’s highway traffic lights, and remains committed to “achieving a balance” that supports rich economic growth for the province and the Pass, Chapman continued.

The province may decide to expropriate some properties in Frank, but Chapman noted that ISL “very clearly” stressed the need to protect the graveyard section of the slide.

H3TDA and the province have hosted local stakeholders at multiple public forums, with Alberta Transportation officials meeting with councils from Crowsnest Pass, the Municipal District of Pincher Creek and the Village of Cowley four times between June 2017 and November 2018, according to the ISL study.

Mayor Painter said he’s looking forward to confirming a meeting with Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen at next month’s RMA convention.

Sara Hawthorn, woman with long brown hair and glasses on ad for EXP Realty in Pincher Creek and Crowsnest Pass

Blackstone Tailgater grill on ad for Chief Mountain Gas Co-op in Pincher Creek

Local Stories

Old fashioned log cabin with wooden bench in front – heading for Frontier Canadian Recollections

Documents shed new light on early Pincher Creek ranches

Written by Submission on March 5, 2023. Posted in Community, Farley Wuth, History/Heritage. No Comments on Documents shed new light on early Pincher Creek ranches

Many locals are keenly aware of the varied and rich agricultural heritage that has blessed the Pincher Creek area for nearly a century and a half. Yet our historical research here at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village has uncovered old promotional materials from the late 1880s that shed some new light on the nature of some of the early family ranches.

Let’s have a look at a few of those early ranching operations.

Excellent stock-raising area

The promotional literature made note of the excellent stock-raising attributes of the Pincher Creek area. Initial concerns that this district was too close to the mountains, thereby endangering ranching operations through a lack of open rangeland accompanied by heavy winter snowfalls, proved to be largely erroneous.

Early experiences established, with a few exceptions such as the harsh blizzards of 1886-87, that the local winters were not plagued with large snow accumulations. The large grazing areas indeed were a blessing for the early ranchers.

Promotional campaigns made note of the abundance of the local rivers and creeks, which provided adequate water for stock raising. The ranching potential along the South, Middle and North forks of the Oldman River, including those tributaries such as Todd and Ross creeks, was emphasized.

Pincher, Mill and Halifax creeks also were heralded as excellent year-round water sources for those looking for early endeavours raising cattle and horses. The southwest was a ranching paradise second to none.

Butte Ranch partnership

One of the earliest cattle operations established in the Pincher Creek vicinity was the Butte Ranch, originally connected with pioneer Frederick W. Godsal.

This ranching giant later went into partnership with a Mr. Allfrey (of whom we now know little; he seems to have disappeared into the pages of history) and Lionel Brooke, our area’s most infamous remittance man. Brooke later bought out most of the ranch from Allfrey and Godsal.

Situated adjacent to the South Fork, the ranch was enhanced by many improvements over the years. By February 1888, it was “well provided with good stables and sheds” as well as two fresh-water wells. Much of the ranch was fenced, and Brooke had built up the cattle herd to include 200 head of stock, bred by polled Angus bulls.

In spite of Brooke’s lack of hands-on ranching experience, the Butte Ranch did flourish during those early years.

Christmas is too sparkly, said no one, ever, brooch on sparkly silver background of ad for Blackburn Jewellers in Pincher Creek

South Fork Ranch envied by many

By the late 1880s, F.W. Godsal also was connected with his nearby South Fork Ranch. It was publicly touted as being “one of the best-improved in the country.”

Godsal, considered one of the premier ranchers attached to the southwestern corner of the Canadian Prairies, had painstakingly changed the system by which he had ranched. After a few years of practical experience, he had come to the conclusion that there was more financial profit in ranching with smaller numbers of cattle, well cared for, than having a large herd that had to be left to the uncertainties of the open range.

His cattle on the South Fork Ranch numbered an annual average of 400, which Godsal maintained provided easy access to those animals that were weak and needed veterinary attention. Feed, primarily alfalfa and timothy (which too were raised on the ranch) was readily available during the cold, snow-filled weeks of winter.

The ranch numbered over 5,000 acres in size, most of which was unfenced pastureland.

Three guitars in the background of an ad for jam nights at Oldman River Brewing in Lundbreck

The modern South Fork Ranch buildings were the envy of many a non-local rancher. The well-constructed main ranch house utilized local logs, and was designed to withstand the massive weather fluctuations so common to the area. Inside, the structure consisted of a parlour, a kitchen, a pantry and two bedrooms.

Surrounding the house was a fenced yard, a portion of which was cultivated for a garden. Nearby was a second house, measuring 18 by 20 feet, which was for the ranch hands.

The outbuildings included a large barn, half of which was used for the horses and a harness room. The second half of this 30-by-40-foot log structure was for the calves.

An extensive system of corrals and sheds complemented the ranch operation. The arrangements well suited the ever-particular Godsal.

Brightly coloured floaties in an advertisement for pool parties at the Pincher Creek pool

Clear Water Ranche and French Flats

The Clear Water Ranche was located at French Flats, near the present village of Cowley, close to a mile and a half from the South Fork. French Flats derived its name early in our settlement history as a result of the large number of French Canadian and Métis families who settled there in order to take up ranching.

The Clear Water was operated under a partnership of Jones and Sharpe, two pioneers in their own right. The ranch was well known locally for its extensive cattle and horse breeding operations. The horse stock was being improved with two Clydesdale stallions named Atlas and Prince.

On the ranch, nearly 320 acres was fenced, most of which was utilized as pasture. Also grown was an annual allotment of 1,100 bushels of grain and smaller amounts of timothy.

The ranch buildings were extensive and well utilized. Featured was a log stable measuring 30 by 40 feet and complete with a loft. Farther down the yard were several outbuildings highlighted by a solid granary, a cow stable measuring 160 feet in length, and several sheds.

A solidly constructed 50-by-18-foot house, expanded during the summer of 1888, complemented the ranch buildings.

The Jones and Sharpe partnership worked well: the Clear Water Ranche was a flourishing success.

Each of these agricultural entities was well known for its cattle and horses.

Retail electrical supplies shown in ad for Riteline Electric in Pincher Creek

Local Stories Obituaries

Fire truck parked on highway surrounded by vehicles in swirling snow after a multi-vehicle crash near Pincher Creek.

Two hospitalized after at least eight vehicles collide at Cowley

Written by Laurie Tritschler on March 2, 2023. Posted in Laurie Tritschler, Local News, RCMP/Emergency Services, Weather. No Comments on Two hospitalized after at least eight vehicles collide at Cowley

Pincher Creek RCMP are investigating a series of multiple-vehicle collisions on Highway 3 between Pincher Station and Cowley, according to Sgt. Ryan Hodge.

Hodge confirmed there were a few injuries among motorists involved in four collisions reported near Pincher Station between 4 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. Thursday.

First responders closed Highway 3 near Cowley at around 10 a.m. Thursday, following a second series of collisions.

Hodge said it wasn’t clear exactly how many vehicles were involved in either smash-up as of Thursday afternoon.

Pat Neumann, chief of Pincher Creek Emergency Services, said at least eight vehicles were involved in the Cowley pileup, including multiple tractor-trailers.

Neumann said two people were taken to hospital with moderate injuries. One was treated in Pincher Creek hospital and later transferred to Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge, while the other was taken to Crowsnest Pass hospital, then airlifted to a Calgary hospital.

PCES on Wednesday evening attended a single-vehicle rollover on a stretch of Highway 22 near Lundbreck and a multiple-vehicle collision on Highway 6 near Pincher Creek, Neumann said.

Solar panel on ad for Riteline Electric in Pincher Creek

Hodge said charges are expected against drivers believed to be responsible for some of the pileups, as per Alberta’s Traffic and Safety Act, advising that the detachment’s investigation could last through the weekend.

What is clear is that many drivers aren’t driving to winter highway conditions, which Hodge said are notoriously treacherous between Pincher Station and Crowsnest Pass.

Snowdrifts had crept onto Highway 3 at Pincher Station by late Wednesday afternoon, but responding officers reported adequate visibility. Neumann said the highway was slippery near Cowley Thursday morning, adding that blowing snow had reduced visibility.

Text over a glass of beer and bingo cards on ad for Lions TV Bingo at Oldman River Brewing in Lundbreck

“People aren’t slowing down. They aren’t driving to road conditions,” Hodge said.

Mounties don’t believe drugs or alcohol were involved in any of the collisions they attended, he said.

Pincher Creek RCMP strongly recommend that drivers use caution on Highway 3.

“When you see a snowdrift on the highway, slow down and wait until it’s safe to drive around it,” Hodge said.

Charges may await some drivers in Highway 3 pileups

Written by Laurie Tritschler on March 2, 2023. Posted in Laurie Tritschler, Local News, RCMP/Emergency Services, Weather. No Comments on Charges may await some drivers in Highway 3 pileups

Pincher Creek RCMP are investigating a series of multiple-vehicle collisions on Highway 3 between Pincher Station and Cowley, according to Sgt. Ryan Hodge.

Hodge confirmed a few minor injuries among motorists involved in four collisions reported near Pincher Station between 4 p.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. Thursday.

First responders closed Highway 3 near Cowley at around 11 a.m. Thursday, following a second series of collisions.

Hodge said it wasn’t clear how many vehicles were involved in either smash-up as of Thursday afternoon. Mounties left the highway at about noon, he said.

Charges are expected against drivers believed to be responsible for some of the pileups, as per Alberta’s Traffic and Safety Act, with Hodge advising that the Mounties’ investigation could last through the weekend.

Red stars and Christmas decor on ad for Christine's Gift Shoppe and Pincher Office Products

What is clear is that many drivers aren’t driving to winter highway conditions, which Hodge said are notoriously treacherous between Pincher Station and Crowsnest Pass.

Snowdrifts had crept onto the highway at Pincher Station by late Wednesday afternoon, but responding officers said visibility was decent.

“People aren’t slowing down,” Hodge said. “They aren’t driving to road conditions.”

Mounties don’t believe drugs or alcohol were involved in any of the collisions, he said.

Pat Neumann, chief at Pincher Creek Emergency Services, wasn’t immediately available for comment before Shootin’ the Breeze filed this story online Thursday afternoon.

Pincher Creek RCMP strongly recommend that drivers use caution on Highway 3.

“When you see a snowdrift on the highway, slow down and wait until it’s safe to drive around it,” Hodge said.

Multi-vehicle pile-up closes Highway 3 at Cowley

Written by Shannon Peace on March 2, 2023. Posted in Laurie Tritschler, Local News, RCMP/Emergency Services, Weather. No Comments on Multi-vehicle pile-up closes Highway 3 at Cowley

First responders have shut down Highway 3 near the Village of Cowley following a multiple-car pile-up.
Pincher Creek Emergency Services announced the closure shortly before 11 a.m., citing the need to protect service members.

Details are sparse at this point, and Shootin’ the Breeze is awaiting comment from PCES Chief Pat Neumann as well as Pincher Creek RCMP.

PCES reported a multi-car collision on the highway at Pincher Station late Wednesday night. Shootin’ the Breeze is awaiting comment on that incident as well.

Emergency Services are recommending that motorists avoid Highway 3 between Pincher Station and Cowley.

Updated story available

Thank you, Pincher-Cowley Roaring Lions

Written by Shannon Peace on January 6, 2023. Posted in Community. No Comments on Thank you, Pincher-Cowley Roaring Lions

Roaring Lions make donation to Pincher Creek women’s shelter

Members of the Pincher-Cowley Roaring Lions Club recognize the important role of the community in providing women and their families a safe place when needed. Twice a year, the club donates necessary items to the Pincher Creek Women’s Emergency Shelter.

Committee leader Sally Rumsey, left, and club president Bonnie Gaetz-Simpson, right, recently passed along the fall donation to a PCWES staff member.

Tire on snowy road on ad for seasonal maintenance services from Fountain Tire in Pincher Creek

Three charged in Cowley break-in

Written by Shannon Peace on November 30, 2022. Posted in Local News, RCMP/Emergency Services. No Comments on Three charged in Cowley break-in

Three people have been charged in connection with a weekend break-in at a public works yard in the village of Cowley. A fourth suspect remains at large, according to Sgt. Ryan Hodge, commanding officer at Pincher Creek RCMP.

Mounties arrested the trio Monday on Highway 3 near Pincher Station, roughly a day after two men allegedly stole keys and hand tools from the works yard at 518 Railway Ave. in Cowley.

Two Fort Macleod men, aged 50 and 21, are charged with breaking and entering and possession of stolen property.

“There was quite a bit of property recovered,” Hodge said Tuesday.

Your Dollar Store is open now in Pincher Creek

A third suspect, a 21-year-old woman from Fort Macleod, was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property.

The 50-year-old suspect was in police custody as of Tuesday morning, held on a number of outstanding charges and arrest warrants. The second man was released Tuesday, following a telephone hearing through Pincher Creek provincial court. The female suspect was also released.

Hodge said Mounties are looking for the fourth suspect, another Fort Macleod woman who is believed to have been involved in Sunday’s break-in.

Hodge praised Monday’s arrests as the result of a combined investigation by the Pincher Creek detachment, Taber RCMP and Taber Police Services, Lethbridge Police Services and Fort Macleod RCMP.

“The only way to catch (the suspects) was to co-operate. We’re always co-operating,” Hodge said.

Christmas ad for Osa Remedy'sRx in Pincher Creek

Obituary for David Friesen

Written by Jaiden Panchyshyn on June 29, 2022. Posted in Obituaries. No Comments on Obituary for David Friesen

Born in 1929 to David and Agatha Friesen on a farm near Altona, Man., he grew up in a small farming community. One of his first jobs was to work for the Manitoba Hydro company and then at 18 he joined the RCMP.

One of his first postings was to Cardston, where he served with Rufus Goodstriker. He fell in love with beautiful foothills and surrounding mountains and vowed to retire in this area.

He was predeceased by his sisters Esther and Ruth, and his wife, Pat.

He is survived by his sister Alma Park, who is 94, and by his two daughters and their spouses, Shannon and Gordon Culham and Trish and Gerald Golbeck. Dave has four grandchildren, Cara and David Culham, Ryan Beckett and Jacquie Eden, as well as five great-grandchildren, Matthias, Markus and Eva Eden, and Katelyn and Braxton Livingstone.

All his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were able to visit him in the last two weeks before he passed.

Dave served with the RCMP for 25 years, spending most of his service time in the Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories. He became involved in his community wherever he lived. He also empowered the local Inuit people, helping to install the first Inuit justice of the peace during his time in Coppermine. He and Pat also initiated an Inuit co-operative for the selling of their artwork and furs.

Dave’s favourite sports were hockey, curling and golf. He even made a rough course on a sandbar in the Arctic when he and his wife, Pat, would golf on weekends.

After retiring from the RCMP, Dave served as president for several community sports organizations, the Yellowknife Curling Club and Golf Course. He coached the Cowley Lundbreck Weasels hockey team, co-founded the Livingstone Landowners Association, and served with the Cowley Lions Club as president and then as Lions district governor.

He was granted an outstanding citizen’s award this year by the Pincher Creek MD for his legacy in seeking justice for the Indigenous school children at Lower Post residential school in British Columbia.

Dave loved the great outdoors and was an avid fisherman and hunter. He took up saw-sharpening and framing as hobbies when he established his retirement home on the Dunmoovin Farm in the Porcupine Hills.

In his later years he enjoyed spending his winters in San Carlos, Mexico, and in helping his daughter Shannon on the farm cutting grass and making deer sausage. He will be fondly remembered and ever missed by his family.

He lived his life in fulfilling the motto on his RCMP uniform, written in French as “Maintiens le Droit,” which means to “maintain or uphold the right.”

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, July 16, at 2 p.m. at the Dunmoovin Farm.

Shootin’ the Breeze extends condolences to the family and friends of David Friesen.

View Additional Local Obituaries

Canada Day events galore!

Written by Shannon Peace on June 28, 2022. Posted in Community, Entertainment, Events, Special Days/Holidays.

Canada Day events in Pincher Creek

In Pincher Creek, Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village will host a day of family activities starting at 10 a.m. There will be a bouncy castle and traditional picnic activities, including a three-legged race, a sack race and an egg race.

Blue Rock Entertainment will DJ the event and Noel Burles will perform live music. Admission is free, and burgers and ice cream will be sold. A beer garden will also be available.

Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village curator Farley Wuth grins widely as he shows off his sparkly Canada Day hat. — Farley Wuth, curator of Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village in Pincher Creek, and museum staff look forward to welcoming a big crowd on Canada Day.

The day will finish with DJ Stu broadcasting live from the agriculture grounds on 103.5 FM, starting at 9 p.m. Families can gather to enjoy the music and fun at the outdoor venue that will conclude with a fireworks display at 11.

Organizers request that dogs be left at home.

The duck race along Pincher Creek and the Legion’s afternoon market have both been cancelled.

Canada Day events in Cowley

Cowley hasn’t held a Canada Day celebration since the country’s 150th anniversary in 2017.

“It’s been a long time since people have had the opportunity to actually come to a public open event,” says Mayor Barbara Burnett. “I think it’s long overdue.”

A large turnout is expected, with some people coming from as far as Claresholm and Taber.

“There has been a lot of interest in the village,” says Mayor Burnett. “Recent house sales have gone immediately. Within two weeks they sold. One even sold for $30,000 over market price.”

“We’re just trying to make the village visible,” she says, adding that the desire to make Cowley more attractive to outsiders, and to give the community more of a regional spotlight, were primary motivators behind the decision to host the event.

The festivities will start with a pancake breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. at Cowley Community Hall, where MLA Roger Reid and MP John Barlow will make an appearance.

From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., car enthusiasts can display their classic cars at a show and shine by the railway tracks across from the post office.

They will also have an opportunity to take part in the parade that will begin at 11 a.m. at the corner of First Avenue and Highway 510 and circle around the northwest end of the village past the railway tracks. Parade preparation will begin around 10:15 a.m. and registration is not required.

Mayor Burnett says the event committee extended parade invitations to the Cowley Boat Club, to a provincewide gun group known as the Alberta Black Powder Association and to all Cowley residents aged 75 or older.

The community hall will be filled with a variety of activities, including a market that will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a heritage display with historic photos of the village. Locals will have the opportunity to play cards and Rene Desjardins will provide musical accompaniment, likely country and classic rock.

There will be plenty of family-friendly activities, including face-painting, soccer and equipment demonstrations from Cowley Fire Department. The fire crew will also be flipping hamburgers starting at noon.

Children are encouraged to set up their own lemonade stands, and Cowley resident Norm Walker has arranged for free ice cream.

Canada Day events in Crowsnest Pass

Pre-pandemic events are making a comeback in Crowsnest Pass and Canada Day will start with breakfast and a parade.

From 8 to 10 a.m., folks can head over to the Coleman Legion for pancakes — $8 for anyone 13 or older, $5 for children aged five to 12, and free for children under five.

The parade will depart from Flumerfelt Park at 11 a.m. and pass through downtown Coleman. Entry applications are still being accepted.

Coleman Community Society Canada Day parade float — The Coleman Community Society, which puts on Canada Day activities in Crowsnest Pass, with its float in a past Canada Day parade.

From noon to 4, Flumerfelt Park will be a hub of activity, complete with a bouncy house, a splash pad and inflatable bumper balls. Guitarist Kevin Smith will perform live music and Harvest Spoon and Snacknhand will sell burgers, pizza cones and fries.

Cake will be passed around at 1 p.m.from 8 to 10 a.m.

The mini heritage railway train will be making rounds near the Canadian Pacific Railway line junction off 133rd Street, and children can take a free ride any time in the afternoon.

Crowsnest Cando has arranged for live musical entertainment in front of Roxy Theatre, located on Coleman’s main thoroughfare.

The lineup includes Tynan Groves, Larry Whan, Lani Folkard, Sarah Lillian,the Big Beat and On the Rox, with music starting at 1 p.m.

Raffle tickets will be on sale for a chance to win Roxy merch and a Canada Day cake.

Everyone is invited to visit Crowsnest Pass Museum to check out the newly updated exhibits on the second floor, or to stop by the Alberta Provincial Police Barracks to take part in Escape the Barracks, its latest attraction, launching July 1.

Share your Canada Day photos for potential publication to publisher@shootinthebreeze.ca.