Council ready to celebrate

This spring and summer, the Town of Barrhead will celebrate its 90th anniversary and the opening of the soon to be completed aquatic centre.

The question is when and how many celebratory events there will be.

Whatever the answer, Barrhead town councillors decided Feb. 14, that they wanted to be part of the process and unanimously approved a motion, put forward by Coun. Ryan Warehime, to form a committee that would assist the parks and recreation department to plan the celebrations.

The topic of what type of celebrations was first brought up by Coun. Leslie Penny during council’s Jan. 24 meeting, when she suggested the possibility of a town sponsored logo design contest to commemorate the town’s anniversary as well as Canada 150.

The winning design would be used to adorn clothing the public could purchase to commemorate the anniversary. The matter was deferred to the Feb. 14 meeting so councillors could brainstorm and bring ideas back to council.

Coun. Penny noted during the Barrhead and District Agrena Society’s Feb. 11 aquatic centre fundraiser they unveiled a new Aaron the Heron logo that she felt would be appropriate.

Mayor Gerry St. Pierre agreed, saying it was very fetching and would be a welcomed addition to any clothing apparel the town would make available for its 90th celebrations.

“As long as there isn’t any copyright infringements,” he said.

Warehime then asked which town department would be spearheading the preparations and asked if a budget had been set for any celebrations.

St. Pierre said parks and recreation would be taking the lead in planning both the 90th anniversary and the aquatic centre opening celebrations.

Kathy Vickery, Barrhead Finance and Administration director, added $25,000 had been set aside in the interim budget for the celebrations.

Coun. Don Smith said a decision on the date and the type of celebrations would have to be made soon.

“I don’t think we can wait too long to decide when our party is going to be,” he said. “There are a lot of variables and a lot of coordination and things that have to be done, such as advertising, so we really need to start thinking of when we would like to hold any celebrations, especially if we want to hold it in conjunction with the aquatic centre opening.”

Mayor Gerry St. Pierre said although progress of the aquatic centre is progressing well and on target for the substantial completion date of April 4, it would be a few weeks yet before an opening date would be known.

“Within a week of that, they (Clark Builders) will start the process of commissioning the building, testing all the equipment and so forth,” he said, adding the parks and recreation department are planning for a tentative soft opening, pending changes, in mid-June.

Coun. Shelley Oswald said she would have the town’s 90th included as part of Blue Heron Fair Days in August.

“That’s what we did for our 75th. Maybe we could discuss it with the ag society, because with the Fair Days there are floats and other things to make it a real celebration,” she said, adding the aquatic centre’s grand opening and Canada 150 could be organized as separate events.

Warehime concluded discussion saying the committee, as he envisions it, would work along side the parks and recreation department in planning the town’s Canada 150, 90th anniversary and aquatic centre grand opening celebrations. He added he would be intereseted in sitting such a committee as would Coun. Roy Ulmer.