With a mere four months to go before the party of the decade takes place, the Snow Lake 70th Committee took their seats for their monthly planning session. The Feb. 6 meeting was attended by chairperson Penny Roberts, Canada Day Committee chairperson Margaret Yoder, members/attendees Pete Roberts, Shelly Brown, Cathy Stabback, Leone Jackson, Keith Scott and Marc Jackson.
Ms. Roberts read the minutes of the January 2017 meeting and they were approved. It was noted that there have been 56 people register for the celebration thus far. A far cry from what is needed to hold the event, but it appears people are beginning to make their plans.
The chair reported on several things that have come together since the last meeting, noting that the committee has secured a lottery licence for their “Beer for a Year” raffle (prize of 24 beer per week for 52 weeks or cash equivalent) and tickets have been printed and would be distributed after the meeting. As well, Brad Gogal of Gogal Air will be offering 15-minute chopper rides in the area on the Friday or Sunday of the 70th weekend. Additionally, Shelly Brown will organize teen activities and Hudbay’s Donations Committee is currently looking at catering the 70th supper and will advise when a decision is made.
The chair called on Leone Jackson to report on the “Stake a Claim” initiative, which will entail signage outside every residence in Snow Lake denoting who had lived there in the past. Jackson advised that a group has come together in pursuing Cathy Stabback’s idea, and have designed a form that will/can be filled out with the names of all former residents at any given property in the town. The forms can be picked up from and handed in to Sharon Meuse or Mary Ann Otto. From there, the group will make the signs, laminate them, attach them to stakes graciously donated by Snow Lake Home Building Centre, and place them at the properties. The suggestion was made that the form be available as a download on the 70th website. It was agreed this will be done.
Following this Ms. Roberts advised that there was $520 realized from the “Paint Night” fundraiser and that Brittany Hilderman is currently in discussion with a business in respect to doing both a “Paint Night” and “Escape Room” in concert with the Legion. There will be more on this in the coming month.
Vice-chair Wilma Pockett has stepped down from the committee and as a result there is no one to do the “Memory Lane.” It was stated that if a memory lane was to be a part of the celebration, the committee would have to have someone committed to organizing it prior to the finalization of the event listing at the March 31 pre-registration deadline. Shelly Brown’s name was put forward for the vice-chair position and, upon the urging of all in attendance, she obliged and will step into the position.
In respect to t-shirts, the official 70th shirt will be included in registration and others of a different design will be available for sale during the event. They will also price some hats.
Chairperson Roberts advised that the Aurora Borealis Arts Council and the 70th Committee have secured Sierra Noble for the Sunday evening of the weekend. This will be cost shared between the two groups and promises to be an excellent event.
The lack of registrants for the celebration was brought up and the fact that it is hard to plan when numbers are not firm. The committee decided that a wristband would be supplied with registration and it would be required to enter any 70th sponsored activity. Since the time of the meeting, several questions have arisen in respect to the timing of registration and it will be revisited at the March 6 committee meeting.
Mary Ann Otto has offered to look after billeting; both those who wish to house people during the celebration and those wanting to stay at a billet home. She will be asked to find out if anyone would be able to accommodate trailers in their yard as well.
The final two items discussed at the meeting were preparations for the fireworks and youth activities. In relation to the fireworks, by law the fire department requires the beach area to be clear before setting up the display. The Canada Day Committee will post the area on Canada Day and all vehicles will have to be out of the beach area by 5 p.m. In regard to youth activities, vice-chair Shelly Brown will organize a youth triathlon at the beach, which will feature running the Lakeview Trail to the Government Dock, then canoeing to Anderson Point, followed by swimming or perhaps running back to the beach. At each interval, the team will be asked a question about Snow Lake before they can move on. “A little bit of brain and brawn,” says Brown.
The next 70th Committee meeting will be held in the Town Office at 7:30 p.m. on March 6.
