CHESTERMERE – The weather on Saturday, January 19th changed and it was a just a little colder than what it was in the previous days leading up to the Annual Chestermere Winterfest but it didn’t seem to deter anyone from attending the festival. The attendance at the Knights of Columbus pancake breakfast was far larger than the last year and so it seemed that way for all of the events for the entire day. The Chestermere Royal Bank hosted the Fishing Derby which is always a big hit. There were two main locations out on the lake for the derby and believe me the wind went through you like water through a sieve. Joe Leli from Watch Dog Safety and Security provided a fire, a huge pot of chili and a few ATV’s to run the RBC judges back and forth to each of the locations. Duncan Grainger was the Grand Prize Winner of the Eskimo Electric Auger. He caught the legal sized Pike at 63 cm, John Silvestro won the cash draw of $260, Joe Grainger (father of Duncan) caught a 61 cm Pike and won a fishing rod and finally Steve Silvestro caught a 60 cm Pike and won the 2nd fishing rod. There were 46 people registered for the Ice Fishing Derby this year which is quite a showing compared to 2 years ago which only 16 registered due to the extreme cold.
At the EPCOR Arctic Village in Anniversary Park there were Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides, a Snow Mountain Slide, a hay bale maze for the kids and a much enjoyed fire pit. Unfortunately the Kids and K9 Dash and Daddy Dash were cancelled. Pascal Hinni from Frozen Memories kept the onlookers mesmerized with his incredible talent carving up huge blocks of ice into astonishing ice sculptures. He makes it look easy, but you can bet he has an unbelievable talent.
Something else that is astonishing is the people who signed up for the Polar Bear Dip. Nine of the finest put their bodies into the frigid waters to raise funds for a good cause. YELL (Youth Encouraging Lasting Leadership) organized the event to raise money for anti-bullying campaigns in Chestermere.
The ATCO Gas Frost Free Zone was set up in the Main Hall at the Rec. Centre and they had a ton of activities for the children from crafts to face painting, a Balloon Artist, magician and Super Slide.
Perhaps one of the biggest draws was the Charity Hockey Game. The players were from the Chestermere RCMP and Fire Departments vs. The Wannabees. The game was dedicated to raise funds for Bradley Bruce, a local 14 year old who had a brain tumour that caused seizures before he was born. He had the tumour removed when he was 4 months old but it left him paralyzed on his left side. He has come through that ordeal pretty well but just lately he has having seizures that can last up to 20 minutes. His brother Nick played alongside the RCMP and Fire Dept. and local Tim Hortons owner Andrew Marriott donated $50 for every goal scored and $100 for every one scored by Bradley’s older brother Nick. Raffle tickets and a puck toss also contributed to the more than $2000 raised. Intermissions between periods featured Wacky Trike Races and a Shoot Out. Mom and Dad, Val and Stu Bruce, were simply overwhelmed by the generosity of the many people who came to support the Bruce family.
As the day began to wind down and darkness fell, the crowd gathered once again at Anniversary Park where a huge bonfire roared and lit up the night sky. Just minutes before the fireworks marked the closing of the annual event a number of children walked from the Rec Centre with their lanterns glowing and ending up at Anniversary Park.
A wonderful display of fireworks finished off a great event. The Town and its workers did a fine job putting it all together for everyone to enjoy and we’ll be looking forward to the one next year.
