PLAMONDON - On March 8, people in Plamondon were enjoying activities offered at the annual Chapelle’s Family Fun Day.
The event was hosted by the Historical Chapelle Society of Plamondon. The group was formed two decades ago to highlight the significance of the small, white church in Plamondon, which was built in 1911.
The free event got underway at 2 p.m. at the Chapelle historical site in Plamondon, located southeast of St. Isadore Catholic Church. The grounds are home to the historic church, as well as an enclosed pavilion.
This year’s edition of Chapelle’s Family Fun Day featured outdoor games for kids, scavenger hunts, arts and crafts and colouring, as well as a fire pit to roast hot dogs and marshmallows. People could also explore and get tours of the old church.
Hope Higgins, the vice president of the Historical Chapelle Society of Plamondon, said the group hosts the Family Fun Day every year to bring the community together and build relationships, but also to remember the past, while celebrating the future.
“Community events are one of the corner stones of our little hamlet and the Family Fun Day is just a piece of it,” Higgins told Lakeland This Week. “Building new memories and hearing the stories of others, spending the day with your family, hearing the laughter of all the kids running around, the crackling of the bonfire, you truly can’t beat it.”
Since moving to Plamondon, Higgins said she fell in love with the little church, as known by its French term ‘chapelle,’ as it reminds her of simpler times.
Regarding future plans for the chapelle, Higgins said the goal of the historical society is to create a community space for everyone to enjoy year-round.
“With each event or new addition, our goal is to build on to our history and make the chapelle . . . a key feature to our hamlet,” she said.
Shanda Cardinal was with her sister, Cherise Marko, along with their children, at the March 8 event.
“The best is getting the kids outside and I don’t have to make my own scavenger hunt,” she said, with a smile. She also believes it’s important for people to understand the significance of local historical landmarks, such as the chapelle.
