Christine Martin, a community outreach worker with Lac La Biche FCSS, says the annual Family Day event in Lac La Biche on Feb. 19 drew more than 800 people to the Bold Center.
An afternoon of activities and treats was served up for families to enjoy the provincial holiday.
“In a time when people are so busy, the Family Day event provides an opportunity for families and community members to gather together for play, food and celebrating such a fundamentally important element of society,” Martin told Lakeland This Week.
This year’s Family Day event featured a variety of games (including a scavenger hunt) and demonstrations outside that included fire starting, shelter building, and knot tying. Due to the lack of snow on the ground, wagon rides were offered in lieu of sleigh rides. The Plamondon-based musical trio Girlz with Guitarz put on a concert inside the Bold Centre Community Hall.
Those who attended Monday’s Family Day event were also given the opportunity to participate in Indigenous cultural activities that were put on by members of the Lac La Biche County Focus Indigenous Committee such as Bannock kneading, braiding, and moose calling.
Family Day also featured a chili lunch as well as cinnamon buns that have made in the kitchen by members of New Life Victory Church and served outside along with hot chocolate.
“The cinnamon buns, made and given out by New Life Victory Church, are always a hit,” Martin stated. “They prepared them in the kitchen as staff from the Canadian Native Friendship Centre prepared the chili lunch.”
The annual Family Day celebration is put together by Lac La Biche County FCSs with assistance from various community organizations. Martin said the feedback received by organizers has been very positive.
“It seems the people who attended really had a great time and liked all of the activities that were available. The weather was great too,” she stated. “The great thing about this event is that it involves so many groups from the community, so the work is shared, and it ends up being a great day of working together and connecting with each other.”
