Lac La Biche County’s natural beauty, rich history, and vibrant multiculturalism will be showcased in an upcoming celebration.
Called “Our Land, Our Life — A Celebration of Lac La Biche County,” the event will be happening June 23-24, with organizers planning a full slate of activities throughout the weekend. The event is being put on by the Lac La Biche and District Chamber of Commerce, the Plamondon and District Community Development Society, Lac La Biche Community Futures, and Lac La Biche County.
Event representatives Mel Kuprowsky, Don Turcotte, and Lorne Moen outlined some of the plans to Lac La Biche County Council members at a meeting last week. The planned events include tributes to Lac La Biche’s history, culture, and military service.
The celebration will kick off on the Saturday with the first annual Voyageur Canoe Festival, complete with descendants of David Thompson, Peter Fidler, Alexander MacKenzie, and Lord Selkirk — fur-trade-era explorers who helped make Lac La Biche the community it is today.
Moen said they expect 80, possibly more, canoes to paddle from Plamondon to the Mission, before ending up at McArthur Park. Organizers hope to make the canoe trip feel like 200 years in the past, with black-powder musket shooters and period-appropriate costumes.
“I think this event would be an excellent addition,” Moen said. “I’m excited and I hope it becomes an annual event.”
That afternoon will have a special military memorial service at Birkland Lake, to recognize the 15 fallen WWII airmen that are commemorated on cairns by area lakes. Relatives of the 15 pilots will be at the ceremony, along with mayors or representatives from the 15 hometowns across Alberta the airmen were from. There will also be members from legions along the Veterans Memorial Highway and personnel from Canadian Forces bases in Alberta, including 4 Wing Cold Lake and 418 Squadron in Edmonton.
“It’s a way to commemorate our downed fliers from World War Two,” said Turcotte, a member of the Royal Canadian Legion’s McGrane Branch. “I visited graves of Canadian soldiers in Europe — it’s so important that these veterans are never forgotten.”
Other events for the weekend include a gala to celebrate the community’s past, present, and future, a tour of Lac La Biche County, a birding and interpretive tour of Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park, and a Sunday afternoon skate with Montreal Canadien NHL player René Bourque, who was born and raised in Lac La Biche.
Kuprowsky added that the celebration would also be a great opportunity to promote the community to potential residents and tourists.
“It’s a showcase,” Kuprowsky said. “The more you look at Lac La Biche, the more you see that it is at the crossroads and centre of a lot of things. We want to make this community a destination — both as a place to live and a place to visit.”
County council members said they were excited about the idea, and agreed to help organizers by committing $15,000 towards the event, as well as providing use of the Bold Center free of charge.
