LAC LA BICHE - Construction through the summer months in Lac La Biche won't only be digging up local roads and park space — it will also be ripping into plans for the community's longest-running annual event.
And while municipal officials say there is still time to work out the details, organizers and supporters of this year's Summer Days — an August long-weekend celebration that began more than 60 years ago as the Lac La Biche Pow Wow Days and Fish Derby — fear the annual community celebration is in jeopardy.
The start of almost $40 million in construction projects taking place this year in the community's downtown core and at the Lac La Biche Recreation Grounds will impact the parade, midway rides, baseball games, concessions and other events, says Lavon Fleming, the past-president of the association that oversees the event.
Starting in May, and running to the end of October, a significant portion of McArthur Park and the Lac La Biche Recreation Grounds will be closed to the public as a three-year, $7.5 million renovation begins. The park are has been the historic site for the Summer Days midway and baseball tournaments since the early 1960s. The renovations will include the removal of the current baseball diamonds from the grounds to make way for a more leisure-based area with walking paths, a skatepark, picnic areas and a town-square feature.
At the same time, a portion of Lac La Biche's Main Street from 103 Street to 102 Street will be closed for the first phase of a three-year, $31.5 million downtown revitalization project. Other segments of the downtown core will be affected by detours and traffic pattern changes this year.
Those changes will directly affect plans for the customary Summer Days Parade.
'Homeless'
With less than four months to go until the August 4-6 event, Fleming made a plea to Lac La Biche County councillors last week, looking for answers.
"Do you understand that this historic event is now homeless? There is no place for the amusement rides, there is no safe or appropriate place for the parade," she told council during the public input session of the most recent council meeting. "My questions to all of you is how are you going to fix this?"
While no longer the president of the association, Fleming said that like many residents, she is, and has been, a supporter of the annual event that highlights the community's culture, history and recreation opportunities.
Glue
"This event has brought us together through good times and bad. Many of you have had the opportunity to engage the event in some form or another. Many of you, your families, your friends and neighbours have enjoyed and built great memories from this event. This event is part of our community glue," she said, fearing that the construction projects and apparent short timelines to find alternatives will pull that glue apart. "It is exceptionally disheartening that with a few short months to go, because of council's decisions and an apparent lack of communication with the public, it appears our beloved event might be cancelled."
Darrell Lessmeister, Lac La Biche County's associate CAO of Recreation and Community Services, says he has been in contact with current members of the Summer Days organization since February. He said since the closure of the park and the planned removal of the existing baseball diamond from the grounds, other community groups have also been part of those discussions.
"We let Minor Ball, we let Summer Days, we let them all know. So we are working with them on alternative locations," Lessmeister told Lakeland This Week.
Despite his assurances, in a recent interview with Lakeland This Week, current Summer Days President Neil Timm said he had more questions than answers when it came to this year's event. He said the parade location and a suitable spot for the midway rides were still not known.
Lessmeister said municipal officials will continue to work with Summer Days organizers, sharing ideas and offering options — but allowing the group to have the autonomy to make its own decisions.
"It's up to them where they want to go," said Lessmeister, "but we are here to assist and help them."
One option currently awaiting further discussion is to move the midway rides to the municipal parking lot south of Main Street. Lessmeister said the municipality leases the property from a private developer. That developer has been asked if the land could be used for the amusement ride location, but a response has yet to come. He said other locations for the parade and other events are also in discussion stages.
Lessmeister understands the frustrations and concerns, but says the upgrades coming from the construction projects are vital to economic development and community growth.
"When you are doing any kind of construction project, there is going to be disruption on what you want to do," he said. "Like anything, if you want to make an omelette you have to break a few eggs — and we have to move forward."
As Summer Days officials fear they may be racing against time to plan an event they aren't entirely sure will happen, Lessmeister continues to offer assurances.
"We still have quite a bit of time. Summer Days doesn't start until August, we we are still working with the association and we'll definitely get it figured out," he said.
Timm and representatives from the current Summer Days board will be at the April 25 Lac La Biche County council meeting to give an update on any progress.
Finishing her presentation to council, Fleming said that municipal assistance and continued updates won't mean anything unless a new parade route is secured and the midway finds a suitable location.
"I can assure you at this time we are homeless. Work on it - but we are homeless," she said.
