Under the beautiful sunny skies and scorching temperatures, the Good Life Institute held its Celebration of Vermilion and Multiculturalism on June 29. While the event is not called Canada Day, it serves as an early start to many Canada Day celebrations held in other communities around the area.
The day promised numerous fun activities throughout, and it did not disappoint. The festivities began with an early morning pancake breakfast (7 a.m. - 10 a.m.) prepared by the Vermilion Library and its board members. The breakfast offered pancakes, sausage, and an array of fresh fruits for the price of $10 per plate. The funds raised from the breakfast will go directly to the elevator project, as the Library aims to install an elevator to make the basement area more accessible for its patrons, as most of their special events are located on the lower floor. Approximately 200 community members flocked to the Vermilion Fire Hall during the three-hour breakfast to partake in the 2nd Annual Library Pancake Breakfast.
Anna Geisbrecht, treasurer for the Library, was ecstatic to see everyone supporting the library and noted, “Having a wonderful board that is willing to step in and do whatever tasks have been asked of them makes all the difference.”
Library board member and Councillor Kirby Whitlock cheerfully flipped pancakes and commented that the elevator will open up the library and make it even more accessible to seniors and people with disabilities. “Libraries are so important for families in the area; they provide many services. Thank you to the community for coming out and supporting the library, and to the library team for helping out; go team,” said Whitlock.
For lunch, attendees had the option to choose from various options. From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Western Financial held a pork-on-a-bun lunch with a drink for $6 for one or $10 for two pork-on-a-bun sandwiches and a drink. The proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Vermilion Seniors Centre. The Playhouse Daycare also offered a lunch, serving a Taco in a bag for $5 to raise money for their daycare.
Throughout the day, there were plenty of activities and entertainment. Kids enjoyed bouncing on the huge inflatable bouncers, and Vermilion Is Being Empowered (VIBE) organized many children’s activities.
The famous Bucket Brigade water relay started at noon with eight teams vying for the number one spot. The Town of Vermilion team emerged victorious for the 4th year in a row, beating out Cornerstone Co-op.
The dunk tank was another success, with attendees enjoying the opportunity to dunk Town of Vermilion Councillor Paul Conlon and J.R. Robson physical education teacher Mr. Woodward.
The open stage, held at the Copper Cork, once again drew crowds who delighted in watching young members of the community perform musical acts, including an Elvis Presley impersonator.
In the evening, starting at 5 p.m., the Taste of Vermilion provided attendees with the opportunity to sample food from local restaurants while enjoying the beer gardens and entertainment, including dances from the Onion Lake Indigenous Dancers and a Chinese dance. At 7 p.m., the band Flatland Beer Bandits entertained the crowd, while children had the opportunity to watch a kids’ movie upstairs in Craig’s Cornerstone building. Throughout the day there were many sidewalk sales and vendors for attendees to peruse and purchase from.