The Town of Bonnyville will celebrate 75 years as an incorporated municipality with family activities on March 18.
Hot dogs and s’mores, tobogganing, snow painting, bubbles, and sleigh rides will start at 3:00 pm. There will also be a 3-on-3 hockey tournament at the outdoor rink at the C2.
The town will cap off the celebrations with a fireworks display at 8:00 pm at Pontiac Park.
Bonnyville mayor Elisa Brosseau said that while the area was settled many years before, incorporation in 1948 was a turning point in the town’s history.
“There were settlers that were in this area long before 75 years, when we think of French Canadians and Ukrainians who came and settled here,” she said. “They came together and realized that we want to be a municipality, we want to work together and make our own local decisions together.”
She said Bonnyville’s municipal status gave the town official standing when dealing with other levels of government. It also encouraged residents to look at what they could accomplish within the community.
“That is a key message as we go through a rebranding,” Brosseau said. “We’re talking to stakeholders in the community, and that’s come out a lot—how much the community bands together when they want to see a project get going. When we need to do fundraising and when we need to come together to reach a goal, how strong that is in the town of Bonnyville.
“Part of that is because we have our independence as a municipality, showcasing that we’ve got strength within those borders.”
