Heading down to Canada’s Utah.

So I’m packing up to go back to my hometown, deep in the heart of Canada’s Utah to visit my family and take the kids to the annual town celebrations.

It’s always an interesting time when the town triples in size from about 2000 to about 6000 people. All the families and extended families return, regardless of how many generations removed they are from actually living there.

Tents, campers and various accommodations are thrown up in all the yards and license plates from Utah, Idaho, California, and Arizona are as common as Alberta plates.

The town was founded in 1899 by a joint agreement between the government, the Church, and a local coal company in which the church would supply labour and expertise in the construction of Canada’s first irrigation project. In return the church was paid half cash and half in land by the coal company.

The town is laid out in the Plat of Zion format and currently has 5 wards, it’s own stake center, another chapel, and a seminary building.

While I hated being an non-member in that town and I hate how the local membership treats my family who still lives there, I love going back for this event. I missed it last year, for various reasons, and in it missed riding on float in the parade for my 20th high school reunion.

I hope the fireworks are great and that my kids get lots of candy tossed at them during the parade.

I also hope that I can avoid too many conversations with the ultra-orthodox TBMs who drive me crazy and that I don’t have answer too many questions about my family (as there have been some dramatic events that have occurred regarding my SIL).

So if any of you Utah folks ever feel like getting away to somewhere that is almost exactly like home please come on up to the deep south-west corner of Alberta. :thumbup:

Just be aware that you’ll need to drive into the city if you want a beer since as it is a mormon town you can’t buy alcohol in the town limits (yup, there is a bylaw that states that).