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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).
What town is this and what activities do they have that so many people go at that time? You’ve peaked my interest. I’m assuming it is in southwest Alberta somewhere (since that was stated in the post). 😆 We don’t need a specific location, if you don’t want to provide it, since that might identify someone who is anonymous right now.
It is the little town of Magrath and they do all sorts of stuff. Rodeo, greased pole climbing, calf dressing (teams try to put pants on a calf), parade, lawn mower races, 5&10 km run, fireworks, family softball tourney, free beef on a bun, massive fireworks, etc. All families arrange to have their family reunions this weekend. So everyone comes back home. The parade had school reunion floats for 10, 20, 40, & 50 years. Basically the folks from the graduating class sitting on haybales that are on a flatbed trailer.
They also have the traditional cooking/baking contests and craft contests.
It really is just a weekend of non-alcohol induced fun (to quote a childhood friend of mine).
I think it is Magrath where my former high school band teacher went years ago. He was a fabulous marching band director. How old are you, and do you know Mr. C?
Old-Timer wrote:I think it is Magrath where my former high school band teacher went years ago. He was a fabulous marching band director.
How old are you, and do you know Mr. C?
If you mean Mr. Chatwin, then yup he was the band director my last couple of years of high school.
I was the Drum Major my senior year. Our field show ended with the band opening up as the bagpipes marched through playing “Danny Boy”. That sight gave me goosebumps then; great memories now. Mr. C left for Magrath a few years after I graduated from Payson. The marching band never was the same after he left.
Did you know Ingrid, by chance? She was the youngest one I knew well.
It’s a small world after all . . . here at the old folks home.
No, I’ve never really got to know his family. After I graduated I got out of town asap 
Is it the Cardston area? We go over to Edmonton every other year for Holiday, as I have family there (brother married a local girl) and they talk about the Cardston area as being very churchy.
One day we will drive down from Edmonton to Utah and take in Cardston, we love Alberta btw.
brit-exmo wrote:Is it the Cardston area?
We go over to Edmonton every other year for Holiday, as I have family there (brother married a local girl) and they talk about the Cardston area as being very churchy.
One day we will drive down from Edmonton to Utah and take in Cardston, we love Alberta btw.
Yes, Cardston is one of the nearby (in Canadian terms, about 45km) towns that is heavily LDS.
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