You can feel the excitement in the air in Hanna as the 100th birthday of the town approaches. Starting Friday, Hanna will begin the weekend long celebration of the town’s long heritage.
With two days left before the party begins, organizers are busy putting the finishing touches on everything.
“We’re down to the details and making sure everything is handled. The last minute stuff is coming together. We’re decorating, setting things up, and putting together the registration packages,” said Sheila Taylor, treasurer of the centennial committee.
So far, there are roughly 2,000 people registered for the celebrations, with the majority being from out of town.
“This is a huge undertaking. We’re going to have an extra 2,000 people in town, so it’s going to take a lot of effort to pull off, but it’s going to be a great time,” said Taylor.
“We have a lot of folks coming back for the homecoming. It’s an opportunity for us to celebrate Hanna’s heritage and look forward to what the community will be like in the next 100 years as well,” said Gwen Snell, Hanna’s Director of Community Services.
To help prepare for the influx of old friends and some who may be new to Hanna, the committee is asking residents to help the town look its best.
“We’re hoping people put their best foot forward. Any time you’re expecting company, you want to make sure you’ve cleaned up, well rested for the party, and volunteer for a couple hours,” said Snell.
Much of the town is already looking great. Some community members had already worked hard to spruce up the public spaces in town for the Communities in Bloom judges who came two weeks ago.
The celebrations begin at 8 a.m. on Friday when the Community Centre is showing historical displays. There are quite a few events throughout the day.
Registration for the celebrations starts at 5 p.m. on Friday and continues throughout the weekend.
The centennial parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday morning, followed by the opening ceremonies at 1 p.m. at the arena.
“I’m really looking forward to the parade. It should be the biggest that Hanna’s ever seen,” said Mayor Mark Nikota.
The opening ceremonies will be attended by a few special guests. The honourable Colonel (retired) Donald S. Ethell, the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, will be representing the Queen. The mayor of Hanna’s sister city in Japan, Wake (pronounced Wa-kay) has made the trip out as well.
Mayor Nikota is looking forward to swapping stories with the dignitaries.
“It’s an honour to have the Queen’s representative here, it will really make the opening special. It will definitely be a memorable ceremony,” said Snell.
“It’s going to be interesting to talk to them [the Japanese dignitaries] and learn what life is like over there,” said Mayor Nikota.
There will also be a colossal cake for those in attendance. It is estimated the centennial cake has 2,500 pieces.
The remainder of the weekend is jam-packed with events all over town, including family dances, reunions, and the Rock n’ Roll Reunion, which features some of the area’s most talented musicians. Tickets for the Rock n’ Roll Reunion are sold out.
“The nice things is there’s something for everyone. There’s kids’ entertainment, face painting, bounce houses, the swimming pool has free swimming, Regional Community Services is open for the weekend, gospel concert, Rock n’ Roll Reunion, family dance, and the museum is open,” said Snell.
There will also be free showings of the movie Why Shoot the Teacher, which was filmed in Hanna and released in 1977. The free showings are at 7 p.m. Saturday night, and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
“A lot of people remember the movie and a lot were involved in it,” said Snell.
The celebrations come to a close starting at 9 p.m. on Sunday. At that time the closing ceremonies will commence, followed by the unveiling of the centennial sculpture, and fireworks at 11 p.m.
The centennial sculpture is shrouded in mystery. Bryan Pfahl (brother of centennial co-chair Karen Frobb) is working on the sculpture. Pfahl has worked on numerous movies designing props and made sculptures for museums.
“It’ll be in place for the unveiling. It is a really interesting concept. People might see it and say ‘huh’, but wait until they see what it does. You have to come at dark,” said Taylor. “There isn’t another one like it.”
There is one thing sorely needed for the weekend. The committee needs more volunteers to help make the weekend a success.
“If we had more volunteers doing couple hour shifts, it would certainly be appreciated,” said Snell.
“We’ll take volunteers for whatever they can give us. There’s all sorts of different things we need volunteers for, like security at the dance or greeting people at the historical displays,” said Taylor.
Those interested in volunteering for even two hours are encouraged to contact Doray Veno at 403-854-2099.
For more information about the centennial, visit www.hanna2012.com.
