For the Village of Standard, 2022 was a momentous year as the village celebrated its 100 year, and completed a number of infrastructure projects including bringing reliable, high-speed internet access to village residents and providing residents with new recreation opportunities.
The village began its centennial celebrations on the actual date of its incorporation at the end of April with cupcakes, and a demonstration using time period accurate equipment and horses to seed a field near the site of the former Standard School. A centennial celebration was held in August which brought the community together to reminisce and celebrate the history of the village with numerous activities throughout the day. During this celebration, the field seeded in April was harvested, again using period accurate equipment, and the public was welcomed to lend a hand. The celebration wrapped up with a roast beef dinner and musical performances by Aaron Krabsen and the Cat Country Band.
In preparation for the centennial celebrations, the Standard Community Facility Enhancement Society, who takes care of the village’s walking path known as Memory Lane, completed construction of enclosed picnic shelter and bathrooms along the walking path along with the interior of one of the prominent features of Memory Lane, an original CP Rail caboose.
Work was also completed on the Broadway project over the summer which saw water, sewer, pavement and sidewalks replaced along the village’s main street core, known as The Broadway.
The Standard Ag Society was also busy with preparations, installing hockey boards and puck nets around its outdoor rink and connecting to LiveBarn, which will allow residents and other subscribers to watch events at the indoor rink both live and on demand.
Final remnants of the former Standard School, which was demolished in late 2019, were cleared away from the site over the summer. The site, which includes an open field, playground, baseball diamond, and track area, was officially declared Centennial Park in August; the open field is where the centennial celebration crop was planted and harvested. Local artist Whitney Sommerfeldt designed a sign for the park, which was then manufactured by D-Alta.
Work was completed by Connect Mobility to bring high speed, reliable internet service to the Standard area. This service is available to residents within the village, as well as some acreages in the surrounding areas. Council approved the project in late 2021 and says it was made possible through Wheatland County’s Infrastructure Grant Fund. With services already available, it is hoped this infrastructure network can be expanded to reach more acreages.
