Civic pride shines through the responses from this year’s Great Drumheller Dinosaur Challenge in The Weekender.
The Weekender has been running the popular contest for years. Not only does the contest give locals and visitors a chance to explore Drumheller and win a prize, it also allows them to offer some feedback on all the valley has to offer. Ever year The Weekender reads these comments to learn about people’s experiences in Drumheller.
From one respondent, “Bernie and the Boys and the Noodle House rock my socks!”
This year the contest received entries from B.C., east to Ontario. While the largest numbers were from in province, this year Saskatchewan came in a close second.
As always, many of the youthful comments were all about dinosaurs, descriptors like “big,” “beautiful” or “awesome” were very common. The Royal Tyrrell Museum was often a highlight for many on their journey. So were the splash park, the World’s Largest Dinosaur and the dinosaur statues. A family from Cochrane, Alberta commented that watching the dinosaurs receive a fresh coat of paint was a highlight.
It appears the centennial of coal mining has raised the status of the mining history of the valley. One Winnipeg visitor expressed their appreciation of this aspect. For another visitor from Saskatchewan, Reptile World made an impression, stating “J’aime les serpents.”
Another interesting highlight for one visitor was their ability to find several geo-caches.
The service industry received kind comments, with a number expressing the friendly polite service they received at local establishments. One entry from Kelowna wrote, “Drumheller wins for its uniqueness and friendliness.”
The bulk of this year’s entries were local, and were overly positive. Residents were bursting with civic pride.
Many of the same comments from visitors were reflected in the local comments, including the fondness for dinosaurs, excellent service and of course “Timmy’s”. One commenter said they felt safe in the community and it is lots of fun in the summer.
Another local response was succinct: “Lovin' it!”
