Airdrie City View Friday, July 10, 2009 - 11
Airdrie parade results:
Best Overall Float: Star Baton and Dance Commercial Float: 1. Green Acres Kennel 2. Explosive Sound 3. ATB Commercial Decorated Officer: 1. Action Auger 2. Fortis 3. Moore’s Landscaping Commercial Non-decorated Auto: 1. City Wide Towing and Recovery Service 2. Sunny’s Crane Inc. 3. Airdrie Towing and Recovery Community Organizations and Clubs Floats: 1. Airdrie Food Bank 2. Scouts Canada 3. Stephen’s Backpacks Community Organizations and Clubs Decorated Autos: 1. Doxies Ruby Reds/Airdrie Red Hat Society 2. Airdrie Meals on Wheels 3. Alberta 55 Plus Games Community Organizations and Clubs Nondecorated Autos: 1. Shriners Horse and Riders – Riding Groups vs Clubs 1. Women of the Wild West 2. Calgary Regional Trail Riders 3. Windy Ridge Trail Riders Horse and Wagon Commercial 1. Cam Clark Ford Sales – Express Clydesdales 2. Calgary Stampede Promotion Committee 3. Gold’s Gym Horse and Wagon – Community Club/Group 1. Airdrie Horticultural Society 2. Airdrie Lioness Club 3. Community Links Classic Cars 1. Derek Eccles - 1970 MUSTANG 2. Kevin Brisbin - 1926 FORD 3. Dale Thiessen - Homemade Model T Antique Automobiles 1. Gord Oakford - 1952 Chev 5 Window Pick Up 2. Nosecreek Museum - Williams Moving Graham 1928 Pick Up 3. Edwin Zeiler - 1952 Fargo Tractors 1. Lloyds 2. Nosecreek Museum 3. Robyn Jones Marching Bands 1. Cochrane Men of Vision 2. Allegiance Elite 3. Navy League Band Bands (Non Marching) 1. Storm Band
COVY MOORE/Rocky View Publishing
PARADE DAY - (Clockwise from top left) Airdrie Edge Gymnastics was represented by young athletes showing off their skills in Airdrie’s Canada Day parade... Stephen McPhee of Stephen’s Backpacks Society was all smiles in the parade... This entry from the Navy League was one of a number of bands that took part in the parade... One of the more ingenious entries saw a man drive a bubbleproducing bathtub along the parade route... Bagpipes were also out in full force, entertaining the thousand of people who lined the streets... Airdrie-Chestermere MLA Rob Anderson tosses some candy into the crowd... Ron Simon, of Ronnie and the Fixations, sang the centennial song he wrote for Airdrie during the Canada Day parade.
Airdrie’s 2009 Canada Day Parade the best ever
STACIE SNOW Rocky View Publishing This year’s Canada Day parade in Airdrie was the biggest ever, with more than 110 entries and thousands of spectators. “My mind was just spinning,” said Maureen Ivan, parade director with the Airdrie Rodeo Association. “It was more than two hours from start to finish. It was phenomenal.” Ivan attributed the large turn out to the fact that residents wanted to celebrate 100 years of Airdrie. “One thing is for certain, we have to look into changing the parade route to make it bigger,” said Ivan. RCMP and Airdrie Emergency Services had to help re-route the parade up a back
“I was very proud there were no breaks because we had a number of aspects that made it move smoothly; great volunteers, good weather and help from municipal officials to re-route traffic.”
MAUREEN IVAN Parade Director, Airdrie Rodeo Association alley near A&W when participants finished the route before everyone was out of the gates. “It was the biggest parade I have seen since I became involved in 1994,” said Ivan. “I was very proud there were no breaks because we had a number of aspects that made it move smoothly; great volunteers, good weather and help from municipal officials to re-route traffic.” She added that although the parade was bigger than ever, there was a lack of volunteers this year. “We had about 26 people helping out but that is less than usual,” she said. “Last year we had a lot but this year with the 55 Plus Games and the centennial celebration people get volunteered out and they have to pick and choose where to give their time. Overall, we had terrific support from the community.”
She said another important component of the parade’s success was the fact that she was able to solidify a number of bands this year. “It was an opportunity that was missed in the past because bands are in competitions around the province or they are preparing for the Stampede parade so it was great to have as many bands as we did. People really liked it,” she said. Bands in the parade included Allegiance Elite, Cochrane Men of Vision Pipe Band, local rock band Storm, The Prairie Mountain Fiddlers and the Navy League Band. Ivan is looking forward to planning next year’s parade and is hoping it will be another record-breaking Canada Day. ssnow@airdrie.greatwest.ca