Sedgewick Celebrates Queen’s Jubilee and Main Street Park Grand Opening

The Town of Sedgewick held the grand opening of their new Main Street Park during a Diamond Jubilee celebration, on Tuesday, Aug. 14.
The festivities started with Ralph Storbakken and Friends band playing music from the era of the Queen’s coronation in 1952.
A Legion colour party led two carriages, one holding special guests of honour Lieutenant Governor of Alberta the Honourable Donald Ethell and his wife Linda as well as his Aide-de-Camp, RCMP Inspector Karen Simon; and the other carriage carrying Sedgewick Mayor Helen Whitten and husband Bert.

The carriages were driven by Roger Ferrier and Ted Djos for the occasion.
After the singing of O Canada, and God Save the Queen, Sedgewick CAO Amanda Davis introduced Mayor Whitten.
Whitten began by saying, “It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to our community.”
Whitten said that when Sedgewick’s Town Council received word that they had qualified for a grant for a Jubilee celebration, they wanted to make it a community celebration, “We extended invitations to all our neighbours, and the county,” she said, “and I’m happy to see you here. Welcome.”
Whitten gave a short history of the main street park, saying, “A devastating windstorm destroyed some of the trees, and council decided to have the park rebuilt.”
She praised the services Rockwater Land provided for the park’s renovation, and welcomed one of the principals attending the celebration with his family.
Whitten also praised public works employees Trent Langton and Daryl Johnson, who also helped with the park, moving rocks and boulders and hand placing them in the new park.

Whitten said that Council had originally planned to hold a tree planting ceremony, but decided later to plant a more mature tree for the occasion.
“We wanted something distinctive, that would be one-of-a-kind,” she said.
Council decided on a Hawthorne tree, Whitten explained that it is the same family as the Glastonbury thorn, a tree that also appears in Buckingham Palace, the Queen’s residence.
“The white flowers are said to be a token of spring,” Whitten added, “and I’m looking forward to our tree bathed with white flowers in spring.”

Read more in the August 21 Edition of The Community Press, on newsstands now!