Diane Maxey
Dear editor,
Major kudos to all of the organizers of the July 1st activities.
It was amazing to see individuals as well as families enjoying various events, along with the food booths and performing areas. Seeing the Point Park active was a sight to behold, an occurrence which has not happened for many years. The weather was ideal and the event planners must have been so relieved that the excessive rain and gloomy weather had finally subsided.
I had the privilege of helping with the fireworks this year. The CanFire team from Winnipeg consisted of John McLaughlin and Emil and Yvonne Mahoric along with Dave Coats and Hal Mickelson from Fort Frances. Both Dave and Hal are licensed to work with pyrotechnics and how fortunate we are to have their expertise.
The other local volunteers were June Caul, who has been involved for many years, along with Jeff Savage, Willy Cole, Paul Forget and Brian Norris.
“Many hands make light work,” my grandmother used to say, and how true that statement is. The local volunteers were directed by the CanFire team regarding each task to be completed. It was so well-organized and efficiently run that I continued to be amazed as the day progressed.
Most volunteers stayed at the site from early morning to midnight. I have heard people say they have no idea what is involved in setting up a firework display and neither did I until I saw it firsthand, especially the calibre that we witnessed that night.
We got a 16-minute show that surpassed anything previously seen in Fort Frances. The sky was lit with dynamic colours and the configurations just kept coming.
Something new this year was approximately 30 “cakes” (multiple tube devices) which fired 100 to 600 rounds up to an altitude of 150-200 feet, as compared to previous cakes which fired rounds about 75 feet into the air. These were extremely powerful.
Aquatic shells were set off on the water’s edge and the reflection was amazing!
I have seen many July 1st celebrations in various communities, but none compare with ours.
I had no words—just goosebumps!
None of this display would have been possible without the incredible sponsorship of the following: the Town of Fort Frances, the Township of Alberton, Doug Kitowski Trucking, Causeway Insurance, La Place Rendez-Vous, Leon DeGagne Ltd., West End Motors, and Heritage Canada. Mega-thanks to those sponsors!
This was a show of which Fort Frances can be super proud!
Video and photos of this year’s fireworks can be seen at the “Discover Borderland” Facebook page.
For those who did not see the fireworks this year, I urge to not miss next year.
The team always needs public support—a huge “thank you” to those who did come out to enjoy the extravaganza.
We heard the cheers from our vantage point and were delighted that you were pleased.
July 1st, 2016 was truly a day to remember in our community! I am one very proud Canadian!
Sincerely,
Diane Maxey
Fort Frances, Ont.
