Duane Hicks
The local party for Canada’s 150th birthday started with a bang here Saturday afternoon during “SnOasis 5: Canada Alive!”
The free community event saw a flurry of activity at the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre, drawing well over 200 children and adults.
The family fun day once again had been organized by the Friends of the Fort Frances Museum, with participation from Rainy Lake Nordic Ski Club, the library and Friends of the Fort Frances Library, local yoga instructor Meghan Spooner, and the Sunset Country Métis.
“The event went beautifully,” said Sarah Marusyk, acting president of the Friends of the Museum.
“The weather was perfect and everyone on-site had a really great time, including our volunteers,” she enthused.
With all the snow that had melted away in recent weeks, Marusyk was worried the Rainy Lake Nordic Ski Club would not be able to participate this year.
“Luckily, we had just enough snow to groom a cross-country ski track in front of the library,” she remarked.
“It was so exciting to watch kids try out skis and showshoes for the first time.”
Jim Krag of the Rainy Lake Nordic Ski Club said the group was happy to take part once again.
“We thought the event was great with the biggest turnout yet for ‘SnOasis,'” he noted.
“The club’s new groomer enabled us to set a perfect track for the skiers,” he added.
Krag said it was “gratifying and inspiring” to watch young kids try out skis and snowshoes for the first time.
“Once our volunteers got them pointed in the right direction, there was no stopping them,” he laughed.
“After their workout, they enjoyed hot chocolate and roasted their own marshmallows over the fire to build s’mores,” Krag said.
Museum programming and events co-ordinator Lauren Hyatt was one of many volunteers at the event. And with it being her first taste of “SnOasis,” she was impressed.
“It was a wonderful event that brought the community together in a fun, free, and interactive way,” she said.
“It was wonderful to see the event so well-attended, and it was the perfect atmosphere to get to know members of the community and their families,” Hyatt added.
The Friends of the Museum offered a wide variety of games this year, including an obstacle course, “Mr. Dress-Up Relay” (where kids would dress up in extra clothes and jump in a wagon, which a
teammate would pull while racing against another team), a mini-putt course, tic-tac-toe, “Holey Beaver” (a hockey net with a cut-out beaver goalie), “Ice Fishing” (where kids dug in a pool of snow to find plastic fish), and a bubble-blowing station.
The group also served up its spiral-cut “Auger Dogs” and hot coffee.
There also were a couple of campfires going, where event-goers could make s’mores and (something new this year) roast bannock on a stick courtesy of the Sunset Country Métis.
“There’s nothing like making your own food over an open flame,” said Marusyk, who also is the youth representative on the Sunset Country Métis Council.
“A few people had asked for the bannock recipe so we’ll be posting it on the Sunset Country Métis Community Facebook page,” she noted.
“We had a young girl approach us with, ‘Hey, you’re Métis peoples,'” Marusyk added.
“I can’t describe how good it feels to have children recognize the culture and be excited to learn more,” she enthused.
Inside the library, there was face-painting, hot chocolate and cookies, “Storytime” yoga with Spooner, and the family movie, “Pinocchio,” at 2 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Memorial Sports Centre held a toonie swim at 2:30 p.m.
Marusyk noted the event also received support from the likes of the Fort Frances Times, 93.1 The Border, H202GO, Northwestern Health Unit, Safeway, Sue Bragg, and the Town of Fort Frances.
“Of course, ‘SnOasis’ wouldn’t be possible without our many eager volunteers,” she stressed.
