Plans are being made for a huge Castlegar homecoming celebration for the Canada Day weekend. 2016 marks the 70th anniversary of Castlegar’s incorporation as a village and the 50th anniversary of its incorporation as a town. It is also Selkirk College’s 50th anniversary.
Organizers are reaching out to anyone who has previously lived or worked in Castlegar including pioneer families, grad classes, past city employees, mayors, councillors and their families. “We are calling it Castlegar’s homecoming, but that includes Kinnaird, Robson, Brilliant, the whole area. We all share history together,” said Castlegar Homecoming 2016 committee chair Joanne Baker.
July 1 events will piggyback with the activities that the city of Castlegar already has planned including a pancake breakfast, festivities at Millennium Park and an outdoor movie. “We are asking council to make sure that any vendors that are involved be made aware that there could be a much larger group of people attending,” said Baker.
July 2 will kick off with a breakfast and will be followed up with both heritage and self guided tours that will take place all day. “We want to let everyone that hasn’t been in town for years to see what is happening in town,” said Baker. In the evening there will be a wine and cheese at the complex. This will be a ticketed event and will feature displays showcasing Castlegar past and present and the big changes that have taken place. Prominent things like the dam, Waldie Sawmill and the changes in downtown will be highlighted. Most events will be free, but a few, such as the wine and cheese, will have a cost. Preregistration and tickets will be available in the spring.
“Right now we are not sure of the numbers, but everyone you mention it to says, ‘we’re coming’, so I am thinking we are going to have hundreds of people come to town,” said Baker.
Organizers are looking for volunteers to help during the event for positions such as registration and tour guides. They are also seeking locations that would be willing to host an open house, opening their space to the public and allowing visitors to come through and reminisce. Sponsors for the event are also being sought.
“We encourage everyone to come out and attend, to come out and reminisce about the past and look at the future,” said Baker.
If you would like to become a volunteer or sponsor, or simply want more information, you can contact Joanne Baker at 250-365-3884.
