Planning committee to direct Grand Forks’ 125th-anniversary

Plans are in the works for Grand Forks’ 125th-anniversary celebration, now tentatively slated for late summer.

A city council resolution Monday, March 28, established a planning committee chaired by festival co-ordinator Sarah Dinsdale. Dinsdale will be joined by Couns. Christine Thompson, Cathy Korolek and Everett Baker, all of whom volunteered following Mayor Brian Taylor’s request.

READ MORE: Geocaching adventure marks 125 years of the City of Grand Forks

Taylor said he was looking forward to participating in the celebration but preferred not to be on the committee. The civic milestone “reminds me that I’m in my senior years,” he joked.

Dinsdale said the committee hasn’t set a date, but a staff memo to council recommends that the event go ahead sometime between late August and the end of September. The cities of Nelson and Rossland, also coming up on quasquicentennials this year, have asked city hall if Grand Forks would be interested in “working together on a celebratory event” — quasquicentennial being the fancy word for one and a quarter-century.

The city has set aside $10,000 to pay for Canada Day celebrations, next year’s Volunteer Awards and for Dinsdale’s contract, leaving nothing specifically earmarked for the grand event. Dinsdale said the committee is looking to sign up community sponsors while it formalizes a budget.

The staff memo recommends that the Downtown Business Association, the Boundary Country Regional Chamber of Commerce and Grand Forks’ Rotary Club appoint representatives to serve on the committee.

The committee is meanwhile tasked with coordinating with local groups who are planning their own, smaller celebrations. To that end, council has sent the committee a small funding request from Geocaching enthusiasts Katie Slastukin and Camilla Dupuis, who hope to put on a special commemorative Geocaching challenge this spring.

Technically, Grand Forks hit its 125th birthday in February, according to a staff memo to the committee of the whole.

@ltritsch1
laurie.tritschler@grandforksgazette.ca
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