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The party of the century

The hamlet of Jarvie was packed with people like never before last weekend as the community celebrated its 100th anniversary during the annual Jarvie Days festival.
Ain’t No Rodeo frontman Darcy Hjelsvold (left) sings while bassist Mike Hittinger strikes a pose at Westlock’s New Year’s Eve Dinner and Dance which served as a kick off to a
Ain’t No Rodeo frontman Darcy Hjelsvold (left) sings while bassist Mike Hittinger strikes a pose at Westlock’s New Year’s Eve Dinner and Dance which served as a kick off to a year of celebrations surrounding the town’s 100th birthday.

The hamlet of Jarvie was packed with people like never before last weekend as the community celebrated its 100th anniversary during the annual Jarvie Days festival.

For Jarvie Community Council president Ross Lea, you couldn’t ask for a better centennial celebration — it was the best-attended Jarvie Days to date.

“There were as many people in the parade as watching it,” he said. “I was amazed at the number of families that took part. It’s wonderful.”

There were dozens of parade entries on Saturday morning, mostly representing the long-standing families who have been in the area for generations.

Several local dignitaries took part, as well. Uniformed RCMP officers lead the parade, and were followed by Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock MLA Maureen Kubinec and Westlock County Reeve Bud Massey.

Kubinec said she was proud to be at the event, noting how important it is to celebrate these kinds of milestones.

“Our parents and grandparents came here and built these places. They made sure we had good schools, churches and businesses,” she said. “Now we get to celebrate that.”

Massey said it was “an honour” to be part of Jarvie for the day, commending organizers on putting together and impressive event.

“There’s something to be said for a community that triples in size on a special day; it means that people are happy to come home because they had a good experience here,” he said.

Dave Chatters, a former Member of Parliament for the area, was on hand to meet and greet at the Jarvie School Reunion, which was included as part of the festival this year.

He spoke very enthusiastically about Jarvie’s history and how unique the community really is.

“Jarvie has quite a fascinating story to it. In 1913-14, there was a camp down on the river with 600 men and horses and mules camped there building the railroad,” he said. “They had gambling tents and it was a really happening place.”

The hamlet had its own magistrate at one point, and is one of the few hamlets north of Westlock that was a railway grant and was therefore surveyed into streets and blocks.

And geographically speaking, the hamlet is unique in that it is one of the few places where highway, railway and river come together.

“It’s really quite something to see it turn 100, and I think as small towns decline there’s still more people in Jarvie probably than there ever were before,” Chatters said.

It was not easy to get a handle on how many people came to visit the hamlet over the weekend, but as of Saturday afternoon the guest book in the community hall had more than 350 entries — and many of those were couples or families in a single entry.

A glimpse through the guestbook showed just how far people travelled to take part. There were entries from as far away as Yellowknife, Vancouver Island and even Melbourne, Australia.

While the community’s centennial was the focus of much of the celebrating, there was plenty to do for festival-goers young and old.

Two bouncy castles were well-used next the baseball diamond where a slo-pitch tournament was taking place, and the beer gardens near the horseshoe pits were the site of many happy reunions. The show & shine next to the Jarvie Store attracted more than two-dozen entries, with vehicles dating back to before the Great Depression era.

Amidst all the celebration, it was apparent there is great optimism for the community’s future, despite the challenges faced by all small towns in Alberta and in Jarvie in particular.

Andrea Medcke, an area resident and community council member, said she sees a bright future because Jarvie residents are willing to work hard to make it happen.

“I think we’re going to grow,” she said. “There’s a lot of people who invest in this community, and there’s the older generation and the newer generation working together.”

She spoke of the amenities in the community like the new playground and a planned new kitchen for the community hall, as well as some other ideas that are still in the planning stages like a new hockey rink.

Massey said he could just look around at the hamlet and see for himself the effort and dedication the community members put into Jarvie.

“I take a look at the houses and the neatness of the yards and all that, and I think it’s a community with pride that’s going to sustain and grow.”

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