The weather felt abnormal. It was a beautiful winter day with perfect blue skies and temperatures slightly above freezing.
For a winter that is considered one of the harshest in recent memory, it may have felt a bit odd but no one was complaining.
On Feb. 17, scores of locals took advantage of the seemingly abnormal winter day and headed to the Innisfail Arena for Family Day.
ìIt is a beautiful day. There are lots of people out. People are skating and riding on the tractor hay wagon. This is good,î said Mayor Brian Spiller.
Organizers had outdoor skating and the hay wagon ready, along with the traditional hotdogs and cold and hot drinks, but they also added a distinct Olympian feel to the day in honour of the Sochi Winter Olympics.
Inside the arena there was shinny while outside Innisfailians had the opportunity to enjoy bocce, a mogul run for kids, as well as a biathlon-type game that featured a giant tarp where young and old could throw a football through different shapes.
Russ Klemmer, vice-president of the Innisfail Kinsmen Club, said it was the 12th year his service club has been involved with Family Day celebrations in Innisfail.
ìIn association with the town we put this on with the food and pop that was sponsored by Co-op and coffee sponsored by Tim Hortons,î said Klemmer.
He said that Lee Kemp, a local Kinsmen and event co-chair, provided the hay rides for more than three hours by using the tractor and trailer that was donated by Kemp Farms. Klemmer added Family Day participants at the outdoor skating rink were also supported by the services of Little Jons' Portable Toilet Rentals.
ìThe town has really jumped on board this year doing shinny inside and doing outdoor activities for the kids. It is a fantastic time this year,î added Klemmer.
He said it was important citizens of the community have a day in the middle of winter to spend some quality time with family.
ìPeople are really busy nowadays so they need some kind of activity to get the family out and this is one of those things everybody can take advantage of,î said Klemmer, adding it was nice to tie in the Olympics with the holiday.
ìSome kids watch figure skating and speed skating and they want to come out and try that out on the ice.
ìIt has been crazy weather up until now,î he said of the unpredictable weather. ìLast year when we had this it was -30 C and blowing winds but we still had people out. Here we are and it is almost zero and we've had great crowds.î
