Elks Float Questions About Parade’s Future
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(250 News archive photo)
Prince George, B.C. – Has the small community parade in cities and towns around the country gone the way of the dinosaur?
It appears the people who have put on the annual May Day Parade in Prince George for the better part of a century will get the definitive answer to that question in 2015. The City of Prince George celebrates its 100th birthday next year and the goal of the Elks Club is to join in the festivities by once again organizing a parade for the Victoria Day weekend.
However there won’t be a parade this May. It has been cancelled and to put it bluntly, the reason is very similar to what is causing a decline in membership in community service clubs around North America, a lack of interest and changing of the times. Locally interest in the parade has dropped off at City Hall, in the business community and among other groups which used to mark on the calendar the date of the year’s celebration on city streets.
The past president of Prince George Elks Lodge 122, Lawrie Meier, says “it’s coming now to the last two or three years where we haven’t had much success with participation. It’s been kind of a lack of interest in the city as well as at our own City Hall. We haven’t had a May Queen for about three years. We used to have a crowning of the May Queen with entries from girls in the schools but we haven’t even been able to get that interest. We can’t get any school bands, can’t get any marching bands. The only marching band we’ve had is the Legion pipers. And there’s just a lack of general interest from the merchants, you know, getting them involved. It’s just kind of watered down to the point where we wondered if it’s worth trying to make the effort.”
Meier says a vote was held on holding a parade this year and the question was voted down. “You know there’s a fair cost to putting it on so we decided to maybe shut it down for a year.” He says it costs about $3500 to put the parade on, with the bulk of that amount going to advertising “as well as a fairly small parade licence fee and we’ve always tried to give some money to traffic control.”
Meier says people are going to have to decide whether they want a parade or not. “If they haven’t been involved they’re going to have to get involved if they want this to continue. Years ago we had marching bands but there’s none of that anymore. I can remember years ago the City had a big float. They had a nice float but they don’t even have one anymore. I think last year and the year before we had trouble even getting someone, the Mayor or any members of city council to even attend our parade. They were all missing. I think too that its just the times, you know, a changing of the times.”
However Meier says it looks like the Elks will try to determine whether there is enough interest in holding a parade next year. “Maybe we can do something if there’s the interest, especially because it’s the 100th anniversary of the City next year. Maybe the merchants, I don’t know. It was a hard decision to make (cancelling this year’s parade). We’ve been going for 85 years. We’ve got our own floats, the Royal Purple float and our float, but they’re getting kind of run down and we’re thinking of doing something there with new floats. But if we can’t get other people interested in making a decent parade out of it, well, that’s kind of where it’s left right now.”
Meier says the Elks would like to hear from the City and any business people who may be interested in a 2015 parade. They can contact the Elks at their office in the Studio 2880 building or phone 250-277-2575.
Response will let the Elks know whether the current buzz about community spirit includes holding an annual parade in the years ahead.
Comments
A sign of the times I guess. I can recall watching a few parades when I was a kid. They were exciting and fun. Nowadays I guess all the kids want to do is stay indoors and play video games.
As an adult I sure don’t have any interest in joining a ‘service’ club…or any other club for that matter. I’ve found the few that I have been involved in too cliquey and plagued from internal politics. I’m not saying they’re all like that but my experience with them has soured my enthusiasm for them….
People spend all of their free time on their computers or smart phones. If you could make an animateited float parade I am sure people would watch it.
I don’t think the way of the parades have disappeared in all cities and towns. I think it all has to do with the people who live in it. Let’s take for example two parades that occur in Fort St John each year. One at Christmas and the other at Canada Day. The streets are filled with well over three thousand folks during Canada Day. Most definitely not because the city is small either. Vancouver has many and so does Calgary and Edmonton. This city needs a new parade celebration. There are a lot of young folks here who just don’t seem to be interested in the old May Day. Sorry if that sounds harsh but it needs to be revamped. Also to be in the parade I Fort St John it doesn’t cost a single thing for floats to enter. It’s a great way to advertise and it gets people out. I think the organizers should look to see how well parades work in other towns and follow suit.
pookerjams in right on. We watched the Billy Barker Day Parade in Quesnel last year and it was great. Lots of floats, fire trucks, bands, Key Stone Cops, etc; My guess is that about 5000 people lined the sidewalks to watch this parade. So it seems its the people of Prince George who have the problem.
As a matter of interest the Mayor of Prince George (Sherri Green) was in the Billy Barker Parade, in a convertible, waving to the crowd. So were Mayors from Williams Lake and MacKenzie, and I think 100 Mile.
I watched the May Day parade last year also. Not so good.
The May Day parade needs support from not only the City, but from business, and the people at large.
Younger children love parades and always have, so at the very least we should make an attempt to have the best parade possible for them.
Kudo’s to the Elks for keeping this parade alive as long as they have. Its now up to the rest of us to get off our butts and do something.
We still have the Rainbow parade! Weeeeeee!
pookerjams and palopu are right! I was in Terrace last year during River Days. They had a huge parade. Their park was full of concession stands selling all kinds of items and food. They had a big stage with all kinds of local entertainment and musicians. I remember thinking to myself at the time; what a difference in community spirit compared to Prince George.
Smaller towns and communities are having no problems getting parades and community events going. Prince George is another story! This city has been about money and business for so long… nothing else matters any more! This city has lost it’s “community” soul putting money first and people and community last!
Agree with pookerjams, Palopu and People#1.
There are more parades out here than one would possibly know what to do with. St. Patty’s Day Parade, Pride Parade, Santa Parade, Labour Day Parade, etc.
In the summer there is also some sort of street festival or carnival every weekend. Music, buskers, magic shows, puppet shows, car shows, cultural celebrations, etc.
It’s not just Ottawa where you find this stuff, it’s the entire region including the small outlying communities. There is a very noticeable effort put forth by cities to engage the people in the region and to get people out and about so they can enjoy themselves and socialize with others.
Times change. It’s not the 70’s anymore.
My father was a member of one of these service clubs, but they’ve failed to keep up with the times and be relevant to people… so guess what, they ‘go the way of the dinosaur’ as quoted in the article.
Another example of people not wanting to get involved in organizing events such as the parade or the Kelly Cup which has been around for about the same length of time.
You don’t read very well do you “Just Johnny”? Numerous regional and national examples of other communities holding festivities and parades were provided in the comments of others on this discussion thread.
All of those comments pointing out the fact that a lack of community festivities and parades are strictly a Prince George phenomena.
Then you come up with; “Times have changed. It’s not the 70’s anymore” as a reason?
http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/youre-a-special-kind-of-stupid-arent-you.jpg
Once again, Peeps, resorting to personal attacks to those who oppose your usual anti-corporate anti-capitalist agenda. Times haven’t changed in that regard, that’s for sure.
Peeps: “All of those comments pointing out the fact that a lack of community festivities and parades are strictly a Prince George phenomena.”
Are they?
From the article: “It has been cancelled and to put it bluntly, the reason is very similar to what is causing a decline in membership in community service clubs around North America, a lack of interest and changing of the times.”
So you just let the news article’s author do your thinking for you and “parrot” his words in your comment?
Good thing you never ran into someone like “Jim Jones” because he would be bedding down your wife within the day, and having you drinking purple kool-aid the next.
This place needs more independent thinkers and less sheeple!
I have no idea what the decline of service clubs have to do with parades. There are countless parades that have no service club involvement, let alone organizing them. So what people are saying is there are still lots of parades and community spirit in other areas and towns outside of PG. THAT has nothing to do with service clubs.
JB = toe the party line and propaganda (as long as it is your party)
JB = Gov’t involvement is good (as long as it means medicating people against their wishes)
JB = Gov’t involvement is bad (if it means giving money for activities that help the lower income earners)
JB = Pipeline good at any cost, environment and sustainable living bad.
etc etc etc
Peeps: “So you just let the news article’s author do your thinking for you and “parrot” his words in your comment?”
Um… It’s called ‘agreeing’ Peeps. Keep up the name calling, though!
Huh: “JB = toe the party line and propaganda (as long as it is your party)
JB = Gov’t involvement is good (as long as it means medicating people against their wishes)
JB = Gov’t involvement is bad (if it means giving money for activities that help the lower income earners)
JB = Pipeline good at any cost, environment and sustainable living bad.
etc etc etc “
Huh=Can’t deal or cope with people who disagree with her.
Why is it everyone that disagrees with your point of view is an alarmist or fear mongering? But people who say our economy will tank and our way of life will disappear if we don’t support certain pipelines isn’t fear mongering? Just showing your hypocrisy for all to see.
If you really want to know why parades are disappearing all over Canada . Read harpers bio in Wikipedia . Then read Justin Trudeau . Then read the bio of the leader of the strongest country in the European Union . Germany’s leader is a scientist . Pay special attention to education . Marching bands need their foundations built in schools . It’s shameful that because of lack of funding from every level of government they must beg for money in front of liquor stores selling raffle tickets . Way to go everybody . If our kids want to play music first they have to learn how gambling works . It comes down to leadership . Our leadership thinks our resources are our most valuable asset . Angela merkle thinks her people are her most valuable asset .
@Huh, again, if you can’t handle opinions and viewpoints different from your own, then I would suggest staying out of the comments section.
I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion. Why are so many like yourself so bothered by those who might see the world different than you?
A stunningly insightful and accurate comment made by Ataloss. Thank you for raising the level of intelligent comment on this discussion board.
Huh: “Why is it everyone that disagrees with your point of view is an alarmist or fear mongering?”
I happen to believe the world is full of people who for example, blame the government and ‘the system’ for everything or claim the sky is falling in one manner or another. Those types are great at raising a fuss, but not much else.
Some of those people are in this very thread! ;-)
Do parades bring tourism? How many of the events in other cities/towns actually do?
If they do, then why is our Tourism Prince George Society not working with other groups in the city?
Or does the city feel communities actually do not matter but for only a selected few?
It is amazing how many places actually work together for these events. Many do not do it alone!
The majority of events are done by volunteers and one knows how that works = it is always a selected few actually doing the work…
“JB = toe the party line and propaganda (as long as it is your party)
JB = Gov’t involvement is good (as long as it means medicating people against their wishes)
JB = Gov’t involvement is bad (if it means giving money for activities that help the lower income earners)
JB = Pipeline good at any cost, environment and sustainable living bad.”
LOL… Huh, you just described Stephen Harper to a T.
I don’t mind JB though… he just enjoys being the Ying of everybody’s Yang.
Prince George needs a purpose for a parade, and May Day isn’t it. Calgary has the Stampede, Quesnel has Billy Barker Days, Williams Lake has their Stampede, Prince George has nothing. They tried to steal The Vanderhoof Air Show (which had run successfully for years)! How far did they get with that? Just screwed Vanderhoof over, as I see The Prince George Air Show has flown off, not to return.
Prince George, get a great summer event that happens annually, and the parade will survive. Make it an event that people will come here from near and far. Simon Fraser Days was great, with the raft race and all. But it vanished because the volunteers got tired, it was the same group every year.
That’s my rant, enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Taxi
Sorry, one more suggestion, The Sandblast could be brought back along with Simon Fraser Days. The Sandblast ended because organizers started allowing real stupid stuff to happen, like coming down on a chesterfield, and all kinds of other stuff. People started getting hurt, insurance costs went through the roof. Bring it back as it was, skis and maybe snowboards, THATS IT. People use to come from all over for that event.
Taxi
Taxi I believe PG’s version of the airshow was called “Steal Their Thunder”
After a very long day at work, I thought that I would pop in here for a quick look at how to solve the world’s problems. This post stood out to me as my Father was a member of the Elks for many many years!
As I read the previous posts, I found as per usual that there were agreements of opinion and there were disagreements of opinion. That’s par for the course, after all we all have our own opinions and we are certainly entitled to them!
I read JohnnyBelt’s post at 11:41 a.m. post. He offered his opinion! He’s entitled to it!
Very shortly after, for whatever reason, Peeps felt the need to comment in a rather rude and belligerent manner, eventually providing a link to suggest to “Just Johnny” that “you’re a special kind of stupid, aren’t you!”
Peeps then follows this up with another comment, even more rude than the earlier one”
“Good thing you never ran into someone like “Jim Jones” because he would be bedding down your wife within the day, and having you drinking purple kool-aid the next.
This place needs more independent thinkers and less sheeple!”
Wow! I must say that although I have on occasion called Peeps to task for some of his rude comments, even going so far as to suggest that I consider him the bully on this site and suggesting that he has at times owed an apology to other posters, I must say that in my opinion, his comments this evening have sunk to a new low!!
Peeps, you are entitled to your opinion! You are NOT entitled to ignorant, crude and rude comments to other posters. Not everybody agrees with your view of the world and everybody isn’t required to agree with your view of the world.
If you had made those comments to someone in person instead of behind the anonymity that this site provides you, you might have found yourself staring up from the floor after receiving a good solid smack upside the hear from the beneficiary of rude comment!
Un-freakin’-believable!
A person of the “People”? Hardly!!
Oops, a good solid smack upside the HEAD from the beneficiary of your rude comment!!
Proof read before posting Hart Guy, Proof read!!
very interesting that Peeps can go around insulting people left and right and yet Gus is always portrayed as the bad guy.
Gus gets in trouble for being smart…go figure.
Bulls eye taxinapothole and Hartly 2. My dad says anyone who remembers “captain chaos” knows the truth!!!
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