COLUMN: View from the Legislature – Volunteers power summer fun

As any longtime resident of Manitoba will tell you, Manitoba summers are spectacular, but they are much too short. It is no wonder that families plan their time to make the most of each summer day before fall and winter set in. One way that Manitobans spend those precious summer days is attending fairs and festivals either in their hometowns or around the province.

Some of Manitoba’s summer festivals are internationally known and draw visitors from across Canada and the United States. Folklorama is one of those events. The annual cultural event held at pavilions across Winnipeg for two weeks in early August is a celebration of the many cultures that help make up Manitoba and Canada. It takes the combined efforts of hundreds of volunteers at these pavilions to ensure food and entertainment happen at several shows each day.

Equally as important are the community fairs that happen in towns and cities across the rest of Manitoba throughout the summer. While these vary in size and duration, most are really designed to be a time of community celebration, allowing friends and neighbors to reconnect, while also inviting visitors to share in the uniqueness of each community. These events cannot happen without an army of volunteers that spend months planning.

For young people in a community, these local festivals often form lasting memories. They become annual events that are anticipated every summer. Southeastern Manitoba has a summer calendar filled with these community celebrations. Steinbach recently completed another successful Summer in The City street party that takes place annually on Main Street and that features rides, music, cultural food and an outdoor Sunday service. Each of these elements relies upon hundreds of volunteers.

Earlier this month, the Mitchell Fun Days took place and featured a parade through the community, events throughout the day, an evening chicken barbecue and an absolutely spectacular fireworks display to cap the day. Volunteers in their specially marked shirts were busy at each of these events making sure it was fun and safe for everyone.

Later this summer Blumenort will host its annual fair day and later this month, on July 26, there will be a PBX Country Truckin’ event featuring music and food. All of the summer events in the region rely on the generous support of sponsors to help ensure that many of the activities can be offered free of charge or at an affordable cost for families.

On August long weekend, the Mennonite Heritage Village Pioneer Days will again take place. It begins with one of Manitoba’s most well attended parades down Main Street Steinbach. Following that and throughout the weekend, volunteers on the museum grounds participate in a number of pioneer demonstrations in addition to offering musical entertainment and food selections.

Of course, there is one thing that volunteers cannot change, and that is the weather. And this year’s rainy weather has posed a number of challenges. The wet Canada Day meant that the annual Steinbach fireworks display couldn’t happen as scheduled. But they have been rescheduled for Sunday Aug. 4.

Manitoba summers are short, and they deserve to be celebrated. As do the thousands of volunteers who make summer even more special by giving of their time at the summer fairs and festivals around the province. Thank you to each of the volunteers who make Manitoba such a special place to live.