Celebrating Canada’s 148th birthday since Confederation was a special event in Lavoy! There were kid’s games in the afternoon, followed by the annual Parade of horses, wagons and floats. This was followed by special music provided by Perogies and Jam in the Community Hall for their Steak Fry. Added to all this, the weather was terrific! It had rained in the morning (much needed so farmers love that) and it cleared up for a sunny afternoon.

Starting off the music at 4 pm were Soul Spice (Orest & Emily Kuly, Evelyn Newchuk and Carrie Withers) with songs including This Land is Your Land, Working Man, Your Best Friend and Picking Flowers. The Off Ramp Boys (Randy Kereliuk, Ralph Lange, Rob Hughes and Gordon Forbes) were up next with songs including Long Time Gone, Cajun Fiddle, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, and The Gambler.

Soul Spice sings us into our steak fry at #Lavoy #canada148 @perogiesandjam #soundcheck pic.twitter.com/u5n4OQYOqE

— Jacquie Fenske (@jacquiefenske) July 1, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsAbout 5 pm, everyone in the hall rose to their feet to join Don Harfield (our MC) in a rousing singing of our national anthem O Canada. Then the steaks, burgers and hot dogs started coming off the grill and the feast began! We were pleased to have honoured guests including Jacquie Fenske (recent MLA and now representing Community Futures) and recent Vegreville Mayor Richard Coleman in the crowd of about 200 enthusiastic supporters of this annual event. Roger Harrison from Holden was up next with original songs Comet Tails, Deep Down Breakdown and covers of Romance Flats and Rum & Whatever. Leeland Bachelet from Two Hills performed fiddle tunes, and songs from his recent CD “Memories” including Folsom Prison Blues, the Farmer Song and Five Foot Two. Challenging as it was to get all the announcements called for the steaks coming off the grill and have the draws for the three door prizes, the musicians were very accommodating and everyone enjoyed the toe tapping music. Don Harfield (with a little help from his friends Gordon Forbes and Rob Hughes) performed songs Alberta, Something to Sing About, the Last Saskatchewan Pirate and Farewell to Nova Scotia to add to the national spirit of the occasion. The Off Ramp Boys returned to the stage for a second set, joined by Leeland Bachelet, on Wagon Wheel and Faded Love.

Off Ramp Boys from #Vegreville at Lavoy Steak Fry. @perogiesandjam #canada148 pic.twitter.com/IWHkavuo0z

— Jacquie Fenske (@jacquiefenske) July 1, 2015

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Special thanks go to the Lavoy Community Association including Ken and Connie Baxandall, Kari Sokalski and the many others working the grill, the kitchen, the refreshments and the ticket sales. They made it all look so easy, but we all know it takes a special commitment and effort to make an event like this be so successful. Good job everyone!

Photography by Rob Hughes