Grande Prairie County Fair – 100 Years of Settlement

Grande Prairie County No.1 (Alberta First County) celebrates its 100th Anniversary of the Survey and Settlement on August 29, 2009 at Evergreen Park, Grande Prairie. The centennial celebration includes many events: free pancake breakfast, parade, exhibition, Centennial Cake cutting, Midway rides, lumberjack show, livestock & petting zoo, Ukrainian dancing, aboriginal hoop dancing, blacksmith demonstration, and many many more.

FROM SURVEY TO TODAY

Celebrating 100 Years of Growth
The survey of 1909-1919 created the last great agricultural land rush in North America as it made available for ownership new fertile land to prospective settlers. Until the survey was complete the land could only be squatted upon.

This was the beginning of successful agricultural operations in the Peace Country. The development of churches, schools, community halls, roads, railways, and eventually a city, several towns, a village, and hamlets followed.

The Old-time County Fair will pay tribute to the significance the survey has had on the development of the region right up until today. Part of the celebration will be to recognize the families who are still in possession of the original piece of property that was settled upon by their ancestors in 1909-1910.

I went there today. The parade and agricultural exhibits were not as splendid as Beaverlodge Centennial Celebration. Although there were many people going to the fair, I thought there should be more since City of Grande Prairie has at least 50,000 people in comparison to Beaverlodge’s 2000 residents.