A special day on Wednesday as four major donors to the Canada 150 Legacy Trail were celebrated at a luncheon.

The Legacy Committee has raised just under $170,000 of their $192,000 goal to finish paving the Happy Trails.

Duncan Scott says hopefully in 50 years residents will celebrate and build on what they have done.

'The project itself is designed to leave a legacy," said Scott. "We hope by doing this we leave a legacy. We pay our respects to the people that went before us and try to inspire the people that will come after us."

Scott says an example is the new bandstand in George Lane Park which is actually an old bandstand, which was a Centennial Project of what was then the active club.

"Hopefully some of the people who are young now, like I was in 1967, can remember what we did now and translate that going forward in the future for the bicentennial."

Four major donors included the High River Hospital Foundation with $15,000; Western Financial Group with $10,000 and Canadian Tire adding another $10,000.

The largest single donation came from Alex and Bonnie Barnetson from B.C. who donated $120,000 on behalf of the Pickersgill family.

Bonnie's mother was a member of the Pickersgill family and they have brought their children here at least once a year while they were growing up for family reunions and to spend time with their extended family.

Last summer Barnetson went for a bike ride with his cousin Cathy Couey who showed him the unfinished portion of the Happy Trails that is the Legacy Project.

"I went home and said this is a great way to finally recognize the contributions of the Pickersgill family to the community of High River," said Barnetson. "As well as recognize the community of High River for everything they have done for our family.  And they truly have been the village that have helped up raise our kids and have made an incredible mark on them."

Ryan Jago owner of Canadian Tire in High River said they were looking for a funding initiative for their Jump Start project.

"For us there was a big funding initiative for our Jump Start program so we were looking for something that would help us impact the community, not only on a longevity perspective, but from a usability perspective as well. We thought that the Happy Trails combined both of those, encouraging people to get outdoors and exercise and it can be used by people of all ages. So it fit right in the realm of what we wanted to do with Jump Start."

Jago adds he and his wife have been in the community for two years now and the Happy Trails has been a big part of what they enjoy.

"One of the first things we were introduced to in terms of going around town and making sure we saw every corner we could was the Happy Trails and it didn't take long before you realize how many people in town enjoy it."

Dena Degrofft, manager of marketing and communication with Western Financial Group said the Legacy Project fit very well with the community foundation.

"It has a big influence in our community when it comes to education and physical activity," said Degrofft.

She adds it ties in nicely with the foundation and personally she is looking forward to the Happy Trails being complete because she runs on it almost every day.

The committee will be putting the project out to bid in the spring and hope to have it all finished next summer.

 

If you see something we should know about e-mail us at news@highriveronline.com