ELK POINT – The longest and best parade in years wound its way through Elk Point streets on a busy Friday afternoon, bringing hope and inspiration to a community that, like others across Canada, has been short on both since the mid-March COVID-19 shutdown.
The parade was “a breath of fresh air” one viewer commented, while another said it was “just what our town and citizens needed.”
More than 50 vehicles, floats and individual entries were in the lineup, ranging from a golf cart carrying Elk Point Chamber of Commerce’s promotional dynamic duo, Brian Poitras and Josef Theriault, to a shiny oilfield flushby unit and a gigantic crane, a tremendous turnout that prompted many watchers to comment on the length and variety of entries.
Four tow trucks, from a heavy wrecker to a ‘Cars’ movie lookalike, three antique tractors, two entries from Haying in the 30's, a beautifully restored 1928 truck and numerous other collector vehicles were part of the show, along with local businesses from Lakeland Realty to Play2Learn Daycare.
The parade was spearheaded by RCMP Sgt. Dave Henry, who said he was thrilled with the response to his request for participants, and that he felt the parade had definitely provided a welcome respite for the community after months of struggling to cope with the uncertainty of a worldwide pandemic.
“That’s what I love about this community,” he said after hopping out of a RCMP vehicle bringing up the rear of the parade. “Everybody wanted to get involved, and it was great.”
