By Michael Joel-Hansen

Year in Review: Top Events in Prince Albert and area

Dec 31, 2018 | 7:00 AM

As 2018 draws to a close, paNOW is taking a look back on the most important and impactful stories of the year, as selected by our reporters and editorial staff.

Prince Albert and area hosted some big events in 2018 covering sports, arts and heritage.

Perhaps the biggest event was the Junior Men’s World Softball Championships in July which brought in 13 teams from all over the world to Prince Albert.

While Australia  claimed the title there were certainly wins on other fronts.  

The event was a major boost for the local community with gains made in a number of sectors given the influx of visitors. The boost was was estimated at $9 million.

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The volunteer organizing committee also reported a very healthy profit of $150,000 once all the numbers were consolidated.

Perhaps the busiest businesses in town during the tournament were the city’s hotels, which saw over 3,000 room stays. This number did not include those who may have stayed at bed and breakfasts and used other accommodations.

The economic impact was not the only major legacy which the tournament left for the city. As part of hosting the games, the organizing committee oversaw some big upgrades to the city’s ball fields.   

Felix Casavant, one of the co-chairs, told paNOW the city’s facilities are world class.

“We’re leaving behind a beautiful park which is second to none in the world, with three fully-lighted venues equipped to put on any kind of tournament we would think possible,” he said.

Community members showed their appreciation for everything the event brought to the city by honouring the organizing committee at the 2018 Kinsman Sportsman Dinner.

Country music fans flock to city

Prince Albert also played host to the province’s top country music artists for the annual Saskatchewan Country Music Awards. in April.

Lots of hardware was handed out at the ceremonies, ranging from male and female artist of the year, to Night Club of the Year.

The ceremonies were held at the E.A. Rawlinson Centre with Jess Moskaluke serving as master of ceremonies. There was a number of different events put on as part of the festivities.

Organizers figured the whole weekend would bring around 2,000 visitors to the city .

Other events included a song writer’s café and an after-party. There was also a gospel brunch before the Saskatchewan Country Music Association (SCMA) held its annual general meeting to wrap everything up.

John Quinn, who served as the co-chair for the local organizers, said the the events provide a great opportunity to bring the province’s country music community together and performers have gone on to larger successes.

“We’ve got a lot of great players in Prince Albert who go on to bigger and better things,” he said.

National Park celebrates big birthday

In September a major attraction in the region marked a big milestone.

Prince Albert National Park celebrated its 90th anniversary. The park, originally opened in August of 1928 with a ceremony Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King attended.

Mackenzie King was given a cottage in the park, which still stands today.

One of the people who came to celebrate was Doreen Kerby, a retired teacher who spent decades visiting.

“It’s absolutely wonderful. There’s no better place to be. It’s just a haven,” she said.

The park is a big attraction and sees over 200,000 people come through its gates every year.

Chris Arnstead with the Waskesiu Heritage Museum said the anniversary provided the chance to recognize the importance of the regional asset.

“It’s a reminder to be thankful to enjoy the beautiful park,” he said.

MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn