TRACK WATCH July 2021
MILLARVILLE RACING & AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
OUR VISION: MILLARVILLE RACING & AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY IS DEDICATED TO BUILDING COMMUNITY SPIRIT.
OUR MISSION: MILLARVILLE RACING & AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY PROVIDES AUTHENTIC FAMILY EXPERIENCES AND EXCEPTIONAL FACILITIES WHICH CELEBRATE OUR AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE, INSPIRING A SENSE OF BELONGING FOR OUR COMMUNITY
OFFICE HOURS Starting June 15th Tuesday- Saturday, 10am – 2pm For all general inquires please email [email protected] and for all market related matters [email protected] www.millarvilleracetrack.com – 403.931.3411
Dear MRAS Members,
I hope that you have had the opportunity to visit our Saturday farmer’s markets already, if not please join us from 9am to 2pm each Saturday until October. The first two markets were a great success. Thank you to Melonie and the market committee for all your hard work. We are looking for volunteers to help run the gate, which is by donation. If you are interested in volunteering at the market gate, please contact Colina Clark: [email protected]
As we enter July and as the Provincial health restrictions reduce, we will be adding more vendors to the markets plus more picnic tables and musical accompaniments. We will also be re-opening the hall and quonset for meetings and rentals. After 16 months of virtual meetings, we are all looking forward to “physically” seeing each other again. We look forward to welcoming you back to your MRAS and seeing our facilities fully utilized again. Office opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 2pm from June 15th onwards. Jake Braconnier has returned and looks forward to being of assistance for any enquiries.
For the campground, reduced restrictions will mean the provision of water and the allowance of tenting beginning in July. Thanks again to Brad and Sharon Ward, our campground hosts, for your support this season. There are still some spots available at the campsite this summer, you can book online at: https://www.campspot.com/book/millarvillecampground
In June we enjoyed the first of our MRAS Cowboy Challenge fun days, a huge thanks to Sylvia Checkley and Hoagey Hill for arranging these. Our 6-year-old son Dominic had a wonderful time being a “real” cowboy for the afternoon! The photograph accompanying this letter shows Sylvia, Nancy, Dominic and myself after our cowboy challenge adventure. Please contact Nancy Seaman at [email protected] for all enquiries relating to riding memberships or equine bookings.
On July 10th, the Honorable Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry will be coming to MRAS to present us with our innovation award. If you are interested, you can come and watch the presentation at 9:45am in the marketplace gazebo.
A reminder that there will be no races on July 1st this year. Some dates for your calendar for the summer are:
June 19 – October 9: Farmer’s Market, Saturdays 9am – 2pm August 6: Golf Tournament at Turner Valley Golf Course August 21 & 22: 114th Priddis & Millarville Fair September 10-12: Chuckwagon and Chariot Races
Wishing you a wonderful summer, stay cool!
Anna De Paoli
President
2021 MRAS
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
Anna De Paoli President
Barb Parker
Vice President
Brent Foster Treasurer
Patt Peterson
Secretary
Sylvia Checkley Director
Colina Clark Director
Darcie Jensen Director
Brad Ward Director
Nancy Seaman Director
Lara Wiebe Director
Roy Mathis Director
Feedback for Executive Board
The MRAS is looking for 1 new volunteer Board of Director member. Preference will be given to those
that can fill some of the specialty gaps we currently have such as IT or financial expertise (CPA or
equivalent). If you are interested in joining the Board, please Are you looking for something do keep you busy? contact Anna De Paoli – MRAS President at Are you Social Media savvy? Millarville Racing & Ag Society, along with the Millarville Farmers’ [email protected] Market and The Priddis & Millarville Fair are looking for a volunteer to help us with the 2021 season of event and facility social media!
If you are interested, please contact Melonie at [email protected] or call 403-988-4142
Millarville Campground Reservations
The Millarville Racing & Agricultural Society is excited to announce the launch
of our new campground booking software!
Our Island and Creekside campgrounds have 37 un-serviced, single and group, well-treed sites for your camping pleasure. We are located at 306097 - 192 St W, Millarville, AB
Please visit www.millarviileracetrack.com, select the campground tab to book your sites.
Monday thru Thursday sites are $23/day/unit and there are still lots left to reserve!
We look forward to seeing you at the Millarville Campground this season!
EUGENE JOSEPH KIERAN Submitted by Gene Blakley Millarville Historical Society E. J. Kieran along with daughter Mollie, arrived in Calgary in 1890 from Limerick, Ireland. His wife, Mary Russell had passed away. Originally, they homesteaded in the Pine Creek District but unable to find water they gave up that quarter and moved one mile south to again homestead. This quarter had two lovely springs, so they built a log house and named it Glendale Ranch. The logs for the three-room house were hauled in by teams, three logs at a time. In 1892, son John Russel arrived and joined his father.
J. R. homesteaded NW27-21-2-W5. He became known as “Little Johny” and he became the local safety deposit box for the remittance men. They would receive their pittance from home and leave a small amount with Johnny so they could not go “bust.”
E.J. “Sam” Kieran (left) and W.H. “Billie” Cochrane holding horse, Eunice at Millarville Races. E.J. purchased this mare for $45. Eunice won 60 races at various distances at meets from Winnipeg to the Okanogan. In Calgary, Eunice won 2 races with only 8 minutes between events.
E. J. was known as “Sam” all his life and he raised some exceptionally good Thoroughbreds. In 1910 he sold out to Johnny and returned to Ireland. But he returned within three months. He was one of the founders of the Millarville Races in 1905 and he remained an active member of that organization until 1935. His son, Johny, became President of Millarville Race Club, 1936- 1948, after his father retired.
Johnny married Audrey “Mikie” Griffin in 1929 at age of 52 years. Interesting as he had promised this marriage since she was three years old. Johnny looked after his day until he passed away in 1938 at age 93. Johnny was councillor for twenty-one years. In 1952 Johnny sold out and moved to Victoria until he died in 1964 at the age 87.
Not much has changed since then but having a good supply of water is imperative or you do not have a good place. Read more historical articles on Facebook - Millarville Historical Society or email us millarvillehistorical [email protected] if you have photos, information, or questions.
7th Annual MRAS (Millarville Racing & Agricultural Society) Golf Tournament at the Turner Valley Golf Club
Let this be your post-COVID celebration with outdoor fun for you and friends and family!
Date: FRIDAY, August 6th, 2021
Golf format: 18-hole Texas scramble
8:00 am check in
9:00 am shotgun start
Cost: $150.00 per individual player, $550.00 per 4-person team if registered as a team. All prices include power carts and GST.
Includes lunch - your choice of Steak, Chicken, or Vegetarian
Get to the course early to have some coffee, and warm up your swing on the driving range. Participants to convene in the Clubhouse Tournament Room following the round for lunch, refreshments, as well as team hole and door prizes.
A Silent Auction will be held online in support of this fundraiser for all golf registrants. Watch for further news on this on the MRAS website. Donations are welcome.
All the money raised from this year’s tournament will help with programs and projects at the MRAS facilities. If you are not familiar with the Millarville Racing & Agricultural Society, please come a visit us at the summer Farmer’s Market, the Annual Fair and other events which are listed on our website.
Your sponsorship, donations to the silent auction and most of all your participation in the golf tournament will help us reach our fundraising goals.
For more information and registration:
Check out the MRAS website at millarvilleracetrack.com → Events → Golf Tournament
Call the office at 403.931.3411
Email [email protected]
Hope to see you at Turner Valley on August 6 for a day of golf and fun!
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SPOONER PLACE RANCH. 2470 acres ( 4 sections). This historic ranch,
originally known as Ardmore, was purchased by the Spooner family in 1928 and sold to the Cross family (current owners) in 1964. It enjoys a privileged close in location on the north side of HWY 549 across from the Millarville Race Track and Farmer's Market and just 2 miles south of the Cross Conservation Area. The three contiguous sections, 17, 18 and 19 form a block of some of the prettiest land ever with stunning foothills and Rocky Mountain views. View "Spooner Place Ranch"
youtube video for a full tour. Call for details
Millarville Horticultural Club
Meetings are held at the Millarville Anglican Church House on the second Tuesday of the month, September to May, usually at 7:30 p.m. Due to COVID-19 restrictions however, we have held Zoom meetings starting at 7:00 p.m.
If you are interested in attending any of our presentations, please contact Gail Dziuba (587-578-3798) at [email protected]. The presentation is free for members and $15.00 for non-members. Whether you are a novice or expert in landscaping or gardening, join our club; $15/year for singles or $20/year for a family.
Our annual Plant Sale, held on June 5, was a resounding success. While the rain and hail came down around us, we were lucky to have sunny skies at our location. A huge thank you to those who so generously volunteered; without you and all the hard work you did, we would not have been able to do it. Once again, our members provided a wonderful variety of plants; annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, shrubs, trees, and houseplants. Without these, there would not have been a sale.
Congratulations to
Allan and Joan Tosh, who recently celebrated their 50th Wedding
Anniversary!
Priddis & Millarville
Fair
The theme for the 2021 Fair – Hooray, Hooray…The Fair is Here to Stay – is testament to the strength of community spirit that makes this possible. We are delighted to offer a partial return to a two-day format on August 21 and 22.
Real bench exhibits will be accepted, judged, and displayed in both adult and junior Arts & Handicrafts, Fibre Arts, Flowers, Home Cooking & Baking, Vegetables & Fruit and Woodworking. Exhibits will be on display during the Millarville Farmers’ Market on Saturday August 21.
Virtual exhibits will be accepted and judged in adult and junior Photography, virtual Paintings & Drawings, Sheep and Dairy Goats. These entries will be shared on the MRAS website starting August 21.
English Light Horse will run on Saturday with Western Light Horse and Gymkhana on Sunday August 22. Another
Sunday feature is the Beef Cattle show.
Our feature entertainment is an Agricultural Literacy Adventure that will be described in more detail in July.
Peruse the 2021 Fair Book to see all the exhibit classes. Let’s have some fun!!
Millarville-Stockland 4-H Beef Club Club Reporter – Maddie Watkins
Millarville Stockland 4-H Beef Club Drowning in mud
The Millarville-Stockland 4-H Beef and Sheep Club had our Achievement day on May 9th 2021. It was at the Millarville Racetrack infield and you had to really like showing that day because it was freezing and sleeting. The Grand Champion Steer and Cow went to Peyton Christman. Congratulations to her, Grand champion breeding Ewe went to Tessa Ackerman and the Grand champion market land went to Gemma Bell. Congratulations to those two as well! We all had lots of fun and thank you to all of our sponsors. We were so excited that some of the restrictions were lifted and we were able to have an amazing in person achievement day this year and a memorable one too! Even though the weather was so bad and we were drowning in the mud there was great turnout and we were all revved up! Our steer sale was on June 3. Thank you so much to all of the buyers. That really supports all of the club members.
There are a few things with all the moisture that you can do to make sure your system is in good shape.
Moisture can saturate the ground and while that may be good for your garden it can cause issues with your septic! Listen for dripping or water running into your tank.
Look for cracks in the lid or tank that would allow surface water to seep into your tank…most systems are designed to handle water from your house but sometimes extra water leaking in from the ground or surrounding areas can overload your system/field and cause issues with your field. If you notice any of these things happening…call your local septic professional to come out and assess the situation. Spring is a great time to catch these issues for repair!
Millarville Community Library Summer already! And a summer we are all more than ready for! Our little library will operate its usual Summer hours (Wednesdays 10 -7.30) when you can browse or pick up books you have ordered through the Marigold system. You will notice a pleasant change in the library with new shelving which allows for more books as well as appearing more spacious.
The good news is that our Summer program, which last year was awarded a Marigold “Making a Difference” award will go ahead. But we do have to adapt to the fluid situation around Covid protocols and summer openings. As of now the Summer Program will start Wednesday July 7, 2.30 p.m., each Wednesday for 8 weeks. There will be a Bingo card reading program, an Alphabet in Nature scavenger hunt and much more. In case of inclement weather and indoor restrictions a craft kit will be available for pick-up. Any changes will be posted on the Millarville Library Facebook and Instagram pages. Contact Natasha at the library (403-931-3919 or [email protected] for more information or to register.
Summer is a great time for reading for you and your little book worms. There are many new children’s books in the library, including some great new craft books. If your kids are thinking of entering one of the many Millarville Fair competitions, check out Duct Tape Creations, Rock Painting and Steam Punk Creations or the “Vegetable” Creature Series.
There are new large print books as well as adult audio books, (great for road trips) and you can download kids’ audio books through Overdrive or TumbleBook Library for younger kids at tracepac.ad.ca
The book clubs of Millarville, Priddis and Bragg Creek participated in a “virtual” sharing of their favorite books instead of their annual wine and cheese meeting. Each club sent in their book picks for the past year which were then collected, and the ensuing list was sent out to all the clubs. The book clubs met in a variety of ways in order to follow Covid restrictions: zoom meetings, hikes and campfire discussions, a reading list that each member contributed to and then read at their leisure, weather permitting outdoor distanced meetings. The power of the story would not be defeated by restrictions it seemed.
If you are a Ken Follet fan “The Evening and the Morning”, a prequel to ‘The Pillars of Earth” is available in our library. Set in England at the dawn of a new era, the Middle Ages, it takes us on an epic journey full of ambition and rivalry, death and birth, love and hate, corruption and generosity. Perhaps things have not changed that much in ten centuries! You won’t be able to put it down, although you might need a pillow to prop it up as you read it in your hammock (it is 900 pages)!
Wishing you all a happy, safe summer. If we are lucky and careful we can look forward to a normal fall and winter! General Maintenance Worker Required at MRAS
MRAS is looking for a person to assist with general maintenance activities at our facility from September to May on an “on call” basis. Duties include ground maintenance, snow removal and other maintenance and repairs as necessary. Experience with operating maintenance equipment is required. Salary is $20/hour.
Please submit your resume by July 15, 2021 to [email protected] or call 403 931-3411 with any questions.
MRAS is Looking for sports equipment donations for our campground
With the easing restrictions, we plan to make some fun outdoor sports equipment available to our campers.
We are looking for items such as: a volleyball net and volleyballs, badminton rackets and birdies, footballs, soccer Balls, baseball gloves bats and baseballs, bocce ball sets, horseshoes, ladder ball, bean bags etc.
If you have any of the listed items, or other equipment for outdoor activities that can be enjoyed in the open space our campground has to offer, that you would like to donate, please call 403-931-3411, or email [email protected] to arrange drop off.
Alberta’s First Natural Gas
Co-operative CONTACT
Proudly Serving Our MELONIE at Community Since 1962
melonie@mras- Meota Gas Cooperative, 178081 Priddis Valley Rd W, Priddis AB T0L 1W0 your first choice for all your track.com for underground Natural Gas needs. Tel: (403) 931-2161
advertising Fax: (403) 931-2161 ➢ Installation of Secondary Natural Gas Lines Email: opportunities in ➢ Prefab Natural Gas Lines [email protected] the Track Watch! For a quote, please contact Website: meotagas.com our office to make an
appointment.
THANK YOU TO OUR MAJOR SPONSORS