The village of Buchanan celebrated its 110th birthday, and Canada 150, with a full day of events on July 8, said Marilyn Bader, president of the organizing committee.
The day started with a pancake breakfast at the curling rink, which was a fundraiser for the Buchanan community playground project, she said.
Visitors and former residents came to Buchanan for the celebration from a variety of communities including Canora, Rama, Sturgis, Yorkton and Saskatoon.
One of the highlights of the day was a parade with 31 entries involving close to 100 people.
The parade included a restored 1951 Buick Eight Special, which was recently purchased from Noah Poth of Martensville by GW Construction, a major employer in Invermay. The car was purchased to commemorate the history of the company in Buchanan since 1949, when it was started by George Wilson. Wilson, 93, rode in the vehicle for the parade while his grandson Sean, the mayor of Buchanan, was the driver.
The RM of Buchanan had a parade entry where a new grader was hooked up to a classic pull grader built by the Russell Grader Manufacturing Company, said Bader. It was stamped with a 1910 patent, making it almost as old as Buchanan. This is just one example of how much things have changed during Buchanan’s history.
The parade included classic farm machinery such as the restored 1944 Farmall H driven by Martin Chalus. For the parade, Chalus had the Farmall pulling a Case four-bottom plow.
The Buchanan birthday cake float created for the parade indicated Buchanan’s 110th and Canada’s 150th birthdays.
The Buchanan Black Box Players theatre group had a lively float that included many of their talented actors, always ready to interact with an audience.
The Canora Veselka Ukrainian Dance Club entered a float in the parade, which carried a number of the group’s young dancers.
Gerald Ignatiuk of Preeceville had a barrel train entry in the parade called ‘Gido’s little Cossacks,’ which is a Ukrainian saying for ‘Grandpa’s little cowboys,’ said Bader. The barrels provided youngsters with the opportunity to take a fun ride.
The Buchanan Public Library had a float in the parade which celebrated its summer reading program, she said.
The Buchanan skating rink and the Sturgis & District fire department also had entries in the parade.
After the parade there were children’s activities such as face painting, as well as live bands to keep the adults entertained.
As part of the day’s activities, Andrea Wionzek-Godhe accepted a donation of $1,150 from Chevrolet on behalf of the Buchanan Community Playground Fundraiser. Making the presentation was Robert Rondonelli, Chevrolet brand ambassador for the Chevrolet Gift of Play, accompanied by Edwin Leung, brand ambassador for ParticipACTION, based in Toronto. The group was in Buchanan as part of its Canada 150 tour across the country. Fundraising efforts for the Buchanan Community Playground will continue with supper in the field during the upcoming harvest and a bottle drive in September.
It’s obvious that Buchanan residents enjoy putting on a birthday party, but Bader said the 110th birthday celebration was important to the community in another way. It showed people that even though the village only has a population of around 230, it’s still a vibrant community for its size.
The community still has a mechanic, a grocery store, and a strong business population, she said. Amenities not found in Buchanan are only a short drive away in the larger communities of Canora and Wadena.
