You always hear people tell of their stories of where they are from and who they have become based on this notion. They are right but at the same moment they are wrong. Is it true to say that there is more behind the people than the places, because in all honesty it’s the people who make the place? N.T. Hagen created one of the most people-oriented towns 1909 when he named a small hamlet located in Central Alberta after his hometown of Sundre, Norway. As the years passed this little hamlet became “The Little Town That Could.”
Having grown up in Sundre, I have seen various facets of the town change. Through droughts, floods, hail, snow, repaving, rebuilding and growth, this town has remained the very same as it always has and always will. That is because the spirit of the people remains strong. The people of Sundre are what make it this way. Whether you need a hand fixing fence, chasing cows, mowing lawn, or shoveling snow, someone is there to help. If you are down with the flu, meals are brought and chores are managed. This is because we are a tightly knit community willing to give. I have lived and grown up in Sundre for thirteen years and not once have I been worried about crossing the street or about the strangers I may meet. In fact, I have a hard time walking through town because when I do I am offered by about 10 different people if I need a ride? This is the spirit that defines Sundre.
The volunteers are another big asset that Sundre has to offer. Without the many volunteers and their smiling faces many of the events and features of Sundre would not be available. Take the third weekend in June, for instance, because this is when the Town of Sundre kicks up the dirt for the Sundre Pro Rodeo.
As the current 2010 Miss Rodeo Sundre, I can say first hand that without the volunteers this magnificent event would not be possible. From Jack Nichol spending numerous hours finding sponsorship, to Tom Mennear putting on a marvelous pancake breakfast each year, every nook and cranny is covered by a selfless individual. This is only one highlight to Sundre, there are many others such as Bulls and Pony Chuck Wagons during the August long weekend, nearly award winning plays at the Sundre Arts Center, recreational activities such as golfing, baseball, 4-H, riding, and others, and soothing camping found in or around Sundre. Camping, white water rafting and kayaking, trail riding, viewing wild horses and wildlife, hunting and heading out for a day on your ATV are all hidden treasures that can be found beyond the town limits, due to our nestled location in the foothills.
Highlights and seeing what you can do in a community is always pleasurable but what you can learn from a place or from someone is another, and what a better place for that than the Sundre Pioneer Village Museum and Chester Mjolsness World of Wildlife.
For more information on the Sundre Museum check out the website at www.museum.sundre.com or email us at sundremuseum@telus.net
Shelby Simmonds
Sundre