Mr. Speaker, Rendezvous 2011 is the 150th anniversary celebration of the founding of St. Albert, the oldest non-fortified community in Alberta.
The Rendezvous 2011 committee has organized many events as part of the year-long celebration, beginning with a black tie gala dinner in January. There was a bilingual outdoor snow festival on Family Day, interpretive street performances, and a huge homecoming weekend. In August, 10,000 St. Albert residents met for a record-breaking picnic in the Sturgeon River Valley.
The festivities will continue throughout the remainder of this year and will conclude with a giant fireworks display on December 31.
These events have given the entire community the opportunity to cherish our past, honour our present and look forward to our future.
I want to take this opportunity to extend my sincere congratulations and thanks to the Rendezvous 2011 organizing committee and its chair, Mrs. Margaret Plain, for all of their hard work and dedication in making the 150th year-long anniversary such a great success.
I thank the hundreds of volunteers who have made this year-long celebration possible. Happy birthday. Great job, St. Albert.