There was a huge turnout at the Mayor's Supper in Bruderheim on Saturday (Apr. 29).
Council members, industry partners, and business owners from Lamont County, Sturgeon County, Strathcona County, and Fort Saskatchewan were at the event, which included a dinner and wine at every table, a special guest speaker, and a variety of entertainment.
"A number were folks were bugging me, [asking] how could I possibly put this event on the night that the Oilers are going to eliminate the Kings," joked mayor Karl Hauch before playing the theme song to Hockey Night in Canada. "The audacity for Bruderheim to put on an event like this when the Oilers are playing is outrageous."
"Do you know what's more audacious about our community? The goals that we set, and then we achieve."
One of the goals they achieved was securing $3 million in funding for a water reservoir upgrade. The funding was donated by the Government of Alberta and presented by the MLA of Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville, Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk.
"I believe we have succeeded in pursuing a common goal - a better life for the citizens of Bruderheim," said Armstrong-Homeniuk as she presented the cheque. "I look forward to continuing this partnership for years to come."
After the cheque was presented, Mayor Hauch spoke a few words about how vital this donation is for the community.
"That will secure the future of Bruderheim," added Hauch. "Our town wouldn't have been able to grow anymore if we wouldn't have that [water reservoir] project."
The event included a presentation from Doug Griffiths, a former MLA for Battle River-Wainwright before the riding was abolished. Griffiths gave a passionate speech about what he called 'coopetition', a way for neighbouring communities to help each other through competition.
"You can grow the pie more than you ever imagined as long as you work together, but that means everyone needs to work together. That means your council, your administration, the chamber of commerce, your volunteer groups, health care, education, the business association," said Griffiths. "If you still treat people across that artificial municipal boundary like they're the enemy, then your community will die."
"You need to work together."
Griffith's presentation was followed by Lana Santana, founder of the Fort Saskatchewan Multicultural Association. She presented the entertainment which was inspired by Indigenous, Filipino, Egyptian, and Canadian cultures.
"So you get me to follow [Grifiths]? That's not fair. I'm a newbie at this," laughed Santana as she stood at the podium.
Before the entertainment began, Santana spoke about the importance of inclusivity in the community.
"You cannot boast about diversity if you don't have inclusion. We must be inclusive in everything we do; I see this in Bruderheim. I'm so happy you chose to work with us and partner with our diverse community," said Santana.
The event concluded with giveaways for the attendees, including potted plants, toys, and more.
Over a hundred people attended the dinner.