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Volunteers who helped to clean up Troll Park this spring and keep it beautiful this summer were celebrated at an appreciation barbecue last Wednesday at the Carena Complex in Vikinig. Also on hand were employees of the town who provided help to the volunteers. PATRICIA HARCOURT PHOTO
Troll Park volunteers celebrated Patricia Harcourt Editor
The volunteers sprucing up Troll Park this spring and summer were honoured with an appreciation barbeque on Wednesday, Aug. 15. The event was held at the Viking Carena Complex after wildfire smoke made having it in the park inadvisable. On a nicer day, the park would have made for a beautiful showcase of all the work that has been accomplished there in the past several months. “Troll Park is a valuable asset in our community,” said the town’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Doug Lefsrud. Speaking to the volunteers, he added: “Today is just a small tribute to what you’ve accomplished this year and in the past.”
“Thank you to everybody who helped,” said Deputy Mayor Cindy Lefsrud. “Troll Park has been a soft spot for our family, our daughter was married there in 2009. “We appreciate all the work that you do, and our town staff work hard, thank you.” The luncheon provided included grilled burgers with potato salad and baked beans, followed by cupcakes for dessert. “We appreciate everybody and everything you do,” added CAO Lefsrud. New Recreation Director Samantha Culbert-O’Shea added her voice to the praise of the hard working volunteers. “They volunteered when we needed help” she said. “They took the lead.” Town staff have been helping these park lovers, including the town’s sum-
mer workers and public works employees, Culbert-O’Shea, and municipal summer student Morgan Lawes. Everyone has been pitching in to make this much beloved park a stellar place for people to visit, especially during the summer months. While agreeing it’s a labour of love, landscaper and long-time volunteer Ron Erickson, noted that most of the volunteers in the group are older residents. So the input of younger people like the town’s summer workers, recreation director and municipal staff has been welcome. “It’s so nice to see some young people working there,” said Erickson, who has been working to beautify the park for decades. “I’m 86 and still going.” “It’s a nice little park,” said CulbertO’Shea. “We’re working on upgrading
the signs, re-labelling plants and putting up Scandinavian flags.” She noted that the historical information regarding Scandinavian plants and lots of other cultural references are almost solely due to the meticulous work put in by Erickson over the years. “The history in this park is there thanks to Ron,” she said. The town is using this same information to get new signs made for the. benefit of visitors who come each year to view it. Erickson recalls writing to the universities of several Scandinavian countries to locate traditional authentic plants and foliage for the park, which he succeeded in doing. These Scandinavian plants were given a special spot in the park with signage. “And it all runs into the other part of the park which is a naturalized Continued on Page 6