Summer may not technically be over quite yet, but once the Labour Day weekend passes people’s lives tend to get back to ‘normal.’
School is back in, which if it wasn’t obvious enough would soon be trying to navigate through school zones in Cochrane, particularly past Mitford School and the newly-located Ecole Notre-Dame Des Vallees, where getting through the around 300 metre stretch at 8 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. can take several minutes…so don’t be in a rush.
A few more summer-like days remain on Cochrane’s calendar – Sunshine Ski Resort’s webcam revealed snowfall on the hill yesterday – but even though the season of rodeos, boating and camping is closing, there is plenty in this wee town by the Bow to look forward to this coming fall and winter.
Aside from the pending holidays and festive events looming down the road – Thanksgiving and Halloween to name a couple – there are events like Light Up in November, a new event, the Santa Claus Parade, in December, and a pair of charity events put on the Kimmett family each year, the Tournament of Aces in October and the Kimmett Cup just following Christmas (yes, you just saw the word Christmas…December is only three months away) in January.
Some other things that make fall and winter seem more ‘normal’ for many is the return of their favourite sports.
Cochranite Mason Raymond will be suiting up for the Calgary Flames this year, which brings some extra interest to the team’s potential success, if you are a die-hard Flames fan.
There’s also the CFL, which returned some time ago, but with the Calgary Stampeders off to such a blazing start, and local Cochrane boy Rob Cote there to enjoy the ride, many are excited for a potential run for the Grey Cup. The Stamps are currently in first place in the league with an 8-1 record. Their 16 points is 10 better than the first place team in the East Division…the Toronto Argonauts sit in first with a 3-7 record.
If CFL is not your thing, be happy (and at least one in the Eagle office certainly is) that the NFL kicks off today (Sept. 4) with the Green Bay Packers visiting the defending Super Bowl champs, the Seattle Seahawks.
Staying more local, high school football in getting geared for another exciting season, with the Bow Valley High School Bobcats and Cochrane High School Cobras both looking to rule Cochrane.
The Cochrane Generals are also looking to improve upon last season, with exhibition games starting in just over a week and the first game that counts Oct. 3 in Banff.
If sports or community events aren’t your thing, how about the return of regular council meetings every two weeks?
For many in Cochrane, following council decisions on how this town moves forward with development, events, bylaws, funding, budgets, staff, taxes, infrastructure and a slew of other issues on council’s plate, is important and at times entertaining.
So, get your final swings of the golf club, go camping one last time, or sit outside and soak in some sun for the last days of summer, because in Alberta you lose that opportunity in the blink of an eye.
