Skip to content

The Cochrane Activettes will be this year's Parade Marshal

Cochrane, the Activettes set to lead 2019 Labour Day Parade.
parade
Labour Day Parade

Another year, another Labour Day Parade is set to march the streets of Cochrane on Sept. 2. Over the years, there has been an impressive list of local organizations taking the role of parade marshal and this year will be no different as the 2019 Marshal will be none other than the Cochrane Activettes.

"It's awesome, we like being out in the community so people know what we do," said Jan Tracy, president of the Activettes. Tracy has been with the Activettes for 16 years, and in those years has built many relationships with the wonderful group of women who choose to give their time and give back to the community. "They all have really big hearts, I think that's the most common thread through everything," said Tracy.

The Activettes are a group of local women that are working together to help the community of Cochrane. The group hosts an annual pancake breakfast, runs the Cochrane Food Bank, sponsors blood donor clinics, coordinates the delivery of the meals-to-go program and gets Santa to come from the North Pole for the Cochrane Light Up every year. There really isn't much the Activettes don't do. They are a deep-rooted tree, with many branches that extend to help Cochrane in one way or another.

"Accomplishment is a big thing, I thought that I could make a difference in my community and I feel that I have done this," said Tracy.

They also own the Clothesline, a second-hand clothing store that supplies used clothing at little cost and during Christmas the Activettes team up with Wheels for Kids to provide refurbished bikes. All profits from fundraising events and the store go directly back into the community, focusing on making Cochrane a better place to live. For 41 years, the Activettes have continued the legacy that was started back in 1978.

The parade route is the same this year but there is one difference - it's reversed.

"The parade will start on Main Street, heading west and we want to try and alternate the direction of the parade just so we give businesses more people. Historical Downtown has seen fewer and fewer people because it's one of the last streets," says Marina Chabbert, with the Cochrane and Area Events Society. Chabbert goes on to say that if it works this year, they might look at alternating the route every year to keep it fair.

So far, the Cochrane and Area Events Society – the organizers of the parade – has 24 out of 84 volunteer spots filled. With the volunteer orientation coming up on Aug. 28 it is hoped more volunteers will come forward.

"It's not so difficult because barricades go up at 8:15 a.m. and they really just have to wait in front of their barricade and they get a perfect spot to view the parade and then they take it down and they can go home," said Chabbert.

Anyone interested in volunteering is asked to reach out to [email protected].

The parade festivities will kick off with a pancake breakfast put on by the Activettes and Cochrane Ford at 8:30 a.m. followed by pre-parade entertainment at 9 a.m. which will include, a band, Chinook Line Dancers, princesses and superheroes, face painters and henna, and of course, a magician. The parade will then follow at 10 a.m.

And while the parade is very organized through CAES, the more favourable moment of the day for Chabbert is "when the parade actually gets started and gets moving, that's my best part because then the organizers can relax and just enjoy it, enjoy the moment because everything is organized and set to go."

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks