Cochranites were invited to a special celebration Saturday by the BGC Cochrane and Area youth club, who hosted their 30th anniversary by holding a 1990s-themed event to commemorate the milestone.
The free event at the BGC Cochrane and Area Youth Centre provided guests with a barbecue, activities, petting zoo, and a special dance performance by members of Stoney Nakoda First Nation. To wrap up the evening, BGC Cochrane and Area had a viewing of the 1992 film Beethoven.
Since 1992, BGC Cochrane and Area (formerly called the Boys and Girls Club of Cochrane and Area) has served local young people through offering services and programs including day-home agencies, out-of-school care program, youth programs, and 17 service locations in every school in Cochrane and area.
Jill Bilodeau, the executive director of BGC Cochrane and Area, said the club’s 30-year milestone is important to acknowledge and celebrate.
“30 years is a big deal, so we thought we would take the time to celebrate and thank all of Cochrane and the community for the last 30 years,” Bilodeau explained.
With everyone coming out in full support of the celebration, Bilodeau said she was grateful to see the support from the community. Past members, alumni, and current and former staff came in support of the event.
“It fills my heart. I’m so happy to see everyone here,” she said. “It’s just really great to come and celebrate today.”
One parent at the event, Nicole Prentice – a Cochrane resident for seven years – said although Saturday was her first time attending an event put on by the BGC, it was an enjoyable experience for her whole family.
“It’s been great for the children with a lot of stuff to do and lots of cool cultural dancing, so I think we’ve been enjoying ourselves,” Prentice said.
A highlight of the event was the dances performed by representatives of Stoney Nakoda First Nation, which were each preceded by an explanation.
Johnny Powderface from Stoney Nakoda First Nation said each explanation behind every dance provides history and also garners intrigue from the public.
“That’s what we wanted to share, that there is more to it than just dancing for every category in the pow wow circuit,” Powderface said. “And we just wanted to share that knowledge with non-indigenous friends.”
With the number of spectators and members of the community that shared a dance at the end of the performance, Powderface was humbled by the actions of the community.
“The turnout was awesome and almost everybody stayed for the whole show,” he said.
“And that’s always nice to see. That means they sat through the categories and listened to the brief history of the dances.”
He hopes the performance inspired youth and is said it meant a lot to be able to perform for the BGC Cochrane and Area, describing it as “an awesome day all-around.”
