VLA Family BBQ celebrates community tomorrow

The Prince George VLA Enhancement Society is hosting its annual Family BBQ tomorrow.

This is the event’s third year. It’s organized by the Prince George VLA Enhancement Society and its director, Lee Stewart.

“He and I made arrangements to host a BBQ,” says RCMP Community Policing Coordinator Linda Parker. “We had no idea. Were we going to have 10 people out or 50 people? Well, we had 500 people come out that first year.”

Stewart says the neighbourhood has a proud and noble history.

“We’re celebrating that. We’re getting everyone together for a family fun day and BBQ. There’s going to be bouncy castles, face painting, ballons. There’s going to be a parade and that kicks off at noon from the corner of Dieffenbaker and Oak. There’s going to be a piper and the Legion Colour Party, there’s going to be cadets. It’s rumored to have some horses coming this year into the parade. It will be a nice little walk into the Milburn Park Community Park.”

Stewart says the parade is open to anyone who wants to walk and wave.

Post parade, the festivities will be held in the Community Gardens on Milburn Avenue until 2:30 pm.

The event has drawn more and more attendees every year, says Parker.

“We’re thrilled. It’s really an opportunity for the RCMP to have presence in the VLA on a positive note. It’s an opportunity to build community.”

Stewart says the event is all about building a sense of community, especially for the neighbourhood’s youngsters.

“I can’t really explain as well as you can feel what this is doing. They’re going to have great memories when they get older. They’re going to say, I lived in a community where we used to do this and we used to do that. Those are the memories I want them to take away.”

He says the BBQ is focused on building community within the neighbourhood but it’s open to anyone. A variety of community organizatiosn, including Costco, the Aboriginal Housing Society and the Prince George Activators Society, will all be on hand.