The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It's a totally clich_d question, but it's one that I have posed to Trout Festival organizers over the years. 'Was the festival a success?' I will ask, either holding up an audio recorder or hovering my fingers over my keyboard as I await the answer. That answer will be nothing but subjective, of course, because how does one measure something so deeply entrenched in the world of perspective? If our goal is to replicate the Trout Festival's glory days, when folks came from across the region to one of northern Manitoba's biggest celebrations, then we fell short in 2013. The attendance was a fraction of what it was in the 1950s, '60s and '70s. The number of events and participants was much lower. And the whole thing had to be carried on the backs of a small group of volunteers. Population decline is one reason for all of this, but there's more to it than that. People just don't take part in things like they used to. There are a million ways to be entertained these days. So it's easy for the surprisingly large numbers of Flin Flonners who shy away from the Trout Festival to stay occupied in other ways over a long weekend. On the other hand, if our goal is to weave together a few days of lighthearted, mostly-family-friendly fun, with budgetary and volunteer limitations in mind, then we continue to succeed with the modern-day Trout Festival. Aerial View This year's edition was noted for the addition of scenic helicopter rides leaving Centoba Park at regular intervals. Children especially were in awe of this experience, made possible by Wings Over Kississing, which graciously donated half the profits back to the festival. The chopper rides definitely sparked a buzz around this year's fest. I don't know how many times I looked up into the sky Saturday after hearing the thwip-thwip-thwip of the 'copter blades. Another great addition began last year in the form of the Photo Scavenger Hunt, in which teams must snap as many photos as possible from a lengthy, occasionally bizarre list. I know festival organizers have other fresh ideas that would probably work well, but they aren't always able to find the volunteer support needed to take those ideas from concept to reality. What's great about the festival, scaled back as it may be from years past, is that there is still something for everyone. What's amazing about the festival, it must be stressed again, is that it even materializes given that so few people actually contribute to its realization. So kudos to all of the Trout Festival volunteers. Whether you put in 15 hours or 15 minutes, your contribution was valuable. The golden era of the Trout Festival, when Phantom Lake was packed and everyone in town took in the events, is over for good. Long live the modern-day Trout Festival. It's still pretty impressive. Local Angle runs Fridays.
