Christmases come and go and sometimes in the hustle and bustle of the season, its true meaning gets pushed aside, as do those special moments that are too special to be forgotten.
For Rimbey’s elected officials, the political wheel doesn’t stop at Christmas, but, for each and every one of them, as, indeed for all of us, Christmas has its own special memories which shouldn’t be hidden away, but brought out, dusted off and shared.
Mayor Rick Pankiw: “I think it was the year my wife and our children went to Hawaii. It was about five years ago and one of the first times that we had gone out of the country during that time of year. It was very relaxing and fun to share Christmas in a different country.”
Coun. Matthew Jaycox: “Tobogganing down a hill with my four siblings and my mom and dad all crowded on the toboggan. I grew up on a trading post in Peerless Lake. It was very remote and we learned to entertain ourselves. It was great fun. Also, I remember going to get a Christmas tree with my dad and my brothers.”
Coun. Jack Webb: “Skating out at the Bluffton rink on Christmas Eve with my two brothers. It was a tradition. I don’t do it anymore. I’m out of shape now.”
County Reeve Paul McLauchlin: When I was nine I received the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars. It was my best present ever. Now it’s giving presents to my kids. Christmas morning is pretty fun around here and I’m always putting together Lego of some sort.
Coun. Paul Payson: “Opening stockings that our grandma had filled with little presents. She had a stocking for each of us. She did that every year until we were close to high school age.”
Coun. Brian Godlonton: “When I was 13 I got a set of Iroquois snowshoes. I grew up in Saskatchewan and there was three and a half feet of snow on the ground that year, so they got put to use right away. And I remember 18 kids in our house at Christmas with all the cousins. We had the dairy, so we didn’t get away and everyone came to our house.”