Evergreen Park History - 1952-1969
In 1952, the first Fair Queen, Patricia Patrick (now Pat Olsen) was crowned. Pat recalls “everything was regal - red carpet, cape and crown. Flag bearers with horses in front, a royal coach...and a $100 prize!”
“The South Peace stepped into the rodeo major leagues this week with the presentation of the first annual rodeo at Grande Prairie. A group of 32 Grande Prairie businessmen, making up the non-profit Rodeo Association, had guaranteed the estimated $14,000 involved in staging the rodeo and grandstand show.”
“Rain washed out the 6th annual fair, causing a deficit of $30. A giant bingo party, sponsored by the Kinsmen helped to recoup the losses, as well as return of awards and contributions from the government and 4-H.”
“It was a real family time. It was hard work but a lot of fun. We got up early in the morning to get the pigs scrubbed and loaded, the ducks off the pond, the geese and chickens and get them into town. The sheaves were a lot of work - picking just the right stalks of grain In the spring, I couldn’t wait to get the seed books to figure out which varieties would grow the best here in the north! We made enough money from the prize money to send the kids back to school in the fall.”
In 1960, a new exhibit building, Centennial Hall, was constructed, followed by a livestock barn in 1968. Frontier Days and mascot Frontier Freddie were introduced in 1966. Racing had been around since the very early days - after all, if there were horses and men there would likely be racing. In 1964, starting gates were constructed on the race track, built entirely by volunteers from donated materials. The spring loaded gates ensured a fair and proper start to the races.
In 1968, the Ag Society received permission from the Alberta Racing Commission to have pari-mutuel racing for the three days of the fair. This instantly created a participation factor and horse racing became a big industry in the Peace River Country.
After a 30 year absence, standardbreds retuned to the race program in 1969. Flat races, barrel racing and pony chariots rounded out the fair program.