This weekend’s Centennial celebrations officially start with a Welcome Home Mixer at Centre 2000, hosted by the Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce.
In attendance will be Mark Kozub, the Edmonton-based author of the Centennial History Book “Spirit of the North: 100 Years of Community Building in Grande Prairie”.
Kozub says it was an inspiring book to work on as he spoke with people who have shaped the city.
“It’s about what is it that really makes a village, makes a town, makes a city, makes it grow all along the way: the spirit of its people. So that’s what the book really tries to capture through doing a lot of interviews, and I might add, it was just real fun doing.”
For the most part, Kozub found it was the community’s entrepreneurial spirit that really helped it grow to where it is today.
“There’s an innovative spirit. I think this is sort of an Alberta thing; I think with a little bit of that sense of isolation, from it just comes an attitude of, ‘You know what? Let’s just do this. Let’s just make this stuff happen.'”
The book includes 180 features on individuals and families from the Swan City’s past and present.
15-hundred of the coffee table-style books have been printed, and will be on sale for $25 each.
The mixer will run from 5 to 7 Thursday night.