2009 - Looking Back

In spite of uncertainty all around, the Caroline community both looked back and moved ahead in 2009. It was a year of celebrating the past while continuing to build the community.
In the fall, the pioneers of one hundred years ago were celebrated by by honouring existing family members at the museum. At the same time, a historical Fire Hall/Village
Office was unveiled and fire fighters past and present honoured.
The local branch of ATB Financial celebrated its 70th Birthday in 2009, remembering its past as an Alberta Treasury Branch and its legacy as a child of the Aberhart Social Credit government in Alberta.
Members and friends of the Caroline Church of the Nazarene got together to celebrate 60 years in the Caroline community with past pastors and their families in attendance.

An outdoor skating rink and playground equipment were installed at the Edna Topp Memorial Park on 52nd. Street. And the Ryan Jorgensen Skateboard Park next to the complex finally received some equipment for the local skateboard enthusiasts.

And, lo and behold, Caroline has its own movie theater, thanks to an initiative by the Rocky Youth Development Society. Second run movies are featured regularly to help financially support Clearwater Boys and Girls Club programming in Caroline.

Meanwhile, businesses continue to operate and expand in the village, including the Ravenwood Meats venture that now employs several local people to meet increasing demand for naturally raised meats from local people, as well as custom meatpacking services.
Hopefully, the trend towards local services to meet local demand will continue into the future.
On the “challenge” side of the ledger, the Village of Caroline is faced with crumbling underground infrastructure in the form of rusting water and sewer lines. This problem raised its head towards the end of the year when water bubbled up in the middle of main street, on the west end of the village.
Village Council is now facing a hefty amount of expenditure to dig up main street and some side streets to replace water and sewer lines.