Hello Glenbrook!
I would first like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of our dedicated volunteers that work to make Glenbrook the great community that it is.
Next, a reminder that thanksgiving is fast approaching. It is a time to remember the first annual Thanksgiving in Canada, celebrated on November 6th, 1879. However, Indigenous peoples have a history of celebrating the fall harvest that predates the arrival of European settlers. Sir Martin Frobisher and his crew are credited as the first Europeans to celebrate Thanksgiving in North America in 1578. Thanksgiving as we know it, a celebration featuring uniquely North American foods including turkey, squash and pumpkin, was introduced in Nova Scotia in the 1750s, and became common across Canada by the 1870s. It wasn’t until 1957 that Thanksgiving was proclaimed an official holiday in Canada, to be celebrated on the second Monday of October. Be certain to take some time to enjoy and appreciate what you have, for there are always those within our communities that do not have what many of us take for granted.
Halloween is also just around the corner. The annual October 31st holiday is believed to have originated primarily as a Celtic celebration, marking the division of the light and dark halves of the year, when the boundary between the living and the dead was believed to be at its thinnest. Halloween customs, such as wearing disguises to ward off ghosts and offering food to appease malevolent spirits, were brought to Canada in the mid-to-late 1800s by Irish and Scottish immigrants. North America’s first recorded instance of dressing in disguise on Halloween was in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1898, while one historian claims that the first use of the phrase “trick-or-treat” was right here in Alberta, in 1927. Halloween occurs on a Wednesday night this year, so please plan to be patient on the roads that evening, and watch carefully for all trick-or-treating children throughout the community.
As well, do not forget that Remembrance Day is just over a month away. The national day to remember those who died in military service is observed across Canada each year on November 11th, on the anniversary of the Armistice agreement in 1918 that ended the First World War. Please take a moment to pause and reflect on this day, as we remember those who fought for the freedoms that we enjoy today.
Now for an update on the community. The Glenbrook Outdoor Sport Facility continues to see lots of use. Remember that it is free to use by our residents, and we now have an equipment box, also for free use, full of balls and racquets. This facility continues to be a model for other communities in Calgary, as something to offer in their areas. If you have not yet made it out to try the new facility, I encourage you to visit this fall. The lights are now on in the evening, so the courts are open until 10 P.M. each night. We are planning to close the facility after the Thanksgiving long weekend, so that we have time to put all of the summer equipment away and get ready to start making ice for the upcoming winter season.
Lastly, a reminder that your 2018/19 Glenbrook Community Membership is now due. You can purchase the membership by mailing the form found in this newsletter and a cheque, or you can purchase one at any of our events.
You can always reach me by email at [email protected], or call/text me at 403-616-4644.
Please remember to watch your speed when driving through the neighbourhood as we enjoy the fall weather.
Take care,
Murray Ost, President
