LONG WEEKEND FUN
Hatters enjoy extra day off outdoors
For some people, celebrating the long weekend was all about physical activity and enjoying the great outdoors.
Being on the water gives a sense of freedom, said Wendy Kroeker who together with Kevin Kroeker had spent the entire weekend enjoying some kayaking. For the couple, one day it was at Cavan Lake, the next at Waterton Lakes Provincial Park, and Monday they were launching their kayaks at Echo Dale Regional Park.
The Kroekers said they consider themselves “leisure kayakers” rather than serious paddlers and they planned to spend a couple hours on the South Saskatchewan River.
Observing the strong flow from the edge of the river they talked about paddling upstream first, while they were still feeling energetic, and then drifting back to Echo Dale.
Nearby, two couples had already arranged for one of their vehicles to be stationed at Strathcona Island Park so that they could drift down the river without having to work too hard with paddles.
The hard work was really getting their watercraft inflated and ready for the water, said Kelly and Michael Sehn, Rosie Mercer and Scott McHardy.
For Michael the whole weekend had been about rounds of tennis and baseball, he said.
It was not a particularly busy weekend for emergency services.
The Medicine Hat Police Service received about 80 to 90 calls a day over the weekend, which is considered average, said S/Sgt. Stacey Kesler. Friday night was particularly busy with an incident that saw five people taken to hospital. On Sunday an officer was struck by a vehicle that sped away while the driver was talking to police.
The Medicine Hat Fire Service reports a fairly quiet weekend having responded to one minor fire that is believed to have started in a clothes dryer. There were no grass fires over the weekend that had to be attended to but they warn, with drier conditions, this can change rapidly.