With Public Health Orders and several restrictions in place, Porcupine Plain graduation celebrations looked a little different this year.   The graduating class was able to participate in a Grad Parade which took the impeccably dressed graduates all around Town.  Friends and family watched from front lawns and waved and cheered as the graduates drove by — there were even a few cowbells being rung! 

The celebrations continued with a “Reverse Parade”, where the graduates stationed  themselves below their banners along McAllister Avenue (Main Street) and supporters drove by honking, waving, and cheering to show their support for this year’s graduating class.

An amazing Fireworks Show — sponsored by the Parkland Co-op, Town of Porcupine Plain, RM of Porcupine, and Porcupine Sports Days Committee — was the cherry on top of an incredibly touching tribute to the PPCS Graduating Class of 2020.

The Porcupine Plain Comprehensive School invites the community to celebrate the Graduating Class of 2020 with a socially distanced graduation “ceremony” on Friday, June 26, 2020.  The schedule of events is as follows:

1. Graduation Parade:  The Graduation Parade will start at 6:20p.m., and will go past all in-town graduates’ homes.  If you reside along the parade route, watch from your lawn and wave, make a sign, or make some noise!  The parade route will be determined and announced.  Please note that the Parade will not be going down Main Street, so please do not park along the street — it needs to remain clear for the Drive-By portion of the evening’s events.
2. Main Street Drive-By:  Between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m., the graduates will stand on Main Street under their banner.  The community is asked to drive along Main Street honking, waving, and showing your support for the graduates.  Please do not park or walk along Main Street for the duration of the Drive-By event.
3. Fireworks: Fireworks Show will be at Dusk (after 10p.m.).  Spectators are encouraged to watch from their home backyard or deck, but are welcome to attend at the Sports Grounds provided that they adhere to all parking and social distancing Guidelines posted.  Tune in to 98.5 for accompanying music!  

PLEASE STAY HOME IF YOU ARE FEELING UNWELL OR EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19.

“I been waiting on some good news;
For the clouds to part and let the light shine through.
I wanna wake up to a better tomorrow.
I had enough, where is the trust, where is the truth?
It’s about time for some good news.”

Lucas Boyd (Classified), Enfield, Nova Scotia

We are living in a complex world with change all around us.  And if this virus is not enough, there are mass shootings, floods and helicopter crashes.  Naturally, this can make us feel uncertain or fearful about the present and future.  The good news is that resiliency — the ability to thrive in times of change and uncertainty — is learned, and Porcupine citizens, you are rockin’ it out of the park!

You have changed your everyday lives to help “flatten the curve” and avoid a spike in cases that would overwhelm our health services. For some of you, that means that you had to self-isolate for two weeks. For others, it will mean that you are now working from home.  Still others continue to have to go to your workplaces because of the essential nature of your job. And some may face the prospect of employment loss. But while the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting our daily routines with changes here at home and around the globe, it’s comforting to know that, amid the uncertainty, there are still moments of strength and hope that showcase the resilience, or grit, that people share in times like these. This will help us get through it together.

There are stories of Porcupinites offering to pick up groceries or help with other tasks for neighbours or those who are unable to leave their homes. There are pictures shared on social media, showing that despite being apart on the opposite sides of the Red Deer Nursing Home glass, the family is still sharing poignant and beautiful moments together. A tribute to our healthcare and essential services workers was ‘rolled out’ in the form of a parade through the town. Citizens are participating in a Quilly Willy Window Walk where windows are decorated weekly in different themes and then documented on social media. And possibly the most resilient of all—a group that is close to my heart—are the students and parents learning at home and the teachers who are working to reach them.

Although it is not an ideal situation, we have been given a chance to reassess our priorities.  This is a unique time in which we can slow down, reflect, listen, and show gratitude towards one another. (Gratitude is an excellent way of finding happiness in these uncertain times). Don’t get me wrong. This can be an extremely stressful time for some. We need to honour the fact that nobody signed up for this. It’s okay to be not okay.  There’s no prize for being the best at pretending to have your you-know-what together. Everyone will have different levels of stress and it manifests in different ways.  But these collective feelings can allow deep connections in our community.  Coping with stress will make us, the people we care about, and our community stronger.  It’s a good time to stock up on compassion and always look for the silver lining, as this will help us get through.  Know that there is hope and resilience in Porcupine Plain, in Saskatchewan, in Canada and, indeed, the world.

Mayor Carol Belchamber