Cherished ice carnival has become time-honoured tradition

The year was 1909. Construction was under way on the Titanic. The Model "T" Ford was starting to roll off the assembly lines. A stamp cost a mere two cents. The first powered flight in Canada was made by John McCurdy aboard the Silver Dart. And British explorer Earnest Shackelton found the magnetic south pole.
And in the midst of it all, a cherished ice carnival was born in Sackville, New Brunswick - an event that has, over the past century, become a time-honoured tradition in this quaint university town.
The Sackville Firemen's Carnival got off to a successful start 100 years ago when more than 600 people came out to Copp's Rink (on the corner of Bridge and Lorne Streets) on a Thursday evening in early February 1909, some dressed up in their most creative costumes to parade around the ice surface for the judges.
"The attendance was large, the costumes showed originality and taste, the ice was in fine shape, and the music rendered by the Citizens' Band found favour with the people," stated the article in the Sackville Tribune a few days following the carnival.
Since that time, this annual event has lived through the Great Depression, two world wars and a Spanish flu that struck down a hundred million people across the world. It has lived to see tragic events such as the Titanic sinking on her maiden voyage and astounding feats such as Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon.
Through it all, the carnival has seen many changes, including the range of costumes that are worn every year, the change in venues over the past century, and even the style of skates that participants have worn through the past 10 decades.
Yet, despite the passage of time, many things have also remained the same.
"It's certainly evolved over the years but it's still definitely a family event," says Stephen Estabrooks, a retired member of the Sackville fire department who serves on this year's carnival organizing committee.
Estabrooks also points out that the carnival has continued to thrive because of the longstanding support from the local businesses and residents.
"One hundred years is a long time, And for it to last that long, it just goes to show how much it means to have strong support from the community," he says.
And this year is certainly no different, says Estabrooks.
"We're getting tremendous support for our 100th," he says, noting that hundreds of prizes have been collected for this year's momentous occasion, including the grand prize of a 40-inch LCD TV with a home theatre system.
The 100th anniversary celebration is set for March 21 with the activities kicking off at 6:30 p.m. at the Tantramar Veterans' Memorial Civic Centre. Tickets are a mere 50 cents apiece and will get you entrance into the gala, a slice of celebration cake, a souvenir bracelet, a program, the chance to meet the fire department's new mascot Sparky, and the opportunity to win one of dozens of door prizes.
Also this year, continuing on with the historic tradition of the occasion, the 107-year-old Sackville Citizens' Band will provide the musical entertainment for the evening. Estabrooks says there's a lot of excitement building up for this year's carnival, an event that is shaping up to be one of the best ones ever.
"It's quite a milestone so we really want to make it special."