CORNWALL, Ontario- Lamoureux Park hosted two events on Saturday, May 26—the Mayor and Council Picnic between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and the RCMP Musical Ride beginning at 2 p.m.
This was the second Mayor and Council Picnic.
“We’re hoping to make it annual,” said Cornwall Mayor Leslie O’Shaughnessy.
According to Terry Muir, the President of the Optimist Club in Cornwall, the event is all about promoting community.
“There’s a free bouncy castle, face painting, games for the kids and there’s a barbeque,” said Muir.
The rain didn’t stop the fun activities. Everett and Oliver Beswick-Magoon enjoyed the bouncy castle that doubled as a waterslide when wet.
The RCMP Musical Ride hasn’t taken place in Cornwall since 1998, but returned to a sizeable crowd of spectators today.
“There’s a lot of people who have never even heard of it,” said Muir. “So it’s a great opportunity to come out and see what it’s all about.”
The performance included 32 RCMP riders and horses, with intricate choreography and drills, some involving lances, to an array of music. The officers saluted Albert Brian Hunter who received the Governor General of Canada Medal for Volunteers in 2017. Hunter worked as a lead coordinator for camp and volunteer recruitment since 1976.
There was also horse-drawn wagon rides, horse rides and live music by The Shiners. All events were free to the public and donations were accepted.
“We’d like to thank the Optimist Club for allowing us to piggy back on this event for the Mayor and Council Picnic. Certainly I’ve talked to a lot of people today and they’re all excited to be here,” said O’Shaughnessy.
