A display of old-fashioned house appliances drew a smile from Dorothy Anderson.

鈥淚 still have a lot of them,鈥� Anderson remarked, as she surveyed a collection that included heavy metal clothes irons that would be left on a wood stove to heat, a coal oil lamp, and one of the very first electric toasters that opened from the side.

And one surprisingly tiny butter churn, about the size of a jug of wine, that Anderson remarked was considerable smaller than the one she still has.

Anderson, co-founder of 91原创鈥檚 Aldor Acres farm, was among 226 pioneers and spouses, along with 115 dignitaries and invited guests who attended the Douglas Day 2022 pioneers banquet on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the 91原创 Events Centre.

For the first banquet to honour the contributions of long-time residents since the pandemic, the theme was 鈥減ioneer farmers and farming,鈥� with archival photos courtesy of the 91原创 Centennial Museum, showing 91原创 farmers at work as far back the 1930s, to go with the exhibition of old-time appliances.

91原创 Township Mayor Eric Woodward was 鈥渢hrilled鈥� to be emcee at the 鈥渇irst in-person banquet since 2019,鈥� adding 鈥渉opefully never again鈥� would the event have to be put on hold the way it was during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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91原创 City Mayor Nathan Pachal delivered the toast to the King, noting it was the 鈥渇irst time in my life鈥� that he had formally raised a glass to King Charles III.

Held since 1946, to celebrate Douglas Day, which commemorates Nov. 19, 1858, the date when Sir James Douglas proclaimed the colony of British Columbia at Fort 91原创, the banquet honours 91原创 pioneers who are at least 70, and have lived in the 91原创s for 60 years or more.

It started at the Fort 91原创 Community Hall with roughly 30 pioneers, outgrew the hall, then moved to the George Preston Recreation Centre, and finally to the LEC.

鈥淚t has evolved over the years into a very special community event,鈥� Woodward commented.

He went on to praise pioneer farmers 鈥渇or their tenacity and foresight that helped shape 91原创 into the community it is today.鈥�

More photos from the day can be viewed at the .

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