WILNO – There was a lot of excitement in Wilno on Saturday night.
Kids walking along Highway 60 shouted over to a group outside the Wilno Tavern to join them at the Moccasin Dance at the newly opened rink building in the village.
One of the main organizers of the Moccasin dance and the drive for a new building, Connie Leahy said that Saturday was not the official opening of the building, that would come later, when the Trillium Foundation were ready.
Leahy did say that Saturday was the first day the ice was in thanks to volunteers working all week.
Saturday’s festivities could have turned out very differently but for the quick reactions of neighbour Claude Hebert. He saw the new buildings visual fire alarm go off after an electrical appliance malfunction and the building was saved.
There were three Madawaska Valley Councillors in attendance, Carl Bromwich, David Shulist and Mark Willmer.
Shulist was happy to emphasize how important a rink is to the young people of the community. Echoing the words of Brian McCarthy when he brought a donation cheque from the Joe Murray Memorial Golf Tournament in the fall, who said he spent many youthful hours on the rink in Wilno.
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