Pictured on the left: Nine-year-old Alexis Mainville was the winner of the Canada Day Scavenger Hunt, receiving a family photo shoot from CC Squared Photography of Avonmore as her prize. She is shown here with her winning entry in the Canada Day Scavenger Hunt. Pictured on the right: Nolan Griffin, shown here with his entry, was one of the winners in the Canada Day Colouring Contest. Courtesy Photos

AVONMORE – The North Stormont community of Avonmore is always ready to celebrate Canada Day and this year was no exception. In addition to a fireworks display, there was an Avonmore Canada Day House Decorating Challenge, a Canada Day Scavenger Hunt and a Canada Day Colouring Contest and a very successful bottle drive in support of the children’s park in Avonmore.

The fireworks’ display was held and organized on June 2 by locals, Jeff and Natalie Lavallee. Residents of the village were able to enjoy the fireworks while socially distancing from their vehicles and/or drive way.

The bottle drive, organized by the ACAA, raised just over $2,000, with Josee Poirier on behalf of the Avonmore Community and Athletic Association, giving Jeff and Natalie Lavallee a special thanks “for their unwavering support with the Avonmore Park Bottle Drive.” Poirier continued “They have been volunteering their time and using their trailers to help transport the bottles for the last three bottle drives.” During the week prior to the July 4 bottle drive, the Lavallee’s had two trailers in their front yard, to allow people to drop off their empty bottles if unable to attend the Sunday bottle drive event.

For several years, Barkley’s Store in Avonmore has sponsored the Avonmore Canada Day House Decorating Contest. As in past years, Rock’n Ronda’s Diner & Pizzeria won first place in the competition, receiving a $50 gift certificate from Barkley’s Store. The ACAA sponsored a Canada Day Scavenger Hunt, with Josee Poirier, a member of ACAA. She explained that an association member “walked around town to find spots and created the form for people to print.”  Alexis Mainville won the contest and received a family photo shoot from CC Squared Photography of Avonmore. There was also a Canada Day Colouring contest held with Lily Lewis, Nolan Griffin and Kate Plasse who each won a free ice cream cone from Rock’n Ronda’s Diner & Pizzeria. Poirier explained all winners in these contests were chosen randomly.

There is certainly an abundance of community pride in this small North Stormont village.