The centennial year is coming to a close in Red Deer. It’s been a year filled with a fun range of activities to mark the historic event of Red Deer gaining city status.

There have been a number of events which started last January that local families have been able to enjoy. And the wrap up event is set to be held this Friday.

A Fire & Ice Community Ice Sculpture Display runs at City Hall Park on Dec. 13 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. It promises to be a terrific finale to wrap up a year’s worth of special celebrations.

Another highlight is a pyrotechnic display set for 8 p.m. as well.

The ‘Greatest Year Ever’ exhibit will also be running in the Snell Auditorium of the Red Deer Public Library. The exhibit will showcase the various ways Red Deerians marked the centennial. Another plan is to provide paper lanterns coupled with glow sticks which will be distributed randomly. At 7:30 p.m., organizers hope that they can marshal people to opposite corners of the park and do a parade through the ice sculptures and light barrels which will be there as well. This is hoped to be the lead in to the pyrotechnic grand finale.

There will also be face-painting for kids and a choir that will be performing six different times through the evening. There will be centennial cake, chili and hot chocolate as well.

Another fitting way to cap off the year was the launch of Red Deer: The Memorable City penned by Red Deer’s own Michael Dawe. The launch of the book took place on Monday and was met with great success – people are already snapping up copies throughout the City.

The book is a 360-page written and visual history of the City.

Dawe has poured his heart and soul over the last three and a half years into this book. We can’t think of anybody who knows this area so thoroughly than Dawe. And it’s not just his knowledge – it’s a passion he has for the area.

You can ask him any question and he will likely know at least a small bit about virtually anything to do with the Central Alberta’s history – that is what makes him the perfect person to have compiled the book.

Imagine what Red Deer would be without Dawe. He is literally a treasure to the community and that shows by his multiple wins as the Most Beloved Citizen in the Express’ annual Best of Red Deer.

To purchase Red Deer: The Memorable City, folks can visit the Red Deer Public Library, the Recreation Centre, City Hall, the Collicutt Centre, G.H. Dawe and Tourism Red Deer. The cost is $35 plus tax.