It was a trip through history and a special Canada Day moment for the Town of Bashaw.
On July 1, a special proclamation in the name of an immediate family member of the community’s founder was presented at a short ceremony held at the Bashaw Museum.
The proclamation was for Don Bashaw — Eugene Bashaw’s grandson — giving him status as a Distinguished Member of the Town of Bashaw’s Great Heritage was passed by council in March.
It was presented to Bob Kreigal, Eugene’s great grandson, who made the initial request as part of his special mission for his now 91-year-old father.
Kreigal’s road trip began on his motorcycle from Pensacola, Florida and was all about learning more of his family’s history — especially for his dad, who still has a dedicated interest in the subject.
Deputy mayor Rosella Peterman made the presentation and the rest of the day was taken up by various community members providing Kreigal with lots of details about how the town was shaped by Eugene.
“Laura Graham, who played Mrs. Bashaw for a Majestic Theatre play, shared a number of stories about what she learned through researching the role,” Peterman explained.
“As well, Marj Savage filled Bob in with some more historical details including the Bashaw family tree.”
Peterman noted that Kreigal learned something new through this particular exercise, which filled in a puzzle he had been trying to solve.
“Bob was not aware that his grandfather’s name was Vivian and told us that knowing this solved a mystery for him,” she said.
“His (Bob’s) middle name is also Vivian, but he hadn’t understood until now that it had a family connection.”
In addition, Kreigal was presented with a copy of the town’s history book — which included a short message inside written by Peterman on behalf of the town — and was provided with some suggestions about what other sights and places he could visit during his stay in the area.
Bashaw’s CAO Theresa Fuller was singled out by Kreigal for the great amount of assistance provided in not only getting the proclamation for his father, but for helping arrange the tour.
“Bob was very grateful to everyone who contributed to make his visit memorable and special,” Fuller added.
“And Don was very thrilled to experience living history through his son Bob’s adventure.”