Every year, the town of Osler, Saskatchewan, celebrates July 1 with a pancake breakfast; a parade with horses, old cars and tractors; rollkuchen and watermelon at the community hall; and, finally, fireworks and a concert. It’s an amazing accomplishment, given that many small towns no longer have the resources to host July 1 celebrations. Visitors come from surrounding towns come to participate in Osler.
This year, Osler Mennonite Church served free ice cream and invited SaskEV to showcase privately owned electric vehicles in the church parking lot. SaskEV is a collective of electric vehicle (EV) owners and enthusiasts that serves as a resource for current and future EV owners in Saskatchewan and as an advocate for environmentally sustainable transportation. The diverse collection of Teslas, Hyundais, Chevys and Nissans drew the attention of vintage and future car lovers alike.
The temperature was 35 degrees that day, and as surrounding crops mature too quickly and many of us tire of breathing smoke from forest fires, our church is looking for solutions to the climate crisis. This was an opportunity for us to show our love for our town and work towards an environmentally sustainable future.
Patty Friesen is pastor of Osler Mennonite Church.
Electric cars lined up in front of Osler Mennonite Church. (Photo by Patty Friesen)
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Thank you for sharing such a wonderful idea.
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