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DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/ FORT PROVIDENCE
Hours of work and inspired design choices rolled by in minutes as the annual Mackenzie Days parade took to the streets of Fort Providence.

Alessandra Canadien, left, Gabriella Canadien, Faith Bonnetrouge and Adeline Landry were surrounded by pink decor in the Barbie's dream house float they rode in during the Mackenzie Days parade in Fort Providence on July 29. - Roxanna Thompson/NSSL photo

Residents can spend multiple days preparing floats, strollers, bicycles and ATVs for the event, which this year had a theme of classic children's toys.

Fort Providence is known for its elaborate parade entries, said Kari Hergott, one of the Mackenzie Days organizers ,during the awards presentation.

At age five, Olivia Nadli is a parade veteran. Olivia has been in many of the community's parades, starting when she was a baby in a stroller.

This year Olivia's pink Barbie car, complete with a shiny chrome grill and hubcaps, took first place in the bike division at the parade.

Olivia owes her parade success to her grandmother Sylvia Nadli, who has made her entry every year.

This year Olivia provided the inspiration for the entry by suggesting her grandmother make a life-size model of her toy Barbie car.

It took Sylvia two days to turn Olivia's bike into a dream car, with the help of Robert Sambele.

Supporting the cardboard body of the car on the bike was the hardest part of the build, said Sylvia.

The frame was built with willow sticks held together with string and haywire. A lot of duct tape was also involved, she said.

The second-place entry in the bike division was also inspired by a child's preferences.

Toy Story 3 is Sommer Bonnetrouge's favourite movie.

Her mother April Gargan focused on the characters of Jessie the cowgirl and the horse Bullseye when decorating Bonnetrouge's bike.

The finished product featured Bonnetrouge, 4, as the cowgirl and two decorated cardboard cutouts of a horse to transform the bike into a trusty steed.

"It turned out pretty good," said Gargan.

Bonnetrouge also approved and was reluctant to have her horse turn back into a bike at the end of the parade.

If there was a prize for sheer amount of detail, it would have went to the Barbie's dream home float.

The float, created by Shauna Clarke-Canadien, Violet Bonnetrouge and Sabrina McLeod, did take first place in the family float division.

"We had pink stuff," Clarke-Canadien said of the inspiration of the float.

The three women created a life-size dream house complete with a bedroom, kitchen, dressing room, television and even a toilet.

As a finishing detail the truck pulling the float played the song Barbie Girl by Aqua on an endless loop.

The float took approximately five hours to create on the night before, and the morning of, the parade.

Faith Bonnetrouge, who said she likes Barbies, got to become a real-life Barbie while riding on the float during the parade.

"It's good," she said.

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