Hamlet organizer takes pride in her work
Taking on the challenge of keeping the people of Fort Liard busy, Hillary Deneron says it's worth it
Elaine Anselmi
Northern News Services
Monday, October 26, 2015
ACHO DENE KOE/FORT LIARD
At the end of August, Hillary Deneron took on the task of starting up a new tradition in Fort Liard - a handgames tournament that she hopes to develop into an annual event.
Hillary Deneron has been a major part of several community events in Fort Liard. - NNSL file photo |
"I was inspired by seeing other communities in the North host tournaments as we did in Liard," Deneron says.
"Just from watching other people host it, I thought, you know what, we would be perfect to host it. It was just a matter of getting somebody behind it, organizing it."
And now, Deneron says she's already looking forward to putting together a community New Year's Eve celebration to ring in 2016.
"My family, we've always been the ones to organize community events such as Canada Day, Halloween dances, New Year's celebrations, community flea markets," she says.
"Liard is a small community, there's not much for people to do in the community and we like to do community events for the whole family, so everyone can be involved."
Along with her mother and sister, Deneron runs the general store and motel in town and she says the family also takes part in planning events and community gatherings.
"Sometimes we'll take turns, my sister will organize, mom will organize. As long as one of us steps up, we know it'll get done," she says.
"Instead of being a lazy Susan and sitting at home saying, 'Well, there's nothing to do here,' you have to get up and do it yourself."
When dedicating her own time to plan and host events, Deneron says a major challenge she has come up against is a shortage of volunteers.
"That is one thing that we cannot host a successful community event without, the volunteers," she said.
While there may be a shortage of organized events for the whole family and at times people to run them, Deneron says in terms of outdoors opportunities around the community, Fort Liard is not limited.
"If I want to go out and have a picnic with the family down the road, Liard is really pretty - it's called the tropics of the North," she says.
"There is lots to do. If you're an outdoors person, there is so much to do."
Deneron was born and raised in Fort Liard, moving to Saskatchewan for three years to attend high school and then to Grand Prairie for college. But no matter where she went, Deneron says she always wanted to come back home.
"Liard is always home," she says.
"And it always will be."
