For some Pembina Valley residents, the September long weekend is about getting the family together, while others are looking to make the most of the final stretch of summer with a round of golf.
Caroline Ketler-Katt is preparing to welcome 16 adults and eight children to her home for a family barbecue.
She is handling the hamburgers and hot dogs, while other family members are bringing salads, desserts and other dishes.
“We don’t get to see each other very often,” Ketler-Katt said. “And I said, we got to do this once a year. Family is very important to me. Very important.”
The gathering brings together her husband, two brothers, a stepsister, extended family and several children.
For Ketler-Katt, the annual get-together has also taken on a deeper meaning since her mother died three years ago.
She said she initially found it difficult to organize family gatherings without her mother there, but eventually decided the family needed to start getting together again.
“I thought to myself, you know what? Mom was looking down saying, you know what, kids, you should start getting together again. I’ll be there. You won’t see me, but I’ll be there,” she said.
Now, the gatherings have become something the family looks forward to.
“And we just have so much fun,” Ketler-Katt said.
She has already put some work into the weekend, including making 26 hamburgers, while her brother is bringing a potato salad made using their mother’s recipe.
“My brother makes a mean potato salad just like my mom made,” she said.
Caroline Ketler-Katt and her family. Submitted by Caroline Ketler-Katt
A new set of clubs and a weekend on the course
Joylyn Tuuri is taking a different approach to the long weekend.
After finding a set of golf clubs for $20 this year, Tuuri said she is hoping to get out on the course and put them to use.
“I would like to go golfing because I found some nice golf clubs this year, grad sailing for $20. I need to try them out,” she said.
Tuuri was surprised with an 18-hole round and shared cart pass to the Minnewasta Golf Course and Country Club, giving her a chance to test out the new clubs.
She plans to bring her dad, and is hoping her daughter can join them depending on her work schedule.
Tuuri has not yet had a chance to check out the newly opened clubhouse, but said her family enjoys Santa Lucia, which is now operating there.
The rest of her September long weekend remains open, leaving plenty of room for plans to come together.
Joylyn Tuuri and her daughter Emmi. Submitted by Joylyn Tuuri.
How are Pembina Valley residents spending the weekend?
We also stopped by Co-Op in Winkler to ask employees what they have planned for the September long weekend.
Whether it is a backyard barbecue surrounded by extended family, a day on the golf course, or other plans around the Pembina Valley, the September long weekend offers one more opportunity to slow down and enjoy the people and activities that make summer memorable.
With files from Jayme Giesbrecht
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