Small Nova Scotia church celebrates big milestone

It’s a big weekend in East Chezzetcook, N.S., as parishioners of St.Genevieve Church celebrate the 100th anniversary of their annual picnic.

The important milestone kicked off with a parade through the tiny community Saturday morning.

St.Genevieve Church is a fixture in East Chezzetcook.

The original church burned to the ground in 1945 and was rebuilt two years later.  The church is located in the middle of the community and a focal point for many who pass through.

“It’s very important, particularly in years past because the church was the hub of the community, as in most small villages like this one,” organizer Charlene Bonang said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's very important, particularly in years past because the church was the hub of the community, as in most small villages like this one," organizer Charlene Bonang said.

“It’s not so much now, there’s so many other outside things going on, but still for a lot of us, it’s still the hub of the community.”

Although still an important part of the community, the parish says, like many churches, it is far from thriving.

“I would say we have a lot of steady people that continue to work hard and give it everything,” Theresa Young said.

The annual church picnic is primarily used as a fundraising event.

“The picnic is our main fundraiser because churches these days can’t get along without fundraising,” Bonang explained.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The picnic is our main fundraiser because churches these days can't get along without fundraising," Bonang explained.

“There aren’t enough people in attendance. You have to find other ways to keep the parish going. This is the main one every year.”

Money raised helps pay for upgrades to the church and cover the costs of programs put on by the parish.

“Any building has upkeeps and things like that. You know, you want the church to keep going, you got to support it,” Debbie Mannette, who was taking part in the event, said.

People from East Chezzetcook and surrounding communities came together to help the fundraising efforts.

The annual picnic is put on by dozens of volunteers who dedicate their time to the event, each and every year.

“A lot of work, a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun. We enjoy it,” Young said.

One of the most popular events turned out to be the dunk tank. People of all ages tried their hand at dunking David Hendsbee, the area’s councillor.

It’s hoped, besides raising money, the picnic will also raise awareness about the church and hopefully get more young people involved.

Festivities for the 100th church picnic continue Sunday. A full list of events can be found here.