Members of the Lethbridge Coaldale 4-H Beef Club inspect a steer ahead of the club's 100th anniversary celebration. (Photo: Lethbridge Coaldale 4-H Beef Club)

By David Opinko

Lethbridge Coaldale 4-H Beef Club to celebrate 100th anniversary

May 30, 2023 | 12:29 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A local 4-H club is gearing up to celebrate a full century of agricultural education.

The Lethbridge Coaldale 4-H Beef Club will hold its 100th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, June 10, 2023, in the Heritage Hall at Lethbridge and District Exhibition.

Club Leader Rebecca Tokariuk said the gala will honour all of those who have contributed to the organization.

“It’s a night for alumni and the community to reconnect, to reminisce, and to celebrate the accomplishments of the club over the years,” said Tokariuk.

Among the nearly sold out crowd, special guests will include members of the Town of Coaldale, Lethbridge County, and Lethbridge MP Rachel Thomas.

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Tokariuk told LNN that the gala is an important celebration because the Lethbridge Coaldale 4-H Beef Club is one of the longest-running 4-H clubs in Canada.

It was founded by local farmer Charles Giffen in 1923, covering areas from Mountain View to Taber and Iron Springs to the Canada-U.S. border.

Tokariuk said young Albertans learn crucial life skills in 4-H, even for those who do not work and live on a farm.

“It really focuses on youth and agriculture, but there’s a lot of different components to it, such as communication, judging and decision-making, community service, and again, livestock care and welfare. Those are kind of the pillars of our club,” said Tokariuk.

One of the biggest tasks 4-H members take on is having to care for a cow and prepare it for sale.

“Our kids pick a steer in November, they weigh it, and throughout the course of the year, they are responsible for feeding that animal, making sure it’s got clean water, bedding, and they’re also responsible for halter-breaking it,” explained Tokariuk. “They’re taming them, they’re brushing them, they’re leading them on a halter to prepare them for going to town in June.”

She adds, “It’s a very small-scale replication fo the real world, right? Like, having small calves, feeding them to completion, preparing them to be sold to market at the end of the year, but with the twist of working a little more closely with that animal and getting to know behaviours and what animals need and what gets them tamed down for that trip into town.”

The 4-H Club will hold its 100th Annual Show & Sale at Lethbridge and District Exhibition on June 9 and 10, 2023, starting each day at 12:00 p.m.

More details on local 4-H clubs in Alberta can be found on the 4-H website.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now