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Edmonton, Canada

This is for anyone making the drive to the Smoky Lake weigh off. (Darby & Ernie) It's a story I read on my news cast this morning. Looks like we might have a chance!!!


A late spring and drought mean there's a good chance the Great Pumpkin won't be seen lurking in many Alberta gardens this fall.
Growers say pumpkins are half their normal size and others haven't grown at all.
In Smoky Lake -- site of the annual Great White North Pumpkin Fair and Weigh In -- pumpkin growers are getting worried.
Pumpkin farmer Eva Lewicki says the weather has shrunk her chances of winning the annual event.
She's also worried about the number of jack-o-lanterns available for Halloween.
The pumpkin fair is the cultural event of the year in the town of one-thousand people.
During the festival the population swells to about five-thousand as pumpkin growers from B-C and Saskatchewan arrive with their entries.
Smoky Lake Pumpkin Growers secretary Pat Elaschuk promises that despite the drought, the 14th annual fair will still go ahead on October 5th.

8/30/2002 10:42:54 AM

Cooks Creek, Manitoba, Canada

Hey Ernie, sounds like if you want some competition for your 700 pounder, you may want to come to Roland instead. Just trying to generate some fun rivalry between us Western Canadian growers.

8/30/2002 11:12:52 AM

Sask, Canada

Well thebez competition is good but $1400.00 is better and by the looks of it if I can keep Wilbour humming I should be able to take first place (plus the Sask. record) at the lake.

Thanks for the update Smitty that was what my insider info was saying and this helps confirm it.

8/30/2002 11:42:06 AM

Stony Plain, Alberta (near Edmonton)

Hi guys, yah, not a great year, but mine are still gaining weight. I saw John Lobay last Sunday at the Sunflower fest in Thorhild where he and Mary cleaned up on the sunflower prizes.. He told me his punkins are not doing too well this year. So I think we all have a good chance at something. I think if the current weather keeps up, Stony Plain will be well represented. Let's hope for a really late frost.

Herc or Titan

8/30/2002 6:14:35 PM

Liverpool , England

Yo Darby,
Do John and Mary lobay live north or south of smokey lake...and how far? Thanks


alun

8/30/2002 7:43:14 PM

Stony Plain, Alberta (near Edmonton)

Alun, I'm not sure... All I know is they live in or around Smoky Lake.

There's a pic of John and his 751 pounder on my gallery photos

8/30/2002 10:26:06 PM

Stony Plain, Alberta (near Edmonton)

For the record: Their tallest sunflower was 13'2" and the one with the most opened flowers 63 . A good time was had by all!!!!

8/30/2002 10:37:04 PM

Liverpool , England

Yo Darby,
Thanks.. I just wondered as I grew a 743lber in 1997 and it was the biggest pumpkin ever grown this far north of the equator...now Smokey Lake is 40 miles further north than liverpool and I know they have grown a bigger fruit than me now. If they live more than 40 miles south of Smokey lake then I still have that record...if not..then they have it.


Alun

8/31/2002 8:03:21 PM

Amherst, WI

Alun, being that far North, how many hours of sunlight do you have each day?

8/31/2002 10:55:49 PM

Liverpool , England

Yo Randoooooooooooooo,
Hey it gets light about 4am and dark after 10.30pm...so its something like 19 hours or more.



Alun

9/1/2002 7:32:01 PM