There is a new pumpkin in Roland, and its home is at the playground adjacent to the Roland Arena.
Carrie Hennan, a Councillor from the RM of Roland, was the driving force behind the project. As Roland is the “Home of the Giant Pumpkin,” the RM’s council wanted to expand on the theme.
The pumpkin project was made possible by the Carman and Area Foundation Grant and the RM of Roland.
“The structure started out as a round ball made of rebar that was used for a giant Xmas ornament,” said Carrie Hennan. “My son Codi squished the ball with the loader until it started to look more like a pumpkin, and then I proceeded to attach chicken wire to it.”
“The hard part was yet to come as I wasn’t sure how paper mache would stick to chicken wire,” said Hennan. “With lots of trial and error and lots of paper, I was finally able to build out the ribs so that it would actually resemble a pumpkin. Pete Wall’s Fiberglass Shop was the next stop, and then I went back to my place to get it painted. I think it turned out pretty well considering my lack of expertise.”
Now that the new pumpkin project is completed, the RM of Roland would now like to build on the 4-H theme as they are also the “Home of Canadian 4-H”. Stay tuned for more updates on what the RM has planned for that.
Standard photos by Carrie Hennan
