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Rick Hansen to return to Williams Lake as Stampede Parade marshal

Hansen will return to the lakecity near the 50th anniversary of his spinal cord injury
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Cat in the Hat and Ultimate Arty, aka Joan Oliver, left, and Willie Dye, were at city council on March 21 to update council on the Stampede Parade and announce Rick Hansen will be the official parade marshal. (city of Williams Lake video capture)

Rick Hansen will be the official 2023 Williams Lake Stampede Parade marshal.

The Ultimate Arty, a.k.a. Willie Dye, who is once again organizing the parade, made the announcement in front of city council at their regular meeting on March 21.

“His presence will be a fabulous addition,” said Dye, noting he hoped it would bring people from Quesnel and create an even bigger draw for the parade falling this year on July 1.

Only a few days prior to the parade will be the 50th anniversary of the vehicle crash near Williams Lake which led to the spinal cord injury changing Hansen’s life.

He was thrown from the back of a pickup truck while returning from a fishing trip with his friend Don Alder.

Hansen was paralyzed from the waist down and went on to raise funds for spinal cord research, starting with his Man in Motion Tour in the 80s, raising the profile of disabled athletes and spinal cord research globally. The tour raised $26 million for spinal cord research.

Dye also said he hopes having Hansen in the parade will lead to the city working towards the city being more accessible.

“How could we not honour our very own hero,” said Mayor Rathor of Hansen’s return to the lakecity and recognizing the anniversary of Hansen’s injury in a vehicle incident.

One challenge Dye said the parade is having is in recruiting marching bands for the parade, and he asked for help in connecting with more of them.

“Nobody marches anymore,” he said.

Read more: Rick Hansen an inspiration



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Ruth Lloyd

About the Author: Ruth Lloyd

After moving back to Williams Lake, where I was born and graduated from school, I joined the amazing team at the Williams Lake Tribune in 2021.
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