In 1980 I was hired by the City of Edmonton to act as the technical director for a new summer attraction called "SummerFest". I moved here from Fredericton with the idea that after that gig I was going to move to Toronto where I had a job with CTV waiting....they're still waiting. Fell in love with this city and have lived and worked here ever since.
With a government grant, a giant portable stage constructed by a Montreal firm was purchased by the City and was used for several years in Churchill Square and by the Heritage Festival before the construction of the amphitheater in Hawerlak. Also used that stage for the Pope show back sometime when he visited. (ps. I know I'm old but pretty sure we started summer of '80, not '81)
This was the summer the province was celebrating its 75th anniversary: the Lougheed government poured a bagillion dollars for celebrations all over the province, (by comparison, the Centenary celebrations were a joke). This "SummerFest" money also helped start the first Edmonton Fringe Festival a couple of summers later.
The seed money and technical assistance that was SummerFest, along with the many visionaries in the city, begat, in some way or another, Heritage Festival, Street Performer's, "That Day in May", Giovanni Cabotto Day, Fringe Fest, Taste of Edmonton, Folk Fest, Blue's Fest, Jazz Fest and all the others who've since been inspired to create something special for this city.
(one little edit...money well spent)