A trip to Edmonton for the Canada Day holiday was the fulfilment of a dream for Melody Penny, the 11-year-old daughter of Murray and Lorraine Penny of Weyburn.

Melody entered the Celebrate Canada Day in the Capitals contest, put on by the Kinsmen/Kinette Clubs of Canada, including the Weyburn chapter which distributed ballots to Weyburn schools last spring.

Melody received the call on May 8 that her name was chosen, one of 169 winners from across Canada, and was told she and her family would be flown to Edmonton.

"Melody was ecstatic especially since she had actually been praying to go to Edmonton since January of this year. They could have sent her to any capital in Canada, you didn't get to choose," explained Lorraine.

Melody, her sister Alannah and her parents boarded a plane on June 29 for Edmonton, where they were taken on a whirlwind of activities the next day, including a welcome breakfast with Mayor Bill Smith, a tour of the Alberta capital in a double-decker bus, and a session of discussion and role-playing at the Alberta Legislature. Their first day ended with a barbecue and an Edmonton Trappers baseball game.

On Canada Day, the Pennys and their host family, Rick and Laurie Evans and children Meagan and Brendan, took part in the Canada Day Silly Summer Parade, had lunch at the Hotel MacDonald, followed by games, activities and the fireworks in the evening. Melody was asked to press the button to ignite the first fireworks of the evening, which were accompanied by two CF-14 jets and four helicopters which flew overhead.

The group had lunch with Lt.-Gov. Lois Hole at Government House and a tour of the Provincial Museum on July 2, followed by an afternoon at the water park at West Edmonton Mall.

The finale for the weekend was a dinner at Fort Edmonton Park, including a tour via horse and wagon, and a talk by an Olympic medalist. The Pennys also spent time with the other winning families for the contest, representing every province and territory.

Following the experience, Melody said, "I wouldn't want to live in any other country in the world. Canada's the best. Also, the West Ed roller coaster rocked!"

Her sister added, "This trip meant a lot to me. I'm glad I have a winning sister."

Besides the Kinsmen/Kinettes of Canada, other national groups who put on the contest included the Canadian Olympic Association, the Canadian Community Newspapers Association, the Canadian Capital Cities Organization, the Millennium Bureau of Canada and History Television.