OUR HISTORY
History of The Rose Festival
Founded by Gabriel J. Macoomb
In 1959, Gabriel J. Macoomb And his family were traveling through North Carolina when they heard a broadcast of an Azalea Festival. That event gave him the idea of a Rose Festival for Welland and upon his return home he discussed the subject with the City Council and wrote letters to the Chamber of Commerce and to the local service Clubs suggesting that the matter be considered. Not long after that, the first Rose Festival committee was formed.
On April 26, 1962, Eli Turonski, chairman of the parks board, put forth the idea of a Rose Festival to the members of the Welland Citizens Recreation Association. The first Rose Festival committee was headed by Turonski as general chairman; G.J. Macoomb, vice-chairman; Dan Ryan, secretary-treasurer; Yvette Ward, entertainment chairman; Jim Chalmers, band chairman; and Irene Morris, Welland Horticultural Society representative.
The four-day event from June 21 to 24 was designed to promote the City of Welland and its roses! Among citizens who came within the boundaries as a result of annexation were former residents of Crowland Township, many of whom had shown a sustained interest in the growing of roses Young women between the ages of 16 and 22 years, and residents of Welland were invited to compete for the title of Rose Queen 1962. On June 21, 1962, Donna Wellman was selected to wear the crown as Welland's first Rose Queen.
It was the success of the parade and the beauty of the floats, decorated with thousands of roses, that prompted organizers to have the Welland Rose Festival become an annual event.
The First Welland
Rose Festival Parade 1962
Thousands of roses adorned the floats in the first rose parade back in 1962 - a parade that was put together in under two months by those first Rose Festival pioneers. It was the success of that first Rose Parade that inspired organizers to expand the parade every year.
In 1963 the parade consisted of 13 bands and 12 floats and a handful of events. By 1989 154 units graced the Rose Parade route, lined by thousands of eager spectators both young and old, and the four-day event had grown into a two-week affair featuring over, 40 events.
Throughout its history, the Welland Rose Festival and its parade have generated triumphs and the occasional tribulation. In 1965 cloudbursts drenched participants as they attempted to assemble in the Atlas Steels parking lot. Musical instruments were fouled up and costumes soaked but the Parade was only postponed, not canceled. By the time the Rose Parade started the sun was shining.
Over the years many events were added to the Rose Festival and some faded away such as the Water Parade on the old Welland Canal, the Welland Historical Museum's enchanted 1920s Family Garden Party, a 1950 Dance, BathTub Race, Soap Box Derby and Bavarian Night where dancers swayed under the stars to the strains of big band music on Merritt Island.. and don't forget the log-rolling exhibition on the old Welland Canal.
History of the Welland Rose
In 1989, it was suggested to the City of Welland Council that Welland, known as Canada's Rose City, should have a rose of its own.
The City of Welland Council established a committee to investigate the possibility of choosing a rose that would be the official rose of Welland this committee consisted of four local horticulturists: Peter Boyce, Joe Mocsan, Gord Rendell, and Wayne Rohaly.
On August 1st, 1991 the committee reported a unanimous decision: their choice was a yellow, orange, and red blend developed by renowned Kordes Nursery of Germany. The blend of colors was to represent Welland's cultural diversity. In August of 1991, members of the Welland City Council adopted the rose developed by the William Kourdes Rose Nursery in Germany, as the official Rose of the City of Welland. the Kordes Nursery has a long history of developing new roses and ranks among the foremost in the world in this work.
The rose is a hybrid tea, flowering continuously from Spring until frost. the flower is a pretty blend of shades of red, orange, yellow, and pink and is fully pedaled. flowers Measure 3-4” in diameter and are fragrant.
The initial purchase of 65 plants that were available in 1992 was made by the Welland parks department and planted in a specially prepared circular bed in Merritt Park.
In 1992 the Welland Rose was put for sale to the public and has been available ever since a few thousand City of Welland rose bushes have been sold, by most local gardeners.
In addition to Welland’s Merritt Park, previous MP and Speaker of House Gilbert Parent purchased roses for planting a parliament hill. Many private gardens throughout Welland and Canada enjoy the beauty of the City of Welland Rose.
In 2011 the City of Welland renamed the Rose Garden at Chippewa Park in memory of Joe Mocsan, Welland's “Rose King.” In the rose garden rests a plaque that proclaims: “Somewhere a rose grows because of Joe.”