HARDISTY, Alta. – What would happen if all the women left town for a week?
For many women it’s a secret dream. They suspect their family could not survive without them even for a week.
At the end of May, the people in the central Alberta town of Hardisty found the answer to the question when a Vancouver film company moved in to film a television documentary about what happens in a community when most of the women leave.
They discovered that when the women left, the kids still got fed – maybe a few more hot dogs and a lot less dessert. Schedules are shuffled at work but customers are patient. Men go grocery shopping, but with a few more trips up and down the aisle searching for the canned beans or creamed corn.
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What the town of 780 really discovered when 115 women left for a week of play in the mountain resort town of Canmore is that friendships develop.
The women made friends with other women as they were tossed about on whitewater rafts and pampered in spas. Men made friends when they were thrown together to share child care and cooking duties and plan the surprise downtown beautification project for the women’s return.
The Week the Women Went is not a reality television show with scripted crises and actors, but a social documentary about the role of women in the 21st century and how the dynamics shift when women are removed. The 10-part film for CBC television, based on a similar BBC documentary, will be aired early in 2008.
Paperny Films, a Vancouver-based documentary company, chose Hardisty over other towns that applied for the project because of its large welcome mat, said Lisa Green, the film company spokesperson.
“Absolutely the most important thing is the people of Hardisty. If they didn’t embrace us, we wouldn’t be doing it,” said Green.
More than 100 company staff descended on the town to shoot the families from sun-up until well after midnight, recording the tiny details of their lives.
Hardisty mayor Anita Miller hopes the show will shine a positive light on her small prairie town.
“It’s good exposure for Hardisty,” said Miller, one of the women who left town.
Before the town agreed to the plan, the community had to be OK with the idea of the country peeking behind their curtains, she said.
“The idea is to strengthen the community, not break it apart.”
May 26, three busloads of women left town for a week’s fun in Canmore and Banff. Not all could leave. The hospitals, schools and banks rely on women to keep operating. Others took holidays, juggled schedules and called in relatives to help out.
Tony Kulbisky, the town’s chief administrative officer, moved from his office to the front reception area to cover for the three women employees who left town for the week.
“When the phones are ringing off the hook it’s a bit hectic,” said Kulbisky, who also had a three-person crew recording him throughout the week.
At the town office, hours were shortened to let Kulbisky and other men join in the town’s community beautification project. As part of the documentary, the film company donated $10,000 to kick-start a project the men could work on together.
“We wanted to leave a positive impact on the town,” said Green.
The men chose to spruce up the aging downtown. Throughout the week they transformed three vacant lots on Main Street into pocket parks with benches, trees and sod. Concrete planters were brought in to create a colourful boulevard down the main street. Flagpoles were erected, flower baskets hung on power poles and a gazebo was built on a lot on a side street.
As the project progressed, so did the friendships, said Kulbisky.
“I worked with guys I never worked with before and made some friends along the way,” he said.
“It’s all about getting to know the other guys in town.”
John Pioker took holidays from his full-time job at the nearby Husky Oil facility to keep open the family liquor store his wife normally operates. When he closed the business door each day he moved downtown to the beautification project.
“They’re long hours, but they’re long for a lot of people.”
With no kids at home, Pioker didn’t have to worry about feeding children or making big meals.
Kulbisky said his three school-aged children knew where to find him.
“If the kids are really starving they come see me on Main Street. They know where their dad is,” he said.
“I know they’re more appreciative of Mom.”
Wes DeGraw left his oilfield camp in northern Alberta to look after his 13-year-old daughter when his ex-wife left for the week.
“My ex works at the hospital. She doesn’t look after herself properly. She forgets about herself,” said DeGraw while taking a break from laying sidewalk bricks in a path leading to the new gazebo.
“The women probably all deserve a break.”
Dan Sim came to town for a couple of days to renovate his apartment building but got sidetracked by the beautification project and stayed for a week.
“It’s been good. It’s been fun,” said Sim.
Buffy Hushagen of Stettler, Alta., who came to Hardisty for the week to help her mother with a newly opened restaurant, said it hasn’t been easy with so many missing women. There are still oil crews to be fed, pies to be made and food to be cooked for the people who were left in town. The only day care home closed and Hushagen’s two small children were shuffled between caregivers until the women returned.
“With no staff, we’re pulling 20 hour days.”
Despite the long hours, Hushagen thought the beautification project was a good project for the community.
“It’s nice to see the men doing work, but how come the women have to leave town for them to do it?” said Hushagen, who watched the daily progress from the restaurant window.
“I give the men a lot of credit in this town. They’ve been working their butts off and I hope it’s been appreciated. They work till 11 every night and still manage to do everything else.”
As the mayor, Miller had a bit of a heads-up about the beautification project, but was still surprised when the buses pulled up on Main Street June 2.
“I think everyone was pleasantly surprised.”
Since their return home, the women have spied a few other projects that could be done, she said.
“It’s had a ripple effect. It may spruce up a few other parts of town.”
When one woman stepped off the bus, her longtime boyfriend proposed and they were married the next day in the hall decorated by the men.
“In the long term it will put Hardisty on the map,” Miller said.
