Even a power outage could not stop the crowds from touring the Alberta Temple during the final day of the open house on June 15, when 11,757 people attended.
Total attendance for the nine-day event was 101,519. Elder Lynn Rosenvall, regional representative, said the success of the open house came not only from large attendance, but also from the excellent capabilities of the organizers and the 5,000 volunteers."It certainly was a success from our point of view. We had no idea how many would come, but we had prepared our forces to meet whatever did come our way," he added.
Elder Rosenvall was pleased with the number of people who came because many had to travel some distance to attend the open house. Cardston only has a population of 3,500. He calculated that the average visitor traveled at least 100 miles to visit the temple.
Media coverage of the open house was also termed a success as stories appeared in local and regional newspapers, as well as on radio and television programs.
"Our committee was elated with the response that we had received, not only from the public, but also from the media," Elder Rosenvall commented. "We think the media have been very generous to what's happening."
The temple open house had a double interest for the media. The media were interested in the religious aspect of the temple as well as learning about the interior of the temple. (See accompanying story on this page.)
After the open house the temple was closed for a few days to prepare for the rededication June 22-24. The temple, closed in 1988 for remodeling, was originally dedicated in 1923 by President Heber J. Grant.
