A community art project with heart hits Innisfail, Alta.

Handmade hearts lined the chain link fences between the Autumn Grove Seniors Lodge and the hospital in Innisfail, Alta., on Saturday.
That was thanks to something called the Crochet Heart Bomb Project.
Local entrepreneur and artist Karen Scarlett started working on the initiative this past January, in partnership with the Innisfail Welcoming and Inclusive Community Committee as well as the Innisfail Art Club.
"Wouldn’t it be nice if a few people joined in on sharing some love and joy with the seniors at the Autumn Grove Lodge and hospital?" Scarlett said was her line of thinking at the time.
The community is welcome to swing by and lend a hand. Also, to help care for the hearts after they're up.
Turns out she wasn't alone -- others thought it would indeed be nice.
On Saturday, Scarlett said around 300 volunteers showed up, including volunteers ranging in age from eight years old to 90.
"It was a spectacular day of community gathering," Scarlett said, in an email to CTV News. "Even the mayor posted about how great the event was."
"Our free pattern has been downloaded hundreds of times from locations around the globe and now thousands of hearts are arriving in time for our install party," said Wilma Watson, Innisfail Art Club president.
A release to media explains the hearts "consist of handcrafted crochet, knit, quilted, macramé and all manner of hand-stitched items," and "will be installed on June 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m."
The community is welcome to swing by and lend a hand.
Also, to help care for the hearts after they're up.
Local entrepreneur and artist Karen Scarlett started working on the initiative this past January.
"I will be leaning on the community to help,” Scarlett said.
"If the community keeps an eye out for damaged hearts and continues to care for the fence and ask for new hearts to be made, we may have a love-filled fence for years -- maybe decades -- to come."
She says she's doing this for Grandma.
A release to media explains the hearts 'consist of handcrafted crochet, knit, quilted, macramé and all manner of hand-stitched items,' and 'will be installed on June 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.'
Ethel Scarlett was a founding member of the original art club and toward the end of her life, a resident at the original seniors lodge where she was still known for a creative endeavour or two.
All age groups helped with the Crochet Heart Bomb Project. (Photo courtesy Candice Hughes)
"I feel like she would be pretty thrilled with this project," Karen Scarlett said.
More information is available at innisfailartclub.org/crochet.
A release to media explains the hearts 'consist of handcrafted crochet, knit, quilted, macramé and all manner of hand-stitched items,' and 'will be installed on June 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.'
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Speaker's Nazi veteran invite 'profoundly embarrassing' Trudeau says, as Rota faces calls to resign
Tensions flared in the Commons on Monday over opposition calls for House Speaker Anthony Rota to resign after apologizing to Parliament for inviting, recognizing and leading the chamber in a standing ovation for a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War.
Poster advertising 'whites-only' children's playtime sparks outrage in B.C. community
Police have launched an investigation into a poster inviting "proud parents of European children" to participate in racially segregated playtime in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
Developer says it's moving to build 5,000 rental units because of Liberals' GST break
A Toronto-based real estate company says it is planning to build 5,000 new rental units in urban centres across the country as a result of the federal government's decision to eliminate GST charges on rental developments.
Unifor contract talks with General Motors begin after workers ratify Ford deal
Contract talks between Unifor and General Motors Canada begin today. The negotiations cover about 4,300 workers at the automaker's St. Catharines Powertrain Plant, the Oshawa Assembly Complex and the Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre.
No new oil, coal projects needed as fossil fuel demand to peak this decade: IEA
Even if no new government climate policies are introduced before 2030, global demand for fossil fuels will still peak before the end of the decade, a new report by the International Energy Agency states.
These are the 5 headlines you should read this morning
House Speaker Anthony Rota is facing calls to resign, U.K. police announce an investigation into Russell Brand, and a new report says the world doesn't need any new oil and gas projects.
Canadian air force investigating 'inappropriate and unapproved' call sign broadcast on U.K. flight
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) is investigating an ‘inappropriate and unapproved’ call sign that was transmitted electronically from one of its aircraft on Monday.
Spain charges pop singer Shakira with tax evasion for a second time and demands more than US$7 million
Spanish prosecutors have charged pop star Shakira with failing to pay 6.7 million euros in tax on her 2018 income, authorities said Tuesday, in Spain's latest fiscal allegations against the Colombian singer.
David McCallum, star of hit TV series 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' and 'NCIS,' dies at 90
Actor David McCallum, who became a teen heartthrob in the hit series 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' in the 1960s and was the eccentric medical examiner in the popular 'NCIS' 40 years later, has died. He was 90.