Live It Up/CTV

CTV featured a program titled Live It Up in the early 1980's. Liz Grogan and crew came to Gray for a 'wheat' fest in July 1983 and aired the program that October. A full 'wheat' meal was prepared under the direction of an American organization called Women Involved in Farm Economics (WIFE). The menu included wheat chili, wheat salad, wheat/vegetable bread, wheat ice cream and wheat pie.

The segment shot at Gray is just 5 minutes long (as provided here).
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Here is a running list of people we can identify. Sign installers Hartford Lewis, Kim and Michael Kelly, BillyJo Carnegie and ?. Dean Boesch unloading tables and chairs from his 1967 Chevy along with Dave Helstrom (John Ford in background), Gary Ford, and Cal Carnegie. The WIFE representative is Sharon Norman and the cooking helpers Wendy Lafoy, Sharon Frei, Emmy Moats, Bebe Gillis. The two men silhouetted men at the  elevator Hartford Lewis, Al Reiter. Close-up attendees  ?, Alyce Thompson (in hat), Maxine Hendrickson, Neva Lafoy, ?, Isabel Moats. Stirring pot; Dave Helstrom. Ice cream ?, Levsen? Bueche?. Bob Lewis and Dave Helstrom carrying vats of chili. Food line pans too fast...baby on shoulders? Two blondes; Kristy Lewis and Hendrickson, Don Lewis and Al Reiter, ?,?, Ken Bechard, Carol and Laurence Boesch, Hartford Lewis, Margaret Lewis, Lorinda Boesch.
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This is the full half hour show - the Gray segment is from 5:25 to 9:23. At least watch the beginning to relive the 'catchy' theme song! The commercial breaks are 2 minutes of black.
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Live It Up/CTV News provided video footage.
August 18 Western Producer article by Susan Swedberg-Kohli retyped here;

The residents of the southwest Saskatchewan village were invited to a picnic recently where the only food served was wheat. There was wheat salad, wheat bread and wheat chili. For dessert there was wheat pie and wheat ice cream. The beverage? Wheat coffee, of course. The picnic was staged in part by the American organization called WIFE (Women Involved in Farm Economics), as a demonstration of how a surplus commodity can be easily used in ordinary foods. It was also staged for the benefit of CTV cameras. The network plans to air the segment on its Live It Up show in October.
The show's lost, Liz Grogan, said the idea cam from reading a back issue of the Washington Post. The story told of a wheat luncheon prepared by some members of WIFE for 350 senators, while other WIFE members appeared before a senate hearing on farm bankruptcies. Grogan said the show can travel to the U.S. for stories, but because on of the show's basic premise is to help Canadians spend their money more wisely, they wanted to see if WIFE would come to Canada. "There isn't an organization like WIFE here, so we though if they would be prepared to come to Canada they could spread the good word because we all have wheat surpluses and we're all concerned where the food dollar is going". WIFE, whose chief mandate is to save the family farm and ranch, agreed to a similar wheat menu demonstration in Canada.
Research began on which community would be best to stage the wheat picnic, Grogan said. "We wanted a community that was totally a wheat community" she said. "and town councillor Hal Lewis told me that 'wheat grows everywhere in Gray.'" According to Lewis some 600,000 bushels of wheat pass through Gray's elevators in a year. Also, Gray has the kitchen facilities that were needed, as well as indoor ones - should it rain."
WIFE prepared to send three members and their families; the entire community of Gray got involved and CTV agreed to pick up the tab.
So before 7a.m., on sweltering July morning, the cameras, crew and Grogan arrived in Gray. After first filming the wheat coming to the elevator, they began cooking one third of a bushel of Manitou wheat. Members of WIRE acted as chief cooks while many community cooks assisted. Grogan said she herself "jumped in and helped with the cooking" and the Toronto native found "the experience was a real treat - to see the special relationships you have in a small town - it's really a nice family spirit."
At noon, the results of the cooking were being enjoyed by Gray's 77 residents plus some 50 people from the surrounding area. Most seemed impressed with the nutritional value of the wheat dishes and the economics. As one homemaker, Audrey Bechard said, "It really opened my eyes to the possibilities. It's such a nutritious was of cooking and it's a product we grow ourselves. None of the homemakers interviewed seemed intimidated by the preparation of the wheat.
"As long as you have a blender," Bechard said, "you can easily prepare the wheat. You can even pre-cook it and freeze for future use."
As for the taste, most seemed pleased with it. The wheat ice cream which had a nutty crunch to it, seemed a particular hit. Or as one resident in his seventies put it. "I've been farming this stuff all my life, and I never knew it could taste this good".
Hamlet of Gray has present day info.