Like to grumble, complain and frown? An Alberta village is looking for a grouch

A village in west-central Alberta, about 88 kilometres west of Edmonton, has a unique community tradition. 

Every summer the small village of Evansburg selects a resident grouch to pester, complain and grumble at others. 

Nominations for this year's grouch were due last Thursday, and when no one stepped up for the position, the village put out a call. 

Margaret Hodgkinson became the grouch in 2012. 

"You can go around and growl at people, as long as you don't swear at anybody," she told CBC's Edmonton AM. 

She said she considered the position an honour and a privilege, because she became an ambassador for the community. As part of her duties, she represented Evansburg at trade shows and other events across the country. 

This isn't the first time Evansburg struggled with finding a grouch. There were only two nominees the year Hodgkinson ran. 

"I think, secretly, people want to be approached, but nobody wants to say 'I'm grouchy,'" she said. 

The tradition of electing a grouch stems from when artist and local resident John Lauer was asked to paint a village welcome sign in 1974.

Lauer didn't know how to fill the extra space on the sign and considered adding the village population numbers below. He counted the people (603), the dogs (29) and — after walking up and down the streets — the cats (about 40). 

Still, Lauer felt something was missing. He impulsively added "plus one Grouch" to the sign.

Speculation arose about who the grouch was and the community decided to settle the debate with an election. 

"It's been a tradition since the 70s in August where we just celebrate our community and the people in it," said Melissa Killick manager of the Tipple Park Museum. 

In the 90s a new slogan was adopted: "Home of the Grouch."