Category: Heritage Talks with Karen

The other night I drove by City Hall all lit up and smiled.

It looks particularly charming at this time of the year, but the truth is I smile every time I see it. When we first came to Wetaskiwin my husband immediately thought of the Hill Valley Clock Tower that was struck by lightning on Nov. 12, 1955, providing the 1.21 gigawatts of power needed to send Marty “Back to the Future”. In some ways, he wasn’t far off. He was in fact referring to “Courthouse Square” at Universal Studios composed of several facades built to form an archetypal American town square including an old courthouse. This is exactly what our City Hall is. I smile now not only because of this memory, but also because the old Wetaskiwin Courthouse truly is an architectural masterpiece that was designated a provincial historic site in 1977 and a national historic site in 1980.

On May 9, 1906, Wetaskiwin became one of the first cities of the young province of Alberta. Four months later, it was named the centre for the Central Alberta Judicial District. Temporary court offices were set up in the Merchant’s Bank on Pearce Street (Main Street) while the province made plans for a new courthouse. The site of choice was a large lot along the east end of Pearce Street, but the purchase did not happen without some controversy. The owner of the lot was A.S. Rosenroll, a Wetaskiwin man who was also a member of the Alberta Legislature. The sale went through, however, and ours became only the second grand courthouse built in the province, and one of the first buildings designed by the American-born and trained A.M. Jeffers. As the newly appointed Provincial Architect, Jeffers went on to design many governmental constructions in the “Classical Revival” style (ancient Greek and Roman architecture), including other courthouses, schools, registries, and the Legislature building.

The estimated cost for Wetaskiwin’s Courthouse was $80,000 and the contract for excavations of the site were awarded to Mr. Elmer Campbell, while D.J. McLaughlin of Edmonton, who was also the builder of the Merchant’s Bank building, received the contract for construction. The official sod turning ceremony was in October of 1907.

The courthouse is constructed of solid red brick over a concrete and rubble foundation that is faced (covered) with Calgary sandstone. The same sandstone can also be seen on the exterior trim on the upper walls as well as the windowsills and the keystone (or centre stone) over the arched doorway. The visual focal point of the building is an entrance with a shallow porch incorporating a pair of carved sandstone Ionic columns (two simple spiral scrolls at the top and a tall stepped base) that are topped with a pediment (triangular gable). Within the pediment is the date 1907 flanking Alberta’s armorial bearings. Today, the entablature below the pediment reads CITY HALL, originally this read COURT HOUSE. The entablature and decorative elements running along the top of the building are formed from galvanized iron painted to match the sandstone trim.

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Inside is just as impressive. It incorporates plaster ornamentation on the walls and ceiling, as well as richly stained birch doors, wainscoting, rails, and a prisoner’s box in what is now council chambers. You can also find original furnishings throughout the building. The old jail cells, with their heavy-duty iron bars on pivot pins, along with carved words and phrases on some of the bricks in the walls of the cells, can still be seen in the basement across from the Caretaker’s Suite, which has been restored as a satellite exhibit of the Wetaskiwin and District Heritage Museum to depict life of the 1940s.

The courthouse was not completed until 1909, but initial construction and the interior must have proceeded quickly as the first trial in the building was held on Jan. 21, 1908, with Judge Noel presiding. There were 33 cases on the docket that day. The building continued to serve its original function for over 80 years.

Starting in 1991, however, a new provincial court was built, and the old courthouse sat empty. Much like the lady with the tin can in Hill Valley trying to collet change to save the clock tower in 1985, the Wetaskiwin Old Courthouse Society was formed trying to ensure that it did not meet the same fate of destruction that its sister building in Lethbridge did. A news release on February 24, 2006 by the Government of Alberta confirmed that the building was to be sold to the City of Wetaskiwin for a nominal sum and that the province would contribute $800,000 (10x the price they originally paid to build it) to help pay for necessary renovations to convert it into our new City Hall.

Proper renovations to Heritage Buildings have many challenges including not doing irreparable damage to a building that was constructed with materials no longer commonly used, while incorporating modern safety codes and still maintaining its original character. When done right, the challenges are more than worth it, and the local firm PGA Architects did an amazing job that only enhances the overall appreciation of the building. The addition of the wings on either side of the courthouse perfectly fit the classical style ratio that the original architect Jeffers was trying to achieve and add to its grandeur, while the glass construction reflects the surrounding the sky, trees, and grass so that the new merges into the landscape and lets us appreciate the original building. At the same time, the incorporation of the painted galvanized iron entablature at the top flawlessly matches that of the original building and pulls the whole structure together into a unified whole.

I love our City Hall, and smile every time I see it. I am proud of this community for rallying behind it and not letting it be destroyed, or even worse, turned into Biff Tannen’s Pleasure Paradise Casino & Hotel!

Originally published in the Wetaskiwin Times, December 12, 2019

If you travel from Lethbridge to Helena, Montana on Hwy. 4 and I-15, you are taking the First Special Services Force Memorial Highway and following the path taken by more than 700 Canadian soldiers in the summer of 1942 to join another 1,100 American counterparts.

The FSSF, aka the “Devil’s Brigade”, was unique in that for the first time it brought together soldiers from both Canadian and American armies under one unified command. They trained for over a year, becoming a versatile group of elite commandos. They are one of the most remarkable fighting units in modern war history and the predecessor of both American and Canadian Special Forces Units including the Navy SEALs and Canada’s Joint Task Force Two. They also have special connections to our community.

The FSSF first demonstrated the value of their unique skills in the mountains between Rome and Naples. Between December 1943 and January 1944, they immediately earned a reputation for being able to take objectives that no one else could. Then, on Feb. 1, they landed near Anzio, just south of Rome.

One week into this operation, Sgt. Tommy Prince, Canada’s most decorated Indigenous soldier, was spying from an abandoned farmhouse. His only connection to his force was 1,400 metres of telephone wire. He was reporting back enemy artillery when the line was severed by shelling. Unfazed, Prince donned civilian clothing, grabbed a hoe, and, in full view of German soldiers, who were only 200 metres away, acted like a farmer weeding his crops. Inching his way along the line he found where it was damaged, and while pretending to tie his shoelaces, quickly rejoined the wires. In all, four German positions were destroyed.

The FSSF fought at Anzio for 99 days without relief. It was here the Germans dubbed them “the Black Devils” because its members smeared their faces with boot polish for their covert operations in the dark of the night. It was here their presence first became known thanks to trademark stickers they left behind featuring their shoulder patch of a brilliant red spear with USA across the top and Canada down the spine, alongside a slogan written in German that read “the worst is yet to come”. It was here Wetaskiwin lost one of our own, Sgt. George Oliver Godin.

During the night of June 4, 1944, the FSSF was the first unit to enter Rome. Strategically important, it became the first of the three Axis capitals to be retaken. The next morning, one day before the invasion of Normandy, while long columns of American soldiers passed through the Eternal City to a huge reception by the grateful Romans, the ones who had actually liberated it overnight, were already engaged in another fierce combat along the Tiber River.

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The FSSF was a one-of-a-kind military unit that saw heavy casualties. They lost 134 per cent of their original strength in only 251 days of combat. They never failed a mission. They contributed to the liberation of Europe. They saved many Allied soldier’s lives with the information passed back to headquarters, however, many of us have never heard of them. Part of the reason for this is that the FSSF was highly secretive. Another reason is that as we remember, we tend to focus on larger battles. While it is it is absolutely right that we gather to give thanks to the extraordinary bravery and sacrifices of critical turning points in our war-time history, we must also remember the forgotten fronts.

Fifty-seven years after the FSSF was disbanded, Canadian and American Special Force members were united again into a special assignment force for the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. The last of these soldiers returned home only five years ago.

One of our own veterans, John Lea-Stoddart, joined the Army in March 2008. He volunteered for infantry and was posted to the 1^st Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) out of Edmonton. Deployed as a Platoon signaler for Task Force 3-09, he, like his fellow soldiers, was always a rifleman first. Cpl Lea-Stoddart spent six years in the army, training all over Canada and the United States and helping with natural disasters. Like is fellow soldiers, he willingly went into places most of us would flee from. This past year, he chaired the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 86’s Poppy Campaign. The money he helped raise through your donations, will be held in Trust at the branch level to directly support veterans and their families within our community throughout the year.

Canadian men and women have continued to serve since WWII. They, like Tommy Prince, who became a member of the 2^nd and 3^rd Battalions of the PPCLI (the same unit that Lea-Stoddart later served with), and George Godin’s three younger brothers Bud, Dick, and Lawrence served in Korea. They, like many of our communities’ members, including Godin’s nephew Richard, continued to serve in peace time. They, like many under the UN flag, were involved in missions that included combat. Others saw combat in both the Vietnam and Gulf Wars, serving with our American neighbours. They unlike most of us, have all continued to witness great tragedies at home and abroad.

Today there are many veterans continuing to serve their communities in a variety of ways, while many young men and women are waiting for their next deployment. As we continue to remember, I am also going to ask you to not forget the newer generations of Canadian veterans and soldiers. Their bravery and sacrifices are no less extraordinary.

Originally published in the Wetaskiwin Times, November 21, 2019

This question has been at the centre of many of my recent conversations. It began with a gathering at Jubilee Park. What caught my attention was a banner hung across Wetaskiwin’s Cenotaph. While I did not think any disrespect was intended, I did question its appropriateness. Richard Godin, a veteran and colleague of mine, disagreed, stating:

“All members of our Canadian Armed Forces, serving and retired, wore their uniform and served their country to ensure that all Canadians had the right to exercise their right to free speech and the right to gather to promote their views regardless of race, creed, gender, or political affiliation. The fact that these persons used the Cenotaph to express those views should not be construed as an insult or injury to all our veterans, but should be viewed as a positive affirmation of the service that all veterans gave that enabled all persons to assemble without fear of retribution or reprisal…. At the end of the day, I for one am glad that they used that area for their event because it justifies its existence and the service of all veterans, those who have passed, the living, and the future members.”

I also had the opportunity to talk to a member of the group who used the cenotaph and asked why they chose to do so as they did. Their reasoning included accessibility and the simple fact that they have been doing so for the past nine years. More importantly though, they felt the fact that it was already a memorial area fit well with their message of mental illness and that they were able to build upon what was already there. They also assured me no damage was done to the memorial, and they left the area cleaner than when they arrived.

While, I agree with both ideologies, for me there is a difference between an activity AT the cenotaph and ON the cenotaph. This stems from the symbolic importance I give to built heritage and the historical meaning and purpose of this type of memorial.

The word cenotaph comes from the Greek (kenotaphion), which literally means empty tomb. From as early as the 8^th Century BCE, Ancient Greek cenotaphs existed in the homeland of a person whose body was either lost or buried elsewhere. Similar practices are seen in multiple cultures throughout history. The best-known modern cenotaph was built in London in 1919. It is dedicated to ‘The Glorious Dead’. No names were inscribed on it so as to allow individuals to assign their own meaning to the memorial.

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In Canada, the decision of the Imperial War Graves Commission in 1918 not to repatriate any of the bodies of the men who died on the front brought cenotaphs to the forefront of our memorial practices as well. They acted as a tomb in the home communities of soldiers whose bodies remained in Europe, providing for a place of contemplation, reflection, and remembrance of those who paid the ultimate price and for those they left behind.

Wetaskiwin’s first cenotaph was built in 1932. This memorial was replaced by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch no. 86 in conjunction with the City of Wetaskiwin. Unveiled on September 14, 1955, it was dedicated to those who made the supreme sacrifice in both World Wars and Korea. It was designed by Bob Angus and consists of two stone cairns, representing the two World Wars. The design may also pay homage to an ancient Greek practice. Prior to leaving for battle, soldiers would place a stone in a pile and then retrieve that stone when they returned; the stones remaining symbolized those who did not come back.

For me, cenotaphs (such as the one in Jubilee Park) and war monuments (including the Wetaskiwin Field of Hounour Cairn in the new cemetery) are two different things. While both are memorials, the first is the tomb of those who never came home, the second honours all those who served. And so, what I saw in that gathering at Jubilee Park was two empty tombs being used as banner poles.

After all my conversations, I am struggling now with what the purpose of a war memorial is. To my knowledge, there are eight in our community of Wetaskiwin City, County, and Maskwacis. The two mentioned above, a cairn and cross at Ma-Me-O beach, cenotaphs dedicated to fallen soldiers at Mulhurst Bay, Millet, Thorsby, and Winfield, and the most recent at Maskwacis, a monument to all who served. Do all these memorials have to mean the same thing that they meant when first erected, or for each person? Can, or should, their meaning change so that they have a greater significance for current and future generations?

What do you think?

Originally published in the Wetaskiwin Times, October 24, 2019

One of my most-loved walks around town with my dog starts on 50 Street and continues along the drainage ditch to the Automile.

This little strip of nature is one of my favourite things about Wetaskiwin. When I first moved here I thought this was simply a “parks and rec” plan to incorporate a wildlife or green corridor into an urban setting. Working at the Heritage Museum, however, it did not take long to learn that while this may be one of the by-products, it also has a more utilitarian purpose and its story is linked to the Great Flood of 1948.

It all began with heavy rainfall on Saturday, April 24. Then, from Sunday to Monday we got one of our inevitable late-April snowfalls. Only about a foot of snow fell, but when it started to melt into the already rain-soaked, and largely still-frozen, countryside, the water needed a place to go.

Around 9 p.m. on Tuesday Gus Roth, who lived west of town, noticed water gushing into his basement through the windows. He immediately dialled the city. By 1 a.m. Wednesday morning it was determined that the water was coming from the overflowing banks of nearby Sandy Lake west of Curt Smith’s Arbordale Farm.

While residents in the southwest section of the city were warned, volunteers headed out with picks and shovels to try to divert the water by means of a wide ditch along the North edge of the cemetery.

When Wetaskiwin was first being settled, a small creek meandered through town south of Main Street. By 1948 it was little more than a dried up bed that was all but forgotten; that is until the raising waters in the spring of 1948 followed their natural course.

Despite everyone’s efforts, the old creek bed became a torrent and water flowed down 49 Avenue like a raging river. This aerial photo from the City of Wetaskiwin archives’ collection gives a great view of the extent of the flood. The white building on the far right side is where No Frills and its parking lot are today, behind it is 49 street. The water coming in from the west pooled in this area and started to spread out.

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By Wednesday morning, the basements of several city blocks were under water and people needed to be rescued from their homes by boats. One woman was taken out of her home on a stretcher placed on a dray led by Lee Kelley’s draft horses. Another woman desperately wanted to take her washing machine with her, despite the fact it was in her flooded basement, under water.

As the water continued to head east, threatening the business district, efforts were devoted to opening a four foot with drainage ditch along 49 Avenue between 52 Street and the railroad with the assistance of the Eliason Brothers bulldozer. It worked well, until the water rushing down this ditch had nowhere to go. So they dug another ditch, this time east of the tracks along 49 Street to an old open channel and low area further north. Meanwhile, an earthen diversion dam was being constructed west of town to try and slow the water rushing into town.

The peak of the flood waters occurred Wednesday night. By Thursday morning the level had dropped a foot. But then on Friday, water levels began to rise on the north side of town. The city decided 200 pounds of dynamite was the answer and opened up an eight foot ditch north of the Calgary Power Building (today the Manluk Theatre).

The blast could be heard for miles and many business owners had a lot of shattered glass to clean up! It too backed up and the culvert under the railroad tracks was not large enough to successfully divert the water away from town.

The CPR denied a request to cut a ditch through the tracks unless there was an emergency within two days, and so everyone waited for the water to level to drop. More rain fell on the Saturday, it had now been a week, but fortunately the water levels continued to fall. Clean-up took months and the flood expenses were calculated at $10,769.

In 1948, residences in Wetaskiwin west of the tracks did not extend as far north as the ditch that was dug by hand beside the cemetery on the west edge of the city nor to the one further east beside the tracks that was created by a dynamite blast that blew in the windows of the Calgary Power building.

With time and careful planning, these two large ditches that were connected. The result is a drainage system that not only helps move water safely through our city and provides a green corridor for local wildlife, but is also the setting for a great little path I love to walk my dog along.

Originally published in the Wetaskiwin Times, August 7, 2019

After being closed during the constraints of prohibition, the Prince of Wales Hotel building was reopened by the military as a convalescent hospital to accommodate returning wounded from WWI. It was run by Captain J.R. Ogilvie and matron Mrs. Kenny from 1917-1919. The City of Wetaskiwin then took over ownership and relocated the community hospital into the building in 1922. This larger facility had six private rooms, men’s and women’s wards, each with three beds, and a four-crib nursery. There was also an x-ray room and an operating room.

Blanch Recknagle described the hospital as having:

“… about 20 beds – all on the second floor. The nurses lived on the third floor. Maternity cases were in the hospital for 2 to 3 weeks and in bed… At Christmas time they tried to clear the hospital of all patients. Room and board was $3 per day. The hospital was overrun by mice so they got a cat. Tommy Burke used to drive Dr. Shillabeer to the country on his calls. When they came back they would sit on the bottom step to the second floor and drink coffee.”

The building continued as Wetaskiwin’s hospital until 1931.

For the next few years, the old hospital housed the City of Wetaskiwin Offices and Library as well as several businesses in the basement including the News Advertiser. Eventually it was condemned and sat empty again.

After extensive renovations by Lloyd Bannerman, the Wales Hotel opened in 1934, and the building continued to operate as a hotel / bar and lodging once again until 2019. The hotel flourished in the 40s under new ownership and $20,000 worth of renovations that included the Wales Coffee Shop. This became a popular hangout for our RCMP officers for decades. There was also a self-service laundry in the basement. When it first opened a wash was 40 cents, partial dry 50 cents, wash and dry 60 cents, and ten cents more if served by the operator. The City of Wetaskiwin Archives has amazing images of variations of the Wales Hotel from the 50s through to the 80s.

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Over the past couple of weeks, I have learned what this building meant for our community including its more recent reincarnations as Riggers and The Rose Country Inn. Reminiscences include a small store in the basement called the Deacons Bench, a garden seed store, people calling future wives of 50+ years from the bar for their first date, teenagers sneaking in to see if they would get kicked out, wedding nights spend in the large suite on the top floor, and many friends and memories made.

Century-old buildings play a major role in our communal identity. They help to maintain a sense of permanency, provide a link between generations, and allow tourists and residents alike to witness first-hand the history of an area. Unfortunately, most do not realize this connection we have with historic buildings until we lose them. The words sad, tragic, inconsolable, heartbroken, and a lump in my throat recur again and again.

Speaking of the row of historic buildings on the south side of Main Street, a comment of “enjoy it while you can” felt like a blow to my stomach. The destruction of the Heritage Museum’s building, and those of its neighbours, does not have to be an inevitability. These buildings were specifically designed to survive such a fate after the great fire of 1903 that levelled the business district of Wetaskiwin. In fact, the quality of craftmanship, with its brick exterior and think timber interior was one of the reasons it took days to eventually put the hotel fire out.

Restoring and retrofitting these buildings, however, and bringing them up to modern standards can be costly. All the owners of our community’s historic buildings, non-profit and for-profit alike, need support from our community to do this. You can help by visting and buying from our establishments, while advocating for tax breaks and increased funding programs to help cover renovation costs. The reality is, putting money into a century-old building is a better long-term investment for all of us.

On the morning of Tuesday, March 19^th, the writs were issued for the 30th Provincial General Election while a building constructed before Alberta was even a province began to burn in one of its oldest cities. This is not lost on me. Maybe the importance of the preservation of historic buildings will be the ultimate legacy of the Prince of Wales Hotel and it can once again become a trendsetter.

Originally published in the Wetaskiwin Times, April 4, 2019

Once again, I was woken to images of heritage on fire. At first, I did not recognize the building engulfed in smoke. Then I realized that one of my board members was sending me a text from our parking lot. The historic hotel across the street was on fire. The good news is, nobody was hurt. Those living in the hotel got out, and thanks to our amazing firefighters and their comrades from Millet and Camrose the surrounding businesses were saved, while a pet cat and dog were rescued. This allows me to reflect from my front row seat of the destruction on what we have lost and the possible legacy it could have. Built heritage is my passion, and there is much I need to share. I hope you will indulge me with a two-part column.

While the building on the southwest corner of 50^th St. and 49^th Ave. was commonly referred to as the Wales Hotel, Riggers, Rocking Horse, or its most recent designation the Rose and Country Inn, it was originally the grand Prince of Wales Hotel, pictured here in a post card from our collection, and it held a very important place in the early history of our community and our province.

Vladarnir Matejka began its construction in 1903. At the time the settlement of Wetaskiwin had been growing for just over a decade, but it was still an important bustling town along the newly built CPR line between Calgary and Edmonton in the then North West Territories. The town was even in consideration for the capital of the future province of Alberta. While that did not happen, we were designated as a Judicial Capital of Central Alberta a few years later.

When it opened, the Prince of Wales Hotel was the only electrically lit building in Wetaskiwin. This was thanks to Mr. Matejka who had the foresight to install an electric plant by the Cunningham Electric Light Company out of Edmonton during the hotel’s construction in December 1903. The plant was of the latest style, supplying a direct current from a multipolar compound dynamo. Along with lighting, two of the many conveniences electricity allowed for when the hotel opened the following April was a complete call-boy system and hot water on demand. It was not until June that town council committed to municipal electric power, likely under pressure of the local business community. By the end of August, the Electric Light Company had wired other neighbouring businesses from the town’s new power house that could handle 1200 16-candle-power lights. The Prince of Wales Hotel was a trend setter.

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Along with the modern convenience of electricity, an article from May 28, 1904 in the Manitoba Free Press describes a large 1,700-gallon cistern on the roof of Wetaskiwin’s newest hotel. This allowed for things that we take for granted today such as running water as well as flushing toilets. Rooms were rented for $2 a night and hot water baths were advertised for public use from eight in the morning until eleven-thirty at night for a cost of fifty cents. Other amenities included a dining room, smoking room, billiard room, drawing room with a piano and large verandah, and four spacious sample rooms for commercial travelers to sell their goods to local merchants. While looking through our collection I found an advertisement page from the Wetaskiwin Times dated to March 18, 1909. Exactly 100 years and one day before fire. At the top are two ads for the Prince of Wales Hotel. The one in the right corner describes it as “Wetaskiwin’s Leading and Exclusive Hotel” with “Special Attention to Commercial Men & Tourists”, while that in the left gable of the house states “For the Best Meals in the City go to The Prince of Wales Buffet”.

Of course, there was also the bar where a glass of beer could be bought for a nickel and three drinks of Gooderham and Worts draught whiskey went for a fair two-bits. The washrooms, however, were not very large and many men took advantage of a small foot bridge over “Peeing Creek” behind the hotel. Like many hotels then, and now, the proprietor’s main profit was made in the bar. The arrival of prohibition in 1915 had a huge impact on business, and the hotel closed its doors a year later. This was only the beginning of the building’s 115-year history, however…

…The remaining story will continue in thefollowing post.

Originally published by the Wetaskiwin Times, March 28, 2019

I had never been to Wetaskiwin before I came to interview for the Heritage Museum. Having accepted the job offer, I was sent an orientation package that included a few issues of our local newspapers. There was no mention of the museum and so I put them aside and didn’t give them a second thought. Fast forward five years, reading those same weeklies I tossed aside has become a mid-week ritual. I understand now why they were sent to me, and they are one of those little things that I cherish about living in our community.

The first newspaper in Alberta was published on December 6, 1880. Similar to news agencies coming out of Edmonton today, the Edmonton Bulletin coverage included brief happenings in the Wetaskiwin area. It wasn’t until 1897 that Wetaskiwin had its own paper. The Free Lance was established by John H. Walker, better known for starting a drug store four years earlier. It was the first paper to be published between Calgary and Edmonton.

Bob Edwards served as editor, reporter, and writer for the lifespan of the Freelance, which was about a year, before he moved on. In 1900 Walker financed another paper, The Wetaskiwin News, which also lasted about a year. Edwards came back to town for a quick stint in 1901 publishing a few volumes of The Breeze before heading down to High River where he would eventually start writing the Eye Opener, which became well-known throughout Canada for its satirical content.

That same year, Victor Coleman French founded The Wetaskiwin Times. French, a veteran in the publishing trade, first came to Wetaskiwin when The Free Lance was being published and so he moved on, but his instincts told him to come back. Prior to 1901, local papers were printed elsewhere and so French rented a room in Mrs. Campbell’s Boarding House, just north of where the TD Bank stands today, and went to Winnipeg to purchase the necessary printing equipment.

His first issue of The Wetaskiwin Times was published and printed in that room on March 22, 1901. An annual subscription was $1. While other papers came and went the Times settled in. French continued as publisher for forty years, a record for Western Canada, until his death in 1942. Having merged with the Wetaskiwin News Advertiser in 1986, the Wetaskiwin Times continues to be published in both print and digital formats.

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The salutation in the first issue of The Wetaskiwin Times states that:

“The town will be brought to the front and placed before the world in its proper light, and both citizens and business men and the town will be benefitted by the undertaking… Its single aim will be the promotion of the welfare of Wetaskiwin and the rural district”.

Our weekly papers continue to do this. They play an important role in our community and their value should not be taken for granted. They help boost the local economy through advertising and in their news coverage. This is especially important for our local businesses and community organizations. A great way for us to reach our target audience is through papers that are delivered for free to homes throughout the City and County. Our papers also help keep us informed. I seldom have time to attend Council Meetings or read the minutes, and so I rely heavily on the paper to help keep me up-to-date.  The papers also continue to provide each of us with a form of expression. They offer the opportunity to make our voices heard through letters to the editor and enable us to deliberate on the future of our community. Most importantly, though, they bring us “good news” stories and remind us what we love about living here. The people behind our local weeklies are our neighbors, share our values, and understand our community because they are a part of it. The papers they produce are the heart and soul of what makes us a community.

When I first came to to town to celebrate the history and heritage of Wetaskiwin City, County, and Maskwacis, those who hired me knew I couldn’t do this until I got to know it better, and that the best way to do this was through its community newspapers. I continue to read the local papers, past and present. Both as a historian and a community member, they are my primary source. Recently I saw a quote that read “Reading a community newspaper is like coming home after spending many long hours travelling”. As our world becomes more globalized and hectic, we need something that brings us together. Our weekly papers, with their local stories, help get us back to that reality.

For many of us the next few weeks will be busy as we spend our hard-earned money on food, decorations, and that ever elusive perfect gift. As we do so I would like to encourage all of you to make the effort to continue one of Wetaskiwin’s oldest traditions, shopping and staying local.

L.T. Miquelon is credited as being the first merchant in Wetaskiwin. In 1892, less than a year after the first train rails were laid in the area, he built a combined general store and post office on the SW corner of what is now 50^th Street and 49^th Avenue.

He was soon joined by like-minded individuals including John West that same year, and Clifton Edison Compton in 1894. Miquelon, West, and Compton could not know the legacy they would leave of a thriving community around the 16^th CPR Siding between Calgary and Edmonton.

West owned a general store. In 1903 a great fire broke out in the newly named town of Wetaskiwin, destroying his business. He rebuilt with brick and included space above the shop for businesses that included a lawyer’s office and chiropractor. His ‘Star Store’ and the businesses upstairs survived a smaller fire in 1909. His neighbour Compton was not as lucky. Having lost buildings in both fires, Compton also decided to rebuild with brick. 

That same year, the newly constructed Compton Block building was completed on a lot just west of the Star Store. The Compton Block housed three local businesses on the ground floor: C.E. Compton Grocery, E.A. Hutchins Book Store, and C.C. Bailey Jeweller, as well as doctor’s and a lawyer’s offices on the second floor.

Also in 1909, a young 19-year-old man by the name of Horace (H.R.) French moved to Wetaskiwin. He had worked in the watch repair and jewellery trade and was hired by Bailey.  Five years later French and a partner bought the business. Having joined the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War, Lieutenant French returned to Wetaskiwin in 1921. At this time, he bought out his partner and renamed the shop French’s Jewellery Store.

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Known locally as Frenchie, he was one of the few hand engravers in Alberta. This worked in his favour in July of 1924 when he lost $3000 worth of jewellery and watches to a band of thieves. Not taken during the heist were those products with his private repair mark, presumably because they could be traced more easily. Frenchie was also a skilled watch repairman and an authorized CPR watch inspector. French’s Jewellery Store had a CPR comparison clock, which was officially designated as the time piece at which conductors and engineers were required to compare their watches. In a tiny room, at the back of store, Frenchie also practised as an optometrist.

In 1920, French married Annie Angus and the couple had two sons, Charles Roderick (Rod) and Malcolm (Mac), who grew up helping in the store. Eventually, Rod carried on the optometry portion of his father’s business and Mac took over the jewellery store. While Rod moved his optometry practice out of the Compton Block, Mac stayed. He sold the store to its current owners in 1988 and it was not until five years ago that they decided to expand their space and move across the street.

When Mac passed away, Laurelle Giesbrecht came to the museum to spend some time in our French’s Exhibit. She then shared a story on French’s Jewellery’s Facebook Page about how when she was working in the gift-wrapping service, Mac taught her how to make a handmade multi looped bow, without using TOO much ribbon. The museum also received a visit recently from Dr. Don Martin, who took over Rod’s optometry practice. Having worked in Wetaskiwin for almost 43 years, Dr. Martin decided to retire from Doctor’s Eyecare – Wetaskiwin, but he had something very special that he wasn’t sure what to do with. It was the desk and chairs that had been in Rod’s practice.

After 109 years, the Compton Block still stands on Main Street, and once again houses three shops on the main floor: Hersey Nails, Countryside Vapes, and one of Wetaskiwin’s first cannabis stores, which will open in that same space that first housed C.C. Bailey Jeweller in 1909. The second floor of the building has been renovated into apartments. John West’s brick building is also standing. The Star Store was eventually bought out by West’s nephews Hugh and Frank Montgomery, and Montgomerys Department store was a retail hub of our community for decades, only closing in the ‘90s. In 2004, with the help of the Montgomery’s and support from community members the building was bought by the Wetaskiwin & District Museum Society. Today, Frenchie’s optometry chair, CPR clock, and work bench, as well as Rod’s optometry desk are on display on the second floor of the Heritage Museum.

Originally published in the Wetaskiwin Times, December 12, 2018.

Yesterday we celebrated Treaty or Bobtail Day, an annual holiday to honour Chief Bobtail and his signing of Treaty 6 141 years ago. This treaty was signed for the benefit of ALL people who live in the treaty territory, first nations, settlers, and new comers alike. We are ALL Treaty People, but many of us don’t understand what this means.

There are 11 numbered treaties made between the Crown (representatives of Queen Victoria and her descendants) and First Nations People (and their descendants). We are in the territory of Treaty 6, the boundaries of which extend across the central portions of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Treaty 6 was first signed in 1876 at Fort Carlton and Fort Pitt, Saskatchewan. A year later, on September 25^th, adhesions were made at Blackfoot Crossing of the Bow River. These adhesions were made by indigenous leaders who were not present at the initial signing. A mark (X) of “Kiskaquin or Bobtail”, who was the Chief of the Maskwacis or Bear Hills Cree, appears on this adhesion.

A treaty is a binding agreement between two independent nations and it outlines each party’s rights, benefits and obligations to each other. The text of Treaty 6 specifically reads the reason being “so that there may be peace and good will” between these two parties. It is impossible here to discuss the entirety of reasons for signing a treaty. It is generally agreed, however, that the British Crown wanted land for agriculture, settlement, and resource development. Indigenous leaders wanted to protect their traditional lands, resources, and ways of life. They were also deeply concerned about the spread of disease and the disappearance of the bison, a main food source. They believed that signing the treaties would ensure the survival of their people.

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Bobtail and other Indigenous leaders ceded their title to the land in exchange for provisions from the government that would help protect their people. These provisions included (but are not limited to) certain areas being “reserved” or protected from encroachment by settlers. Each person was to immediately receive $12 along with agricultural tools and supplies to work the land, as well as an additional $5 yearly. Included in the provisions was the promise that the government would open schools within the reserve land. Not seen in earlier treaties but added to Treaty 6 was a medicine chest for use by the people, and assistance for famine and epidemic relief. For a complete list of provisions please visit our website at www.wetaskiwinmuseum.com.

In many cases, the treaties proved to be disadvantageous to Indigenous people. For example, the agreed upon reserve land was intended for the purposes of cultivation, hunting, and fishing, not segregation. Further, some of this land was lost to dishonest deals with government agents, and Band councils that were struggling economically were often tricked into selling off some of their land or signed deals that resulted in the loss of mineral and natural resources. The Treaty 6 text reads for the provision of schools on reserve land “whenever the Indians of the reserve shall desire it”. This suggests that these schools were to be at the request of the Indigenous people, not the other way around, and not the forced relocation of children into residential schools, separated from their families and traditional way of life.

The terms of the treaty were (and are) not always interpreted the same between the two parties. Even for a native English speaker, the treaty text is cumbersome. We cannot be certain what the Chiefs believed they were agreeing to. This results in debates as to the intended spirit of the treaty vs it being a legal document meant to be interpreted word for word. For example, there remains a discussion as to whether the Medicine Chest clause refers specifically to a chest kept in the residence of the Indian Agent or more broadly designates modern healthcare as a treaty right. There is also differing worldviews and distinct concepts of land ownership. Indigenous people have a relationship with the land that informs their politics, spirituality, and economics. This is different than a colonial or capitalist view that often sees the land as something to be exploited. Treaties are a foundational part of Canadian society, a living document similar to the Canadian Constitution. Their interpretation is continuously re-examined and debated by Canadian and Indigenous lawmakers alike.

Ultimately, however, we are all treaty people. The treaties were signed for the benefit of all us living in the treaty areas, not just reserved lands, and we all have rights and obligations with respect to them. Just as we share the benefits of the treaties, we also share the negative impact that colonialism had. By understanding the truth of this colonial heritage, a heritage that we share, we can renew our relationships with each other and move towards meaningful reconciliation together.

Also published in the Wetaskiwin Times, October 3, 2018.

I woke up on labour day to images of heritage on fire. The pit remains in my stomach.

On the evening of September 2^nd, the National Museum of Brazil caught fire. The next morning, we saw largely just a shell of the 200-year-old building. Like all built structures, it has its own story to tell. Originally built in 1803 as a Royal Palace, it was home to two emperors and a king. It was also where Brazil’s independence was signed in 1822. Four years earlier, in 1818, the National Museum was founded by King John VI of Portugal. One of the oldest museums in the Americas, it moved into the former palace in 1892.

Prior to the fire, the museum stored and displayed more than 20 million objects. Estimates are as much as 90% of the collection is gone. At risk are items such as “Luzia” a skeleton of a woman who lived 11,500 years ago. It is one of the earliest skeletons found in the Western Hemisphere. Also housed at the museum was a large collection of South American and Egyptian Mummies alongside Roman Frescoes (paintings that survived the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD). Add to this art and culturally significant indigenous material culture, some of it the only evidence we have of people whose nations have since disappeared, and audio recordings of their languages, including ones no longer spoken. Then there’s the scientific treasures from dinosaur fossils to a collection of lace bugs that are preserved in no other museum. The list goes on, it is almost unfathomable.

My thoughts largely remain with the museum workers and volunteers. One of the most heart wrenching photos for me had a tagline that read something to the effect of ‘museum staff crying over an artifact’. I suspect I look at this photo differently than most of you. Yes, we love our artifacts. Yes, we can get a little obsessive about them – I’m sure you’re familiar with our DON’T TOUCH chant. It’s not the artifacts, per se, that we are so passionate about, but what they embody.

On the first day our museum was open after the fire, a lady came in to donate her grandmother’s hand-sewn baby gown. The mere thought of parting from it brought her to tears for the simple reason that her family might not be forgotten now because it was safe (her words) in her local museum. This is the last tangible piece she has of the woman who raised her, and she entrusted it and her memories with us. Museums are full of items and stories like these. This is a responsibility that none of us take lightly.

As custodians of heritage, we spend years, sometimes decades, getting to ‘know’ these objects. We have the privilege of seeing and understanding how they are bound together through the people that gave them their stories, and how these stories can unite us. It is the people, their stories, and the connections that objects represent that we are passionate about. We also see how objects inspire. How they make us think. How they ignite the imagination of people of all ages. There is nothing more rewarding than when you see that light turn on in someone’s eyes because they have made that connection with their heritage.
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The fire was an incredible loss for the people of Brazil, and for all of us. Each artifact that was housed in that building had a story to tell, a story that helps us understand our world and our place in it, a story that can inspire. And each item had the potential to help us make those connections to the people around us. It does not take a National Museum, however, with millions of artifacts to engage with these stories and make those connections. Some of the most important ones happen at the six heritage institutions we have here in our own community: The Heritage Museum, City of Wetaskiwin Archives, Millet & District Museum, Archives and Visitor Information Centre, Samson Museum and Archives, Alberta Central Railway Museum, and the Reynolds-Alberta Museum.

Each person in our community is responsible for safeguarding these heritage resources for past, present and future generations. Come in and visit us, participate in our programs, support our fundraisers, donate your time or money if you can. Like the National Museum in Brazil, we too struggle on a day-to-day basis to keep our doors open and preserve our collections so that we may share their stories with you. Don’t take it for granted that we’ll always be there. One day we may not, and it won’t necessarily be because of a fire.

 

Originally published in the Wetaskiwin Times, September 12, 2018.