Doors Open and Heritage Festival 2017 2 Prohibition and Rum Running the United States years later. These violent episodes shocked the Canadian public and helped bring an end to prohibition in Alberta in 1924, and were in part the reason for building the Blairmore courthouse in 1923. New legislation brought in government- controlled liquor stores which persisted for decades until the modern era of privately-owned stores arrived. Alberta is presently the only province with fully privatized liquor sales. The last vestige of prohibition was a 1918 law against transporting alcohol from BC into Alberta, which was only repealed in 2012! Romantic but violent, rum running is an important part of Crowsnest Pass heritage. A visit to our newly-opened Alberta Provincial Police Barracks interpretive centre in Coleman explains it all. The Scene of The Crime Hollywood has turned Prohibition into a Photo: Crowsnest Museum romantic episode of the March 1, 2017 was the 100th anniversary of the uniforms. The APP policed Alberta until 1932. early 20th century, with Alberta Provincial Police, which is why this year’s daring midnight runs Initially, rum running proceeded with little theme for the annual Doors Open and Heritage across the border difficulty, and citizens in Crowsnest Pass and Festival is ‘Lawmen of Prohibition.’ and larger-than-life other parts of Alberta found it pretty easy to get a gangsters dallying with It’s hard to imagine what life was like when drink or a bottle. Many cafés, pool halls and hotels good-time girls in our grandparents and great-grandparents were in Crowsnest Pass quietly served liquor, and were speakeasies, while brave policeman risk their lives youngsters. In 1915 the world was at war, and occasionally caught and fined for it. to catch the bad guys. society was poised for some big changes. There were many loopholes, including ‘medicinal’ The push for women’s rights was behind a The reality of the illegal trade in alcohol came alcohol prescriptions written by doctors who felt temperance movement which saw alcohol crashing home for three families in the Crowsnest a shot in the evening might be beneficial to the as destructive to society and Christian family Pass on the evening of September 21, 1922. nerves. Even Blairmore’s police commissioner, life; per-capita alcoholic consumption in those Mike Rosse, was a rum runner; you can read Earlier in the day, a botched raid had turned days was triple what it is today. With many men about him in the May 2013 newsletter, issue #30, into a high-speed chase. The chase ended with of drinking age away serving in the trenches, crowsnestheritage.ca. The Alberta Provincial Constable Lawson of the Alberta Provincial Police provincial plebiscites on banning the sale and Police force had its own problems, with instances (APP) firing at a fleeing car, wounding young consumption of alcohol were successful in of bribery and incompetence helping the rum Steve Picariello in the hand. That evening, Steve’s Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario in 1916, and in runners’ cause. But rum running also gave rise father, Emilio Picariello, and a friend of the family, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick to organized crime, and competition between Florence Lassandro, pulled up outside the APP and Newfoundland in 1917, with other provinces operators was sometimes violent. Barracks. Constable Lawson came out to speak to following. There was no law against producing them. There was a brief struggle. Shots were fired, alcoholic drinks for export, however, and this Everybody around here has heard of Emilio and Constable Lawson lay dying, watched by his made it possible to legally produce booze that Picariello, also known as Emperor Pic or Pic the nine-year-old daughter. could be illegally distributed within Canada and Bottle King. He was the best-known rum runner the United States (which also had Prohibition in the Pass, maybe even Alberta, and his daring What happened that night? Who killed Constable between 1920 and 1933). and successful career made him a target for the Lawson? Was it murder, or a tragic accident? Alberta Provincial Police. Some say that Picariello’s Discover the story of Canada’s most infamous Crowsnest Pass was in a unique situation as its doom was sealed because he got too ambitious, rum running murder at the Alberta Provincial interconnected communities spanned two competing with the big boys (one literally known Police Barracks in Coleman. Visit the scene of the provinces. Rum running from ‘wet’ BC into ‘dry’ as “Mr. Big”) and taking his trade deep into Alberta crime, the exact spot where the shots were fired Alberta in 1916 continued after BC voted and the United States. An over-zealous police and a man was killed, while also experiencing the ‘dry’ the following year. Some businessmen, attempt to ensnare Pic led to the tragic shooting trials and tribulations of policing prohibition in particularly those previously involved in death of Constable Stephen Lawson and the Alberta, the court case surrounding the murder legitimate liquor businesses, became rum runners subsequent execution by hanging of Picari- as well as the repercussions of the entire event. – illegal importers of booze for sale to individuals ello and his business partner’s wife, Florence or to other distributors. Their cause was helped To kick off the Doors Open & Heritage Festival Lassandro. by the fact that most in Crowsnest Pass didn’t and this year’s theme of Lawmen, the launch want Prohibition, and had voted against it in the The Sentinel train robbery is another example of event is taking place on the Crowsnest Museum plebiscite. The legal profession was ambivalent how violence sometimes followed rum running. grounds, next to the APP Barracks in Coleman. too, with many lawyers and judges concerned In 1920, three desperados stopped a train, Join us from 7 to 9 pm on August 4th for an about the infringement on personal freedoms hoping to find Picariello and his bankroll aboard. evening event featuring music, historical that the drinking restrictions imposed. Even He wasn’t, and they got away with only $300. vignettes, a historical talk, and great food, the RCMP were reluctant to enforce the ban on Someone spotted them in the Bellevue Café a few drink and good times. alcohol, and withdrew their policing services from days later, and a police raid triggered a shootout You can find all the information at Alberta in 1917, to be replaced by the Alberta with one robber and two police officers killed. crowsnestmuseum.ca or appbarracks.com Provincial Police. Many of the APP’s first officers A manhunt resulted in the death of a third officer or contact Chris Matthews at were not issued transportation, firearms or even before they collared a second wounded robber, chris.cnmuseum@shaw or 403-563-5434. and the last of the three was apprehended in Discover Crowsnest Heritage For more information visit: frankslide.org or cnpheritagefest.ca or call 403-562-7388 Doors Open and Heritage Festival 2017 3 Avian SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Neighbourhood 940 Watch Coleman 2 1 West 3 Access Centre 20th Ave 57 Access 3 3 C.P. Rail 18th Ave 45 3 East Access Crowsnest River A.P.P. Barracks 1. Flumerfelt Park 4. Historic Downtown 2. Miners’ Path 5. Sports Complex 3. Municipal Office The practice of neighbors looking out for THURSDAY, AUGUST 3 The Heritage Youth Theatre Company neighbors has been a function of society presents ‘Badges, Bootleggers & Bullets’ for centuries, well before the first official Crowsnest Community Market Directed by Rebecca Dewey Neighborhood Watch was organized to help Gazebo Park, Main Street Blairmore Crowsnest Museum Grounds keep our homes and families safe. Humans were 4 pm – 8 pm 7701-18 Ave, Coleman not the first to police their communities. Birds Contact: visit www.crowsnestmarket.com 7 pm have been doing it longer. Most birds from tiny Cost: Free Contact: 403-563-5434 or visit songbirds to birds of prey are more aggressive www.crowsnestmuseum.ca Evening market featuring fresh produce, locally handcrafted during the nesting season and have evolved Cost: Free behaviors to deal with neighborhood thugs, items, art work, home businesses demonstrations, Original works inspired by the tragic shooting death of Constable including issuing warnings, taking the law into entertainment and more! Stephen Lawson performed by members of our local Boys and their own beaks and claws, and hiding out. Let Justice Be Done: Girls Club Drama Program and the Community. These works will When black-capped chickadees spot an intruder The Alberta Provincial be a part of the launch event that will be taking place at the in their backyards, they sound an alarm, which Police, 1917 – 1932 Grounds of Crowsnest Museum. can travel at speeds of up to 160 kph. The more Guest Speaker: –dees at the end of their warning, the greater the Michael Gourlie, Curator, Booze and Bars Historic Hotel danger. A northern pygmy owl might merit as Provincial Archives of Alberta Pub Tour of Coleman many as 12. Crowsnest Museum and Archives PAA Photo: BL80 Leaving from Crowsnest Museum and Archives 7701-18 Ave, Coleman 7701-18 Ave, Coleman Other birds tip off their neighbors about a 7 pm – 9 pm 9 pm – 10 pm raptor in flight with high-pitched seets, which Contact: 403-563-5434 or visit www.crowsnestmuseum.ca To register contact: 403-562-7388 are relayed across several different species from Cost: Free Admission Cost: $5 from black-capped chickadees to lazuli buntings to house finches to song sparrows. Birds hearing For a brief period in the early twentieth century, the Province Explore the ‘Booze and Bars’ of Crowsnest Pass, Doors Open style! these alerts may join forces and mob the of Alberta had its own provincial police force similar to those This year we’re leaving the bus in the shop so we can stroll around stalker, who is looking for a meal.