Lethbridge Historical Society Newsletter VOLUME 44 ISSUE I JAN/FEB 2013 ©LHS2013 News letterISSNo838-7249 Change is Good Coming Events Welcome to a new year and a fresh start. Our speaker series and monthly 1 meetings have found a new venue. They will be held at the Lethbridge Pub­ Tuesday Jan 22 lic Library community room and will start promptly at 7pm. This spring we will explore the marvels of Writing on Stone Provincial Park with Aa­ Writing-on-Stone with ron Domes from Alberta Parks, learn about the U of L Archives from its archivist Aaron Domes Mike Perry, delight in the glorious past of the Empress Theatre, and be en­ 7:00pm Lethbridge chanted by our own Belinda Crowson. You won't want to miss it!! As always Public Library the speaker series is free. We welcome and encourage you to bring a friend or 2 and share the excitement. FREE A New Year, A New Executive Friday Feb 8 In November at our AGM, some chang­ informative, and enlightening publications es were made to your executive. We during that time. She has also been Sec­ Galbraith Plaque said good bye to some familiar faces retary, a Council member, and an author. Unveiling and welcomed some fresh ones. Irma was instrumental in the Legacy Ridge project. Thank you Barry, Irma, and 1:00pm Galbraith Barry and Marion Snowden have been School Marion for the time, effort and expertise fixtures on the LHS landscape for you have shared and continue to share years. Barry served on the executive for with us. It is very much appreciated! FREE 14 years in two periods. His first time was from 1997 to 2006 and as Presi­ We welcome 3 new people to the fold. dent from 2003 to 2005. Barry's next Aimee Benoit, Jonathon Blackwood, and Tuesday Feb 26 stretch started in 2007 and lasted until Kelti Boissonneault join the executive this 2012. During that time he served as year. Aimee Benoit is a familiar face to U of L Archives with President from 2010-11. He is currently many within the LHS. She wrote Leth­ Mike Perry involved with our book committee. Mari­ bridge on the Homefront 1939-1945 in on served two periods also The first oc­ 1998 while working as a Collection Assis­ 7:00pm Lethbridge curring from 2004 to 2007 and then the tant at the Gait Museum. After that she Public Library second time from 2009-2012. During and her husband taught English in Japan this time Marion chaired the conference before moving back to Canada and set­ FREE committee at both our successful host­ tling in Calgary. In Calgary she was the ing efforts in 2006 and again in 2011. Archivist for the Calgary Stampede during She also served as Secretary twice. their centennial. Recently her husband accepted a job at Lethbridge College this Tuesday Mar 26 Irma Dogterom has been heavily in­ summer, so moved back "home" and cur­ volved with the LHS for well over 20 rently spend lots of time with her three Empress Theatre years. Irma edited our newsletter for 18 beautiful and busy little boys aged 2, 4, History with Peter J. years and provided us with interesting, and 6. Aimee is very interested in the role Scott Continued on pg. 3 7:00pm Lethbridge Celebrating Confederation Pg.2 David Clausen Inside this ^ Pg-5 [ Public Library Issue: -4 This and That Pg-3 FREE PAGE 2 Canadian Confederation Celebrations Revisited by Belinda Crowson As I was looking through the LHS newslet­ Lethbridge; Class A by Eric Muncaster of ters researching for other articles, I came Blairmore. Below is Marque rite's poem. Er­ across a treasure trove of information about ic's poem is much longer and may be pub­ past ways people celebrated the Confedera­ lished in a later newsletter: tion of Canada. As I said in my article about the idea for statue of the Gaits for Gait Gar­ CLASS B dens, the Sesquicentennial is coming quickly Sonnet on Dominion Day, July 1st, 1927\ and it is always a good thing to reflect back on what has been done in the past. The sun llmt rises from the eastern deep And lights thy Mountains, capped wjth glauming snow, The 50th celebrations (1917) were largely ig­ And gilds thy rippling prairies, wakes from sleep Thy many loyal sons and bids them know nored as it was during the First World War so Thnu'rt three-score years n nation, and this day Canada celebrated the Diamond Jubilee in Still sees thee in thy youth, still adding stone To stone on Arm foundations stronger, yea, 1927. Thu;i Roman conquest or than Spanish gold, Rul llrmly building on the staunch, true hearts The Lethbridge Herald ran a special edition Of those, Hie Ircedom-seckiDg of all lands, on 30 June 1927 which carried special arti­ Who mingle with » love that ne'er departs Their hope and fuith where old tradition stands. cles and provided highlights of activities hap­ Let cither lands and their past glories he— pening on July 1. The Jubilee celebrations The promise of the future tests with l\m, from Ottawa were being broadcast over the -LA CAXADIENNE. radio in the biggest broadcasting program ever attempted in Canada and Lethbridge Perhaps one of the strangest things report­ residents could hear it over loud speakers ed in the newspaper related to the Diamond and amplifiers in the arena. Jubilee was clemency offered for many pris­ oners. "The following statement was issued A parade was being held on Dominion Day by the Remissions Branch of the Depart­ (as it was then known) and the paper listed ment of Justice today: On the occasion of all of the floats that would be participating the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation, the including ones for 'fur trader', 'Canada', Canadian Government desires to mark this 'Ontario', Alberta, and many more. There national celebration by an act of grace and was also a whole slate of children's sports mercy, and therefore has authorized the planned. proclamation to be issued by His Excellency the Governor-General extending a measure The Heralds special articles included a biog­ of clemency to all prisoners throughout Can­ raphy of Sir Alexander Gait, a history of ada, reducing by one month the term of eve­ Blackfoot, the story of the Alberta/Montana ry prisoner who is purging a definite sen­ whiskey trade, information on the path to tence, of not less than six months and by an Confederation and the story of Canada as additional month for each additional year of told through bronze statues on Parliament sentence over and above six months, said Hill. The Herald has also sponsored a south­ reduction to be effective as of July 15, 1927. ern Alberta poetry contest. The winners of The proclamation will appear in an extra of the Jubilee Poetry contest were announced the Canadian Gazette.' Signed M.F. Gal­ and the Herald published the two winning lagher." Wonder if the Canadian govern­ poems (there were two different categories). ment will be doing something similar in Class B was won by Marguerite McColl of 2017. EWSLETTE PAGE 3 VOLUME 43 This and That.... or pat. schiemanfa'lethlib. ca Or Raj Sritharan at 403 Lethbridge Public Library's Local His­ -320-4799 or [email protected] tory Digitization Project Volunteer Opportunity Books Wanted About the Project: The library is currently transfer­ ring its large collection of historical photos and docu­ We are looking for two copies of the book "Shaughnessy Echoes." It was compiled for the ments into digital form. The materials will become 1999 homecoming for Shaughnessy. Some mem­ available as a searchable database on the LPL website. bers of the committee were: Lillian (Lasaruk) Soice, Ron & Mary Sallenback, Ed Baker, and Ron Volunteers are needed to help us enter the descriptions & Ethel Watmough. These are for the Gait Ar­ and details for each item into the database. This oppor­ chives and Gen. Society Library. If you have a tunity would appeal to someone who: copy let Belinda Crowson know. • has strong typing and computer skills • is familiar with using Excel, • has an interest in local history A Facebook Milestone Reached • enjoys independent work. We have reached the 200 member milestone for Training specific to this project will be provided and our Facebook fan page. To celebrate this achieve­ should take about one hour. The project will be com­ ment the 2 folks that got us there received 1 year pleted at the Lethbridge Public Library's Main Branch. free memberships to the LHS. Congratulations Li­ sa Kreutz and Michelle Hood!! We currently have 225 followers and counting. Keep watching our Time: On-going. Hours are flexible. Total hours esti­ page for contests, trivia, and other news. mated at 30-50. Contact Pat Schieman at: 403-3980-7312 A New Year continued from pg. l of heritage in creating more sustainable and en­ particular interest in Architectural History with a spe­ gaged communities, and looks forward to recon­ cific focus on 12th Century Gothic Architecture. She necting with Lethbridge's diverse and exciting histo­ moved to Lethbridge for school in 2007 from Ke- ry! lowna, BC, and worked as a program intern for Belinda at the Gait Museum for two summers. Kelti Jonathon Blackwood's recruitment onto our execu­ still volunteers for the Gait Museum and enjoys edu­ tive is a testament to the power of social media! We cating members of the public on the many various put out a plea on our Facebook fan page and Jona­ aspects of Lethbridge History.