The membership newsletter of the Historical Society of Alberta Box 4035 Station C No .4 Calgary. AB. T2T 5M9 October 200 I Teleph one: 403-261-3662 ISSN 1205-03 50 Fax: 403-269-602 9 PMA #400 I003 1 In this issue HSA Tribute to Grant MacEwan HSA Tribute to Grant MacEwan 1 by Max Foran President's Report 3 0 11 Octobe r 23 . 200 I. at Government Remembering Alex Mair 4 Hou se in Edmo nton, Her Honour. Lois In Memory of Herman De Jongh 4 Hole . Lieut enant Govemo r of A lberta. There's Been A Hitch! 5 will laun ch a special edition of Alberta Sheilagh S. Jameson 6 History that focuses entirely on the life Call for Proposals 7 and works of Western Ca nadia n legend , HSA Presentation to AHRF 8 Grant MacEwan. The issue feat ures an Heritage Issues Sept 2001 9 Introduction by Alberta History Editor. The Passionate Man 10 Hugh Dempsey and three articles by Book Reviews 12 historians Don Smith and Max Foran. Websites to Try Out 13 and editor and writer. Lee Shedden. The End of the Rope 14 The issue is heavily illustrated and Summer Inst itutes for includes co lour photographs that depict History Teachers .. 15 MacEwan at various stages in his long William Aberhart Jim Mackie, former HSA President presents and multi-faceted career. Histor ical Foundation 15 Grant MacEwan with a certificate that pro­ Chapter Reports 16-19 claims Dr. MacEwan as Honorary President Hugh Dempsey knew Gran t we ll of the Society in 1992 HSA Calendar of Events & and this show s in his Introdu ct ion Crossword 20 which sets the stage for the articles to follow. Th e three articles co mplement eac h other we ll. Macliwan' s so n-in­ HSA Pin law, Max Foran , shows MacEwan as a paradoxical but ultimately The co nsistent figure and tries to ex plain Ilistorical these inherent co mplex ities. Using Society of Macliwan's story telling as a dom inant Alberta pin theme. Don Smi th eloquen tly places is available. his snhjr:r t's lift> in both a personal You can pick it and historical context. Lee Shedden up 1'1'0111 the office foc uses entirely on Macllwan's boo ks or mail your cheque or money order in and takes the reader on an absorbing the amount of $5 plus $.50 postage and historiographica l journey through handling to: Macliwans prodigious literary out­ The Historical Society of Alberta put. Box 4035. Station C Calgary. AB. T2T 5M9 Those who knew and admired . Phone: 403-261-3662 Grant MacEwan should find plenty to Grant MacEwan enjoying a presentation moment with long time friend Betty Dahlie at Fax: 403-269-6029 enjoy and think abo ut in this exci ting E-mail: [email protected] his 90th Birthday celebration forthco ming publ ication . Welcome to new members Max Foran. Priddi s Wayn e C.N. Cao. Ca lga ry Dou g Dou ghty, Lethbridge Vera A. Ross, Calgary Brian Brennan . Ca lga ry Eve lyn Watt . Ca lga ry Hon . C lint Dunford , Lethbridge Meep Van Wij k, Calga ry Ken Nicol , Lethbridge El izab eth A. Marsh all , Ca lga ry Anne White, Cochrane Pam Lees. Ca lga ry Gl adys R. Brown. Cal gar y Judy Wibel' & Fa mily. Ca lga ry A . Jan e Zal11. Ca lgary Joyce O 'Brien , Calga ry Dr. Mar yon Ro bertso n , Ca lgary Ern est Nathan Manning & Family. Greg Ellis, Lethbridge Calgar y Dodi e Atkinson. Lethbridge Brian Roth. Ca lgary Knob Hill Elem ent ary Sc hoo l, Gl en & Ch eryl Campbe ll, Calga ry Ca lgary Anne Yarem chuk. Vegreville Joyce Thompson , Cal gar y Lawrence & She ila Clayden . Ca lgary Elizab eth G . Ma cki e , Victoria . BC Dr. & Mrs. Delt on Herget , Lethbridge R .A .E. William s, Calgary Thank You for Your Donation to the HSA and/or Chapter Dr. A lbert Hohol Helen Green Margaret Waite James F.P. Mc Cool Anna Fahrion Ron & Bernad ette Nowell Dr. David C. Jones M . Ai lee n Pelzer & Gu stave J . Yaki Ron William s Eli zabeth A . Marshall W.P. Baergen Robert & Margaret Watso n Robert F. Sho re Ch evron Canad a Resources Geoffrey Wil son Gladys Bramley-M oore Valerie Job son Margaret Job Morri s Flewwelling Bonnie Lain g L. Frances Wock s Jean Johnston e Ken McDon ald Norm a Lake Janne Switze r Glen & Cheryl Campbell Mabel Gear y Barbara Blackl ey Joe & Moyra Ferguso n Dr. David R. Co rnish Ian & Pearl Morri son Cath erine C . Co le Dr. David Leon ard Garth Clar ke Gl yni s Grigg Mrs. Fent Marqu ess Dr. Janice Dick in Wayn e C. N. Cao President's Report by Ron Williams I have been very busy during my first Honour has honoured our soc iety by four months as your President. I visited hosting a recept ion to mark the first of three of the four chap ters and will visit the launches of the commemorative the fourth next week . edition of Alb erta Historv in honour of I visited Ca lgary and Edmonto n the late Dr. Grant MacEwan . This Historic Weeks and commended the important eve nt will take place in members of both chapters for their October. dedication and hard work. which have The Society has been invo lved ove r made these weeks so successful. a period of several months with the I am encouraged by the great increase in publi c awareness and interest in Our Soc iety has continued to attract question of the Rossdale Power Plant in heritage questions and the increase in attention to the history and heritage of Edmonton . Thi s is much more than a government intere st and app arent our pro vinc e. local Edmonton question - it is a provincial que stion . We have appeared willingness to act. I am also thrill ed by I thank all of our members who se before two go vernment boards: the an increase in interest in our soc iety. I volunteer efforts make our soc iety the Energy and Utilities Board and the have promi sed to visit Grande Prairie strong and vibrant organization that it is. Alberta Histor ical Resources and Smoky Lake in this regard. As all chapters begin the new yea r of Foundation Board. on this qu estion. I give my thank s and best wishes programs and other activit ies. I look Attac hed is the presentation which I to all our members and others in the forward to a very interesting . profitabl e made to the AHRF Board on August 28 . heritage field. and enjoyable time. 200 1. Thank you, Ron Will iams. We appreciate the support our patro n. It sets out why this is an important the Honou rable Lois Hole. Lieutenant question to the province and not just Governor of Alberta . has given us. Her Edmonton. Thank You The Historical Society of Alberta would like to thank: Hugh Dempsey, Max Foran , Donald Smith , and Lee Shedden for their dedicated work to produce the very important Autumn 200 I issue of Alberta History. a lasting tribute to our first honorary President Dr. Grant MacE wan. We would also like to thank the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation for the funding they pro vided to distribute and produce the issue. A special thank you goes out to each member who made a donation in honour of Dr. MacEwan to bring this project forw ard to all Albertans. Remembering Alex Mair by Bruce Ibsen HSA Members The phone ran constantly on Mond ay. In the late 1950's he began submitting News with the inevi table question . "Did you articles to CBC Radio in Winnipeg and hear about Alex Mair?" After ex press­ later sta rted writing for the So utham ing mutual shock and sadness at this Business Publ ications gro up in the early toss a funny anecdote into the conversa­ 1960 's . Along with his continued work wonderful man's sudden passing. the tion . leaving us all in stitches . He had a conve rsation invariably turned to what a with CBC. Alex found time in 1967 to rem arkable way of light ing up a room loss this would be to the local history help organize and launch the Radio and with his manner and presence. I cou ld scene . What an understatem ent! Alex Television Arts program at N.A.I.T. In always tell if Alex was in the Archives was a quiet giant who touched eve ryone 1978 he began writing a daily column lunchroom by following the sound of for the Edmonton Journal and in the he met with his warmth. hum our and laughter. style. early 1980's started submitting weekly Th rough it all Alex enlivened For the record Alex Mail' was born in columns to Real Estate Weekly. Over Edmonton's history, providin g colour the next twenty yea rs he publi shed hun­ Edmonton in 1926 and lived here his and personalit y to our characters and dreds of articles and several books whol e life. Though he was interested in events. Peopl e fortun ate enough to hear including a history of the Edm onton writing at an early age , his parents him speak listened attent ively while he Police Service and the very successful encouraged him to pursue a more reli­ lovingly retold the tales of our past. Gateway City.