Image: SPRA 1993.01.01.262

Todays “From the Vault Friday” features an Easter card from the Billy Salmond fonds (Fonds 043). William McCasuland “Billy” Salmond was born in 1889, in Ontario. He received his education there, attending the Kingston Business College in 1910. Following college, he worked his way west, arriving in the town of Grande Prairie in 1911.

Upon his arrival in Grande Prairie, Billy was hired to manage the primitive Bredin Hotel because of his genial manner and his cooking skills, but he saw the need for better hotel accommodations, and in 1912 built his own hotel. Mr. Salmond also farmed and kept herds of cattle in the Grande Prairie area.

Read more about the Billy Salmond fonds (fonds 043) here.

From the Vault Friday is a social media campaign that highlights interesting materials from the collections of the South Peace Regional Archives. This project was made possible by an Access to Holdings Grant from the Archives Society of Alberta.