Smoky West Rural Electrification Association fonds. — 1954-1984. — 19 cm of textual records. — 3 blueprints.
Agency History
Smoky West R.E.A. was incorporated under the Co-operative Association Act (Charter 299) on February 18, 1954, and in June 1954 signed an agreement with Canadian Utilities (later Alberta Power) to provide electricity for the association. The area to be served was the east half of Improvement District 132, mainly Twp. 77-81, Rng. 23-26 west of the 5th Meridian and Twp. 77-79 west of the 6th Meridian. This included the hamlets of Eaglesham and Watino. The application was made by Maurice Boivin, Fred Johnson, Walter Paluwski, Frank Phillips, William Campbell, Emmanual Gaboury, Zack Lemoine, P. Campbell and Eric Paakse.
A total of sixty-three members were signed to begin construction. Estimated cost of construction was to be $1160 per member, with a down payment of $100, and the remainder to be borrowed from the Rural Electrification Revolving Fund Act, at an interest rate of 3 ½%, repayment to be made in ten equal payments. After construction, surplus funds were refunded to the R.E.A., and applied to the members’ lien notes. The yearly refund was $220 until 1963, when construction costs started to increase.
Four presidents served the R.E.A. over the thirty years of its existence: James Emerson, Walter Pawluski, Nick Poohkay and Rae Erickson. There were only two secretaries over that same time period: Maurice Boivin and Nick Poohkay.
In 1983, the R.E.A. decided to sell the assets of the association to Alberta Power Ltd. Each member received $582.28 as a final payment, which included the value of the association dues and all funds in the Deposit Reserve Account.
Custodial History
The records were preserved by the last secretary of the R.E.A., Nick Poohkay. In 2001, he deposited them in the Grande Prairie Regional Archives.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of legal documents regarding the foundation and the dissolution of Smoky West R.E.A.; maps showing the location of power lines and homes of share-holders; minutes of executive and annual meetings; financial records; membership records; and correspondence with share-holders and associated organizations such as Alberta Power, the Department of Utilities and Telephones, and the Alberta Union of Rural Electrification Associations. There is also a Policy Manual containing a brief history of rural electrification, a guide to R.E.A. terminology, policies on current situations, and information on provincial acts and authorities.
Notes
Title based on the contents of the fonds
Agency History notes taken from Smoky Peace Triangle: A history of the Eaglesham, Tangent, Watino and Codesa Areas.
The seal and stamp of the Smoky West Rural Electrification Association Ltd. is in the Grande Prairie Museum collection.
Table of Contents
| Series 130.01 | Legal documents and Maps |
| Series 130.02 | Minutes |
| Series 130.03 | Financial records |
| Series 130.04 | Membership records |
| Series 130.05 | Correspondence |
| Series 130.06 | Associated Organizations |
| Series 130.01 | Legal documents and Maps. — 1954-1983. — 1 cm of textual records. — 3 blueprints.The series consists of a copy of the original agreement made between the Smoky West R.E.A. and Canadian Utilities Ltd., funding agreements between the association and the Government of Alberta, a summary of costs relating to the construction of R.E.A. lines, insurance records and correspondence and agreements regarding the sale of Smoky West R.E.A.L. to Alberta Power Ltd. There are three maps showing the location of the electrical lines and members of Smoky West. | ||
|
|||
| Series 130.02 | Minutes. — 1964-1983. — 1 cm of textual records.The series consists of the minutes of executive meetings, annual meetings for the membership and special meetings, all for the purpose of carrying out the business of the Smoky West R.E.A.L. | ||
| Series 130.03 | Financial records. — 1954-1984. — 2 cm of textual records.The series consists of the records of an accounts ledger from 1954 to 1961; contracts signed from 1954 to 1958; disbursements given out from 1954-1955 and 1972 to 1984; a receipt book from to 1983; and audited financial statements from 1967 to 1981. | ||
| Series 130.04 | Membership records. — 1954-1971. — 2 cm of textual records.The series consists of samples of Electric Service Contracts made with individual members; samples of correspondence regarding members’ liens and loans; and a list of potential members using a “List of Voters” form from Provincial Government elections. The list records the occupation and legal description of residence for each name on the list. | ||
| Series 130.05 | Correspondence. — 1955-1976. — 2 cm of textual records.The series consists of correspondence between Smoky West Rural Electrification Association executive and its associated organizations, service providers and members. | ||
| Series 130.06 | Associated Organizations. — 1955-1983. — 11 cm of textual records.The series consists of circulars and publications from related organizations: Alberta Power; Department of Utilities and Telephones; Alberta Union of Rural Electrification Associations. There is also a Policy Manual containing a brief history of rural electrification, a guide to R.E.A. terminology, policies on current situations, and information on provincial acts and authorities. | ||