Photograph: NAR Tressle over Bear Creek GP (SPRA 0256.02.24)
We are excited to announce the recent completion of an accrual to the Schenk family fonds (fonds 256). Although we have been closed to the public due to the ongoing pandemic, we have remained hard at work making records accessible for public use. Processing the accrual to the Schenk family fonds has been one of our many recent projects that we are thrilled to share the results with you!
This accrual has added 12 new photos, 50 cm of textual material, 9 maps, and 1 piece of artwork to the Schenk family collection. The photographs include the Schenk family, soldiers from WWII, scenes of the NAR railway, and images of early Grande Prairie including one staff favorite: the NAR wooden train bridge over Bear Creek. All 9 maps relate to the forestry industry of Alberta and the South Peace Region, including a detailed set of four maps made for the Alberta Forest Service. Each map covers all of Alberta and has a different overlay pertaining to Forest Service Air Operations including: a fuel cache overlay, a fire bombing overlay, an air patrol overlay, and a base map with no overlay. The most substantial portion of this accrual was the 50cm of new textual material. These records contain Forestry employment records from Dave and Melba Schenk, daily journals, newspaper clippings, handbooks, pamphlets, documentation books and many other unique documents. Some interesting highlights in the textual materials include an Alberta Liquor Board price list from 1955, WWII ration books that belonged to the Schenk family, and a newspaper clipping announcing the arrival of King George VI and the Queen Mother to Canada on a royal tour.
The newly updated finding aid, containing an in-depth description of the material, is now available on our South Peace Regional Archives website: Fonds 256 Schenk family fonds. A selection of the photographs are also available on Alberta on Record for your viewing pleasure. We encourage you to browse these new resources and, once the Archives reopens to the public, schedule a visit to see these documents in person.
