Thursday File Archives - South Peace Regional Archives

The First Chinese Woman in Grande Prairie

Posted on 26 January, 2017 by SPRA

Richmond Avenue, ca. 1945

When I first saw this article, I read it because I remember Mrs. Wong well. I was very surprised that she was the first Chinese woman to come to Grande Prairie. We shopped at the Grande Prairie Department Store, owned by Arthur Wong, and I remember her always so neatly dressed, usually wearing a sweater set, and with tightly curled hair, which I assume was a perm. She worked on the dry goods side of the store, and as I recall, she never learned very much English.

Researched & written by Kathryn Auger

The Herald-Tribune ~ January 27, 1949

Dear John…

Posted on 19 January, 2017 by SPRA

Wayne Fell and Marlene Frantzen, skating champions of the Peace River Figure Skating Champions, 1953, pose for the camera.

I have read this several times and I’m still not sure if it’s on the up and up, but it’s a bit of fun nevertheless!

Researched & written by Kathryn Auger

Grande Prairie Herald ~ January 30, 1923

Keeping the Roads Clear

Posted on 5 January, 2017 by SPRA

Another bright idea for farmers from the city folks in Edmonton! Farmers using wider sleighs in the winter would be a cost effective way to keep roads open, according to the Edmonton Good Roads Association, reducing the heavy burden of taxes to pay for drags and snowplows. The Association planned to petition the government to enact regulations to ensure the use of wide bench sleighs as a means of keeping winter roads open.

Researched & written by Kathryn Auger

Grande Prairie Herald ~ January 26, 1925

A Beaverlodge Soldier’s Christmas Party

Posted on 22 December, 2016 by SPRA

David, Mary Jean, and Jim Carlisle decorate their Christmas tree, 1939

For the last post of this year, I found this feel-good story which shows why Canadian soldiers still hold a place in the hearts of the Dutch people. Thanks everyone for your interest in the blog this year, and I look forward to continuing it in 2017.

Captain Don Little of Beaverlodge organized a party for seventy-five Dutch children with the help of his unit. The men even sewed little cloth bags for the treats, which were contributed from their own Christmas parcels. Sinterklaas and Black Pete attended the party, which was the first for the children in several years. In appreciation, the soldiers were presented with a little dog named Dutchy as a mascot for their unit.

Researched & written by Kathryn Auger

The Herald-Tribune ~ January 4, 1945

A Different Kind of Christmas Gift

Posted on 15 December, 2016 by SPRA

Blood transfusions seem to still have been a bit unconventional in the area, even though blood typing, a key in the process, was discovered in 1910. It is gratifying that so many citizens volunteered for the testing, and the surgery to help the man who was ill was a success. It is certainly one of the medical procedures we may take for granted, but volunteers still have to come forward to donate blood.

Researched & written by Kathryn Auger

Grande Prairie Herald ~ December 15, 1933

A Stuck Duck

Posted on 8 December, 2016 by SPRA

With the cold weather we’ve been having, we can sympathize with the little duck who got his tail frozen in the ice at Flying Shot Lake. Lucky for him some people were out skating and he was rescued. Interesting that the first place they they took him was to the newspaper office.

Researched & written by Kathryn Auger

The Herald-Tribune ~ December 8, 1949

What the World Needs Now…

Posted on 1 December, 2016 by SPRA

This list of inventions needed by the world is a bit odd, with some fairly practical suggestions as well as some strange ones – why would the world need an aeroplane that could be managed easily by a youngster? Many items from the list do exist now, such as highly efficient furnaces, bendable glass, and talking movies, which were introduced the same year this list was published.

Researched & written by Kathryn Auger

Grande Prairie Herald ~ June 12, 1923

The Railway Moves West

Posted on 24 November, 2016 by SPRA

Nine years after the railway arrived in Grande Prairie, it was extended west to what became the town of Wembley. The first passenger train arrived on November 18, carrying many people from Grande Prairie, who went to look over the new town and take part in the festivities. There was a huge supper and a dance. Most of the people stayed overnight and returned home on the freight train the next morning.

Researched & written by Kathryn Auger

Grande Prairie Herald ~ November 25, 1924

It Could Be Worse

Posted on 17 November, 2016 by SPRA

While we have had a reprieve from the awful weather and the snow is mostly gone, I’m sure we all feel let down by the kind of fall we had. Since the only thing we can do about the weather is complain about it, when I noticed this headline in the November 15, 1935 paper, I read it and decided things sure could be a lot worse!

Researched & written by Kathryn Auger

Grande Prairie Herald ~ November 15, 1935

Shining Moments of Youthful Gladness

Posted on 3 November, 2016 by SPRA

Halloween Box Social lunches, 1936

This column from the Eaglesham correspondent is written in very extravagant language, but it can be said that some of the rural writers were a bit too matter of fact. There does seem to have been a lot of interesting activity around Eaglesham just then.

Researched & written by Kathryn Auger

Grande Prairie Herald-Tribune ~ November 2, 1939