Come together in Calgary, Host city for the XV Olympic Winter Games, 1988

Promotional publication from the CHFH Collection

It is hard to believe (and even harder for me to admit) but it has been 25 years since the winter Olympics in Calgary in 1988. I was working at the Central Library at the time and it was the most wonderful and weird experience I have ever had. People from all over the world speaking languages I didn’t even know existed, were here in our little town. The place was really hoppin’ and we were here in the middle of it. For ten days we were a cosmopolitan city. And I think that once we had the taste of this worldliness, we were hooked. The city changed forever after 1988. We had been given the example of what we could be and we wanted it. We were Cowtown no more.

You can capture some of the optimism that gripped the city by checking out the documentary history of the Olympics. I’d forgotten what a treasure trove we have here in the Local History room until one of my colleagues from our Virtual Services popped down to see if we had anything cool she could photograph for our Facebook page. Well, that set me off on a tangent – sometimes we get carried away and return way too much information, just like Google. I uncovered endless shelves of material that we had collected from the time of the original idea, through the bid process and on through the development and then the games themselves. My colleague was entranced by the volunteer handbook - a major document handed out to all the Olympic volunteers along with their teal blue jackets. This was an appropriate item for her to feature, as it embodied, more than any other item, the spirit of those volunteers and the pride Calgary can take in the fact that this voluntarism continues to be a distinguishing characteristic of our city.

The Olympics made us feel special, and we’ve managed to hold on to that feeling. If you’d like to relive that magical moment, visit us at the Central Library on the 4^th floor and check out some of the really cool items we have in the collection. We’d love to see you.

Artist's rendering of the proposed Canada Olympic Park at Paskapoo, 1983

From a collection of press releases in the Local History collection

Merry Christmas from the Carnegie Library, Calgary, Alberta

Postcards from the Past, PC 152 ca 1912

Whew, we’ve made it. It has been a year packed with lots of great events. This was the year of our 100^th birthday, as well as the 100 year celebrations for many of the structures that were built during our 1912 boom. We were the City of culture for 2012 and we hosted a special edition of the Bob Edwards awards. The Mayan calendar came to an end and we are all still here, so all in all, the year was a great success. This will be my last chance to talk about the heady days of 1912 – and since 1913 marked the end of the boom, I am going to close out the year talking about what people were doing for Christmas in that year.

The weather was a bit chilly. The temperature was expected to go up to -1C after an overnight low of -13C.

Charity was a great part of Christmas in Calgary. The Morning Albertan’s Santa fund was over a thousand dollars and The Salvation Army was distributing over 100 food hampers (flour bags filled with necessities for a Christmas celebration) to needy families and providing pastries to people in jail. They also held a Christmas dinner for needy single men.

But giving was also on the agenda, as always. The Calgary post office was overwhelmed with letters and parcels from the Old Country (England). Three special trains were sent west with parcels from the Empress of Ireland.

Pryce Jones stayed open until 11 o’clock on the 23^rd and 24^th to accommodate those last minute shoppers. The store was offering a new and chic accoutrement for the autoists (i.e people who had cars) – foot muffs. These intriguing little goodies would fit both tender feet of the “fair autoists” (i.e. girls in cars) and would swathe them in fur, to keep them from freezing in the unheated and mostly open automobiles. These little luxuries ran from $3.00 to $12.50 depending on the amount and quality of the furs used. You could have these gifts delivered to your door on Christmas Eve.

Hudson’s Bay was even more modern, offering gift certificates for those who just couldn’t decide on what gift to give.

Senator Lougheed announced that “Miss Calgary”, our dear city, was getting some great presents including a new million dollar post office, a customs warehouse, immigration building and an armory.

As a reaction to this frenetic holiday season a group was formed in New York calling itself, SPUG, the Society for the Prevention of Useless Giving. The idea spread like wildfire among the young, fashionable club men and women who believed that society had moved away from the fun and good times spent with family and friends and focused too much on the money one spends.

Food, as much a part of Christmas celebrations as Useless Giving, was very much on the minds of our Calgarians, albeit with a bit of a different twist. Restaurants were getting ready for the rush of Christmas diners. Some didn’t change their menus much, except to add turkey, but the Club Café had an unexpected delicacy to offer, a black bear cub. Many homemakers were planning to roast a fat capon, in lieu of the expected turkey as the capons were less expensive and tastier and the leftovers could be used to prepare various chicken dishes and dainties. The secret to a good capon was the use of fatty bacon as a wrapping as well the liberal application of butter (I think you could probably roast a cardboard box with fatty bacon and butter and make a passable meal!) Stuff that with bread crumbs and a half pound of truffles which have been soaked in Madeira, a goose liver and, of course, bacon and you will have a feast fit for a king.

So, it seems that nothing has really changed, eh? We are still rushing about in the cold, desperate to get that last minute gift and falling back on the gift certificate when we just can’t make up our minds. Young people are still objecting to the commercialization of Christmas, while homemakers are still trying to find the best way to cook a peculiar and rather unpleasant bird to make it palatable. We are still faced with the fact that not everyone will be able to have a happy Christmas, but we are still showing what a great city we are by giving to charities that try to ensure a decent Christmas for the less fortunate. So, my wish for you is that you enjoy the holidays, however you may spend them.

IODE War Memorial, Central Park

Postcards from the Past, PC 1478

Last week we celebrated the 95^th anniversary of Vimy Ridge. It is said that the Canadian action at Vimy was the turning point for Canada. Before Vimy we were a frozen outpost of the British Empire, after Vimy we were a nation. That bit of information is certainly crucial to an understanding of Canada’s role in the Great War . But I am a bit of a micro-historian myself. I believe that we can also come to an understanding of the impact of world events by understanding the role of individuals in those events. This ties in nicely with my interest in genealogy, but it has also served me well in a new role I have taken on. Library and Archives Canada have a project called Lest We Forget, which involves collaboration with libraries around the country. The goal of this program is to bring the lives of Canadian soldiers to students in high schools by exposing them to primary source documents, in this case, the service records of men and women from their geographic area. I was a little leery of this to begin with. I love working with primary sources but I’m not sure if that is a sign of some dysfunction or if there might be others out there who get the same thrill from dusty old papers. Well, the students we have come in contact with seem to have the same feeling about micro-history and primary source materials that I do. Who knew? So now with this affirmation in hand, I am spreading the word about primary source research and Canada’s military history.

All of this leads me to Private Thomas Lawless. One thing that was really driven home by my involvement in Lest We Forget is the absolute horror of the battlefield. Photos of no-man’s land show a churned up, muddy pit of horse carcasses and dead bodies. It was, to belabor an obvious point, a chaotic nightmare where the niceties of tradition could not be observed. Bodies sometimes had to be left where they fell. Thomas Lawless was one of these soldiers who were left behind. As a matter of fact, his body was not discovered until 2003, and therefore he was still on the missing list until 2011, when scientists were finally able to confirm his identity. Thomas was from Ireland, but lived in Calgary when he enlisted, on November 22, 1915. He was 27, had sandy hair and a fresh complexion. He arrived in England in June of 1916 on the Olympia, but seems to have immediately contracted tonsillitis, which seemed to be a chronic problem for him, and was admitted to hospital. He ran a fever for a short while but by July he was fit enough to rejoin his regiment. After he died, his next of kin, listed as Mrs.K. Johnstone of 8^th Street West, Calgary, received $275.46 of his back pay. His brother in Ireland received his medals.

How do I know all of this about Thomas? His service records have been digitized and made available by Library and Archives Canada. You can access the Soldiers of the First World War database here: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/001042-100.01-e.php

As the files that we are using in the Lest We Forget project are scanned, they are also put in this database. So while some records only include the attestation papers (but you can order the files if you want to see them) some include the entire service record. If you are researching an ancestor, or have seen a name on a cenotaph that you would like to pursue more information about, check out the Soldiers of the First World War database.

And just on a more personal note, some of the students from one of the schools in the Lest We Forget project are in France and were a part of the celebrations at Vimy. They are also going to visit the battlefields. They all carry their soldier’s story with them and I’m certain they will see the Great War through new/old eyes.

Attestation paper of Thomas Lawless

Soldiers of the First World War database, Library and Archives Canada

Titanic in Southampton, April 1912

One hundred years ago, on April 15, the Titanic went down. It took three days for the ship that rescued the survivors, the Carpathia, to reach New York but when it did, there was media frenzy and 250 policemen had to be on hand to control the crowd and make sure that only family and friends of the survivors had access to them. In spite of that, the press got through, one even making it onto the Carpathia. The papers were full of the stories of the survivors and many of the tales surrounding the sinking of that magnificent ship were born.

One of the most enduring examples of the heroism that was seen the night of the loss was that the band played as the lifeboats were loaded in order to keep the passengers calm. It was reported that the band continued to play even as the ship went down. Interestingly, the first report of this came from Vera Dick, a Calgary woman, who had been on the Titanic returning from her honeymoon. In an interview, said to be “one of the most comprehensive and connected stories of the disaster,” Vera reported that “as the steamship went down, the band was up forward and we could faintly hear them start ‘Nearer my God to Thee’.” She continued, “There was no evidence of panic while we were on board and I first laughed at the idea of the Titanic sinking.” (The Morning Leader, April 19, 1912).

Vera’s husband, Albert (known as Bert) kept fairly quiet about the disaster until he reached Calgary. Then he gave his report to a reporter in New York and the interview was picked up by The Calgary Daily Herald (April 19, 1912). His report is essentially the same as Vera’s but he adds that while Vera was in her nightdress and kimono, he managed to get into his pants and jacket. He also had high praise for the crew, who maintained order in the face of mounting panic and stayed with the ship until the end.

Following the disaster, the few men who survived were looked on with suspicion. The rule at sea is ‘women and children first’ and, while most of the women and children (at least those in first and second class) were saved, it is often overlooked that a boatload of women and children would have been expected to need men to row the boats. Women, especially those in the privileged classes, were not encouraged to undertake vigorous physical exercise. It was for this reason, claimed Vera, that her husband was forced into the boat with her. Indeed, the reports of the survivors are filled with reports of crew members and other men taking charge of the lifeboats and rowing them away from the suction of the great liners’ sinking.

In addition to Mr. and Mrs. Dick, it was reported that the family of Frank Marshall, a carpenter living in the Riverside area of Calgary, were also on board. His wife and two children were initially reported missing but I can find no further information about them (and they aren’t listed on the passenger lists I have seen) Reports, sent through the company of Niblock and Tull, agents for White Star in Calgary, indicated that Kate Marshall was rescued. It appears, however, that Kate Marshall was travelling with her husband and was not related to Frank. Does anyone know about this family? I’d be interested to hear if they were on the ship or if this was a bit of a hoax.

If you'd like to read some of the news reports from the time of the event, you can check out our two subscription services "Toronto Star: Pages from the Past" and "Globe & Mail: Canada's Heritage from 1844" both of which are in our E-Library under "History and Genealogy." You can also check the newspapers at Our Future Our Past and the newspapers in Peel's Prairie Provinces.

Photo of Albert Dick from interview

Calgary Daily Herald, April 19, 1912

Alex Calhoun and Staff working in an office in City Hall, 1911

Calgary Public Library Archives CPL_103-01-01

This is a very big year for the Calgary Public Library. It is our 100^th anniversary. On January 2, 1912, the new public library in Central Park opened its doors to the public. It was a very exciting time for the City. Not only did we get a brand, new Carnegie library, but many other projects were started or completed in the early part of the second decade of the new century. City Hall had just been completed. As matter of fact, while the new library was being built, Alexander Calhoun worked out of an office on the top floor of the new city hall building, alongside the Health Department. As part of the celebrations of our centennial, we will be launching a new photograph collection from the Calgary Public Library Archives. These photos span the entire history of the Calgary Public Library and all its branches. The photos included with this blog post are from the earliest collection, dating from prior to the library’s opening and just following it.

Empty shelves prior to opening, 1911

Calgary Public Library Archives CPL_103-23-01

The library was a beautiful building both inside and out. Marble staircases led to the second floor (they are still there). There were two mahogany trimmed fireplaces on the main floor. The back of the building curves gracefully and include an expanse of windows that look onto the park. Its setting qualifies it as one of the best situated libraries in the city. The recent revitalization of the park has only enhanced the beauty of the setting. The restoration that was done on the building in 1976 maintained much of the beautiful interior and exterior detail, so the library and its surrounding park constitute one of the gems of Calgary’s inner city. If you haven’t seen it, you must come and attend some of the centennial programming that will be going on in the library. Keep checking the website for details.

Calgary Museum Room in the New Library, 1911

Calgary Public Library Archives, CPL_103-26-01

Mission Hill, up which they ran

Postcards from the Past, PC 142

Christmas day is usually a time for family and friends. Some folks volunteer to serve dinner to those who are less fortunate. But how many of you ran a marathon? In Calgary, starting in 1906, the Calgary Herald ran a road race outdoors on Christmas day. The 1906 event was led by Cappy Smart, the fire chief, who was described as “no mean athlete.” And for every year following, except the year he was in hospital due to an automobile accident, he started the race by firing his pistol. The dates of the race changed over the years, but in 1911, it was run on Christmas day. The race started and finished at the Herald offices and ran up Mission Hill and under two of the ‘subways’ under the railway tracks. It was won by Alex Hepburn- a recent immigrant from Scotland- who ran the 6 mile plus race in 34 minutes 57 ½ seconds.

Map of the 1911 Calgary Herald Road Race

From the Calgary Herald December 23, 1911

This was a very big deal, with competitors coming from all around the country. It was also another way for Calgarians to beat Edmontonians at something or other. It was started by the publisher and editor of the Calgary Herald, J. J. Young, to prove that such races could be run in Calgary during the winter. I have read accounts of baseball games being played in January in Calgary (with the comment that a nice breeze kept the day from getting too hot) but all of us who live here know that it can be either extreme. And so it was in 1937 when a cold snap forced the cancellation of the event. From '38 tyo '40 it was held on Remembrance day and in 1941 it was moved to Thanksgiving. It's last run was in 1950 but in 1970 the race was revived and run at Heritage Park in July. Are we getting softer?

Anyway, I did not perform any athletic feats on Christmas day, unless eating is a sport. Here's looking at 2012 - our centennial year.

Merry Christmas Postcard showing Carnegie Library, Calgary, 1912

Postcards from the Past, PC 152

I like to look in the newspapers and see what was going on in Calgary in earlier times. This is becoming more of a habit now that the library is celebrating its anniversary next year. Now I have a legitimate excuse to be reading the paper (albeit from 1912) at work. I think that newspapers provide an interesting window into the world of our ancestors. What I have generally found is that we are not so very different. Sentiments around Christmas have not changed over the years – well, maybe we’re more crassly commercial than our Edwardian ancestors – no I take that back. Have a look at the some of the newspaper ads of the time and you will see retailers shilling all kinds of goods to be purchased for the Christmas season. I even have one posted over my desk: “Give your horse a Christmas present”. Another favourite of mine is “Don’t Blame Your Wife…if she doesn’t appear as attractive as when you were courting her. It’s because you don’t buy her nice little presents of Jewelry as you used to do.” So a visit to C. Campbell Welch, Jeweler and Optician, will solve your problem, gentlemen.

Advertisement from Calgary Daily Herald, December 23, 1910

I like this one, too, for Hennessey Brandy. Perhaps we can see where the temperance movement got its inspiration: “Suppose someone is taken ill at night and you had promised to get Hennessey Brandy but ‘forgot it’…Will you risk precious lives by being caught unprepared?” Interestingly enough, you probably could have gotten a prescription for brandy during prohibition, as medicinal use was not illegal. So, stock up, and prepare for the worst. And of course, have a Merry Christmas, brandy or no.

Bob Edwards' Residence, 919 4th Avenue SW

Alison Jackson Photograph Collection, photograph taken 1968

On this day in history we lost a unique voice in Alberta journalism. Bob Edwards passed away on November 14, 1922, due to a leak in his heart (as reported in a special edition of The Calgary Eye-Opener) Likely the cause of death was pneumonia, possibly from influenza, possibly from his particular relationship with alcohol, to borrow a phrase from my sister-in-law.

Whatever the cause of his death, Edwards’ passing left a huge hole in the journalistic world. Never a “just the facts, ma’am” kind of journalist, he wrote scathing and often libelous articles criticizing politicians and social figures. He had a biting wit and a “forcibility of expression” as was stated in one of the many eulogies printed in the Eye Opener. His wit and forcibility of expression often got him into trouble and more than once he was taken to court to defend his words against charges of defamation.

But he was funny! It is well worth the time to read the Calgary Eye Opener. It offers a different perspective on staid old Calgary. Nothing escaped Edwards’ eye. One of my favourite articles is from the Eye Opener of July 15, 1905: “The Edmonton Fair Association this year featured the climbing of a greasy pole, on the top of which was hung a five dollar bill. Every little while the Edmontonians do something to indicate that they don’t think the world expects very much of them.”

He was something of a paradox, however. He was highly critical of politicians, but in the end, he became one, joining the Alberta Legislature as an MLA in 1921. (Maybe that's what killed him.)

If you'd like to read about Bob Edwards, you can find an article in the Dictionary of Canadian Biographyavailable online through our E-Library under History and Genealogy. Or you can read the excellent "chrestomathy": Irresponsible freaks, highball guzzlers & unabashed grafters : a Bob Edwards chrestomathy : in which are collected extractions from the Calgary eye opener, Wetaskiwin free lance, The channel (Boulogne-sur-Mer, Fr.) & other estimable broadsides helmed by the late R.C. Edwards, M.L.A. : fact, gossip & fiction for readers of the English language the title of which neatly expresses the style and "forcibilty" of Edwards' journalistic style, or you can read the brilliant biography by Grant MacEwan, Eye Opener Bob. These are all available at the Calgary Public Library. I also highly recommend that you read the Eye Opener itself. It can be read online at the Alberta Heritage Digitization Project website www.ourfutureourpast.ca. Select Early Alberta Newspapers and then use the drop-down menu to choose Calgary. It is also digitized at Peel's Prairie Provinces. We also have the paper on microfilm in the Community Heritage and Family History Room at the Central Library and we have paper collections of articles as well. Drop down and visit and we'll introduce you to the wit and wisdom of Bob Edwards.

Calgary City Hall, ca. 1911

Postcards from the Past, PC 1349

Calgary’s Old City Hall turned 100 years old yesterday. It must have been a very exciting time in Calgary and although the newspaper coverage of the opening was somewhat lackluster, it did include the following message from Robert Borden, then leader of the Opposition. He wrote:

“Pray convey to the citizens of Calgary my warmest thanks for the most civil and generous reception which was accorded me today.”

He toured the new city hall and gave a speech that evening at Sherman’s Auditorium Rink. He believed, he said, that the number of people in the auditorium exceeded the entire population of the city at the time of his last visit in 1902. It was estimated that 6000 people attended his speech.

In 1911 Calgary was a city to be reckoned with. The economy was booming. Reports in the paper indicate that the city was going to triple the water supply with the addition of more gravity feed supply pipes. A group of businessmen, eager to have a street car line in their neighbourhood, had offered to build 11 miles of track, running from the Cushing Bridge to the edge of Hubalta and back again, and donate it to the city. Boosters from Spokane were on their way to promote their city in Calgary and to see this wonder of the west. The Calgary Auto Club was in full swing and preparing for their first trip through the Crowsnest Pass into the Kootenay Valley. In order to accomplish this, they would need to ship gasoline ahead to ensure there would be an adequate supply.

As the city grew, so too, did the speculation on land. Numerous ads were place looking for buyers for lots in the new areas, such as Sunalta and Capitol Hill. You could get 4 corner lots in Sunalta for $4800.00. Or, if you wanted to move up to the North Hill, a lot could be had in Capitol Hill for $260.00. However, if you felt flush and wanted to live on the same street as some of Calgary’s more illustrious families, you could by a 9 room house on 13^th Avenue for $10,000. It did include a stable in the back and, the ad said, would make a great rooming house. This was not, obviously, the purchase for the everyday man. Wages for a bonded cashier were $100 per month (and you were required to post the $500 cash bond yourself).

While all of this was going on, the police in Edmonton were confronting bands of demonstrating socialists. They had had to quiet 7 demonstrations by these “rabble rousers” in the past month. The socialists went before a judge, claiming they were “less a nuisance than the Salvation Army” who was allowed to hold public meetings on the street with no problems from the police.

Of course, like all Calgary’s booms, this one would not last. We did come out of it, though, with a beautiful new City Hall. Happy birthday, old girl.

If you would like to see a tour of the beautiful old building, you can watch this video, hosted by Heritage Planner Clint Robertson.

http://www.calgarycitynews.com/2011/02/old-city-hall-to-turn-100-this-year.html

And if you are interested in the clock, you can take a tour of the clock tower at this url:

http://www.calgarycitynews.com/2011/02/old-city-hall-clock-tour.html

Calgary City Hall, 1958

Alison Jackson Photography Collection, AJ 30-08

Keystone Legacy: Recollections of a Black Settler

by Gwen Hooks

February is Black History month in Canada. This is a fairly new recognition despite the fact that people of African descent have been playing a role in Canadian history since the time of Samuel de Champlain. Black History Month began as Black History Week in the 1970s. By 1976 it had become Black History Month. It was officially recognized by the House of Commons in 1995 and in 2008 the Senate unanimously passed a motion to recognize the event. This is a great step towards the recognition of the contribution that Black Canadians have made to the fabric of this nation. I learned nothing about the history of black Canadians when I was a child so when I came to work in the library and worked with the local history collection, I was surprised and intrigued to read about the history of Alberta’s black settlers.

Many African Americans came to Alberta from Oklahoma, after it became clear to them that the whites flooding into the new state were going to make life very difficult for black people. Life in Alberta was not going to be easy but it looked much better than facing the segregationists at home. So many made the trek and homesteaded in Alberta. There is a wonderful book that tells the story of one such family who settled in Keystone (now Breton, Alberta): The Keystone Legacy: Recollections of a Black Settler by Gwen Hooks. Gwen and her late husband were both descendants of settlers who came to Alberta in the early part of the 20^th century. The trials and tribulations they faced were many. The land was virgin forest and settlers were expected to clear it to make a farm. Many were unprepared for the winter, not knowing how cold it could be and how much snow could fall. Farming methods were different as well. Many made the best of things, however, and eked out a life for themselves and their families.

They did not escape the prejudice and xenophobia that they had encountered in their old homeland, however. It was made clear that several groups were vehemently opposed to having communities of black settlers in the province and tried to get legislation passed that would ban their immigration and settlement. Many homesteaders had to work off their farms to supplement their income. Black homesteaders who needed to work could often only find menial jobs, their children were refused educational opportunities, public facilities were often segregated or even off limits.

Possibly to get away from the prejudice they encountered in the big cities, many settlers headed to land farther away from the major centres and settled in areas where they could establish their own institutions. The land they settled may not have been as good as that near Edmonton, but they had their own communities and were able to find a peaceful way of life.

Now, however, as in many rural communities, the young have moved away from the old homesteads. This creates all kinds of problems for farming communities but the impact is even greater for communities like Keystone. With no one in the area who remembers the old days, the history and struggles of this tenacious group of pioneers could be forgotten. That is why efforts such as those of Gwen Hooks, who not only recorded the history of Keystone, but also was instrumental in the restoration of the cemetery where many of the settlers were buried, is so important. There is also a museum in Breton that collects and displays artifacts from the black homesteader communities in the area.

The Keystone Legacy: Recollections of a Black Settler is a very good starting point for anyone who would like to understand the history of this group of pioneers. It is available at several library branches as well as in the Community Heritage and Family History Room. There is also a very good website that talks about Alberta’s Black Pioneers http://www.albertasource.ca/blackpioneers/index.html

And be sure to check out the panel discussion we have lined up to discuss “What is Black History?”: http://blog.calgarypubliclibrary.com/blogs/cplnews/archive/2010/11/27/black-history-month.aspx