The impact of Fire in Cochrane and Area

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Cochrane has been threatened by many fires over the years.  Here are a few covered in More Big Hill Country, CHAPS YouTube channel and our social media channels.

This article was inspired by the Fire Smart program in Cochrane. 

Growing up on a ranch outside of Cochrane, Dad and the neighbours were called to many grass fires.  As a teenager, I recall a fire north of Camden Lane that got into the willows and was only stopped by a fire break created by Gordon Callaway and his plow. The wind was blowing from the west, as it always seems to. I recall the crews being desperate to stop the flames before reaching the willows. Using only water buckets, wet burlap, rakes and shovels was a tough battle. Gordon raced home, hooked up his plow and made a quickfire break through grassland and willows. Thankfully, it was pretty much over then. If it wasn’t stopped there, the fire could have gone east for kilometers through trees and native grass pasture.

My wife and I were in Williams Lake last year when a fire threatened the town. We could hear explosions as the fire got into a wrecker’s yard. The smoke and ash were all over town. We were a kilometer away and had to watch for burning embers and the grass fires they could have easily started.

The fire was only stopped by the intervention of a nearby fire plane base and the quick response of several fire departments. Else,  who knows how much of the town would have burned.

Fires recently destroyed significant portions of Jasper, Ft. McMurray, and Slave Lake.

1927 The Murphy Hotel was destroyed by fire. A few furnishings were saved but the big oil painting of Cyclone which hung there was overlooked and lost.  (Cochrane’s other Hotel)

Murphy Hotel (Alberta Hotel)
Murphy Hotel

Fisher Block 1928

Brushy Ridge School

1936 WAS THE DRIEST YEAR WE EVER EXPERIENCED. ALL THE CROPS HAD TO BE CUT WITH A MOWER AND EVERYBODY SCRAPED A BIT OF HAY WHERE EVER THEY COULD, THEN ON NOVEMBER 19 A FIRE, WHICH HAD BEEN BURNING FOR SEVERAL DAYS IN THE FOOTHILLS, FANNED BY A 90 MILE AN HOUR WIND BROKE OUT INTO THE OPEN COUNTRY. BY THE TIME IT GOT TO THE BRUSHY RIDGE DISTRICT IT WAS NEARLY SIX MILES WIDE. WATCHERS STANDING ON COCHRANE HILL SAID THAT AFTER IT CROSSED THE JUMPING POUND CREEK IT TOOK BUT THREE MINUTES TO COVER THE FIVE MILES TO BRUSHY RIDGE SCHOOL. (Alfred Callaway Family)

Vernice Wearmouth tells of Brushy Ridge Fire

Elevator Fire 1983

Elevator Fire 1983

 Esso Depot 1983

In 1983, the office and storage warehouse burned to the ground in a spectacular fire. Lorne helped to rebuild the business until his retirement in 1985. (Helmig Family)

Ramada Fire Cochrane Eagle February 2022
Ramada Fire Cochrane Times February 2022

February 6, 2022 Ramada Hotel

Deep Dive

John C. and Aileen Copithorne Family

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By Aileen Copithorne pg 378 More Big Hill Country 2009

John C. Copithorne’s parents were Charlotte and Claude Copithorne, and his grandparents were John and Susan Copithorne, and Richard and Martha Young.

My parents were Edgar and Ruth Davies, and my grandparents were Frank and Martha Brown, and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Davies.

In 1978 John and I moved to the Lloyd Fenton place. The old farm on the hill was sold and is now the GlenEagles site. We built a new dairy barn and moved the herd up the hill. We carried on with Whirlwind Holsteins, which by now was known nationally and internationally. Son Lloyd built a new house on the Fenton place and continued to help with the running of the farm. John Jr. married Shannon Hart in 1987 and also stayed to run the farm. Eventually the boys took over the farm and John and I moved to a modular home on the farm. We were sometimes referred to as “the colony” as our daughter Sandra also lived on the farm.

John Jr, John, Lloyd Copithorne The United Farmer 1979

My husband, John, died in 1998. He had lived his life entirely for his family and his dairy farm. He had been Chairman of the Dairy Committee at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede for 18 years and was eventually awarded a Lifetime Membership to the Stampede. In 1980 he was awarded the Holstein Association of Canada Master Breeder Award. He was an avid curler and was part of the group that constructed the curling rink that was located beside the United Church. 

Curling Rink Quonset

He was a great rider and had done much with horses including showing horses for the McConachies.

I trained as a Registered Nurse at the Calgary General Hospital and after my marriage, I helped on the farm. I abandoned my nursing career for country life.

I’ve been involved in the United Church all of my married life, first as a choir member, the organist for 17 years and finally choir leader which I am still doing today. Curling was a big part of our life and at one time the entire family curled. The two boys, Lloyd and John, have run the farm since their father’s death and have now added a cow calf operation (3J farms). Our daughter Sandy works for Alta Genetics Inc. and lives with me on the farm.

Deep Dive

SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

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The Cochrane Historical and Archival Preservation Society (CHAPS) is offering a summer employment opportunity as a museum assistant at the Cochrane Museum, Cochrane Ranche, #80 Highway 1A, Cochrane AB from May 7-Sept 1, 2025

This full time position (35 hrs/wk) requires the successful candidate to work weekends when the Museum is open to the public. Primary duties at these times will involve facilitation of Museum operations including opening/closing, greeting visitors and interacting with our guests to ensure a quality visitor experience.

During closed hours, the successful candidate will engage in activities that support the maintenance and enhancement of the museum and archival collection. This may include researching and organizing various aspects of the collection as well administrative tasks. 

The ideal candidate will possess a mature and responsible attitude, strong interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to work independently. Basic knowledge and competency in computer skills is necessary. Previous work in a library or archival environment is an asset and a general interest in local history is beneficial.
The Museum offers a competitive salary, clean indoor working environment and a supportive management style. The museum is not handicap accessible.

Please submit a resume and references by April 15, 2025 to lynn@chapscochrane.com. Candidates selected for interview will be contacted.

 

2025 CHAPS Executive

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The Executive for 2025 was elected at the recent AGM. 

All Members from last year let their names stand and were acclaimed. There were no nominations from the floor.

Congratulations to:

President: Larry  Want

Vice President: Bernice Klotz

Past President: Gordon Davies

Secretary: Vacant

Treasurer: Donna Morris

Directors at Large:

Dennis Flundra

Mike Taylor

Frank Hennessey

Mark Boothby

Save Cochrane History by Getting Involved

CHAPS is looking for an interested, organized individual to act as Secretary and record monthly meeting minutes.
Email Interest

Job Description

Job Title: Secretary

The benefits of being a volunteer: 

  1. Experiencing an exciting work environment. 
  2. Putting learning into practice.
  3. Acquiring new skills. 
  4. Making an impact for the life of CHAPS and our only local Museum. 
  5. Volunteers who work behind the scenes make use of their clerical, technical, or scientific skills. 
  6. Meeting new people and having FUN. 

The Cochrane Historical Museum makes a significant contribution to the richness of our community and to the quality of life in our town and surrounding area. The CHM relationship with this community is strong and meaningful. The CHM holds the cultural wealth of our community for all generations and by its function and unique function, it has become the “cultural conscience of our community. 

CHAPS’ Mission Statement

To identify, preserve, protect and educate the public about historically significant properties and buildings in Cochrane, Alberta

Job Location 

  • Cochrane Historical Museum 

Description of Duties

Take notes at meetings.  Know what projects are going on and who heads the committees so any inquiries can be forwarded to the right people.  Check emails and direct to appropriate persons.  Keep lists of members, send out notices for meetings, AGM etc. 

Impact of the Volunteers Role Central to executive and communications.

Qualifications Must be able to use computer, email, 

Time Commitment  Minimum of 2 hours per meeting, 2 hours weekly for other duties. 

Other Considerations 

  • Often on other committees.  Staying in contact with all other executives.  
  • Familiarity with CHAPS bylaws. 
  • Completion of timesheet after daily tasks

AGM Meeting Recording

Sam and Margaret Chalack Family

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by Margaret Chalack pg 356 More Big Hill Country 2009

Sam Chalack was born at the Belfast subdivision on the northeast outskirts of Calgary in 1921. His parents, William and Lena Chalack had a dairy farm at this location.

At the age of seventeen, after the death of his parents,  Lena in 1935 and William in 1938, Sam came to the Lochend district to work for his sister Margaret Clifford on their dairy farm.

In 1948 he married Margaret Hawkwood, daughter of Arthur and Isabella Hawkwood. They were dairy farmers in the Bearspaw district which is now approximately Crowchild Trail and Nose Hill Drive in Calgary. In 1952 Sam, Margaret and their two young sons David and Donnie accepted a half-share dairy venture with Margaret’s sister Betty and her husband Jack Bancroft. This was on the original Luther Keeney homestead, NW Sec 2 Twp 26 Rge 3 W5M.

In 1954 the Bancrofts and Chalacks were able to purchase the Walter Gathercole farm. this was the original Richard Standring homestead, NW Sec 14 Twp 26 Rge 3W5M. In 1958 we dissolved a very successful partnership and began farming on our own on the NW Sec 14 Twp 26 Rge 3 W5M and NE Sec 14 Twp 26 Rge 3 W5M.

Two more sons were born Tom on April 7, 1961 and Tim on August 3, 1963. David attended Bearspaw School for grades 1 and 2. Mrs. Helen Scott was the teacher. Bearspaw School closed and the boys all attended school in Cochrane. They all participated in the Bearspaw 4-H Dairy Club. Sam was a leader of this club for ten years.

We were members of the Bearspaw Red Cross Organization which began in 1939 as a charitable war effort and is still in existence. Margaret is still a member of this organization.

All the boys took on their Dad’s interest in good dairy cattle. In 1965, we purchased our first purebred animals from Pickard and Clark at Carstairs, Alberta. The farm prefix of Ultra Holsteins began. This was an interesting time for all the family. Many awards and achievements were won and many good friends were made from near and far.

David is a veterinarian and is married to Joanne. Joanne is the daughter of William and the late Dora Aarts of Chilliwack, British Columbia.

 They have two children: Caden Sam is attending university in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan taking his Masters Degree in Environmental Sciences. Ashlee has a marketing degree from the University of Lethbridge, Alberta and works for Heinz Foods. She is married to Kevin Thomas, son of William and Corrine Thomas of Fernie, British Columbia. Ashlee and Kevin live in Calgary.

Donnie dairy farms east of Bowden, Alberta with his wife Wendy. The prefix of their purebred Holstein herd is “Wendon”. Wendy is the daughter of Grace and the late Tom Hamilton of Innisfail, Alberta. They have three children. Linsey received her Agricultural Science degree from the University of Alberta in Edmonton. She is married to Shawn Whalen, son of Alan and Linda Whalen of Edmonton, Alberta. They have a daughter Paige and they live in Millet, Alberta.  Donnie and Wendy’s second daughter Jillian received her diploma in agriculture Business from Olds College and is now employed at ATB Financial in Red Deer. She also lives in Red Deer. Logan, Donnie and Wendy’s son, received his diploma in Agriculture Business at Olds College and is now working on the family farm. All the children were involved in 4-H.

Tom Chalack lost his life in a traffic accident in 1979 and is buried in the Cochrane Cemetery.

Tim farms at Carstairs, Alberta with his wife Cathy. Cathy is the daughter of JoAnn and the late Doug Jones of Balzac, Alberta. They have three children, Terra, Riley and Kylina who all attend school in Carstairs. They are involved in 4-H Beef Club and Equestrian events. Cathy teaches Equine Science at Olds College.

Sam passed away on December 26, 1985, and is buried in the Cochrane Cemetery. Margaret still lives on the family farm. At present the farm is rented to her son David and two of his associates. It is a dairy enterprise under the name of Rocky Mountain Holsteins

Deep Dive

Broatch Family

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page 309 More Big Hill Country 2009

Graeme Broatch was born in Moosomin, Saskatchewan, the son of a pioneer family in that area. He came to Cochrane in 1934 to manage the Texaco Service Station. Later he purchased the business and operated it as the Cochrane Auto Service for over forty years.

In 1938 Graeme married Molly Rogers and they built a home in Cochrane. Through the years they were very active supporters of community affairs and the church.

Graeme was Mayor of Cochrane for thirteen years, a member of the Lions Club and the Cochrane and District Agricultural Society. Graeme and Molly had five children: Malcolm born in 1940, Richard “Dick” born in 1942, Judith born in 1947, Jocelyn born 1951 (passed away in I 952) and Susan born in 1953.

A keen sportsman and outdoors man, Graeme liked nothing better than a trip into some area of the mountains that was inaccessible except by saddle horse or on foot. He loved to explore, hunt or fish or even go berry picking. As soon as the berries were ready he was also ready to

take anyone who wanted to go into the bush to fill their pails with nature’s bounty. Molly was a wonderful cook and homemaker and she helped to make good use of Graeme’s excursions to the berry patch.

Graham increased his business at Cochrane Auto and became the Chrysler dealer, selling cars to all the locals and ranchers. He always gave good service with courtesy and a smile.

All of the Broatch children attended school in Cochrane and took a keen interest in sports. They were all active members of the Girl Guides and Boy Scouts. Malcolm and Michael Simpson were the two Queen Scouts chosen from the Cochrane Scout Troop to attend the 8th World Scout Jamboree in Niagara-onthe-Lake, Ontario in 1955. They also attended the Jubilee Scout Jamboree held in Sutton, Coldfield, England in 1957.

Malcolm attended the University of Montana and graduated with a degree in Forestry. He worked in New Zealand for a time and later went into the lumber business in Northern Saskatchewan. He married Elaine Downs of Cremona in 1964 and they had two children Cameron “Cam” and Heather. Tragically Malcolm was drowned in an accident at Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan in 1969. Later Elaine married Frank Cardinal and they live in Rocky Mountain House where they are enjoying retired life. This seems to keep them busier than ever. They love their role as grandparents and spend many hours visiting and spoiling them. Cam Broatch is married to Wanda Watts. They live in Peace River with their children Jayce, Dakota and Rhiannon. Cam works as a Wildlife Safety Consultant and Wanda is a Fish Habitat Biologist for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Heather (Broatch) Weaver is married to Todd Weaver and with their children Jaden, Kalan and Asha live in Sylvan Lake, Alberta. Todd runs a heating business there. Stephanie Cardinal is an Elementary School Teacher at a Catholic School in Red Deer. With her new puppy, her love for travel and her kayaking schedule, she is a busy young lady.

Dick joined the Royal Canadian Navy, following graduation from High School and served for seven years. He returned to Cochrane, trained as a mechanic, and then enrolled in the Faculty of Education at the University of Calgary. He taught school in Cochrane.

In 1964, Dick married Joan McLean of Calgary and they have three children, Janice, Graeme and Kirsten. Dick retired from teaching in 2000 but still keeps active as a supply teacher as well as other projects. Joan is still teaching in Springbank Schools. They are still living in their home in Cochrane. Their daughter Janice married David Martin and lived in Mississauga. Ontario. 

They recently made successful career moves and settled in Calgary. They have two children Tyler and Sarah. While serving in the Royal Canadian Navy, Graeme married Ivana Vicha. They have two children Corinn and Evan. They also live in Calgary where Graeme is a manager of a dental lab and Ivana is a teacher for the Calgary Separate School Board. Joan and Dick’s youngest daughter Kirsten received her Bachelor of Arts degree and married Marshall Jones. Kirsten is the assistant communications officer for the City of Kelowna and Marshall is a freelance journalist with a successful column in a Kelowna paper. They live in Westbank, British Columbia and have two children, Charles and Jackson. All the children and grandchildren are a constant source of pride and joy for Dick and Joan.

Graeme and Molly’s daughter Judith worked as a secretary in Cochrane and was the first secretary at the new Andrew Sibbald Elementary School in Cochrane. She married Dennis Flundra and they lived in the Horse Creek and Jumping Pound districts. Dennis and Judith have two daughters, Sherri and Stacey. After working in Cochrane for a number of years and raising their daughters where they all participated in a lot of community groups and events, Judith and Dennis fulfilled a dream they had and bought a small ranch northwest of Medicine Hat, near Schuler, Alberta. They are raising cattle and have a herd of registered Miniature Donkeys that they show, sell and totally enjoy. Their older daughter, Sherri, is an RCMP Constable in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. She is still active with horses and tests for pony clubs. Dennis and Judith’s younger daughter Stacey lives in Calgary with her husband Jeff Primmett. They have a daughter Samantha, born March 17, 2007 who is the family’s pride and joy.

After returning from Europe, Graeme and Molly’s youngest daughter Susan went to live in Cape Town, South Africa. She caught up with a fellow she met on the Greek Island of Corfu. This was a successful endeavour for she married Dennis back in Cochrane in 1980 but still resided in Cape Town until 1982 when they settled back in Cochrane with their daughter, Simone. Dennis and Susan went on to have another child Michael, born in Cochrane in 1983. Having had enough of the Alberta winters they emigrated to Australia in 1988 and lived in Perth for three years. They now call Brisbane home. Susan has been running a successful swimming school for the past thirteen years. Both Simone and Michael have graduated from university and are currently travelling the globe, which is causing the travelling itch to surface once again within their parents.

Deep Dive

Heritage properties in Cochrane

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CHAPS and the Cochrane Historical Museum recently invited Josh Traptow, CEO of Heritage Calgary, to make a presentation on Calgary’s efforts to save Heritage Properties.

Mr. Traptows background.

The Town of Cochrane has developed and incorporated Western Heritage Design Guidelines into the Land Use bylaw. Here are the Design Guidelines from the Town of Cochrane’s website.  Also, here is the Heritage Register from the Town’s website.

CHAPS recorded his presentation on our YouTube channel. 

CHAPS’s AGM is this Sunday, March 9th, at 2:00 PM in the basement Meeting Room at FCSS (209 2nd Ave West). The Agenda includes the installation and restoration of Historic Plaques and tours of historic Cochrane.

If you’re interested, we’d love to see you there.

Deep Dive

Jim and Isabel McPherson

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pg 598 More Big Hill Country 2009

photo of Cochrane in the valley courtesy of McPherson family

James A. McPherson, the son of James Gordon and Vola Geraldine McPherson, was born in the Grace Hospital in Calgary on May 21, 1935. The first year of his life was spent on his Grandfather McPherson’s family farm in Springbank and then in Turner Valley until April 1938 when his parents purchased the dairy farm in Cochrane from Arthur Turner and the family moved to Cochrane. On January 1, 1937 a daughter, Vola Grace, was born.

Jim and Grace were blessed with a very happy childhood on the farm. They went to elementary school in Cochrane, riding their horses, Chief and King, to school when the weather was good and during the rainy and wintry periods, they were driven to school. There were no school buses at the time, and the two of them have many good stories to tell about those years. They talk about visiting Grandma McPherson in Springbank and the good times they had with the uncles and aunts. They remember visiting Grandma and Grandpa Kinney in the city and enjoying the differences in the homes of their “city” grandparents and their “country” relatives. They remember times playing in the coulees, riding their horses, driving to Calgary once a week for groceries, and they remember the hard work that a dairy farm could generate for their mother and father. They learned early on the value of hard work and family values.

Their high school education was taken at Mount Royal College in Calgary, because the schools in Cochrane only went to Grade Nine. They had to stay in the school dormitory in Calgary during the week and trek home on the weekends. This went on until they graduated from high school and continued as they both took secondary education at Mount Royal College, Jim taking his first two years of Geological Engineering and Grace enrolling in the Commercial Course.

It was during these years at Mount Royal that Grace and Isabel Court became friends, and she introduced her to her brother, Jim. Isabel came from Picture Butte in Southern Alberta and had moved to Calgary to attend Mount Royal College in the Commercial Program. She was the daughter of Ron and Marion Court, Granddaughter of George E. Court and Margaret Shields, pioneers in Southern Alberta.

Grace married Gordon Murdoch and moved to a mixed farm west of Crossfield where they raised three daughters: Nancy, Shelley, and Lisa.

Jim and Isabel were married in Lethbridge on September 7, 1957. Jim was attending the University of Oklahoma at the time and their first year was spent in Norman, Oklahoma. Upon graduation they returned to Calgary where Jim worked in the oil industry. Jim Jr. was born in Calgary on March 10, 1959 and shortly thereafter the family moved to Edmonton. Their daughter Karen was born in Edmonton on September 29, 1960.

Jim and Isabel eventually found their way back to the Cochrane dairy farm in 1963 and resided on the farm until 1978. Sons Roger and Gregory were both born during the farm years. Jim and Isabel ran a dairy farm for fourteen years, and during that time raised their children. They were active in the community; Jim with King Solomon Lodge in Cochrane and the Bearspaw Lions Club, and Isabel with the Order of the Eastern Star and the Women’s Institute.

In those years the Lions Club was a major form of community involvement and entertainment and Jim and Isabel remember many good times and good friends made during those years. Jim filled several positions within the club and became the President in 1975. During those years he was instrumental in organizing the first Bearspaw and District Fair. He was also involved with the famous Bearspaw Lions Stampede Pancake Breakfast. In the meantime, Isabel remained active with the Order of the Eastern Star, filling various offices and in 1973 was the Worthy Matron of Zenith Chapter No. 85.

After the sale of the farm they moved to an acreage west of Calgary where they reside today. Together they bought a business in Calgary, renamed it McPherson Management Ltd. and started down a new path. The business focused on agriculture associations and Jim was Secretary Manager of the Foothills Forage Association, General Manager of the Salers Association of Alberta and Canada. He was editor of the Calgary Livestock Market Journal and responsible for a daily radio Livestock Report. The business, combined with their growing family kept them busy during those years.

Jim and Isabel were active participants in their children’s lives, involved with the Cochrane Minor Hockey Association, Jim as a Board Director and assistant coach and Isabel on the Board of Directors and as a “Hockey Morn”. In 1986 Jim moved on to other opportunities. Isabel, who loved the work, kept the company operating on her own. Jim took up video photography and formed “On the Spot” video production and produced many agricultural related videos in the early years of that technology. In 1988 Jim took the Calgary Real Estate course and became a realtor, an occupation that he enjoys to this day. Those were very busy years and the Lions Club didn’t see too much of him during that time.

In 2003 Jim once again became more involved with Lionism and was named the Guiding Lion of a new club in the area, the Calgary Mountainview Lions Club. In 2005 he was appointed Zone Chairman of the

Lions District 37-0, a position that he enjoyed very much. He was very honored in 2006 when the Bearspaw Lions Club presented him with the Melvin Jones Fellowship award and he looks forward to many more years with each of the clubs. He is well known at the Crowfoot Y.M.C.A. as for the past nine years has made it to the gym most mornings for his four km walk. His volunteer work keeps him busy, the Cochrane and District Community Fair Association, the Bearspaw-Glendale Historical Society, the Bearspaw Lion’s Club and the newly formed Mountainview Lions Club of which Jim is a proud originator and the ‘Guiding Lion’ line.

Isabel remained with the Order of the Eastern Star and in 1999 became the Grand Secretary of the Grand Chapter of Alberta. She is currently moving up in the chairs and will hold the position of Worthy Grand Matron of the Grand Chapter of Alberta in the year 2009-2010. She continues with Zenith Chapter in Cochrane and has been the organist in that organization for the past 20 years.

Their children all graduated from Cochrane High School and subsequently from the University of Calgary.

Jim Jr. went on to University from Cochrane High and obtained a B .Sc in Computer Science. He married Carol Heibein in 1998. Jim has operated his own computer software company for the past 13 years, Masterworks Software. His company supplies software to school divisions throughout Canada. Carol brought two daughters into their marriage and they spend many hours with the girls and their children.

Upon graduation from High School, Karen attended Mount Royal College and the University of Calgary where she obtained a B.Sc. in Environmental Biology. She married Glenn McCue in 1983. They raised three children in Cochrane, Janine, Matthew and Nicole. The children were very active in sports in Cochrane, and have continued this interest into their college days, Janine at Grant McEwan College in Edmonton and in Matthew’s case to the Western Hockey League. Nicole is now in Grade Eleven. Karen has operated a day home in Calgary and in their home in Cochrane for 20 years and Glenn has been employed by AGT (Telus) since 1979. Karen and Glenn have renewed their interest in horseback riding and have purchased two horses to enjoy as well as camping in British Columbia in the upcoming years.

Roger married Cecelia Tse in 1991, after receiving a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering in Calgary. They lived in Southern California for 11 years before returning home to Calgary with their two children, Carter and Claire. Roger works for Chariot Carriers where he holds the position of Vice President of Engineering. Cecelia works at the University of Calgary as business manager of the Sports Medicine Centre. They balance their work with raising their two children and are busy volunteering at the children’s school, taking them to hockey, swimming and keeping active.

Gregory married Lisa Bleile in 1994. Greg obtained a B.A. in Geography from the University of Calgary. He worked in this field for a number of years before joining forces with Isabel in McPherson Management Ltd. Under his guidance, the company has grown to include a satellite office in Ottawa, Ontario and he is now the owner and president of this company. The clientele has changed from agriculture to a variety of industries in Canada and North America. They have one daughter, Ashley, born on April 24, 2003. Lisa has worked at General Motors in Calgary for a number of years. They also balance their careers with their home life and keep very busy.

Jim and Isabel have not retired in the usual way. They both continue to work at their respective occupations and in the community. But mostly they enjoy their family which now numbers fourteen. They feel very fortunate to have them all living close by and enjoy the visits from them and the grandchildren.

McPherson Family history photo

General Stores, Butcher Shops and Bakeries

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More Big Hill Country pg 36, 2009

General Stores

In partnership with Count de Journal, Joe Limoges built a Trading Post near the railway line in Cochrane around 1896. It appears to have operated for two years when it was sold to James Johnstone. The Johnstone store was operated from a lean-to built on his house on the corner of Centre Avenue and First Street. The home later belonged to Dan White and his family, later becoming known as the Grayson Home. In I 898, Mr. Johnstone built a new store on the corner of First Avenue and First Street West.

Alex Martin and his brother-in-law, Mr. Foley, who had a store in Mitford, moved to Cochrane and built a store, with living quarters on the corner of First Avenue and Second Street West. In 190 I, they sold to Mr. C .W. Fisher. Martin and Foley also operated a store out of the Andison Block, likely after they sold to Mr. Fisher. Mr. Fisher turned the building on I st Ave. and 2nd Street West into the Liberal Headquarters in 1904 and he bought the Johnstone store which he operated in partnership with Mr. Tom Quigley. It now appears that Mr. Fisher owns buildings on both ends of I st ( or Main Street) Street and 2nd Street West. By 1904, Mr. Fisher had build a large two storey business block known as the Fisher block on this location.

In 1905, Mr. Fisher was in partnership in the store with Mr. Stringer and Mr. W J. Simpson went into partnership with Mr. Fisher in 1908. Mr. Fisher ran the general store and Mr. Simpson, with the help of Mr. Rellinger ran the hardware business. Around 1910, Mr. William Andi son went to work in the Fisher Store where he remained until 1919. With the death of C.W. Fisher, Mr. Andison went into partnership with C.W. ‘s brother Tom Fisher. Tom Fisher left to live in California, selling his interest to Mr. R.A Webster in 1922.

In 1916, Mr. R.A Webster bought the Cochrane Hotel, which had been closed due to prohibition and established the “People’s Cash Store” on the main floor. In 1921, he sold to the United Farmers of Alberta and when he returned to take over the store from the UFA in 1923, Mr. Andison joined him in the Cochrane Hotel here they operated as Webster and Andison.

In 1925, Mr. Webster bought the Fisher Block and moved the store back to the Fisher Block. Mr. Andison bought out Mr. Webster and operated the Wm. Andison Store. The Fisher Block burned in 1928 and Mr. Andison had a new store built on the site which reopened in the spring of 1929. In the meantime, he operated his store out of the Curling Rink. Mr. Andison operated Andison ‘s Store until 1955 at which time he retired and the business was taken over by his daughter Alice and son-in-law R.E. Moore. They operated Andison’s store until 1961 when with Alice’s cousin Joe Andison they had Moore’s Foodmaster built on the empty lot between Andison’s Store and the Elite Cafe. The original store was now operated as Andison ‘s Dry Goods. In 1972, Mr. Fred Keller took over Moore’s Foodmaster and it became known as M&K Supermarket. (see Cochrane Foodmaster Story)

In 1909, the Quigley brothers leased space in the Howard Block. In 1910, Stringer and Pfiefer took over the Quigley lease and operated the store until 1912 when it was taken over by Hall and Werner. They only operated it for one month when it closed in 1912.

In 1903, Mr. Andy Chapman opened a branch store for Mr. Dave White from Banff, Alberta. This store was located in the Andison Block on 1st street. Joe Howard bought White’s interest in 1904 and Mr. Chapman’s interest in 1905. In 1906, Mr. D. White and his partner Mr. Bain purchased the store from Joe Howard. J. Campbell, who was married to Mr. D. White’s sister managed the store for Mr. White and apparently bought the store in 1908. In 1911, Mr. Fred Maggs entered into partnership with Mr. Campbell, buying out Mr. White’s interest in 1915. Mr. Maggs operated the store until 1938 when he retired and sold the store to Wm. Andison. The Store was operated by Mr. E. Simpson as Simpson’s General Store until Mr. Jimmy MacKay bought his interest in 1948. Originally it was operated as a Red and White Store but in 1958 it became J .A. MacKay General Merchant. Jimmy and his wife Chris began making ice cream, using his grandmother’s recipe and the name was changed to MacKay’s Ice Cream as ice cream took over from the grocery business.

Butcher Shops

In 1904 a Butcher Shop was opened in the Fisher Block with Mr. Ernie Andison operating the business. (See Story) In 1907 he sold his interest to the Towers Brothers but continued to work in the shop.

In 1910, Mr. E.C. Johnson opened a Butcher Shop in the Howard Block and in 1914, Mr. A. Clarke took over the Butcher Shop and operated it until 1935 when it closed due to the depression. In 1916, Ernie Andison opened his own butcher shop in a store built by the Chapman Bros. This building was east of MacKay’s store. Mr. Joe Andison, son of Ernie entered into the business with his father. When Ernie died in 1959, Joe continued the business until 1961 when he moved his butcher shop into the new Moore’s Foodmaster Store. The old butcher shop became a plumbing and heating shop. When Moore’s Foodmaster became M &K Supermarket, Fred Keller was known for the quality of his meat in his butcher shop. Fred sold the Supermarket to Ian Brooked who continued to operate the store and butcher shop. Jimmy MacKay also had a butcher shop in his General Store. In 1965 Mr. and Mrs. G. Prescott opened R &G Meats in the Locker Plant. They continued to operate until around 1969. When the first strip Shopping Mall was built on 4th Avenue in the late 1970’s Murray and Pat Johnson opened Murray’s Meats in one of the Bays. Murray also offered delicatessen meats and was a favorite stopping place for the High School kids at lunchtime. They would come down the hill and stop at Murray’s to buy one of his great meat pies (which he heated in the microwave for them) and then on to the Red Rooster at the comer to get a coke or a slurpie. That was lunch and the old brown bag went by the wayside.

Locker Plant

Locker Plants existed due to the fact that there was no electricity in the rural areas and no home freezers made. Individuals could rent a locker and store their frozen foods in it. They would have a key to access the locker inside the larger freezer area. Cochrane’s Locker Plant was built in 1947 by Patterson and Cummings. They sold it to J. Korman in 1949. In the 1950’s and 1960’s Bill Beirle operated the plant and butchered and sold meat. In the mid 1960’s most of the rural homes had power and home freezer chests had become available making locker plants outdated and so they disappeared.

Bakery Shops

In 1912, there was a Bakery operated by G. Pitter, then there was note of a bakery run by J. Baillie. The location of the bakery was north of Ben’s Cozy Cabin, later Longbotham’s house. Later J. Baillie moved his shop into the Russell Hotel when it was converted into stores after prohibition came in during 1916. Mrs. Allan’s Tea Room also had a bakery and she was known for her wonderful meat pies and baked goods. In later years Annie Raby was often called upon to make and decorate Wedding Cakes. She was also known for her Christmas cakes. Annie operated out of her home. A bakery existed in the 1950’s and 1960’s in the old Pool Hall on 1st Ave West. When Moores bought out the buildings housing the Seven Star Cafe and the Plumbing and Heating on First Street West, the new portion of the Supermarket included a Bakery.

In the 1970’s when the new Cochrane Valley Shopping Centre was built Harry and Clara Shroeder opened a bakery in the new mall. Rudy and Lottie Wenger bought the business and ran the bakery for many years until it was sold in the 1980’s to John and Donna Coutts. John and Donna turned the business into “Friends Coffee Shoppe” and opened into the Laundromat next door which they also operated. They sold the business in the mid-1990’s and although it has changed hands a few times it is still operating.

Scouting continues its long history in Cochrane

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Written by Jason Crawford

Scouting began in Canada 100 years ago just one year after Robert Baden Powell’s experimental camp on Brownsea Island. It was introduced to the Cochrane area around 1912. According to an old picture currently in the Frank Wills Memorial Hall, Andrew Chapman was the Scoutmaster at this time and there were 16 Scouts.

Information about the Cochrane Scout Troop between 1912 and 1951 is a little sparse. Being that Cochrane was a small village with many ranches surrounding it contributed to the fact that some of the Scouts were mounted Scouts which meant that they had all the gear that the mounted police would have. The Scouts would swim and hike in and around the Jumping Pound Creek with their United Church minister as their Scoutmaster.

In 1951, the year many people on consider the beginning of the current troop, an official charter was signed by The Boy Scouts of Canada proclaiming the registration of the First Cochrane Scout Troop. Sam Peverell and Owen Philipps were appointed the first Scoutmaster and the first Cubmaster, respectively. Gordon Hall became Cubmaster after Owen Philipps and Roy Downs became Scoutmaster in 1955. After reading some articles from Gordon Hall and speaking with Roy Downs, it was apparent that for a village of just over 300, Cochrane had a sizeable and active troop. Most boys in Cochrane were Scouts and it wasn’t unusual to find up to 30 boys engaging in various Scouting activities including survival skills, camping skills, as well as various community service events. Many of the local men including, Graeme Broatch, Bill Lathwell, Clarence McGonigle, George Dutchik, Frank Wills, and Harry Coleman, gave their time, money, and support to the young men of Cochrane.

During the 1950’s there were several Scout troops in the area. Besides Cochrane, there were troops in Banff, Canmore, Exshaw, Morley, and Beaupre. The troops had many successful jamborees within the district. Camping, hiking, and several other activities kept everyone busy. In the late l950’s, Camp Whiskey Jack was established southwest of Cochrane (in the Sibbald Flats area). Another established camp was Camp Gibson which was northwest of Cochrane just off the forestry road. The camp was named after Guy Gibson, an oldtimer of the district. The Calgary Ice Stampede was another activity that was widely attended by the Cochrane Scout Troop. Certainly, some of the highlights of the early eras in Cochrane Scouting were the visits of Lord Baden Powell as well as the visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

The First Cochrane Scout Troop had two Scouts with the highest ranking in Scouting, Queen Scouts. One was Michael Simpson and the other was Malcolm Broatch. They both attended the 8th World Jamboree in 1955 at Niagara on the Lake, Ontario and the Jubilee Scout Jamboree in 1957 at Sutton Coldfield, England.

During the l 960’s the Scouting group remained active with several small jamborees consisting of groups from the Mountain Road district. Troops from Cochrane, Canmore, Banff, Exshaw, Beaupre, Westbrook, Bragg Creek, and Lake Louise joined together to celebrate the spirit of Scouting through competitive camps. The troop also became involved in the Musical Ride and continued their involvement in the Ice Stampedes. In 1967, Venturers was introduced. A program was now available for the 15 – 17 year olds. The motto was ‘Challenge’ and the program was designed to do just that – challenge the youth. No longer do the youth have ‘Leaders’ but instead an ‘Advisor’ to help them make wise decisions. It was up to the youth to plan their program and see to it that it is executed.

In 1969, Malcolm Broatch, district commissioner at Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan drowned in an unfortunate accident at Meadow Lake. In Cochrane, The Malcolm Broatch Memorial Award has been awarded each year since then to the Scout who best exemplifies the Scouting principles (Duty to God, Duty to Others, and Duty to Self). The recipient has a positive attitude and a good role model to others

Throughout the 1970’s, Scouting in Cochrane continued to flourish with the troop participating in several camping experiences in and around Alberta. In 1974, Beavers was introduced. A program was now available for five to seven-year-olds. The motto was ‘Sharing’ and the program was designed to encourage a non-competitive approach to learning about scouting skills.

In the 1980’s, Scouting continued to be active, under the leadership of Colin Henderson, with groups attending the 5th Canadian Jamboree in Kananaskis, various hiking and camping trips throughout Alberta, and the Venturer Company hiked the West Coast Trail.

My time with the troop began in 1990. Duncan Strachan was our Troop Scouter (Scoutmaster). Several people were Scouting Leaders throughout the 1990’s including a variety of Troop Scouters. With an active troop we always seemed to be enjoying the outdoors whether it was winter camping with snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and building quinzhees, or hiking, canoeing, or camping in the spring, summer or fall months. The troop planned an outdoors activity each month and usually camped five to six times per year. The troop attended the 8th Canadian Jamboree in 1993 at Kananaskis, Alberta as well as the 9th Canadian Jamboree in 1997 at Thunder Bay, Ontario. During the 1990’s, the Venturer Company also canoed the Yukon River.

After several years, Maureen Wills and the Frank Wills Memorial Society finally achieved their dream. On April 15th, 2000 the Frank Wills Memorial Hall was officially opened. Scouting and Guiding groups now had a facility to call their own. An enormous amount of work went into the planning, fundraising, and building of this facility. Each week Scouting and Guiding groups use the hall for their meeting place. Their continued support of Scouting in Cochrane is truly appreciated.

Since the year 2000, the Scout Troop has attended the 10th Canadian Jamboree in 2001 at Cabot Beach, Prince Edward Island as well as the Pacific Jamboree in 2003 at the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia. This past summer, the First Cochrane Scout Troop attended the 11th Canadian Jamboree at Tamaracouta, Quebec to celebrate the centennial of Scouting. One tiring is for certain; the Scout Troop in Cochrane has always been busy.

While volunteering throughout the sections, it has become apparent that many volunteers have contributed to the involvement of hundreds of Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, and Venturers. Over the last 18 years the Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts have participated in several sleepovers (Science Centre, Tyrrell Museum, Calgary Zoo, etc.), many camps (over 100), as well as numerous Scouting activities ranging from field trips, hiking, and canoeing to training sessions and community service events.

Since Scouting’s inception in Cochrane almost 100 years ago, numerous people have contributed countless hours supporting the programs. With the help of many leaders, hundreds of volunteers have worked with our youth in Beaver Colonies, Cub Packs Scout Troop , and Venturer Companies to teach them many Scouting skills. As Scouting enters into its second century it is apparent that many more will continue to contribute to this wonderful program for the youth of our town. Many people consider these programs to develop life skills.

Guiding in Cochrane

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page 158 More Big Hill Country 2009

Guiding in Cochrane

Although the Canadian Girl Guide organization was not officially registered until 1913, Guiding in Alberta was underway as early as 1911. The first mention of this concerns two Girl Guides from the Cochrane District who went over to London for the Coronation of King George V. Unfortunately we have no record of who those girls were but it is probable they had close connections in Britain where the Boy Scout and Girl Guide movements had just recently started. At first, the Girl Guide program was mainly based on the available Boy Scout manuals and information. The earliest uniform the girls wore reflects the Scouting influence. Guide Companies and Brownie packs got their uniforms, books and badges directly from England. An official Girl Guide Association was formed in Calgary as early as 1915 to support the Guide companies which had been operating there for several years; by 1924 Cochrane and Sarcee requested information and inclusion in the association.

Many girls were unable to attend regular meetings, however, and joined Girl Guides through a correspondence program known as “Lone Guiding”. According to the Canadian Girl Guide magazine of January 15, 1923, “The First Guide Company in Canada has been formed with its headquarters in Calgary.

 Many of the members are children from lonely farms, whose names were brought in to the Calgary Commissioner by members of the Royal North West Mounted Police.”

In the early years there was great difficulty in finding women to lead the girls, and in training these leaders. “In the pre-war times many women felt they hadn’t the qualifications or experience to work with the young girls, besides having large families at home to care for … Even professional training as nurses, teachers or stenographers though useful, was only one small aspect of what a leader needed to know. It was also a challenge to test the badge-work the girls had done, as Girl Guides worked for proficiency badges, and a very high standard of workmanship was expected.”

The list of Badges was extensive and remarkable. The Cook’s badge of 1915 demanded, among other requirements, that the applicant be able to pluck a bird and truss it or skin and clean a rabbit, besides the ability to mix dough and bake bread. Many badges dealt with household tasks, from the “Domestic Service” one to “Decorative Needlework”. These did not all involve what was then considered “women’s work”: the Handywoman badge required that a girl know how to lay linoleum and re-pane a window; the Cobbler badge required one to be able to sole and heel a pair of boots. Several involved facets of farming from beekeeping to tending milk cows. Others involved a great deal of practical know ledge of first aid and nursing. From as early as 1938 there was an Airwoman badge. During the depression, uniforms were often made out of dyed flour sacks. The hats were also homemade. The biggest expense was the belt, since they were of leather. It was in the thirties that Girl Guides first started selling cookies as a fundraiser.

Many children from Cochrane no doubt attended the huge rally held in Calgary in 1935 for Lord and Lady Baden Powell, the leaders of Scouting and Guiding. The Baden Powells travelled across Canada several times; Cochrane Scouts and Guides would wait at the train station to see their heroes as they passed on the train. On the 1935 visit, Lady Baden Powell was made an honorary member of an Indian band and given the name “Otter Woman” at the Sarcee Indian Reserve. In 1939 out-of-town Guides and Scouts flocked to Calgary by special train to be hosted by the Calgary organization when Lord and Lady Baden Powell visited. Rural Guides were served dinner in the old Board of Trade rooms, while the boys were fed at Victoria Park. Though we know Guides everywhere were doing war work in the early 1940’s, there is no record of what if anything, was happening in Cochrane. 

However, by the early 1960s Girl Guide & Brownie groups were flourishing here again. Initially, they operated under the jurisdiction of the provincially administrated “Three Sisters District” which included Canmore, Exshaw, Banff, Cochrane and Westbrook. Eventually Cochrane and Westbrook became known as “Co-West” District which was registered in Calgary Area. Mrs. Maberly was Commissioner from 1959 – 1961.

In 1969 a Guide Company under the leadership of Lois Barkley was meeting in Westbrook School. Originally the 1st Westbrook Company, it changed its name in 1971 to Calgary Company 233. Laura Jahns, Myrtle Dewdney, Janet and Kathy Schneidmuller, Barbara Willoughby, Wendy Toole and Jackie Harbidge were leaders in that unit. A Brownie Pack was first registered in Westbrook in 1959 but nothing is known of the group until Barbara Miller became ‘Brown Owl” from 1969 – 1975. The girls enjoyed annual sleigh rides and skating parties along with other District events. The Guide Company closed in 1979 because there were not enough girls, however, Brownies continued there for a number of years longer.

From 1959 until 1978, Guide meetings in Cochrane were held in the Community Hall, then they moved to the Rebekah Lodge on First Street for some time. Guide Leaders included Rose Lee, Ann Hunwick, Dorothy Brickett, Dorothy Wiley, Frances de Vries, Sheila Wigton, Kass Beynon, Joan MacDonald and Joan Hutchinson, but the longest serving Guider was Melva Blood, who was Guide Captain from 1969 to 1983. Leaders helping her were Diane Edgelow, Alice Faye Watts, Pauline Schmid, Vi Ankerstjerne and Linda Moor.

The 232 Company (as it eventually became) participated enthusiastically in the Boy Scout sponsored Calgary Ice Stampede, an annual event in the city for over 40 years. They won first place in the Girl Guides Chuckwagon competitions in 1973 and 1974. They also won first place in the Barrel Racing Competition in 1976, the only year this event took place. Company 232 was an avid competitor in the Canoe Races, winning first place in 1980, 1981 and 1983, as well a second place in 1979 and 1982. The ‘canoes’ had flat bottoms and were propelled across the ice by four paddlers. The race began with a launcher giving the canoe a hearty push to get it going. The paddlers raced to the other end of the ice where they turned around and were assited by a second launcher to push off and race back to the finish line. The challenge was staying on the canoe. These events also required creative costume, for which the Cochrane Guides soon acquired a reputation. The Guides also competed annually in the Cochrane and District Ice Stampede from 1975 – 1979 when this event was discontinued.

As well as the successes at Ice Stampedes, some of the Cochrane Girl Guides received other recognition as well. In I 977 Heather Blood was chosen to attend the International Guiding Camp on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Lisa Ankerstjerne and Gina Spicer attended a camp in Ontario in 1979. Heather Lock represented Alberta at an International Camp at Herefordshire, England. Kari Brooks was chosen valedictorian at the All-Round Cord Ceremony held at Knox United Church in March 1983 for all Calgary Area Guides.

For many years the girls held their annual cookie sales plus a tea and bake sale. (Cookies in 1983 were $1.50 a box.!) The girls planted trees at the new Camp Jubilee and helped with campsite clean-up. They fundraised for both Olave House in England and the new Girl Guide Centre on Brownsea Drive in Calgary, also participating in the annual Calgary Area Bazaar, which helped finance the Calgary Area Girl Guide Camps. In Cochrane, they took part in the annual Remembrance Day Parade and in the Guide/Scout Week Thinking Day Service.

Brownie meetings in Cochrane were held in Andrew Sibbald School, then the Rebekah Hall, the Community Hall, St Andrews United Church, and later at Glenbow School. Pack 232 was first registered as the 1st Cochrane Pack in 1959 but closed in 1976 as Calgary Pack 95 was also operating then (as of 1973) and at that time two Brownie Packs were not needed. By 1979, however, Pack 4 was opened to accommodate the waiting list caused by the growth of the community, and another unit, Pack 44, opened in 1982. Helen Helfrich was one of the longest serving Brownie leaders, from 1959 – 1973. Peggy Lock and Joan Broatch were active in the seventies, Wendy Sedman, Carrol Moore, Betty Goodsell in the early eighties.

In March 1962, Brownies from Cochrane attended a Rally at the Stampede Corral honoring Lady Baden Powell. In 1974 one Brownie pack formed the Colour Party for the Cochrane Cubs Musical Ride at the Calgary Ice Stampede. The girls had an annual banquet, participated in the “Rangeland Frolics Parade”, and made gifts for the residents of Big Hill Lodge as well as other service projects.

From 1973 – 1978 there was a Brownie unit meeting at the Bearspaw Lion Hall under the leadership of Violet Johnston, Marilyn Wickes and Pauline Schmid. Pack 178 was a frequent participant in the Cochrane Ice Stampede, Rangeland Frolics and other District events. 

From 1977 to 1979 a group called “Busy Bees” operated in Cochrane, first at the Community Hall, then at Mrs. Matthews’ Day Care Centre. Their mandate was to provide an activity for girls interested in but not yet old enough to be, Brownies. The Hive made gifts for a little girl in the hospital and gave Christmas baking to a needy family. The Busy Bee program was disbanded in 1979 to be replaced later with Sparks.

Rangers are what once were called “Senior Guides”, older girls who continue to challenge themselves through Guiding. Girls from Cochrane have been involved in the program, usually as part of a Calgary unit. Peggy Schlosser, a leader from Cochrane, took a group of Rangers to an International camp in England in 1991. In the 1960’s, Air Rangers were active, in charge of Mrs. Ronald Smylie, a Calgarian, holder of a private pilot’s license and Rosella Bjornson, who at that time had a commercial pilot’s license. These girls enjoyed all the aspects of flying. The ten Air Rangers and their leaders used a Cessna 170 and the airstrip at Two Rivers Ranches, just west of Cochrane past what is now the Ghost River Dam.

In 1968 Calgary area was looking for a site close to the city for year-round camping and training. Calgary businessman Stan Pallesen was impressed with Girl Guides, appreciated what their program did for girls and felt he, too, could support them. Through his efforts, 90 acres immediately south of the new Highway 22 bridge in Cochrane were purchased and became Camp Jubilee. In the early 1970’s, as the site was developed, Lawland Gardens, a tree nursery in Balzac, donated over 100 trees and shrubs. Rockyview municipality, Brooks Horticultural Centre and an lODE chapter donated trees as well. Stan Pallesen took on the camp as his retirement project and spent countless hours there tending the new plantings and creating and maintaining the campsites. This popular facility continues to be heavily used by Girl Guides from Calgary and Cochrane. It has hosted a number of international events which draw girls and women from all over Canada and around the world. The Town of Cochrane also uses the site for children’s summer programs, so many Cochrane youth have benefited from this camp along the Bow River.

It would be impossible to list all the women from Cochrane who have been involved in Girl Guides throughout the years. Some stayed with the program only a few years, others stayed on as leaders or as Commissioners, helping generations of girls enjoy Guiding. Sheila Wigton was one, Helen Helfrich and Melva Blood were others – and there are many more, who gave time, energy and enthusiasm to promoting “the Great Game of Guiding” in this area. Many young women from Cochrane, Bearspaw and Westbrook benefited from your caring.

Deep Dive

Dewey Lee Blaney from More Big Hill Country

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February is Black History Month in Canada.

Every year we want to recognize this important event. This is the second article we’ve published on Dewey Blaney from Big Hill Country and this time from More Big Hill Country. He is mentioned approx. 30 times in both books, more so than any person I’ve investigated so far.

Dewey Blaney was certainly a pioneer. His story is very moving and often inspirational, one worth the retelling. 

page 299 More Big Hill Country 2009

Dewey Lee Blaney and his twin sister were born in Roanoke County, Virginia in 1897. In 1906 his family moved to Salem, Virginia. His grandfather had been a slave. Dewey went to work for the Barnett family as a houseboy and he helped in their feed store. When the Barnetts moved to Bottrel, Alberta area in 1915, they brought Dewey with them. He worked for them until 1919. Then he went to work for the Morgan family, before taking various jobs in the Dog Pound and Bottrel areas. In 1927, he went to work for the Hogarths driving truck and taking care of their horses when they worked on the construction of the Banff – Jasper Highway.

Later, Dewey worked for John Boothby as well as other fanners and ranchers around Cochrane. At one time he held the job as a grave digger up at the Cochrane cemetery.

Dewey was well respected and a friend to many people in Cochrane and the surrounding area. He often was asked to babysit the neighbourhood children. They in turn considered him a friend. They also knew if they met Dewey on main street he would often hand them a coin to get a treat. Much of his money was spent on the children.

For many years Dewey was the town policeman on Hallowe’en night. He loved to dance and was always up for a game of cards, especially cribbage. When he was young he had an interest in boxing.

When he retired, Dewey lived in a small shack a mile and a half west of Cochrane, near the old race track. He would walk into town, almost on a daily basis, usually someone would make sure he got home each night. Dewey always wanted to return to Salem to see his family, especially his twin sister, but after living in a white community for so long he was afraid he may not be accepted by his family. In 1970 when Dewey passed away, many people attended his funeral “because he had no one”. Many students missed classes to pay their respects to their friend. Neighbours, friends, parents and children were surprised to see each other there “for Dewey”. A children’s park on Carolina Drive has been named in his honour.

Dewey Blaney Park

Deep Dive

Neilson Family Story

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Written by Ann (Neilson) Beattie and John Neilson A War Bride's Story pg 246 More Big Hill Country 2009

Winifred (Win) lived in Cochrane from 1953 until her death in 2007. Winifred Mary Allen was the only child of Thomas Edward (Ted) Allen and Winifred Edith Davey who had married in 1917 in England. Apparently her birth, on July 12, 1920, occurred just a few days before the historic first trans-Atlantic two-way radio broadcast. Her father was in the British Navy during World War I and, after that war, he and Win’s mother worked as a chief butler and a head housekeeper in stately homes throughout southern England. As a child, Win rarely lived with her parents because of the nature of their work – today we would say they were “on the job 24/7”. Thus Win’s two grandmothers, Margaret Allen and Mary Ann Davey, nurtured and raised her – mostly the latter. In fact, at 63 years old, Granny Davey actually delivered Win at home in the small village of Iping, Sussex, having developed skills as a mid-wife to military families while raising her own family of nine in Victorian London. Win and her Dad shared a love of music and he had sung in the choir at Worcester Cathedral as a teenager. In her Dad’s later years, his love of gardening became his vocation another gift, he passed along to his daughter.

Win was the youngest grandchild and spent much of her life in the company of adults. She told us about visiting many aunts, uncles and cousins on both sides of her family and being in awe of the elegant homes where her parents worked. Among her favourite relatives was Aunty Reece, her father’s sister, for whom she was a bridesmaid and who, together with Uncle Perce, loved her like a daughter throughout their life.

Growing up in the 1920s in England, Win talked about walking to school, no matter what the distance or the weather, nor how uncomfortable the itchy wool uniform. She changed schools frequently because her parents would find accommodation for her and Granny Davey near their current employer. She was reprimanded by a teacher who observed her long loose thick hair was “unruly” and unfitting for the classroom. After that, Granny Davey always braided her hair before school. Win had no siblings.

She excelled at school and studied both the violin and piano to become an accomplished performer and, later, a teacher. During World War II, she spoke of playing piano for hours at local pubs where everyone gathered for song and fellowship. She travelled to London on the train for the theatre and to visit historic places. Many of her cousins were in the military when she was growing up and she had a stamp collection with stamps from wherever the British navy and army had been engaged. The Brighton beach was a short train ride and, although Win loved the sea, she was terrified of being immersed in open water. For that reason, she encouraged her children to learn to swim.

World War II and Canada

Like many young women in England, the economic and social conditions after World War I leading up to, and during World War II, were integral to her upbringing. She took jobs following school that were the previous domain of men. Win traveled by bicycle as a letter carrier and worked for a local merchant who became the godfather to both John and Ann. Later, she worked in a munitions factory. Of course, wartime daily life was frequently interrupted by air raids and huddling in shelters until immediate danger passed. Food, clothing and other ration programs were the basis for many stories about hardship countered by stoicism and inventiveness like baking without eggs and snaring and roasting wild rabbits.

Not surprisingly, Win was one of the many young English women who met and fell in love with a Canadian soldier and farmer. Thomas Gilmore Neilson, born at Murray Valley west of Olds to Rob and Myrtle Neilson. He and his two brothers, Robert and Donald served in the same area of England and Win and the three brothers had a lot of fun together despite the war.

In late 1941, Win’s paternal Grandma Allen died and, while her Dad travelled to Devon in southwest England for the funeral, she and her mother went to London to buy her silk wedding dress with coupons they had carefully squirreled away and supplemented with offerings from relatives. In later life, we asked our mother if she was scared during the bombings that were so prevalent in and around London. She responded it was all they knew so everyone just ‘made the best of it’. That attitude characterized Win’s entire life

John was born in 1943 and baptized in a gown Win made from the silk of a recovered parachute. Soon after, with the war coming to a close and the death of her beloved grandmother, Win made arrangements to join her husband in Canada. Later, she related she considered this arduous trek just another ‘great adventure’. However, an English lass, who spent her formative years in the most populated and cultured part of England, likely had no idea what she was signing on for! Just imagine the trip across the Atlantic Ocean with a whole shipload of war brides, their children and all their worldly belongings, the emigration processing at Pier 21 on Canada’s eastern coast and the train ride for thousands of miles to Calgary! Then, imagine traveling to the remote quarter-section farm purchased through the Veteran’s Land Act. At first, she and John lived with our grandparents who farmed nearby. The early experiences in Canada must have been overwhelming but, true to her roots, Win made the best of it.

She did tell us the extended Neilson family and local White Creek, Bowden, Innisfail, Olds community was extremely welcoming to her as a new bride with a young child. She joked that everywhere she and our father visited, people would hear her accent, give her a cup of tea, and give my dad a cup of coffee. Win never really liked tea but her polite upbringing prevented her from saying so. When no one was watching, they would grin at each other and trade cups. She talked of travelling for hours to dances around the countryside and sometimes, even at Dartique Hall not far from Cochrane. When John was five years old, along came Ann, then David, then Shirley … in three years and not quite two months. Win recounted to Ann that an extremely heavy snowfall in the winter of 1948 caused concern about whether Win would make it to the hospital from the farm. In preparation, a team of horses and a sleigh took Win to Olds to stay with Tom’s aunt Lottie Logan for two weeks before her delivery date. Win must have had her hands full on a small farm with not a single convenience.

Win and Tom Neilson separated in late 1951. Win packed up all four kids and her belongings and sailed to England where she lived with her parents during 1952-53. John and Ann remember going to parades celebrating the crowning of Queen Elizabeth. When we were growing up in Cochrane, Win would find a way to get her children to any event featuring a visiting member of the royal family. She would dress us all ‘to the nines’ to cheer and wave.

After a short time living and working in southern England, Win decided Canada offered more opportunity for her children. So, again she made arrangements with Somerset House, the Canadian consulate, to set sail. Initially she rented a home on the reserve outside Morley. Then, after a winter in the foothills, with the help of Jim Currie of the Cochrane RCMP, we moved to Cochrane to Herman and Ethel Nelson’s cabins. She was so grateful for Jim Currie’s assistance that she later free hand embroidered a full RCMP crest for him to frame and display in his office when he was promoted. John had continued school by correspondence until we settled in Cochrane where he was glad to no longer wear short pants, a cap and a tie – the uniform required while he was in English schools!

Raising a family in Cochrane

In later life, we understood growing up with just one parent in the 1950’s was somewhat of an anomaly. The Neilsons may not have had an ideal childhood but, as children, we certainly weren’t aware of it. We were supported by the close-knit Cochrane community and we have mostly wonderful memories.

 John remembers coming into our cabin and ice on his shoes unexpectedly caused him to skate across the floor. He landed with both palms on the top of the hot old-fashioned cook stove and was severely burned. For weeks Vi Woods, a local nurse, visited to carefully change his dressings and ensure no infection set in. Her care ensured that today, John has not a single scar from that serious injury. Mrs. Nelson, widowed by then, took Win under her wing and remained a dear family friend for the rest of her life. Neighbours in the cabins were Catherine and Martin Hansen and their growing family. Irene Edge remembers taking Win and pre-school Shirley to a vaccination clinic. Across the road was the pool hall and blacksmith shop; of course we were not allowed to go near either! We did, however, deliver the odd casserole to Paul, the shoe repair merchant, who had recently emigrated from Hungary.

We have a photo of David and Shirley in costume for Alberta’s 50th anniversary as a province. Win’s mother had been a tailoress and Win was also a talented and creative seamstress. She decked the two of them out as a bride and groom for a big parade down the unpaved, wooden sidewalk main street in Cochrane. Heaven knows what John and Ann wore because only the ‘adorable two’ were photographed on that occasion! When Shirley and Ann were teenagers, Win always sewed special occasion dresses or remodeled hand me-down outfits from generous friends.

In Cochrane, about the time David started school in 1957, our mother rented the old brick McNamee house built at the turn of the century. Upstairs, the girls shared a bedroom on the west side and the boys shared one on the east. David and John would hang out their window or even sit on the roof to watch nighttime hockey games in the skating rink when they were supposed to be sleeping. We would slide down the bannister to answer the new telephone at the bottom of the stairs. Our telephone number was 29 and often the often the operator would pass along a message from someone who couldn’t reach us earlier. 

At that house, Win would often conscript John to babysit the three youngsters when she was volunteering or working at a local ranch. But, industrious as his mother, John also had a paper route. David loved to play with his tractors and trucks in the dirt under the veranda; he’d climb in by lifting a loose board on the steps. Somehow, John would manage to talk Shirley and Ann into joining David under the verandah. Then John would nail the step down and go deliver his papers knowing his child-care responsibilities were covered!

As kids, we walked everywhere because Win could never have afforded a car. In the winter, Win would send all four of us with two toboggans to climb the Big Hill. While she had some well-deserved quiet time, we would freeze our rears sliding down the gullies at breakneck speed. We always knew we would come home to a big roast beef dinner, complete with Yorkshire pudding, rich gravy from the drippings and, possibly a dessert of English bread pudding with fruit at the bottom. Each winter, John would flood the garden behind the house and we would all skate on it. But David was the one who spent the most time there, playing hockey and calling his own play-by-plays.

In the summer, the Neilson kids would pick berries so Win could can or make jam for winter eating. That meant hiking down the railway tracks along the Bow River for Saskatoons or travelling out Lochend road with Janet and Harry Jones to their quarter where we would climb across wind rows of brush to pick raspberries. Win always packed a humongous picnic lunch with fresh baking for these excursions. In the fall, Win and Annie Raby would travel northwest of Cochrane to secret cranberry territory. In winter, we rarely ate any fruit or vegetable that wasn’t canned, pickled, frozen or made into jam by Win.

The McNamee house had an enormous yard by today’s standards. Win always grew a huge vegetable garden and nurtured beautiful flowers. Ann, David and Shirley were often runners, delivering huge sweet pea bouquets fashioned with baby’s breath that grew wild in the ditch, to neighbours and friends all over Cochrane. She was generous with her flowers, but not so with her vegetables. Ann’s friend, Sheila McGonigle, remembers leaving the house after a visit and hopping into the garden to pick a few fresh peas. Sheila also remembers Win’s quick tongue-lashing about how every precious pea was destined for Win’s freezer!

Growing up, the Neilson house was always filled with music. Win taught violin and piano to local children to earn extra money to sustain our family. At night, we have a favourite childhood memory of drifting off to sleep while Win played from memory for hours those wartime melodies and other classical pieces.

Win thought a gainfully occupied child was a well-behaved child. And behaving well was expected of not just us, but of our friends too! Win was quick to correct our manners, our grammar and our general behaviour. To keep me out of mischief, she sent me to piano lessons before the age of six. 

Ann started in Cochrane with Marilyn Moore, a talented vocal and piano performer and teacher. Later, Ann went to Mount Royal College for weekly lessons. As Ann advanced to higher piano grades, playing fairly complicated pieces, Win could listen from the kitchen and would call out to remind her about missing a rest in bars #16 and #30! Under Win’s supervision, Ann was taught appropriate marches to play with O Canada or the Maple Leaf Forever at daily morning school assemblies.

David was destined to sing and took voice lessons at Mount Royal for several years. Shirley began with the violin and David would tease her mercilessly until Win interrupted them so Shirley could resume productive practice. The three of us often performed individually and together at community functions. We all competed in annual Kiwanis festivals and played at recitals in Seebe, Cochrane and Calgary. Win would barter her homemaking skills (catering, cleaning, sewing, gardening) with neighbours who would take us to Calgary for music lessons in exchange.

When Shirley became an elementary teacher, a highlight of her career was staging large musical productions that included the entire elementary school at the old Grand Theatre in Nelson. Win loved visiting Shirley to take in these events.

We were not allowed to play the rock ‘n roll music of our youth nor to listen to it when Win was around. I don’t think Win appreciated Elvis Presley’s talent until he was nearly 40 years old! We only listened to country and western music when John was at home and Win was out. One of us would be the lookout so we could quickly tune the radio back to CBC classical before Win walked in the door.

Win led several choirs at the Cochrane United Church for many years. There was never any question about how our family would begin our Sundays. David, Shirley and Ann all sang in church choirs. For almost a decade, Win was also the Sunday School superintendent. And, she led Explorers and assisted with CGIT as Shirley and Ann went through those church groups. Win also led Cubs for a time and was a willing and hard working volunteer when parent support was needed for her children’s extracurricular activities. She helped both John and David achieve their Queen Scout designation.

Growing up, there was always a cat member of our family and, while Win loved all animals, there’s no doubt felines were Win’s favourite. Even in the small two-roomed cabin we had a black and white cat with the very English name of Bunty’. John and Ann and many of their friend particularly remember a yellow tabby Win named Napoleon because he was “short and bossy”.

Long before the pronouncement ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, the Neil on kids lived it. At this time, Mr.

William Andison, the owner of Cochrane’s dry goods store, lived across the street and was a particular favourite of Win’s with his genteel English demeanour and pride in his expansive and beautiful garden. Win and Alice Moore were close friends for years – they shared a love of music, literature and fine crafts. The Jones’ and Annie and Ed Raby were very kind to Win and our family. The Claude Copithornes invited us to watch TV and his huge train/railway set up downstairs fascinated John and David. Our uncle Don and aunt Lorraine Neilson from Weyburn and great-aunt Lottie Logan from our father’s family frequently visited and helped us. Martin and Esther Aarsby, Don and Helen Patterson, Mrs. Colgan, the Desjardins, Ernie Andison, Graham and Mollie Broatch, Vi and George Woods, Don and Alice Thomas and later, Ken and Terri Thompson, Marilyn and Ray Whittle, Nora and Gordon Cohoe, Margaret Beattie’s family, Shirley Patterson and many, many others also helped. For years, Win worked in the homes of farming and ranching families and we grew up with the help of friends like the Edges, Copithornes, Kumlins, Harvies, Bowhays, Whitfields and the list goes on. Win had a special connection with other war brides in the Cochrane area … Betty Hrdlicka, Helen Helfrich, Chris McKay and Doreen Stanton, to name a few.

The Jones’ had a big Ford station wagon and would take us on picnics and camping trips to Banff. At Johnston Canyon Janet and Harry slept in their station wagon and John, after pitching a big canvas tent for us to sleep, would build a huge bonfire to heat rocks for our sleeping bags. Win, as always, prepared and cooked all the food. The Pattersons next door had a large rec room and, in exchange for Win’s housekeeping and sewing assistance to Don and Helen, gave us free reign to have teenage parties there. However, this was the early 1960’s and ours was a strict English upbringing, so, by today’s standards, the parties John and Ann hosted there were certainly tame. But, Win never stinted on food preparation and used her catering and organizational skills to ensure we and our friends had fun.

Win contracted to clean the United Church and hall, the Anglican church and the Legion Hall and sometimes the Rebekah and King Soloman halls for years. Her children were her crew. Like most kids, we probably whined even though we knew it would fall on thoroughly deaf ears.

Win’s love of Christmas

John would go into the forestry area to cut down an enormous Christmas tree every year. Decorating the tree was a prescribed ceremony at the Neilson house. John fastened the lights, each precious ornament was carefully placed and the boys were banished while Win, Shirley and Ann draped the tinsel. 

Win loved the look of surprise on her music students’ faces when they first saw ‘The Tree’. On Christmas Eve, she and John would ship the little ones off to bed early so they could carefully arrange gifts under the tree and stuff our stockings. The door downstairs would be locked so there was no chance of us peeking.

The Christmas morning ritual started with us gathering on Win’s bed to open our stockings although we had to listen to the Queen’s annual message before we could start. The dining room table was set formally with appropriate cutlery in exactly the right place the evening before and breakfast was a grand event. Only after a huge breakfast were we allowed to begin the gift opening ceremony. One person at a time opened a gift so that all could observe and appreciate it. Win would work for weeks on Christmas baking. We remember being sent to Mr. Andison ‘s carrying an egg cup for him to fill with just enough sherry for the Christmas cakes. Many gifts were hand made. Win would purchase small items all year long and store them in a secret place. When people were rushing around doing last minute shopping, she would laugh and say she’d finished Christmas shopping the previous August. When the Neilson family first moved to Cochrane, John and Ann remember the local fireman delivering a box of toys they had collected and repaired.

Between Christmas and New Year’s, John would go winter camping and trekking with Scouts . . . Roy Downs was the leader and some of John’s companions were Malcolm Broatch, Rod Fraser, Dave Beattie and Terry Morris among others. Win would bake and mend and then help John stuff everything in an enormous canvas backpack. Then John would sit on the lower back stairs and it would take several of us to hoist the heavy backpack on to his shoulders.

A simple life, well lived

Our mother, Win Neilson, was, in many ways, typical of her generation, especially those who lived through World War II. She simply “made the best of it”. She was hard-working, devoted to her children, fiercely independent and resourceful. What she was able to share with her family and friends, she did. Sometimes it was just laughter but, often, it was the fruit of her labour … home prepared food, fine needlepoint, knitting, crocheting, sewing, her musical talent or her terrific organizational skills.

As John recollects, Win was always a lady. Her English upbringing was evident in her presentation and her speech, although she never thought she had an ‘accent’. She insisted her children use the King English’. Vernice Wearmouth shared the memory that women of that era rarely wore pants.

 Win wore dresses to garden, to do housework, for afternoon tea and for special occasions. Ann remembers Eddie Edge and her mother purchasing matching skirts and wearing them to take the kids up the Big Hill for a picnic! And, until the last couple of years, Win’s shoes always had a proper heel because that was how a lady presented herself. In later years, Win didn’t frequently go to church but, in her papers, it was clear, that she maintained a very strong faith for her entire life. She wrote, in a note to John, that she wanted no dreary music or sad scriptures at her final service! She communicated across the miles with family and friends in long, descriptive letters written at night after the children were asleep or on Sunday afternoon when she supervised her children’s writing of obligatory thank-you letters for gifts or favours received.

Win had a sharp mind and, at times, an equally sharp tongue. She could be opinionated and demanding when it came to her expectations for her children, her students, her friends, her grandchildren and, certainly her community. While she depended on her relationships in the community for support to raise her children, she realized the importance of contributing back whatever she could.

Win made it her life’s work to raise four independent, resourceful children. She accomplished that and more. Life didn’t always treat her kindly, but she rolled with the punches and experienced much joy in the simplicity of her journey. “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was one of her favourite pieces. It brought her comfort to know God was by her side through her life’s trials and tribulations.

Win loved the Cochrane area, especially the beauty of the mountains and the foothills. She was always delighted to be taken for a drive in the countryside and was quick to sign up for seniors’ bus trips. She saved every penny so that she could travel occasionally in her sixties and seventies. She made her final trip to England at the age of 76 saying that she found airports just too difficult to navigate. Win spent her last two and a half years living in the Cochrane Bethany where she truly appreciated the care she received. She died September 13, 2007 in the Foothills Hospital from complications following a fall.

John Henry Neilson was born in England in 1943. John married Alice Mabel Cohoe in 1963 and, after initially living and working near Cochrane, they moved, in 1972, to establish their own farm in the Water Valley area south of Cremona. They have two daughters. Brenda Mary is married to Raymond Pereversoff and they live in the Water Valley area with their four children. Marilyn Ann Neil on married Henrik who took her surname. They live in Denmark with their two children.

Leona Ann Neilson was born in Olds in 1948. Ann married David Beattie in Cochrane in 1966. Both worked in the Pembina oilfield near Drayton Valley where their two sons were born. They returned to the Cochrane area in 1985 and recently moved to the Springbank area. Malcolm David Beattie (single) and Sean Thomas Beattie (married to Megan Jean Fenwick) live in Calgary.

David Thomas Robert Neilson was born in Innisfail in 1949. He married Jocelyn Doris Crosse of Hastings, New Zealand in New Zealand in 1985 and Jocelyn emigrated to Canada to farm with David in the Water Valley area. They have a son, Ryan John Thomas and a daughter Michelle Catherine, both single. David, a life-long sports, especially hockey, enthusiast, passed away suddenly at home on March 8, 2007.

Shirley May Neilson was born in lnnisfail in 1951. She married Kimberly Alexander Wik of Kimberly, British Columbia in 1975 and they settled in Nelson, BC. Shirley graduated from the University of Calgary with a degree in Physical Education and was an elementary teacher. She excelled at athletics and created beautiful rock gardens featuring heritage and exotic rose at her lakeside home. Shirley passed away on December 16, 2005 in Nelson after a long battle with cancer. Her two daughters, Allison Claire and Lindsay Alexa, are both single.

Deep Dive

Passing the Torch 2024

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Every year we reflect on lives well lived and remember individuals we lost in 2024.

Thomas Lawrence (Lorne) Woods

October 20, 1930 – March 17, 2024

Obituary
Article

Roie Iris Hilland

1943 – 2024

Obituary

Margaret Chalack

 

Obituary

To be published March 15th, 2025

Aileen Copithorne

November 8, 1928 – August 11, 2024

Obituary
Article

Clement Norman Edge

August 8, 1930 – June 15, 2024

Obituary
Article

Thomas Robert (Bob) Thomas

October 27, 1931 – August 27, 2024

Obituary
Article

Frances Lavina (Fenton) Dionne

1929 – 2024

Obituary
Article

David Joseph Beattie

October 13, 1943 – November 25, 2024

 

Obituary
Article

Richard Andrew Broatch

1942 – 2024

Obituary

Broatch Family had been planned to be posted March 8th, 2025.

Richard Mac Makowichuk

November 27, 1946 –

August 24, 2024

Obituary

You’re invited to read their stories and learn about their struggles and successes.

We apologize to any family whose loved one we may have missed.

BIG HILL COUNTRY

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by Sonia Turner pg 9 Big Hill Country 1977

The Big Hill rises some 4,400 feet above sea level; its northwestern flank is wooded with spruce, poplar, willow, saskatoon and chokecherry. The Indians called the hill “Manachaban”, signifying “the place where you get bows.” The town of Cochrane is situated at the base of its southwestern slope. Below the town the tree-edged Bow River flows in an easterly direction through a terraced valley.

Wooded foothills rise in the west and we behold the Rocky Mountains with familiar peaks such as Mount Aylmer, the Devil’s Head, and Black Rock. 

The Ghost River, also known as Deadman River, forms our western perimeter. It was so named by the Crees because a ghost was seen going up and down the river picking up the skulls of the dead. Various creeks form the drainage system of the Big Hill country. In the northwest the Waiporous, Meadow, Owl, Le Sueur, Behanhouse, and Ranche Creeks flow through the wooded foothills of the Keystone and Wildcat Hills region. Historic and descriptive creeks, like Spencer, Beaupre, Coal, and Horse Creeks all eventually find their way to the valley of the Bow River. Big Hill Creek drains the Lochend districts and enters the Bow just west of Cochrane. The Dog Pound and Beaver Dam Creeks, both flowing in a northeasterly direction, form our northern perimeters.

The town of Cochrane is located in Sections 2 and 3, Township 26, Range 4, West of the 5th Meridian. It is 19 miles northwest of Calgary on Highway lA and is on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The main town lies at an altitude of 3,760 feet, at a Latitude of 51 11 ‘and Longitude of 114/28 W. The annual precipitation averages between 17-19 inches and droughts are rare. (This includes an average annual snowfall of 72.5 inches and a rainfall of 11.42 inches). Chinook winds which sweep over the mountains help to modify the winters with their warmth. Part of the Cochrane area is in the black soil zone; the soils in this zone are the most fertile in the province and have in their surface foot about 3 to 4 times as much nitrogen and organic matter as there is in the average brown or grey wooded soil. The frost-free season is approximately 100 days.

Generally speaking, extensive ranching, mixed farming and lumbering are the main industries. In the early days there were rock quarries which made use of the calcareous tufa deposits of Paskapoo sandstone along the Big Hill Creek, for building stone. Clay was used in the manufacturing of bricks. The sand and gravel industry is booming now. There are extensive gas fields in the Jumping Pound area, and oil explorations are being conducted in the Wildcat Hills region. Many producing wells are scattered throughout the Lochend and Inglis districts

Presently there are large dairy farms in operation on our eastern perimeter and scattered throughout the various districts.

The Big Hill country did not always have this same physical appearance. Although our local written history is only a few hundred years old our geological history: which is the history of our earth and its rocks, is millions of years old. Geological time is not counted in years or hundreds of years. but in ages, thus in geology, even a million years ago is considered a relatively short space of time.

During the Paleozoic Era, a geological time period extending from about 225 to 600 million years ago, great inland seas covered Alberta and our present Cochrane area. Various forms of marine life lived in the waters of these seas: creatures called trilobites (which were the first animals with a complex skeleton), primitive forms of snails, clams and corals, and various shells called Brachiopods. These creatures left behind their fossilized remains, so we know exactly what they looked like. As these creatures died their remains sank and came to rest at the bottom of the seas. These ancient graveyards of the dead and decayed remains of marine life were subjected to great pressure from overlying beds of silt and sand that had turned to rock. Through chemical changes and tremendous pressures occurring over countless millions of years, these vast marine beds became our present pools of crude petroleum and natural gas.

Between 70 and 225 million years ago the land became a marshy delta extending for thousands of square miles; this was called the Mesozoic Era. For part of the time the land was covered with warm marshy swamps with a dense growth of vegetation of tropical plant life, with ferns, figs, mosses and palm trees. It was a fetid world, the age of reptiles – teeming with crocodiles, turtles and huge dinosaurs. Horned, armorplated and duck-billed dinosaurs weighed up to 50 tons, and some were 20 feet tall; many were omniverous. Their skeletons became fossilized and some of their remains from the Red Deer River Badlands near Drumheller are in museums in Toronto, Ottawa, New York and Europe. From the ancient remains of these subtropical deltas comes the coal of the Drumheller Valley, of the Edmonton district, and along the outer foothills belt (e.g. Canmore mines).

Change is continuous and some 40 to 70 million years ago, the earth underwent a violent period of mountain building as the earth’s rocky crust was folded, bent, twisted and thrust upwards by great disturbances, some of them volcanic. The geography of Alberta began to take shape; the Rocky Mountains rose to form the backbone of the continent and inland seas were replaced by interior plains. This was the Cenozoic Era, and warm-blooded animals appeared: the small three-toed horse, the sabretooth tiger and hairy mammoths.

 

As the climate became colder, glaciers developed and flowed from north to south over the Northern Hemisphere. During their movement, rocks and debris were ground into soil. When the glaciers melted back this debris was deposited. A number of glacial and inter-glacial (when the glaciers melted back) periods occurred. There are numerous examples of glacial and inter-glacial action in Big Hill Country; the deep coulees carved out by rivers from the melting glaciers; the waterfall at the head of Big Hill Creek coulee; the terraces along the valley of the Bow River; glacial tills scattered throughout the area, and extensive gravel deposits.

Geology is part of our “living past”; it has made the Big Hill country what it is today – its rivers and lakes, prairies and rich soils, oil and gas. The Big Hill is made up of layers of rock of the Tertiary Age (Paskapoo formation). The Grade Six classes at the Andrew Sibbald Elementary School, Cochrane, study our geological past when they make their annual pilgrimage to Moose Mountain and gather fossil rocks containing Brachiopods, crinoids and other marine life of the Paleozoic Era. The Waiporous Crossing has a good example of sandstones and shales of the Cretaceous period. A rare event is finding fossilized “worm tracks” imbedded in rock belonging to the Cretaceous period, in the Ghost Diversion Dam area. The Jumping Pound gas field on the eastern edge of the foothills derives its gas from the thrust faults of the Mississippian strata, which was formed in the Paleozoic Era over 300 million years ago.

Gordon Hall of Cochrane has in his private collection, remains of prehistoric pleistocene animals. He has parts of an extinct western bison, Bison occidentalis, about 11,600 years old. The extinct Mexican ass, Equus conversidens was 11,600 years old. He also has the main beam of a woodland caribou, Rangifer caribou. All these were found in Clarke’s gravel pit at S. Cochrane and identified by A. Macs. Stalker and C. Churcher of the National Museum of Canada, Ottawa, in the 1960s. An ancient Bighorn sheep specimen was also found, which was over 11,000 years old; some others were recovered in the Griffin pits and placed in the museum at Ottawa.

It is generally believed that man first arrived in North America from Asia and Siberia over a land bridge in the Bering Strait during periods of glaciation. On other continents archaeologists, scientists who study the stone tools and skeletal remains of man, have found that man has been present over the last two million years or more, but in the Americas he has been a late-comer. Prehistoric man is believed to have journeyed down to Alberta through an ice-free corridor via Alaska and the Yukon.

In the Cochrane area, we have evidence of prehistoric man. Stone tools such as grooved mauls, stone axes and points have been found. 10  Teepee rings, which are signs of human habitation

along the Bow River as far west as Morley. Sites range from two or three teepee rings to as many as over 100. Many teepee rings are found in the Big Hill Creek area; others are scattered here and there. There were teepee rings on the Gilbert Flats, where the Cochrane Light Horse Association held their gymkhana for a few years, on what is now known as Cochrane Heights.

There are numerous buffalo jumps throughout the Big Hill country area: the Hutchinson buffalo jump, which was excavated and studied in 1972, the buffalo jumps in the Jumping Pound area and others in the Big Hill Creek perimeters, and still others further east. The Madden buffalo jump is known for its pictographs or rock paintings. It is the furthest north major jump that the University of Calgary has on file.

Medicine wheels are ceremonial rings of stone larger in diameter than teepee rings, sometimes reaching 50 feet or more in diameter. Some have large cairns in the middle, or spokes radiating from the center. Locally three have been discovered so far: one each in the general localities of Spy Hill, Bearspaw and the Big Hill Creek perimeters.

At Lake Minnewanka there is a very old site; the earliest remains are 12,000 years old. A Clovis point was discovered. It is the earliest evidence of man in the Rockies. Unfortunately this site was destroyed by the reservoir.

On the lA Highway at Coal Creek a horse was found buried in the cellar of building remains. This site was historic, and part of the Mitford Mines at Coal Creek. The prehistoric site had two teepee ring levels; one historic, about 1840 to 1870 (Stoney Indians), and the other was 2,000 years old and was a winter camp of three-plus tents.

In the Jumping Pound area archaeologists have found a number of prehistoric sites along the creek, such as buffalo jumps, teepee rings and camps. The remains of dogs were found at two sites on the Kumlin Ranch; one a kill dating to historic times and the other a prehistoric winter camp about 1,500 years old.

The Ghost-Morley area has yielded little information because of the Indian Reserve. There are teepee rings and campsites. A 10,000 year old point was found east of the Ghost River.

Professor Brlan 0. K. Reeves, Ph.D., Department of Archaeology, University of Alberta, states: “The oldest site in Western Canada is the Taber Child site, which is more than 48,000 years old. The second oldest is Old Crow in the Yukon, at about 28,000 years. Many archaeologists, particularly Americans, don’t believe it.”

Ironically, during World War I and World War II, tons and tons of buffalo bones were shipped in boxcars to be used for the manufacture of fertilizer, thus inadvertently destroying archaeological sites forever. Today many sites are being destroyed by rural housing and acreage developments.

Wearmouth Buffalo Jump

The first white man to come to our area appears to be David Thompson (1770-1857), the great explorer and fur trader, in November 1800. On November 17, 1800, he started out on an exploratory trip with five members in the party. He started from Rocky Mountain House (established in 1799) and travelled south to the Bow River, at the present site of Calgary, then on to the Highwood where he visited two Pikenow camps; on his return he travelled northwest, where he crossed the Jumping Pound Creek on November 28, 1800. Then, searching for Duncan McGillveray, they camped a short distance above where the Ghost River joins the Bow. Here they saw large herds of buffalo bulls but no cows. Traversing the present Morley area, they killed four Bighorn sheep at Old Fork Creek and then travelled west to the Gap. On their return on December 1, they crossed the Ghost and continued northwest over Spencer Creek, Beaupre Creek, and on to the Dog Pound Creek, continuing on their journey until they reached Rocky Mountain House on December 3, 1800.

(Reference: Alberta Historical Society Review, Spring 1965.)

The Indians, which David Thompson referred to as the Pikenow Indians, were the Piegans, who were part of the Blackfoot Confederacy.

Old Bow Fort (or Piegan Post) was established by the Hudson’s Bay Company to encourage the fur trade with the Indians of the southern regions. It was situated at the junction of the Bow River and Bow Fort Creek (Township 25-7-5). Archaeological excavations conducted by Professor Paul Nesbitt, of the University of Calgary in 1970, reveal that Piegan Post was possibly first built in 1826, then abandoned and rebuilt again in 1833. It consisted of six buildings surrounded by a five-sided palisade With a bastion, or lookout tower. It was occupied until early 1834. John E. Harriot was in charge. The Indians proved too hostile, and as there were no enough beavers to make it a worthwhile project the fort was abandoned.

The Stoney Indians arrived in this area about 1845, thus they were comparative latecomers here. It is thought that the Mountain Crees preceded them by a few years, probably driving out the Piegans and some of the Kootenay tribe before them. Many of the local names are Cree or their equivalent in Stoney. It seems that the Stoney did not attach definite names to the features of the area.

“Our Stoney Indians are a branch of the great Dakota or Siouan Confederacy. They are Assiniboines, of which Stone) is an English translation.” Their name means “The people who cook v\ ith stones;” when it was translated into English this was shortened to Stone People and finally Stone) Indians or Stonies. The Athabascan Assiniboine had separated from the main body of the Assiniboine and settled in the Athabasca region a decade or two before the eighteenth century. Because of a scar-

city of game during the 1840s many of the Athabascan Assiniboine were forced to move south. Thus the group, which settled in the Bow Valley-Morley area, was called the Mountain Stoney.

In 1896 J. MacLean described them: “The Stoneys are of medium height, well-formed, of pleasing countenance and especially active in their movements. It is not too much to say that they are the most energetic of all tribes of the North-West. They are excellent horsemen and had the reputation of being great horse thieves. They were famous as scouts and were used in that capacity during the Riel Rebellion of 1885. Many were used during the survey of the C.P.R.”

In 1858 Dr. James Hector of the Palliser Expedition passed through the western perimeter of our area. He camped at the foot of Dream Hill; this is believed to be one of the more southerly Wildcat Hills, as he reached the Ghost River the next morning. Hector travelled southward over rolling hills towards the Bow River, where he noticed seams of coal in the shale and sandstone banks of the river (this would be around the mouth of Coal Creek). From their camp at Dream Hill Hector’s party could see a level plain that swept to the base of the mountains; the next day he realized that it was the valley of the Deadman or Ghost River.

It was Palliser’s report that had considerable influence on the decision to build the railroad to the north of the arid stretches. If this plan had been followed the growth of Cochrane would have been stalled for many years.

The arrival of Reverend George and Reverend John McDougall in 1873 at the confluence of the Bow and Ghost Rivers was of great importance, as they built a mission at Morleyville, and built a fort on a high hill north of the Bow River, approximately three miles north of the present McDougall Church. Here the families of Reverend John and his trader brother, David, were relatively safe from the prowling Blackfoot when the brothers were absent on business.

By 1875 on the flats north of the Bow River a small community appeared, consisting of a church, a mission house, a day school, a store and stables. In 1878 an orphanage for Indian children was provided. David McDougall brought his store supplies from Fort Benton, Montana, or from Fort Garry via Edmonton. Of this original historic site only the McDougall Church remains.

Andrew Sibbald came to Morley in 1875 to teach the Indians, and was the first schoolteacher in the West. That winter Rev. George McDougall lost his life in a blizzard. Andrew Sibbald left the school in 1879 to establish a small sawmill for the McDougalls, thereby supplying the first lumber for buildings in Calgary.

The settlement of Morleyville provided the first small nucleus for the large settlements that followed. In 1875 the establishment of the North West Mounted Police at Fort Calgary helped to keep order between the Blackfoot and the Stoney, and in 1877 Treaty No. 7 was signed. In the early 1880s many people came to settle in this region. The Cochrane Ranche was established 25 miles east of Morley, and many small ranches sprang up in between the two centers. Large-scale settlement became possible when the Canadian Pacific Railway came to Calgary and on through to Bow Valley and the Kicking Horse Pass (instead of 200 miles north through the Yellowhead Pass as some had expected). The towns of Cochrane and Mitford came into being after the coming of the railroad; Morley ceased to be the focal point of so many activities as these new towns expanded their influence.

Deep Dive

Top Stories from 2024 5 through 1

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Here’s our top 5 stories from 2024. Let’s goto, starting with  number 5.

Click any image to get a better look.

Cochrane $20 Dollar Specimen featuring Norman Frank Edge

5 – Norman Edge

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4 – Top Stories of 2023 10 – 6

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Cochrane Cafe
Edith Edge Calgary Stampede Queen 1953

3 – Edith Edge Stampede Queen

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2 – Wayne and Melva Blood

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Lions Rodeo dedicated to Wayne Blood

1 – Sam and Helen Scott

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That’s our top stories of 2024. We hope they encouraged you, enlightened you, and brought a smile.

Josh Traptow Featured Speaker Feb 19th, 2025

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As a professional who continually gives back to Calgary, Josh Traptow is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Calgary which is a charitable Civic Partner of the City of Calgary.

Josh is an accomplished executive with experience on both sides of the boardroom. A sought after leader, communicator and advisor he has worked for both the municipal and provincial governments and has a unique understanding of the issues facing Calgary and our province.

He is an experienced political staffer at the both the Alberta Legislature and Calgary City Hall, having served in the Office of the Premier, in the Office of the Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development and for two City Councillors.

He is a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee & Platinum Jubilee Medals for his contributions to his community and Canada. In 2016, Josh was recognized as a SAIT Outstanding Young Alumnus. In 2023, Josh was recognized with the Calgary Award for Heritage by the City of Calgary for his sustained contribution to heritage in our City. In 2024, he was recognized as one of 20 Compelling Calgarians by the Calgary Herald.

Josh is a 10+ year volunteer with the Calgary Stampede and currently is the 1st Vice-Chair of the Western Agriculture Heritage Committee and a Past Chair of the Agriculture & Western Events Media Committee.

He sits on the boards of the Alberta Motor Assxociation as a Calgary Regional Advisory Board Member and on the AMA Board of Governors.

He is also an active community volunteer, serving on the boards of the Women In Need Society (WINS) as the board chair, the History & Heroes Alberta Foundation and is a past chair of the Calgary Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC).

He has a diploma in Administrative Information Management from SAIT and a certificate in Public Relations from Mount Royal University. He also completed the ICD-Rotman Governance Essentials Program (GEP). He is a third generation Calgarian.

Recreation

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Page 35 More Big Hill Country 2009

When the Fisher Block was built in the early 1900’s the top floor was used by the King Solomon Lodge for their meetings until the building was destroyed by fire. The Fisher Block was also used for social functions. In 1905, the Orangemen built a hall on the corner of First Street and Fourth Avenue West (present site of Addie’s Quilts). The Orangemen built an addition to this hall in 1924 but their organization folded in 1925.

In 1912, the Oddfellows Lodge was upstairs in the Howard Block. Their members converted the top floor into their meeting room and a social hall. When Sid Chester bought the Howard Block and turned the top floor into the Chester Hall, to be used as a dance hall and for social functions, the Oddfellows bought the Orangeman’s building to use for their group. The Oddfellows folded and sold the building to the Rebecca’s in 1966. The hall was rented out to the community for parties, movies, dances and other social events. 

Sid Chester built a bowling alley in 1912 for Moise de Repentigny on First Avenue West. This building was later sold and turned into the first curling rink in Cochrane. It took nearly 90 years before a bowling alley would appear again in Cochrane. 

In 1930, the Lodge for the B.P.O.E. (Elks, see their own story) Chapter built and opened their Memorial Hall on Second Avenue and Second Street West. This was the largest hall in Cochrane and was used for dances, Christmas Concerts, movies, meetings, banquets, minstrel shows, election polls, council chambers, library, bingos and extra school rooms. Wedding receptions, Remembrance Day Services and the Scout and Guide Groups met there. It became the centre of social activities and was known as the Community Hall. This building was renovated many times and due to its age and condition

was demolished in 2004.

Another milestone in Cochrane happened when the citizens and the Town got together and decided to build an outdoor swimming pool. It was a momentous occasion when the citizens watched their new swimming pool coming down the Cochrane hill in 1967. This pool was moved, in one piece from the Calgary location that built it. This was also the first time such a feat had been done. The pool was set up in the east end of town and in the winter an outdoor rink was located beside it. Many children and adults of the Big Hill Country used these great facilities for many years. In the 1990’s a lovely new indoor pool was built on 5th Avenue West by the Rodeo grounds and was welcomed by everyone.

In the early 1970’s an offer from an anonymous donor was made to the Town of Cochrane to match a named amount of funds to build a recreation arena. A group of citizens joined together to canvass the town and the surrounding farms and ranches to help match the funds. Although many farmers and ranchers did not have any cash to donate, they generously donated hay and truckloads of grain to this much-needed cause. Many donated cash so that the surrounding district residents would be able to use this Town of Cochrane facility. A new Arena was welcomed when it was built on the hill north of the new Cochrane High School. It opened in 1974 and is well used through the years by all. With the growing population in Cochrane these facilities became very crowded so a community group formed and raised the funds for the current Spray Lake Sawmills Recreation Centre. This facility strongly supported by Spray Lake Sawmills in Cochrane has become the hub of recreation and wellness for the Town of Cochrane.

Cochrane pool 1960

Deep Dive

Top Stories from 2024 10 through 6

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Every year we like to review the most popular stories of the year. We want to focus our articles on when you like to see. What was that this year? Let’s take a look at 10 through 6.

Stu Bradley

10 – William Bradley Family

Goto Article

9 – Cochrane Legacy Statue

Goto Article
Legacy Lady
IOOF Hall

8 – Grand Old Lady of Cochrane

Goto Article

7 – Lorne Helmig Family

Goto Article
L
Vern and Evelyn Lambert

6 – Vern and Evelyn Lambert

Goto Article

Were you surprised? We were, several of the articles were reposted from previous years. We’re glad to see you liked some of our older stories. They resonate with us too. Come back next week for the Top 5.

Some stories came from More Big Hill Country and A Peep into the Past by Gordon and Belle Hall.

Tim Harvie Family

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More Big Hill Country page 494

I was born June 2, 1957 at the Holy Cross Hospital in Calgary. My parents are Neil and Robin (Williams) Harvie. I have three sisters, Pauli (1955), Carol (1959), and Katie (1962). We were raised in the Glendale area on Glenbow Ranch and attended school in Cochrane. My Dad began ranching in 1948, raising commercial Angus based cattle and later, Beefbooster Ml cattle in conjunction with the company that he helped found.

I attended grades I to 4 at the Elementary school which became Andrew Sibbald and is now Holy Spirit. Grades 5 and 6 were in the Old Brick School next door and then grades 7-12 were at Cochrane High School (except for Grade 10 when I attended Brentwood College on Vancouver Island).

I played minor hockey in Cochrane from the age of six where I learned the game from coaches Lorne Woods, Bob Beynon, Ken Raymond and Percy Alexander. I also was a member of the 1st Cochrane Cubs for six years, led by Den Mother Pat Woods. Because we lived out of town, I would leave my hockey equipment in the basement of Mrs. Neilson’s house (the old McNamee brick house). After school, I would pick up my gear, walk up to the outdoor rink and attend practice. On Monday nights, I would eat dinner with the Neilsons and then walk down to Cubs at the Community Hall.

At the High School, I played all the sports I could including football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, field hockey, and track. In my grade 12 year (197475), our school named the sports teams the “Cobras”. We also started playing tackle football that year in the new Rocky View School Division league and won the first title in a thrilling final at Foothills Park, defeating Airdrie 14-12.

Cochrane High was a perennial powerhouse in Badminton thanks to the coaching of teachers Mel Sly and Ron Bryant. Several players went all the way to Provincials during my years there. The Cobras would routinely win every title at Divisionals and Zones. Hal Henderson and I played Men’s Doubles and finished 5th in the province in 1975.

After High School, I went to New Zealand on an agriculture exchange program and worked on a sheep and cattle farm on the South Island for six months. When I returned, I went to the University of Alberta and completed a degree in Agriculture in 1980. Summers were spent on the ranch haying, fencing, riding and working cattle. In 1981, I returned to the ranch and decided that I wanted to be a grain farmer. I moved to the south side of the river in the north Springbank area where the ranch had a land base that was used for summer pasture. I started breaking land in the spring of 1981 and grew 100 acres of barley that year while continuing to break more land. By 1983, I had 1000 acres broken and was cropping barley, oats, rye and canola.

While at Unjversity, I learned to fly at the Edmonton Flying Club and obtained a private and commercial pilot’s licence. Once home, I began flying my Dad’s Super Cub that he purchased in 1961 to fly around the ranch to check on the cattle. I later took ownership of the Cub and still fly it today, hangaring it at the Springbank airport.

I bought a 50′ mobile home in 1982 and began building the farm shed, shop and granaries. In 1983, I married Jeanne (Harrison), whom I had met in Edmonton while at University. We were married at All Saints Anglican Church where I had attended Sunday School. We started building a house in 1984 and moved in on my birthday in 1985 with our first daughter, Jordan (1985) in tow. Our second daughter, Kelly was born in 1986 and son Ian in 1990.

My Dad, Neil, transferred the management of the Ranch to my sister, Katie and me in the early 1990s. He and Mom moved to Glen Eagles in Cochrane in 1997. He passed away in 1999 and Katie and I continue to manage the ranch and still grain farm. In 2006, our family sold a portion (3300 acres) of the ranch in the Bow River valley to the Provincial Government to create the “Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park”, fulfilling my father’s dream of protecting the native grasslands from development.

Deep Dive

King Solomon Masonic Lodge #41

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King Solomon Masonic Lodge #41

King Solomon Masonic Lodge # 41 Cochrane was formed on December 4, 1908. Tom Wearmouth was one of the first members and he received his fifty-year pin in 1959. Through the years the Masons have been very active with their work and have many members. They also had some social functions held in banquet halls in Calgary to raise funds for their organization. In 2004, Richard “Dick”, Hugh and Walter Wearmouth all received their fifty year pins at a ceremony held at the Masonic Lodge.

The history of the Masonic Lodge building is interesting. Along with the All Saints Anglican church it was moved from the little town of Mitford, NWT to Cochrane. It was originally built as a saloon and in 1892 converted into a school by Lady Adela Cochrane. In about 1899, after Mitford closed down, it was moved to Cochrane.

The original historic part of this building is comprised of the front two-thirds of the main Lodge Hall. Many teams of horses moved the building from Mitford where it was set on land owned by the Bruce/Grayson families and used for many years as a second school for the smaller children in Cochrane.

When the new brick school opened in 1918, the little building was used as a gymnasium. In 1926 the Brick School was expanded and this building remained empty for the next three years.

Cochrane’s King Solomon Masonic Lodge# 41 was established in 1908 and met in rented space for many years. They were renting rooms in the Fisher Block when that building was destroyed by a fire on September 23, 1928.

In 1929 the Lodge purchased the old school house and lot from Mrs. Charles Grayson. The building was rotated to face east and west, anterooms and storerooms were added and windows closed off. Electricity was installed. The first Lodge meeting was held in this building on November 14, 1929.

In 1950, the Lodge Hall was extended fourteen feet to the east and a kitchen/banquet lean-to added to the north side of the building. The original wooden boards were removed and the outside covered with asphalt brick siding. Water and sewer were not installed until 1955.

In the mid l 990’s the front steps were rebuilt and a wheelchair ramp added.

The building still serves as the home of King Solomon Lodge# 44, G.R.A. and of Zenith Chapter# 85, Order of the Eastern Star. In 2005 the Cochrane Town Council designated the building as a Municipal Historic Resource.

Deep Dive

Neil and Robin Harvie Family

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by Robin Harvie, More Big Hill Country page 492, 2009

 I was born Joan Robin Williams in Calgary on February 28, 1933. My mother was born in Okotoks in December, 1904, grew up in Calgary, and won an I.O.D.E. Scholarship to attend the University of Alberta in Edmonton. She was eligible, as her father had died as a result of wounds received in W.W.I. She graduated in 1926, and worked as a laboratory technician prior to marrying in 1929. My father was born in Calgary in 1907, and became a Chartered Accountant, joining his father’s business.

I’m an only child which I never felt deprived me of anything. In fact, it had many advantages. I was always treated as their equal by my Mom and Dad. As I grew up, I lived in eleven different homes in Calgary, as Dad liked improving and redecorating houses in his spare time, and then moving on. I thought moving was fun, but I think I must have been spared all the stress and work involved.

I attended Christopher Robin Kindergarten, Cliff Bungalow and Elbow Park Schools, Rideau Park Junior High, King Edward School, and then Western Canada High School. I spent three years at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, graduating in 1953 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. I worked as an accountant during the summers and then full time in my father’s office until I married Neil Harvie in 1954. I then moved out to Bearspaw Ranch (part of Glenbow Ranch) along the Bow River west of Calgary, and began my rural education.

I had little experience with the countryside when I was growing up. All I remember of summer holidays was picnicking and fly fishing with my Dad on Alberta and British Columbia streams. During W.W.II, we saved gas coupons so we could go as far as Radium Hot Springs or Lake Windermere. We had no family living on farms. I did learn to ride horseback at a stable in Calgary so I wasn’t totally new to that when I moved to the ranch. At Bearspaw, I raised chickens, fed pigs, rode horseback for pleasure and to help with cattle work, drove a team on a hay rake one summer, and later drove tractor occasionally when needed. For forty years or so, I helped at branding and weaning time inoculating calves and keeping records.

Neil Harvie was born in Calgary, December 3, 1929, and grew up there. His father acquired the Glenbow Ranch in the early nineteen thirties, so Neil spent a lot of his childhood there, horseback riding, working and learning about the ranch. He graduated from the University of Alberta in 1953 with a B.Sc. in Agriculture, moved out to the ranch to work there, and eventually took over full control. Over the years, he improved the hayfields and grain fields, and installed irrigation on the flats near the Bow River. He improved the Angus based cattle through keeping records and careful selection based on the cattle’s productivity and performance. Later he and some other ranchers developed the Beefbooster strain of cattle through cross-breeding, genetic testing and careful selection.

Neil was active and a director in the Western Stock Growers Association, Alberta Cattle Commission, Western Feedlots Ltd., Calgary Stampede, Calgary Airport Authority, and the Western Heritage Centre as well as many other organizations. He was honoured by the Cochrane Chamber of Commerce in 1996 by being named Ambassador of the Year. He also received the Cochrane Rotary Club’s Integrity Award in 1998.

Neil and I raised three daughters and a son, all of who attended Cochrane schools, have married, and have raised families of their own. Our oldest daughter Pauli ranches near Eckville, Alberta, and she and her husband Tim have two daughters. Jennifer is married and living in Edmonton, and has a one year old son. Lindsay married and is living in Sylvan Lake with her husband and their baby girl.

Our son Tim farms on the south side of the Bow River, east of Cochrane and he and Jeanne have two daughters Jordan and Kelly, and a son Ian. At this time, all three are finishing or pursuing further education. Carol and husband Terry pasture cattle on their ranch east of Cochrane, north of mghway lA. Their daughter Nadine and son Mason spent their school years in Cochrane.

Katie married and has three children, Braden, Kelsey and Curtis. They are also continuing their education. Tim and Katie continue to operate the ranch.

 

In the early 1960’s, Neil learned to fly an airplane and bought a Piper Super Cub which be hangared in a field close to home. The plane was very useful for keeping an eye on the cattle, fences, waterers, etc. on the ranch, as well as for recreational use. I also took lessons and enjoyed flying for several years. I found finally, that I couldn’t get enough hours in the air to stay current for my license because four young children took up most of my time. It’s like riding a bicycle – once you know how you don’t forget, but I haven’t tested it in a long time. I always felt, though, that in an emergency I could land the plane which was my reason for learning in the first place.

I joined the Glendale Women’s Institute in Cochrane in 1956, and have continued as a member to the present day. I’m an active member of All Saints’ Anglican church in Cochrane, and for fifty two years have belonged to the Samaritan Club of Calgary, which raises funds through rummage sales and other projects to help needy families in Calgary.

Neil and I built a home in GlenEagles in Cochrane in 1997 at the time when he was semi-retiring, and some of our family were becoming active in the management of our ranch. Two years later, Neil lost his battle with cancer, and I have continued to live in the home we built and settled in together. Our decision to move when we did turned out to be a very fortunate one for me as I continue to enjoy my home and my neighbours. I get great pleasure seeing my ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren grow and progress. My great-grandfather, Dr. Ritchie, and his family moved to the Jumping Pound district in 1904 (see Big Hill Country, page 735).

His daughter, my grandmother, is quoted in the original Vestry minute book of All Saints Anglican Church, and my grandfather was a visiting lay reader in All Saints. It is there where he met my grandmother. I find it interesting that a descendant of the Ritchie’s ended up living in the Cochrane area so many years later.

I feel fortunate to have been born and raised in a country where people are free and at peace. I am lucky to have had the opportunity to live in a rural area where I can appreciate the countryside, the animals, birds and wildflowers, and all the benefits of the wide open spaces.

Deep Dive

History of the Beaupre Community Association

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pg 144 More Big Hill Country 2009

It’s 1961 and my story has just begun,

We tried for a community for everyone.

It took a full year with lots of hard work,

And it really paid off without a quirk.

The Beaupre Creek School was converted henceforth ,

It’s 1962 and we’re registered up North.

 

Prior to this, so I am told,

Grand Valley School and Beaupre were old.

They had served their purpose , so it seems,

So off to Cochrane went kids and their dreams.

A higher education these days is a must,

Then off to SAIT in a cloud of dust.

 

It cost 650 bucks to register the Title,

By 1966 the land/school buy was final.

It took all those years of paperwork,

Dealing with protocol and many a jerk.

But it all paid off, I’m glad to say,

 

And every dog doth have his day.

Now 35 years have come and gone,

With it, tradition, dances and many a song.

So many people each doing their bit,

Trying to make Beaupre a great big hit.

There were Eymas, Brooks, and Edges there,

Serving on the Board and doing their share.

 

If by chance I miss someone out,

Don’t get upset or even shout.

To be given the honour of this great task,

Is almost more than I can ask.

If I miss out one or seven,

You can bet you ’11 get yours in heaven.

 

Courvilles, Jamiesons, Macullo, Wasson and Wills,

Beatons, Simpsons, and the Ullerys from Wildcat Hills,

Richards, Dawsons, McKendricks and McCoys,

Beggs, Hansens, McDonalds and Uncle Roy,

Greenways, Butters, Bryant, Bowlen and Hess,

Poynters, Wirsigs, Johnsons, and Auntie Bess.

 

Colemans, Watts, LePatourel, McLenahans and Guy,

McLean, McNabb, McGillis, MacGregor, MacMillan and Vi,

Dutchik, Chapman, Stehr, Anderson, and Ebba K.,

And all the others who passed this way.

When Louis Beaupre was alive,

He never thought a community would thrive.

 

MacLeod, Metcalfe, Norman, Braisher, and Pepper,

Shapter, Tidball, who could do better?

Yoshimura, Hammond, Robertson, and Kendall ,

We all go by a different handle.

But the end result is always the same,

Bringing to Beaupre pride and fame.

 

We have dances, cards and the Beaupre Band

Playschool and the art club trying their hand.

Cubs and Scouts and Bible School,

All living up to the Golden Rule

Horseshoes, baseball and a fire pit ,

And every August the gymkhana is a hit.

 

My story has now come to a hollow,

Some have gone and the rest will fo1low.

What’s gone on in between Has been a life-long dream.

We’ve all loved Beaupre with veneration,

And now it’s all up to the next generation

The Beaupre community has always been a beehive of activity and not to mention the playschool with Miss Wendy would be remiss. At the Annual General Meeting, October 19, 2001, accolades were on the evening’s agenda, and Linda Thomas (who became president at this meeting) delivered the following tribute: “As everyone knows, we often take this opportunity to present a plaque to a member who has contributed to our community. This year we ‘d like to show our appreciation to someone who has had a huge influence on our community and beyond. She has been quietly going about her business for so long, and is so well loved by the younger members of our community that, she has earned the permanent title of “Miss Wendy.” Wendy Butters’ playschool has such a good reputation that people bring their kids out here from Cochrane. I can personally attest to the fact that the kids love Miss Wendy’s school and sometimes they even get to play her guitar. She ‘s been teaching our children for 25 years and it’s time to let her know how much we appreciate it. So, on behalf of the executive and all the members of Beaupre, this plaque extols a big thank you to Miss Wendy.”

Shockingly, just a few days after the Annual General Meeting, our gathering place burnt down on Halloween night, October 31 , 2001 , and devastated our community. We lost valuable treasures including the 100-year-old piano and precious artworks by local artists. Sadly, Beaupre’s mascot, the old brass school bell used as a dinner bell or to get people’s attention at meetings, was somewhere in the ashes. However, that cloud had a silver lining as Ben Cornforth , Cornforth Excavating , who kindly hauled away the debris, sifted through the ruins and found it. Frank Brooks restored it and the bell is back in business at Beaupre.

Beaupre President Maureen Wills, who delivered the welcoming address, conveyed sincere thanks to fellow directors and to all those who helped with planning and designing the new hall. She extended a big thank you to those who donated artifacts for the decor, artworks, and funds – relating that cash donations were being sent in before we’d even asked for help. She extended a special thank you to MLA Janis Tarchuk for her attention to detail and caring attitude respecting youth and adults in our community. “When the old hall burnt down, along with it went the artifacts, but we still have old memories, and, now, it’s up to the younger generation to make new memories with beautiful people and a beautiful view.”

Beaupre Community Association Presidents

Norman Edge, 1962-63

Pierre Eyma, 1963-68

Donald Edge, 1968-70

Bruce Boothby, 1970- 71

Charlie MacDonald, 1971-73;1974-76;1980-82

Lloyd Greenway, 1973-74; 1977-80

Dennis Courville, 1976-77

Frank Brooks, 1982-83

Larry Beaton, 1983-84

Monte Butters, 1984-85

Maureen Wills, 1985-90; 1996-2001; 2002-04

Erik Butters, 1990-92

Bruce Kendall, 1992-96

Linda Thomas, 2001-02

Mary Lou Brooks, 2004-Present

Our new hall, with a wonderful mountain view, is serving the community well; it’s busier than ever, thanks to a good Board of Directors and an ambitious social committee. The usual card parties, meetings, seminars, musical concerts, annual family barbecue, art club activities, cancer fundraising, garage sales, spring tea, Christmas craft sale, weddings, playschool, children’s Christmas concerts, New Year’s parties, educational courses, birthdays, cowboy soiree dances, and various other types of social events are in full swing.

Speaking of dances, I always remember the story Jack Poynter used to tell on his wife, Tootie. In the early days, after arriving home one snowy winter night from an enjoyable dance at Beaupre, Tootie was removing her boots and a mouse jumped out and scampered across the kitchen floor. With a yell, she said, “That mouse was in my boot!” Jack’s reply, “Yeah, and he’s still alive – but he is pretty well gassed!”

Deep Dive

THE JOHN (JACK) HENDERSON FAMILY

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Big Hill Country page 652

The Jack Henderson family were all born in Northumberland County, England. Mr. Henderson was born April 18, 1899, at Workworth. He joined the Northumberland Fusiliers in April 1917, and fought in the second Battle of Mons in Belgium. Later he was captured by the Germans and held prisoner for nine months. He served with the British Army for three years.

After the War he married Elizabeth Hogg who was born May 10, 1892, at Powburn, England. Their oldest son, James, was born at Ellingham Gardens in 1924, and John was born at East House in 1926.

In the spring of 1928, Mr. and Mrs. Henderson and their two sons, aged two and four years, came to Canada on a Settlement Scheme drawn up by the British and Canadian Governments whereby 3,000 families were allowed to immigrate to Canada with all fares paid.

The Hendersons settled on a farm nine miles north of Cochrane, the N½ 16-27-4-5, where they did mixed farming. When the boys were old enough they went to Weedon School.

Mr. Henderson joined up in the Second World War in 1940 and spent three months training soldiers for active service Overseas. John Jr., joined the Canadian Army in the fall of 1944, at the age of 18, and served 15 months in the service. After the War, he took flying lessons and received his pilot’s license.

After 22 years the farm was sold in 1950, and the Henderson family moved into Cochrane. The boys bought road-building equipment and contracted road work. Mr. Henderson bought a service station north of Calgary, at Wessex, but later sold it and built one in Cochrane.

John married Gladys Prosser in 1957. Gladys was born in Calgary on September 13, 1938. They have seven children: Hal, Kerry, Mellissa, Richie, Ross, Scot, and Angela.

In 1962 James married Frances Hewitt in England and brought his bride home to Cochrane. Frances was born in Amble, Northumberland, on April 21, 1936. They have one son, William. Frances loved to play the piano and James bought her a new piano as a gift shortly after they came to Canada. Frances died of cancer on June 7, 1964. After the death of his wife, James and his son went to live with James’ mother, but she passed away in July 1971, at the age of 79. James and his son now live in the Bowness district of Calgary.

Mr. Henderson Sr. remarried. They sold their service station in Cochrane and now live on Vancouver Island, near Nanaimo.

The Henderson farm is now part of Glenbow Ranches owned by Neil Harvie.

Map Overlay of South of Tracks
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