Galt Museum & Archives blog

The Power of Sport

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 20:38:00 +0000

By Ryan Dutchak
The 2018 Winter Olympics, set to take place in Pyeongchang, South Korea next month have garnered plenty of international attention. North Korea recently seems poised to participate in the games, bringing up the idea of “unity through sport.” Although not on the same international scale, the 1975 Canada Winter Games hosted by southern Alberta greatly exemplified the concept and benefits of unity through sport.
The Canada Winter Games aim to foster mutual understanding and a sense of camaraderie among athletes. Lethbridge and southern Alberta took the idea of unity through sport seriously. It began with the application to host the games in the region, which emphasized the idea of “western hospitality.” During the games, Bow Island residents epitomized “western hospitality” as they sheltered numerous athletes from a massive snowstorm.
The application proposed to have thirteen southern Alberta communities host the various sporting events. The games brought together 3000 to 4000 volunteers and various levels of government, who all sought to highlight southern Albertan generosity and promote sport.
As the games brought athletes, citizens and governments together, they also acted as a brief a release from the ongoing social tensions of the late 60s and 70s. The games used a unique and inclusive qualification system designed to entice, inspire and attract more young athletes to the world of sport. The system did this by lowering the high-performance standards, which tended to disqualify many entrants.
Local governments and the residents of southern Alberta came together by hosting the 1975 Canada Winter Games. Promoters of the games stated that sport creates a “healthy rivalry” in which “friendship and understanding are nurtured.” The Enmax Center, a product of the 1975 Games, continues to bring together Lethbridgians and Canadians. It remains a symbol of unity through sport.

London Road Neighbourhood

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 20:36:00 +0000

London Road is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Lethbridge. It was originally surveyed in 1885–1886 as part of the original Lethbridge town plot. The name of the neighbourhood comes from the original street name of 7 Avenue South, “London.” Lethbridge streets and avenues were renamed to numbers in 1910.
In 1885, Lethbridge was a small mining town. It lacked local government and the nearest hospital building was a 14 patient building at the North-West Mounted Police barracks in Fort Macleod. J. D. Higginbotham reported that there were only 60 buildings in all of Lethbridge, 18 of which were saloons.
Lethbridge experienced substantial growth between 1890 and 1916, with the exception of a recession in the mid-1890s that slowed growth and development for a time. In 1906, Lethbridge was formally recognized as a city.
The development of the London Road area was influenced most by boom periods just before and after the First World War. The first two or three houses were built in the neighbourhood in 1890. That number had increased to only a few dozen houses by 1905. But between 1905 and 1911, over 100 houses were added to just four square clocks in the area. Development slowed drastically during the First World War but construction began to boom again in 1920. By 1940, many of the lots in the neighborhood had been developed.
Since the completion of construction in the neighborhood, development has been primarily renovation of, and additions to, the existing residential structures, with some demolition for new development. Most of the buildings in the area continue to be separate residences, with a few buildings now dedicated to commercial ventures and a few apartment buildings. Two of these apartment buildings were constructed dating back to 1908 (612 and 614 9 Street South) and 1910 (the Arial Apartments).
You can find out more about the history and Development of the London Road neighbourhood at the Galt Museum & archives in resources like the City of Lethbridge Land Use and Development Fonds.

International Women’s March Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 16:30:00 +0000

The International Women’s March was held last year on January 27, 2017. Over 550 rallies were held in 82 countries, including one in Lethbridge.
The march was organized in response to the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States, due to his controversial positions on women’s rights, immigration reform, healthcare reform, climate change, LGBTQ+ rights, freedom of religion and workers’ rights.
The Lethbridge demonstration drew over 600 people. Elisabeth Pfeffel, a 94-year-old resident of Coaldale who had never attended a political demonstration before, came with her granddaughter, Jana Mackenze. Pfeffel said, “All of a sudden I was free. I could tell the people, ‘I’m here. This is what I want to do.’… If you go through a war like I did and you never know if you’re still alive, you have sympathy… You have compassion for people… I says, ‘I’m here Mr. Trump and I want to tell you how much I dislike you!’”
Facilitator Annelies van Oers hoped the event would help draw attention to the divisions in Lethbridge’s political and social landscape. She said, “I think people really started to wake up to the fact that they need to be active, that they can’t just assume that somebody else is going to do it… We have our own MLAs with threats that you would not believe, the things they have to deal with on a daily basis… What I’ve seen in Lethbridge [are] so many different communities that have been persecuted or are persecuted currently.”
Objects from the demonstration have been accessioned into the Galt’s collection to preserve a piece of this story for the future. Some of these artifacts will be part of the Galt’s new exhibit For Keeps: Collecting Memories, developed by Guest Curator Jane Edmundson. The Exhibit Grand Opening and the Curator Presents… will be held on Sun JAN 28 from 2-3 pm at the Galt Museum & Archives.

Jane Edmundson (BFA, MA)
Guest Curator

Winter Weater

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 16:00:00 +0000

A winter sunset on the path outside the Galt looking northwest at the High Level Bridge

After a number of heavy snowfalls in October and November, the weather this December has been mild and warm for southern Alberta. In the first half of December, only one day has seen temperatures stay below 0⁰C all day. Southern Alberta has long been known for its unusual weather events and for good reason. Here is a sample of just a few notable winter- and snow-related weather events in our history.

In May 1903 a spring snowstorm hit dumping 3 feet of snow in the region. The snowstorm resulted in the deaths of two boys caught in the storm, and stranded cattle on the range, resulting in heavy livestock losses.

The lowest temperature Lethbridge experienced was -42.8⁰C. This temperature has been recorded on four separate occasions: January 7, 1909; December 18, 1924; January 3, 1950; and December 29, 1968.

On December 15, 1964, the “Great Blizzard” lashed southern Prairies. Heavy snows, 90 km/h winds, and -34˚C temperatures, paralyzed the southern Prairies. Three people froze to death and thousands of animals perished.

On January 6, 1966, in Pincher Creek, a chinook wind sent the temperature soaring 21˚C in just four minutes.

From April 17 to 20, and April 27 to 29, 1967, a series of intense winter storms dropped a record 175 cm, a few inches shy of 6 feet, of snow on southern Alberta. Thousands of cattle perished on the open range. It is estimated that 30,000 calves perished. Army units were dispatched to assist in snow clearing, while food, fuel, and feed were airlifted into the province.

In June 1995, heavy, warm rains in early June, combined with snow melting, resulted in the highest flood in the Oldman River on record since 1911. Major floods also occurred in 1953 and 1964.

On July 1, 2008, a Canada Day thunderstorm dumped more rain in a 90-minute period than Lethbridge generally gets in a month. This caused extensive flooding throughout the city.

While our weather has been fairly mild so far this month, there always seems to be a change in weather around the corner.

Say it with Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 22:00:00 +0000

Back in 1909, Thomas Leigh Clark opened the first flower shop in Lethbridge out of his home at 604 Cutbill Street, 10 Street South today. In 1912, Clark was joined by George Taylor, J. E. Terrill, and Frache Brothers, who all opened florist shops in Lethbridge, some of them also building full greenhouses to grow their wares.

Taylor was both a florist and a seed man. He had fresh cut flowers, wedding bouquets and floral designs available in his shop on the corner of Bartlett & London Streets, 12 Street and 7 Avenue South today.

The Terrill Floral Company, which opened on 11 Street South, specialized in growing roses and carnations, as well as house and garden plants. Eventually they moved their storefront to 604 3 Avenue South and maintained a greenhouse at 2015 6 Avenue North. The Frache brothers, who owned greenhouses at Henderson Park and on the north side of Lethbridge, bought the Terrill Floral Company in 1928. They eventually closed their operations in 1955.

The 1930s saw a boom in flower shops, florists and greenhouses. The Marquis Flower Shop, originally established by the Medicine Hat Greenhouses with manager H. Coventry, was purchased by Fred Edmunson in 1938. The Marquis Flower Shop is still operating today, 79 years after it was established. It has moved storefront locations three times, from the first floor of the Marquis Hotel of 4 Avenue South, to 312 6 Street South, to its current home at 905 3 Avenue South.

Lorna Perry was a clerk and assistant manager for the Marquis Flower Shop before opening her own shop, Lorna’s Flowers, in 1953 at 1508 9 Avenue South. Lorna retired in 1987 and the new owner renamed the shop Flowers on 9th.

Say it with Flowers is showing at the Galt Museum & Archives from SEP 15 to JAN 16.18.

Wheels of History

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 00:05:00 +0000

At the dawn of a new era of self-driving cars, it is intriguing to look back at the twentieth century’s automotive culture. What role did motoring play in people’s lives? How did it affect daily routines and urban infrastructure? What did personal motor vehicles mean for Lethbridgians?
The first car appeared in Lethbridge in 1903 and belonged to Elliot Galt (a 20-horsepower Wilton). By 1914, there were already hundreds of cars in the community: Fords, Regals, Studebakers, Chevrolets, Saxons, Elgins and more.

From the very beginning, a car was a status symbol. In the early twentieth century, with limited options in brands, materials and engines, ownership itself was a marker. The expressive potential grew in the 1950s and 1960s with the introduction of different classes of cars. The classes not only catered to different needs but also communicated different lifestyles and socio-economic ranks: family cars, sports cars, utility vehicles, etc. All these types of vehicles were represented in both budget and luxury segments.

In the 1950s, cars were increasingly used for leisure activities, such as cruising. A car became a social capsule for young people in which to socialize and seek new experiences. Popular culture, like Grease and many of James Dean’s characters, glorified and reinforced this trend. Popular fast-food restaurants styled themselves into drive-in facilities. In the 1960s, the community welcomed the Green Acres Drive-in Theatre. The drive-in theatre became a popular attraction for moviegoers.

Cars in southern Alberta, particularly vintage stock, became a popular hobby. Local automotive enthusiasts continue to restore, exhibit and drive their beloved engines. Many local cars now gain the status of family heirlooms and are passed from one generation to another. There are competitions, shows, clubs and social media groups built around old-time motoring.

Wheels of History is showing at the Galt Museum & Archives from NOV 06 to FEB 22.18.
Andrew Chernevych
Archivist

Bert Riggall: I to the Hills Will Lift Mine Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 00:03:00 +0000

Bert’s Riggall’s photographs articulate a unique narrative that contributes to our sense of place and how we, today, see ourselves in relation to the Rocky Mountains. Bert Riggall moved from England to southern Alberta in 1904. He secured a job at Craighurst Farm near Calgary, where he met his wife Dorthea (Dora) Riggall (née Williams). In 1905, Bert worked for the Correction Land Survey, touring Southwestern Alberta. While Bert was surveying what is now Waterton Lakes National Park, he became enamoured with the mountain landscape.

In 1906, Bert and Dora married and moved to the Waterton area where they homesteaded and ranched until 1946. By 1909, Bert was running a guiding and outfitting business, leading numerous hunting and fishing excursions in the area. Working with his wife Dora, Bert led trips throughout the Rockies: Yarrow Canyon onto Big Horn Pass, the Avion Ridge trail, the Continental Divide between Alberta and B.C. in the south Castle and Akamina Ridge. These trips fueled Bert’s lifelong commitment to exploring, photographing, and writing about the area.

The images in the exhibit illustrate to Riggall’s relationship to the mountains: hunting, ranching, and guiding juxtaposed against his attention to geology, plants and animals in the area, and the effects his activities had on particular species. Bert Riggall’s photographs represent the indistinct line between the use of the land that his livelihood depended on, and his appreciation for the areas he wished to see protected. Riggall’s relationship to the landscape inspired an intergenerational commitment to mountain stewardship and conservation.

Stewarding, preserving, and exhibiting collections such as the Bert Riggall fonds held at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, is important to understanding the interconnectedness of mountain systems, including the environment, economy, and society.

Nicole Ensing and Brittany Watson from the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies will discuss the exhibit they co-curated this Sunday from 2-3 p.m. at the Galt Museum. The exhibit “Bert Riggall: I to the Hills Will Lift Mine Eyes” is showing at the Galt Museum until Feb. 11.

Your old photos, documents, and artifacts might have historical value. Please contact Galt Museum & Archives for advice before destroying them.

Picariello's Lethbridge Connections

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 00:02:00 +0000

Emilio Picariello was one of the most infamous bootleggers from Alberta’s prohibition era. Rum-running and the illegal alcohol trade allowed this enterprising man to make significant profits, but ultimately cost him his life at the hands of the law.

The Social Gospel movement dominated the Protestant churches of Canada and the US from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries. It focused attention on social ills arising from alcohol abuse including poverty, unemployment, crime, and family violence. The Alberta Legislature passed the Prohibition Act in 1917, which allowed “near beer” to be sold in hotel bars while making the sale of hard alcohol illegal. The passage of prohibition legislation created a high demand for liquor in Canada and the US.

In 1901, Fritz Sick moved to Lethbridge and established a brewery, later known as Lethbridge Breweries Ltd. The company survived prohibition by producing legitimate near beer or Temperance Beer with an alcohol content of just over 2 per cent. There were rumours, however, that beer and whisky were transported from Lethbridge hidden in grain trucks.

Emilio Picariello’s meteoric rise in fortunes began in January 1918, when he purchased the Alberta Hotel in Blairmore from Fritz Sick. Picariello became the sole agent for the Lethbridge Breweries Ltd. in the Crowsnest Pass. He legally advertised and sold their Temperance Beer; however he is said to have excavated a basement at the Alberta Hotel for loading and unloading illegal liquor. He began regular liquor runs across the Alberta-BC border through the Crowsnest Pass, and down to Montana via the Whiskey Gap and other border crossings.

The exhibit The Rise and Fall of Emilio Picariello, now showing at the Galt Museum, was created by the Fernie Museum. Join historian Stephanie Laine Hamilton as she explores Picariello, his Alberta Hotel, and his Lethbridge connections to Fritz Sick and the Sick Brewery, Sun NOV 19 from 2–3 at the Galt Museum.

Lethbridge Internment Camp

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 00:01:00 +0000

As we look back on history, it is hard for us to imagine a time when the Canadian Government could arbitrarily brand their own citizens as enemies and find a means by which to detain them for long periods of time.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened in Lethbridge and other communities across the nation, beginning just hours after Canada's declaration of war in August 1914.
On 11 September 1914, barely a month after Canada entered the war, the Lethbridge Daily Herald announced that the only military prison in Alberta was to be established at the Lethbridge Exhibition Grounds. The poultry barn where the prisoners were to be held was renovated and barbed wire was installed to keep the 'enemy' safely contained.

Initially, the enemy was defined as individuals of German, Austrian, Hungarian or Turkish descent who belonged to reserve units in their homelands, however, this was soon expanded to include anyone with an ethnic sounding name that was 'acting suspiciously.' Citizens were encouraged to report any 'suspicious behaviour' to the police for investigation - and report they did.

Accusations abounded ranging from possession of banned books to the sabotage of threshing machines necessary for the production of local crops. In an attempt to escape the atmosphere of suspicion, many of these potential 'enemy aliens' tried to make their way to the American border as the United States was neutral and not involved in the conflict. If caught, potential 'enemy aliens' were promptly arrested and returned to Lethbridge for detention.

The 'enemy aliens' had also been cut off from their families in Europe, as they could not send or receive any mail to or from home. Some would try to get the mail through to Sweetgrass, Montana, but once again, if they were discovered, the consequences would be severe.

At its peak in mid-1915, the Lethbridge Detention Camp held 300 prisoners and employed 60 guards. In the fall of 1916, the Lethbridge camp was closed, primarily because the city was located too close to the American border, which provided an incentive for detainees to attempt to escape.

Sick Brewry

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In 1901, a small operation started in Lethbridge. This business had a dramatic effect on Lethbridge for it was the beginning of the Sick beer empire.

Fritz Sick started the Alberta Brewing & Malting Co, basically running a one-man show, doing the work of brewer, maltster, cooper, salesman and office manager. He was eventually able to hire one person to help him in the brewery and another to deliver the product to customers around Lethbridge. It grew from there.

The first major expansion of the brewery was in 1913; other renovations and additions followed over the years. After prohibition ended, Sick started to acquire and build new breweries. With various breweries, the firm was renamed the Associated Breweries of Canada Ltd. All of the breweries were named “Sick’s” and then identified by their community.

By 1930, Fritz Sick was ready to retire and he turned over operations of Sick’s Lethbridge Brewery to his son Emil. Fritz Sick moved to Vancouver but retirement appears not to have suited him. In 1934, Fritz Sick started the Vancouver Capilano Brewery. In 1935, he moved to Tacoma and lived there until his death in 1945.

In 1933, the year American prohibition ended, Emil Sick moved to Seattle. Once there, he invested in breweries in Missoula, Great Falls and Spokane. In 1935 Sick rented, and then purchased, the Century Brewery in Seattle, which he soon modernized. Shortly afterwards, this brewery was merged with the Rainier Brewery.

In 1944, Associated Breweries of Canada Ltd changed its name to Sick’s Breweries Ltd, with at least 10,000 shareholders. The end of the Sick management of the brewery came in 1958 when control of Sick’s was acquired by Molson’s Brewery. The brewery operated under Molson until 1990 and the building was demolished in 1991.

Wednesday at the Galt on Wed NOV 15 from 2–3 pm will present Belinda Crowson. Come and discover more of the Sick history of Lethbridge.

U Boats Against Canada

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 23:00:00 +0000

During the early part of the Second World War, Halifax was a key Allied port for winning the Battle of the Atlantic. Supplies from Canada and the United States flowed to the British Isles in back-and-forth merchant ship convoys through this Canadian harbour. However, in 1942, the American entry into the war and the fact that British code-breakers were no longer able to decipher German naval radio messages changed the entire naval campaign: North America became vulnerable to German submarine attacks. While on their return voyage against the Eastern seaboard, the aggressive U-boats decided to test Canadian home waters as well.

At the time, Ottawa was inadequately prepared to face this threat. A meagre fleet of fast motor boats, minesweepers and escort vessels were the only safeguards in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Surprise became the primary advantage for the Germans as the battle began in May 1942. Canadian authorities did not know the exact number and intention of enemy submarines assaulting the shores of Quebec and Newfoundland. By autumn, Allied losses were so bad that the Gulf was closed to all shipping.

Wartime federal censorship and denials of local authorities on the true nature of the submarine attacks meant most Canadians did not understand the scale of this tragedy until the 1970s when secret documents in the National Archives were finally declassified. But even if U-boats first won the battle, they were eventually defeated by naval and air counter-measures hastily implemented in the Maritimes to thwart further damages in the Gulf. In the end, Ottawa was unaware that it had actually secured a strategic victory because the U-boats never came back in strength during the war.

Join the Galt and Dr. Stéphane Guevremont on NOV 05 from 2 to 4 pm for our Café Galt lecture entitled “U Boats Against Canada.” Admission applies.

Hallowe’en

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 22:56:00 +0000

Everyone loves to dress up for Hallowe’en but do you know the reason behind this fall tradition? This favourite holiday, filled with pumpkin spice and spooky stories, actually has a long history. It starts with the Celtic people who lived 2,000 years ago, in the area which is now modern-day Ireland, Britain and northern France. The Celtic people believed that during Samhain, a Celtic festival at the end of October, the boundary between the dead and the living was blurred, and that spirits of the dead would roam the earth. People wore costumes when they went out at night so spirits would not be able to recognize them. Going forward to the eighth century, it was Pope Gregory III who designated November 1 as All Saints’ Day. This new holiday, a time to honour all of the saints and martyrs, incorporated some of the traditions from Samhain. The evening before became known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Hallowe’en. This holiday has continued to change over time to become more secular and community based. It is a time for people to come together, usually with child-friendly activities, to play games or go trick or treating. Here at the Galt, we are no exception. On Saturday, October 28 come to experience our Hallowe’en Spooktacular! Enjoy treats, play games and even make some crafts to decorate your house. And if you dare, go on a tour of the building and hear some spooky stories! Wear your costume as a dress rehearsal for the big night and enjoy free admission to the Museum for our Community Day from 1:00–4:30 pm. We look forward to seeing you there!

Exploring Cultural Landscapes

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 22:56:00 +0000

The Galt Museum & Archives and the City of Lethbridge Planning Department recently hosted a symposium called “Exploring Cultural Landscapes.” The event was designed to increase understanding of what cultural landscapes are, and how the approach can be used to manage places that have complex layers of both natural and cultural values.

In Lethbridge, the Oldman River valley system incorporates traditional Indigenous relationships with and knowledge about the land. It is home to native plants, traditional use sites, and other features that have continuing significance for Niitsitapi (Blackfoot people). For example, the last significant battle between the Cree and the Blackfoot people took place in 1870 near Bull Trail Park, on the west bank of the Oldman River.

The valley is also embedded with more recent memories and uses. The area between Whoop-Up Drive and the Highway 3 bridge housed Nicholas Sheran’s 1874 drift mine, and became known as “The Coal Banks.” Sir Alexander and Elliott Galt began a coal mining operation there in 1882. Remnants of these mines are evident in old incline railway beds and mine waste along the coulee banks. An abandoned tipple and water tower from the Galt No. 8 mine stand near the High Level Bridge–an iconic structure on the landscape that was finished in 1909.

Generations of residents have also called the Oldman River valley home. The hamlet of “Coalbanks” grew up around the mining operations, and although the town of Lethbridge was surveyed on the top of the coulee, some residents continued to live in the riverbottom until the 1950s. Since that time, Indian Battle Park and other parts of the valley have been primarily designated for recreation.
The Oldman River valley in Lethbridge is a significant cultural landscape. Its many layers of Indigenous, industrial, cultural and natural values continue to evolve, providing a strong sense of place for local residents and visitors.

Indigenous History

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 22:55:00 +0000

The history of southern Alberta begins long before the traders, coal miners and settlers of Lethbridge. The rich history of the Blackfoot Peoples goes back for many years. The Niitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy) is made up of four separate nations: the Kainai, Piikani, Siksika and the Amskapi Pikuni (Blackfeet in Montana). Their traditional territory took in much of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan as well as northern Montana. In this area, they would travel with the seasons, making summer and winter camps. Their travels would take them to the areas rich in food and medicinal sources that they would gather, as they followed the herds of buffalo for hunting. This territory contains many significant historical and cultural sites for the Blackfoot Peoples. The settlement of this land disrupted some of those traditional patterns. Reserves, residential schools and other government policies have left a difficult legacy for many Indigenous families. Yet despite that legacy, the Niitsitapi still have strong ties to the land and their cultural practices.

This fall, the Galt Museum & Archives and the Lethbridge Indigenous Service Network, Health and Wellness committee is starting a new Indigenous History Program at the Galt. Rebecca Many Grey Horses has been researching Blackfoot history and has created 10 lessons on various topics including Blackfoot historical figures, the legacy of residential schools and Blackfoot legends. This program is a community resource for individuals seeking to understand themselves or others. The program will be offered in the spirit of health, respect and truth, responding to our responsibility to learn our collective history and reconciliation. The Indigenous History program is best suited for individuals over 15 years of age and will run every Tuesday from October 10 to December 12 from 10:30 am until noon. No registration is required for this hands-on history series. Admission fees apply.

Italian Canadians in Lethbridge

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 22:55:00 +0000

Lethbridge has never had a “Little Italy,” as in other Prairie cities–but this region has a strong Italian Canadian heritage nonetheless.

In the early 1900s, southern Alberta’s coal mines and railways attracted workers from far and wide, including Italy. At first, most Italian immigrants were young men, who would send their wages home or save up to pay for the passage of their wife or bride-to-be. Gradually more women and families arrived, and by 1921 there were about 200 Italian Canadians living in Lethbridge. The names of early settlers like Matteotti and Pavan are still well known in the city today.

The close-knit Italian community in Lethbridge maintained many traditions from “home,” including the art of winemaking. Some families would plant grapes in their own backyards, and others ordered them through the Italian Canadian Cultural Centre to make their own wine. Silvio Mauro, who first settled in southern British Columbia and moved to Lethbridge in 1954, used a manual press [shown below] for the tough and messy job of squeezing juice from the grapes. The juice was then fermented and bottled. Opening the wine for special occasions like Christmas, a baptism, or a wedding was an important part of celebrating family and community. The winemaking tradition helped Italian Canadians maintain a sense of their cultural identity.

One of the more notorious Italian Canadians in southern Alberta’s history was Emilio Picariello, an ambitious entrepreneur who ended up on the wrong side of the law as a bootlegger, during Alberta’s prohibition. Check out his story in the new Galt Museum & Archives exhibit, The Rise and Fall of Emilio Picariello, organized by the Fernie Museum. The opening will take place Monday OCT 2 at 2 pm, with guest curator Adriana Davies as the featured speaker.

Emilio Picariello

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 22:54:00 +0000

Born in Sicily, Emilio Picariello came to Canada in 1909. He moved to British Columbia and was soon operating several businesses including a cigar factory and ice cream parlours. Picariello earned the nickname “Bottle King;” if people could not afford to pay in cash, he accepted bottles in payment. He eventually developed a monopoly on empty bottles, making money by selling the bottles to local bottlers.
Picariello moved to the Crowsnest Pass a few years later, where he became a respected and wealthy citizen. He donated generously to the war effort and gave money to striking miners. He was even elected an alderman in Blairmore.
In 1916, when prohibition started in Alberta, Picariello figured out how to profit from it, by transporting alcohol from Fernie into Alberta.
It all went wrong in September 1922. On September 21, Constable Stephen (Steve) Lawson, stationed at Coleman, radioed Blairmore that Picariello was on the way. When the police in Blairmore pulled Emilio Picariello over, he honked his horn to warn his son, Steve Picariello, and give him the notice to race back to British Columbia. As Steve Picariello raced west, Lawson was notified to be on the lookout for him. As Steve Picariello’s car approached Lawson, Lawson fired a warning shot into the air. When the car didn’t stop, he fired at Steve Picariello’s car, hitting him in the hand .
Emilio Picariello received incorrect information that Lawson had shot his son, seriously wounding and perhaps even killing him. Emilio Picariello, accompanied by Florence Lassandro, confronted Lawson.
The versions vary but Constable Lawson was shot. To this day it has never been definitely proved if he was shot by Picariello or Lassandro. Whatever the truth, both of them were arrested, tried, found guilty and executed on 22 May 1923.
Discover the true stories behind the story of Emilio Picariello at the Curator Presents…, the opening of the exhibit The Rise and Fall of Emilio Picariello on Mon OCT 02 from 2–3 pm.

Dieppe

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 22:53:00 +0000

In August 1942, 5000 Canadian military personnel and 1000 British commandos attacked the French port of Dieppe. The raid was an attempt to invade German-occupied Europe.

The Dieppe raid lasted nine hours, resulting in the death of 1000 men and the capture of 2000 others. While the Dieppe raid was unsuccessful, it provided information later used in the planning for D-Day in 1944.

Dieppe, and the soldiers who fought there, is commemorated in Lethbridge in the Glendale-Dieppe neighbourhood, created through the work of Veterans Affairs Canada under the authority of the Veteran’s Land Act (VLA). Veterans Affairs bought land in the area to provide housing for veterans following the war. The city donated 125 acres to the project.

Land was divided into lots for 100 houses with initial lots generally sized at one acre. The minimum lot size permitted was a half-acre. The large lots were to give veterans and their families land to grow gardens and supplement their incomes. These large lots started to be subdivided around the 1970s.

Many roads in the Dieppe area have names related to the Second World War.

Astra Street—Astra means star. The motto of the Royal Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force was Per ardua ad astra or “Through adversity to the stars.”

Cassino Street—Cassino was part of the Italian campaign in 1944.

Corvette Crescent—Corvette was a small, lightly armed ship used by Canada during the war, primarily for anti-submarine work.

Falaise Street—Falaise refers to the Battle of the Falaise Pocket which occurred in August 1944 as part of the Battle of Normandy.

Normandy Street—The Battle of Normandy and the Normandy invasion are remembered in Normandy Road.

Ortona Street—The Battle of Ortona, in December 1943, resulted in 2300 Canadian casualties.

Join the Galt and Dr. Stéphane Guevremont on Sun SEP 24 from 2 to 4 pm for our Café Galt lecture entitled “Dieppe: 75 Years Later.”

Coal Mining

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 22:53:00 +0000

Steven Brown

Coal was essential to the development of the Crowsnest Pass. Between 1900 and the 1960s, there were, amazingly, 16 coal mines between the BC border and Burmis, along what is now the Crowsnest Highway. After the Canadian Pacific Railway line was completed through the Pass in 1898, coal mines and their accompanying towns began to quickly develop. Towns and hamlets such as Frank, Lille, Bellevue, Hillcrest, Coleman, Passburg, Beaver Mines, Lundbreck, Burmis and Blairmore all had their origins in the early twentieth century. Despite their frenzied early development, some of these towns did not survive to see the beginning of the First World War. Lille is the most famous of these now-derelict ghost towns. The Lille mine was opened in 1901 by West Canadian Collieries, and the only remains are the foundations of the local hotel, skeletons of the mines once massive coke ovens and a lone fire hydrant marking a former street corner. Lille was well known for coking coal; a process that involves cooking all the impurities out of the coal in massive kilns, and leaves behind almost pure carbon. These kilns were specially shipped from Belgium to be assembled in Lille. Due to declining coke markets in 1912, the Lille mine was forced to shut down with a loss of around $40,000, and their equipment was moved to other mines in the area.

The town of Lille is just one of many stories in the complex history of the Crowsnest Pass. As the coal market declined in the 1950s, all the other mines in the Crowsnest Pass eventually shut down, the last one by 1983. Come to the Galt Museum & Archives on SEP 20 from 1–2 pm and join Steven Brown as he briefly examines the history of coal mining in the Crowsnest Pass between 1900 and 1960.

Back to School

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 22:52:00 +0000

If you’re a parent, those words may mean you have a little more time on your hand, so sit back and enjoy a few snippets related to education in Lethbridge and elsewhere.

In April 1894, the Lethbridge News announced that a K. W. McKenzie was coming to Lethbridge to teach at the High School. Kenneth W. McKenzie, a graduate of Toronto University, spent a year as principal before moving to Edmonton, where he again took up teaching and also operated a bookstore. But politics was calling his name and in 1898, he was elected to Edmonton Town Council and served as Edmonton mayor.

When the Alberta School Trustees’ Association was founded in Edmonton in 1907, the acting president was J. H. Fleetwood of Lethbridge. Fleetwood is remembered today as the Fleetwood portion of Fleetwood-Bawden School.

Remember when teachers (and parents) said it was all fun and games until someone lost an eye? Perhaps they knew of this following story. In 1922, a young boy in Cardston had an arrow pierce his eye while playing with friends. The school nurse thought he would lose the use of the eye. Strangely, the young boy was named for someone who had also had an almost identical accident as the young boy, and lost his eye on the same side. As an adult, Ronald Folsom, a teacher at Warner, had a glass eye and feared his namesake would have the same.

In 1943, Lethbridge and the province of Alberta experienced the longest summer break in its history. There was no school from the end of June to October 10. This wasn’t intended as a holiday for students. Students were needed as farm and other labour during the Second World War and were sent back to school when harvest was completed.

Who knows what stories and memories will come from this school year. Whatever they are, hopefully they’ll at some point be donated to the Galt Archives and become part of the historic record.

Beer Tasting Prohibition August 31st

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 22:51:00 +0000

As you lift a glass of beer at this Friday’s Galt Beer Tasting Soirée, think about the debt you owe to C. F. P. Conybeare for your right to enjoy that ice cold drink.

Who was Conybeare? C. F. P. Conybeare was Lethbridge’s first lawyer, coming to Lethbridge in 1885 and starting his own practice. He served as city solicitor, crown prosecutor and was founding vice-president of the Law Society of Alberta. The house he built in 1892 stills stands on 6 Avenue South, and is remembered fondly by many Lethbridgians as the Regal Confectionery.

So what does Conybeare have to do with your glass of beer? Conybeare was a founding members and president of the Moderation League of Alberta. The Moderation League was the main group that fought to end prohibition in Alberta, and to bring back the legal sale of alcohol in the province.

In 1916, prohibition became the law across Alberta. By 1921, even Premier Stewart had to admit that the government was having difficulty enforcing the Liquor Act. Conybeare could have told him this would happen. In fact in 1909, Conybeare wrote a Lethbridge Herald article about the difficulties the police had in stopping whisky smuggling across this area during the prohibition period of the 1870s to the 1890s. In his writing, Conybeare outlined the various ways liquor was brought into the area and the ways some members of the community supported this illegal activity. He did not think it possible to stop the liquor traffic and thought instead it should be controlled and regulated

So Conybeare joined with other like-minded people in Lethbridge, and across Alberta, to form the Moderation League to advocate for an end to prohibition. Finally, in the 1923 plebiscite, their option for government control of alcohol won the vote, bringing prohibition to an end in 1924.

And the good people of Alberta could once again drink their beer in peace.

Coming to the Community

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 22:50:00 +0000

As Lethbridge gets ready for the Whoop-Up Days, we recall the time when large cattle companies brought in thousands of sturdy long-horn cattle from the south where they had been grazing on the rich prairie grass. In the early 1900s, many people arrived by train to claim homesteads; become cowboys and miners; worked on the railway, in the local brewery, or building more irrigation canals. They came from countries all around the world enriching this community with their traditions and culture.

Visitors to the Discovery Hall at the Galt Museum & Archives can listen to “Elliott and Mabel Galt” tell the story of the region, before flying over the prairie, river valleys and mountains in a purple airplane. After watching a movie in the Street Car theatre, guests walk through a coal mine and then sit in the Kainai Arbour to play the drum and watch powwow dancers perform. These symbols, found in the permanent exhibit of Discovery Hall at the Galt Museum & Archives, represent diverse aspects of the human history of southwestern Alberta.

The lure of adventure, of wealth, of sanctuary, of starting a new life brought people to southern Alberta. Ranchers were drawn by the open spaces, their cowboys by a life outdoors. Homesteaders seized the offer of free land or purchased irrigated land. Businessmen could see the demand for their goods. Contributions from many people shaped our communities and added vibrancy to our economy, art and culture.

The Youth Exhibition Board, formed in the spring of 1969 planned a wide range of youth activities for the summer event that has grown into what we now know as Whoop-Up Days.

On Tuesday August 22 at 11:30 am, don your western wear and join the businesses of Scenic Plaza at our annual Whoop-Up Days fundraiser. Enjoy beef-on-a-bun, beans and a pop, entertainment, face painting and a whoop-up good time! This special event is sponsored by CBI Health Group, Galt Museum & Archives, Green Acres Foundation, Johnson Insurance and Servus Credit Union.

The Galt Archives

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 22:50:00 +0000

The Galt Archives is a community’s hidden treasure. Tucked away at the basement of the Galt Museum, the archives has been a source of insight and inspiration for many local residents. This is where one can research family history, obtain information about an old house—when it was built and who the previous owners were—and order copies of historical images. Have you seen those large vintage photos at the Park Place Mall? They come from the Galt Archives. The historical photos at the Lethbridge Herald? Yes, they too come from our archives. So do local vintage images that you see in lawyer’s offices, senior homes and restaurants.

We are very proud of our photographic collection, which is among the richest in the province. We have close to 600,000 photographs! Our most frequently used collection is the Lethbridge Herald fonds, which includes images produced by the Herald’s photographers from the 1950s and into the early 1990s. If your picture appeared in the newspaper in the 1970s or 1980s, we likely have the original negative and you can order a print or digital copy. Our images can be browsed on the Galt’s website at galtmuseum.com/archives-search. Just enter a keyword or a last name to open a window into the Lethbridge’s past.

We also care about making this experience as easy as possible by providing guidance and education to our visitors. Archivist Andrew Chernevych and Archives Assistant Trish Purkis are always happy to help. On August 31, we offer a workshop on how to preserve old photographs by scanning them in high resolution. In addition, the archives offers its high quality scanners to be used by local residents for scanning their own pictures, negatives included. One just need to make an appointment with the archives staff. And, finally, we regularly post some awesome images on our Facebook page, check them out!

Ammolite History

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 22:49:00 +0000

The Blackfoot people have known about iridescent ammonite fossils for hundreds of years. They called the material "Iniskim" (meaning "buffalo stone") and used it as a talisman. These distinctly bright, beautiful and iridescent colours are considered a rare and national treasure by the Canadian government. All Canadian ammonites are individually numbered and recorder in a provincial database. These exceptionally scarce Canadian Ammonites are sought by museums and private collectors the world over.

Scientists from the Canadian Geological Survey described iridescent ammonite shells in 1908, but the first exhibition of iridescent ammonite in lapidary projects did not occur until 1962, when cut gems were mounted in jewelry and exhibited in a small gem show in Nanton, Alberta. Ammolite is formed from an ancient marine fossil ammonite. Although sources of ammonite exist in other locations around the globe, it is only in one isolated region of southern Alberta that this deposit produces the gemstone Ammolite.

In 1967, Marcel Charbonneau, owner of a Calgary rock shop, began assembling doublets of iridescent ammonite shell on matrix with a clear quartz cover and calling them "Ammolite." The material quickly became popular. In 1981, Ammolite was recognized as a gemstone by CIBJO Colored Stones Commission brought international attention to Ammolite and in 2004 it was named as the official gemstone of the Province of Alberta.

The World Jewellery Confederation classifies Ammolite as a true gem, one of only three named in the last 300 years. The rolling terrain around the St. Mary River provides the setting for mining to uncover a rich deposit of the gem. Since the City of Lethbridge designated Ammolite as its Official Gemstone on April 30, 2007, interest in Ammolite and the International mining operation of the gem just south of Lethbridge has grown.

For residents and visitors looking for a precious stone to call their own, Ammolite gems are now 30% off at the Galt Museum Store for the month of August.

Blackfoot Dance

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 15 Aug 2017 22:48:00 +0000

Art has always been an integral part of Blackfoot life. Blackfoot tools, construction of homes and their clothing were all seen as art and respected as such. Historians have long reflected on this understanding of the world and the integration of art with song, dance, ceremony and oral traditions in Blackfoot culture.

Dancing is a very important part of Blackfoot culture. One of their most important rituals has been the Sun Dance. For thousands of years, this ritual consisted of three or four days of dancing, feasting and religious ceremonies. Part of the ceremony was a test of a young warrior’s strength and endurance.

Today, the Sundance is still practiced. Some dances have changed from ceremonies to a combination of a dance, celebration, family reunion, and a festival. Powwows are held all over North America. Powwows are famous for their beautiful costumes, dances and music. Most powwows include First Nations people from many nations. Together they celebrate their native heritage through dance, music, and song. The dance styles seen at today's powwows come from many different regions of North America.

There are different powwow dance styles including Men's Buckskin and Women's Traditional. The dancers in this dance dress in their traditional Blackfoot outfits. There is also the chicken dance, the fancy dance, the jingle dance and the grass dance representing rich cultural traditions

Indigenous culture is global and the Consulate-General of Japan has partnered with the Galt Museum & Archives and the Blackfoot Nation to host a special cross-cultural event called Indigenous Bridges at Fort Whoop-Up. The partnership hopes to entertain and educate with traditional musical performances by cultures of indigenous peoples in Canada and Japan. The Ainu Art Project will be performing. The Ainu are an indigenous people that predominately hail from Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido.

Join us for an afternoon of bridging cultures on Friday, August 11 at 1 pm. Admission Fees apply.
For more information visit galtmuseum.com/fort-whoop_up or call 403-320.7777 .

Irrigation History

noreply@blogger.com (Galt Museum & Archives) — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 22:48:00 +0000

History of Irrigation in Southern Alberta

The first large scale irrigational companies were undertaken by Lethbridge's very own, Sir Alexander Galt in 1893. As research of the human histories of the Oldman River, Galt was already a railroad and coal mine owner in this region, with co-investors, the Northwest Coal and Navigation company. Funded by the Northwest Coal and Navigation Co. Galt began to construct canals to Margrath and Sterling of this region, supplying them irrigational water for thier dryland crops. It was the resident Latter Day Saints that did most of the work for these canals.

The early settlers of this region came because the soil was rich in organics, and good farming soil. It quickly became apparent to the resident farmers that an artificial source of water as needed because so little precipitation fell on the region of Southern Alberta. Galt’s great Irrigation projects brought the first water to settlers of this region. Though they did not have sophisticated piping and intricate canals, small channels of water dug throughout the farmers fields, and their land was often irrigated through periodic flooding.

In the 1930s farmers quickly learned about their poor irrigation and farming practices. Flood irrigation, introduced far too many sodic salts into the soil, which decreased soil aggregation. Also in the thirties, there were poor levels of moisture in this region, making the soil quite dry. This made the conditions just right for winds to blow away the top soil.

Take some time to learn more about the Oldman Watershed and how it has shaped our community, visit the Galt Museum & Archives exhibit Water in a Dry Land and attend the Wednesday at the Galt program on SMIRD: Past, Present & Future presentation by Terrence Lazarus Wed AUG 02 from 2-3 pm. Admission fees apply. Admission is free to annual pass holders.