Growing up in a small community, there was always music in the air. In the family and house I grew up in, my Dad played several musical instruments and we all participated in band and or music lessons. I recall going to Esther, Loverna and New Brigden to dances with my parents and there were always local bands playing. The above photo is a group of gentlemen from the Sibbald area in the early 1900's who entertained the folks in the community whenever they got a chance to. I believe Marguerite Wilson's Grandpa is one of the members of this band.

                                                               The Beef Ring.
In the mid-1930's a Beef Ring was organized in the Esther area.This was done so the families in the area would have fresh meat once a week, the membership was $5.00. Walt Cartwright who was a butcher in England assisted by his brother Frank did the butchering, in later years Jeff and Beth Barnett did the butchering, cutting and wrapping. Each member donated one beef for butchering, they would receive two pieces of meat, a choice piece and some stewing meat, cut and wrapped each week and by the end of the year, they would have received the equivalent of the beef they had donated. The Beef Ring eventually extended as far as New Brigden and Sedalia and the meat was delivered to Esther on Friday's. In 1953 a Locker Plant was opened in the Loverna and at that time the Beef Ring was disbanded.

When we travel around Alberta taking photos of old buildings, we see structures that resemble schools. Typically they would have three or four windows together where the children would sit in class. I have discovered recently that on some of our small towns there were hospitals and they were built similar to schools. The one in this photo sat in Altario, Alberta, I lived close to this town and until recently did not know there was a hospital there in the early days. It was a Red Cross hospital, opened in 1920 and was instigated by a lady name Mary Conquest and staffed by a Dr. Robinson and two nurses, it had 4 beds. Dr. Robinson later opened a store in Altario also.

In 1966 and 67 I lived and worked in Medicine Hat, my new found friends and I were always looking for things to do. It seemed one of our favorite places to hang out and give the car-hops a bad time was at the good old Dog & Suds. The burgers and hotdogs were great and the sodas of many varieties were always cold and tasty.

Dog & Suds began in 1953 in Illinois, then in the 1970’s they had expanded into Canada. Their slogan was “World’s Creamiest Root Beer” served in frosted mugs.

The one in Medicine Hat was the place to go in the evenings, there would be rag top cars and music playing and everyone hanging out and having a great time. It is unfortunate that we don’t have cool places like this today where everyone can go and just have fun while they have a snack and a pop.

My Dad bought this old snow plane and he and Frank Pratt hunted coyotes in this contraption. I remember as a kid riding in it, it was incredibly noisy but it went like the wind. Dad used it in the winter time to get from the farm to town as the roads back then were not good in the winter and there were no Special Area plows then, just local snow plow clubs. I had to remind him in later years when I bought my first snow machine that his snow plane was kind of like a snow machine As our Dads hunted coyotes together so did Murray and I hunt coyotes together when we got our first snow machines.

I am amazed at the ingenuity of my Dad when it came to McGivering things together and making them work.

In 1914 the Municipality of Canmer was formed and took in the surrounding area of Esther, Alberta. In 1932 the Municipality was awarded a contract to build 9 miles of road near Oyen, Alberta which is now the #9 Highway. The work was all done by horsepower and shovel. I remember my Grandfather telling stories about building the highway with machinery like the grader above and a team of horses and a slip. It took years not weeks or months to build the highway we take for granted today. In 1937 the municipal office was closed and the Special Areas took over.

This morning as I was having breakfast the train was passing through close to where I live, I was reminded of years gone by when Friday was Train Day in Esther. All of the locals who had cream cans to ship to the creamery in Saskatoon would be there to drop the cans off on the platform of the old railroad station, I remember Mom getting a check from the creamery for 5 bucks for a can of cream. At one time the mail and groceries would also be on the train. Bill Foot would have his old one-ton truck backed up to the box car and everyone would help unload the groceries and mail and haul them over to the store. Good Friday was a special day as the CNR would add a passenger car to the train and all the school kids got a ride from Esther to the end of the line and back again. The railroad served the Esther community with various essential services for many years. Please excuse the quality of the photo as it was the only one I could find.