This year the Barrhead Leader turned 90.
To celebrate this fact, the editorial staff decided to take a look at two years of our history, 1928 and 1943.
Why did we choose those specific years? Simply because 1928 is the first year we could physically find examples and 1943 because we thought it would be interesting to find out how Barrhead residents fared during the war years.
Mr. M. M. O’Brien and the School Inspector paid a visit to Cavell this week. The construction of the Benton School is about finished. It will open on the 18th of June, with Mr. H.L. Fisher in charge.
Mr. C. W. Davis of Edmonton, is a visitor in the community.
All farmers have taken advantage of the fine weather by working late. About all the wheat is seeded.
Mrs. John Wallace has returned to her home after a visiting a week with her mother, of Roselea.
Barrhead town council met a week ago Monday in the Hotel Rest Room and thoroughly considered the matter of fire protection for the village — a vital question in which we are all interested. It was decided to place an order with the Saskatoon Fire Engine Co. for a chemical engine, subject to satisfactory demonstration of same before acceptance. The matter of adequate fire quarters will come under consideration of the council at a subsequent meeting. This action on the part of our council will fill a long felt want and assure our townspeople of the very necessary protection in the event of a fire breaking out.
Arrangements have also been made for the completion of the sidewalks and crossings in the village.
If the village can get the unanimous consent of the ratepayers to the project in view, of erecting a municipal and community hall, construction will at once be proceeded with in the near future. This is also one of the urgent needs of the community, as at present there is no hall available for conventions or public gatherings. This will be good news to the younger set who are looking forward to many social gatherings during the winter.
The Alberta Pool Elevator has been recently been electrically wired Mr. E.G. Hooper and the U.G.G. elevator will be wired next week.
Topland was recently visited by a hail storm which is reported have done severe damage. The crops of many of the farmers are completely destroyed. C.J. Shaper of Barrhead, who was at Fort Assiniboine at the time had the metal rims of his automobile lights dented by huge missiles.
Barrhead is adding one more industry to its manufacturing list. The proprietor of the above concern is Mr. Joe Popiech, an old country German, who, during the past winter did a thriving business sawing wood for various farmers in the neighbourhood, the power for which work was furnished by the engine of his Ford car. The power for the car was gasoline extracted by him from the wood as he carried on sawing operations.
A notable visitor is now the guest of his brothers, the Reitsmas, at Neerlandia. Mr. (rank unknown to The Leader) W. Reitsma, of the East Indies Dutch Navy, arrived in Edmonton Monday night after flying all the way from Philadelphia.
Mr. Reitsma is an engineer on a Dutch submarine, and this submarine crew, successfully underwent the whole eastern campaign when the Nipponese were so deadly on the march in the early days of the war with Japan. Mr. Ted Reitsma, who resides at Neerlandia, had not seen his sea-going brother for over 30 years, that lad enlisting in the Dutch Navy when he was 17 years old and then was soon transferred to the Dutch East Indies. In the meantime the other Reitsma brothers and cousins came to Canada and settled in their present district. Now that the Japs are on the run instead of on the march or at least stationary, Engineer Reitsma has somehow found time to renew family relations and although he can’t talk English, of course, as yet, there is no doubt that if he stays here or returns after the war, he will be able to enthrall all the little Reitsmas and others as well with his broad experiences in World War II.
Inauguration of the Edmonton local Ration Board launches the program of 37 boards planned for Alberta. C.G. McKee, regional superintendent of rationing, attended the first meeting of the Edmonton board, Friday, Dec. 18, with R.F. Johnson liaison officer. Mayor John W. Fry was chairman and ten members attended.
Immediate tasks assigned to local ration boards include replacement of lost or damaged ration books, issuing of temporary ration books to members of the armed services on leave for seven days or more, issuing new ration books, recording changes of address, and change of name and providing ration books for new babies, and accepting return or ration books in cases of deaths.
Edmonton Local Ration Board offices are situated in the Market building.
There will be 37 Local Ration Boards in Alberta, and 547 in Canada.
All sellers of milk, wherever they are located in Canada will receive proper subsidies for the two cents price reduction which became effective Dec. 16, by order of the Wartime Prices and Trade Board. Arrangement is made by the Commodity Prices Stabilization Corporation to make payments through the Canadian chartered banks. This is thought to be of advantage to the farm dealer who serves many smaller urban and suburban centres.
It is intended to assure all the Canadian consumers receiving the benefit of the two cents per quart reduction immediately following the effective date.
At Barrhead, Mr. R. Scheive, who makes the rounds to your door, come rain or shine, two feet of snow or 40 below, has refunded his various customers the two cents per quart on all tickets held by them.
Barrhead, along with the rest of Alberta, is now feeling acutely the coal shortage. With most coal bins of the community bare of the customary black diamonds and 50 below zero weather prevalent, residents are sitting up nights burning chunks of wood, which fortunately is still plentiful, providing you are lucky enough to locate the right party. However, it is well to be carful of your chimneys if you are firing against sub-zero temperatures with wood, else you may have a hotter fire than you bargained for.
It is reported that Mr. C.K. Mast was re-elected as trustee of the Pembina School Division Board for his division on Jan. 9 last.
A coal shortage may possibly occur at the local school if coal is not secured in the very near future. In fact the shortage is so imminent that unless coal is secured by Monday next, the school may not reopen after being closed for a week by the fear of an epidemic of diphtheria.
It is expected, however, that a half-car-load of coal may be available by next Saturday when Mr. L. Mark, who has a car-load of nut coal on order for his flour mill may receive his shipment. A car-load of coal arriving on schedule now days is something nevertheless that doesn’t always happen. There is an obstacle to be overcome even if it does, but happily not insurmountable. The installation last fall of an automatic stoker at the school precludes the use of any coal that cannot be fed through it. There are two available means around this awkward problem: One is to smash the coal to dust and the other is to put grates in the furnace.
Word was received Monday by Mr. and Mrs. James Donald, of Barrhead east, of the death of their son, Sgt.-Pilot James Corke Donald.
Jimmie is thus the first native son to pay the supreme sacrifice in this war. Details are meager as yet as to just what transpired, but the grieving parents are awaiting a promised letter from the War Department in which an explanation in full will be given.
There have been other casualties from here in the various services, but Jimmie was born and reared here and attended high school. Indeed, he was scarcely out of the 12th Grade before enlisting in the R.C.A.F. His training completed, he did not waste much time in landing on the tight little island and had been in service approcimately a year in the Costal Command in Britain before death overtook him.
