Alberta History 1907-1909

What can I do in Jasper Alberta?

Jasper Alberta's Historic View

1907

Jim Foley wrote about Alberta: There is something in Alberta that makes you live and breath and feel. Makes you bigger, broader, better; makes you know the worth of toil. Makes you feel free as the Prairies and noble as her soil. Makes you kindly as a man is; makes you manly as a king. Not a foot has touched its Prairies but is longing to return.

Bowness, Alberta was created this year by John Hextall who wanted to create a bedroom community to Calgary. It was incorporated into Calgary about 1964. The village of Rouleauville is annexed into Calgary with a population of 780 people and became known as the Mission District.

A mine disaster at John Walters mine kills 6 employees. The Strathcona Coal Company is jointly owned by Premier Alexander Rutherford and John Walters.

Robert Ochsner who built the Ochsner Brewery in 1894 sold it and it was called Strathcona Brewing and Malting Co. In 1924 it was named the Northwest Brewing Company.


The Alberta Land Company purchased 390,000 acres at $1.00/acre for lands in Southern Alberta. The Saskatchewan Valley Land Company purchased 250,000 acres at $1.00/acre in southern Saskatchewan.

Frank Oliver (1853-1933), son Allen Bowsfield succeeded in canceling the "Hamlet Clause" of 1899 forcing 2,500 homesteaders off the land by effectively confiscating their lands especially the Doukhobors. Oaths are required to own land which is against their religion. The Indians and churches were exempt from these rulings.

The Iroquois and Metis of Montreal who had long settled in the Jasper Pass, Alberta and who had intermarried with the Cree and Stony People were forced to move when their community was incorporated in the Newly created Jasper National Park. This community was relocated to Grande Cashe, Alberta on the Smoky River. These first explorers of the Rocky Mountains are treated like chaff.

A common phrase used in early Alberta was "drink Canada Dry". This was a take off from Canada Dry Ginger Ale invented this year by J.J. McLaughlin, a pharmacy graduate of the University of Toronto. Cadbury-Schweppes of England acquired the rights.

May: A. Monroe of Edmonton purchased block #3 of King Edward Park for $2,200.00.

May 7: Lots are being sold in Garneau, Strathcona, Alberta starting at $500.00.

May 10: At Egglake, near Mornville, Alberta, the American Canadian Oil Company is drilling for oil. They struck gas at 550 feet last year. A few years ago they struck gas at 355 feet at Pelican Rapids on the Athebasca River.

July: The Bulletin paper took a census and discovered 1/5 of Edmonton, Alberta was living in tents, some 1,098 tents. Those living in tents were required to buy a license and usually spent 15 to 20 dollars for a floor and sidings. The authorities could no longer claim that folks living in tents are non-residents.







1908

In the fall of this year, French Catholic Squatters Beaudin, Doucet, Langevin, Fontaine, Joly, Pepin, Racicot and others arrived at St. Paul de Metis. They are acting upon the advice of their Spiritual Advisor, Father Therien, to begin claim jumping Metis land. When confronted, Father Therien lied and said he knew nothing about these French settlers in Saint Paul des Metis. His lie also included Bishop Langevin and Bishop Legal, who were advised that Saint Paul des Metis is to be secretly opened to the French Catholics. As a result, the Metis learned that the Roman Catholic Church had secretly proposed to the Dominion of Canada that St. Paul de Metis be disbanded as a failure. The Metis protested the Church action and a petition is sent to Ottawa with one hundred registered family names. It would appear that the Metis are no longer an accepted flock of the Roman Church which, at this time, is trying to maintain its prestige in the advancing New Protestant Order of things. Archbishop Emile Legal wrote that the Church's position was, since they couldn't stop the tide of French settlers (which Bishop Grandin had created) from descending on St. Paul de Metis, to further immigration by bringing in a select class of (French Roman Catholic) colonists to occupy the magnificent land. Archbishop Emile Legal knew this was a lie as he is well aware of the secret arrangements between Frank Oliver Minister of the interior and the Oblate, Father Thereon. Father Morin, for years, had been carrying out the policies of Bishop Vital Justin Grandin (1829-1902) by diverting the French settlers from Stony Plain to Morinville and other locations. Stony Plain is named after the Stoney Indians who camped there. Let there be no doubt the Oblates were in control and knew exactly what they were doing. The Oblate historians also knew they were covering up these sinful activities, even to present times.

The only things not completely verified at this time are if Father Lacombe (1827-1916) is silenced concerning this matter and how the Church got to Frank Oliver. One report suggests Bishop Legal forced Father Lacombe (1827-1916), on March 28, 1908, to submit to obedience and allow settlers to claim jump Metis lands. Father Lacombe (1827-1916) would have known the evil consequences of his actions when he reportedly said, "I submit." His letter of 1901, titled the "Redemption of the Half Breed Race", surely stood mockingly in his mind. Concerning Saint Paul des Metis he said, "We are bound to remain to our post and persevere in our work, even if the whole world is leagued against us". The major guilt, however, lay with the western Bishops and the French Roman Catholic Church. The Metis of Saint Paul des Metis became those half-breed occupants whose claims needed to be investigated and disposed of in order to allow ordinary settlement. The Roman Catholic Church, however, would be allowed to retain possession of their four sections. Inspector F. A. Bannerman of the North West Mounted Police arrived in late November to evict the French from the Metis colony. He posted notice of eviction to the claim jumpers. Samuel Maber of the Department of Interior is commissioned to look into the Metis claims. Father Therien is on the hot seat but still claims he had no knowledge of the French squatters.

The Edmonton Radical Railway (street car service) began operations. Houses are appearing in the Garneau region, and they are connected by streets for traversing in wet weather. Some say the good old horse and buggy is better than the motor car.

The University of Alberta is established in Strathcona, Alberta after much debate between the Calgary and Edmonton site options. The University acquired 258 acres of land for one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This included ,for the most part, the homestead of A. Patton at its current value of three hundred thousand dollars.

March 11: Lake St. Vincent (near St. Paul des Metis), birth, (II)-James Patrick Brady, Metis, died 1967 son (I)-James Brady born 1875 Ireland and Philomena Archange Garneau Metis (1876-1918). James Jr., a Metis champion, disappeared near Foster Lakes, Saskatchewan after June 7, 1967.

March 31: The Provincial Government bought the Bell Telephone Company for six hundred and seventy five thousand dollars because, in their opinion, they had failed to serve rural areas.

June 29: Dr. McIntyre, Liberal for Strathcona, made a motion to set aside land for Universities in the two new provinces that would effectively expropriate the homesteads. Frank Oliver, Minister of the Interior, opposed the motion and inquired as to who would benefit from improvements; the Government or Homesteader? And what about squatters?





1908

December 19: Stony Plain officially became a town.



1909

Some say the first automobile arrived in Castor, Alberta this year.

Eight Sisters of Charity of Notre Dame d'Evon, France came to Trochu, Alberta, and set up a hospital, convent and school.

The Roman Catholic Church's attack on the Metis people of St. Paul de Metis had a devastating impact on Metis morale. The Church claimed no wrong doing and left Father Joseph Therein in command until 1918 and many lost their faith, gave up the fight and sold their lands. Within a few years the French would dominate the town and begin driving out the Metis.

William Cardinal would later say that he had seen St. Paul de Metis at its best with good homes, some nice farms, beautiful horses and carriages. When everyone had plenty to eat and good clothes to wear. He would witness the degeneration of the Metis. The infamous Bishop Vital Grandin's legacy of "we instill in them a pronounced distaste for the native life so that they will be humiliated when reminded of their origin" should have been rewritten to: Even if they are more successful than the white men we will instill in them a profound distaste for having the nerve to call themselves Metis. The holy Oblates knew exactly what they had done and it would be several decades later before the Metis would again unite to present a single voice demanding action to alleviate their largely Roman Church driven plight. (II)-James Brady would never forget this French Roman Church atrocity and this incident would be instrumental in pushing his thinking towards socialism, communism and the Metis and Native rights movement.

Edmonton dragline crew Dragline crew in region of Edmonton, Alberta Center person is Artem (Art) Joseph Gauthier (February 11, 1883 - June 1958)



April 10: The colony of St. Paul de Metis is officially disbanded and its lands open to general homesteading. The Roman Church had filed claim that the settlement had failed to adapt to agricultural life.

Many of the inhabitants of the reserve held land outside the reserve. The other interesting question is; what are they doing with two threshing machines if they are not farming? Family photos suggest they are farming. The Roman Catholic Church, its Bishops and priests may have been liars for their own purposes.

The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway reached Tofield, Alberta, 41 miles from Edmonton.

Jerome (Sam) Drumheller who arrived 1907 began construction of the first coal mine in the area called Newcastle. By 1921 Drumheller boasted 27 operating mines including the Atlas Coal Co. Ltd which opened 1917.

The Edmonton penitentiary that later became the warehouse for Big Four Van Lines tried to be self sufficient with its vegetable gardens where the Clarke Stadium is now, and had its own coal operation called Penn Mine that tunneled under the stadium property.

Calgary Power Company Limited, created October 19, 1909, would dam the Bow River at Horseshoe Falls, forty-five miles west of Calgary by 1911.

Jasper Alberta's History