by Elaine Thomas | Sep 2, 2022 | Old Times, Rural Life, Saving Stories, Western Canada
Charlie Brunt, who attended Ballyhamage, a one-room school south of Calgary, in the late 1930s and 1940s, didn’t mean to get into mischief. Sometimes, though, he couldn’t resist. That’s what happened the day Charlie, pictured above, observed how much the tail of the...
by Elaine Thomas | Aug 19, 2022 | Family, Old Times, Rural Life, Saving Stories, Western Canada
Over a pot of tea many years ago, Mom shared memories of Ballyhamage, the one-room school she attended from 1920 to 1925. The little white frame building had no electricity, indoor plumbing, telephone, water well or running water. Built on top of a ridge of hills with...
by Elaine Thomas | Aug 5, 2022 | Family, Old Times, Saving Stories, Western Canada
A faded cover. A ragged spine. Well-thumbed pages. These are not flaws, but evidence of this vintage Blue Ribbon Cook Book’s untold tales. I treasure this little volume dedicated to the ‘women of Canada’ more than a century ago. The engraved image of the Blue Ribbon...
by Elaine Thomas | Jul 22, 2022 | Old Times, Rural Life, Western Canada
Decades ago, I discovered some stunning abandoned sights while wandering Southern Alberta’s backroads with my 35 mm camera. These works of country art fascinated me back then and I’m still under their spell today. Elaine on Assignment When I took some of these photos,...
by Elaine Thomas | Jul 8, 2022 | Family, Old Times, Rural Life, Western Canada
The Calgary Stampede was the highlight of our summers when I was a child. Attending the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth was convenient because we lived on a farm south of the city. Our family certainly knew how to get the most out of the greatly anticipated event...
by Elaine Thomas | Jun 3, 2022 | Old Times, Rural Life, Saving Stories, Western Canada
Years ago, a legendary athlete gave me the first place engraved sterling silver swimming trophy she’d won in the 1918 ladies Canadian PNA Championship 500-yard race. Here’s the tale behind my treasured keepsake. A Legend is Born Audrey (Mikie) Griffin Kieran was six...
