A tribute to William Wardill

By Joan Janzen

William (Bill) Wardill passed away on March 19, 2022, however, his memory lives on within the many stories he relayed throughout the years. Bill was a storyteller equipped with an excellent memory. As someone born in 1927 in Eatonia, Saskatchewan, he had a vast arsenal of stories to tell.

He recalled boyhood memories from the Dirty Thirties, being offered a nickel to deliver handbills advertising a medicine man’s live show. All of his commentaries were laced with a healthy dose of his personally crafted humour.

Bill wrote for numerous publications, many of them right here in west central Saskatchewan, including the Kindersley Clarion and West Central Crossroads. Not only did he entertain his readers, but he simultaneously relayed valuable nuggets of history.

In 1991, Bill earned a degree in English and History from Athabaska University. As he aptly pointed out during an interview with the Battleford’s News optimist, “Most people in the world are younger than I am; I saw history happen and remember.” When asked why he became a journalist, he answered, “Because I couldn’t help it.”

His advice to aspiring journalists had an old-school flavour: “Learn the proper uses of word meanings and grammar and be sure of your sources. Within this framework, be as creative as a poet.”

It was obvious that Bill loved his own humour, as he claimed the funniest stuff he had seen was in his own book entitled “Lampoons West.” The list of books he had written was extensive: A Place and a Tribe, Just a Make Believe Cowboy, The Spear Grass Scripts, A Gold Cuff Link and a Red Dress, An Englishman’s Daughter, A Cranky Columnist, Unremembered Place, and Sand Castles. The last title was an excellent example of Bill’s intent when writing; he loved to bring ghost towns back to life, one of which was Estuary, Saskatchewan.

In his book Sandcastles, he reminisces about the once-thriving community located just an hour’s drive from Eatonia. According to Bill, Estuary had 163 businesses from 1914 to 1954, most of which were in operation before 1921.

He was as dedicated to his community as he was to his writing, holding varied positions, including Mayor of Eatonia as well as councillor, and was a member of the Heritage Board and Sask. Housing Corporation. Throughout his life, he was employed as a bank clerk, postmaster, electrician, house painter, maintenance man and arborist. His hobbies spanned many interests, from archaeology and gardening, to music. Bill played the trombone and was a tenor soloist.

All of his occupations and interests influenced his writing. But it was primarily a combination of well-crafted writing and a lengthy life span that characterized his work throughout the years.

Bill Wardill on his 91st birthday. | Photo courtesy Eatonia Oasis Living