KREW KUTS: Our History: Past or Present?
By Bernie Krewski
History plays tricks on all of us and especially our mindfulness and memories. Events in the past, what people said and did, the way they looked and behaved, often seems odd and old-fashioned. But a few breaths later, and contrastingly, those observations remarkably seemed to be so much about the present. As Italian philosopher of culture Benedetto Croce (1866-1952) observed, history can be highly “contemporary.” Our view of past occurrences is shaped by the way we functionally incorporate them into our daily existence. History marches onward, usually much faster than we do!
When “history arrived” in this district in 1965, liveliness was ever present. The “baby boomer generation” had just ended in December 1964 according to Louis Menand, writing about the next generation of “Yuppies” in the recent July 29th issue of The New Yorker. The Oxford Dictionary word of the year for 1965 was “youthquake,” arising from the youth-led fashion and music movement of the swinging Sixties. The highly popular mini skirt, for instance, created in Germany in 1964, had dramatically appealed to many women throughout the world.
Dominant among lovers of popular music was “Yesterday” and “Help” by the Beatles, “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher, “Help Me, Rhonda” by the Beach Boys, and “Mr. Tambourine Man” by the Byrds. Dr. Zhivago and The Sound of Music filled movie theatres.
New words and phases included “biological clock,” “skateboard,” “skydiving,” and “The Pill” – the latter well-known by then but controversial, and not de-criminalized until 1969.
Take note: how far hidden in the past are the following local events?
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
“John Lijdsman New President of Oyen Chamber of Commerce” was a front-page story in the Hanna Herald on January 28. Employed as the village secretary, he replaced the retiring president, Gerald Ferguson. Other officers elected for 1965 were: Art Chaplain, Mrs. Rose Jardine, J. Schroeder, Gordon Hunter, Doug Clark, Art Berg, Vic Johnson, Harry Scheuer, and Harry Crace.
As the incoming president, Mr. Lijdsman spoke about the probabilities and possibilities for Oyen. “It is a thriving community,” he said, “forecasting continued progress, slow but steady.” In tune with the spiritedness of the 1960s, he said the following might be expected in 1965: conversion to dial telephone service in April; building the Acadia Seed Processing Plant and a new RCMP barracks; expansion of several (unnamed) local businesses; and completion of a general plan for the development of the village of Oyen.
He noted that building permits for the last seven years totalled $595,650, with the largest amount in one year, $208,200, being granted in 1964.
Looking deeper and further ahead for the next five to ten years, Mr. Lijdsman stressed the important role of the Chamber of Commerce in promoting “hoped-for developments.” These included: a new provincial building housing a liquor store and perhaps a treasury branch; a senior citizens’ home; new and/or improved hospital facilities; a medical and dental clinic downtown; construction of Highway 41; a new sub-division; increased water and sewer facilities; greater grain elevator capacity; enhanced restaurant service; additional overnight accommodation; an apartment block or row housing; artificial ice for the arena; further development of The Oyen Echo; and town status for Oyen.
The chairs of various committees reported the following: C.K. French, the sitting M.L.A., will be visiting Oyen within a few weeks; collections for the community calendar have raised at least $750 for the community project fund; and the free skating day was very successful.
Further discussion involved ways to promote the seed cleaning plant, plans for another free skating day, and efforts to secure a treasury branch for Oyen.
At the Chamber’s meeting a month later, as reported by Rose Jardine, “Future Town and District Developments” was the major topic of discussion. With the village of Oyen now reaching fifty-three years, accompanied by increasing life expectancy, the merits of a special residence for seniors were one of the topics discussed with C.K. French during his recent visit. The lodge at Hanna is reported to be well filled and paying its way. Members attending the meeting decided to conduct a survey of seniors to determine who may be interested in such accommodation in future.
Mr. French said a treasury branch is only a remote possibility. An assessment indicated the probable revenue was not large enough to warrant the presence of a branch in this community.
Dr. McCracken summarized recent discussions that took place when the Hospital Board met with the Minister of Health. A new x-ray machine and improved light for the hospital are needed. The heating unit is also becoming a problem. Ongoing questions remain - how much should be spent on improving a hospital facility like Oyen that serves a small area and has difficulty in recruiting skilled personnel?
Art Chaplain reported that the Oyen Legion had set up a cenotaph fund, had contributed $150 but to date had received only one further donation. The cenotaph should be a community project, its members maintained, but they take responsibility for maintenance and landscaping. Chamber members decided to consult the village council to determine if the centennial grant could be used for a cenotaph. They would also raise the possibility of establishing a park in Oyen.
LEGION
The Royal Canadian Acadia Branch No. 208 held their annual installation on Jan. 22 with a large crowd in attendance. The following members were installed: president, W.A. Mills; 1st vice president, A. Kirkwood; 2nd vice president, E. Berg; 3rd vice-president, B. Mikosz; secretary, Norman Evens; treasurer, R. Doran; executive committee, A Rugsven, J. Dziuba, A.B. Hughes and Art Chaplin; Sgt. At Arms, F. F. Horne; Assist. Sgt. At Arms, W.E. Evens. The following members were initiated into the Legion as honorary members: Marshall Mehl, J. Soltysiak, Matt Marshall, Mel Herron, J. Wiechnik, and J. Ball.
THE CANADIAN FLAG
Who could miss seeing the bold red-and-white colours of the Canadian flag featuring a maple leaf at the recent Olympics in Paris?’
On February 15, 1965, the new flag flew for the first time on Parliament Hill. No references to it were made locally, likely due to its controversial history. Prime Minister Lester Pearson announced its creation at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Conference in Winnipeg in May 1964 which led to six months of vigorous debate led by John Diefenbaker, highly popular on the Prairies.
Historian George Stanley (1907 – 2002), born in Calgary, is credited with designing this flag. His ground-breaking research on Louis Riel in 1938 is familiar to most students studying Canadian history.
I received a great surprise one day in the 1980s when I discovered my British-born administrative secretary, whose shorthand skills were astounding, had taken dictation hour-after-hour from Dr. Stanley in London, England, while he was describing events occurring among Canadian troops during World War II. Oh, the wonders of twists and turns in history!
History, past or present? More important is this: “If you want to weaken a sense of community, start by erasing its memory.”