KREW KUTS: Town Life - Oyen 1964
By Bernie Krewski
The significance of town life is much neglected by historians as Donald Wetherell and Irene Kmet note in their book, “Town Life: Main Street and the Evolution of Small Town Alberta, 1880 – 1947” (1995). More attention is given to farm and urban experiences, they argue, when it is towns that function as fundamental meeting points, binding together urbanites and those residing on farms. Towns also have an instrumental role in reflecting the character of a region. Consider, for example, the presence of the hospital, seniors lodge, high school, baseball academy and other services in this community. Don’t they say something about Oyen’s “character”?
As towns evolved among the homesteaders settling the prairies, enhanced by the arrival of the railway, Main Street assumed a level of importance in itself – shaping the economic, social, and cultural priorities of every community. I remember Saturday nights of my youth when parking spots on Main Street were scarce. In the early 1990s I visited a community of 5,000 in Czechia (the former Czech Republic) where my son was an ESL teacher, and it had no real main street.
The year 1964 began here with the January meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, as reported in The Oyen Echo published by David and Bunny Snideman (1960 – 1969). It consisted of a roast beef dinner at the Oyen Arena attended by 80 of its 101 members. Miles Logan who just celebrated his 95th birthday was then on the Chamber’s executive committee in charge of “municipal affairs.” Noteworthy is that Mayor Wes Byler had recently been elected an executive member of the Alberta Municipal Association of Towns and Villages.
An accompanied major event in January was the opening of the H&H Red & White Store operated by the Scheuer brothers. It has an interesting story about Main Street.
In “Many Trails Crossed Here,” vol. 1, pp. 23-24, Elmer McArthur describes purchasing a lot next to the former hotel and with his wife Gladys, eventually operating the Red & White grocery store. They sold it Buster & Mary Jameson, former residents of East Coulee, in 1958.
Buster Jameson died suddenly in 1962. Mrs. Jameson sold Red & White Buster’s Groceteria to Harry & Howard Scheuer in December 1963. Their store opened a month later under the Red & White trade name.
Quite coincidentally, the McArthur’s left Oyen and moved to Oshawa, Ontario, in September 1964. A farewell party for Mary Jameson was held at the home of Mrs. Barnum two months later, on November 20, 1964, attended by sixty ladies. Mrs. Jameson was moving to Calgary to join her son Doug, attending high school there, and Robert raising a young family.
A larger event was Joe Wiechnik moving his Massey-Harris agency from Main Street to the east side of town. The Echo’s headline was “Largest Garage in Oyen Now Open.” Eight hundred people attended the opening in the evening of January 18 with Mayor Byler cutting the ribbon. Wiechnik’s business had expanded extensively and included the sale of Pontiac and Buick cars and GMC trucks as well Massey-Ferguson farm equipment.
Guest speakers included O.K. French, MLA; representatives from Massey Ferguson and Shell Oil; Ernie Warwick on behalf of Alberta Wheat Pool; Gordon Hunter, Chamber of Commerce; Bill Mills representing Modern Machinery employees, and Rev. J. Metson on behalf of the community-at-large.
A talent program followed. Mrs. Sullivan and Miss Gripp sang a duet. Don Bamber performed a one-person skit. Bob and John Shields performed with vocals and guitars. After refreshments and lunch, a dance followed with music by Jorgenson’s Orchestra.
Back on Main Street, in Wiechnik’s former premises, renovations were preparing for the opening of a Robinson’s Store by Charles Bedwell and his family, recent arrivals from Rockyford. The opening occurred on August 29.
A few doors away and several months later, December 5th, Erling Berg opened a clothing store featuring an extensive line of children’s, women’s, and men’s wear.
Oyen Bakery & Coffee Shop and several others followed.
MAIN STREET was alive in Oyen in ’64.