From the Famous to the Forgotten: Preserving Black History at the Provincial Archives of Alberta

Jared

Editor’s note: Learn more about the history and heritage of Black Albertans from the Royal Alberta Museum.

Written by: Michael Gourlie, Government Records Archivist, Provincial Archives of Alberta

Since the 1960s, the Provincial Archives of Alberta (PAA) has acquired kilometres of records, millions of photographs and thousands of hours of audiovisual recordings about the lives and activities of Albertans. While Alberta’s Black community is underrepresented among these archival holdings, it faces a similar challenge to other groups.  For every famous individual whose life is documented in detail in numerous sources, there are dozens of other individuals who remain nameless and forgotten until someone researches their stories.

Among the famous individuals found in the PAA’s holdings is John Dee (Johnny) Bright. Born in Indiana in 1930, he attended Drake University on a track and field scholarship, which led to a remarkable collegiate football career marked by several National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) records as well as a national profile.  His senior year in 1951 was also notable when he was the target of a racially motivated assault on the playing field during a game with Oklahoma A&M University (now Oklahoma State University), an incident documented in a Pulitzer Prize winning series of photographs. While some on-field rules changed because of the incident, the opposing team and its university administration denied any wrongdoing for decades and only apologized for the incident in 2005.

File OS.1843: Johnny Bright, 1954. (Frank Oliver Studios fonds, PR1992.0261/1096, OS.1843). Source: Provincial Archives of Alberta.

He graduated from Drake University in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science in Education, specializing in physical education. He was the first pick chosen by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1952 draft, but fearing his treatment in the National Football League, he chose to emigrate to Canada and play for the Calgary Stampeders. He was traded to Edmonton in 1954, where he primarily played offense. Bright set several Canadian Football League (CFL) records, helped the team win the Grey Cup in 1954, 1955 and 1956, and was named Edmonton Athlete of the Year in 1959.

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A brief history of Calgary’s Polar Aerated Water Works

A brief history of Calgary’s Polar Aerated Water Works

Jared

Editor’s note: The banner image above, courtesy of the Jewish Historical Society of Southern Alberta, depicts a polar delivery truck advertising its Squeeze and Shamrock Ginger Ale brands, 1928. Abe Pearlman is standing on the running boards.

Author Bruce Dawson holds a MA in History from the University of Saskatchewan and is presently the Manager of Historic Places Policy and Programs for the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport in Saskatchewan. He is also a long-time collector of soda pop memorabilia, with a particular interest in Polar Aerated Water Works and other bottlers from Calgary and Lethbridge. You can read the full version of Bruce’s article in Alberta History.

Written by: Bruce Dawson

Did you know that soft drink manufacturing in Alberta began over 135 years ago? Many of the early manufacturers were family-run businesses that developed a significant industry in the province while helping to shift the perception of soft drinks from being a medicinal or specialty product to being an indispensable item for the masses. A significant part of this story is Calgary’s Polar Aerated Water Works. 

In 1914, William Denby and Gordon Goodison established a bottling plant at the corner of 11 Ave and 12 Street East.  Their back cover advertisement on the 1914 Henderson’s Directory stated that they were a  “manufacturer of all kinds of soft drinks and distilled waters.” By this time, soft drinks had transitioned from association with pharmacists and medical treatment to become a status symbol amongst the upper and middle class. Calgary had at least three soft drink manufacturers already, led by the Calgary Brewing and Malting Company, which had been producing soft drinks for over 20 years. The owners named their new company Polar Aerated Water Works and, by May of 1915, registered a patent for their logo, described as, “a representation of a polar bear on a float of ice with icebergs and setting.” The company used this logo for the remainder of its history. Denby left the firm in 1915 and Goodison stayed on as sole owner, with several family members working for the company over the next decade.

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Merry Christmas from RETROactive

Jared

On behalf of the staff here at RETROactive, thank you once again for your interest and support. May everyone have a safe, warm and restful holiday!

Christmas at Charles Lee home, Mountain Park, Alberta, [c.1943-1944]. Source: Provincial Archives of Alberta.

John Glasgow family Christmas pictures, Edmonton, Alberta, 1963. Source: Provincial Archives of Alberta.

The Doctor is In (the house): Dr. McMillan Residence Designated a Provincial Historic Resource

Jared

Written by: Ronald Kelland, Geographical Place Names Coordinator

The Dr. McMillan Residence, a somewhat unprepossessing yet significant home in Claresholm, has recently been designated as a Provincial Historic resource and is now listed on the Alberta Register of Historic Places.

View of the Dr. McMillan Residence from the south, showing the main, residential entrance and the secondary, clinic entrance. Source: Historic Resources Management, Alberta Arts, Culture and Status of Women, 2024.  

On Second Street West, at the western fringes of Claresholm’s downtown district, beside a church and amongst several more recent commercial buildings, stands the Dr. McMillan Residence. The house has provincial heritage significance for its association with the provision of medical services in Alberta and for its design, being a combination of private, residential space and professional, medical clinic space.

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Layers of History in Edworthy Park: The University of Calgary’s 2025 Field School and Public Archaeology Program

Layers of History in Edworthy Park: The University of Calgary’s 2025 Field School and Public Archaeology Program

Jared

Editor’s note: The banner image above is the Calgary Pressed Brick and Sandstone Company plant, Brickburn, Alberta (ca. 1916-1920 [CU1136164] by unknown). Image courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.

Written by: Sam Judson and Lindsay Amundsen-Meyer, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary  

To most Calgarians, Edworthy Park is nothing more than a city park with a large and popular off-leash area for dogs, rocky ‘beaches’ along the Bow River and meandering biking and walking trails that folks enjoy throughout the year. What most users of the park do not realize is that Edworthy Park has a remarkable history: numerous pre-contact Indigenous archaeological sites within the park; the presence of a Métis winter camp in the late 19th century; the eventual establishment of one of the Calgary area’s earliest homesteads by Thomas Edworthy; and Edworthy’s operation of a sandstone quarry on the land in the early 20th century. There was even a 20th century brick factory within the park and its associated village (Brickburn) to the west. As you’ll learn, the students and staff of the University of Calgary archaeology field school and Public Archaeology Program discovered these many layers of history are present across much more of Edworthy Park than previously known.

Location of Edworthy Park, within the City of Calgary. Source: Lindsay Amundsen-Meyer.
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Second World War Service, Decorations and Sacrifice: Geographical Names Commemorating Alberta’s War Casualties

Jared

Written by: Ronald Kelland, Geographical Place Names Coordinator

Remembrance Day, November 11, is the day Canadians honour and memorialize those who gave their lives while in military service. While honouring all Canadian service personnel this Remembrance Day, this year RETROactive is drawing attention to a few geographical features named to commemorate casualties of the Second World War. Following the Second World War, the Province of Alberta, through collaboration between the Geographic Board of Alberta and the Geographic Board of Canada began naming geographical features, mostly lakes, for decorated military personnel from Alberta that were casualties of the Second World War. This is the story of two of those individuals.

Conn Lake

Located approximately 35 kilometres northwest of Bonnyville is Conn Lake.        

The lake is named for Leading Steward James Conn. Born at Hillcrest, Alberta on December 7, 1914, Conn was the son of John Robert (died 1921) and Lillian Maude Conn (died 1916). At some point, James and his siblings moved to Quebec and by 1932 James Conn was living on University Street (now Robert-Bourassa Boulevard) in Montreal.

At the outbreak of the war, James Conn was a waiter with the Canadian Pacific Railway. Conn enlisted in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve in August 1943 and trained at Navy Reserve Divisions HMCS Montreal (now HMCS Donnacona) and at Winnipeg with HMCS Chippawa and at Ottawa with HMCS Carleton. He served a short stint on HMCS Stadacona, a steam yacht that had been acquired by the Royal Canadian Navy in 1915 and was used as a home waters patrol vessel during the Second World War. On October 17, 1944, he reported to HMCS Esquimalt at the rank of Leading Steward.

HMCS Esquimalt was a Bangor-class minesweeper operating out of the port of Halifax to hunt enemy submarines and keep approaches to the harbour clear of mines. Named for the Township of Esquimalt on Vancouver Island, she was launched in 1941 and was originally assigned to patrol duties off Newfoundland and was transferred to Halifax in September 1944. On 15 April 1945, Esquimalt sailed on a patrol to hunt a German U-boat that was suspected to be in the waters near Halifax. At approximately 6:30 a.m. on the morning of April 16, with the lights of Halifax visible on the horizon, a torpedo from German U-boat U-190 struck Esquimalt on its starboard, flooding the engine room and causing a loss of power. In less than five minutes, and before a distress call could be sent, Esquimalt rolled onto her starboard side and sank beneath the surface.

Sources differ regarding the number of sailors lost in the sinking of HMCS Esquimalt, with a range of 39 to 44 crew perishing that night either going down with the sinking vessel or of exposure in the frigid waters awaiting rescue. Six hours after the sinking, survivors were picked up by Esquimalt’s sister ship, HMCS Sarnia. Twenty-seven of Esquimalt’s crew survived. Leading Steward James Conn was not one of them

HMCS Esquimalt, 1944. Source: Department of National Defense.
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Crafting Vegreville: The Story Behind a Century-old Miniature Staircase

Crafting Vegreville: The Story Behind a Century-old Miniature Staircase

Jared

Written by: Devon Owen Moar

Over the past year, I’ve been volunteering with the Labour & Industry curatorial team at the Royal Alberta Museum (RAM).  What began as a project to help process recent architectural acquisitions—related to Wallbridge & Imrie and Doris Newland Tanner—has gradually expanded into something much broader.  I’ve since been fortunate to assist with other newly acquired collections, each object offering its own intriguing story and mystery to unravel.

In particular, individual pieces have caught my attention not only for their craftsmanship but for the stories embedded in them. Each one—whether an architectural tool, scale model or illustration—becomes a small but meaningful window into Alberta’s working and community past.

Among the recent acquisitions at the RAM was a particularly appealing object: a 100+ year old scale model of a staircase from the Town of Vegreville. The model was obtained by the RAM in 2024 after the Vegreville Regional Museum ultimately closed its doors.

Curators from the RAM’s history programs—including Labour & Industry, Daily Life & Leisure and Military & Government History—travelled to Vegreville to identify and help preserve objects of historical value within the RAM’s permanent collection. The staircase model was among those selected and is now part of the Labour & Industry collection.

This remarkable scale model is constructed primarily of wood and mounted on a plywood base. It was most likely built to a scale of 1″: 1′ (i.e., one inch equals one foot).  Though small compared to its full-scale counterpart, it’s meticulously crafted—complete with turned balusters, a square landing and even a functioning door with tiny hinges and a wooden knob.  The design reflects the restrained character of early twentieth-century domestic interiors, where craftsmanship and proportion met simple, elegant ornamentation. From the graceful curve of the lower steps and railing to the careful shaping of each newel post, every element has been thoughtfully made, likely by hand woodworking tools, and with the aid of early woodworking machines.

Despite being over a century old, the model has survived in remarkably good condition.  A few balusters are missing and there are signs of minor repairs, but significantly, the overall integrity of the piece remains.  The varnished surfaces retain their warmth, while the hidden undersides reveal the maker’s practical side—unfinished wood, tool marks, and the occasional nail or screw added probably long after its creation.  Together, these details hint at a life of use and care, and a level of craftsmanship that continues to impress.

Front (left) and Back (right) Three-quarter Views of a 100-year-old Miniature Wooden Staircase. Source: Royal Alberta Museum, H24.96.63.
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“I Myself Consider it a Crime”: Whitecap Dakota First Nation Experiences at Red Deer Industrial School

“I Myself Consider it a Crime”: Whitecap Dakota First Nation Experiences at Red Deer Industrial School

Jared

Editor’s note: September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. Reading residential school histories can be a painful process. If reading this is causing pain or bringing back distressing memories, please call the Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419. The Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day and can also provide information on other health supports provided by the Health Canada Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program.

The banner image above is “General view of the I.I. School.” Date unknown. Source: City of Red Deer Archives, P10890.

Written by: Laura Golebiowski (Indigenous Consultation Adviser) in collaboration with Whitecap Dakota First Nation.

In the late 1880s, a group of Dakota Oyate led by Chief Whitecap were making their home along the northern extent of their territory. They settled near Mni Duza—the South Saskatchewan River—on a landscape known as “Moose Woods”:  rich with water, wood, wildlife and plants for sustenance and ceremony.

Chief White Cap (seated centre) and members of his family, ca 1885. LH-5418, Saskatoon Public Library.
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Immigration halls of Alberta

Immigration halls of Alberta

Jared

Written by: David Monteyne, Professor, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, University of Calgary

Between 1885 and 1930, the Dominion government built and operated about a dozen immigration halls in Alberta (and rented space for this purpose in a dozen more towns), from Lethbridge and Medicine Hat in the south to Grande Prairie and Peace River in the north. But what, exactly was an “immigration hall”?

An immigration hall was a place where the federal immigration branch provided free accommodations as well as advice to new arrivals from Europe, the United States and even eastern Canada. These prairie immigration halls were part of a nationwide building program, described in my recent book, for which the federal Department of Public Works designed and built: pier buildings in ports like Quebec City and Halifax (Pier 21, now the Canadian Museum of Immigration); immigrant detention hospitals; and quarantine stations on both coasts. Of all of these, the immigration halls were the most numerically significant, with more than 50 buildings erected across the three prairie provinces. The immigration hall was a newly invented building type, unique to Canada.

An immigrant’s late-1890s sketch of the immigration hall at Calgary, which was built in 1885 and used until 1913. Source: Library and Archives Canada, Department of the Interior fonds, Immigration Branch, RG 76, volume 20, file 180, part 1.
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Last call for heritage scholarship applications

Jared

Written by: RETROactive staff

The deadline for applications for the Roger Soderstrom scholarship is fast approaching!

The Roger Soderstrom Scholarship honours the late Roger Soderstrom’s work and career with the Government of Alberta in encouraging preservation and interpretation of Alberta’s heritage.

The applicant must be a permanent Alberta resident enrolled in a graduate or extended study program with a proposed research project at that level, in the following fields, but not limited to:

  • architectural preservation
  • urban or area planning and conservation
  • historic resource management
  • archaeology
  • history
  • palaeontology

The research project must have significant Alberta content and will help with the preservation or understanding of Alberta’s heritage.

Guidelines for the scholarship, along with instructions on how to apply, are available on Alberta.ca.