Tag: Alberta prohibition

Dried out: Prohibition in Alberta

Jared

Written by: Sara King, Government Records Archivist, Provincial Archives of Alberta

In 1915, Alberta embarked on a social experiment that would impact the lives of everyone in the province: prohibition.  A century after the repeal of prohibition in 1923, the Provincial Archives of Alberta (PAA) is pleased to present Dried Out: Prohibition in Alberta, on display until February 2024.

Alexander Bourassa, Frederick Plamondon, Arthur Bourassa and Benoit Plamondon drinking and smoking inside the Plamondon store owned by the Chevigny Bros., M. Corbière, manager, c. 1920. Source: PAA, PR1982.0157 (A7781).

The exhibit explores how the temperance movement took root in Alberta.  The moral and political crusade to ban alcohol would have unintended consequences, both good and bad. It spurred the push for women’s suffrage, led to the creation of the Alberta Provincial Police and prompted experiments in direct democracy. But it would also lead to people flouting the law at all levels of society, which would shape politics, policies and communities for years to come.

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