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Authority record
South Peace Regional Archives

Ravenswood School District 4463

  • SPRA-0093
  • Corporate body
  • 1930-[ca. 1957]

Although the first meeting of ratepayers to form the Ravenswood School District was held in 1929, and the district formed in 1930, no school was in existence until 1937. The district covered Township 69, Range 11, West of the 6th, and the school site was located on the north-west corner of 15-69-11 W6. Here the trustees decided to build a log school and a school barn. The first temporary school opened in 1937 at a ratepayers home until completion of the new log school. The first teacher was Robert Ramsay, followed by Edith Lechelt. Ravenswood School was closed c. 1957.

Red Willow Basketball Team

  • SPRA-0335
  • Corporate body
  • 1913-unknown

1913 appears to be the year several women's basketball teams were organized in the Beaverlodge district. The Red Willow Basketball Team organized in 1913 with a full slate of officers: Honorable President, C. Mc Naught; Vice-President, Mr. H. Walker; Secretary, Ivy Chapman; Treasurer, Mary Ray; Captain Manager, Margarite Mc Naught. Members were Mrs. H. Walker, Misses Marrion, Margarite, Isabel, and Effie McNaught, Miss Ivy Chapman, and Miss Mary Ray. Reta and Pearl Cleland, Agnes and Ada Wertenbee and Bell McNaught. The game was played wherever suitable grounds could be found and when the weather cooperated. The girls were also interested in organizing after game events such as campfires, social evenings, and dances to raise money to buy necessities such as a basketball, pump, and twine.

Ridge Valley Co-operative Association

  • SPRA-0161
  • Corporate body
  • 1939-1948

The Ridge Valley Co-operative Association was formed on April 8, 1939 for the purpose of establishing a Cheese Factory in the Ridge Valley District of the Peace River Country. The organizers were mainly Mennonite farmers who had come to the area in the 1920s: P.I. Loewen, Gerry DeVeer, A. Bartel, Jasper Bronson, Abe T. Reimer, Aaron F. Reimer, Joe Taylor and Ger. Thiessen. Shares were sold to settlers in the area at a value of $25.00 each, which could be paid for in cash or by work in lieu of cash. There were 45 initial subscribers. The business was administered by an executive board of five people elected by the shareholders. A frame building was built on land donated by Joseph Taylor on the south edge of SW 14-71-26-W5, beside Deep Creek which was dammed to provide water for steam. There was also an air cooled cold storage room where the cheese was stored and aged. Operating money to start the venture was borrowed from the Linden Cheese Co-op in southern Alberta, and the factory opened in 1939. Garnet Summers was the first cheese maker. Milk was purchased from local producers who depended on ice houses to cool the milk and keep it sweet, as there was no refrigeration. For many of these farmers, it was the only regular cash income they received. The Cheddar Cheese product was made daily and sold to individuals as well as being shipped to Swift's in Edmonton and Horne & Pitfield in Grande Prairie. By 1941, total annual production was 44, 000 lbs of cheese. In 1942, the group considered incorporation. At the time there were 27 milk shippers and they were processing 2,300 to 2,500 lbs of milk per day. In 1945 there were 51 members in the association, but in 1948, the factory closed due to competition from the Northern Alberta Dairy Pool, who could offer a better price for raw milk.

Rio Grande Women's Institute

  • SPRA-0334
  • Corporate body
  • 1923-unknown

The Rio Grande Women's Institute was formed in 1923. Charter members included Mrs. J. Scully, Mrs. E. Duteau, Mrs. W. Walker, Mrs. E. McDonnell, Mrs. H. Jordan, Mrs. A. Hill, Mrs. Longson, Sr., Mrs. F. Brewer, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Cook Sr., Mrs. Reuinger, Mrs. Ducharme, MRs. A. Funnell, Mrs. Frazer, Mrs. Schill, Mrs. Bedier, Mrs. J.M. O'Connell, Miss Watherston, Mrs. J Sheppard, Mra. W. Chamberlain, Mrs. Kenney, Mrs. Wenzell, Mrs. C. Leckie, Mrs. Ramsey, Miss V.E. Ramsey, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Morrison, Mrs.Kindman?, Mrs. Dahl, Mrs. Beadle and Mrs. Borden. Every meeting was opened by singing "O Canada", reciting their creed and then roll call which always required the answer to a question like "How do you keep children content on the farm?"or "What is your favorite cake recipe?";The meeting included an informative talk given by a member or a guest and possibly some music for entertainment. The group was a main organizer for the community and raised money through putting on community suppers, dances, whist parties, bazaars, and selling ice cream at picnics. In the 1930s many new members joined - mainly from Elmworth. They often put on plays such as the one in 1930-31 called "Old Maid's Convention". They sponsored baby clinics, and supported families who needed help. During the war years the group was busy making quilts, knitting socks and mitts and filling ditty bags to be sent overseas to the servicemen of the Navy League and also to the sons of members. In the 1950s, raffles, rummage sales, catering, sending parcels to Britain and going to conventions were still keeping them busy. Membership was highest from the 1930s to the mid 1940s.

Riversvale School District 4775

  • SPRA-0094
  • Corporate body
  • 1937-1946

Riversvale School District was located south of Aspen Ridge and Aspen Dale School Districts just north of Wapiti River. The first meeting of the Riversvale School Trustees was held on June 14, 1937, when they agreed to purchase four acres from R.L. Jones on the northwest corner of SW 6-70-9 W6 for the school site. A house was purchased from an estate to be used as a school. Riversvale School operated for three years, from 1937-1940. Alice Hittinger was the teacher when the school closed and students were sent to outlying districts. The buildings sold in 1946.

Rivertop School District 4371

  • SPRA-0095
  • Corporate body
  • 1929-1955

In March 1929, the Department of Education granted $1000 for the building of a new school in the Rivertop District, so named because it was just on the top of the banks of the Smoky River. The school was built by volunteer labour--a two story log building with quarters upstairs for the teacher. It opened in September 1929. Margaret Miles was the first teacher, followed by Waldo Roppel, Myrtle Whaley, Harold Richards, T. Schoefield, Bev Joslin, R. Mellott, Bert Harrison, Bessie Grumbly, Jeanette Vinet, William Adair, Miss Fribel, Nellie Albinati, Jim Courtney and Bert Harrison. In 1955, Rivertop School closed permanently and all the pupils were bussed to the centralized school at Teepee Creek.

Roberts, Walter

  • spra-0557
  • Person
  • [ca.1894]-1977

Walter Roberts was the son of Henry Roberts and Mary Jones, born around 1894. The family was living in Clear Lake, South Dakota at the time. In 1898 they moved to Carlyle, Saskatchewan where they farmed until moving to the Peace Country. Walter was one of eight children.

Walter's father and two oldest brothers departed in the spring of 1907 and staked land near Rolla, British Columbia. They returned and moved the rest of the family to Edmonton during the early winter of 1908. On Henry's next trip north, in the summer of 1908, he was drawn to the Bear Lake area, near Lake Saskatoon and in 1909, he and two of his sons brought equipment in, staked and broke land, planted a crop and garden, and built a cabin and a barn. They returned to Edmonton where they picked up the rest of the Roberts family (except son Bill) and necessary supplies. The family arrived at their homestead via the Long Trail in the spring of 1910.

Walter filed on his own homestead (NE 16-72-7 W6th) in 1911 at the age of 17, getting the patent in 1916, as well as obtaining part of SW 21-71-7 W6th. In 1913 he also acquired part of NE 16-72-7 W6th.

Luella Patterson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alphaeus Patterson, born in Kemptville, Ontario around 1895. She came to the Peace Country with her parents, sister, and brother in the spring of 1911. He other brother John Orlando Patterson and his family, had arrived the a couple of months earlier. The Pattersons operated the first store in Grande Prairie. In 1915, Luella married Dr. Martin L. MacDonald who practiced in Lake Saskatoon. They later divorced.

Walter Roberts and Luella Patterson Macdonald were married on January 12, 1937. They continued to live and farm on Walter's land near Bear Lake. Luella Roberts died in December 1975 and Walter in June of 1977.

Robertson, David J.

  • SPRA-0109
  • Person
  • 1928-2005

David James Robertson was born at Clive, Alberta (Ponoka area) in 1928, the oldest son of Alexander Reid Robertson from Dundee, Scotland and Harriet Elvira Wiltse of Grand Falls, North Dakota, USA. His father immigrated to Canada in 1912 and his mother came from the States in 1919.
“Robbie” showed an early interest in medical and military affairs. He took his Junior First Aid Course at age 8, and by age 17 was a member of the 17 Field Dressing Station Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC) militia. In 1947 he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps as a Private. He trained as a hygiene technician at Camp Borden, Ontario, and in 1949 married Marie Alma Kathleen Kennedy from Toronto.
After spending some time training the Special Forces soldiers going to the Korean War, in 1951 Corporal Robertson himself went to Korea with the 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade Group which was part of the First Commonwealth Division. He was the NCO in charge of an ADS (Advanced Dressing Station) Night Shift, then a CCP (Casualty Clearing Post) supporting the Royal 22nd Regiment. In 1952 he returned to Canada.
Back in Camp Borden, Sergeant Robertson taught Preventive Medicine for five years until he was sent to Germany as a brigade hygiene technician for the 27th Canadian Infantry Brigade Group in 1957. In 1959 he was transferred back to Canada where he added the skills of medical accountant, senior NCO for an army cadet hospital in Vernon, B.C., and small arms instructor, and RCAMC instructor’s course to his resume. He also spent 13 months in Indo-China as a hygiene technician and medical assistant for the Canadian Delegation before returning to Borden as an instructor in Preventive Medicine at the RCAMC school. He also taught at the Nuclear Biological-Chemical Warfare School.
In 1967, Robertson was commissioned as a Lieutenant and sent to National Defence Headquarters as a Career Manager Medical Other Ranks. In 1970 he was promoted to the rank of Captain and returned to the Training School, now called the Canadian Forces Medical Services School (CFMSS). The remainder of his career was spent teaching Preventive and Nuclear Medicine. After his retirement in 1977, Capt. Robertson moved to Grande Prairie, AB and put his military training to use in the public sector as a safety inspector in the oil field. He has four sons: David born in 1949, Donald in 1951, Steven in 1955 and Charles Anthony (Tony) in 1957.

Robinson (family)

  • SPRA-0299
  • Family
  • Unknown

Stephen Robinson sold out his holdings in Ontario in 1918 and traveled to the Peace country where he picked the quarter N 22-74-8-W6 in the La Glace district for settlement. On May 6,1919, he and his son, Roy, loaded settler's effects on the train, and enroute westward pickined up a carload of Angus cattle he had purchased in Manitoba. They arrived in Sexsmith May 31, 1919, unloaded the cattle and drove them to the farm in La Glace. His wife and two other children, May and Jack arrived several days later. They were late for spring seeding and their first crop of feed oats was unstacked when winter came so the first winter was long and difficult, shovelling snow to get at bundles for the cattle. Stephen later bought E. 20-74-8 W6 and later the SW 22-74-8-W6. He bought the grasslands on the east side of Rat Lake for pasture and hay. In the winter of 1919-1920, his wife and daughter May lived in Grande Prairie so May could finish high school. In 1929, May went to Normal School and received her teaching certiifcation and taught in the district for several years. While at Slave Lake, she met and married Bert Watkins. They moved to Kamloops where Bert passed away. They had no children. Roy married Cecil Webber in 1933, and they had four children: Elroy, Bryce, Wayne, and Cheryl. Cecil died in 1976. Jack married Louise Enns in 1940 and they had three children: Phyllis, Bob, and Sharon. Bryce bought the home place in 1974. He and his family, (children: Judy, Tracy and Ryan) own the original Robinson land. Elroy and Doreen (Sandboe) live in La Glace where Elroy has a trucking business. They have three boys: Dwayne and wife Cheryl (Sawchuck), Keven and wife Penny (Hennigar), and Wayne and wife Fay (Olson).

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