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Authority record
Athabasca Archives

Parkview Community Club

  • AATH 11.08
  • Corporate body
  • 1969 - 2005

Parkhurst Social Society renamed themselves Parkview Community Club on August 12, 1969, for the purpose of restoring Parkhurst School, NE 12-67-21 W4, to use as a community hall. The club was incorporated on November 10, 1969, and the first executive was Don Ballard, president and Adele Sale, secretary-treasurer. The hall was added on to in1973 including a kitchen and dining area, and later, a stage.

Friends of the Athabasca Environmental Association

  • AATH 19.02
  • Corporate body
  • 1988-1996

A bleached kraft pulp mill on the Athabasca River was announced by Alberta-Pacific (Al-Pac) and the Alberta Government in 1988 and Alberta-Pacific submitted to Alberta Environment an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the project on May 8, 1989. A series of public meetings to address the EIA was scheduled by Al-Pac. A group of environmentally-concerned citizens formed Friends of the Athabasca Environmental Association on September 19, 1988 to express their concerns about the bleached kraft pulp mill. The group had broad objectives in terms of the Athabasca River Basin, but their main objective was to mitigate the effects on the environment of the Athabasca River. FOTA was aware that the project would brings jobs to the Athabasca area, and was firmly behind the plan, but questioned why a bleached kraft pulp mill was being considered. The group was active between 1988 and 1996.

Bazalgette, Charles and Trish

  • AATH 24.01
  • Person
  • 2010

Charles and Trish Bazalgette moved to the Town of Athabasca in 1999 and bought a business, Two Hens Framing and Gifts. They changed the name to Old Crow Antiques and Framing, and Trish ran the business. The store was situated in the back of the Veritas Center on 49th Street, owned by Fritz Prufer. In 2002 they bought the building and expanded their store to the front, keeping the back for workshop and office space. In 2003 they started the Tizzie Bazalcat Shelter for Homeless Cats, a spin-off from the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society.
In 2005 the Bazalgettes made overtures to the Town of Athabasca to buy the CNR train station which had recently been vacated by the Athabasca Senior Citizen’s Society; however, the Town of Athabasca wasn’t willing to sell the station. In August 2006, the Bazalgettes bought the old Anglican Church Rectory from the Lewis family and began preserving and restoring the house. They moved Old Crow to the rectory and rented out their old space in the Veritas Centre to DataWest Computers. They closed the doors to the cat shelter that year but kept the remaining cats in their care.
In 2008 they sold the Veritas Center to accountant Glen Martin.
In 2009 and 2010, they were instrumental in starting the Friends of the Athabasca Train Station (FATS) society for the purpose of researching, restoring, and promoting the 1912 train station. They created public interest in the station and succeeded in obtaining a 25-year lease for the station with the Town of Athabasca and Athabasca Heritage Society for the purpose of conserving the building and creating community space. Charles was Chair of Heritage Society at that time.
In 2010, Trish wrote and published a print and online newsletter, “Women Mean Business: Athabasca’s Small Small-Business Community.”
In 2013 they closed Old Crow and relocated to Salmo, BC where they opened Tara Books, which operated until 2022 when Trish retired.

Olson, Mary

  • AATH MO
  • Person
  • 1933 - Present

Mary Olson (nee Buxton) was born at a midwife's house in Bowden, Alberta on April 28th, 1933. She came to Athabasca to teach school in 1951, boarding with the Loiselle family in South Athabasca. She married Carl Olson on November 1, 1952, and had two sons, Kelly, and Ken. She returned to teaching in Athabasca when Kelly started school. Mary taught every grade from kindergarten (a private class when Kelly was four and five, in the United Church basement) up to Grade 12. She attended summer school and obtained a Bachelor of Education majoring in English. She retired in 1989 and finishing her teaching career having taught English, Drama and Music. Mary retired at age 55 and taught private music lessons for about 25 years after that.

Mary always loved drama, from her Bowden school days, at university, teaching, and with the Athabasca Players. She was an actor until they needed a director which she enjoyed that more than acting. She also has directed several singing groups through the years: the Now Generation, Joyful Sound Choir, and Golden Memories Choir. She played organ at several churches from the 50's to the 2000's.

Athabasca School Division No 42

  • ASD No 42, 20.06
  • Corporate body
  • 1938 - 1959

The Athabasca School Division No. 42 was established by an Order in Council October 22, 1938. It contained five subdivisions and organizational meetings were held in each subdivision in November in the following centres: Subdivision 1 Meanook, Subdivision 2 Athabasca, Subdivision 3 Boyle, Subdivision 4 Plamondon, and Subdivision 5 Craigend. Eric A. Gilders was appointed temporary secretary. ASD No. 42 operated until 1959 when the County of Athabasca No. 12 was formed by combining the Municipal District of Athabasca No. 103 and the Athabasca School Division No. 42. At this time, there were no longer one-room schools in operation, only centralized schools. The first organizational meeting of the board was held on December 21, 1938. The old school districts were officially absorbed as of January 3, 1939 when an Act of Parliament turned over all liabilities and assets of the districts to the School Division.

The original school division contained the following 86 school districts: Keyes 1882, Tawatinaw 2473, Lahaiville 2637, Parkhurst 2645, Plamondon 2696, Dover 2725, South Athabasca 2768, Plum Lake 2815, Toles 2895, Atlanta 2909, Fairhaven 3044, Cash Creek 3045, Lewiston 3093, Meanook 3105, Flat Creek 3106, West Athabasca 3110, Fork Lake 3155, Rodgers Chapter 3159, Colinton 3169, Forest 3171, Dokeville 3173, McArthur 3266, Silver Fox 3273, Willow Ridge 3292, Bouvier 3308, East Park 3349, Ste. Cecile 3377, Irene 3405, Youngville 3621, Baptiste Lake 3651, Grosmont 3639, George Lake 3820, Lee Heights 3821, Greyville 3836, Mangin 3935, Berney 3937, Quebec 3989, Sarrail 4001, Grandin 4066, Big Beaver 4067, Craigend 4088, Granville 4091, Trieste (Hylo) 4101, Venice 4102, Forfar 4105, Forest Grove 4209, Charron 4224, Vincent 4255, Richmond Park 4280, Rich Lake 4329, Monticello 4374, Perryvale 4390, Hammond 4398, New Pine Creek 4473, Big Coulee 4497, Hallcroft 4508, Larvert 4521, Owl River 4526, Rocky Island 4536, Winding Trail 4549, Narrow Lake 4546, Blueberry Ridge 4562, Black Loam 4565, Green Pine 4568, Ferguson 4573, Deer Run 4597, Gamefield 4597, Spruce Park 4618, Cristy Lake 4621, Helina 4629, Spruce Valley 4652.

Several other districts, formed after 19439 were subsequently added to the division. They were: Blue Jay 4658, Willow Flat 4668, Noral 4692, Laura 4722, Gourin 4755, White Clover 4777, Caslan 4780, South Noral 4781, Birch Grover 4808, Dionne 4813, Nelson 4814, Big Bay 4817, Caribou Range 4836, Mercury 4849, Sun Ray 4868, Cumley 4891, Lawrence Lake 4909, Cloverview 4919, Deep Coulee 4959, Ellscott 4960, Locher 4975, Old Trail 4853 and *Twin Spruce 4864.

In 1944 Lac La Biche School Division No. 51 was formed resulting in the transfer of 36 districts (*) in the list.

Panisiak, Sophie and Wasyl

  • ATH
  • Family
  • 1899-1988

Sophie Panisiak (May 4, 1900 – March 22, 1982) immigrated from Poland to Athabasca in 1930 with her first husband, Mike Struski (1890 – January 8, 1963) and their four children: Berny from Mike’s earlier marriage, Jessie born October 1922, Joe born March 1924, and John born April 1926. They arrived Sept 10, 1930 and spent ten days at the Immigration Hall in Athabasca. Mike purchased S-30-67-23W4, and farmed there until his retirement in 1958. Two more children were born; Sophia in 1932 and Walter in 1934. After Mike’s death, Stophie stayed on the farm until she married Wasyl Panisiak in 1964.

Wasyl Panisiak (October 23, 1899 – January 18, 1988) was born in Ukraine and arrived in Canada on April 1, 1928. He was employed on a farm for a year until his wife Aksana arrived in March 1929. They worked on farms in Manitoba and Saskatchewan until they heard of good land in the Athabasca area and moved there, arriving April 10, 1930. They stayed at the Immigration Hall until Wasyl acquired a quarter section in the Larvert School District, SW 20-68-23W4. They had no children. Wasyl farmed for 34 years until Aksana passed away. Wasyl married Sophie Struski in June, 1964 and the Panisiak farm was sold to Ed Chouinard. Wasyl and Sophie lived on an acreage in the South Athabasca area until they moved to Little Manor in Athabasca in 1976.

Backstrom, Shirley

  • ATH 08.26
  • Person
  • 1934 - Present

Shirley Backstrom (neé Coleman) was born in Amber Valley, Alberta on July 7, 1934 and her parents were Isaiah and Velma Coleman (neé Adams).
Shirley’s great, great grandmother was Jane Bowen, born February 18, 1844 in Alabama, USA. She was half Black and half Cherokee. Her maiden name was thought to have been Thigpin, but discovery of her marriage license shows that her family name was actually Gregory.
The family myth is that great, great grandmother was the daughter of a chief; however, the most likely scenario is that great, great grandmother’s father had enslaved her mother, as the Cherokee Nation is known to have kept Black slaves at that time.
Great grandfather Columbus Bowen’s parents were “Big Daddy” and Jane Bowen. Descendants of this family have been unable to establish Big Daddy’s actual name. This is understandable given the fact that Big Daddy was most likely a freed slave. Slaves were sold from one owner to the next and took on the names given them by their respective owners.
Columbus was the first of eight children born to Big Daddy and Jane in 1870 in Pine Flats, Butler County, Alabama. The remaining children were twins Martha and Mary, Lulu, Silas, Ollie (known as Aunt Miss), Frank and Nellie.
Columbus’ wife, Martha Watts, was born in 1872 in Butler Springs, Alabama and he and and Martha were married in 1887 in Butler Springs. They moved to Montgomery, Alabama where four of their eight children were born: Minnie, Etheline (Ethel), Forest and Columbus (Lummie).
They left Alabama via Lee County, Texas for Guthrie, Oklahoma. They had four more children:
Willa, Ilean, Herman and Lovetta. It appears they remained in Guthrie for approximately 11 years from 1899 to 1910. Their second daughter, Ethel, born in 1888, received her teaching certificate from the State of Oklahoma in 1910. They moved yet again to Chandler in Choctaw County, Oklahoma to join a group who were immigrating to Canada.

The family arrived in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1911 where Martha unfortunately passed away in 1912. Columbus moved his family to Pine Creek, Alberta, Canada (NE 15-66-20-W4) in 1912 where he and his cousin Willis Bowen would eventually settle. Pine Creek later became known as Amber Valley. Ethel taught school in Amber Valley at the Toles School, District #2895.

Ethel Bowen married Percy Adams in Vancouver, BC. Percy was from Cape Town, Africa, born in 1894. They moved to Amber Valley. They had two children, Shirley’s mother Velma Adams, born in 1916 in Amber Valley, and uncle Chris Adams, born in 1918, also in Amber Valley. Percy Adams was a porter on the Northern Alberta Railway from Edmonton to Fort McMurray for many years.

Velma Adams married Isaiah Coleman (born 1910) in 1932. They had six children: Corene, Shirley, both born in Amber Valley, and Ronald, Rodney, Jeanette and Carol, born in Edmonton, Alberta.
The family lived in Edmonton from 1935 to 1946 and then moved back to Amber Valley, the children attending Toles School until 1951. When the family moved to Edmonton, Isaiah Coleman got a job as a porter on the Canadian National Railway going from Edmonton to Prince Rupert.

Shirley married Sylvester Hinton of Amber Valley on April 30, 1951 and they lived in Edmonton. They had four children: Nadine, Terry, Randolf and Leon. September 7, 1957, Shirley and the children moved to Fort Smith, Northwest Territories.

Shirley lived in Fort Smith for 11 years, moved to Pine Point for 12 years, then Hay River for 11 years for a total of 34 years in the Northwest Territories. She was the Supervisor at the Information Centre at the Alberta-Northwest Territories border for six years. While living in Hay River, she worked as a highway transport officer at the weigh scale from 1982 – 1991. Shirley was Secretary for the Union of Northern Workers Public Service of Canada, Aboriginal, Inuit and Métis Workers from 1983 – 1990.

While in Fort Smith, two foster children were added to the family. Wilbert Boucher was two years old when Social Services asked if she could keep him until they found a place for him. He was born on June 03, 1963. In 1966, Shirley got Shawnee Mary Ruth when she was six weeks old. She didn’t find out until Shawnee was six months old that she was Wilbert’s biological sister.

When Shirley lived in Pine Point, NWT, she was the Secretary for the Mothers for Minor Hockey Club, Secretary for the Legion, and Craft Teacher for the Sanavisik Guild, teaching knitting, crochet and ceramics.

Shirley joined the Royal Purple in Pine Point on February 1, 1968 and held dual membership in Pine Point and Hay River until 1988 when Pine Point closed down. She received her 25-year-pin in 1992 from the Hay River Lodge. She received her 30-year-pin form the Athabasca Lodge. She received her Life Membership Pin from the Athabasca Lodge on April 15, 2000 and her 35-year-pin from the Barrhead Lodge in 2002. She received her 40-year-pin from the Lac La Biche Lodge in 2007.

Shirley moved from Hay River, NWT to Colinton, Alberta in July, 1991. She was a member of the Athabasca Native Friendship Centre (ANFC) since March 1991 and was elected to the Board of Directors in June 2007. She became Vice-President in 2008 and Board President in 2010. In 2010, Shirley represented the ANFC at meetings held in Edmonton, and youth and Elders gatherings in Jasper. She attended an Elders retreat at MacEwan University in 2011.

Shirley started the Drug and Alcohol Program at Athabasca’s Landing Trail Intermediate School, the Hutterite Colony School, and Rochester School in September 1993 for the Elks and Royal Purple of Canada. She ran the program until June 2010. The last year of the program she had 273 entries from participating students. Shirley also worked with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Program in the Athabasca and area schools. The Elks and Royal Purple donated education kits on teasing and bullying as unacceptable behaviours to Smith School, Rochester School, the Hutterite Colony School, Whispering Hills Primary School, Landing Trail Intermediate School and the Athabasca Native Friendship Centre.

The Vagina Monologues Athabasca

  • ATH 18.04
  • February 25, 2017.

The Vagina Monologues, by Eve Ensler, was produced by a group of locals for the benefit of PRAAC, (Prevention of Relationship Abuse Action Committee) from the official script for the 2017 V-Day Campaigns. Twenty-two actors were involved and rehearsals were held at the NCoR train station in Athabasca started in January, 2017. The show was performed on Feburary 25, 2017 at 7:30 pm at the Nancy Appleby Theatre in Athabasca,

Harvey, Maureen (neé O'Neill)

  • ATH 23.01
  • Person
  • 1939 - Present

Maureen Harvey, née O’Neill, was born in Edmonton, Alberta on April 24th, 1939 and attended St. Joseph’s High School. She attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and obtained her BA majoring in Arts on July 7th 1962. Her studies included scientific drawing as related to anatomy and life studies. She married Dr. John Harvey in Edmonton in 1963 and the couple bought a farm in Athabasca County in 1973 as a weekend retreat. Harvey has an art studio at the rural property. Her work includes two books, “Basky” written by Athabascan, Dorothy Lane, and “The Silver Chain,” written by Edmontonian, Gerda Bako. She has also created murals on themes of heritage, pioneers, dinosaurs, and people, birds and plants of the Bahamas. The murals are in Alberta communities including Edmonton, Sherwood Park, Slave Lake, Calgary (Ferguson School), and Grande Prairie.

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