To quote historian Harry Sanders, If you know the past of the place where you live, you care about it more. You recognize, it isn’t just mine, it isn’t just for now, there were others here before me who cared for the place, who improved it … and it puts in mind that there’s a future too.” And so the Chestermere Historical Foundation once again packed its artifact bags and visited another elementary school in Chestermere on May 14th. This time, the newest of the schools, East Lake School in Kinniburgh was host today in the life of a rural youngster who would have lived in Chestermere area any time from 1900 to about 1950. Thanks to teacher Donna Kester who organized the visit, with help from Mike Jamroziak , Shelley Walker and Heather Schmuland the little Grade 1s got a chance to experience history hands on. When Kay Clarke, who led the presentation, explained to the children that big Jersey dairy cows very much like the ones she showed in her picture, grazed on the very spot where their school now stands. This land was once owned by a farmer and his wife, Mr. Fred and Mrs. Bessie Woods. Kayís first question, what did you have for breakfast started the story of where do you get the milk for the cereal or porridge. Even these little grade 1s had more than enough ideas of what a farmer could do with the milk from that Jersey cow. Then on to using that cream to make some butter. The churn, having already made two pounds of butter that morning, finally gave out. Luckily CHF came prepared with an electric mixer, but not before the kids and teachers all got a chance to turn the crank and watch the cream slowly turn more yellow as the butter separated from the buttermilk. These days children have few household chores, so they were amazed by the list of jobs that rural children would take on back then reaching under the chicken to gather the eggs ( will she peck me?), going with Dad out to cut some ice in the Lake to store under sawdust for use in the summer for the ice box, and taking care of your horse so it is all ready to take you to school the next day. Kay explained there was no TV back then, so she showed the old tube radio, which, when electricity came to rural Alberta meant the whole family could sit around and listen to radio drama. One youngster knew in the cold evenings, your mom would fill a special bottle with hot water for you to take to bed. To end the presentation, each child got a cracker with some of that butter made with a bit of hard work from nearly everyone in the room!
If there are other elementary teachers in Chestermere reading this who would like to have a presentation at their school next fall, contact CHF via www.chestermerehistory.org. Others who are reading, donít miss the FREE history presentation at the Chestermere Library on Tuesday June 9th at 7:00pm. CHF members Kay Clarke, Jen Peddlesden, Bill Peddlesden and Ray Blanchard will reprise their presentations made in March to the Chestermere Middle School students on ëWhat events over the past 100 years have made Chestermere the city it is today.í Donít let those little kids get ahead of you on your knowledge of Chestermereís history but if you can’t make it history books are always available $48 each no GST through the webpage or on June 9th.
