A view of the beach at the Battlefords鈥� Provincial Park has been unveiled as a community brand for the Battlefords. It is designed to reflect the potential of the Battlefords as a tourist venue, a place to do business or a location in which to make a home.
However, in 1915, the beach at Meota may have been the lake site of choice for the residents of the Battlefords. The North Battleford Newsof Thursday, May 20, 1915 advertised an all-day excursion by train to Meota Beach to celebrate Empire Day. Adults paid 55 cents and children paid 30 cents for the return train fare. The accompanying photos from the David Conroy collection housed at the City of North Battleford Historic Archives show scenes from the beach at Meota during one such Empire Day excursion.
An entry in the Canadian Encyclopedia provides an explanation of Empire Day.
鈥淓mpire Day, observed annually on the school day preceding the May 24 holiday for Queen Victoria鈥檚 birthday, was the most important patriotic rite for children in English speaking Canada during the half century following its first observance聽 May 23, 1899. The idea originated with Clementina Fessenden of Hamilton and was publicized across the country by George Ross, Ontario education minister. Empire Day celebrations were associated with imperialism, militarism and immigrant assimilation. After an initial decline in the 1930s, the celebrations were rejuvenated by WW II. In later years, various provinces renamed the day Commonwealth or Citizenship Day.鈥� We know it today as Victoria Day.
It is also interesting to note that on June 3, 1913, a special train took the citizens of North Battleford to Meota for a school picnic and sports day. The North Battleford Newsreported June 5 that 2,500 people attended the event.
