Occasionally, the North Battleford Centennial Historical Committee submits a special article that provides an account of an important and unique aspect of our city's history. As we know, both the city of North Battleford and the Saskatchewan Hospital are celebrating their centennials this year. The hospital is not part of North Battleford proper, but in every other sense it is. The histories of both the city and the hospital have been economically and socially bound together for 100 years. With this as a backdrop, the following story is about a boy who grew up at the Saskatchewan Hospital grounds during the 1930s and '40s.
Bob McClelland was born to Andy and Ella McClelland at the Saskatchewan Hospital in March of 1931. His parents were Irish immigrants. Bob and his family lived in a four-room cottage on the hospital grounds close to the cow barns. His father was employed as a herdsman, and with the help of a dozen paroled patients, the cows were milked and fed and the barns were kept clean.
Bob completed Grades 1 through 6 in the one-room school provided by the government for hospital employees' children. He and the other children were then bussed to Central School in Battleford for Grades 7 and 8, and then to the Battleford Collegiate Institute for Grades 9 through 12. Bob graduated in 1948.
When Bob was a boy at the Saskatchewan Hospital, the winters were long and cold. Temperatures were measured in Fahrenheit and were either below zero or above zero. Ten above zero was considered warm; -30 was cold. The unofficial wind chill factor was measured in terms of the unprotected ears, nose, cheeks and fingers, which could freeze in minutes. Bob and his friends had great fun skating, playing shinny on the roads, playing hockey on the outdoor rink and tobogganing and skiing. In addition, they all learned to curl at the age of eight or nine. In fact, curling was both adults' and kids' favourite activity during the winter months.
The curling rink, which is still in use, had two sheets of natural ice. The temperatures were often cold enough for curlers to wear earmuffs, toques, scarves and gloves. The most popular social events took place in the curling rink, and kids were welcome. Bob's parents were avid curlers. Patients had use of the rink in the afternoons. Only two sheets of ice meant that teams were mixed and games were round robin. Curling ended in late spring with a mixed bonspiel.
Bob and his friends, both boys and girls, were given curling instruction on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. Learning to curl with one foot in the hack took some time, as did learning to sweep with the long bristle corn brooms. An hour of instruction ended with an eight end round robin.
One of Bob's favourite times at the hospital was August. The hard work in the garden was over. Only low-level maintenance work was left - like hoeing weeds. The exception to this was helping his parents get ready for the annual agricultural fair. Bob's dad was a major exhibitor of vegetables and flowers. Picking, sorting and washing would start early and last well into the evening. Long hours of work were also required the following day. The Model A was loaded before retiring for the night. The next morning, the family would leave early in order to secure a prominent display space. Bob's parents made him proud. They were always winners - firsts, seconds, thirds.
The agricultural fair was a special time for young people. The idea was to see as much as you could, and have as much fun as you could. Bob and his friends hit the barns first - to see the champion calves, cows, pigs and horses, and watching the grooming and prancing. Then it was off to the new implement sheds to see the latest binders, tractors and ploughs. Then there were the hucksters and freak shows to watch. And, there were rides and games of chance. Of course, there was time to spend 20 cents on a pop and a big hot dog smothered in onions and mustard. There was still room for the supper hosted by the United Church women at 5 p.m. - salads, turkey and stuffing, potatoes and gravy, and home-made pie. After a long day, the boys would gather with the crowd to watch the ribbons and awards ceremony.
After the fair was over, it was back to hoeing weeds. But this could always wait, especially if something important like a sports day at a nearby town came along. Every town in Saskatchewan held a pre-civic holiday sports day before harvest. They could be held any day of the week. Bob and his friends would attend as many sports days as they were able, and watch or play in as many ball tournaments as possible. True to style, they crammed in as much fun as they could because harvest was just around the corner and they were expected to help.
Growing up at the hospital wasn't always fun and games. There was a serious side. People were generally not too concerned with pollution when Bob was a boy. He was taught in school that raw sewage from Edmonton went directly into the North Saskatchewan River, but that within a mile downstream, it was sufficiently diluted for safe drinking - no cause for worry. And, it was common knowledge that a family with two days of latch fever likely had a problem with the well. The matter of personal hygiene was important as well. In the winter, Saturday night was bath night. In summer, Bob and his friends swam in the North Saskatchewan River.
When Bob was a boy at the Saskatchewan Hospital, the snow stayed white all winter, and the sky was never smoggy, always blue. On occasion, the heavens put on an incredible show as the northern lights danced across the night sky. The only loud noises were the occasional steam whistle, and in the spring, the rumble of the ice breaking up on the river. The air was characterized by the smells of nature, including the smell of the pig barn when a south wind was blowing.
On the occasion of North Battleford's centennial, it is incumbent on us, its citizens to consider the importance of our city's history. Bob grew up at the Saskatchewan Hospital at a time when there were no computers, no smart phones, and no televisions and without most of the modern conveniences we enjoy today. It was a time when children were taught how to work by their parents. But there was also time for a huge amount of fun - so many things to do and learn. Doubtlessly there is something we can learn about our history, and about our lives, from this story - when Bob was a boy.
(After high school, Bob left for Ontario to seek employment. He retired from Sears in 1988 as regional general manager, and now resides in Welland, Ont.)
