Much has been written, and rightly so, about the soldiers, who went to war in 1914, were injured, and made the ultimate sacrifice so we may enjoy freedom. However, life continued here in the Battleford s area, much of which is portrayed in the weekly editions of the North Battleford News of 1914.
The citizens of the area were advised of the progress of the war overseas, but entertainment, commercial matters, civic affairs and everyday issues were also reflected in the headlines, advertisements and articles of the day.
Entertainment in 1914 was not lacking. The railway was promoting the Edmonton Exhibition, held that year Aug. 10 - 15 and the Standard Mineral Water Works were advocating "picnic parties."
The Empress Theatre provided an impressive line-up: July 18t, 20 - Dante's Inferno; Aug. 20, 21 - Atlantis; Oct. 1 - a wrestling match between Jack Taylor and Petrie, the Giant, commencing at 10 p.m. Dec. 18, 19 - The Royal Gwent Welsh Singers of Newport, Â鶹´«Ã½AV Wales
Special low excursion fares to Eastern Ontario and the United States by the Grand Trunk Pacific were offered to those looking for travel as entertainment.
Some areas of commerce were thriving.
On Sept. 5th the City Market opened. "The market will be free from tolls to the farmers of the district, offering for sale their own product." Prizes for impressive produce were provided by city council.
An advertisement for The Trading Company, Ltd. read: Fall Millinery Opening - "At the mention of millinery opening what woman does not get interested immediately? Her thoughts are what are the new hats like? Wonder if they are large or small shapes? High or low crown? And what colors are most fashionable These and many other kindred questions can be more easily answered Tuesday, September 15th when we will make our display of fall millinery."
Sept. 17 headline: "Excellent crops in the vicinity of Vawn."
Oct. 8 headline : "New industry for North Battleford, Crown Bread and Biscuit Company opens new factory to manufacture bread and biscuits."
But all was not well as on Aug. 13, as the North Battleford Fair was called off. The newspaper reported the following: "The city council and other civic bodies are cutting down on expenditures wherever possible. The reason is they are wisely preparing for the future. At present the city has some thousands of dollars on the proper side of the ledger and the city fathers intend to keep it that way. The retrenchment has struck every department of civic affairs.
Civic salaries have been cut down by some $400 per month;
The Board of Trade grant has been stopped;
The Public School Board has reduced their expenditures by over $500 by reducing staff;
The High School Board has reduced their salaries by $200 per month;
And last but not least, the exhibition has been called off for 1914 And after due deliberation, and being influenced a great deal by the fact that several Saskatchewan fairs have been financial failures this year, they decided to cancel the exhibition."
More signs of desperation loomed. Oct. 24, Patriotic Day, Detwiller and Ballantyne donated five per cent of all sales to the Red Cross Society, but by November the same business was having a crisis sale of their entire stock. The notification of the sale included the following statement: "There must be some good reasons why our very best known merchant in North Battleford comes out and offers their goods at this season of the year without any restrictions, at prices which barely represent the first cost of production The European war has played havoc with the retail trade - in fact it's a business crisis everywhere."
By December of 1914, Munro and Son's Old Stand on Main Street were advertising a Bankrupt Stock Sale of their skates, heaters, farm implements, guns and paints, and Dec. 24 The Battleford Trading Co. Ltd. held a liquidation sale, adding that their creditors were demanding cash. By Jan. 2, 1915, Ratz and Co. Ltd. quit their business.
Everyday problems do not stop for war and in a cautionary tone, Oct. 15, the city issued the following notice:
"Householders are requested to read carefully the cards recently distributed regarding disposal of refuse. Your intelligent co-operation will tend to a much more satisfactory service for everyone concerned.
"The prevalence of chicken pox makes it necessary to call the attention of parents to the clause in the health bylaw requiring parents to notify the Health Department of any contagious or infectious disease in the family. Failure to do this must ultimately compel us to make an example of those who are neglecting to do so. - A.D. Campbell MHO
Should you wish to investigate further, early copies of the North Battleford News are available at the public library on microfiche. It should be noted that the above may not be representative of the year, but are personal selections from pages that are in poor condition and are, at best, difficult to read.
