After a week of overcast Vancouver grey days and some rainy snow it is nice to have a bright day. That was not nice for drivers as there were lots of guys in the ditch and some cars on their roofs. Maybe they were a little heavy on the foot for driving conditions.
No hoar frost to mark! We are beginning to get the spring winds, but they can be somewhat unpleasant if the temperature is below freezing. Have a good week everyone and remember, have faith. Spring is coming.
In last week's column I was listing the people who used the Fort Carlton to Fort Edmonton trail that goes past where I live. This road was started by the freighters who were hauling freight to Fort Edmonton in the Red River carts beginning in about 1850. I mentioned Miss Sisley, but I inadvertently called her a Mrs. Well, I know she was never married, I just made a type booboo. Right away sharp eyed history buff Joan Gibb phoned me to straighten me out and left me a message. When I managed to phone her back we had a good visit. My apologies to the late Miss Sisley.
Miss Sisley was a spinster who dedicated her life for the good of her community. She had an inheritance which she spent getting about a dozen orphan boys from the slums of London to Canada so they would have a better lot in life.
Miss Sisley came out the same time as the Barr Colonists, but wasn't one of the colonists. She settled just west of Waseca where she homesteaded on Sec 2-48-25 W-3 in April 1903. She opened a post office and became the postmistress in 1904. If you sent a letter the postal address was Sisley Station, North West Territories, Canada. The post office was closed in 1906 after the railway came through.
Miss Sisley was a dedicated Christian worker playing the organ in the Anglican Church for 14 years. She went about the community helping out whereever she could. She gave music lessons to the area children. She tried to get the boys established as homesteaders, but most had to go to work in Saskatoon or Edmonton to make a living. Only three stayed with her. She was a welcome sight when she visited in the community. When she had an accident with her oxen and cart, the community banded together and bought her a pony and democrat. She kept house for one or other of her boys who had managed to homestead. In 1918 her health failed and she became a chronic invalid. She passed away in October 1920 in the Lashburn Cottage Hospital.
A sad epilogue is one of her boys was walking home for Christmas when a sudden blizzard blew in from the northwest. He lost his way and froze to death. When they found him he was clutching his first pay cheque which he was going to give to Miss Sisley.
I got a phone call from Alex Hutchinson from North Battleford. His aunt in Lloydminster had read my column about the Hutchinson party that came to this area. The Hutchinson party came in 1905 with about 50 people. The organizers for the party were farmers Will Hutchinson, age 27, and R. Thompson, age 32. They were able to take the railroad to Battleford then used wagons to travel this area. Some of the people who came were Mr. and Mrs. J Corker, E. Nutall, Harry, Horace and Frank Hope, Mr.and Mrs. James Gratton, William Yeandle, T. Moore, Joe Oakes, A. Broadhead, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Bennett and A. Bennett. Some went other places. This information is supplied to me by Joan Gibb.
Alex's aunt knew that Alex had no knowledge of his ancestors, only that his grandfather said he was an orphan whose parents died on a wagon train. The grandfather wouldn't tell any more about it. Alex would really like to know more about his ancestors so I gave him Helena Pike's phone number. If anyone else out there knows more information you can contact him. He is in the North Battleford directory.
In political news, the Senate has punted Patrick Brazeau out, suspending him until the courts deal with his charges of assault and sexual assault over fighting with his girlfriend. He is also under investigation for fraud over his housing allowance and may have an income tax problem as he was claiming the Indian exemption if his home residence was on the reserve. That is up for investigation.
The Senate has hired an independent auditor to look into the money spent by senators. There appears to have been considerable playing loose and free with taxpayers' money. There are four other senators at least who have received money they may have not been entitled to. This investigation by independent auditors may open up a real Pandora's Box.
I have no sympathy for those found guilty. The "entitlement attitude" of that Ottawa crowd has, can just stop. They are there to do a job for the public, not line their pockets. I could think of no better reason to have senators elected and there should also be a system in place for voter recall when senators go rogue.
Joke of the week; Little Johnny got caught coming out of a video arcade store in the middle of the afternoon. "Did you miss school today?" asked the truancy officer. "Not a bit," said Johnny.
