My First Experience in Edmonton, by Ronnie Morris, musician and writer
Date: August, 1940-41
About 1940-41, I toured in the West with the grandly named "All American road Show and Band." We zigzagged from Winnipeg, through Saskatchewan and Alberta, playing towns with at least three-grain elevators.
Don Carmos, the leader said, "If the town has three grain elevators it probably has a hotel." Don knew this; he'd been here before. Now he was the headcheese, had a trailer and a car.
The 1929 twelve cylinder, seven passenger, Packard Sedan was some car! We towed a small cabin trailer that carried our gear, instruments, and clothes. In a pinch it could sleep four, and the rest slept in the car! We drew straws who would get to sleep in the car. But that only happened a couple of times. Hotel rooms at a dollar per night were cheap!
We arrived at Edmonton in august. The A.M.A. Motor court and Trailer Park on 104 St. were on land now occupied by Scona High School and Sports Grounds. We checked into an end unit and a trailer space beside it. A communal shower unit for the trailer park was great, we could all use the facility at the same time, which we did immediately.
Don promised the ride from the auto court to the north side city centre would be a real treat for us first timers.
We eagerly changed clothes, piled into the big Packard and drove north to Whyte Avenue, turned right to 99 th Street four blocks east. As we turned left on 99 th Don's "a coupla blocks down this road Scona Hill begins," heightened our curiosity.
"I'm gonna turn on the free wheeling, shut the motor off, and you guys watch this baby roll!"
And, oh boy, did that old Packard roll! Down Scona Hill, across the Low Level Bridge, and half way up McDougall Hill on the other side, before Don turned on the motor and we roared up the rest of the way to McDougall Drive and past the MacDonald Hotel.
The first ride down and up the hill was exciting and I barely noticed the surrounding as we glided by. However on two successive rides, I was so taken with the river valley and the panoramic views from the top of the river bank on both sides, I was ready to stay in Edmonton. Actually the decision was an easy one to make. The guys left word upon leaving Winnipeg to have their mail forwarded to general delivery Edmonton.
On the second day we drove to the downtown post office to check if we had any mail. We got mail! Boy, did we ever get mail. All but one of us got a call-up to join the army in Winnipeg!
Rather than return to Winnipeg to join the Army, the guys chose to join some of the other services here in Edmonton. Jerry Ashe, singer and fiddler, was accepted in the Air Force. Jimmy Lenz, M.C. and Impressionist signed up with the Army in the Peg. Joe Schmult, our drummer signed up with the Navy here in Edmonton. Don, leader and guitar, brother Andy, guitar and harmonica, would return to Winnipeg with the car and join the Army. Ronnie Morris, the accordion player who had already been rejected from the services in Winnipeg, decided to remain in Edmonton.
But before the All American road Show and Band dispersed to our various destinies, we played several dances in Edmonton. It was a valuable introduction to the musical fraternity for me.
Louis Biamonte and his Edmonton Serenaders, Joe Johnson and his Rocky Mountain Rangers, were two of my best friends and early sources of employment. Once can hardly list all the names of musicians and bands I played in and with. Suffice to say that after sixty-two years in the music business in Edmonton, and fifty-three of those operating a music school, I've never regretted that decision! Edmonton has been a great city to live and work in, particularly for Edna and me to raise our family, without whose support it would not have been possible. Thanks hon!