Edmonton's Outskirts in 1948, a family story by Jean Connor

1948 we moved to Edmonton where we lived in a field near the south highway which came into Edmonton. It was on 53 Ave. between 103 St. and 104 St. There was a big bend in the highway, going from the highway to 103 St. I remember major accidents on this curve where Mum and Dad would take blankets out to cover the accident victims. On the south side of this bend Mum would catch the Grey Hound with my two little sisters and me to visit our Nanny and Granddad [Mum’s parents] in Leduc.


On the West, edge of this field and a half a block from the cabin, the city had a tap for water where Mum would have to go with her pail. Around this tap, there were many little frogs which my 2 yrs old sister would collect in the metal wash tub and play with them. The twin boys that lived across the field to the south west corner didn't like the many frogs in one place. So Bev would tease them with the frogs.[My sisters 2 and 4 would tie this naughty boys up on the telephone pole] Our little 3 room cabin was set off the ground and in the winter Mum would put straw around the house to keep it warm. In the summer she had a hole dug on the North side of the cabin, with a wooden lid. Mum used this for her frig. Of course there was an outside bathroom but in the winter we 3 little girls would use the slop pail after breaking the ice on top of the pail.


We had no electricity and used candles, which I was warned not to play with. One evening mum and Dad went the 4 feet to the other 3 room cabin to play cards. The candle was left in on the kitchen table and I was scared. So I had my middle sister get up with me to get the candle. I climb up to the top bunk and Trisha blew out the candle. I'm still not to fond of candles.


I remember a bad storm that turned the clouds purple and the wind blew hard. It was very scary so Mum had us all cuddle up on the couch in the middle room and she read to us until we fell asleep. When we woke up the storm was gone but it had left a mess by blowing down the out house and storage shed.


Mum would walk the 32 blocks to White Avenue with my sister Trisha who was 4 and Beverly who was 2. She would get the bus to Woodwards downtown. She went there because they would deliver the groceries except the perishables. It was always an exciting time to get home from school to see the fresh fruit and other food. I only got to go when Dad was home [he was on the rigs in those days] and he would drive Mum to Woodwards and I could go in with Mum to get the groceries.


I walked to Allendale School about 14 blocks away. I took my lunch and at school we could buy hot chocolate or soup for 10 cents.


We would also get a big multivitamin pill and polio shots were giving often, it seemed like it was often. We couldn’t go to swimming pools or public places because of the Polio epidemic. I would get very sick with many sore throats but when it came time to get my tonsils out I couldn't because of the Polio. I never did have them out until I was 18.


They were pleasant memories for me but I'm not sure if they was for my Mum. So we moved to 110 Street. But that’s another story.