And the Wind Blew: A Boy at Borden Park, 1932, by John Reid

Date: 1932

And the rain came down in sheets, and soaked my brother and I while we waited for the street car at 101st Street and Jasper Avenue. We were headed for home late in the afternoon of a humid summer's day. I knew George was over twelve years of age, and me, I was over nine. We had been to the Queen City Meat Market, and bought a round steak for twenty-five cents, and also to the Metropolitan Store, for a ten cent jar of freshly made peanut butter. We had to take the jar and lid to the store and the clerk would fill it from the spout on the machine. The year was 1932 and money was in real short supply.

Finally the tram came and we boarded to head east to the Highlands. As we rode along the storm became more intense, there were many claps of thunder, and the lightning seemed to be getting stronger and more plentiful. There was also some egg sized hail in the deluge of rain. The hail was breaking on the paved road beside us. We were now proceeding east on 112th Avenue and we had passed Cromdale School. We then switched onto the single set of street car tracks that ran by Borden Park. The sky had darkened by this time and a strong wind started to blow. The rain and the hail started to ease; we were now passing the page wire fence of the Buffalo Paddock on the east end of Borden Park. We were aware at the time there were about ten to fifteen buffalo in the paddock. All of a sudden the street car ground to a stop, something was on the track ahead of us. The conductor called back to the passengers to come forward for a look. There were two men and a lady, along with the two of us kids. When we looked we saw a very large bison between the two rails of the line. The wooden fence at the east end of the paddock had blown down, this beast escaped the pasture.

The motorman would not let any of his passengers alight from the tram, and soon a police officer came on his horse. It was Jack Bible. The buffalo would not move off the track, it merely stood intently looking at the light in the front of the car. It seemed attracted to this light. My brother told the motorman that he had his camera with a flash bulb attachment with him, and he would like to get a picture of the bison. The tram operator opened the door of the car and George stood on the step. He flashed the light into the eyes of the beast as it turned away from him. The buffalo took off running east and out onto 112th Ave., with the mounted policeman in hot pursuit. A police car was being operated west of the avenue, and between the two police officers, one in a car and thither on horseback were able to turn the beast and head it back towards the paddock. Some workmen came in a truck and with the buffalo safely back inside, they soon repaired the fence and all was well again.
With our shopping trip errands completed, we both had a fantastic story to tell our parents.