Growing up in McKernan by Gladys Nagel

Gladys Nagel describes what kids did for fun in the McKernan Lake district in south Edmonton in the 1920's and 1930's.

My family arrived in Edmonton in 1926. We were able to find a one-bedroomcottage
in the McKernan Lake district on the south side of Edmonton on 76th Avenue and
116th Street .


We lived at the end of the streetcar line. Our streetcar was known as the
Toonerville Trolley. It was one-and-a-half blocks from our home to the top of
the Whitemud Hill, which was two, or three miles from the Whitemud Creek.


For many years I would hike along with my brothers, sister and friends to
the Creek where I learned to swim. Then every one of us would climb up the hill
to have a drink of cold water from the iron springs that flowed from the hill.
Sometimes we left in the morning, then we would walk all the way back home to
have our lunch. We would rest for awhile after eating some sandwiches and, guess
what? We were off for another hike back to the creek. This was done mostly during
our summer holidays. I used to like playing hopscotch, Run Sheep Run, softball,
swimming, skipping with a rope. These games kept us busy from spring until late
fall.


In the summer, I would go out to pick wild fruit with my mother, brothers,
and sister. We were very lucky because from late spring until the fall there
were plenty of strawberries, saskatoons, raspberries, chokecherries and cranberries.
My mother made very tasty jams and jellies. Our big favorite was chokecherry
juice cooked to a lightweight jelly that we poured over our pancakes. Mother
also made all our bread and buns. My dad was always very busy planting a large
garden. If we had too many vegetables, he would share them with people who needed
help. When the Depression years came, the garden produce and the jam were a great
help.


In order to make some money, my father would get jobs digging and planting
gardens for families on the south side. He also had a few months working on the
109th Street tunnel, which was often referred to in Edmonton as the Rathole.
It was a great day when my dad finally found a steady job. He was hired by the
post office. They put him to work as a postman. He was happy that finally he
would be able to bring home a cheque each month.


Now it is time to talk about winter. All of us kids would sleigh ride down
the hills and go skating. When we got a little older, I would go with my pals
across the river to the Sterling family's toboggan slide they built on the riverbank.
It was quite bumpy and very high; and hard to get to the top! We had to climb
a ladder, carrying our sleighs, and down we would go. It was a very speedy ride
and quite rough. Some kids and older people would sometimes get hurt; maybe break
a leg or arm.


I attended Normal Practice School from Grade One to Grade Eight. This was
a very modern school just built at a time when they needed more room. We walked
from our homes about two miles and home again for lunch, then back to school
for the afternoon class.


After I graduated from Grade Eight, I enrolled at the McDougall Commercial
business school. The first year I went in the afternoon. There were also morning
classes. I got a job for the mornings, as I needed to earn some money to pay
for some of my school supplies. After school I would walk up to the Y.W.C.A.
to play basketball. There was about 5 or 6 teams. Some of the Grad basketball
team players came and volunteered to coach us. I can still remember a few names – Mabel
Moncton, Margaret McBurney, Babe Balonge and my coach was Millie Cormack. They
were all a great group. The team I played with the first year won the trophy.
The next year I was in a team in Edmonton City League and once again we won the
Alfred Blythe Studios Trophy. I also played on a softball team. I was very fond
of all kinds of sports and outdoors.


After finishing my schooling, I wasn't able to find a job as a secretary so
I found work at the University Hospital . They put me in charge of the third
floor kitchen. Also, I had the Intern's quarters to look after. It was a very
large dormitory that had about 10 to 12 beds. The men were very nice. Once in
a while they would leave me a chocolate bar as a treat.


All the time I was taking evening classes at Alberta College , keeping up
with the shorthand, typing and bookkeeping. After four years at the hospital,
I got tired having Wednesdays off only. I never had Saturday or Sunday off in
all that time. You know the stores closed at noon on Wednesday, and also there
was little dancing on Tuesday evening. I was engaged to a nice fellow and we
decided to get married. So, I said good-bye to the job in 1941. From then on
I became a stay-at-home mom.