User:Robgilgan/sandbox

North Red Deer

The Village of North Red Deer on the north shore of the Red Deer River was an independent municipality from February 17, 1911. It was amalgamated with the City of Red Deer on January 1, 1948 which before that date existed only on the south shore of the River. The Village's development was the result of several factors. The CPR considered a site eighteen miles upstream from the current site. Leonard Gaetz donated 600 acres at the current location near Gaetz Avenue to convince the railroad company to build the bridge in Red Deer. Regular train service started on April 14, 1891. [LV p. 81] A single lane traffic bridge was built in the mid-1890s and a few people began to build houses north of the River. [MD #29] Another factor was a lumber mill. George Bawtinheimer operated one south of the River, but he moved it north of the River and west of he CPR tracks. Production started there in June 1905. [LV p. 23] Due to a major flood, most of the logs were lost which made Bawtinheimer decide to sell his business to the Great West Lumber Company formed in February 2006. To protect it from further losses of logs, the Company dredged a flat next to the River to create a large millpond. A long channel was also dug for use as a sluiceway to move logs from the River to the pond. Soon 100 men were employed. [MD #30] Another factor was the start of construction of St. Joseph Convent in the summer of 1908. In the previous year, Father Henri Voisin, the priest of the Sacred Heart Parish in Red Deer persuaded the French order Filles de Sagesse (Daughters of Wisdom) to start a boarding school for the children of Central Alberta. [MD #7] By the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, the hamlet of North Red Deer had grown to a respectable size with seventy-five homes and a population of over two hundred. [LV p. 38] Both the saw mill and the convent were a factor in giving the village a high proportion of French speaking citizens. The mill because many of its employees were from French speaking areas. The convent because its teachers attracted French speaking families. [MD #26]

A first attempt at obtaining village status was made in October 1908 by John Webster and sixty other residents. It claimed that the Local Improvement District was collecting taxes, but returning little to the hamlet. [LV p. 39] It was considered flawed by the Provincial Government because it did not followed changes in legislation. A second petition with 127 names, twice as many as in the first petition, was sent in December 1910. On February 17, 1911 residents of the new Village of North Red Deer were informed that the petition had been successful. [MD #29]  The new Village was officially on the map!

One of the first acts of the new council was borrowing $4,000. It was used mainly to construct wooden sidewalks and grade roads. [LV p. 48] Harold Dawe in an article entitled "Early Schooling in North Red Deer" reported that in October 1911 the School Board erected the two-room cottage school for $3,925. [LV p.133] While the building has a 1911 sign on it, classes started in early February 1912. Its first teacher was Miss Wideen. The official opening of the school was impressive and the schoolroom was filled to the doors. [LV p. 137] The Village got an early economic boost. Central Alberta has long been a major centre for the livestock industry. What better to do with all those animal hides? Convert them into quality leathers. Four investors got together and recruited Victor B Freytag. He was born in Poland and received his training at the Imperial Institute for Leather in Vienna, Austria. He became co-owner. [MD #31] The factory was built on a site on what is now Kerry Wood Drive near 56 Street which is now a playground. Full operation of the factory started in the spring of 1911. Unfortunately, due to a deep recession, it went into voluntary receivership in February 1914. [MD #31] An article entitled "Municipal Building in North Red Deer", The Red Deer Advocate in its August 2, 1912 edition reported the Village was leasing a building which contains space for a Clerk's office, Council Chamber, a police court and two cells. [LV p. 50] Census figures show a population of 2,421 in June 1911 and 3,302 in October 1912. [LV p. 51] The Village had assets of $2,428. [LV p. 54] At the end of 1928 it had a budget of  $3,281. [LV p. 55] The Village was governed by a reeve and two councillors elected for a one year term. That was changed to a three year term in 1927. Reeve was changed to mayor in 1931. Three significant members of council who also became a reeve or mayor were Percy Kent, first elected in 1913, Ferdinand Michiels, first elected in 1924, and Percy Jarvis,  first elected in 1936. [LV p. 62]` People get sick and need to go to hospital. Arrangements were made with the Hospital District to permit North Red Deer residents the use the City Hospital. Membership in the Red Deer Health Unit provided basic preventative and community medicine. [LV p. 55]

While there had been a previous attempt to join the City, the final and successful attempt started in late 1945. [LV p. 52, 58] A few factors led to an increase of interest in amalgamation. Residents were observing the introduction of natural gas across the River. Also a new bridge across the River was under consideration. [LV p. 57] In the following year, a proposal was put to a vote, but was not ratified in a plebiscite mainly because many in the north objected to a special 10 mil tax levy to pay for the costs of bringing the Village infrastructure and services up to the level already enjoyed south of the River. [LV p. 58] Finally, a new agreement was reached whereby the new City taxes in the north would be slightly lower than the rates levied by the Village. The vote was 105 in favour and 40 against or 72%, slightly better than two-third majority required. On January 1, 1948, the Village of north Red Deer ceased to exist. [LV p. 58] However, although the Village no longer existed, a distinct sense of identity remained. [MD #29]

Population growth was slow in the late forties, but picked up in the fifties. With the North Cottage School filled up, a new school was built next door in 1954. [MD #12] Soon, North Red Deer was full, and the City started to open new residential subdivision: Fairview in 1962, Oriole Park in 1963, Highland Green in 1973, the Pines in 1973, Normandeau in 1976, Glendale in 1979, and Kentwood in 1987. Industrial subdivision were developed in 1966: Riverside and Golden West, in 1976:  Northland, and in 1981:  Edgar. [LV p.298] Schools were built in all subdivisions except Kentwood. One school was innovative. Past practice was to build schools here and recreational facilities there. With a change in provincial government policy and with the leadership from G.H. Dawe, a public and separate school were built, along with a rink, gym, and swimming pool starting in 1977. [MD #10] It was named after G.H. Dawe who had recently retired as school superintendent. This was not the only first north of the River. Even though Central Alberta was in a slump, the Gelmon Corporation had faith in the future. It opened the first indoor mall in Red Deer in November 1970. With Safeway, Woolco and Super City Drugs as anchors, 40 other stores and services were opened over the next few months. [MD #25] The reason for these developments was the fact that north Red Deer was growing faster than south of the River. It went from about 15% in the early 1950s [MD #10] to 40% in the 1980s. Population went from about 5,000 in the early seventies to a city within the City of 30,000 or about a third of the population in 2009 according to the City Census. To serve this large population, the Johnstone Crossing Health Centre opened in 2008 and 67th Street RCMP precinct was completed in 2009. The Province celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 1980. Many communities followed suit partially because of some financial encouragement. So did North Red Deer in 1986. Over a period of seven years several milestones were reached. In 1887, a 600 page the Little Village that Grew, a History of North Red Deer was published. It is online at: http://www.ourroots.ca/toc.aspx?id=13218&qryID=56d7abce-1e88-40d8-9fcd-7ec82e490bc7. In 1989, the North Cottage School was restored, used a an alternative high school, and later declared Registered Historic Resource. [Dawe #12] In 1991, the CPR Bridge was saved from demolition, funded partially with $ 4,170 worth of profits from the sales of the history book. And in 1992, the North Red Deer Walking Tour Booklet was published. It is online at: http://culture.alberta.ca/heritage/resourcemanagement/historicplacesstewardship/heritagesurvey/pdf/North%20Red%20Deer.pdf On the occasion of North Red Deer' Centennial in 2011, a committee of the Riverside Meadows Community Association, the new name of the subdivision, created a North Red Deer website at :  www.xxxx   [It should be up any day now.] References: The little Village that Grew: a history of North Red Deer Author Northside Community Association (Red Deer, Alta.). North Red Deer 75th Anniversary Committee Publisher: North Red Deer 75th Anniversary Committee of the Northside Community Association, Pub date: ©1987

7:  Dawe, Michael. "St. Joseph Convent." Red Deer Express, January 24, 2007:9 10: Dawe, Michael. "Dawe Centre, an innovative community project." Red Deer Advocate, September 19, 2007:40. 12: Dawe, Michael. "History of North Red Deer Cottage School." Red Deer Express. April 16, 2008:30 25: Dawe, Michael. "Marking Parkland Mall's 40th anniversary in the City." Red Deer Express, November 17, 2010:5. 26: Dawe, Michael. "North Red Deer was a community all its own." Red Deer Express, January 5, 2011:6. 29: Dawe, Michael. "Village of North Red Deer marks 100-year anniversary." Red Deer Express, February 16, 2011:20. 30: Dawe, Michael. "History of the Great West Lumber Company." Red Deer Express, February 23, 2011:18. 31: Dawe, Michael. "A look at one of the earliest industries in North Red Deer." Red Deer Express, March 9, 2011:7. — Precedingunsigned comment added by Robgilgan (talk • contribs) 22:57, 15 July 2011 (UTC) <!-- Template: