From the Archives of Western Newspapers

Posted on January 15, 2026 by Taber Times

By Samantha Johnson
For Southern Alberta Newspapers

January 10, 1881 – The Bulletin
(Edmonton)

Last Tuesday, the temperature was 28 above zero and by Saturday it was 42 below.

Mr. Young of the Hudson Bay Company leaves for Slave Lake today by special (dog) train.

The census for Victoria, BC, this year gives the adult population at 50.

There were four balls in Edmonton last week with all being well attended and several are promised for this week.

Mr. Tupper left Wednesday last with 18 dogs to inspect the telegraph lines and is expected back from Winnipeg soon.

A freighter left for Fort McLeod on Thursday last with a cargo of saddles for the Mounted Police to replace those lost in the recent fire.

January 9, 1908 – The Gleichen Call

People driving over the prairie in straw hats and eating ice cream out of doors on New Year’s makes sunny Alberta look good.

Joseph, not he of the coat of many colours, but he who so mysteriously disappeared some time ago, suddenly reappeared on the scene to begin the New Year.

On Tuesday, 20 teamsters brought in loads of grain from the famous Queenstown and Arrowwood districts and landed them in Gleichen. This puts a lie to the statement that our grain crop was a failure last year.

The Hon. Bob Mac indulged in a few resolutions on New Year’s and has a new tonsorial cut; thus, is now minus many of his luxuriant whiskers.

January 11, 1918 – Irma Times

No woolens are to be procured from abroad for the civilian trade in Canada next winter. Men and women will have to either wear their old clothes with cotton mixtures or take their chances on securing material from the few remaining stocks of wool now in the country.

The chief of police for Edmonton was among those who waited until 3 a.m. for the westbound train on Monday. We wish he would have assumed his official capacity and arrested the GTP for breach of contract.

We hear occasionally of somebody going insane over a disturbing circumstance in their lives and in those cases the person likely already had a delicate mental balance and went to pieces as soon as the stress became too much. Medical officers with the fighting troops are speaking out against Britain accepting recruits without inquiring into their nervous history. Sir William Osler is insisting that those who are likely to suffer from nervous shock should not be accepted as the trenches are no place for men of unstable constitution. Another British physician said casualties are beyond belief as men who have suffered from a nervous breakdown, are excitable or high strung, or suffer from long periods of depression or similar ailments are likely to crack under the stress of war.

Arrangements have been made for skating rinks at many of the convalescent hospitals and homes for returned soldiers needing further medical treatment or industrial re-education before their return to civilian life. The rinks promise to be one of the greatest sources of amusement during the winter months with skates being supplied by many patriotic citizens. It is interesting to note that blinded soldiers in France and England also enjoy skating as a past time.