In the Province of Alberta, Canada.
A COMPARISON BETWEEN 1959 AND 2009
Gleichen was a rail town, built on the Blackfoot Indian reserve.
For some time, in the late 1800'S Gleichen was the end of the rail. With a railway turntable, and a large roundhouse, it was a booming community.
It would have been what Calgary is today except the natives wanted too many concessions and the water supply was insufficient to support a larger population.
The nearest river is seven miles to the South.
After the rail pushed, 90 Kilometers, to the West, Calgary was established and Gleichen began to die.
Today the streets all have names. I don't recall any street signs in 1959.
 CITY SKYLINE THE WATER TOWER STANDS ABOVE THE TREES APPROACHING GLEICHEN FROM THE EAST, ON THE TCH (Trans Canada Highway) |  SOUTHERN APPROACH THROUGH THE RESERVE MANY MORE HOMES AND BUILDINGS THAN IN `59 |
|---|---|
 NORTHERN INTERSECTION WITH THE TCH (2009) |  IN 1959 THERE WAS A GENERAL STORE AT THE INTERSECTION |
On weekends my father would take us to the general store for a treat. My sister and I would have a slice of cherry pie with a scoop of chocolate ice cream.
In `59 Haskayne Ave. ,(I'm sure it didn't have a name back then) was gravel. My friends and I would pedal our bicycles, North, past the general store, to an irrigation ditch where we could escape the summer heat in some cool water.
The priest, Father Violini, whom we called Father Fiddle, was a lover of animals and his rectory was a virtual zoo.
Often, his rabbits would get out and we would round them up for a reward of 25 cents a head.
If you knocked on the door a small dog would start barking, a voice would be heard, "Come in, come in."
When you opened the door you would be met by a large dog. The small yappy dog would be between the feet of a St. Bernard.
The voice was that of a parrot behind the door. No one was home.
It is said that when he finally retired his successor only spent one night in the rectory and then moved to Calgary until the place had been fumigated.
 LOOKING NORTH TO THE TCH |  THE LOCAL NATIVES WOULD DECIMATE OUR GRAVE YARD BY KNOCKING OVER TOMBSTONES. |
|---|---|
 THIS WAS IN RETALIATION FOR US BREAKING INTO THEIR GRAVES AND STEALING SKULLS ON HALLOWEEN NIGHTS |  NAMED AFTER LORD GLEICHEN, GLEICHEN WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1883 |
 |  |
 |  THE CATHOLIC CHURCH DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT HAS BEEN PAINTED SINCE `59 |
 |  |
 INTERSECTION WITH MAIN ST |  BACK OF 117 7th AVE. |
 117 - REMODELED AND REFACED SINCE `59 |  LOOKING NORTH ON 7th AVE. |
|---|---|
 232 7th AVE. PAINT LOOKS FRESH BUT THE ROOF HASN'T BEEN TOUCHED SINCE `59 |  232 7th Ave. CORNER OF GRIESBACH ST. |
 R.C.M.P. OFFICE AND RESIDENCE - 1959 |  THE OLD WOODEN SWINGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH METAL AND BELTING. I IMAGINE BELT SEATS HURT A LOT LESS WHEN THEY HIT YOU IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD. I REALLY DON'T WANT TO EXPERIENCE GETTING HIT WITH A WOODEN ONE AGAIN. |
 LOOKING SOUTH ON 7th AVE |  IN `59 THE SCHOOL ONLY WENT TO GRADE 8. FOR GRADE 9, AND UP, YOU HAD TO GO TO CLUNY, THE NEXT TOWN TO THE EAST |
One of my first jobs was working as a janitor in the school.
 R.C.M.P. OFFICE 2009 4th Ave. AT GRIESBACH |  GRIESBACH ST. |
|---|
When I was 14 I took a silver dollar to the CIBC and opened my first bank account, no ID required, if I could sign my name.
I also got my driver's learners permit at that age. All I needed was an eye exam and a letter of permission from a parent.
In those day natives were not allowed booze. They could neither go in a liquor vendor nor a bar.
They would shop at the Red and White and try to buy vanilla extract. They would always choose a big bottle. My mother would ask them what they were going to do with it.
They would reply, “Bake a cake.”
My mother would take the big bottle away and hand them a small bottle, “You don't need that much to make a cake,”
 THE LARGEST BANK CHAIN IN THE WORLD NOW REQUIRES A DNA SAMPLE TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT. BUT YOU CAN OPEN A `SWISS' ACCOUNT IN ONE OF THEIR BRANCHES IN THE CARIBBEAN |  A NEW EDIFICE REPLACES THE OLD WOODEN STRUCTURE THAT HOUSED THE `RED AND WHITE' STORE WHERE MY MOTHER USED TO WORK |
|---|---|
 |  A CONCRETE BLOCK OF ELECTRONICS REPLACES THE WOODEN STRUCTURE WHERE MY SISTER WORKED AS A TELEPHONE OPERATOR - REMEMBER WHEN YOU ACTUALLY TALKED TO A PERSON? |
The Blackfoot Indian Reserve is the largest Indian Reservation in the world.
 AFTER INTERSECTING WITH MAIN ST. HASKAYNE AVE. GOES OVER THE TRACK AND INTO THE RESERVE |  |
|---|---|
 A BLOCK WEST OF HASKAYNE AVE. THE STREET RAN SOUTH PASSED THE INDIAN HOSPITAL TO THE INDIAN SCHOOL |  A TYPICAL (GOVERNMENT BUILT) NATIVE DWELLING SITS WHERE THE HOUSES FOR THE STAFF AT THE HOSPITAL USED TO BE |
 THE INDIAN SCHOOL, FORMERLY RUN BY THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, IS NOW A COLLEGE |  BETWEEN THE HOSPITAL AND THE SCHOOL WERE TWO GOVERNMENT HOUSES, NOW JUST A PATCH OF DARK GREEN FOLIAGE |
The Northern of the two houses was occupied by the supervisor of the hospital. The Southern house was our domicile. On cold winter evenings I would put on my father's snowshoes and join my neighbour in his rounds, delivering the `Calgary Herald' to the school and a couple of Indian houses on Haskayne Ave.
We always looked forward to delivering to the Chief's house as his wife would have cookies, hot out of the oven, waiting for us.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
LATEST CURRENCY VALUES
BANK of CANADA Currency Converter
WEATHER ACROSS ALBERTA
ENVIRONMENT CANADA ALTA. Weather
- e - PODUNK The Power of Place Gleichen, Alta. | GLEICHEN Alberta, Canada | WikipediA The World is Round Gleichen, Alta. |
|---|
* * * * * * * *
« Go back To My `ALBERTA' Page
« Go back To My `CANADA' Page
« Go back To My `TRAVEL' Page
« Go back To My `HOME' Page
Send me a comment (and I will add it to my Guest Book), or correction, or just say, "Hi"!
Thank you for visiting Lee's `Gleichen'. Page.
Please come back and visit again!
 1-800-PETMEDS A Pet Pharmacy |  3 BALLS . COM Cool Golf Stuff - New & Used |
|---|
