Proudly Serving Vermilion And Area Since 2004

For most people who met Hugh Evans as he walked down the street in Vermilion in the 1950s and 1960s, they would have never known he was part of history. From 1898 to 1900, he was part of the Southern Cross expedition to Antarctica. This was the first British venture to the continent and led directly to Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton’s attempts a few years later. He said, “We sailed from a London port early in 1898. A large crowd gathered to bid us goodbye and good luck. T

It is a new year, and a new month, and that means it is time to look back at what was going on in the community 100 years ago this month. These events helped to build the community that exists today. On Jan. 13, the Vermilion Wanderers defeated Vegreville 4-2 in a hockey game. This put Vermilion at the top of the league standings and in a good place to win the league championship. On Jan. 16, it was announced that 100 families from Scotland were going to be settling at Vermil

December 1913 was a good month for Annie McLay. It was in that month that she won a big prize thanks to her hard work. For two months previous, the Edmonton Bulletin had been running a contest to see who among their employees could get the most subscribers signing up for the newspaper. McLay, who was from Vermilion, won thanks to her immense drive to win. She spent six weeks traveling through the northern part of the province as far as she could go, and then down to southern

Back in 1910, Vermilion dealt with something rather unusual for the time of year. A November tornado. In those days, they called such weather events cyclones, and it was something that scared quite a few people in the community. It was on Nov. 1, 1910, when what was described as a terrific windstorm swept through the community. At the height of the storm, it was said you could barely see a block away because of the dust and debris. The storm led to a small fire in town and wh

New Memorials for Fallen Hero’s at the Royal Canadian Legion. Photo submitted Three new memorial plaques were recently received by the local Legion Branch commemorating Fallen Heroes with ties to the Vermilion Area. On the left is Vincent Stanley Hall sponsored by Creech’s Lakeland Funeral Home. In the centre is Charles Duncan Calder sponsored by Martin’s Plumbing & Heating and on the right is Albert Walter Klatt sponsored by the Klatt Family from Vermilion. Also adding to sp

A new month means we are traveling back to time to see what was going on in the community exactly 100 years ago. These events may seem like they are not of major historical significance, but they helped form the community as it is today. Many residents of Vermilion were angry on Nov. 1 when they woke up to what had happened on Halloween in the community. Several people had property smashed in their yards. Various signs were ripped down around the community and a rear door at

While The Great Depression was one of the most difficult times for Canadians in the 20th century, especially in the Prairies, there were still things to celebrate. On Nov. 2, 1937, the people of Vermilion were celebrating the news that progress was being made on the new Masonic Temple in the community. On that day, the cornerstone was laid down on the building. For the previous 21 years, the Masons had used a building in the Standard Block of Vermilion. This new temple was to

Back in October 1951, the Vermilion area was getting ready for a major vaccination job. It wasn’t for polio, that was still a couple years away. Instead, it was about vaccinating cattle. This massive vaccination program was believed to be the largest ever attempted in Canada by a municipality. Initiated by the Municipal District of Vermilion River, it all began on Oct. 4, 1951 under the guidance of Dr. A.R. Anderson and Dr. F. Creech from Lloydminster. The vaccination was for

Nellie McClung was one of the most important individuals in Alberta’s history. Not only was she instrumental in Manitoba becoming the first province to allow women to vote in provincial elections, but she did the same in Alberta soon after in 1916. Later in life, she was one of The Famous Five who brought forward the Persons Case in 1927 that led to women being deemed persons qualified to sit in the Canadian Senate. Her legacy has been tarnished somewhat with her support of e

Back when Vermilion was first founded, one of the early tasks of residents was to build a church that people could worship in. It was in September 1905 when a letter reached Archdeacon Lloyd in Lloydminster, for whom the community is named, asking if a church could be opened in the new village of Vermilion. The person who sent the letter was Robert Pilkie. A reply came on Oct. 15, 1905, giving permission to create this church. A week later, Archdeacon Lloyd came to the commun

At the start of each month, I like to look back at what was going on in the community a century ago. The events of 100 years ago helped from the community that exists today. At the start of the month on Oct. 1, it was announced that Reverend Father Goutier was leaving the community to take over the parish in Legal. He had served as the Vermilion parish for the previous 15 years and was well loved by the community. He was succeeded by Father O’Sullivan, who came in from Hanna.

In September 1922, as farmers were trying to get in the crops that they could after a dry season, ducks suddenly descended on the...

Back in early August 1950, Vermilion suddenly found itself in a situation where it was dealing with a power shortage. And it was all...

Back in September 1949, there was a rather odd initiative conducted in Vermilion. The decision was made by the Vermilion Fish and Game...

With a new month, it is time to venture 100 years into the past to see what was going on in the community back then. It may have been 10...

One century ago, Vermilion was a very different place. It was much smaller, the technology wasn’t as advanced but the people were really...

In June 1944, a war was raging across the planet. There was the War in Europe, fought primarily against Germany, and the War in the...

In 1948, some odd things happened in Vermilion. They were not incredibly odd, or anything like strange lights in the sky, but they were...

For a marriage to reach 40 years is an achievement, and hitting 50 is a major milestone. Now, reaching 60 years, or a diamond...

Alberta was heading towards one of its most impactful elections in 1935. For the previous three decades, the province had been governed...