A Look At July 1925 In Vermilion

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

I like to look back a century and see what exactly people were up to and how their decisions helped shape the community of today.

On July 2, Mike Illchuk was struck by lightning while working in his field. He was taken to the Vermilion hospital and listed in critical condition but there was improvement. When he was struck, he was holding a crowbar in his hand with two men standing near by. The two men were fine but Mike had his clothes torn to shreds along with his leather boots. His hair was singed clean off and there was a stripe down his body that was burned.

On July 8, it was reported that the moisture conditions in Vermilion were excellent. Crops, gardens and orchards were blooming throughout the region. Even the gooseberry, wild cherry and Saskatoon berries were doing well in the area. The town gardens were described as being in splendid shape and free of cutworms and wireworms.

That same day, and not surprisingly, another story reported that Vermilion land was in great demand. While it was not as high of a demand as was seen in 1916, over 25,000 acres of the prairie had been sold so far in 1925. The average price per acre at that time was $14 to $18. Settlers from across Europe were starting to arrive to build up their homesteads in the area.

On July 22, it was reported that at the Vermilion School of Agriculture, classes would open in the fall with classes in agriculture and domestic science. The announcement was made by Minister of Agriculture George Hoadley. The previous year, instruction at the school was devoted completely to that of the British boys who had arrived to learn agricultural techniques.

On July 23, 1,200 fans watched Vermilion teams compete in a baseball tournament. The Vermilion Tigers defeated Innisfree 6-5, while the Vermillion Senators defeated Vegreville 4-0. Wainwright then defeated the Tigers 5-0 and the final was played against the Senators and Wainwright. Vermilion captured the tournament title by winning 3-1.

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