Once again, I want to delve back into the past to see what was going on in Vermilion during a particular week. I find this is a great way to discover the history of a community, a bit of a slice of life if you will.
This time, we are going back 110 years to the end of May 1913.
Over $30,000 in livestock was shipped out of Vermilion around this time, heading to Edmonton and Calgary. In the last week alone, 200 head were shipped, amounting to $15,000. The shipment of livestock at this point far exceeded shipments of the previous years and showed a record market for Vermilion. In modern funds, this amounts to about $776,000.
A new public building was announced by the federal government that would cost $25,000 to build. A site had not been located yet, and it was not known what the building would function as, but many were excited in the community because it was felt this was a sign that the community was growing in prominence.
Nearby to Vermilion, the debate to build a steel bridge reached a vote. The bridge would have replaced the old wood one but 84 of the ratepayers voted against building it, while 64 voted in favour of it.
A group of Winnipeg businessmen arrived in the area and were shown around the community in automobiles and driven out to the demonstration farm. Their train had stopped for an hour, and they were quickly shown around. The men expressed their surprise over how quickly the community was growing compared to when they had last visited only two years ago. They compared it favourably with every other town they had seen on their tour of Western Canada.
Lastly, the community celebrated Victoria Day. A big parade was held with several floats going down the main street. A baseball game was also played, with Edmonton defeating Mannville 21 to 7, and then Vermilion defeating Vegreville 23 to 13.
After the games and parade, a grand concert was held with a musical program that was greatly enjoyed by all the residents in attendance.
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