The Largest Swine Club In Alberta

Back in July 1918, Vermilion was a booming place and while it had many new businesses and new residents arriving almost on a daily basis, it also had something else.

The largest pig club in the entire province.

It was reported that there were over 50 members of the club, with 84 purebred young pigs that were cared for by the members.

Clubs like Vermilion’s were organized by the Department of Agriculture with the cooperation and funding from banks to encourage children on farms to learn more about purebred stock and teach them how to care for the animals.

A.F. Reynolds, the manager of Vermilion’s Bank of Commerce, was the one to organize Vermilion’s club.

Reynolds stated he had not gone into the effort with enthusiasm but once he saw the interest on the faces of the children, he quickly saw the benefits of it.

Each of the children were given a bank note and Reynolds had no doubt that the children would be paying back what they owed on schedule. The children repay their note when they sell their pigs.

For the clubs, the government chose the pigs and the only rule of the club was that the parents of the child could not interfere in any way with the proceeds of the pig or pigs.

Of the 50 members, 18 were girls.

There had only been one casualty among the pigs. One boy, who took his care of the two pigs very seriously, was home when his mother took out some poison to kill gophers. She used a pail for that poison and after she was done, left it on the doorstep. Unfortunately, the boy grabbed the pail to feed the pigs. There was still trace poison within the pail and the two pigs died shortly after being fed.

When told by the boy what happened, Reynolds stated that no farmer is never discouraged and things happen. He was then given a second note to buy new pigs.

At the 1918 fall fair, the children could exhibit their pigs and earn over $100 in prizes. They would then sell the pigs to make back the money they owed the bank.

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