NORMAN WRIGHT AND FAMILY

By Mrs. Emma C. Wright

In March 1929 my husband Norman, myself and two boys lived near a small village by the name of Bittern Lake, Alberta. The work was scarce around there. So when we heard that the oil field in Turner Valley was going to open up we decided to give it a try. On March 24th Norman packed and took off for Turner Valley. When he got there he found that work was scarce there also. In order to save what little money he had, he would go to the boiler house at night and sleep under the boiler, with the consent of the fireman. Later on the woman that was keeping a boarding house in the Log Cabin, needed some carpeting done. She asked Norman to come and do it. At the same time some work needed doing on Doctor Kenny's house so he go some work there also.

Finally the Calmont Oil Co. was looking for a roughneck and Norman was lucky enough to get hired. In August, he had a shack built on a lot rented from Franz Von Wursteinberger. On September 23 I packed up our belongings and left by train for Calgary. Taking the bus from there to Turner Valley. The bus was crowded so I had to hold both boys on my lap. One four years old the other two. Everything went along fine but as we neared the town of Black Diamond a most particular odor permeated the bus and it increased as we got further on, by the time we got to the rock cut it was almost unbearable. "Turner Valley Gas!"

We were met at the bus by my husband and his friend Tom Hodge. By this time it should have been dark but the light from the flares lit up the whole place. It was as light as day! It was a sight I will never forget! The roar from Hell's Half Acre and the chunting of the mud-hogs filled the air. What a change from the quiet country side that we had left that morning. We soon settled in and how nice it was to be a family again. The size of the shack was 14 by 18, but somehow we managed to get along fairly well. The four of us had to sleep in one bed to start with. That is what is known as togetherness! Later we got a Winnipeg couch for the boys to sleep on. Thanks for the gas that was available, we kept warm even if the walls were single boards, and tar paper. Our neighbours when we moved in were, Roy and Babe Redford, Bill and Phyllis Taylor, Frank and Greta Adamaske, Bob McPhillamey. The house nearest ours was Peter Dyke's "House of Ill Repute." A couple of times, customers entered our house by mistake, much to their embarrassment. With a word of apology, they would make a hasty retreat.

In 1931 there was a shut down and a number of men were layed off, Norman included. No steady work was available until spring of 1935. Norman went to work for two weeks, when he caught a cold which turned to double pneumonia, was hospitalized for one month, and didn't recover his health and strength until the end of August. He spent his time of convalescence in Vancouver with his father. One day the boys and I were coming home from a swim in the river, as we approached the house we saw a man sitting on the door step, it was Mr. Rutherford. Much to our surprise he handed me fifty dollars, that the men at the plant had collected for us. I was so overcome with emotion that I can't remember what I said. It was a most wonderful gift, we were so thankful. Fifty dollars, in those days, was a lot of money. Norman came home at the end of August and went to work in a few days. After that things started to improve for us. In 1939 we bought a lot on Sunset Blvd. and moved our shack onto it. Added two more rooms and made it into a neat looking little house.

It had been hard times for everyone during the depression but we didn't sit and lament. Instead we would get together and have fun, sometimes it would be card parties or we spent an evening playing games. The best time of all was the fun we had in the old Log Cabin, where we would dance and share our time with friends and neighbours. The music for dancing was supplied by Charlie Brooks on the violin, sometimes Red Clarke would play also. I must not forget to mention the happy times spent at the home of Harry and Louise Collins. Many neighbours would gather there Saturday evenings and we would dance and sing until the wee hours of the morning. Again Charlie would be there with his violin.

I am certain that ever so many who lived in Turner Valley at that time will remember "Harry the Doughnut King". On the day they were baking doughnuts, the neighborhood kids, our included, would be sure to be there and they always got treated to a big hot doughnut. Harry passed away October 1935 and the family moved to Spokane, Washington.

In January 1947, Norman was transferred to Norman Wells, N.W.T. In the fall of 1948 he was sent to Redwater, where I joined him the next year.

When Norman retired in 1967, we moved to Blind Bay. He passed away January 1973. Thus ended our stay in Turner Valley with many fond memories of the time we spent there and all the wonderful people we had met. Note: Mrs. Wright moved into the High Country Lodge, Black Diamond after it opened November 1977.

From, "IN THE LIGHT OF THE FLARES," pg 741-742
1979 published by The Sheep River Historical Society