The Night of the Christmas Concert

With the church closed every winter, the school's annual concert and social was the focal point of Christmas at Mossy Vale. From early December, when desks were pushed back to the walls and the stage was installed at the front, excitement was in the air as the teacher worked feverishly to produce a spectacular show on the last day of school before the holidays. It was a big night filled with skits, carols, gifts, candy, food and good cheer and while all of these wonderful memories remain, there appears to be a complete absence of any photographs of the festive and important occasion. Therefore I made this picture from my own memory of the 1956 concert.

Happy Holidays and may 2012 be a good one!

Brian Smith
"Night of the Christmas Concert," watercolour, 1997, 15" x 11"

Logging and Farming the Boreal

These photos speak to the importance of logging in north eastern Saskatchewan as far back as the 1930s. For Mossy Vale, it was the industry of the Pas Lumber Company that created a trail by which settlers were actually able to make their way into the forested and boggy area, and onto the narrow strip of arable land in between that they settled and turned into good crop yielding farms.

Top: Saskatchewan River view. Middle: Logging crew stopping for dinner. Bottom: Morris brothers, Bill and Peter, breaking land.

Photos courtesy: P. Morris collection

Sawmill Breaks

Mossy Vale sawmills were obviously popular places to lug a box camera out to, judging by the fair number of images in existence. Thanks to the recorders of these significant toils and interactions of the day—who apparently also prepared and lugged out the sandwiches and coffee—we are treated to fascinating front row seats.

Top photo: Lunch break at the Smith sawmill; George Smith (left), three unidentified men, and Jack Reimer (right). Bottom photo: unknown event at the Morris sawmill; Frank Morris Sr. (left), son William (Bill) Morris, Cassandra Morris and son Jack (right).

As usual, your help with naming the unidentified and providing additional information will be greatly appreciated. Click on the photos to reveal larger versions.

Photos courtesy: (top) C. Weighill, (bottom) K. Smith/P. Morris 

Mossy Vale Trees = Lumber to Build Homesteads With

There were a few lumber mills operated by homesteaders at Mossy Vale. They not only provided employment and income in 'lean' years but served the necessary role of creating lumber for building the community. The mill pictured here belonged to George Smith Sr.. In the distance is the Smith homestead. The workers are unknown but it's hoped the man wielding the axe was just hamming it up!

Photo courtesy: E. Adamson

My dad, Geordie Smith, used to tell about the size of trees that grew on the islands throughout the Pas Trail area. For the record, Carl Mitchell and a neighbour clearly demonstrated the girth of this one.

Photo courtesy: M. Mitchell

Mossy Vale HIstory Cairn

In my last post I ended with a photo of my mother, Katie Smith, standing beside the just-erected Mossy Vale history cairn on the day of the reunion. Over the months that I worked on the cairn plans with the other members of the Mossy Vale Sign Committee, I gathered she figured our efforts were a bit of a waste of time. But that day in July, when she navigated the rough ground with her walker from the car to the cairn, and then read the inscription plaque, it was clear she was delighted. In this post I wanted to champion the efforts of Bill Weighill and René Chabot, whose "sweat-equity" and experience in particular, is why we have such a magnificent history cairn.

René Chabot preparing to drill holes in the boulder in advance of mounting the inscription plaque.

Bringing the boulder to the cairn site, back to front: Bill Weighill, Walter Hamilton, René Chabot.

About to mount the plaque and preserve Mossy Vale's history. "Click" on the photo to enlarge and read the inscription.

Photos courtesy: C. Weighill

50 Years Later

Mossy Vale, of course, no longer exists and is part of Saskatchewan's history. In the days leading up to the reunion I was likely not the only one who tried not to get very excited about it, for fear the turnout would be small. After all, it was to do with something that happened a long time ago.

Sunday, July 17th--only a few days over the anniversary of the "Pioneer Picnic" of 1961 that heralded the end of Mossy Vale--arrived to hot and glorious sunshine. The little hall by the beach at Tobin was a perfect setting. To say the reunion exceeded expectations is an understatement. One hundred twenty people signed the guest register, coming from as far as Ontario and Vancouver Island. The many historical photographs that were gratefully received from far and wide, including from ever-dedicated teachers Coral Pickering, Illa May, and Ann Morris, provided a slideshow trip down memory lane that was very popular with everyone. No one remembered Mossy Vale School being quite that small!

Five very special women in attendance were honoured that afternoon--all daughters of homesteaders who settled the area: Mary (Wall) Boschman, Katie (Morris) Smith, Joyce (Oram) Adamson, Eunice (Nelson) Adamson, and Alice (McLeod) Northrup. Then there was the amazing experience of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our old neighbours once more. First Reno Hill School alumni, then we who once inhabited Mossy Vale, posing for photos that now remind us of how special the moment was.

The Mossy Vale history cairn and the Reno Hill "Cherish the Memories" School sign were magnificently in place--witnessed, photographed, touched, and appreciated by those who made the pilgrimage out to them at the end of the afternoon.

Group photos courtesy: H. Larsen, B. and C. Weighill