Who and What was a Ditchrider – Part Five – John Smith McKay
Unlike his predecessors in this job, John Smith McKay was born in Canada. After marrying Alice Walls, the family moved from Chatham NB, to Calgary where six sons were born ( one died as an infant). After a stint of farming near Strathmore, John took on the job of ditchrider …
Who and What was a Ditchrider – Part Four – Frederick Woods
One of eight children, Frederick George Woods was like many who left England to seek a better life. Born in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, he set forth from Liverpool in 1906 and never looked back. Eventually arriving in the Calgary area he signed on as a CPR ditchrider …
Who and What was a Ditchrider – Part Three – Joseph McKay Bannerman
The third in a series of stories about the men who managed the water at Chestermere Lake, Reservoir #1 of the CPR Western Irrigation Section. The second of our fellows Joseph McKay Bannerman was also born in Scotland and like many young men came to Canada to find work and …
CHF Meeting and Program- Stories of the Cabin Owners
Got an hour on your hands? Join Chestermere Historical Foundation for their April meeting 6:30pm on Tuesday April 21st and stay around until 7:30pm for a short program on ” Growing Through Time” The Cabin Owner Stories. Join via this Zoom link, you will be invited into the ‘room.’ Hope …
Who and What was a Ditchrider? Part 1 of a Series
Chestermere’s early history is a big part of the story of irrigation in Southern Alberta. The CPID men ( and their families) who lived in Chestermere and kept the valuable irrigation water flowing, kept the ditches clear, and sent water to the farmers when they needed it were the ‘Ditchriders’. …