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Ufford School and a smaller school in Redwater
Circa 1949
Redwater, Alberta, Canada

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With the first oil strike people flooded into town from all over North America. Many of these oil workers brought their families to Redwater. This taxed the small rural schools to the limit. Class sizes increased, makeshift classrooms were put in the basements and the local Community Hall. The local teachers had to be very innovative to accommodate the new students.

Prior to the oil boom the school population was predominantly from the surrounding farms and a handful of children living in the hamlet. The rapid influx of new students made for quite a transition. Some of the parents of the new students were concerned about the level of education their children would receive. Some questioned whether a rural school could provide as good an education, as most of them had come from more urban communities.

Most of all though, the question arose, where do we put all the new children? In 1948 Redwater had a two-room school called Ufford School and a one room school which was later turned into a teacherage. In 1947 there were seventy-seven students in Redwater. The School Board report of 1948 mentions the discovery of oil in the Redwater area, and that they could foresee this would present problems. By 1950 the School Board report showed this to be the case as the school population of Redwater had increased to two hundred and seventy five pupils.

Two classrooms had been added and two basement rooms converted to classrooms and another four classrooms were being built. Classes were also being held in the National Hall across the street from the school. In 1952 and 1953 another six rooms were added to the school.

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The influx of new familes during the oil boom created overcrowding for the schools in Redwater.
30 April 1949
Redwater, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
The Redwater Review

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John Hawrelko, local teacher
Cica 1952
Redwater, Alberta, Canada

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A TEACHER REMEMBERS

John Hawrelko came to teach in Redwater in the fall of 1949, and learned firsthand what a challenge it was trying to teach under such conditions.

John and his wife Ella moved into the teacherage close to the school. This house was sparse with little or no furnishings. John describes it as "just like two granaries put together." They had no running water and had to haul the water from the school. They lived here for three years before moving to teach in Thorhild, Alberta.

"At the height of the oil boom there were people coming and going almost daily. We would get a student registered at the beginning of the month, and at the end of the month he would be asking for a transfer because they would be going to Drayton Valley, or somewhere else. They would be there for two or three months maybe, or maybe one month, and then they would be back in Redwater. So we would be getting masses of kids coming and going all the time, and we often wondered - - or, at least I often wondered - - how-in-the-heck are you going to get some kind of continuity in school work. Because they go from our school here to Drayton Valley or wherever else. The teachers are doing something different there.

I think there must have been about 45, 48, or 50 desk in the basement room where I taught. I had to go sideways; there was only one blackboard. So I had to go sideways along rows of desks to get to that board. There was no hope in hell that I could make that trip again. It was a tight squeeze. I had it worked out pretty well. They liked art, so I said, "okay we will have some art." I like singing so we sang some songs which would penetrate the ceiling and upset the principal upstairs. Anyway it worked out all right.

I had no problems with kids, despite of the fact that they came in there and did things that they had to do, in spite of the fact that the classroom had to hold 45 or 50 kids. It was hardly larger than this room. That's the story of that beginning here."

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Elaine Williams, who came to Redwater as a child during the oil boom
Circa 2008
Edmonton, Alberta

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STUDENTS REMEMBER

Elaine Devitt Williams came to Redwater as a young child and recounted her memories of moving to a new community. Elaine's father worked for Royalite in the oil patch. The family also ran a grocery store called The Corner Grocery that operated in Redwater for many years.

"We moved to Redwater from Black Diamond, Alberta in July 1949. I was eleven year's old and had just finished Grade 5.

It was a whole new experience for me, not knowing anyone, but soon I met some Redwater friends who lived across the street from our store (The Corner Grocery) and some new children who had moved in down the street. Good friends were made and we are still friends to this day.

My friends and I spent the days exploring the town and visiting the many new stores and buildings as well as the original grocery and novelty stores, which I especially enjoyed, that were so new to me with all their varied merchandise. The town was very busy and crowded with all the oilfield vehicles, transport trucks and local traffic and when it rained, the roads became a sea of mud. There were a lot of house- trailers, tents, skid shacks etc. housing the vast number of oilfield workers while they waited for homes to be built. The town was really busy on Friday and Saturday nights - not a time for kids to be out on their own!

Soon school started! Of course, a new school had to be built for the vast number of new students. My first schoolroom was in the original Community Hall - four grades (6 to 9). There were two teachers: Grades 6 and 7 faced east and 8 and 9 faced west. I remember it being difficult to easily get to my desk, as the little hall was very crowded. (I think the teachers were Mr. M. Muzyka and Mr. Mike Sawka.) It was a bit overwhelming for me but soon the first school was finished and we had a regular classroom. Everyone went through a period of adjustment, teachers and students alike. We were fortunate to have such good teachers.

We had been living behind the store and soon our new house was ready in the Imperial Oil town site - a real treat - our first inside bathroom and even a bath tub! All the residents moved in about the same time so many good friends were made and there was a close bonding with our neighbors.

I was fascinated by the Ukrainian language I heard spoken and was so proud when I learned to pronounce the last names of some of my friends! It was interesting to learn of the town's cultures and traditions and to hear the stories from some of the older residents who immigrated in the early years as well as the stories the new residents told of their adventures as they followed the oil industry.

My early years in Redwater were very interesting. All in all, it was great experience for me. As I was young, everything was taken in stride - that's the way things were. I have many good memories of the early days."

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Drilling Rig on Royalite Lease near Redwater, Alberta. Howard Devitt was part of this crew.
1949
Redwater, Alberta, Canada

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Isobel Devitt in front of Corner Grocery.
Circa 1949
Redwater, Alberta, Canada

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Devitt's pouring cement for the new store
Circa 1949
Redwater, Alberta, Canada

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Eleanor (Devitt) Anderson with husband Bob.
Circa 2008
Calgary, Alberta

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Elaine Williams, younger sister, Eleanor (Devitt) Anderson also recalled her school days and the early years in Redwater.

"My parents, Howard and Isobel Devitt, came to Redwater in 1949 and built the Corner Grocery. Isabel and Howard Devitt, my parents, built the Corner Grocery Store on main street in 1949 and we lived behind the store until the new town site houses were ready in 1050. They sold groceries to the residents of Redwater, and would allow the people to buy their groceries for the month, with the hope that the people would pay for them on payday. The store was closed on Wednesday afternoon, when they would go to Edmonton, long before the road was paved, to buy supplies for the store. Nothing was delivered in those days. Of course the store was closed on Sundays as well. They owned the store until about 1955, and Isabel operated the store until she got a job with the Post Office, and then became a Telephone Switchboard operator for Alberta Government Telephones. This was when the operator used a switchboard using phone plugs, inserting them into the jacks to connect telephones manually. In 1970 Isabel started to work for The Redwater Fertilizer Plant being the main receptionist there.

Howard worked for Royalite, Imperial Oil, Kenyon's Oil Service, and finally in 1952 Redwater Salt Water Disposal. He was still employed with Salt Water Disposal until his death in 1974.

Isabel lived in Redwater until 1995. She curled (before the days of artificial ice), and bonspeiled in the early years, and golfed as well. She moved to Calgary in 1995, and passed away in 2002.

I started school in 1950 and was one of the few students that, came with the oil boom, to complete her Grade 12 in Redwater, as well. People were moving in and out of Redwater all the time. I can remember walking to school from our new Town site house to school in the wintertime with long brown stockings on. They would be wet from the snow and our teacher made us take them off and dry them on the heat registers with our boots.

In the early days, we would skate in the wintertime on the Redwater Creek, and swim there in summertime. I do remember skating almost every evening on the skating rink, which was built later and was very close to our house.

Also in the summertime I would bicycle around Redwater, and could name every family that lived in every house. I remember the recycled glass bottles with paper tops, that milk (with cream on top) was delivered in from the dairy. The roads were just dirt roads and every spring they would heave and create terrible conditions with huge ruts. I remember when they paved the road to Edmonton - we thought that was so wonderful.

I remember going to the movies at the Roxy Theatre owned by Sernicks. Admission was 15 cents and a big chocolate bar was 10 cents. Also we got "jaw breakers" (3 for a penny), from Horbals grocery store. There was a caf� right on main street as well, and all the people would go there for coffee and meals. And the kids would go there after school for cokes.

It was hard to get into trouble in Redwater, as all the people knew everybody else, so they knew whose kid was doing something wrong. I remember the "old out-houses" that kids used to tip on Halloween night.

Then there was Lukes Drug Store. I worked there when I was 16. The Pharmacist (Malcolm MacKay) was on holidays and Jim Luke (the owner from the early days) and then was there for holiday relief when I was working there. He gave me the key and gave me the authority to open up the store. Can you imagine!! Wonder if they would do that today?

I remember when we got to go to Edmonton and have a soft ice cream cone from Tastee-Freeze dipped in chocolate. Did I ever think that was a special treat!! We were always proud to be raised in Redwater. We had a good life and many close friends that still are friends today."

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A group of Redwater Children enjoying a Birthday Party.
Circa 1955
Redwater, Alberta, Canada