BEVERLY HOLOIDAY PIONEERS 11830 42 St., Edmonton, AB Interview with Joe at 3818 109 Ave on July 27, 1998 The First House My parents moved to Beverly in 1935. They rented 10 acres of land on 39 Street and 122 Avenue. There was a house, barn and chicken house on that property. Dad had a team of horses, a cow, some chickens and ducks. We had a large garden and grew many vegetables. There were six boys and six girls in our family. I was 10 years old when we moved to Beverly from a farm near Camrose. Dad made a living by plowing gardens, hauling coal and digging basements. Dad held a small scrip and I drove the horses. We lived there till 1940. Our Next House Dad bought a few lots between 42 Street and 43 Street and built a house on 43 Street, just north of 118 Avenue. Lots were selling for $10.00 each. We also built a barn and chicken house on that property. Beverly Central School I went to school in a two-storey brick building. It had 4 classrooms and a basement. Each room had two grades. Grade 8 was the top grade. The school was located between 38 Street and 40 Street, on 116 Ave. I remember three teachers names - Miss Thompson, Mr. Gerrig and Mr. P. B. Lawton, who was our Principal. The school was heated with a coal furnace. There were no water or sewer lines in Beverly. We had to use outside toilets. Mr. Abbot was our janitor.
HOLOIDAY In the Neighbourhood: There was a small dance hall located where the Drake Hotel parking lot is located. They called it The Lady s Club Rooms. Between 40 Street and 41 Street, north of 118 Avenue, there was a skating rink. On 39 Street where Shoppers Drug Mart (later, Pioneer Jewellery and Loan) is located there was a small grocery store and a house. It was owned by Mr. Hunter, and later sold to Mr. Brockie. Where the CIBC Bank is located was a two-storey brick building. It was the Red and White Store. People lived on the top floor and there was a store on the main floor. Between 44 and 45 Streets, north of 118 Avenue, Mr. Lasiwka owned a grocery store. Dad would buy groceries on a charge account and pay once a month. Between 45 and 46 Streets, north of 118 Avenue, Mr. Danilowich had a grocery store. On the east corner of 44 Street north of 118 Avenue, Reg Carter owned a garage and service station. He repaired my 1929 Model A Ford. The gas was.259 cents a gallon. From 44 Street to 46 Street, south of 118 Avenue, Mr. Zaychuk owned a large berry farm. On the East side of 46 Street, north of 118 Avenue there was the Slovac Hall, where they held dances and weddings. Many years later a Saddlery bought it. A few years later it burned. The Beacon Heights hall was originally of movie theater. The adult ticket price was 50 cents. After the theatre closed they converted it into a bowling alley. Bill Lesick owned a drug store where the Mohawk car wash and gas bar is located. There was a baseball diamond where the Crest Hotel is now. On the north side of 118 Avenue between 38 and 39 Streets, there was the Beverly town hall and a fire hall. They had a mayor and four people on town council. Mr. Johnston was the town policeman. A few years later they had two police. There was a Beverly Bus service which ran every hour. It dropped off the people at the Union Bus Depot. On the east side of 43 Street and 120 Avenue, the Beverly Coal Mine was located. It was owned by J. C. Clarke. Mr. Campbell was the night watchman. In the winter Dad would send two of us to get coal for the stove. On the mine property were large piles of coal. We had two sacks and a toboggan and we would fill them full of stove coal and haul them home. We did this at night.
HOLOIDAY On 42 Street where I now live there was a deep ditch where the mine pumped the water from the mine. The ditch went to the river where the water drained. Close to Floden Park there was a lovers lane surrounded by large trees. There was a dirt trail where the lovers drove in at night. We would watch for a car to drive in, sneak under the car and plug a potato in the tail pipe. Then we would shake the car and run to the river bank. On weekends in Beverly there seemed to be a house fire every Saturday or Sunday. People were never home when it caught fire and burned. I think they wanted to collect fire insurance. Many people had no jobs. Many families collected relief from the province. It s like welfare is now. Milk was 10 cents per quart. Bread was 5 cents per loaf. Pop and chocolate bars were 5 cents each. Mr. Bailey owned the first bicycle repair shop in Beverly. It was located at 48 Street and 121 Avnue. The Bush mine was located on 38 Street and Ada Boulevard. Mr. Curtis was the Justice of the Peace in Beverly. They held court in the town hall. He was also the Postmaster. He had a small post office just west of the Cenotaph. There was a skating rink on Mr. Mucha s property, located on 48 Street and116 Avenue. We played a lot of broom ball on that rink. When I was 12 years old, I delivered the Edmonton Bulletin and Edmonton Journal to the miners and farmers in the Clover Bar area. There were three coal mines on the east side of the river. I had to use the railroad bridge to cross the river. There is a wooden sidewalk on the side of the tracks. I had a bicycle to deliver the papers. I went five miles each way. Many miners in Beverly worked in those mines east of the river. (Ottewell Mine, Marcus Mine, Black Diamond Mine) On 38 Street, north of 118 Avenue there was the first United Church in Beverly. On 38 Street and south of 118 Avenue, there was a Presbyterian Church. When I finished my grade 8 in the Beverly School, I then went to the Highlands School for grade 9. When I finished my year in the Highlands School, I had to go to work. I was delivering groceries with my bicycle for $10.00 a week. I also was an usher at the Dreamland Theatre for six months. When I was 17 years old, I got a job at Swift Can Packing Plant. My starting wage was 34 cents per hour. I worked for one year, and when I turned18 years old, I joined the Canadian Army in 1943. I was in Europe till 1946.When I came back from the army, I went back to Swifts to work. I was there for 43 ½ years. I retired in 1986. My Family I met my lovely wife Fran at a dance hall in Edmonton in 1947. On August 6 in 1949 we got married. We had the wedding dance in the Slovac Hall. We have two lovely daughters Joyce and Gloria. Also, we have two wonderful sons Brian and Perry. We have 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. As of 2013, we had two great, great granddaughters.
Beverly September, 1961: Grandma Holoiday with her Sons Joe, Paul and John
Beverly