Join us at Days of Yore 2025!

 This year's Days of Yore is at Heritage Park in Calgary.

We're getting our laundry done and ready for Days of Yore! Find us at Heritage Park, Calgary, August 2&3. We're looking forward to seeing you there!

Happy New Year!

 Looking forward to a great 2025!

We wish you and yours a prosperous, healthy, and exciting New Year!

Cheers!
From
The Victorian Society of Alberta

2024 Heritage Park Ramble

 Yesterday, December 14 2024, we had our annual ramble at Heritage Park's "Once Upon a Christmas".

The weather was just around freezing with snow still on the ground from a recent snowfall here in Calgary. There was a lot of ice on the roads but the board walks were clear and the park did a great job of keeping the roads sanded.

This year was the largest group participation in this event, with VSA members, WWI re-enactors and a couple of Civil War re-enactors rounding out the group.

VSA members and Guests on the Porch of the Prince House

Joining us for much of the day was Clare Young who is a member of the Special Events team at Heritage Park and a VSA member. Clare snagged us a spot at the volunteer canteen for lunch and we did our part to help use up the leftover beef stew and deserts, after the regular volunteers had had theirs of course!

The Prince House

Heading into town

Meeting with the Town Crier

At the Midnapore station we watched the Heritage Park young telegraphers busily sending "Telegrams to Santa"  for all the kids. Especially important this year given the Postal Strike!  This group of eager budding telegraphers have been studying telegraphy under the watchful tutelage of Janice Povey and Marilyn Maguire and this was their first taste of actually sending messages across the wire. 

Junior Telegraphers
Keeping up a steady traffic to the North Pole.

Junior Telegrapher
Bravely manning the North Pole station (in the back room)

Marilyn (L) and Janice (R)
Marshalling the lineup and writing out the telegrams for the kids.

The park was really busy with lots of guests and frequent horse drawn wagons and carriages taking guest around the park  One of our favourite parts of our Christmas Ramble is to head to the Settlement part of the park.  This area represents the very early days of the colonization of the West and lies firmly in the middle of our period. It is also closed in Winter so it is a great place to wander apart from the hustle and bustle of the center of town. 

On the road to the "Settlement"

Laggan station, closed for the winter, was the original station from Lake Louise.

After a perusal of the very busy Christmas Market, in the large tents in the park, and after carefully sampling many of the wares of small distilleries, we bid adieu to Heritage Park and headed North to the town of Airdrie for their annual "Victorian Skating Party" during the town's "Festival of Lights".

The last two years have been incredibly cold but the temperature was quite pleasant, out of the wind, and we helped to add some period atmosphere to this great event.

Stunning light displays in the park

Another great Christmas Ramble.
Looking forward to next year. 

Wishing you all a very pleasant Christmas Season.

The Victorian Society of Alberta

Lest We Forget

 

 Remembrance Day was first observed in 1919 throughout the British Commonwealth. It was originally called “Armistice Day” to commemorate armistice agreement that ended the First World War on Monday, November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m.—on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

From 1921 to 1930, Armistice Day was held on the Monday of the week in which November 11 fell. In 1931, Alan Neill, Member of Parliament for Comox–Alberni, introduced a bill to observe Armistice Day only on November 11. Passed by the House of Commons, the bill also changed the name to “Remembrance Day”. The first Remembrance Day was observed on November 11, 1931.

Every year on November 11, Canadians pause in a moment of silence to honour and remember the men and women who have served, and continue to serve Canada during times of war, conflict and peace. We remember the more than 2,300,000 Canadians who have served throughout our nation’s history and the more than 118,000 who made the ultimate sacrifice.

2024 National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

 

Orange Shirt Day

National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

Come and see us at Days of Yore!

This long weekend we will be at the fabulous Days of Yore in Didsbury Alberta!

A massive event with historical re-enactor groups from all across Alberta.
Covering over a thousand years of history from the Viking age to WWII.

Each group has an historical camp setup and there are lots of demonstrations in the camps and on the field.
A schedule of the events is here.

The Victorian Society of Alberta encampment is the second largest of all the groups after the Vikings.

Pictures from last year's event are here.

Entrance fee is $10.00 per person, kids 6 and under are free.

The event is open to the public from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm both Saturday and Sunday.

Your editor will also have his three station working Telegraph network running and this year the network is part of the Alberta MTC Line project which will eventually connect 26 museums in Western Canada!

Come by and say Hi!

Enjoy the long weekend.
The Victorian Society of Alberta

Happy Dominion Day!

 

Or as we say in these modern times...

Happy Canada Day!

Wishing everyone a safe, happy and fun Canada Day, 

from all of us at the Victorian Society of Alberta.

Always keep in mind that a country is a "Work in Progress" and while we should be thankful for the wonders of our country and its people we must always remember that history is messy and not all of the peoples of this land share equally in those wonders!

Enjoy your day.

The Victorian Society of Alberta

Nation Indigenous Peoples Day

Today, June 21st, is National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada.

For generations, many Indigenous groups and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on June 21 or around that time of year because of the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.

 

On June 21, for National Indigenous Peoples Day, we recognize and celebrate the history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Canada.

 

The Victorian Society of Alberta

Once Upon a Christmas Ramble 2023

 Yesterday, Saturday Dec 9 2023, we had a wonderful Flâneury (ramble) through Calgary's Heritage Park during their annual "Once Upon a Christmas" event.

 

We were able to attend for free courtesy of the members of the Heritage Park Telegraph Club who kindly donated their volunteer passes.  

We were joined by members of the Alberta World Wars Living History Association and spent the gorgeous winter day soaking up the old time Christmas atmosphere.

Then during then evening we attended the Airdrie Festival of Lights "Victorian Skating Party" as guests of the Nose Creek Valley Museum. The unseasonably warm weather prevented any skating due to lack of ice, but the previous days snowfall made it a magical night.

We even managed to do a passable job of singing Victorian Christmas Carols for the attendees.Thank you to everyone who joined us and the organizers who make these events so special.

More pictures of our rambles are below the break.
There are tons more on our Facebook and Instagram pages

Have an enjoyable Festive Season!
The Victorian Society of Alberta.

Truth and Reconciliation Day

 

 

Also called "Orange Shirt Day" this day is a day to remember those children lost, the damage done to the diverse cultures and communities across this land, and to pledge to do better for our Indigenous Brothers and Sisters.

Information on Truth an Reconciliation Day is here.

The 94 Calls to Action are here.

Happy 118th Alberta!

 

Saturday, September 2, we attended an event at the Badlands Historical Centre in Drumheller. 

 

 

There was a cake in celebration of Alberta's 118th birthday, barbecued burgers in the parking lot and a silent auction, proceeds going towards a new roof for the facility.

We had the use of a desk and display table to put out artifacts and books pertaining to life in Alberta from 1880-1914 as well as the coal mining history of the area. 

 

It was delightful to speak to the public and share our knowledge of history.

 

The Badlands Historical Centre is located conveniently in downtown Drumheller. The displays are varied and informative, focusing on Drumheller history with coal mining,  prehistoric history, plus a display about the RCMP, and one on local citizens who were very artistic. 

 

All in all, it was a great way to spend a Saturday to help celebrate our provinces 118th birthday!

 

If you'd like to visit the Badlands Historical Centre yourself, they can be found at 335, 1st St East in Drumheller Alberta

 

Enjoy
The Victorian Society of Alberta

Days of Yore 2023

 Another fantastic weekend of history in Didsbury Alberta!

Held on Saturday and Sunday Aug 5 and 6, 2023 at Rosebud Park in Didsbury the ninth edition of Days of Yore was a great success.  We were there along with historical re-enactor groups stretching from Vikings to WWII.

Victorian Society of Alberta Members at DOY 2023

 

Here is an awesome little video produced by the Edmonton House Brigade that captures the feel of the event pretty well.

Our camp was one of the largest again this year.

In addition to your editor's "Victorian Internet" Telegraph display, our camp included a WWI "Casualty Clearing Station", a period under canvas School Room, complete with portrait of Her Majesty and school books from the time, a laundry display and an active Croquet field rounded out our busy camp.

Another fantastic weekend.

Already planning and scheming for next year!

Enjoy
The Victorian Society of Alberta
 

 

July Fashion Friday

 While everyone is working on getting our Days of Yore camp ready to go an often asked question is how did Victorians dress during the heat of Summer.  Days of Yore is usually very hot indeed so we have to keep it in mind.

Gentlemen were allowed to dispense with coat and waistcoat when working. Although they usually kept those items close to hand in case the boss came by and when travelling back and forth to work. Ladies, however had more constraints due to "propriety" but also simply fashion. To get the correct fashionable silhouette requires many layers so how did they handle the heat?

This fashion business was less of an issue out here in the West of course, but the propriety element was certainly still there. The result was the "Little House on the Prairie" effect. The main anachronism in the TV style is that the mother is not wearing a corset, she almost certainly would have been as there was still a need for support.

The promo pic is also missing the needed bonnets that would have always been worn when outside.

Most photographs of the period show people "dressed up" for business,  travel, and simply being in public, not necessarily for everyday work around the house, yard or fields. So it is tougher to find what people generally wore in the heat of Summer.

However the reenactor community has re-discovered how to handle it and  here are several links to interesting discussions on that very subject.  

 

Victorian Clothing Through the Seasons

"During the Victorian era many layers of clothing were required to achieve a fashionable silhouette and women wore dresses all year round. These facts have helped to feed misconceptions about Victorian clothing and often overshadow the logical solutions Victorian women used to regulate their body temperature and stay comfortable regardless of the weather."

Lots of photos here.

Victorian Clothing and the Heat of Summer

Our ancestors didn’t know about air conditioning, and wearing only a camisole (aka t-shirt) and men’s trousers (aka pants or shorts) would have been beyond scandalous. They couldn’t even imagine NOT being dressed in a proper chemise, drawers and petticoats then the dress (usually skirt and bodice) on top.

That’s simply how clothing was worn in the 19th century.

PLUS…. and people forget this…. the fabric used was natural – cotton and linen. Thin fabrics that breathe and keep you cool in the heat.

The comments below this post have lots of insight to the practicality of Victorian styles to today's reenactors.

And finally a fun video on the "Old West".

Enjoy
The Victorian Society of Alberta