First Officer Maureen Dunlop

Born on 26 October 1920 in Argentina, where she grew up with joint British and Argentine nationality, Maureen Dunlop came in 1941 to England, where she was one of 164 female Air Transport Auxiliary pilots of several nationalities to serve in England during WWII. 

In the ATA she served as a ferry pilot until the end of the Second World War, flying aircraft ranging from such single-engine aircraft as the Spitfire to the four-engine Lancaster.  She was qualified to fly 38 types, from such single-engine aircraft as the Spitfire to the four-engine Lancaster, her favorite being the De Havilland Mosquito.  While wanting to train as a combat pilot, women were forbidden to do so.

Dunlop became a cover girl when pictured pushing her hair out of her face after she left the cockpit of a Fairey Barracuda. The shot featured on the front page of Picture Post magazine in 1944, proving women could be fearless as well as glamorous, and integral to the war effort.

This vintage baby is 1928 model Henderson Deluxe motorcycle founded in Palmdale, California.

1928 DeLuxe, also known as the Last DeLuxe, has a higher compression along with its well-polished, hardened and steel valves guides.

It has a claimed power of 28hp at 3,400 rpm and a maximum speed of 80 mph, which is literally perfect for such an old motorcycle. Being powered by a 1,302cc, air-cooled engine, the Last DeLuxe weighs 400Ib and has a fuel capacity of 6 gallons.

Little Moon Crow. 1883.

Little Moon Crow. 1883.

 Photo by Frank Jay Haynes.
Source - Montana Historical Society.

Christmas at Fort Edmonton

The following is an excerpt from an account of Christmas at Fort Edmonton in the late 1850s by Peter Erasmus. The account, is contained in the book Christmas in the West, by Hugh A. Dempsey (Prairie Books, 1982).

- - -

Born in Red River, Peter Erasmus studied for the ministry but gave it up in 1856 when he was attracted to the freedom and adventures of the prairies. Traveling west to Fort Pitt, he was engaged as interpreter by Methodist missionary Thomas Woolsey and accompanied him to Edmonton later in the year. Shortly after he arrived at the fort, the Christmas festivities began.

- - -

The factor assigned me a room with one of his workmen, William Borwick, a man of approximately my own age but who had been in service with the Company for several years, mostly at Edmonton. We were approaching the Christmas holidays and there was a growing excitement noticeable among the inmates of the fort. Bill and others spent their spare time making ready their best clothes. The preparations the week before Christmas took on a new tempo of activity. Every dog driver and team was rushing supplies of fish to the fort for the dog trains of the expected visitors. The factor engaged two of the Indians who had buffalo-running horses to go with me after fresh meat, with orders to bring nothing but the best. We returned in four days with our pack horses loaded with two fine cows.

It was the custom of Hudson's Bay officials to meet at Fort Edmonton during Christmas week, staying for New Year's Day. They discussed business concerned with the trade, and prepared their orders for the following year. The conference had developed into a week of social activities commemorating the Christmas period.

Fort Pitt, Slave Lake, Chipewyan, Fort Assiniboine, Jasper House, Rocky Mountain House, and Lac La Biche were all represented. The two days before Christmas was a bedlam of noise as each new dog team arrived. ...

On Christmas Eve, Father Lacombe drove in to conduct Midnight Mass. I was somewhat surprised that the priest and my employer were on such friendly and cordial terms. Woolsey went out to meet him and immediately invited him to his room, where they spent several hours of congenial conversation. Of course I was on hand to take care of his dogs, as the man drove his own team.

Knowing the Rev. Woolsey's strong views against dancing, I was reluctant to ask permission to attend the celebrations, but I was burning to go. It was getting late when the priest finally departed for his duties with Catholic members of his church, and I finally screwed up enough courage to face the man.

Mr. Woolsey was seated reading his Bible when I entered his small room. I was in such a hurry to have his verdict that I had prepared no opening speech, although he looked slightly surprised at my late visit. He asked me to be seated, then as if reading my mind or perhaps noticing my flustered condition, said, "So, you are fond of dancing."

It was my turn to look surprised as I answered too quickly in a tone of voice much too loud for that small room, "Yes I am, and that is what I came to see you about. I want your permission to attend."

Slightly smiling, he answered, "I surmised as much from this late visit. I have given the matter some thought, for you know my principles over dancing. However, you're a young man and need some recreation; your own conscience must be your guide. I have no objections, provided you conduct yourself as a gentleman. Drinking will be quite conspicuous in tomorrow's festivities and, as my associate, I will not permit your indulgence in this miserable business."

"I can promise you that I'll do no drinking whatever as I've cultivated no taste for liquor. You have my promise on both counts."

"Thank you, I accept both promises," and in an amused tone he added, "I hope you don't find them too heavy an obligation."

Wishing him the Season's Greetings, I bade him goodnight. Delighted with the interview I ran back to our room to tell Bill the happy news. I was greatly relieved. Had he refused, I would have been in a difficult position. Bill was still up awaiting my return and I asked him what would be the order of the day.

'Well, many will be quite jolly as it is the custom for each of the employees to receive a ration of rum the day before Christmas, but by a rule of the Company no-one is to touch it before the next day. There will also be a dance at night; most of the women will come from the two settlements, Lac Ste. Anne and St. Albert. Let me assure you that some of the best-looking women in the West, and for that matter anywhere else, will be at that dance tomorrow night."

Then I told him of the wonderful news of receiving Woolsey's permission to attend. I danced a few steps for his benefit. Of course I did not tell him about the promise to abstain from drinking. I wanted all the credit to myself about being a gentleman. That always comes natural to a sober man for I have noticed that some of the most polished gentlemen lose some of their colour under the influence of drink.

It was some time before I was able to get to sleep, then suddenly it was morning. I was aroused from a deep sleep by a tremendous bloodcurdling noise that actually seemed to vibrate the room. For a moment I was shocked motionless, then the notes of music sounded into my senses. I was out of bed and scrambled for my clothes. Bill was already half dressed.

John Graham, a Scottish employee, burst into the room, almost incoherent with excitement and fairly dancing in his joy. Finally he shouted at the top of his voice, "The Pibroch! The Pibroch!" Tears coursed down his cheeks as he motioned for Bill and me to come. We dressed in seconds that morning and followed him out as he turned and dashed for the door.

Striding back and forth on the walk that surrounded three sides of the factor's three-storeyed building was a man by the name of Colin Fraser playing a set of bagpipes. The long droning notes that precede the actual music were what awakened me so suddenly. He made a striking figure, dressed in all the gay regalia of tartan and kilt, his knees exposed to the elements. He seemed quite indifferent to the weather that was at least 30 degrees below zero. The deep notes of his instrument echoed back from the high hills of the ice-covered Saskatchewan River. It was beautiful even to my unfamiliar ear; never till then had I heard the bagpipes played.

I turned to watch to face of our old friend (Graham) and felt some of the deep loneliness that marked the features of this old man, whose life ambition had been to return to his native land; he now realized he was too late ever to attain it. He stood with his hand on Borwick's shoulder; unashamed tears flowed down his cheeks. That night, Bill and I carried him to his room, too inebriated to manage his, own way.

Shortly after breakfast a horn was sounded, a sign that the factor was ready to receive the salutations of the men at the fort.

I accompanied Borwick in this customary courtesy. After greeting each man in turn the chief clerk, who stood at the factor's elbow for this purpose, handed each man a drink of rum. I watched Bill out of the corner of my eyes as I took my turn to shake hands and offer the factor the happy returns of the day. When I refused my offer of a drink, I could see consternation and anger on Bill's face. We were scarcely out of the room when he gave me a sound going over for refusing the drink.

"Look here, Peter! You have been guilty of a grave discourtesy in refusing a drink. This has been the custom of the Company since the memory of the oldest man in the service."

"My dear sir, I'm not an employee of your grand Company; my first duty is to my employer. The matter of the minister's man refusing a drink of rum will, I hope, not create a revolution in the service. Perhaps you'd better interview Mr. Woolsey before the situation gets too serious."

He gave me a disgusted look but said no more. ...

Christmas day was spent in visiting among those gathered at the fort. Woolsey held a service in English which everybody attended, regardless of affiliation. I was not called up to interpret, but sat with his audience.

I had heard stories of unrestricted convivial times at these Christmas gatherings, but there was no evidence of excess that day, other than our friend Graham who appeared to be under no obligation to share his portion with any other of the workmen. ...

The dance that night I thought upheld Bill's claims; in fact he had slightly underrated it. Borwick, being an old-timer in the area, seemed to know every person there and soon made me acquainted with a number of his friends. ...

Colours in clothes were quite in evidence, but nothing so startling as in later years. The Hudson's Bay stores at that time were more conservative in their choices of colours and they were the only source of supply. Therefore dress in those days gave more attention to utility than fashion. Neatness of apparel was of primary importance and the winsome maids of the prairie were quite as adept at adjusting the means at hand as their sisters a quarter of a century later.

A big lunch was served at midnight in the homes of the married couples, where the guests had previously left their contributions of food at the homes of their friends and acquaintances. Young bachelor residents of the post were pressed into service as chore boys, regardless of their wishes in the matter. I presumed that usage had established a precedent; at any rate I found that single men were mere appendages of the wives' organization for entertaining their guests; we were errand boys. ...

At last the guests were all served and started drifting back to the dance floor. Most of the crowd had taken their food standing up around the tables. Not us; we were seated at a table with our hostess and the husband who from some hidden secret place brought out a sadly depleted bottle. Bill's malicious grin and wink was a determining factor in stiffening my weakened resistance.

Three attractive young ladies kept us supplied with food and talk; I refused the drink, but needed no second invitation to start on the food. Under these circumstances I regained my good humour and for revenge on Bill, entered into a gay conversation with our attentive and pretty waitresses. Bill's devotion to the bottle left him badly handicapped in that competition.

There was very little rest for the musicians between dances, and there were plenty of fiddlers among the French Metis people from Lac Ste. Anne. Having too good a time dancing I did not offer my services that night, but later on I happened to mention to Bill that I liked playing the fiddle, and thereafter on Borwick's insistence I had to do my share.

The settlement guests all left for their homes at broad daylight. After dancing all night they had to run behind dogs for another 40 miles before they would have any rest or sleep. The men were tough athletes to stand a grind like that and I did not envy their trip under those conditions.

The more serious business of the post leaders was of course not neglected for any of the social events at the fort or at the settlements. The conference was brought to a final grand finish with New Year's Day sports. There were foot races, toboggan slides on the North Saskatchewan River hill, some competitions for the women, and the big dog-train race of three miles on the river. Every team from each post competed in this race. Each factor contributed a share to this prize; the winner took all, which was a choice of any clothes in stock to the amount of approximately $25.

The employed dog drivers for the Company at Edmonton asked the factor if they could allow me to drive one of their two dog teams. He consented, provided the other leaders agreed. They readily consented as they considered me poor competition against their own hardened and skilful drivers.

Bill heard about the arrangement and came to me with the intention of talking me out of it. "Man, you haven't a chance in the world against these men from Jasper House and Athabasca; 50 miles a day is a regular run for them. They would be ashamed if they were caught riding. They are tough, strong young men. Heck, man! That's all they know, just running behind dogs all winter."

"Bill, I'm going to beat every last one of them; I'll tell you how I aim to do it. Every driver has been idle, eating and drinking to the limit of his capacity all week. Their dogs are the same, and will be in no fit condition for a short fast race like this will be. Our dogs are in work shape. The team I drive has made a trip to Lac Ste. Anne this week; they are not overfed and they are rested enough to be keen in tomorrow's run. Bet your shirt, Bill; if you lose, I'll give you one of mine. Besides, I don't drink and that's my biggest lead over all the others." ...

The starting point was marked by stakes frozen in the ice far enough apart to accommodate the seven teams at the line. One mile and a half downriver was another set of stakes, three in number around which we must drive before returning to the starting line. Failure to pass around the far stake would disqualify any driver. There were judges at this end and watchers at the other to make sure the drivers complied with the rules. No man was allowed to foul up another driver or cut in unless he had a clear lead to the trail that would be well marked on our trip downriver.

We were off! Bill was my helper at the post. I had given him instructions to hold the dogs back until at least half of the others had started. They would be ploughing snow on an untravelled track. Bill, disgusted at that foolish way of starting, nevertheless obeyed. There were four teams in the lead, all abreast for the first two hundred yards or so. The Jasper man had the same idea as I had; he was holding his dogs to the track already made by the other four toboggans. ...

What none of the other drivers knew about was a stretch of overflow ice on the last half mile of the course downriver where I hoped to pass the others without plowing deep snow. Pierre, our Edmonton driver, was now in second place behind the Fort Pitt man. We were all closely bunched when we made the turn but I got ahead of the fourth team as his dogs cut short instead of rounding the marker posts, and he had to turn his dogs.

I was now in third place, the Jasper man directly behind me.

When I came opposite the overflow ice, I struck into the deep snow as if to pass the team ahead; he started to follow me but seeing the depth of snow turned back. The minute I reached the thin snow on the overflow ice, I cracked the whip over the dogs' backs and yelled. They almost threw me off the sleigh with their increased speed, as I had climbed on the sleigh to give it weight.

Now ahead of all the others, I allowed myself plenty of room before cutting back to the track. I had the race if I could stand the pace that I was being forced to travel to hold my lead. I had a brief breather while riding the overflow but jumped off when I came to the now well-marked trail.

The Fort Pitt man was close up behind me and I knew I had to outdistance him before we reached the last quarter mile, because then he would also have a broken trail to follow. Now for the second time since starting I cracked my whip over the dogs, yelling for more speed, not hitting them but my voice and whip urging more speed. ...

We were only a hundred yards or so from the starting posts when a side glance showed the Fort Pitt man gaining beside me, his lead dog almost opposite my toboggan front. Only the short distance would save the race for me as I had the limit of speed out of my dogs. I hit the finish line with only a two dog advantage over my opponent.

Bill was like a crazy man, shouting and yelling his triumph for my win, but I found out later his delight was for himself as he had won a new shirt and pants by betting on my team to win. He even forgot to congratulate me as all the others did as soon as I could get my breath to acknowledge my thanks. ...

At daylight the next morning the far-distant post managers had pulled out for another long year of isolated wilderness where their duties held little of entertainment and no social life whatever, until the following gathering a year hence at Edmonton.

No wonder the Chief Factor had put so much effort and attention for their comfort and entertainment while they were in Edmonton.

Sep 1, 1939

Germany invaded Poland 75 years ago today and set events in motion to touch off Second World War. Hitler had been planning his attack since March - ever since German troops occupied the remainder of Czechoslovakia. Britain and France had sworn to defend Poland. Honoring these obligations, the two countries sent ultimatums to Hitler demanding his withdrawal from Poland. Hitler declined to respond. On September 3, Prime Minister Chamberlain went to the airwaves to announce to the British people that a state of war existed between their country and Germany. World War II had begun.

German Soldiers Dismantle a Polish Border Barrier
(September 1, 1939)

June 28, 1914

On June 28, 1914, a teenage Serbian nationalist gunned down Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, as their motorcade maneuvered through the streets of Sarajevo. His death quickly set off a chain reaction of events culminating in the outbreak of World War I.

Passchendaele 1917

The battle took place in the Ypres Salient area of the Western Front, in and around the Belgian town of Passchendaele. From July until early October 1917, British and Australian soldiers had attempted to capture the German occupied Belgian coast. By early October, however, only minimal advances had been made and the Allied troops were near exhaustion. In the fall of 1917, Canada’s army, after their great success at Vimy Ridge that April, was sent north to Belgium.
The Canadian Corps was tasked with relieving the exhausted II Anzac Corps, continuing the advance started with the First Battle of Passchendaele and ultimately capturing the town of Passchendaele itself.
Ypres was a very difficult place to fight. It was a region largely made up of flat, low land that was kept dry only with a series of dykes and drainage ditches. Three years of heavy fighting had destroyed the drainage systems. The ground, churned up by millions of artillery shells, turned to sticky mud when wet. In 1917, the autumn rains came early and turned the battlefield into a sea of mud, the battlefield was transformed into a quagmire that made movement and life in general extremely difficult. The mud was to become one of the defining features of the battle for soldiers on both sides. Stories of men and horses getting stuck in the mud and slowly sinking away, never to be seen again, where not uncommon.



On October 26, the Canadian offensive began. Success was made possible due to acts of great individual heroism to get past spots of heavy enemy resistance. Advancing through the mud and enemy fire was slow and there were heavy losses. Despite the adversity, the Canadians reached the outskirts of Passchendaele by the end of a second attack on October 30 during a driving rainstorm.
On November 6, the Canadians and British launched the assault to capture the ruined village of Passchendaele itself. In heavy fighting, the attack went according to plan. The task of actually capturing the village fell to the “City of Winnipeg” 27th Battalion and they took it that day. After weathering fierce enemy counterattacks, the last phase of the battle saw the Canadians attack on November 10 and clear the Germans from the eastern edge of Passchendaele Ridge. Canadian soldiers succeeded in the face of almost unbelievable challenges.
The Second Battle of Passchendaele cost the Canadian Corps 15 654 casualties with over 4 000 dead, in 16 days of fighting. Nine Victoria Crosses, the highest military decoration for valour awarded to British and forces, were awarded to Canadians for actions during the battle.



Today several different nations' war cemeteries are found in Passchendaele. The Tyne Cot Cemetery (the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world), the New British Cemetery, the Canadian Memorial, and the New Zealand Forces Memorial.

A Short History of Sport Fishing.

Fishing for food has been around as long as human evolution. Some of the earliest evidence of this can be seen in rock shelter carvings of fish before 10 000 BC. An Egyptian angling scene from about 2000 BC shows figures fishing with rods and lines and with nets. The earliest known depiction of a man using a fishing pole with a reel comes from a painting done in 1195 by Ma Yuan called Angler on a Wintry Lake. It shows a man sitting on a small sampan boat while casting out his fishing line.

How or when fishing for “sport” came about will never be known for sure, however the earliest identified English essay on recreational fishing was published in 1496, shortly after the invention of the printing press. It was titled Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle, and was published in the second Boke of Saint Albans, a book on hawking, hunting, and heraldry. The article included detailed information on fishing waters, the construction of rods and lines, and the use of natural baits and artificial flies. It also contained issues of conservation and angler etiquette. It is of interest that this essay was written by a woman, Dame Juliana Berners, who was the prioress of the Benedictine Sopwell Nunnery. This writing was much read during the 16th century and reprinted many times There where however concerns at the time by the publisher, and the nobility of the day that such a book should be kept from those who were not gentlemen, since their lack of control in angling might "utterly destroye it".

Izaak Walton first published The Compleat Angler or the Contemplative Man's Recreation in 1653, and continued to add to it for the next quarter of a century. Modern editions still appear and it is considered a celebration of the art and spirit of fishing in prose and verse. The first fishing reels appeared in England around the same time as The Compleat Angler, and until the 1800's they where not much more than storage place for excess line. George Snyder of Paris Kentucky is generally given credit for inventing the first fishing reel in America around 1820. It was the equivalent of a simple bait casting reel. The key advance of this reel was the mechanical action; each turn of the handle of a Snyder reel produced four turns of the spool.

Dr. Charles Frederick Holder, who was a marine biologist and conservationist, and is now considered an early pioneer of “sport fishing”. By 1898, he had published many articles and books on the subject that where noted for their combination of accurate scientific detail with exciting narratives which helped to widen the appeal of the sport.

Today recreational fishing is a multi-billion dollar industry, and according to a 2000 survey, there were 3.6 million active anglers in Canada. So let’s get out there and continue having sport with fish.

History Quote

"Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results."

~Machiavelli~

The Gotha Bomber

The Gotha was a heavy bomber used by the Luftstreitkräfte (Imperial German Air Service) during World War I. Designed for long range service, the G V series was used principally as night bombers. The Gotha bomber was produced in the autumn of 1916 when the limitations of the Zeppelin as a raider had become obvious. The German High Command ordered that 30 Gotha bombers were to be ready for a daylight raid on London on February 1, 1917, but the machines were not ready until May. The first daylight raid on London was carried out by 14 Gothas on June 13, 1917. On July 7, 22 Gothas raided London. Night raids began in August of 1917, and continued until May 1918, when they were abandoned because of the increasingly heavy losses.

Johnny Bright 1930 – 1983

During his four years at Drake University, Johnny Bright lettered in three sports and was a four time All-American. Coming to Canada, his first two years with the Calgary Stampeders saw him often injured and he was traded to the Edmonton Es...kimos in 1954. In his career he garnered the CFL rushing record by gaining more than 6 miles of yardage - in each of 5 seasons he attained over 1,000 yards rushing. A Western Conference All-Star 7 times, he was named the CFL's most outstanding player in 1959. Johnny contributed greatly to the famous Eskimo teams of the mid-50's who won th Grey Cup in 1954, 1955 and 1956. In 1970 he was named to the CFL Football Hall of Fame.

"Johnny" Bright, a powerful fullback, gained 10,909 yards in 13 Canadian Football League seasons with Calgary and Edmonton. He was top rusher in the West four times and a Western All-Star seven times. "Johnny" Bright was an Edmonton Eskimo contributing to three straight Grey Cup wins in the 1950's.

Deerfoot

Deerfoot is the legendary Blackfoot runner who raced in the1800's, and was said to have outrun horses and riders, and left other runners choking on prairie dust. His real name Scabby Dried Meat, or Api-kai-ees, was changed to Deerfoot by white sports promoters to convey the image of an Indian running fleetfooted across the plains. Deerfoot started running as a messenger during the 1800's for the Blackfoot Confederacy, racing between camps in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Montana. His prowess as a runner came to the attention of foot-race promoters in Calgary. Deerfoot eventually raced amateur and professional runners in anything from 400 meters to 16-hour races. Challengers from around the world came to Calgary to test their abilities against him. In 1886, a champion distance runner from England, a runner from Ottawa, and Deerfoot competed in a 16 km race. The race was billed as the major sporting event of the year and was covered by media from as far away as New York. With the corruption in sports promotion involving the gambling syndicate, and feeling betrayed, Deerfoot left his promotion team in 1886 to run as an independent. Deerfoot died in 1897 after contracting tuberculosis.

Kofi Annan - Born 8 April 1938

When Kofi Annan became the seventh Secretary General of the United Nations, on January 1, 1997, he was first to come to the job from within the ranks of the UN staff and was the first black African elected to the post. In 2001 both he and the UN were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for "their work for a better organized and more peaceful world."

Thomas Jefferson

The third president of the United States and one of the country’s preeminent political philosophers, Thomas Jefferson played a significant role in drafting the Declaration of Independence. Highlights of his two-term presidency included the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The Snowbird CT-114 Tutor

The Snowbirds fly the CT-114 Tutor, a trainer jet built by Canadair in the 1960s, used for pilot training until 2000. A robust and maneuverable aircraft, the CT-114 Tutor jet is ideally suited to formation and aerobatic flying. With its relatively slow speed (maximum speed 412 knots), coupled with its maneuverability, the Tutor jet allows the Snowbirds to keep the formation flying directly in front of the spectators. Similarly, with regards to maintenance, the Tutor is a robust, well-built jet that is relatively easy to maintain, allowing the technicians to ensure that all jets are ready to fly an average of two missions daily.

The 7,170-pound Tutor jet is only slightly modified with a smoke generating system, a distinct red and white paint scheme and a highly tuned engine. The smoke generating system provides beautiful smoke trails, but, more importantly, allows the pilots to better identify the jets and their flight direction. The Snowbirds’ professionalism and skill, coupled with the Tutor’s maneuverability and reliability, make for a beautiful and exciting show.

Gold Medal Hockey

The first Olympic gold medal in hockey for Canada was won in the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. The gold medalists were seven players from the Winnipeg Falcons.

The silver went to the United States and Czechoslovakia took the bronze. The other four teams entered in the inaugural Olympic ice hockey tournament where, France, Belgium, Sweden, and Switzerland.

D-Day

The term D-Day stands for the Designated Day for Operation Overlord, the code name for the Allied invasion of Northern France on June 6, 1944, during World War II.

Each major offensive during the war had a code name. For example - Operation Torch was the name for the Allied invasion of North Africa. Each Operation also had its own D-Day, the actual day on which the attack would begin. Within each D-Day, there was an H-Hour, designating the starting time for the attack, usually just before dawn at 0500 hours in military time, or 5 a.m. in civilian time.

Operation Overlord is now popularly referred to simply as D-Day, a practice begun by news correspondents covering the invasion, given the tremendous significance of the day in which the long hoped-for liberation of northern Europe finally began.

Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa is widely recognized as the most famous painting in the history of art. But did you know that X-rays of the Mona Lisa show that there are three completely different versions of the same subject, all painted by Leonardo Da Vinci, under the final portrait.

1912 Triumph Free Engine

Triumph, the quintessential British motorcycle, was actually founded by two German immigrants. Mauritz Sculte and Siegfried Bettman produced their first motorized cycle in 1902.

The “Free Engine” Model was a great technical advancement for its day. This was the first Triumph to have a clutch, allowing the engine to continue running while the machine was stopped – hence the name Free Engine.

Triumph motorcycles were sold in Alberta in 1912 by a dealer in Calgary by the name of Trail and Parr. They were also available through the T. Eaton Company catalogue.

As soon as 1912, Triumph had already achieved racing success and would go on to become one of the greatest names in motorcycle history.

This motorcycle can be found at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum

Chief Crowfoot 1830 - 1890

Crowfoot was born around 1830 near the Belly river in southern Alberta into the Blood tribe of the Blackfoot Confederacy, with the name "Astohkomi" or "Shot Close". After a raid on a Crow camp when he was a teenager he was given a hero's name, "Isapo-muxica" or "Crowfoot".

Crowfoot was a warrior who fought in as many as 19 battles and sustained many injuries. Despite this, he tried to obtain peace instead of tribal warfare. When the Canadian Pacific Railway sought to build their mainline through Blackfoot territory, negotiations with Father Albert Lacombe convinced Crowfoot that it should be allowed.

He died on April 25th, 1890, at Blackfoot Crossing, of tuberculosis.