TRANSCRIPT

The Reverend Dr. Peter Ream reads his own quote about the Gaol (pronounced Jail):

Many problems plagued Fort Saskatchewan following the end of the First World War. The 1912 failure of the power dam on the Sturgeon River left the town with a huge debt that was not paid off until 1932. The business district had not completely recovered from a terrible fire of 1913. Every family had been touched by the war, which claimed 41 local young men. At least three deaths also followed during the flue epidemic of 1918.
Says local historian Peter Ream: 'The dreams of a glorious future for the Fort had evaporated by this time, and the people settled down to face stern reality. This was the age of retrenchment, consolidation, and the eking out of the dollars.'

The loss of the Mounted Police Headquarters, its security and employment had been partly helped by the building of a Provincial Gaol on the same site. Employing some 200 people, the new institution brought needed stability to the struggling community.


The Reverend Dr. Peter Ream