By TIM KALINOWSKI
“Oyen was originally established during the boundless optimism of the homestead era," reports local historian Bernie Krewski, “followed by an unanticipated population decline between WWI and WWII, and then incurred slow but consistent growth and adaptation in the last half century. Oyen has developed into a vibrant community by blending grain-growing with raising cattle, and developing natural resources like oil and gas.”
As Oyen prepares to commemorate 100 years as a community on August 2-4, town residents are hoping many in southeast Alberta will visit to help them celebrate both the present day community and its rich history.
Eighty-nine-year-old former Oyen postmistress Norma Gummo grew up in Oyen but moved away to Sicamous, B.C. in 1974. She returned to the town to live at the Oyen Seniors Lodge in 2009. She remembers two distinct eras in Oyen's history separated by a 40- year span of time.
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to have very simple houses. The houses are much nicer today. Now the district is rich and we can afford it.”
Although Oyen does have some famous sons and daughters, historian Bernie Krewski says it was the courage and strength of people like Gummo and McKinstry which made the town what it is today.
“Several notable Canadians walked its street in the early days — school teacher Agnes McPhail who later became Canada’s first female Member of Parliament, and Betty Mitchell, who introduced musical theatre to secondary schools in Western Canada. And more recently Melody Davidson, coach of Canada’s gold medal winning women’s hockey team. However, Oyen's stability and constant growth is primarily due to a solid core of citizens who remained and faced the challenges of building and serving a small community far from the amenities of urban centres.”
“It's kind of bittersweet,” says Gummo. “You remember the old ways, and what you went through, and what our parents sacrificed and how hard they worked. And now Oyen has progressed a lot, and has amenities of different kinds, but a lot of young people don't understand what we had to do back then. And they can't even imagine how we got along.”
Gummo remembers the harsh realities of the 1930s in Oyen, and her sadness when her brother was killed in the Second World War. But for Gummo some of those sad memories of Oyen are offset by some of her fondest.
“When I was young the thing to do was to come to Oyen on Saturday night. It was humming. My dad was a farmer; they worked all week and they took off to go shopping on Saturday night. My dad would go for repairs and my mother would go to the grocery store. We met a lot of friends and people we knew. Oyen was the biggest town around.”
Eighty-seven-year-old Ed McKinstry has lived in the Oyen area all his life. He still sees the older Oyen of his childhood woven deeply into the fabric of the community today.
“It's been a gradual change," McKinstry explains. “It's still the same town, the same main street. Although the stores have changed, and the grain elevators are gone... The train station was one of the best buildings, and that's gone too. Of course the residential area is about four times bigger, and we now have about four times the population. We used
The 100th is definitely a time to reflect and take note of how this town was created and where it’s been. But also to celebrate what it is right now. — Christie Caskey
in Oyen match any she knew in Calgary.
“You can do everything you want to do here that you could in Calgary, but there are no lineups. People think there’s a lot to do in the city, but in Oyen there’s a lot to do. In a small town you can be as busy as you want or take it as easy,” says Caskey.
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Caskey is one of a group of 10 young mothers in the community who are organizing kids events for the centennial celebrations in August.
“The 100th is definitely a time to reflect and take note of how this town was created and where it’s been. But also to celebrate what it is right now,” states Caskey. “It’s a birthday party. Who doesn’t like a birthday party? And of course every kid likes a birthday party. This is home for our kids and we want to make it something they will remember.”
Lois Bedwell wears many hats in Oyen. She volunteers on the town’s centennial committee, works as a local school teacher, serves as deputy mayor and helps chronicle Oyen history. Bedwell believes the institutions and amenities Oyen has are equal to those of any other community.
“We still have all the amenities of a big town,” says Bedwell. “We have top-notch recreational facilities. I think what I like best about Oyen is that sense of community we have here. We have a lot to offer all sorts.”
The town’s 100-year history will also be marked by a very special dedication during the centennial weekend.
Christie Caskey gets swept up in the enthusiasm of Oyen's annual Bull-A-Rama with her kids. Caskey says Oyen is a great place to raise a family and be involved with the community.
Christie Caskey represents the new generation of Oyeners. She moved to Oyen four years ago from Calgary to raise her three children in the community. Caskey says the opportunities for community involvement
The excitement of Oyen's Bull-A-Rama. As Oyen celebrates 100 years as a community it shows it is a progressive community that stays true to its agricultural roots.
87-year-old Ed McKinstry has lived in Oyen all his life and seen the gradual changes to the community during that time.
Norma Gummo used to be postmistress in Oyen and recently returned to live in Oyen at the Oyen Seniors Lodge.
OUR COMMUNITIES ■ OUR REGION ■ OUR PEOPLE | 37
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