Swift Current looked drastically different 100 years ago
In recognition of Swift Current’s centennial, we took a look back through newspapers from the first half of 1914 editions of The Swift Current Sun to share a flavour of what was capturing the attention of residents 100 years ago dating back to January 15th, 1914, when Swift Current officially became Saskatchewan’s seventh city.
Swift Current residents enjoyed endless entertainment at The Royal Princess Opera House, The Eagle Theatre, and The Lyric Theatre that featured acts of all kinds, from violinists to “the most fascinating plays ever written”. A Special Sunday Dinner was also a regular occurrence at The Healy Hotel. The dinner included exquisite cuisine, first class service, a ladies’ reception room, a full orchestra, and a music program all for the whopping price of one dollar.
The Famous Store was a popular stop in everyone’s shopping. In the January 13th, 1914 edition, The Famous Store advertised their third annual ‘Stock Taking Sale’ to make room for the new spring goods. The sale advertised corn flakes, three bags for $0.25; wool shirts and drawers for $1.17 and a half; and Five Rose Flour for $3.00 a bag. The WW Cooper Co. also advertised for ‘The Great White Sale’, a sale on white goods of all kinds. White corsets were sold for $0.80 a pair, and white quilts were $1.55. How much did you spend on your last shopping trip?
To aid in the luxury of Sunday dinners, Opera House seats, and Great White Sales, The Royal Bank of Canada was here in Swift Current 100 ago. You could even take out a loan to buy that Ford Model T you had always wanted for $600. In addition to local banks, the provincial government loaned out a half a million dollars to farmers, and the Perrigo Implement Company regularly advertised money to loan on improved farmland.
Sunkist oranges were a popular little fruit back in the day, and Sunkist even touted that “all pickers and packers of Sunkist oranges and lemons wear clean white cotton gloves.” People bought them by the case, whether they believed the ad or not.
Swift Current may have even been closer to the women’s rights movement than most cities. Articles appeared throughout the year stating “Who Would Have Thought Women Were Good Curlers” after a women’s curling team had been organized, and they were allotted two sheets of ice from the men with the exception of Saturdays. The recognition alone was something unheard of in that time period. Way to go Swift Current!
Many industrial advancements were made in the year 1914 for Swift Current. On March 10, 1914, the dam water system was turned on, which was an exciting announcement. The Exhibition building was built in May for the annual Fair, and in June, Swift Current was the new location for a Saskatchewan Creamery. In April, a ‘Nurse’s Home’ was erected. Not a nursing home, a nurse’s home. It was literally a place for nurses to sleep, which was a good thing, because nurses took up beds at hospitals during the night shifts.