Carnivals – More Than Entertainment
By Bernie Krewski
Winter carnivals in communities like Oyen have a long tradition. Oyen’s first, a “Hard Times” skating carnival, occurred on January 14, 1915. As the Oyen News reported: “The majority of those present wore costumes and masks and considerable amusement was generated by their antics. Twenty-five percent of the receipts was donated to the Belgian Relief Fund.”
“The First Annual Kin Carnival at Oyen” on March 14, 1958, described by the Oyen correspondent in the Hanna Herald, was memorable for other reasons. Launched in less than a month after the Kinsmen Club received their charter, it reflected the ambitions and spirit of an enthusiastic group of citizens in this community. And as previously mentioned in these pages, it coincided with the enhancement of winter sports in the new arena and the remembrance initiatives of the newly formed Legion.
RCMP Corporal John Russell was the Master of Ceremonies. He introduced the carnival queen contestants selected by the schools’ student unions: Thelma Holmes, New Brigden; Gail Aitkens, Chinook; Jackie Ross, Acadia Valley; Marvie Carran, Oyen Public School; and Colleen McSorley, Oyen Separate School. Contestants sat in a float beautifully decorated in Kinsmen colors. President Bob Conlin crowned Colleen McSorley as carnival queen (854 votes) and presented her with an overnight case. Each lady-in-waiting received a box of chocolates.
The costumes judges were Mrs. Adolph Kunert, Mrs. Wm. Cunningham, and Mrs. Paul Eberly. The winners: best dressed boy, Ronnie Windrum, a rabbit; best dressed girl, Shirley Boulter, a drum-majorette. Most original: Laura, Norma, and Lyle Eigard, three blind mice. Best dressed couple: Bonnie Kuhn as St. Patrick and Ione Thygeson as Red Riding Hood. Comic: Penny Hofer as a little lady.
For age-group 10 years and over: most original costume, Cheryl Wood as “Queen of the Night. Best couple: Grier Donaldson and Karen Kowal of Hanna as gypsies. Twin babies, Carol Gripp and Betty Dragland.
High school students Evhyn Kulyk, Bob Weller, Jim Campbell, Reg Campbell, and Alvin Furneaux provided comedic performances. Evhyn Kulyk’s weight-lifting act was impressive. The Cat and Clown brought shouts and laughter that virtually “made the rafters ring.” Another act that included a sixty-pound pig drew squeals from spectators as well as the participants. The boys’ “Sputnik Clown Act” managed to lift their satellite rocket an amazing six feet in the air!
There were skate-races for all age groups. A miniature chuck wagon race was hotly contested. Acadia Valley and Oyen Pee Wees battled in a ten-minute period of hockey with play-by-play broadcasting by John Russell. The Kinsmen released 600 balloons from the top of the area, thrilling the youngsters, to end the evening’s events.
As mentioned, carnivals can be memorable. I happened to find a description of Oyen’s outdoor carnival on January 10, 1941. It mostly consisted of races at the ice-rink north of the Crossroads Museum. Striking to me were the winners of the “Boys’ Open Relay Race”: “D. McKay, I. McKay, F. Krewski.”
On October 12, 1943, the Regina Leader-Post published a list of “Air Casualties” from the war in Europe. Reported missing was F.O Donald Hugh McKay of Oyen. A further report on April 3, 1944, stated he was “presumed dead.” Ian McKay, well known in this community, also served with the RCAF (MTCH, v. 1, 215-216). Frank, my brother, previously mentioned frequently in these pages, joined the Canadian army in 1942. Eighteen months after returning to Canada in 1946, he rejointed Canada’s Armed Forces as a soldier and a civilian. His memories of Donald McKay have been a gift to me – the reason I am writing about him now.
Remarkably, there was no curling here in 1941. The rink was “serving as a temporary wheat bin.” If war, wheat, and carnivals have been a peculiar mixture in this prairie town, at least it has left a taste, pleasant enough to write about it!