This is a tape script as told by Orville Bentley to Dorthea Calverley“Slim” was the well-known “Slim” Goodings, a rancher who lived above Taylor Flats on the Peace River. He was famous for his fine horses and cattle — and for the mules which he bred. MR. BENTLEY: The Englishman, “Slim” Goodings used to live… Read More

Audio Part 1: Audio Part 2:   Audio Part 3:   Audio Part 4: February 1975 It was in August of 1928 that I arrived in the hamlet of Dawson Creek, having come from Edinburgh, Scotland, earlier. I spent a short time in Montreal with relatives and then in Edmonton with Scottish friends. Coming from… Read More

The story I would like to tell happened long ago, when I was one of the Smathers kids living at Baytree in the East Pouce Coupe district. The heroes of my story were Jim and Sid Robertson. Now, first to get the theme of the story. Try to think of the early days — 1922… Read More

Interviewed by Dorthea CalverleyCross-posted: 01-131: Peter Campbell (First Nations of the Peace Region) PETER CAMPBELL: I was telling you about the early people, – fur buyers, teachers, businessmen, and others who arrived in Grande Prairie when I was young. I remember the buyer, John McAuley, who was buying fur from the Indians and Metis people…. Read More

Interviewed by Mr. E. Hendricks MR. CHILTON: Well, I arrived in Dawson Creek about the first of December of 1930. There were buildings on the townsite, in my recollection. In those days I had to go over to the old townsite for my meals. But about a week or ten days after that, a Chinaman… Read More

Interviewed by Mrs. Tibbetts (Edna) MRS. TIBBETTS: We are now interviewing one of the first settlers in the district, Mr. Denny Cornock, now living at Tupper Creek. MR. CORNOCK: I first came up here with a man named York. We were working on the river, and at building the Grand Trunk road. We came back… Read More

Audio Part 1: Audio Part 2: Audio Part 3:  

Interview by Lee J. Phillips [March 15, 1973] Cross-posted: 01-146: Mrs. Marcelena Desjarlais of Chetwynd (First Nations of the Peace Region) Mrs. Desjarlais was born in the Grande Prairie area sixty-nine years ago [1904]. Her native tongue is Cree, although she is not treaty Indian. Her father and older brothers were well known by the first… Read More

Interviewed by Lee J. Phillips [April 6, 1973] Cross-posted: 01-147: John Dokkie of Moberly Lake John Dokkie is the grandson of Chief Dokkie and was raised by the Chief at Moberly Lake. Mrs. Parker has a very good picture of the old Grandmother Dokkie taken on her one hundred and sixth birthday. Mary Ann Cameron is… Read More

From a taped broadcast GUS DUMONT: I came to this country in 1920 with my dad, who was a miner in Frank, Alberta. We decided to come to the Peace River to see the country, so we loaded a railroad car with six horses and machinery. From Edmonton to Grande Prairie it took us two… Read More