The Peace River Block News — Wednesday, May 5, 1976The presentation of 29 awards highlighted last Friday’s 14th annual Peace Country Arts Festival grand concert. A near capacity crowd was in attendance in Unchagah Hall for the ceremonies which brought the week-long festival to a close. The festival, in all its variety, included over 1,000… Read More

By Dorthea CalverleyHAND SOAP (Superior Quality)   3 pints cold water 1 cup liquid ammonia 1 can lye 1 large tablespoon borax Save every piece of fat and grease and “try it out” by heating until the fat pours off as oil. When a five-pound pailfull has been accumulated, proceed with soap making. Dissolve the… Read More

By Dorthea CalverleyYou either liked it, or you didn’t! Sauerkraut. One of the problems of pioneer nutrition was the lack of raw, vitamin-rich foods although few “pioneers” had ever heard of vitamins. The almost universal hole-under-the-floor cellar could keep such roots as carrots, parsnips, beets, and rutabagas usable until spring. They would keep very well… Read More

By Rose WilsonThe Mirror, November 8, 1982An event of historical importance for Dawson Creek in particular and the whole Peace River area in general took place this past week. I am referring to an agreement signed at City Hall between Mrs. Dorthea Calverley and the City. It concerns Mrs. Calverley’s archival collection known as “History… Read More

  © G.R. Clare, 1997Turning a rough homestead into a good farm was the work of a lifetime for at least the first generation of settlers on a piece of brush-covered land. But most of the early settlers were young people, with lots of energy and a desire to make a bit of fun for… Read More

From an Interviewer I have always been interested in drawing. Our great-uncle, John McNaught, painted in Scotland and some in Canada. And I think we just took it for granted that we would all be interested in painting, crafts, and different things of that type. Our great-uncle John McNaught, whom our brother’s named after, painted… Read More

Note: names taken from a set of photos in the Calverley Collection DAWSON CREEK “ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION”, 1931-32: Jerry Beegan, Wesley O. Harper, Gus Dumont, Ralph Morton, Phil Sheridan, Jack Fynn, Bill Packwood, M. Hicks, Frank Garneau (coach), Bill Schilds, Harold Schilds DAWSON CREEK “ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION”, 1935-36 MAIN LINE: Wes Harper, Harold Schilds, Charlie Collins, Ralph… Read More

  The Poetry of Manton E. “Dad” Freeman We don’t know a lot about “Dad” Freeman or just exactly where his homestead was – somewhere near the old road from Hythe to Pouce Coupe but on the other side of Canyon Creek. According to an early teacher in the area, Charlie Ovans, Mr. Freeman was… Read More

By Dorthea Calverley A modest little lady is Mrs. Dorothy Powell of Pouce Coupe, whose skill in weaving was brought from England to a Peace Country homestead. Mrs. Powell has been very generous in her gifts to many community enterprises which raise funds by sales of work. Samples of her beautifully executed work are a… Read More

by Mrs. Dorothy PowellGoing back in memory, takes me to times which were far different to what they are today. I was born on the third day of the third month 1914 in the lovely forest of Dean, a beautiful part of Gloucestershire in England, steeped in history from Roman times and kings came to… Read More