By Dorthea H. CalverleyThe name of Pat Burns, cattleman extraordinary, is associated with Alberta, and especially Calgary. But, quick now! Where is the “Burns Block” in B.C.? Yes, it is associated with the famous “cattle king”. Perhaps the name “Fable Creek” will give you a clue. No? It was the venerable old-timer, Ivor Johnson of… Read More

By Dorthea CalverleyBy a curious set of coincidences, we believe we have found out who persuaded the astute Mr. Pat Burns to have the Pine Valley surveyed as a most desirable range for cattle. Mr. Joe Henderson, venerable old-timer of the Dawson Creek district, was reminiscing during an interview with this writer and explaining why… Read More

By Dorthea CalverleyPhil Tompkins was in reminiscent mood one summer day in 1974 when we interviewed him on the subject of history of livestock on the Peace River. We found the venerable gentleman working around one of the huge barns on his home place at The Halfway, centre of one of the largest ranching spreads… Read More

By Dorthea CalverleyCross-posted: 18-040: Ivor Johnson of Hasler Creek The three Johnson brothers, Ivor, George, and Albin came to the Pine River area with their parents in 1922 with the idea of ranching and doing some trapping. Ivor was about twenty-five at the time and already experienced in the business. His father, John, and his mother… Read More

By Dorthea Calverley Lloyd S. Bentley may be the oldest working rancher in the Peace River Block and perhaps in the Peace River Country. He says he is eighty years old, but his son says that the Old Man hasn’t revised his estimate upwards for several years. He lives alone and “does for himself” at… Read More

By Dorthea Calverley“I got my start in pure-bred cattle from “Slim Gooding”. Many times, as we researched early ranching in the Peace, we heard this remark, or a similar comment. “I got an Aberdeen Angus bull calf from Slim Gooding to breed up my herd. I didn’t have any money to pay for it at… Read More

The first Alberta Wheat Pool elevator in the B.C. Peace River Block was a 52,000 bushel house at Dawson Creek constructed in 1930 by Voss Brothers. A 37,000 bushel crib annex was added to Dawson Creek #1 in 1940 by Voss Brothers. In 1941 F.W. McDougall Construction Co. built a 40,000 bushel temporary balloon annex… Read More

By Mr. Jack Hannam, Sr. From the Kiskatinaw River to the East Pine there weren’t any cattle until 1919 when some World War veterans homesteaded a part of the land. Early in the summer of 1919, Bill Haight and his wife from Southern Alberta filed on land which later was named Progress District. They brought… Read More

By Jamie Dirom, staff writer [July 16, 1998] If the good weather holds out, local farmers are confident they’ll actually be able to get the crops off their field this year. Not only that, they may even be able to harvest earlier than usual. This week’s rain is just what most farmers needed for their… Read More

Recent History – 1998 By Alethea Wiesner, Daily News Staff, Oct. 13, 1998 A series of natural disasters plowing through research hemp plots just east of Dawson Creek have taken their toll, but the B.C. Grain Producers have no intention of giving up. Brent Washington, director with the B.C. Grain Producers Association and chair of… Read More