CANORA - With Canora celebrating its relatively youthful 115th birthday, Homecoming will be a central theme of the Street Festival on Aug. 16, a fitting climax to Community in Bloom Week.
Among those who are looking forward to Homecoming is 91-year-old Evelyn Kuruliak (née Martinuik), presently living in Yorkton, who graduated from Canora Composite High School in 1953.
“It was the first year in the new school,” recalled Kuruliak.
She remembers going to what is now the Canora Junior Elementary School for Grade 11.
During her school days, Evelyn earned a mention in The Owl, the Canora Composite School newspaper at the time.
“We find our literature course most interesting this year... especially poetry. We have discovered among us a certain blonde enthusiast for Shakespearian sonnets. The certain one we have in mind is called True love. Please Evelyn, don’t start gathering rosebuds (yet).”
Evelyn said she has fond memories of her time at CCHS.
“Many of the students were sons and daughters of farmers,” she said. “We had a mixture of many nationalities and faiths. There were lots of debates and group activities, we learned to get along with everyone.”
One of her favourite staff members was Principal Koch. “He liked to tease me.”
Evelyn recalls Canora being a busy town in those years, with approximately five grocery stores and around 10 department stores.
One of the favourite hangouts for Evelyn and her friends was the Roxy Theatre, located where the drug store is now, next to the old Palace Café. The Palace was their favourite restaurant, mainly because of the jukebox.
“Admission to the theatre was 15 cents,” she said. “Ice cream, chocolate bars, and popcorn were only a nickel each. So every Saturday, my friends and I went to the 2 p.m. afternoon matinee.”
After high school, Evelyn was hired by the Canora branch of the CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce).
“Dad was so proud of me, running around town and telling everyone I got hired to work at the bank.”
Evelyn married Henry Martinuik in 1954, and continued working at the bank until she got pregnant with their first child.
They were married until Henry passed away in 2020. Even though she now lives in Yorkton, Evelyn continues to enjoy any opportunity to return to Canora for a visit.
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