History Corner - Memories of a harsh winter 70 years ago

By Storyteller, Wilmar Shingoose

The winter storm of 1946-47 did not bother us too much because my parents and the families of Crescent Lake Métis community south of Yorkton were familiar with hardship. So, one day during this harsh winter our survival skills were tested when a knock came to our door. Ronnie, son of our teacher John Hirsch told us that his father was very sick. My grandmother, Philomène Alary and my father Walter Shingoose began plans for the 12 mile trip to Yorkton. Our large Percheron mare called Lady and a larger well-conditioned grey horse named Dick were hitched up to our 6 feet by 9 feet home-made caboose. Ah, but it was sure a welcoming sight to see a small column of smoke coming out of the caboose’s chimney where inside a square five gallon pail converted to a wood heater would keep all warm! So, my father and grandmother, with the very sick Mr. Hirsch set out across country. It was impossible to use No. 9 Highway where treed areas had caused the formation of higher snow banks. It was easier to go across open fields where you could choose the best pathway.

It took them all day to get to the Yorkton hospital. Then, my grandmother and dad took the horses to the livery stable. That night, they tended to the horses and stayed in the livery barn office, my grandmother sleeping on a cot and my father sleeping in an armchair. Meanwhile, with the school’s closure,  I spent days running up and down snow banks comfortable in moccasins made by my mother, Helen. It took crews of men, highways workers, and heavy-duty machinery to clear the highway and area country roads. When Mr. Hirsch was better, we kids all went back to school. The snow banks in the school yard were really tall after the snow was pushed up by crawler tractors, so much so that when we climbed atop the snow banks, we could look down on the roof of our school!

Contact Terri Lefebvre Prince,
Heritage Researcher,
City of Yorkton Archives,
Box 400, 37 Third Avenue North
Yorkton, Sask. S3N 2W3
306-786-1722          
[email protected]