Jolly Old St. Nick as shown on the front page of the Dec. 25, 1913 edition of the North Battleford News.
Features included in this edition were many and varied, but always interesting.
The year would end with the conclusion of Mayor D.S. Walker's term of office, and the introduction of his successor, J.A. Foley.
The times and locations of all of the City's church services were posted.
Citizens read of the pending completion by contractor W.W. Bradley of the city's new 72' by 144' rink. A wooden enclosure topped by canvas material ready by New Year, the rink was built in a few days and was merely a temporary expedient to a permanent structure.
Some advertisements contained in this issue included the following:
Western Canada Floral Co. (now Milbank Flowers - Urban Accents) on Charles St. offering fresh cut flowers and plants for Christmas.
Standard Mineral Water Company. Phone 204 direct to the factory for ice cream soda, lemon sour, birch beer, ginger beer, root beer, grape smash, raspberry, cherry, lemon soda and Coca Cola.
Canadian Northern Railway posted special excursion fares to all points in Eastern Canada.
Many types of Coal for domestic and steam use were available from Coal distributors including Quality Coal, Cookson Bros. and J.J. Duhaime.
Battleford Trading Company sold a barrel of apples for $7.
Butcher Chas. May promoted their motto "Nothing But The Best."
J.K. Hammonds South Side Grocery advertised raisins 2 lbs. for 25 cents; mincemeat 2lbs. for 35 cents; icing sugar 3 lbs. for 25 cents and cranberries 3 lbs for 40 cents.
City Grocery "Everything New and Fresh."
The city's prominent hotels advertised Christmas dinner menus.
The Auditorium Hotel featured consommé printanier, boiled salmon with tartar sauce, boiled capon in celery sauce, Westphalian ham in champagne sauce, braised veal sweetbread a' la financiere, fricassee of chicken with mushrooms and pineapple fritters with wine sauce.
The Metropole Hotel offered tortoise or cream of oyster soup. From the sea, items included fried salmon and sliced lemon or boiled halibut and egg sauce.
Entrees included: steamed pigeons in California pineapple sauce, young ducks with chow chow sauce, boiled spring lamb in caper sauce, boiled ham and yorkshire pudding.
The menu at the Saskatchewan Hotel listed Blue Point oysters, mock turtle soup, sugar cured ham, lobster patties a la Newberg, young turkey, chestnut dressing and cranberry sauce, leg of lamb, suckling pig with sauce a la pomme, and roast beef and yorkshire pudding. All meals were priced at 50 cents.
North Battleford's three theatres were all busy during the 1913 holiday season.
For $1.50 local entertainment seekers were encouraged to book a stall at the Lyric Theatre to see The Lady of Ostend, preceded by the comedy rehearsal curtain raiser Love in a Railway Train.
Featured at the Dutchess Theatre for one night only, the distinguished actor Lawrence Brough and his all English company.
The Dixie Jubilee Concert Co. were headliners at the Empress Theatre.
We conclude this submission with an inspiring message from the Dec. 18, 1913 issue of the North Battleford News.
Amid all the happiness and joys of the Christmas season think of those less fortunate - of those on whom the sun of plenty has failed to shine during the past 12 months. Think of the heartaches that will be there on Christmas morning, think of the tear stained eyes of the little children weeping because Santa Claus could not call at their homes. Half of your pleasure at Christmas will be derived from making others happy, from sharing your good fortune and sowing seeds of kindness wherever you happen to be on Christmas Day. Give something be it ever so trifling to the little child to whom Christmas otherwise would mean nothing. You can keep tears of sorrow from those eyes and brighten the day a hundred fold for yourself.
Try it.
We Gratefully acknowledge the Battlefords News-Optimist for access to this archival treasure.
"Merry Christmas and best wishes for the next 100 years." from the committee of the City of North Battleford Historic Archives.
An ideal Christmas gift could include a copy of the Reflections of North Battleford, a fascinating 104-page pictorial of our city over 100 years.
This limited edition gem is available from City Archivist Tammy Donahue Buziak (306-445-1786) or City Clerk Debbie Wohlberg (306-445-1719) or Crandleberry's Cyber Café and Books 1821-100th St.
