It’s not yet mid October and the ground is white, but there’s lots of activities within the community that will chase away the winter blues. Twenty-plus students of all ages are registered in Tae Kwon Do classes at the school on Wednesday evenings with Dan Hargreaves, 3rd Dan, as instructor. On Tuesday evenings, Miss Jamie is teaching jazz, tap and ballet for the 13th year in her Halkirk Studio. She has thirteen students from Castor, Gadsby and Halkirk. Two Halkirk youngsters go to cadets which is held in Castor.
And for the adults there’s bingo every second Tuesday afternoon at the seniors’ centre with bingo every other Thursday evening at the hall. Scrapbooking is held monthly at the seniors’ centre and if anyone is interested in floor curling give Dale or Mel Kent a call.
The Elks are holding their annual Oyster Fry on Oct. 24 followed by a wild white elephant auction. Proceeds from this are given to youth organizations and/or facilities throughout the area. The Elks are also organizing the community turkey supper on Nov. 1 and then on Nov. 7 they will host their district meeting with lunch and an afternoon meeting. Pastor Jim Culham is organizing the annual Gospel concert scheduled for the evening of Nov. 8.
The waste transfer station is now open for winter hours which are Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Village hosted a joint municipal supper meeting on Thursday at the seniors’ centre. Attending were reps from the County of Paintearth, the towns of Castor and Coronation and the Village of Halkirk.
There won’t be a flu clinic in Halkirk this year. Anyone interested in their annual regular flu shot should attend a clinic in Castor or Stettler.
Darcy and Andrea Mabbott and family visited at the weekend with Kevin and Cynthia Perry and family in Sundre while Tessa was entered in the high school rodeo. Congratulations Tessa on winning a buckle in barrels.
Irene Schilling had her sister-in-law Margaret Kros from Strathmore visiting with her. The two went on the train ride in Stettler.
The Kent household was busy at Rick and Lisa’s celebrating Gregs birthday.
Shane Neilson and Wyatt Kent were among the cadets that went to the Reynolds museum and the corn maze in Lacombe. They wrapped up the weekend with a visit to the Penhold air base. An enjoyable weekend for both of the boys.
Halkirk - 100 years ago. The names of some of the first ranchers included: Hugh McTaggert and his partner John Dixon who settled on the headwaters of the Paintearth creek ( Rosebank- Spruce Creek) in 1897. Mrs McTaggert was the first white woman in the area. Their closest neighbor was Jack Cahoun, several miles south-east. McTaggert ranched for seven years selling to RJ Ferguson. Ferguson had built a hotel at Higginsville in 1904 and was disappointed that the railway bypassed it. So it appears that he bought the McTaggert homestead where he built a large modern house that even had running water from a tank in the attic. They left in 1911. In 1899 John Lane and his wife came out to land that Jack Cahoun had settled in 1897 where they purchased his squatters’ rights and his cattle. Mrs. Lane was the first lady in that area. In 1901 Bob Clime became a partner in the large ranch which they operated for 13 years. Jack Coustain, of Indian ancestry, homesteaded at Big Knife park in 1902 but left in 1906. His two sons were employed by a large rancher, O.H. Smith. The Doan brothers, Albert and Joe settled 15 miles north of Halkirk in 1903 near the banks of the Battle River. The Joe Doan family returned to Penhold in 1907 but Albert and his wife Matilda stayed and raised their family with their descendents still living in the area. There were others, many others.(From the Halkirk history book - to be continued).