Fonds 533 Bay Tree Community Club

Bay Tree Community Club. — [1925-1999]. — 3.5 cm of textual records. — 3 photographs.


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Agency History

Bay Tree is located in Saddle Hills County on Highway 49, on Range Road 131/Township Road 791, close to the Alberta-British Columbia border. Settlers started moving into the Bay Tree area about 1914, drawn there by homestead land, which cost $10.00 for a quarter-section. Many of the settlers were veterans of WWI who were offered free land under the Soldiers Settlement Board scheme. The first public building erected in the Bay Tree area was Bay Tree School in 1921, with Minnie McNaught as the first teacher, teaching children from the Davies, Bourque, Bourdon, Smathers and Ryan families. By 1930, there had been an influx of settlers in the district and a new school was constructed on SE 4-79-13-W6. People continued to be drawn to the area and by 1937 a new and even bigger school was built on the same site. There was a strong feeling of community among the people who arrived in Bay Tree. Homes and schools were constructed by neighbors banding together to support each other. Sports teams and community clubs were supported by the local people who were proud of their achievements. In the early years, community events were organized by the Farm Women’s Union, later called the Women of Unifarm. After the Women of Unifarm disbanded in 1979, the Bay Tree Community Club was formed to continue community fundraising and events in Bay Tree. The meetings were held in the homes of club members.  Each year the members would make and raffle a quilt and raise additional funds with a bake sale. They also organized Halloween events at the Bay Tree Hall.  The Community Club was generous with their fundraising, supporting charities like Camp Tamarack, Disabled Persons Society of Dawson Creek, and the Fairview College Foundation.  The Community Club also helped spruce up the Bay Tree Community Park in 1981, and appears to have had involvement with the Silver Valley Campsite. The Club disbanded in 1998.

Custodial History

The records were deposited at South Peace Regional Archives by Vivian Dechief, member of the Bay Tree Community Club.

Scope and Content

The fonds consists of records relating to the Bay Tree Community Club. They are divided into four series:  minutes, financial records, correspondence and quilting, which the ladies used as a fundraiser. The correspondence includes information of the closing of the Silver Valley Campsite. The records were in no particular order when they arrived, but the minutes were grouped together in duotangs labeled with the year. It should be noted that there are balance sheets in the duotangs with the minutes, and original order has been maintained. Taped to the inside cover of one of the duotangs was a photo marked 1991. This was removed and added to the other photos of quilts.

Notes

Title based on the contents of the fonds. Historical note: Information for the Agency History was taken from Homesteaders’ Heritage (Bay Tree F.W.U.A. Local 106. p. 24).


Table of Contents

Series 533.01 Minutes
Series 533.02 Financial Records
Series 533.03 Correspondence
Series 533.04 Quilting
Series 533.01 Minutes. — 1988-1995. — 1 cm of textual records.
The series consists of the minutes of meetings that were held in member’s homes. Some members mentioned are Barb and Bonnie Titford, Vivian Dechief, Rose Kanda, Pat Lehmann, Bula McRann, Kelly Toews, Terry Van Eyke, Myrtle Scott and Trish Fearon. The minutes show the ladies were very involved in the community: catering lunches for funerals, supplying desserts for dry grad parties, and organizing community picnics. They also purchased cookbooks for wedding showers, hosted Halloween parties at the Bay Tree Hall, and donated to many charities in the area.
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Series 533.02 Financial Records. — 1986-1998. — 1.5 cm of textual records.
The series consists of financial records dating from 1986-1998. The Bay Tree Community Club closed their bank account on February 17, 1998 with left over monies going to the Bay Tree Community Hall.
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Series 533.03 Correspondence. — 1987-1997. — 1 cm of textual records.
The series consists of three thank you cards and correspondence from member Myrtle Scott to Glen Clegg, M.L.A., Norm A. Weiss, Minister, and Don Getty, Premier of Alberta, in regards to the closing of the Silver Valley Campsite. There are also thank you letters from various organizations to whom the ladies donated.
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Series 533.04 Quilting. — 1987-1993. — 3 photographs.
The series consists of a coil notebook that has information on quilt raffle tickets and sales; a quilt design from 1992 and a red ribbon from the Bonanza Fair; and three photos of quilts that were made by the Bay Tree Community Club.
 
Bay Tree Community Club Quilt, n.d. 1 photograph; colour; 4 x 6 in. A photograph of a quilt made by the Bay Tree Community Club. Location: 0533.04.01
Bay Tree Community Club Quilt, 1991 1 photograph; color; 3.5 x 5 The note on the back of this photo reads, “Bay Tree Community Club Quilt made January 1991”. Location: 0533.04.02
Bay Tree Community Club Quilt, June 1993 1 photograph; color; 4 x 6 The note on the back of this quilt reads “Club quilt made 1992-93 won by Jim Kulachkosky”. Location: 0533.04.03
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