The Wainwright Star WAINWRIGHT, ALBERTA   WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5th, 1930.

NEW C.N.R. DEPOT NOW OPEN
MONDAY LAST BIG GALA DAY

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Railroad Officials are the Guest of Local Board of Trade Monday

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GUESTS BANQUETTED

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C. N. Recreation Association Celebrates Occasion with Annual Dance

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Monday last was sure gala day in Wainwright the fete-ing being occasioned by the proper and official opening of the splendid new depot of the Canadian National Railways at this point, which ceremony was performed by Mr. W. R. Devenish, general superintendant, C. N. R.

Members of the Board of Trade to the number of nearly sixty were in attendance at the big banquet (which was prepared right on the depot premises by Steward R. Robertson) and there were present as their guests, Mr. Devenish, and Messrs. W. Cameron, superintendant, W. Kile, supt. motive power, R. H. Bell, divisional freight agent, and Mr. J. A. Tulley, all of the C. N. R., and Messrs. John Blue, F. Turpley, H. Budd and J. Walker of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. G. C. Siddall, president of the Board of Trade occupied the chair, with the visitors seated to his right and left, and the splendid menu proved toothsome to the large assembly and the many courses done full justice by all.

"O Canada," led by the town band was sung by all present and the Rev. A. M. Trendell having asked the blessing soon all were busy with the tasty viands.

When the tables had been cleared and the cigars were going properly, in a few well chosen words the chairman spoke of the need of such get-togethers more frequently, in order that the proper spirit of co-operation might be engendered between the many and varied interests which comprised our town and district, in order that all might reap the full benefits which were their right and due. In introducing Mayor Forster he mentioned the hard work which the gentleman had done during the past year to assist the re-habilitation of the town since the big fire.

Mayor M. L. Forster spoke at some length on the desirability and absolute necessity of co-operation between the railway forces and the citizens and gave several instances of the ultimate gain to all concerned by such a factor in community life. The Mayor also reminisced as to the early days of Wainwright when the railroad working hand in hand with former officials of the town had done so much to place our town upon the map.

Before closing the speaker extended the thanks of the town and district to Mr. Devenish on behalf of C. N. R., both for such a splendid addition to the town’s buildings and also for attendance to officially open the same for the use of the public for ever.

In rising to reply, Mr. Devenish, general supt. C. N. R. expressed the pleasure he felt at being present on such an auspicious occasion and also his extreme pleasure at the manner in which himself and other visitors had been so heartily welcomed and banquetted. He stated that only by the co-operatiuon of everyone from President Sir Henry Thornton down to the humblest employee of the railroad was such advancement possible and such handsome buildings available, and he pointed out that the fact that the new depot had been built by company employees in every particular and thus it was discovered that a handsome sum of money had been saved to the taxpayers of Canada thereby; as the final cost figures showed that it had cost far less than the offers received by tender for the erection.

He stressed the fact that Wainwright had indeed risen triumphant from the ashes of the big disaster and said that the town's buildings as well as the new station would stand as monuments to the progressive spirit which had marked the re-birth of Wainwright as well as to the actual men who had put their shoulders to the wheel in such a manner as to make all this possible. The town had attained an added beauty; it had shed its cocoon; it had emerged as an embryo city, and such buildings as the station, the town hall, the hotel and many others proved that "a city builded upon a hill (and builded right) cannot be hid."

In closing he again thanked all concerned for the great interest shown and reminded those present of the opportunities awaiting them in the extension of the spirit of co-operation which could be further fostered by the local branch of the C. N. Recreation association who later in the evening would again welcome all at their first annual dance to continue the celebration.

Mr. John Blue, of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, the next speaker, dwelt at length on the manner in which the difficulties which Wainwright folks had faced since last July had been met and overcome, and congratulated both the railway officials and the town upon the new station premises. He pointed out that the Board of Trade by putting on such a banquet had but carried out one of their primary duties to all concerned—each for all and all for each! Only by each party considering the other fellows’ angle of any arising problem could the best be gotten from anything undertaken.

He enlarged upon the opportunities awaiting Wainwright to become a really great tourist center, with both the National park and the oilfields as counter attractions and felt that with such accommodation as he saw being prepared, there should be no trouble at all in seeing to it that the great trans-Canada highway which he felt must eventually come, passed through our town and district thus adding to the many advantages which we already possessed from the tourist attractive standpoint.

The big fire, he said, had shown to the world, the true value of pulling together—which is really all that is meant by community spirit—and without doubt it had proved the greatest boon for Wainwright. The town had most assuredly grown proportionately with the province and should make even greater strides in the future with such additions and environment as it now possessed. He pointed out that the province during the past 25 years had made wonderful strides and he felt that even more would be accomplished during the next ten years than during the previous period.

During the banquet, the Town band which opened the proceedings with "O Canada" discoursed several pleasing numbers which added greatly to the enjoyment of the affair, and at the close all present stood for the "National Anthem" after which the crowd after an inspection of the new station wended its way to the theatre where the C. N. Recreation association continued the big merriment in the celebration of its first annual dance under the guidance of the officers of that body, all of whom deserve great credit for the wonderful success it proved to be.

Both Mayor Forster and Mr. W. Devenish spoke a few words by way of inaugeration of the new association and its endeavors at the commencement of the proceedings and both were received with hearty applause. An added touch of distinctiveness was the gift of the natty souvenirs to all the ladies in attendance at the dance, too.

Something like 200 couple were in the hall, and the wonderful array of new frocks on the fair charmers surely belied tales of hard times, for the gowns of our "fayre ladyee" would vie favourably with any city ball. The music, too, was of the very best. Clark’s orchestra being all on their toes for this offering.

The M. C.’s for the evening worked hard to see that the big crowd all received their full quota of enjoyment from the gathering, and the midnight lunch in charge of the ladies of the W. A., partaken of under the soft lights of the wonderfully lighted and decorated theatre, was such as to suit the most epicurean taste.

As first-class entertainers, the railroad "boys" are certainly not one whit behind, and indeed have a big edge on many we have been privileged to attend heretofore.

In the spirit of co-operation; in the sight of true community interest; in the spirit of the greatest good to the largest number; let us have many more such "get-togethers" that the newly-formed C. N. Recreation association, the Board of Trade, and indeed all and sundry in the whole of the Wainwright district may work together for the ultimate benefit of all concerned—tradesman, worker, farmer, etc.—in the go-ahead spirit which Wainwright has exhibited since both the old depot and the old town were destroyed by fire.