Alexander Stephen “Daddy” Wright was the secretary of the Children’s Aid Society, which maintained the Children’s Shelter, at one time at 8th Street and Jackson Ave and then after 1925 where Kilburn Hall is now. The Children’s Aid Society was a private organization that cared for abandoned and orphaned children and children who had been removed from their homes, as well as what were then called “delinquent children”. The operations of the society were taken over by the provincial social work department in the 1960s. The Society was funded in a large part through a grant from the City of Saskatoon.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, and educated at St. Andrews College there, Wright was teaching at a theological college in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1908 or so, when he met Saskatoon’s Gerald Willoughby, who convinced him to come here. He had done welfare work in Scotland, and became the first secretary of the Saskatoon Children’s Aid Society in 1909. He worked in the Land Titles Office until 1914, then during the war as an investigator for the Patriotic Fund. After the war, he was appointed City Probation Officer, which was what he did to bring home a paycheque.
Much of what the Children’s Aid Society accomplished, including the creation of the Children’s Shelter, can be attributed to him. He held the position of Secretary – for the most part without pay – until his retirement in about 1945. He was given the title “Honourary Secretary” and was accompany a group of Children’s Shelter children on a field trip to Manitou Beach when he was suddenly stricken ill and died shortly thereafter. He died on September 2, 1946 and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery. He was not married and willed his estate to the City of Saskatoon.
In trying to find out more information about A.S. Wright, I contacted Wright Construction in hopes they may have some further information. I received an email recounting the memories of a someone who had the following recollection's of A.S. Wright:"When I was a teenager A.S.Wright was in charge of the Children's Aid Society. He was quite well known by the kids in the city and was referred to as "Daddy Wright" and we steered clear of him because in addition to his looking after the Orphanage he apprehended kids not being looked after or deliquents. In spite of the apprehension of the young people he was highly regarded hence the park."
The park named after him contains ball fields, an ice rink, a sledding hill, and a community garden. It is quite appropriate that several of the ball fields are not intended for the use of adults! Bring your kids and play ball!
Remember to bring your own writing utensil!
Congratulations to cmap&2dogs for FTF @ 5:32PM!