Title: Breaking ground for Great War Veterans Association, memorial hall, Strathmore, Alberta.
Date: May 21, 1921
The Great War Memorial Hall was built in 1921, with the sod turning ceremony by then Mayor G.F. Butler and Reeve Frank Skeene on May 21, 1921. More than a year later, on July 11, 1922, the Hall was officially opened by Brig. General H.F. MacDonald.
In 1925, the Honourable R.B. Bennett unveiled the cenotaph.
The hall was the Town's community centre for years. There was a balcony where people could sit and watch lantern slides. It also had a stage, so the community concerts were held there as well as musical festivals.
There were also some Saturday night dances held in the hall in the early years. The bars would close in town at 10 p.m., and people would gravitate over to the Legion for the Saturday Night Hop, where admittance was 50 cents.
The Remembrance Days services were held in it each Nov. 11; however, soon the event had to be moved to the Westmount school gymnasium due to the number of people attending. Since then, the services have moved up to the new Civic Centre, again due to the numbers.
It was described as an attractive building when first built. There was a hedge and fence around the building. This is one of the oldest existing Legions in Alberta.
(info gathered from various online sources including the Strathmore Standard and Glenbow Museum)
Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month." World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919. The First Official Armistice Day was subsequently held on the Grounds of Buckingham Palace on the Morning of November 11, 1919. This would set the trend for a day of Remembrance for decades to come.
FTF gets a blank log to sign. :)