by Michael Dawe

As Christmas 2017 approaches, it is interesting to look back 60 years to the wonderful Christmas of 1957.

The year had been a banner one for Red Deer. The community was enjoying one of the strongest booms in its history. The population of the City surged by an incredible 21.5% to more than 16,000 residents. Red Deer became known as the fastest growing city in Canada.

The newest subdivision for the City was Eastview, which was developed on what had previously been known as the Card Property. An impressive new junior high school had officially opened on the west side of the subdivision in March. On December 13^th, the Joseph FitzPatrick family became the first one to move into a new home in the neighbourhood. Several others soon followed.

The cause of the boom was oil and natural gas. New wells were being drilled across Central Alberta. With all of the oil patch activity, there were lots of jobs and lots of new money in the community.

There were some downsides to the boom. Costs of construction jumped. People found it increasingly difficult to purchase a home or rent an apartment. The local infrastructure fell behind.

With the rapid growth, the City of Red Deer was running out of land for new residential and industrial development. Proposals were made to expand the

City boundaries and annex land from the rural Municipal District of Red Deer.

Hearings on the annexation bid were held in early December. The City made strong arguments in favour of expanding the City’s boundaries by 5820 acres. It predicted that its population might soar to as high as 35,000 by 1977.

The Municipal District of Red Deer opposed the City’s bid. It argued that if the areas requested were put within the City limits, the rural M.D. would be left with little more than farmland and hamlets for a tax base.

In an attempt to help ease the hard feelings, the Chamber of Commerce organized a special informal meeting with the City and rural councillors at the Buffalo Hotel.

As this bid for intermunicipal peace took place, the Chamber of Commerce was also boosting the annual Christmas retail season. A Christmas Shopping Jamboree was organized. Stores remained open during the usual Wednesday retail half-day holiday. Shopping hours were extended on Saturday December 21^st and Monday December 23^rd to 9 p.m. In order to help parents while they were looking for gifts, free shows were held for the children at both the Capitol and Crescent movie theatres.

The local stores offered all kinds of Christmas specials. Quality women’s coats could be purchased for $7 to $13 each, while men’s dress shirts were offered at $4.95 to $7.50. The local Eaton’s department store had a special children’s toy land where girls’ dolls could be had for $4.49, while boys’ construction sets were offered at $12.99.

Because the local C.H.C.A. television had begun broadcasting on December 11^th, television sets were a particularly popular Christmas gift. Local stores offered   21” black and white TV’s for $264 and 17” portables at $219. Premium sets with wood consoles could be had for up to $480.

Local merchants were soon reporting their best sales ever. The Christmas rush was given an even bigger boost by exceptionally mild weather. There were even reports of pussy willows being out in the early part of December.

In the last days before Christmas, the Fire Department distributed the many toys which it had collected for the local needy children. The Lions Club again delivered special Christmas hampers to the many families who had not been benefiting from the boom.

Christmas Day was peaceful and pleasant. Some churches had special Christmas Day services although most had their Christmas celebrations on the preceding Sunday and on Christmas Eve. The weather was warm and beautiful which brought many families outdoors between the morning gift openings and large Christmas feasts later in the day.

All agreed that Christmas 1957 had ended up as one of the Merriest Christmas’s ever.  All were sure that the New Year of 1958 would be even better.

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