South Peace Regional Archives

06/18/2026

In 1952, Bill Hodgson proudly displays the fish he caught in this week’s ! Photos of your first catch seem to be almost a rite of passage here in the Peace region. (SPRA 0630.08.156)

06/17/2026

One of the South Peace's first doctors, Annie Higbee, practiced in California before coming to the Bezanson area. Read all about her remarkable career in today's blog post!

Image above: Mrs. Agnes Forbes, Nurse Agnes Baird, and Dr. Annie Higbee lay the cornerstone for the Presbyterian hospital (Kathryn Prittie Hospital) in Grande Prairie. 1913. (SPRA 0032.08.08.1067) When Dr. Annie Carveth Higbee arrived in the Grande Prairie area in 1912, healthcare in the South Peace...

06/13/2026

Although archives are best known for paper based materials like documents, maps, or photos, there are several other record formats in our archives that require more specialized equipment to interpret.

To this end, we maintain a collection of media players for obsolete formats like VHS tapes, audio cassettes, motion picture film, and reel-to-reel audio tapes so that the records in our archives remain accessible into the future. New equipment and spare parts for projectors and tape players like these can be hard to come by, so some non-functioning devices are kept on hand for parts in case repairs become necessary.

Whether it is footage of a local event, a recording of a musical performance, or even a family home movie, all kinds of records from all manner of sources contribute to our understanding of the Peace Country’s history. Archives Society of Alberta (ASA)

06/12/2026

Charles Stedulinksy, the first tailor of Grande Prairie, walked the Edson Trail dozens of times in his life. Learn about Charles and other fascinating individuals who travelled along the Edson Trail in our Trailblazers of the South Peace Cemetery Tour. Tickets still available for June 13 at 1 pm! Register online now!

https://south-peace-regional-archives.square.site/product/cemetery-tour-admission/19?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false

06/12/2026

At the center of the Grande Prairie County Map (1955, SPRA 1969.53.075), a few parcels of land are under the name, Mrs. J. Cochrane. In 1911, pioneer Jennie Cochrane's name was recorded in a plethora of legal documents after purchasing and registering for land northwest of Alberta in Peace River Country. Coming from Manitoba, Jennie benefitted from The Married Women's Property Acts (1907), allowing for married women to acquire, hold, and dispose of, any property “in all respects as if she were unmarried.” The province of Alberta would not pass the same act until 1922, making Jennie one of the few married women who owned the property she resided at.

Names are an important tool for unearthing the voices and experiences of people whose stories have been overlooked. Women in archival records are often unnamed, addressed as Mrs. Insert Husband’s Full Name, or simply left out of narratives, making it more difficult to unearth their stories.

06/11/2026

Celebrate corn on the cob day with these juvenile trumpeter swan in this week’s . While different from their traditional diet of aquatic plants, tubers, and grains, these swans seem to agree that corn on the cob is a delicious treat. [circa. 1960] (SPRA 0713.01.294)

06/09/2026

One of the most important jobs of an archive is to preserve the stories of people who don’t end up in the history books. This includes people like Cyril Mervin Clarke, one of the unsung heroes of the First World War and Grande Prairie in particular. Cyril was born in 1882 in the West Indies and studied at Oxford, alongside Winston Churchill according to some sources. During the First World War he served in France with the Canadian Expeditionary Force as an interpreter. Following the War, he moved to Grande Prairie and became one of the most prolific peony cultivators in all of Canada. Despite his incredible story, the only way someone can learn about it is to piece together local history resources, attestation papers, and disparate records. Archives have the power to make this information available to everyone. If you want to learn more about Cyril or the other often-untold stories of the South Peace Region, you can hear them at our annual cemetery tours. Tickets for the tours can be purchased at the link below.
https://checkout.square.site/merchant/ML1DD9A0P9EZ2/checkout/437KU2OFIYCK5M2OJ2NO4KLA?src=embed

06/09/2026

Cyril Clarke, a French interpreter and former classmate of Winston Churchill, moved to Grande Prairie after WWI and became one of the largest cultivators of Peonies in Canada. Spots are still available for tomorrows Immigration Stories Cemetery Tour! Book online now to learn about Cyril and many other fascinating individuals!

https://south-peace-regional-archives.square.site/product/cemetery-tour-admission/19?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false

06/07/2026

Joseph Tomshak had a pet Trumpeter swan he named Tom. Learn more about John (and Tom), and many other fascinating people who travelled on the Edson and Athabasca Trails in our "Trailblazers of the South Peace" cemetery tour. Register online now!

https://south-peace-regional-archives.square.site/product/cemetery-tour-admission/19?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false

06/05/2026

Bill Mark, a Chinese-Canadian businessman, was dubbed the "unofficial Canadian Ambassador to Hong Kong" after helping to organize one of the first CP international flights between Canada and Hong Kong.

To learn about Bill, and some of the other remarkable individuals who came from around the world to build a life in the South Peace in our Immigration Stories Cemetery Tour. This is a one hour guided walking tour of the City of Grande Prairie Cemetery. Register online now!

https://south-peace-regional-archives.square.site/product/cemetery-tour-admission/19?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false