Back in 1966, the very first threshing bee in our district was held right on our family farm near Midale, Saskatchewan. While I wasn’t able to make it back home to SK this summer for my hometown’s Pioneer Echoes 60th Anniversary show, I made sure to head out to Irricana today for the Pioneer Acres 56th Annual Show.
My primary goal was to take in the draft horses and explore the historic buildings, but I was thoroughly delighted by the impressive turnout of classic vehicles scattered across the grounds. Under this year’s theme “Alberta’s Pioneer Steam Power Festival” I was downright astounded to spot a 1901 steam-powered White automobile. Seeing it in person makes you truly appreciate why the old-timers called them horseless carriages. Keep an eye out in the photo gallery below for a magnificent steam-powered 1923 Stanley, too.
Beyond the cars, it was a remarkable sight watching those massive, rumbling steam tractors lumbering gracefully through the grounds, shaking the earth as they passed.
The horse displays were equally captivating. There were teams of powerful draft horses on hand, including a couple of rare breeds I had never encountered before, like the Suffolk Punch and the Brabant. Remarkably, the owner of the Brabant team still works his horses daily on a sizeable Saskatchewan ranch without owning a single tractor.
Seeing those teams brought back fond memories of my dad, who dearly loved his horses. I can still vividly recall being a four-year-old boy, sitting high up on the wagon beside Dad as our trusty team, Prince and Nellie, hauled a full load of grain into town when our tractor was out of commission. In the wintertime, they’d pull the sleigh to give the church kids rides through the snow. It was the one time he would put the jingle bells on the horses. I wrote a story honouring Prince’s legacy that was published last year in The Senior Paper, titled Tribute to Prince.
Walking around the grounds felt like stepping back in time. I started first grade back in 1959 in a one-room schoolhouse, and touring the preserved school on site brought a flood of nostalgia. Inside, a woman in period dress was playing the piano. Right beside her sat a basin that instantly reminded me of the clever, unique setup our teacher used for us to wash our hands before lunch every day. I even had AI generate a photo to help bring that exact memory to life!
The festival continues Saturday and Sunday at Pioneer Acres in Irricana.
In the photo gallery, many of the vehicles are on permanent display at the museum.
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