Cranberry Portage Heritage Museum

From The Northland - The First Newspaper

  1. CRANBERRY PORTAGE CELEBRATES ITS FIRST ANNIVERSARY THIS MONTH
  2. THE TOWNSITE SITUATION PERPLEXING
  3. A SURPRISED VISITOR
  4. The Town Acquires Its Name Officially
  5. CRANBERRY SCHOOL EFFICIENTLY HANDLED
  6. TOO MUCH LAW IN CRANBERRY
  7. SAFETY FIRST

1929
The Northland
Where the Rail Meets the Trail - North of 54
Author: Unknown

CRANBERRY PORTAGE CELEBRATES ITS FIRST ANNIVERSARY THIS MONTH

A Hustling Bustling, Thriving Town That Has in One Year Become an Important Trading Point

From one log shack to a thriving town of 500 population in one year is some record especially where the growth has been steady.

Cranberry Portage is one year old today. About the first of March, there was only one log shack here. Now the town boasts of something over 30 business places, with several more under construction, and about 100 dwellings.

  • Four fish companies have warehouses and offices here.
  • A branch of the C. N. R. Engineering Department is established in Cranberry.
  • The trading for Cold Lake is handled through here.
  • It’s the headquarters of the Dominion Construction Co. in the building of the Cold Lake line. The Western Canada Airways Ltd. maintains an important base here, and the Forestry Service are to establish an aeroplane base here also, and we have
  • Two moving picture show houses in the making.

A person who visited the community wrote home to the family in the south. He was describing the community and what businesses there were. His comment stated that there were 33 businesses and 1 was of “questionable virtue”. Hmmm!

It was amazing to think that all of this was erected in a one year period with no special tools as we have today. Just hard physical work. Each nail pounded in by hand. Each log cut and lifted into place using one’s strength. Were the buildings square? Insulation factor – the logs the way they were placed. Lumber buildings also did not have insulation as part of the building plan. Shingles – most likely not. Canvas or planks were used. But they did go up and provide a lot of protection from the elements.

April 16, 1929
Volume 1 Number 5
The Northland
Where the Rail Meets the Trail - North of 54
Author: Unknown

THE TOWNSITE SITUATION PERPLEXING ARE WE TO BE, OR ARE WE NOT? THAT IS THE QUESTION WHETHER TO MOVE OR STAY PUT IS THE ALL-ABSORBING TOPIC IN CRANBERRY

The all-absorbing question here-away is the Cranberry Portage town-site. What to do, and what the outcome will be, is the query on every hand.

No one owns any realty. All residents are squatters. The C. N. R. Co., it has been understood, has title to Section 31, on which the town is located. A survey was made of the eastern half of the section, lots were staked off, and the people were led to believe lots would be put on sale at an early date. A number of business men cleared the brush from lots and laid foundations for buildings, some of which have been completed. But the main business of the town has remained along the lakefront. No lots were put on the market.

Now comes the announcement that the town-site has been turned over to the Provincial Government, and the report is that a new survey will be made. That the present business concerns will be allowed to remain where they are. A survey would probably locate some buildings on a half-lot or astride two lots, or in the center of some street.

It’s a puzzling situation.

We are reminded of an incident in South Carolina. The Governor of the State appointed his predecessor in office a special highway commissioner to make a report on the condition of the highways in a certain district of the State. The former Governor of the State made his report. He described the condition of the different highways, and one highway which was left in a wretched condition and on which no work was being done, he reported as in “statu quo.”

An old tar-heel, enquiring from a neighbor what the governor meant by “statu quo” he replied, that he didn’t know, unless it meant “in a helluva fix,” for that was the condition the highway was in.

Now, that applies to the Cranberry town-site. It is in “statu quo,” and if that means “a helluva fix,” why, that’s the situation we are in.

1929
The Northland
Where the Rail Meets the Trail - North of 54
Author: Unknown

A SURPRISED VISITOR

A visitor to “The Northland” office the other day, hailing from Winnipeg, greeted us with the remark; “Well, well, I certainly am surprised to see such an active town. I was told at The Pas there was nothing at Cranberry Portage.”

Yes, our visitor found out that there is “something doing” in this far northern trading centre. He learned that supplies, as reasonable in price as anywhere in Canada, can be secured here; that we have stores carrying large stocks of drugs, groceries, meats, clothing, hardware, provisions, and every other conceivable line of goods required by the miner, prospector, trapper, fisherman, builder and contractor; that we have several hotels and rooming houses; restaurants conducted by first class chefs and caterers; that we have steam baths; two barber shops; a bank; two laundries; a good bakery; a hospital; nursing home; real estate and insurance office; mining engineers and draughtsmen; fish warehouses; blacksmith shops; garages; pool rooms; open air hockey rink; an orchestra; a school with nearly 50 children enrolled; a watchmaker; a fully equipped printing office and newspaper; and so many buildings going up we cannot keep count of them. He learned, also, that we have an active Board of Trade; that we have now in course of construction a moving picture theatre; that we have an Elk’s lodge, and that an Elk’s club is soon to be erected; that a movement has been started by the ladies of Cranberry to build a community church. He learned also that the Western Canada Airways have an important base here, and that the Forestry service is to establish a base here also; that the Dominion Construction Company’s headquarters are here in the building of the Cold Lake railroad; that all the freight for the Sherritt-Gordon mines and Cold Lake business houses is transferred from rail to trail at this point.

Well, yes, he learned that Cranberry Portage has a great future as a mining centre, as a desirable place to reside, as a summer resort, and as the most important trading point in the north, and that among other advantages it is a healthy place to live, and many other advantages too numerous to mention.

The Town Acquires Its Name
Officially

You will have noted that the newspaper articles from the local paper always referred to the town as “Cranberry Portage”. It was not until after the fire that the community had a meeting , the topic of which was to officially give the town a name. The name agreed upon and that became official was, as call it, today, “Cranberry Portage”.

1929
The Northland
Where the Rail Meets the Trail - North of 54
Author: Unknown

CRANBERRY SCHOOL EFFICIENTLY HANDLED

Remarkable Success Due to the Citizens Committee in Charge

A great deal of credit is due the school committee of Cranberry Portage for the efficient manner in which they have handled the educational affairs of the town.

The committee consists of E. A. Streamer, sec’y-treas. of the board, J. A. McDonell, J. Swelander, B. Anderson, and Geo. Asmus, who have full charge of the school affairs. Up to the present time the school has been kept clear of debt.

The school building was erected by public subscription, and funds for the furnishings and upkeep of the school has been raised through entertainments.

The Provincial Government contributes only one-half of the teacher’s salary.

Forty-two children are enrolled and many more are expected.

See Story of the old log school - 1928

1929
The Northland
Where the Rail Meets the Trail - North of 54
Author: Unknown

TOO MUCH LAW IN CRANBERRY

An old prospector dropped into The Northland office this week and informed us that he was “pullin’ up stakes and movin’ further on.”

“You’re getting’ too dern much law in Cranberry. The first thing you know, you Will be like a lot other places I know of — too ded to bury. Here I bin working all week doin’ my assessment work, and, as usual, came to town Sunday to get a few things for the coming week, and get my mail and papers. But when I got here I find the perlice had ordered all places closed on Sunday.

1929
The Northland
Where the Rail Meets the Trail - North of 54
Author: Unknown

SAFETY FIRST

The residents of Cranberry Portage, awake to the danger of forest fires, are planning to set aside a day very soon when everyone will be expected to lay aside all other work and join in a general cleaning up of the brush in the bush surrounding the town.

“A stitch in time saves nine.”

It was not to be. Cranberry Portage succumbed to the flames - June 4, 1929.