Through a Glass, Brightly
Love, Light, and the Settlement of Northern Alberta
A WLBOTT Historical Society documentary
Prologue: A Love for the Ages
In the harsh and unforgiving wilderness of northern Alberta, two young people found one another.
Elder JA was a handsome young man of modest means, possessed of a fine suit, a good education, and a promising future.
Lady R was a beautiful young woman who, upon meeting Elder JA, immediately recognized him as the man with whom she wished to spend the rest of her life.
They married and established a homestead near the small frontier settlement of Edmonton.
Chapter I: The Years of Darkness
Their first home was a humble log cabin, constructed from timber harvested on their property.
The logs were poorly fitted, but this proved to be a blessing, for the gaps between them admitted narrow shafts of daylight.
During the long Alberta winters, Elder JA and Lady R would move their chairs around the cabin, following the sunlight as it passed from one crack to another.
On overcast days, they simply went to bed.
Despite these hardships, their marriage flourished.
Times were lean, and many a dinner consisted of roasted sugar beets.
Chapter II: A Remarkable Invention
One day, nearly ten years into their marriage, Elder JA returned from Edmonton with extraordinary news.
He had learned of a revolutionary building technology called glass.
When installed in a specially constructed opening in the wall of a house, this remarkable substance admitted sunlight while preventing the entry of wind, snow, mosquitoes, and most squirrels.
Lady R was astonished.
“JA,” she asked, “do you mean we could see outside without going outside?”
Elder JA nodded solemnly.
Chapter III: The Men from Ukraine
Word of the couple’s plight reached a group of skilled Ukrainian-Canadian craftsmen, who journeyed to the homestead with tools, glass, and an assortment of mysterious metal fittings.
The installation was completed with extraordinary precision.
For the first time in their married lives, Elder JA and Lady R could see the world beyond their cabin without peering between the logs.
The transformation was profound.
Elder JA discovered that his wife was even more beautiful in daylight.
Lady R discovered that the cabin had a floor.
And now Lady R can enjoy the natural sunlight indoors!
Chapter IV: The Flour Sack Curtains
Although the new windows were a marvel of modern engineering, Lady R soon recognized an unforeseen problem: the sunlight was now entering the cabin in alarming quantities.
Drawing upon the resourcefulness of generations of pioneer women, she fashioned curtains from empty flour sacks.
Elder JA admired her handiwork.
“My dear Lady R,” he said, “you have brought civilization to our humble home.”
She smiled.
“And you, Elder JA, have finally brought me a window.”
Epilogue: A New Light
Today, historians regard the installation of the windows as a turning point in the settlement of northern Alberta. And Elder JA and Lady R? Their love continues unabated!
The WLBOTT Historical Society gratefully acknowledges the contributions of Ukrainian-Canadian craftsmen to the development of prairie fenestration.
One reply on “Elder JA and Lady R – A Prairie Love Story”
An excellent and historically accurate report, thanks, WLBOTT for your ongoing dedication to capturing obscure historical moments.