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Authority record
Saddle Lake, AB
Corporate body

Saddle Lake earlier was called “Onihcikiskwapiwin” meaning “mirage on the lake” and this name was shortened to “Aspapiwin” meaning “Saddle.” The site was a gathering place for Cree bands in the spring. In 1876, Little Hunter and Kehkek signed Treaty 6 for Saddle Lake. In 1880, the group divided into three with Little Hunter’s band remaining at Saddle Lake, Blue Quill’s band going to Egg Lake (Whitford) and Bear Ear’s band going to Washatenow. In 1886, Blue Quill’s band moved back to Saddle Lake. Father Mérer founded a Roman Catholic mission, Sacred Heart, at Saddle Lake in 1888. The residential school opened in 1898 and was called Blue Quills but in 1931 the school moved to St. Paul.

Rowland family
Family · 1870 -

Sam Rowland (1870-1974) married Eleanor Plante (1888-1975) Two of their children are James Rowland (b. 1911), Emily Rowland and Francis Rowland. Emily Rowland married a Selvage, and they had a son Reginald Selvage. Reg Selvage had two daughters with Violet Owad (née McRae): Dianne Lorraine Owad (b. 12 Sep 1959) and Sandra Leigh Owad (n. 13 Dec 1962). Reg Selvage also had a son from another relationship, David Selvage.

Romanko family
Family

Maria Alina Łukaszewicz was born in 1925 in the village of Haciszcze Wielkie in Poland. Her parents were Antonina and Władysław Łukaszewicz. She was taken away to a camp in Siberia called Poldniewica with her family in February of 1940. At this camp in Siberia, Maria Łukaszewicz met her future husband Aleksander Romanko. After several years in an isolated forced labor camp, Łukaszewicz joined an exodus of Polish civilians through the southern USSR (including another stop of several months of forced labor in Uzbekistan) into Persia and southern Africa, where she lived in a Polish refugee camp in Rhodesia for several years, and the United Kingdom. In 1948 in the United Kingdom, she was reunited with Aleksander Romanko and they were married on April 30, 1949. In 1951, her first son was born, Bogumił, and in 1954 her second son was born, Lech Julian. She arrived in Canada in 1955 and the family lived at a friend’s place and rented a farm at Mystery Lake, Alberta. The family later moved to Edmonton where Maria Romanko studied education at the University of Alberta. In 1957, Maria Romanko was given a position as schoolteacher at Father Jan School in St. Albert, Alberta and she later taught at Vital Grandin School, St. Albert, Alberta. In 1960, she gave birth to a third son, Marek and in this same year, the family moved from Edmonton to St. Albert. While teaching, Romanko pursued a Bachelor of Education part-time and she earned the degree in 1968. In 1980, Romanko left Vital Grandin School and began teaching at Albert Lacombe School, St. Albert, Alberta. She retired in 1985.

Maria Romanko and her husband were actively involved in Polish Canadian community organizations. Some of the organizations in which Romanko participated included the Edmonton Polish Students Club, Polish Culture Society, Polish Academic Club, Polish Women’s Federation, St. Teresa Mission Circle, Sodality, and the Polish Combatants Association. The Romanko’s also played a key role in the development of a Polish Bilingual Program in Edmonton. During her teaching career, she would include Polish heritage in her students’ studies. To assist in her teachings on Polish heritage, Romanko wrote and published Polish Heritage in Alberta as well as an accompanying workbook. She had a unit on Polish heritage accepted as a Social Studies unit for Alberta Public Schools. In 1989, Romanko volunteered in the archives for the Polish community of Edmonton. After working on the archives for three years, she wrote an article in 1991 entitled “Opening of the Canadian Polish Congress Archives”, published in Heritage Links. In 1993, she worked in the archives for the Polish Holy Rosary Parish.

Ratchinsky, Anita
MHM · Person · fl. 1986-1998

Anita Ratchinsky was the chairwoman of the St. Albert Chamber of Commerce in 1985 and 1986. In 1986, Ratchinsky ran for city council and was elected as alderman. She then ran as mayor and was elected for three consecutive terms from 1989-1998. Ratchinsky was St. Albert's first full-time mayor and first female mayor.

Pregnancy Help Association
1996.19 · Corporate body · 1980-1995

The Pregnancy Help Association (St. Albert) was founded by Jeanne MacKenzie and incorporated by the Society's Act on November 16, 1982. Ms. MacKenzie had been working with unwed mothers in Edmonton and realized that St. Albert desperately needed an organization which would provide a local support system for single pregnant women. The main purpose of the association was to provide ongoing support for single pregnant girls/women. Their mission was "to provide support services regarding pregnancy, sexuality and related issues to single young people." This included counseling, prenatal classes, advocacy, job placement and other help. The organization also did many fundraising efforts including running a children's consignment store named Kidswear. The organization changed its name to Face 2 Face Association in 1994 and disbanded on October 17, 1995.

Person · 1890 - 1970

Joseph Edmond Pratt was born in St. Vincent de Paul, Quebec in 1890. He studied in Ottawa at Sacré-Coeur Juniorat and continued his studies at St. Joseph’s, Edmonton in 1917. In May 1918 at St. Joachim in Edmonton, Edmond Pratt was ordained a Roman Catholic priest for the order of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Father Pratt taught at the St. Jean Juniorat in Edmonton, AB (1918-1919), then served as a missionary in Fort Resolution, NWT (1919-1920) and was a teacher again at St. Jean Juniorat (1920-1922). He worked as a missionary in North Battleford, SK (1922), Saddle Lake, AB (1922-1929), Onion Lake, SK (1929-1930) and Le Goff, Cold Lake, AB (1930-1934). Father Pratt was principal of Onion Lake’s residential school, St.Anthony’s, (1934-1938) and Hobbema’s residential school (1938-1939). He was treasurer of the Blue Quills residential school in St. Paul, AB (1939-1941) and returned to North Battleford (1941-1942). From 1942-1970 he was priest at Rivière-qui-Barre also known as St. Alexander Mission. During this time he also was the chaplain of the jail in Fort Saskatchewan. Father Pratt died in 1970 and is buried at the oblate cemetery in St. Albert, AB.

Pratt, Edmond
Person

Joseph Edmond Pratt was born in St. Vincent de Paul, Quebec in 1890. He studied in Ottawa at Sacré-Coeur Juniorat and continued his studies at St. Joseph's, Edmonton in 1917. In May 1918 at St. Joachim in Edmonton, Edmond Pratt was ordained a Roman Catholic priest for the order of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Father Pratt taught at the St. Jean Juniorat in Edmonton, AB (1918-1919), then served as a missionary in Fort Resolution, NWT (1919-1920) and was a teacher again at St. Jean Juniorat (1920-1922). He worked as a missionary in North Battleford, SK (1922), Saddle Lake, AB (1922-1929), Onion Lake, SK (1929-1930) and Le Goff, Cold Lake, AB (1930-1934). Father Pratt was principal of Onion Lake's residential school, St.Anthony's, (1934-1938) and Hobbema's residential school (1938-1939). He was treasurer of the Blue Quills residential school in St. Paul, AB (1939-1941) and returned to North Battleford (1941-1942). From 1942-1970 he was priest at Rivière-qui-Barre also known as St. Alexander Mission. During this time, he also was the chaplain of the jail in Fort Saskatchewan. Father Pratt died in 1970 and is buried at the oblate cemetery in St. Albert, AB.