Image: 1934-35 Eaton’s Fall/Winter Catalogue
I was a little girl when we lived on the homestead in the 1930s. Eight Mile was 32 miles north of Dawson Creek and 22 miles south of Fort St. John. Fifty-two miles between the two towns – it’s now 1994 and the miles are 47 ½, 6 ½ miles have been lost in the straightening of the roads many twists and turns on the Peace and Cutbank (Kiskatinaw) hills.
Trips to either town were infrequent at any time of year, but less frequent during the winter months and as we had a stopping place at 8 Mile, and, winter was a very busy time – with the farmers from north of the Peace hauling hogs and grain to Dawson Creek, it was impossible to leave during this time. It was also too cold to travel so far by horses and sleigh for a mere shopping trip. We usually had several weeks of -60 weather around Christmas and in the new year.
So our Christmas gift shopping was done through our Eaton’s Catalogue. We each took a turn at filling out the order form for the gifts we wished to give – we were allowed a stated amount of money to spend, when we had filled the spaces for size, color, etc. Mother would fold the order form down, so that the next person could not see what had been ordered by the person before. The order was then given to a freighter to be mailed in Dawson Creek. What fun when the parcel arrived! We’d each feel the individual packages to try to identify the gifts we had ordered, not wanting anyone to open a gift meant for them. This activity was almost as exciting as opening our gifts on Christmas morn.
There wasn’t the hustle and bustle, nor the excitement of shopping in the decorated stores, and seeing the actual merchandise, but leafing through the pages of the Eaton’s Catalogue was a thrill enough for any little girl, especially for one living at 8 Mile.
Jeanne Clelland
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