By the Light of the Coal Oil Lamp
Memories of a Small-Town Saskatchewan Childhood
by Ruth Woodward-Cameron

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The book begins with our little girl, Ruth, just learning that she can open the lock that is keeping her from leaving the front porch and going down to the street. Her baby brother is born, and her family moves to a small Saskatchewan town where she rides her tricycle in the parade at the end of World War Two. Then they move to the town of Garrick where her Daddy runs a store, her baby sister is born and she watches the men in town put out a scary big fire that is burning down a house. She starts grade one with her two good friends Faye and Elaine. She goes to Yorkton and to Strongfield to visit her grandparents for summer holidays. We learn that there is no electricity in Garrick, lighting in homes and stores is provided by coal-oil lamps. It is not a wealthy town, the people are not all the same, some are kind, some disagree with each other, but they work hard and they build a town where our little girl can have a happy childhood.

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The book ends as our nine-year old Ruth arrives in Winnipeg. She began grade four in General Steele School in Fort Garry. Her two wonderful children were born in Winnipeg. Her equally wonderful grandchildren were born in Toronto, and Ruth is soon to be a Great-Gran. Winnipeg was also where Ruth attended Teachers College, and began a career that took her to teaching in Winnipeg, Montreal and London, England. She then moved on to further changes, and became a lawyer in Toronto. She has also enjoyed looking back and writing this book. And she hopes you enjoy the stories of a long-gone small-town world that was part of building the Canada we know today.

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Contributors

Author

Ruth Woodward-Cameron

Editor

Cameron family

Editor

Kicksee Family

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