Pioneer of Central Alberta ~
(The following article copied from the Red Deer Advocate, Jun 6 1967)
His Generosity Provided Site for Alberta School Hospital
Indirectly, although it did not happen during his lifetime,
it was the generosity of Henry JAMIESON
that was responsible for the Alberta School Hospital
being in its present location overlooking Red Deer from the east,
for he donated the 20 acres of land
on which the original of the present complex of buildings was built.
Originally erected as the Presbyterian Ladies College,
for which purpose the donation of land was made in 1910,
it became a hospital for returned soldiers following the First World War,
and was later taken over for the Provincial Training School,
now known as the Alberta School Hospital.
Henry JAMIESON was born in Horton, Renfrew County, Ontario, in 1843,
the second child of William JAMIESON and Marion Park AIRTH.
He was married on June 28 1867 to Marion AIRTH,
second child of David AIRTH and Margaret McLaren BEAUCHAMP of Renfrew,
where she was born on Sept 7 1847.
Mr. JAMIESON was a farmer and drover all of his life and in his early years,
he was an expert ploughman, winning a number of prizes for his skill.
For 30 years at Renfrew and Pembroke Ontario,
he and his brothers carried on an extensive business
as drovers and purveyors of cattle and meat,
a business which was taken over by his nephews.
He served on the council of the town of Pembroke for years
and was a valuable worker and platform speaker for the Liberal party.
He came to Red Deer with his family in 1900
and purchased the west half of section 15 on the east hill overlooking Red Deer
from John T Moore, agent for the Saskatchewan Land and Homestead Company
for $6.00 per acre.
He brought out some fine horses and pure-bred Jersey cattle with him,
but lost nine horses from swamp fever
and during and following the ensuing winter which was a particularly severe one,
he lost 25 head of cattle and 3 more horses,
a total loss at market value then of about $2,500.00.
However, he was the type of man who met misfortune or success with equal equanimity,
and he soon became one of the leaders
in the agricultural improvement, organization and education in the area.
By 1908, he had developed and improved his own land to such an extent
that in the Red Deer Exhibition Society competition,
he was awarded 1st Prize for the BEST KEPT FARM in the DISTRICT.
Subsequently that year, he was elected president of the Exhibition Association.
A man of exceptional physical and mental vigor, well informed, broad-minded and kindly,
he was nevertheless a keen fighter in politics and on public questions,
who hung tenaciously to his own views and ideas.
The interests of the farmers were ever close to his heart and in 1908,
he was a member of the provincial executive of the Provincial Farmer's Association,
and he was active in the U.F.A. assisting in the forming of locals,
and strongly supporting the view that freight charges should be pooled uniformly like postal charges, without consideration of the distance involved,
contending that such an arrangement would greatly simplify routine procedure
and climinate most of the contentious and objectionable features of the existing system.
Both Mr and Mrs JAMIESON were staunch members of the Presbyterian church,
in the work of which Mrs JAMIESON had been a devoted participant since girlhood,
and it was his keen interest in having the Ladies Presbyterian College located in Red Deer,
that prompted Mr JAMIESON's donation of the 20 acres of land
on which the college was erected.
He was a member of the college board.
With a real estate boom developing in Red Deer,
Mr JAMIESON sold 120 acres of his land to a Toronto syndicate,
who planned on subdividing it, in December 1910 for $20,000.00
and after disposing of the balance of his land, principally for subdivision purposes,
he moved to a farm in the Burnt Lake district.
It was there on June 28 1917 with all their family present,
together with Mrs JAMIESON's sister Mrs. Malcolm McDERMID, who had been bridesmaid,
that Mr and Mrs JAMIESON celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.
Shortly afterwards, they retired to Sylvan Lake where in January 1920,
Mr JAMIESON suffered a stroke.
After some initial improvement, he steadily lost strength,
although his mental faculties were almost unimpaired to the last,
and he died June 16 1920 in his 77th year.
Mrs. JAMIESON, one of those devoted women,
who gave their lives to family, community and church in loyal service,
subsequently lived with her son, David, at Sylvan Lake.
After enjoying fairly good health prior to the preceeding winter, when she started to weaken,
she died on March 10 1930 in her 83rd year.
Both Mr and Mrs JAMIESON are buried in the Red Deer Cemetary.
The family consisted of 5 daughters and 3 sons and at the time of their mother's death:
1) Margaret Alice (Maggie) had married Alex PIRIE and was living in Calgary;
2) Martha Frances had married Thomas FERGUSON and was living in Lydden Saskatchewan;
3) Mary Agnes (Min) had married Arthur WRIGHT and was living in Ardley;
4) Arabella May (Belle) had married James McKECHNIE and was living in Hinton;
5) Marion Ethal (Ethal) had married William L McKINNON and was living in Leslieville;
6) Henry Harvey JAMIESON was living in Sylvan Lake
7) David Airth JAMIESON was living in Sylvan Lake
8) William Gray JAMIESON was living in Delburne.
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