Monthly Archives: October 2020

The following January, authorities agreed the 1887 Winter Carnival could return, and the anticipation was palpable. Montrealers cast aside their bitter complaints about the bleak wintry days. Electrical illumination spread across significant squares and buildings, improving the safety and enjoyment … Continue reading →

The annual Fraser picnic took place in early July. With the extensive flooding from the previous April, most of the lower parts of Montreal were in recovery, and widespread clean-up was underway. With seventy four years marked on her last … Continue reading →

Little changed for Granny Fraser. She held to familiar patterns just as honey sticks to the fingers of a child. Jamie remained close as her constancy provided an anchor for the changes and uncertainties in the world. But Granny was … Continue reading →

Smallpox ravaged the city. By the end of 1885, over 3,000 people lost their lives. Little appetite remained for large gatherings, so they cancelled the Winter Carnival of 1886. The newspaper tried other means to lift the citizens’ spirits.  One … Continue reading →