) Prime Minister R.B. Bennett- Leader during Great Depression

116) Prime Minister R.B. Bennett- Leader during Great Depression

Bennett moved to Calgary in 1897 and started the law firm Lougheed-Bennett. While in Calgary he became involved in the oil and gas industry as well as in conservative politics. He worked as a member of the legislative assembly for Calgary before running successfully for a position as Canada’s Prime Minister in 1930 where he served until 1935. He promised aggressive action to combat the depression of the 1930’s, unfortunately his policies were not successful and his government was defeated by the Liberals in 1935. His government became the butt of endless jokes and he eventually moved back to England.

By Erin McQuitty

117) Princess Louise Caroline Alberta- The princess Alberta is Named After

Princess Louise was not your ordinary princess. She was the fourth daughter of a very famous British Queen, Queen Victoria. Princess Louise was a compassionate princess, artist and nation builder.

As a young girl her parents and others noticed that she was very artistic. This pleased both her parents as they were avid drawers themselves. When Princess Louise was older, she was permitted to pursue her artistic interests at the National Art Training School. After some debate, she was finally allowed to take lessons in sculpture from Elgar Boehm. She became very good at capturing a likeness and, in later years, one of her statues of Queen Victoria was unveiled near Kensington Palace. It was the first statue executed by a woman to be erected in the city of London.

Her modern accomplishments did not end there. In an age of arranged royal marriages, Princess Louise informed her mother, Queen Victoria, that she wished to marry Marquis of Lorne, who was not a royal, but only a subject. However, the Queen approved and the two were married. She showed another one of her many artistic talents when she designed her own wedding dress and veil, which were most beautiful and noticed lovingly by many.

Princess Louise and her husband, Marquis of Lorne, who now held the title as the Governor General of Canada, moved to Canada from England in 1878. When the area in western Canada became a province in 1905, it was named Alberta after his wife. While in Canada, Princess Louise had a strong interest in women's education, related charities, arts and culture. Her compassion for the unfortunate endeared her to many Canadians. Both the Princess and her husband chose the group of works to be displayed at the Academy's first art exhibition. The Princess’s love of the arts, compassion of the less fortunate and love of Canada is a tribute to our great province today.

By Carol-Anne Carter

118) Private Cecil John Kindross, Awarded VC in WW1

Cecil John Kinross was a private who was born on June 21^st 1957 in Harefield, England. In 1912, along with his parents and siblings, he moved to Lougheed, Alberta. As World War I broke out, Cecil enlisted into action and fought with the 49^th battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. On October 30^th, 1917, during the battle of Passchendaele, the act that was responsible for Kinross receiving the great Victoria Cross took place. In Belgium, well under heavy fire and attack by German soldiers, Kinross made the brave decision to act on behalf of his comrades and himself. He took off all his military equipment, except for his rifle and a small amount of ammunition, and decided to advance to face the enemy. As he came closer to meeting the enemy, Kinross had to make clear cut decisions on how he was going to surprise the enemy. He decided to charge on the machine gun.

After successfully gaining the momentum on the thrusting power of the machine gun, he was able to kill six crew members and destroy the gun. The wit and intelligence that were used in the decisions by Kinross were the reasons why he was presented with the Victoria Cross. Despite his heroic efforts taken on this day, Kinross had become seriously wounded and was never able to return to front line duties. Kinross died in Lougheed, Alberta on June 21, 1957. However, his heroic acts and valour did not go unnoticed in his home country of Canada. Mount Kinross, which is near Jasper, Alberta, was named after him for his bravery and commitment to protect and fight for his country during the war.

By Michael Peace

119) Private James Peter Robinson- Awarded VC in WW1

James Peter Robertson was a Canadian solider who fought under the Manitoba Regiment and the 27^th Battalion. Robertson was born on October 26^th, 1883 in Pictou, Nova Scotia. Robertson enlisted into Military service on June 16^th, 1915 in McLeod, Alberta before transferring to the Manitoba regiment. The act that was taken by Robertson that that allowed him to receive the prestigious award known as the Victoria Cross, took place on January 8^th, 1918.

His platoon had become held up due to an uncut wire, which was creating difficulty for the platoon as they were trying to figure out how to proceed. Robertson decided to advance on the enemy flank, where he then thought that it was best to jump and attack the onslaught of the machine gun. For a while, he struggled and had great difficulty overcoming the power of the enemy. However, he was able to overcome their power and killed them. He gained control of the machine gun and it gave his platoon the opportunity to advance. Then, he used the machine gun and the support of his platoon to kill the enemy that was retreating to their front lines. They then later came into contact with enemy snipers and having an intense battle between the two, after a few of the British- Canadian soldiers were badly wounded. Robertson tried to carry them to safety and after trying to retrieve the second soldier, he was shot and killed. The acts of bravery, manliness and heroism throughout his military service play a significant role in why he received the Victoria Cross.

By Michael Peace

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