arrive

A New Homeland

BACK TO MEMORIES OF THE JOURNEY

By: Bailey, Taylor, Tanner, McKay, and Shaye

In 1890 in a country named England there lived a family of seven. There were five children named Bailey, Taylor, Tanner, McKay, and Shaye. They lived with their mother and father in a little house near a large castle.
One morning while the family was eating breakfast the father said, "I do not want to be a soldier in the war. There is a lot of fighting nearby. I saw a poster on the castle wall and it said that the government of Canada had free land. We will leave on a boat tomorrow for Canada."
The next morning Ma started packing. Shaye, Bailey, Tylor, Tanner, McKay ate their breakfast quickly while their father bought some tickets to ride on the big ship that would take them to Canada. "I do not want to leave all my friends!" yelled Shaye "I know Shaye, her father said. But would you rather get hurt and have a few friends or go on a boat to Canada where you can make friends in a safe place.
It took us six weeks to cross the Atlantic Ocean. I was sad to leave England because I would miss the castle and all of my friends. Once we arrived in Canada we immediately took a train that wasn't first class because we were so poor. The train would take us to Alberta. As we crossed the country we saw wild horses, long prairie grasses and few towns. We arrived in a town in Alberta. We went to a store and my dad bought two horses, two oxen, and a wagon and then lifted our belongings into the wagon. Canada was nice but not as nice as England. I was wondering if I would make new friends. Just then a girl about my age peeked out from behind a wall. She was a pretty girl. She had brown hair like mine. I ran over to ask her to be my friend. She took me behind a wall. A little while later we both came out holding skipping ropes with a tall man. The tall man started talking with my mom and dad and told them that on the prairie there was a nice spot where wild animals lived free. My dad thought that we would see some Indians soon so we should look out! I so wanted to see a wee Indian baby. My mother said that we needed to be careful.
Just then a little dog jumped on my lap. He licked my face. My mother said "Do you want to keep him?" "Yes!" I said. "What do you want to call him?" asked my mom. "Jack." I said. "O.k." mom replied, " but only if he walks under the wagon." It was settled.
We all scrabbled into the wagon and set off for or free land in Okotoks. We had gone through too many woods to count and after two days we arrived at our homestead. Pa said, "We will camp here tonight." Ma said, "Actually you should build a house here. This is good ground" "O.K." said pa as he swung off the wagon seat. He helped ma off the wagon seat too. Then he helped me and Bailey, Tylor, Tanner and McKay out of the wagon box. Pa said, " there is a creek nearby." So pa got the canvas off the wagon and all of our belongings out too. We slept in the wagon until Pa finished our log house.
Everyday he took the wagon and to the bluffs where there were lots and lots of trees to cut for our house. It seemed to take a long time before our house was finished. Pa and Ma put our belongings into the house. Pa built a table and some chairs. He built a stable for the horses and a padlocked door for the house to protect us.
Fall had ended. It was now winter. Pa made rabbit skin hats. Ma made coats and one batch of mittens. Then we put them on and played in the snow. One evening when we were playing in the snow my mom called us in to get ready for bed. Jack had to stay outside in the snow. That night it snowed and Jack got all covered in snow. The next morning when we went outside we couldn't find Jack. He had been in the snow so long he had frozen. We carried him into the house. We put him by the log fire. The ice melted from his paws and fur. In half an hour Jack was okay. The fire was glimmering. We were nice and cozy in the house. It seemed a year until winter was over. Finally when spring came Bailey and me and our brothers found a tree and everyday we played house in that tree. Ma began to plant her garden that Pa plowed for her and he also went hunting in the woods. We were cozy in the house. Pa came home with a deer and ma cooked the meat. That is how the journey ended and that little house is still standing on the very same ground even to this day.