ROOTS THAT SPREAD DEEP INTO AND INTERTWINE WITH THE VERY FABRIC AND FIBRE OF-- CANADA'S CULTURE, HERITAGE, AND TRADITION--TRULY CANADIAN, EVERYDAY LIFE.
My Mother And Father
North-East side Of Jasper Ave at 101 st.
Taken on Old Rifle Range.(Riverside Golf Course). All the original golf course buildings were constructed from timber harvested from the old rifle range site. Unfortunately, the spring, long the source of water for many Riverdale homes,(which didn't all have running water until the very late 1940's), was sealed off.
This is me. I believe the photo was taken in front of the Coyle house.
Riverdale. Yes, I was born blond; my hair did not darken until after I had meningitis, when the doctors did a spinal tap.
taken North- East side of Jasper Ave
at 101 street.
David Olson-5 yrs., Me-41/2 yrs., Phyllis Olson-3yrs. 8 mos.,
Richard Olson- 2 yrs. 2 mos.
For a while during the war years; the Crannas and Olsons, lived with my mother and I. At another point mother and I lived with the Coyles.
Yes, get the Coyles, Crannas, Girvans, Olsons and Peadons (Pedons); all together, in one house, and things could, and did, get a little crowded. Just a little.
Taken on stairs leading from Rowland Road
toward Coyle house in Riverdale.
Do I still look young in the student picture? It was with The Greater Edmonton Rifle and Revolver Club; less than a year later; that I won the Gold Shield as an expert marksman, by far the youngest rifleman to ever do so. While not all my shots were a perfect X, I did have a perfect score, from four positions (prone, kneeling, sitting, standing. It is interesting to note that I carried my rifle too and from the range, travelling by bus (at the time, the range was on the South side, just off of Whyte Avenue, we lived on the North. No one paid any attention; the only stipulations were that I had to take the bolt out of my rifle and it was not to be covered, or concealed, in any way. How times have changed.
As you can see; the family's military background, the reputation my Grandfather and Father--both, had as crack riflemen has always been a source of great pride to me.
The photos directly below were taken on the Old Rifle Range--now Riverside Golf Course. Anyone else wishing to publish such information, or photos, should probably get a release from one of the Girvan family whose privacy may be affected--namely ME.
Shooters on firing line of Old Edmonton Military Rifle Range. Permission to take these photos or even to be on the rifle range land had to be obtained from either my grandfather or from my father--otherwise it was illegal (very dangerous) trespass. Because of the real danger involved, one, or both, would have actually been there supervising and may even have taken the actual photos. An inexperienced photographer could not be allowed to just wander around. Any of the Girvan family, viewing these photos, might want to take a very, very, close look at the rifleman on the blanket, and wearing the black derby. There exists every possibility, the man is my father; but, it is even more likely, that he is Alan Girvan, my father's next younger brother.
Of coarse, one or both of these two people (father or grandfather), would also have to give written permission for the photos(which were owned, and copyrighted, by my grandfather) to be published. But, all of that is really immaterial, since the photos are no longer under any legal copyright, even if the copy right was sold which it was not but they were first published before 1923.
It is NOT unusual, for the times, that the shooters are not in uniform.
Most of the men--all equipped with Ross rifles--shown, would be reserve, or, even cadets.See also: http://al-alex-alexander-girvan.blogspot.com/2011/02/canadian-branches-of-girvancameron.html
This photo shows the butts (where the targets were placed).
The longest shooting distance was 1000 yards.
Photo location relates to the what is now the first fair way of Riverside Golf Course.
The Canadian Ross rifle was used and subsequently abandoned by Canadian forces during the First World War. Long and heavy the Ross, first developed in 1903 and named after its developer Sir Charles Ross, was considered by many a fine target rifle. Under actual military conditions troops found it ill-suited to rapid fire scenarios, frequently locking, and complaints rapidly reached its chief sponsor, the Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence. He nevertheless continued to believe in its strengths even following professional advice to the contrary from Sir Edwin Alderson.The furore over its performance ultimately contributed to Hughes' fall from office the following year. Examples abounded of Canadian troops throwing down the Ross in preference to the British Lee-Enfield, although the Ross continued to be used for training purposes in both Canada and England. Grandfather Girvan strongly supported the Lee-Enfield. Fired from 1000 yards a .303 calibre military bullet would pass through 1/4 inch of steel. The bullet could carry for three miles, obviously the rifle range had nothing whatever to do with the golf course which now occupies the land, it would have been much too dangerous. This also accounts for why it was illegal for anyone to be on the range without express written and logged permission from either my grandfather or from my father. A flag system was also used as a warning of illegal entry; that maintenance was being done, the range was in use, targets were being changed etch.
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