Remembering our roots – Wayne & Heather Downey

Times Contributor

 

This branch of the ‘Downey’ name arrived in Southern Alberta in 1908, when two brothers decided to move here from Eastern Oregon, and purchase farmland. Three years later, they decided to move back to Oregon, so Wayne’s grandfather, Alvah, purchased the land from them. Grandfather and grandmother loaded family and all their worldly possessions, including cattle and farming equipment onto the train at Farmington, Wash. and headed north to Alberta. They were met at the CPR Station in Strathmore, and driven on horse drawn carts across the open prairie, skirting lakes, and fording small streams, until eventually they saw a small hill standing above the surrounding prairie, which turned out to be the area known as Cairnhill. The location of this farm was six miles north and one mile east of Carseland, west of what is now Field Stone Fruit Wines on Hwy 817. Wayne’s father, Woodrow, was born at this family farm, and after completing his education he trained to be an Aeronautical Engineer. At the beginning of the Second World War, he was stationed at the Commonwealth Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS #5) in Lethbridge, to work as a licensed engineer. They soon discovered that Lethbridge was far too windy for light planes, so everything was packed up and moved to High River. Wayne was born here in 1943, the elder of two brothers. Following the closure of the EFTS in 1944, Wayne’s father spent the rest of the war, guarding prisoners of war. The family moved to Carseland in 1948, where his father bought the Bow Valley Service Station. They later added Bow Valley Manufacturing, which built corrals, cattle gates, etc from tubular steel. Wayne completed all his schooling in Carseland through to Grade 12, before attending technical school at SAIT for two years. While attending school in Carseland, he learned to break horses, and the pursuit of this allowed him to earn a little money, as well as practice bronc riding. He also constructed a bucking barrel. He told me, that at noon, the whole high school would come over, and all the students would take turns either riding, or making the barrel buck. As the noon hour passenger train passed the school, the students would put on a special demonstration for the passengers, and the engineers always showed their appreciation by sounding the train horn. Wayne said “rodeo has always been part of our heritage, here in the west.” 

He rodeoed, on and off, for about 10 years. The saddle bronc was his favourite event, but bull riding was the most lucrative. In the early 1960’s, Leroy Lausen, Lee Phillips and Wayne won the Canadian High School Wild Horse race. They also placed several times at The Calgary Stampede. Wayne won the Canadian High School Bronc Riding finals in 1962, and the Canadian College finals in 1966. He broke his ankle in Lethbridge in 1968, after being thrown off a Saddle Bronc named “Storm Cloud.” 

He had to quit rodeo when he was 27 years old, after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (M.S.), and although he still suffers from the damage it caused, he does not medically have M.S. today. He attributes this to megavitamin therapy, a low fat diet, and prayer. Unfortunately, Wayne fractured his back in 2012, and now spends his time in a wheelchair. In 1975, to celebrate Calgary’s Centennial a postage stamp was issued, by what is now Canada Post, showing Wayne, Jack Schulte and Ronnie Ward participating in the Wild Horse Race at the Calgary Stampede.

He returned to Carseland after attending SAIT, to assist his dad at the service station. During these years, he played baseball and hockey. In the winter of 1963/64 he took flying lessons at McCall Field, now Calgary International Airport, and became a private pilot. He did not qualify as a commercial pilot, because of his eyesight. 

Heather’s maiden name was Cameron, and her roots originated when her great-grandparents moved from Scotland to P.E.I. Heather was born in 1944, and advises she has three older sisters and a younger brother. She attended school there through to Grade 12, then attended teacher training in Charlottetown for two years. Heather wanted to travel, and friends recommended she move to Calgary, which she did in 1969 at age 25. She was eventually employed by Social Services, where she worked in Administration for a number of years. Heather and Wayne met at a church in Calgary, and were married in 1982. They have no children. Following their marriage they lived in Calgary for the next 17 years, before moving to Carseland. Over the years, they have been very involved with Calgary Free Presbyterian Church.

When I enquired what changes they’d seen in and around Carseland, they replied that prior to 14 years ago, the new composite school and new houses were built. Some businesses have disappeared – how many of my readers remember when there were five gas stations here? Now, there’s only one!

To commemorate the town’s centennial in 2014, land which belonged to the Wood Downey Family has been named Downey Centennial Park.

Heather advises that Wayne is always working at something. In the back garden, he has a partially constructed windmill, but has found there isn’t enough wind to generate electricity with it. Currently he’s working on ‘SEG’ – Self Energizing Generator for generating power.