It was a great life

Dad spoke many times about the great life and upbringing he had in this small Saskatchewan town. You knew everyone. You went to school, played sports and entertained each other with a host of activities. The gang used to sneak into the basement of the community hall and dance. They went to the lake to swim and have evening campfires. Dad was in a band with folks from town. He played drums and he mentioned a girl name Alice who he was very close to and she played piano. They would travel from town to town to do all the dances.



Here he is with a friend in front of the centre. It looks like the way they are standing that they had just signed up for the military. Tall and straight standing at ease.



Here are a couple of locals standing outside Goddard's Store.



Dad sure liked the girls. Here he is with three Kelliher girls. Looks to be about sixteen in this shot.



Dugald Archibald Lyon AKA Doug was a very strong man. He worked in the Kelliher Creamery and this prepared him for many years of activity as a hockey player and sportsman, Military Airman and Officer and Father. His Mom and Dad passed away in the 50s and Jean in the 90s and he in 2006 at the ripe old age of 85. They have all come home and are laid to rest in the cemetary south west of Kelliher. There are three generations of Lyon's burried their along with many other close relatives. He is survived by his son Christopher, (Lela) and their Children: Elspeth, Colin (Krystal) and Heather and grand daughters Alison and Catherine.

The Second World War

1939-45. Britain was at war and the children of the empire were sent by ship to Canada. My Grandparents agreed to take two girls from Scotland. One was named Mary the eldest I think. I wonder what they must have thought of those Saskatchewan Winters?

Here is Isa with the girls?

Dugald came home on leave from Dartmouth and here he is with the girls in the back yard in Kelliher

Here he is in his civilian atire. Nice overcoat and quite a cant to the hat. All in vogue those days. I see by the crease in his pants the Air Force has taught him well. He always had a great crease.

Here is a picture of him on leave in the backyard with his parents.

One more shot of him with maybe some of his friends or relatives from town

These girls sent him this picture and it said that they were having great fun riding about town and going out to the lake. The lake was a great place for the gang as they used to go there to swim and they had campfires with hotdogs.

Here is a picture of dad with the girls again. I see Laddy is in the scene. This dog was really amazing. He used to wait at the end of the street for dad every day so they could run home from school together. When Doug came home on leave he would be waiting at the station platform for him.

Laddy was known to sneak into the theatre. You could never keep him out. He just came in sat in the isle and watched the movies. One of his most favorite things to do.

Big Surprise. Dad got Married to Jean Alma Wiseman from Dartmouth Nova Scotia. They came out to visit the family in Kelliher. Here they are at the Kelliher Station.

Then there was hockey

Old Kelliher Hockey team Photo. Then there was hockey. Dad just loved sports. He was always to be found on the outdoor rink playing shinny. He used to get in goal for the big boys so they could practice for the town games.

Here he is on the right with a friend who wears a leaf sweater. Boy that must be how I got so hooked on them. It's in my blood. Anyway you can see here what the ice looked like and the care that went into making the boards. Some of the old town buildings can be seen in the background.

Midget Hockey Team Dugald is in the tuke first left front row.

My Dad Dugald was called Doug and this carried with him all his life. He had a nick name "Spark" and that is what he signed on his photos as a kid. He must have got it from the older hockey players who he plaed with every day. He eventually became so good he joined them for the town team practices, although he was very young.

Here he is with some team mates. I believe he is a young teen here so it would be the mid thirties. They are in the Town of Kelliher team colours. There maybe some names folks from Kelliher will remember.

Here is the team photo with the trophy. Dad put the names on the pictures so all can see and remember them.

Amazing how high the boards were. I guess it was not fun to try and find pucks in the snow. There is Dad on the far left. I really like the trademark hat as he told me when you are out there for the whole game you want to keep your head warm.

Even though Dad played on the town team he also coached the Peewees. That is him on the back left.

More pictures of folks he played hockey with. I remember Dad speaking of them often.

As an older teen 16-17, he went to play for the Mellville Millionaires. Living in the Prince George Hotel, he really thought he had hit the big time. He travelled by train along the CNR quite often. With the suit and cig, he looks like he is really growing up fast.

Coming Home to Kelliher

Dugald Gallacher Lyon Wedding Photo 1917




Isa White Cunningham Wedding Photo 1917




My grandfather Dugald Gallacher Lyon was born in Scotland and had been in Canada prior to the First World War. He joined the Canadian Expiditionary Force in 1916 in Edmonton Alberta and served with an Engineering Regiment Overseas. He Married Isa White Cunningham in Greenock Scotland in 1917 and after the war they returned together and settled in Kelliher Saskatchewan.




Here they are in the backyard in Kelliher. Dugald and his dad built the house which was located on the south side of first street just east of the United Church.




Dad often talked of the house and the picket fence in front. Here is a photo taken years later. eventually it was sold in modern times and moved tobecome a convenience store on the corner of highway 15 near Laross. Last time I was there it was gone.




It was not long and the first and only child Dugald Archibald Lyon was born. Here is young Dugald, my father, with his parents in Kelliher. Probably summer of 1922. This picture with the uncut hair for boys must be a family tradition as I have a picture of me about the same age and we look identical.




Here Dugald is a little older in the mid 1920s behind the house. A trend in pictures, he always seem to be with the pretty girls. Maybe someone could help identify the others in the picture.




I believe there was a close relative that owned the stables in town and dad always was there. He loved horses and had two as a child. Here he is on the right with a friend. In later years, he told me stories that he just loved riding the horses, bareback, with his friends through the fields, working the teams of horses bringing wood to town, and as his riding skills improved he was asked at a very young age to race against the indians at the summer fair. His mother was afraid for him as it was a very dangerous race but he did it and loved the challanges.




Dugald G Lyon ran the Government Liquor Store in Kelliher. Dad said he was always kind to the kids and had candy for them. Here he is on the stoop playing with Dad. I think he is teasing him with a chocolate bar. Dad carried on this tradition with me and when he visited with other kids.




Dad was a strong fella for his age and loved to work. He did lots of chores, helped his mom in the garden, brought in the firewood, worked in the stables, worked in the fields, grain trucks and the town Creamery.