By 1957 the community had grown to 1,069 homes. The rapid growth of the community created many issues, especially concerning services like sewer, water, and infrastructure. Several petitions for amalgamation with Calgary were put forward and rejected due to cost. Montgomery was designated as a town in 1958, and elected its first mayor, Douglas LeBaron. He was followed by three other mayors of Montgomery, George A. Baker (1958), Claude Campbell Wyldman (1959 to 1962), and John E. (Jack) Kemp (1962 to 1963).
By the early 1960s, the population had increased to about 5,000. At this point, the town had run out of room to grow, had an unbalanced tax base, and little potential for further development. The issue of joining Calgary became very contentious, and some public meetings on the issue resulted in brawls! In 1963 the provincial board approved the amalgamation of Montgomery. A small official ceremony took place on August 15, 1963, and it has been suggested by many residents that this ceremony should have been better. However, poor attendance at the official event may be attributed to the frivolity of the night before! According to the Albertan newspaper, a mock funeral took place at the Town Hall lawn, and a councillor suggested the building could be re-used as a drinking establishment. The flagpole featured a pair of rubber firefighters’ trousers flying high. Firefighters blasted each other with high-pressure hoses in the streets. Local police cars with lights and sirens blaring sped down the highway until pulled over by the RCMP for speeding!
In the early years, there were few services offered in Montgomery. People burned coal and wood for heat until natural gas was installed in 1949. Water was hauled from a neighbour’s well or delivered by truck. There were no streetlights or sidewalks (although some people created their own sidewalk by using wooden planks!). Running water and sewer were finally installed in 1959.
Home delivery services were common. They included milk, bread, ice, occasionally vegetables, and dry cleaning! Mail, however, was not delivered to homes. Instead, residents picked up their mail at the post office. Telephone service was considered a luxury, and many homes went without due to a long waiting list. Phones in Montgomery operated on a “Party Line”, which serviced multiple residences with a single line. Neighbours would know whose phone call it was by the number of rings. It was common practice to eavesdrop on a neighbour’s conversations. According to Molly May, “it was how we got all the news… much better than TV!”
The town dump was formerly located at the top of the hill to the northeast of Montgomery, near the current playground on the south side of 32 Avenue, opposite Market Mall. To the north of the new Alberta Children’s Hospital, there was also a very convenient dump that held items that could be used again. People often burned their garbage in their backyards in metal canisters. However, this was never done on Mondays, since that was considered laundry day! Tuesday was ironing day, and baking was usually done on the weekend.
Excerpt from the booklet – A Hunt for History, Montgomery Memories. Copies of the booklet are available in the lobby of the Montgomery Community Centre.
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