Prince Albert Historical Society
It was 65 years ago this week, on May 28, when what might have been the most tragic incident to affect Saskatchewan Penitentiary occurred. Three custodial officers died, along with a civilian, in an incident which occurred about 245 kilometres (over 150 miles) away from the institution.
The daughter of a former Saskatchewan Penitentiary employee was doing a “Marie Kondo”. She came across three photographs which she felt no need to keep and passed them on to the Bill Smiley Archives. She was unable to provide any information regarding the pictures, or when they might have been taken.
The photos were obviously of a funeral held at St. Alban’s Cathedral. Many of the individuals in the pictures wore the uniforms of penitentiary officers, and one of the priests had been a chaplain at the institution. Additionally, there was more than one casket evident in the pictures. These clues, and research into a number of documents including a Canadian Penitentiary Service newsletter, led the volunteer archivists to the following story.
A dozen men, mostly penitentiary employees, had gone on a fishing trip to Dore Lake. It had been a successful expedition, enjoyed by each one of them. That is until Sunday afternoon, May 28.
Six of the men had gone out fishing, three in each of two boats. Suddenly, at around 4:00 p.m., it became extremely windy and, as was typical on Dore Lake, the waves became increasingly high. One of the boats began sinking, depositing its three passengers into the water. The men in the second boat came to their rescue, collecting them into their boat, towing the sinking vessel, and starting for shore. But the stormy conditions and the swell on the lake resulted in that boat capsizing.
Two of the men, Robert Headrick and Elmore Smith, were able to swim to the safety of shore about 150 yards away (somewhat less than 140 metres) while the other four men clung to the side of their boat. But, unfortunately, those four of the men were dragged under the waves into the water. Three penitentiary officers and a visitor from the United States were unable to reach safety and succumbed in the lake’s freezing waters.
Pallbearers carry a casket out of St. Alban’s Cathedral following a funeral for three Saskatchewan Penitentiary employees who drowned while fishing on Dore Lake. Photo taken on June 1, 1961.
Robert Headrick was a Prince Albert resident and a staff member of the Penitentiary. Elmore Smith was a visitor from Helena, Montana.
Apparently, the capsized vessels were spotted by Department of Natural Resources officers, who in turn contacted the Big River detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The two Mounted Police constables called in the Prince Albert detachment of the force, and they assisted in the investigation and in the dragging operations required to recover the drowned individuals. Three bodies were recovered by early Monday morning, while operations continued to recover the fourth body.
Three of the four men who drowned were local residents, all employed at Saskatchewan Penitentiary. The fourth man was a resident of the United States.
The Penitentiary staff members were all married. They were Shirley Edward Powers, aged 48, the father of three children; Eric Thompson, aged 39, and the father of six children; and Robert Miller, aged 40, father of two children. All three had served with Canadian forces during the Second World War.
Miller was a guard Grade II and had been employed at the Penitentiary for thirteen years. Born at Loverna, Saskatchewan, he had served under the warden, F.C.B. Cummins, who during the war was the commanding officer of the New Westminster Regiment.
Thompson, a Saskatchewan farm boy, served in northwest Europe and the United Kingdom with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps. He had been employed at the Penitentiary for eleven years.
Powers had joined the Penitentiary Service in 1938, and been born in Shellbrook. During the war, he was a pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He had been a keeper at the Penitentiary for ten years, and had appointed by the federal commissioner of penitentiaries as the superintendent of the minimum security farm camp which was to be constructed outside of the walls of the institution.
Warden Cummins was unstinting in his praise of the work ethic and ability of each of the men.
The funeral for the three men was held on June 1 at St. Alban’s Anglican Cathedral. It was conducted by the Protestant chaplain from the Penitentiary, the Reverend Canon Robert Rainbow, assisted by the rector of the Cathedral, the Reverend Canon R.L. Taylor, and the Reverend H. Moore of the Nisbet United Church.
The three flag draped caskets were carried through an honour guard of penitentiary officials, with burial occurring in Memorial Gardens. The Prince Albert branch of the Army, Navy, and Air Force veterans held a grave side service prior to their interment.
It was reported at the time that 650 individuals attended the service to pay their respects, said to be the largest funeral to date in the city. Additional seating and a public address system was set up in the parish hall in order to accommodate all those in attendance.
The pallbearers for Mr. Miller were Bud Stockman, Cam Leask, Archie Hunter, Fred Dawson, Jim Freeman, and Hugh MacPherson.
The pallbearers for Mr. Powers were Neil Wark, George Canaday, Jim Warren, Charlie Blair, Bob Headrick, and Jack Hadley.
Those for Mr. Thompson were A. Neurauter, A. Smith, O Sumner, W. Anderson, J. Daughton, and A. Sumner.
Penitentiary officers served as ushers and flower bearers at the service.
The Prince Albert City Council observed a minute’s silence in memory of the three men at their meeting on June 1. Mayor Cuelenaere extended Council’s sympathy to the bereaved, saying that “it has been a long time since the entire city had been shocked and saddened”. He continued “they were highly respected and very fine men and in the prime of life. The deaths show that the beautiful lakes which abound in this area can also be the source of tragedy and sadness. I am sure that all citizens join with council in extending sincere condolences.”
Later that autumn, Penitentiary staff gathered outside the walls of Saskatchewan Penitentiary for the official sod turning of the $250,000 farm camp. Warden F.C.B. Cummins wielded the spade for the event, while in attendance were Charlie Blair, the farm manager; Pierre Jutras, the assistant warden of organisation and administration; Bill Berry, assistant warden in charge of service and supply; Al Wood, farm camp administration and supply officer; and Yvan Menard, senior clerk. The absence of the superintendent could not help but be noticed.
fgpayton@sasktel.net
