Spruce Grove & District Agricultural Society
120 Railway Avenue T7X 3A4 Spruce Grove, AB, Canada

Come down to the Spruce Grove Grain Elevator on June 11th! Enjoy some tasty pancakes and look around to find some hidden Treasures!

Join us for Alberta Open Farm Days Saturday August 15, 2020 from 10 AM - 1 PM at the Spruce Grove Grain Elevator.

Great article about the Spruce Grove Grain Elevator in T7X Magazine in their July/August 2020 Issue. Be sure to pick up your own local copy.

The Flu Epidemic of 1918 - 1919 in Spruce Grove and district. "At the time when World War I seemed almost at the end in 1918, a new threat appeared, the "Spanish flu", so named because it started in Spain, spread right across Europe and killed hundreds of thousands of people on the battlefields. By August of 1918, the disease had reached Quebec via soldiers returning from Europe. By Christmas one in every six Canadians had contracted it. It reached SPRUCE GROVE near the end ...of October, 1918. Schools in the Municipal District of Spruce Grove were closed right away. The two room school in Spruce Grove was used as medical headquarters for all the area during the epidemic. Supplies were sent out from Edmonton by the Red Cross. Dr. Oatway who lived in Stony Plain served the entire area. When the situation became desperate, Dr. Harris came out from Edmonton to help. The one in charge of the operations here in Spruce Grove was Miss Smirl, a register nurse from Edmonton. Also Mrs. Willet a qualified nurse from the area, Anne Schumm, Cora MacKay, Elsie Baron, Miss Pinchbeck, Miss Shell, Mary Schutz, Miss West and many others who all worked hard and took a good care of the patients. Many schools in the area re-opened in late January. Since the Spruce Grove school was occupied as the emergency depot, it didn't re-open until early spring" From "As The Roots Grow". See more

The Spruce Grove and District Agricultural Society has donated $5000 towards the Parkland Food Bank and we want to encourage others to make a donation as well. Below is some information on the "Hungry to Help" 2020 campaign. Hungry to Help 2020, Campaign Ends Aug. 31, 2020,... Did you know that over 175 families a week use Parkland Food Bank? At an average of $100 per hamper, that’s $70,000 a month in basic costs to meet the ever growing need! Things are tough and now more than ever Parkland Food Bank is here to support those in need, but we need your help. If you can, please donate now!

As President of the Spruce Grove & District Agricultural Society I was honored to present a $5000 cheque to the Parkland Food Bank (with social distancing practices in place) to help assist those in need during the Covid19 pandemic. As a non-profit organization we are usually the ones asking for donations from the community, however, this time the Spruce Grove Agricultural Society decided to give back to the community and we encourage others to do the same! As we are an agri...cultural society we would like to encourage gardeners to contribute some of their "bounty" during this years harvest towards supporting the "Hungry to Help" 2020 campaign. Donations can also be made online. Below is some information about the campaign. Rick Lee President of the Spruce Grove and District Agricultural Society Hungry to Help 2020 Campaign Ends Aug. 31, 2020 Did you know that over 175 families a week use Parkland Food Bank? At an average of $100 per hamper, that’s $70,000 a month in basic costs to meet the ever growing need! Things are tough and now more than ever Parkland Food Bank is here to support those in need, but we need your help. If you can, please donate now!

The Flu Epidemic of 1918 - 1919 in Spruce Grove and district. "At the time when World War I seemed almost at the end in 1918, a new threat appeared, the "Spanish flu", so named because it started in Spain, spread right across Europe and killed hundreds of thousands of people on the battlefields. By August of 1918, the disease had reached Quebec via soldiers returning from Europe. By Christmas one in every six Canadians had contracted it. It reached SPRUCE GROVE near the end ...of October, 1918. Schools in the Municipal District of Spruce Grove were closed right away. The two room school in Spruce Grove was used as medical headquarters for all the area during the epidemic. Supplies were sent out from Edmonton by the Red Cross. Dr. Oatway who lived in Stony Plain served the entire area. When the situation became desperate, Dr. Harris came out from Edmonton to help. The one in charge of the operations here in Spruce Grove was Miss Smirl, a register nurse from Edmonton. Also Mrs. Willet a qualified nurse from the area, Anne Schumm, Cora MacKay, Elsie Baron, Miss Pinchbeck, Miss Shell, Mary Schutz, Miss West and many others who all worked hard and took a good care of the patients. Many schools in the area re-opened in late January. Since the Spruce Grove school was occupied as the emergency depot, it didn't re-open until early spring" From "As The Roots Grow". See more

"In April 1892, soon after this part of the west was first opened up for the homesteading, a doctor and his family settled 2 1/2 miles south of the highway on Century Road (the road was not existing at that time). The would -be farmer was Dr. Louis William Menzel, a most welcome addition to this area. He was a typical country doctor who answered the call for medical help no matter what time od day or night, in any kind of weather, or no matter what condition the roads were in.... He would travel to homesteaders cabin over trails considered impassible, and stay until the crises was past, taking his place at the bedside, thus giving the members of the family a chance to rest. While leaving here, he and his wife had four children, Alfred, Elizabeth, Walter, and another one, whose name is unknown to us. Around 1905 to 1908 they moved to Portage La Prairie, where they had to other youngsters seen in the picture". Photo and a text taking from "As The Roots Grow". See more

The History Of Spruce Grove: Pictures of the Spruce Grove early homes, built by Don Brox (in 1908), Henry Kuhl (1915), Gothlieb Gitzel (1919), Reinhold Fisher (1920), Philip Schutz (1916), Jacob Ulmer (1920).

Celebrating Women's Day. We are happy to share few pictures of the early pioneer women in Spruce Grove and district area. The pictures were taking from the book As the roots grow, the history of Spruce Grove and District.

The First Post Office in Spruce Grove. In the early days, Mr. John McPherson used to go into Edmonton on a regular basis to bring out supplies for himself and others who ordered theirs through him. MAIL was on of the items he brought out for the settlers who lived near him. His house was almost a post office but it wasn't the official post office. The first Post Office was finally started in a log house which was built by Mr. McNabb, assisted by Jacob Miller. The log house ...burned down in 1955. The Post Office moved from the log house to the General Store at the corner of Century Road and Highway 16. When the town become established in its permanent location, the Post Office was moved to a general store run by Ed Guenette in the west part of the town in the vicinity of Queen Street and First Avenue. About 1915 the building caught fire and burned to the ground. After the fire, the Post Office was set up in the Sam Eccles store at the corner of Main Street and First Avenue. It remained in that building for many years, but had different postmaster. In 1917, Mr. W. McLeod bought out Sam Eccles then Mr. McLeod's brother, "Mac", came out to work in the store and look after the post office. See more

The History of Spruce Grove: Fire! Fire! A most frightening word. No wonder firemen are heros for many a youngsters and adult as well. The Spruce Grove Volunteer Fire Department was formally organized in 1954 when the population was 275. Norman McNeil was Chief, Irving Goebel was deputy chief and the crew was Clarence Brox, Harry Huber, Ted Henning, Leo Nadon, Art Goebel, Milton Goebel, Philip Schram, Albert Baron, Doug McLeod. In July, 1958, Edwin Huber, who had just joined the fire department was appointed Village Fire Chief (at the age of 20), the youngest one in Alberta. At that time there were 15 fire fighters on the roster.

"EARLY SPRUCE GROVE" from the Spruce Grove Archives. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway grade came through in August 1908 and the rails were laid soon afterward. The railway build their station three quarters of a mile west of the settlement at Century Road and it was this action on the part of the railway that was the deciding factor which determined the permanent location of Spruce Grove. It wasn't long before plans were made to re-locate the village, close to the railway station. In 1909 their first train reached Edmonton. Many of the labourers were Alberta's homesteaders, working to earn extra money until they could make enough on their homesteads to support their families.

"Early Spruce Grove": The homesteaders who had settled here-about, had to go to Edmonton to get their supplies, but it was such a time consuming, hazardous trail that some enterprising people decided to set up businesses right here to meet the needs of the people. Consequently, Spruce Grove sprang into being. Clumps of spruce trees as well as poplars were scattered throughout the countryside and the founders decided to call the new settlement after one of these trees, but were undecided which one to choose. Upon enquiry, they found out that there was already a POPLAR GROVE in the west so the decision was made for them - hence "SPRUCE GROVE".