A century of July 1 celebrations

By Joan Janzen

Kindersley's July 1 celebrations have been bringing the community together for generations, and photographs preserved through the years offer a glimpse into how local businesses and families marked the occasion.

The 1930 Dominion Day parade featured a colourful procession of local businesses and organizations. Among them was Hawes Bakery and Confectionery, a well-known Kindersley business with deep roots in the community.

Harvey Hawes rides aboard the Hawes Bakery and Confectionery float during Kindersley's July 1 parade in 1930. PHOTO COURTESY OF KINDERSLEY MEMORIES.

Thelma Staples is seated at the front of a vintage automobile during a July 1 parade in Kindersley, as community members continued the tradition of celebrating Canada's birthday with colourful parade entries. PHOTO COURTESY OF KINDERSLEY MEMORIES.

George Hawes first came to the area in 1909, delivering bread to Regina before moving to Kindersley. He worked as a cook for the railway construction crew building the line into town and later became the first cook at the Seymour Hotel when it opened in January 1910. That same year, George and his two brothers opened a café on Railway Avenue. They later added a bakery, and in 1917 moved the growing business to Main Street.

Over the following decades, Hawes Bakery became a familiar fixture in Kindersley, employing local residents throughout the 1940s and beyond. George's son, Ormond, later attended baking school and continued the family business.

The tradition of community parades continued for decades. Another photograph from a later July 1 celebration shows local residents enjoying the festivities aboard a vintage automobile as it made its way through the parade route, reflecting the pride and community spirit that have long been part of Kindersley's Canada Day celebrations.