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Angie Abdou was born and raised in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. She earned her B.A. in English at the University of Regina (1991), and an M.A. in English from the University of Western Ontario (1992). She entered a Ph.D. program in Mediaeval Studies and left the program while working on her doctoral thesis. At this time she began writing fiction while recovering from a serious highway accident. She later earned her Ph.D. in English and Creative Writing from the University of Calgary (2009). Since 2001 she has been teaching English and creative writing at the College of the Rockies in B.C.
Abdou's first book Anything Boys Can Do (2006), a collection of short stories focused on women's changing life choices and sexual encounters. Her most successful novel, The Bone Cage (2007), explores the psychology of two athletes as they train intensely for the Olympic Games. Athletic prowess is tested in Abdou's The Canterbury Trail (2011) as a number of diverse snow enthusiasts travel by snowshoe or sled up and over a mountain. In her unique style, Abdou combines humour and danger in her character studies. In her novel, Between (2014), Abdou explores cultural differences in the relationship of two women: a Canadian working mother and her Philipino nanny. In her novel, Between, a young couple moves from a "sweet suite" above the husband's parent's garage to their own place.
In Home Ice: Reflections of a Reluctant Hockey Mom (2018) Angie Abdou gives readers a truthful account of her experiences as a hockey mom, frankly describing her young son’s sporting experiences on and off the ice in Fernie. In her second memoir, Angie Abdou challenges her daughter, Katie to hike a peak a week with her over the summer holidays one year. Abdou learns some valuable lessons – most importantly that she loves hiking but Katie doesn’t. She writes about their bonding experiences in This One Wild Life: A Mother-Daughter Wilderness Memoir.
Angie can be heard regularly on CBC radio, where she does a monthly book column on Daybreak Alberta with Russell Bowers and occasional recommendations on The Next Chapter with Shelagh Rogers.
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1890-1952
Peter Macdonald Abel was born in Dutch Guiana on 5 May 1890, at the age of 6, he moved to the United States following the death of his father. He lived at Cambridge, Massachusetts for ten years before coming to Canada. He homesteaded at Earl Grey, Saskatchewan for three years then enrolled in the Manitoba Agricultural College, graduating in 1913. He then did postgraduate work at the University of Missouri. Prior to the First World War, he was Assistant Editor of the Farm and Ranch Review at Calgary, Alberta and taught in an agricultural school at Claresholm, Alberta for two years. He served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, returning from overseas in 1919, becoming Livestock Editor of The Country Guide. In 1934, he became its editor. He rejoined the army during the Second World War, being awarded the Order of the British Empire with the rank of Colonel in 1944. He returned to Canada and resumed his editorial duties. He died at Winnipeg on 3 July 1952.
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1878-1943
William "Bible Bill" Aberhart, 1878-1943, was born in Ontario. He studied at the Hamilton Normal School and was granted his BA from Queen's University in 1911. In 1902 he married Janet Jessie Flatt, 1878-1966, and they had two children, Ola (MacNutt), 1905-2000, and Khona (Cooper), 1903-2000. In 1910 they moved to Calgary, Alberta and Aberhart became a high school principal. He was principal of Crescent Heights High School, 1915-1935. He ran popular bible classes, and in 1925 began his Sunday afternoon radio broadcasts, called the "Back to the Bible Hour". In 1927 he opened the Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute, and two years later founded the Bible Institute Baptist Church. In 1932 he became interested in the monetary ideas of Major C.H. Douglas, who espoused state supervision of credit and dividend payments to citizens.
He founded the Social Credit League, and in 1935 became the premier of Alberta when Social Credit swept the United Farmers of Alberta (UFA) government from power. The government was unable to implement Aberhart's proposed reforms because the legislation was disallowed by the federal government. Aberhart died in office. In 1974 the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada designated Aberhart as a National Historic Person.
For further information see Bible Bill / David R. Elliott and Iris Miller. - Edmonton : Reidmore Books, 1987.
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1908-1997
Alice Telford Murdoch, 1908-1997, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and in 1911 moved with her family to Cranbrook, British Columbia. During the First World War the family returned to Scotland where she began training as a dancer. The family later moved to Calgary, Alberta and Alice entered the Jean Gauld School of Dancing, eventually becoming assistant director. In 1927 she opened her own school, which after a number of moves was established at 14 Avenue and 4 Street SW. In 1928 she took extra training in New York, USA, and later studied in many other American and European cities.
She taught in numerous southern Alberta communities and opened a branch school in Lethbridge under Lola Strand. Her Calgary school performed annual revues at the Grand Theatre until 1949, and for several years her choreographed dances were performed prior to the feature at the Capitol Theatre. During the Second World War she choreographed one of five "concert parties" that toured Alberta military camps. For over 40 years she choreographed the President's Ball for the Rotary Club of Calgary.
She married William Adams, ?-1978, and they had three children, Ryan, Sharon (LaRiviere) and Vicki Adams (Willis), 1950- . Alice and Bill operated Adams Electric in Banff for many years. In 1949 Alice turned her school over to her sister, Jean Murdoch Simpson.
For further information see "Alice Murdoch Adams" in Building a Province : 60 Albeta Lives / Brian Brennan. -- Calgary : 2000, p. 109-111.
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1868-1960