Remember the old nine-hole golf course on the south side of Warman?
Golfers played their final rounds there in the fall of 2010 (the $10 million Legends Golf Club in Warman’s north end opened for business in the spring of 2011).
The old golf course was carved out of a prairie field on the edge of town. Today, the area is a vibrant, growing residential neighbourhood known as the Southlands.
The original clubhouse was an old garage donated by Tun Harms, one of the club’s founding members, in the early 1980s. The guys picked it up and moved it and just plunked it down on the dirt. That clubhouse was replaced a few years later with a retired two-room schoolhouse that cost a dollar to buy and $10,000 to move from Martensville to Warman. It was a big improvement because it had running water and a cement foundation. And, oh yeah, an electric fridge to keep the beverages nicely chilled.
The old golf course had sand greens and an ‘honesty box’ where non-members deposited their three dollars per round. The golf club’s annual membership fee was $30.
Over its three-decade history, club members volunteered their time and labour to keep the course going. But the work was all worth it, according to Gord Thompson, a former Warman Fire Chief and also one of the original club members.
They occasionally played golf in the middle of the night using balls that glowed in the dark. “And we had these glow sticks that we would put on the flag, so you would shoot toward the flag and you’d be able to watch your ball, and hopefully find it,” recalled Thompson in an interview published in the October 21, 2010 edition of the Gazette. “It was pretty easy when you were going south and west; but when you turned to go north, you were shooting into the town streetlights, so it was harder to keep track of your ball. The disappointing part was if you put your ball in the dugout, you could see it down there but you couldn’t get it because the water was too deep.
“We had a ton of laughs and a ton of fun, but once we got the grass greens in, we weren’t allowed to do a bunch of that kind of tomfoolery anymore.”
Good times.
If thinking back to what life was like in Warman a few decades ago triggers some memories, then the Warman History Book Committee wants to hear from you.
The committee, formed in 2019, is looking to put together a book that tells the story – or rather – a collection of stories – about Warman’s community history. It’s a tall order, because a lot of families have lived in the area over the past century.
But that hasn’t deterred committee members Sharon Martens and Sheryl Spence.
“We have had a lot of submissions in the form of photographs and written stories, including anecdotes and family histories,” said Martens. “But we need more. A lot more.
“We’re trying to bring those stories to a wider audience, to give everyone a sense of the town’s roots.”
Martens said the focus of the history book encompasses the community’s early days (it was first incorporated in 1906) up to about 2006. The committee is encouraging people who grew up in Warman, or who had a connection to the community, to submit photos and stories so they can be included in the project.
Submissions can be emailed to warmanhistorybook@gmail.com. Or they can be snail-mailed to: The Warman History Book Committee, c/o Warman City Hall, Box 340, Warman SK. S0K 4S0. You can also call Sheryl Spence at 306-290-5595 or Sharon Martens at 306-934-5914.
Martens said the committee has a popular facebook page where submissions are posted, but they want people to do more than just reminisce online.
“People enjoy looking at the old photos and reading about people they knew, but they don’t realize we want their stories,” said Martens. “I think a lot of them are waiting for a personal invitation from the committee to send in their contributions.
“I hope they consider this appeal to be their personal invitation. We want their submissions.”
Martens said anyone with a solid connection to Warman is welcome to contribute.
“Maybe you lived in the district and went to church or school in Warman, or got your mail or groceries here, or delivered grain,” she said.
Spence said everyone’s stories and photos are welcome.
“Warman has grown from a small hamlet to a beautiful city,” said Spence, a former Mayor of Warman. “Believe it or not, each of us has had a hand in our community’s growth over the years.
“By sharing your own unique Warman experience from a personal or business perspective, it gives present and future generations valuable insights into why Warman has become such a popular community to live in.
“Warman’s rich history is worth sharing.”
Martens said if people are shy about writing their own stories, the committee has a solution. Erin Legg, a volunteer with the committee, will conduct phone interviews with people and record their stories. The conversations are transcribed and condensed into a succinct written form. The people who are interviewed and their family members are able to review the story and correct any errors before anything is published.
Legg, who has done several interviews via Zoom for the committee, said she’s learned a tremendous amount about Warman’s early days.
“It’s been a ton of fun,” said Legg. “The majority of the interviews have been with seniors, some of whom are in their late 90s. It’s so interesting to hear these stories.”
Legg said she strives to ensure people are comfortable during the interviews.
She noted that many people start out thinking they don’t have much to say, but once they answer a few questions, the conversation takes on a life of its own, and sometimes goes in unexpected directions.
“The stories are fascinating,” said Legg. “It’s nice that they share them.”