Vegreville News Advertiser - April 7, 2021

Lorne Fill Receives Alberta Century Farm and Ranch Award

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

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Read the full story in the April 7, 2021 edition of the News Advertiser - now online!

Mundare area farmer Lorne Fill was officially recognized by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry for 100 years of family farming on the original Fill farmland.

The award was presented to him by Fort Saskatchewan- Vegreville MLA Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk on March 30.

Reflecting on the award and what it means, Lorne said, “It’s an emotional thing, isn’t it? I was just looking at the cows and realizing, and I’ve often thought of this before, “That you’re walking on the same land your grandfather walked on and so forth. So that’s kind of neat.”

The farm, located six miles west of Mundare, was first settled by Andrew and Paulina Fill. “Paulina was born here, but my grandfather came over from the Ukraine in 1903. He spent 14 years or so in BC laying track between Prince Rupert and Quesnel and Prince George.

He gravitated here and found the girl he liked. He went to see her parents and they said, “You can come back and see us when you have some land. So, I think that’s why I’m here,” chuckled Lorne.

“They were married in 1919, but we couldn’t find any definitive evidence of them being on the land at that time. We had some lawyer paperwork, but it wasn’t definitive. So, in 1921 we found documentation where they paid taxes. So, that’s why it’s 1921, instead of 1919. However, in speaking with a cousin we feel that they may have lived with her parents for the first year or two.

Another big story of his life was that shortly after they got married he was...

Read the full story in the April 7, 2021 edition of the News Advertiser - now online!

Lorne Fill’s Alberta Century Farm and Ranch Award.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)