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Hairy Hill School Reunion Organizing Committee Spearheads Mural Project
Hairy Hill School Reunion Organizing Committee Spearheads Mural Project
Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser
Although Hairy Hill is no longer the booming village it once was, it remains a very special place for descendants of the early settlers.
Former students of Hairy Hill School are helping to keep those cherished memories and unique history of the community alive. Recently, they had a colourful mural installed at the base of the life size bison monument as a tribute to the First Nations people who lived in the area long before the first wave of immigrants began arriving in the late 1800’s.
Hairy Hill School Reunion Organizing Committee Chair Les Lutic said he was visiting the bison monument about a year ago. “I was looking at the base and it was stark and blank.” With the cooperation and assistance of other committee members, enough funds were raised to commission an artist to paint the mural.
Lutic said committee members raised $700 and the County of Two Hills donated $500 towards the mural that was painted by Edmonton artist Don Evans.
Committee member Judy Eliuk said the bison monument is located on property once owned by her father Steve Bidulock. He, and his 12 siblings went to school in Hairy Hill. He owned his owned a hardware store on the property and later became a school trustee, a role he served in for 35 years. Eliuk felt it was important to recognize the Mosiuk family who donated $500 for the picnic table that is located adjacent to the bison monument.
Eliuk attended Hairy Hill School for 11 years. She has many fond memories and talked about the reunion that was held in June of 2017. It was students who attended the school between 1921 and 1981. Planning for the school reunion began in early 2016. The committee was formed and Eliuk was the first to join.
It was Sandy Lutic who suggested they leave something behind as a legacy for the community and had artist Burt Toma fabricate the life-size metal bison monument. Lee Power constructed the concrete base for the monument. The project was funded by the Hairy Hill School alumni and sponsors and a plaque was donated by George Moss in memory of Bill and Nick Moscaluk and all other Hairy Hill and area concrete and building contractors.
Hairy Hill School was built in 1929. By 1942 it was one of the largest schools in the district of Two Hills and housed around 400 students which prompted the later addition of a wing in 1949 and a gymnasium and north wing in 1955.
