Our History
The main objective of The Southern Alberta Pioneers And Their Descendants (SAPD) is to rescue from oblivion
the memory of the early pioneers of Southern Alberta and to obtain and preserve narratives of their exploits, perils and adventures.
December 4, 1901
The Southern Alberta Pioneers And Their Descendants traces its roots back to the founding of The Calgary Old Timers' Association. Old Timers membership was limited to pioneers who resided in the Calgary area prior to 1884.
January 9, 1922
In December of 1920, the Rotary Club of Calgary sponsored a luncheon to which members of the Old Timers and other pioneers of Southern Alberta were invited for the purpose of expanding the Calgary Old Timers' Association to include of all pioneers from Southern Alberta and on January 9, 1922, a new society was incorporated as The Southern Alberta Pioneers' and Old Timers' Association.
Old Timers was retained in the new name to recognize the part the Old Timers' played in the Association. The association constitution limited membership to those males who resided in Alberta south of Township 40 (which is just north of Red Deer) prior to December 31, 1890 and their male descendants of 18 years of age or older.
March 23, 1922
Pioneer women formed an organization with similar objectives called the Womens' Pioneer Association of Southern Alberta, which was restricted to women who resided in Southern Alberta prior to December 31, 1890 and their descendants.
Read the account of Lady Lougheed's life and the first meeting as recorded in the Calgary Daily Herald
The two organizations had many joint meetings and functions until they were amalgamated on October 24, 1964.
March 11, 1974
The association's name was changed to Southern Alberta Pioneers and Their Descendants (SAPD).
A detailed history of the SAPD by James A.N. Mackie can be found in "Pioneer Families of Southern Alberta", starting at page 218.