The large, framed photograph on the wall of our living room has drawn me to it many times over the days since the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
There are cherished memories that culminated in the photo, taken by then Moose Jaw photographer Klaus Bohn, commissioned as he was by the city’s 75th anniversary committee in 1978.
The call had gone out by Herb Taylor, the mayor of Moose Jaw, for volunteers to plan year-long celebrations for this prestigious occasion and I was one of the lucky ones he called to invite to work with him and other community citizens.
Little did we know then that our celebration would become a part of the Queen’s tour of the province, that she, Prince Philip and Prince Edward would spend a few hours in Moose Jaw, attending church at St. John’s Anglican Church and then doing a walk-a-bout through Crescent Park.
Thus, members of the Diamond Jubilee Committee became the contacts with Buckingham Palace and others who knew the protocols we would have to follow to welcome the Royal Family.
We were excited about our duties, but very much aware that those few hours would be the icing on the cake of the city’s celebration. Failure to impress was not an option.
Once word of the visit got out, the committee and the mayor’s office were bombarded with requests from all corners of the city to meet the Queen and her family. And we had to consider a permanent reminder of this special visit.
Over several months plans were put in place outlining which citizens would be invited to the church, which dignitaries would greet the Royal Family at the entrance to Crescent Park and how the crowds would be managed during the afternoon.
We selected citizens who would be formally presented and who would present Queen Elizabeth with flowers especially arranged to reflect this Prairie city.
We made arrangements to have a large boulder put in place and mulled over the wording for the plaque. Then came the question of where the Diamond Jubilee Committee would meet our special guests.
City council and city hall administration of the day, after much consideration by the mayor, were the greeters at the park entrance, lined up and wearing their best finery to be introduced by Mayor Taylor.
Doug Marr, chairman of the Diamond Jubilee Committee, ventured forth with the idea that our group should dress in period costume and stand beside the rock so we’d be close at hand should the Queen need help in lifting the velvet cover to reveal the plaque.
Buckingham Palace officials agreed to this idea and immediately we began thinking about our costumes.
Many of the dresses and men’s apparel came from a costume company in Winnipeg. My period-style dress was made for me by a good friend who had expertise with needle and thread.
I also wanted something I could wear another time and so the inserted crinoline bustle was removable for normal wear.
Protocol also dictated the ladies wear hats. At the last minute I scrambled through the shelves in the closet and came up with a straw hat that at one time had been worn in the garden by my mother. My friend cleaned it up, put some suitable ribbons and bows on it and voila, I had a hat.
And so we stood there beside the rock, waiting our turn to meet the Monarch. She stopped before us, the mayor introduced us and we bowed or curtsied as we had practised. The Queen smiled at each of us and commented on the beautiful park before gently lifting the velvet cover. She read the plaque, nodded and walked on.
After Prince Philip declared us in our costumes as “quaint” we were allowed to fall into line behind the official entourage. The smiles on our faces were broad and excited.
Our moments with the Royal Family were captured in photographs and it is one of those photos we have on our living room wall — a permanent reminder of that special day in July 1978 when the Queen came to visit. I will always remember that day and be thankful for her long service. RIP.
Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
