“The summer months normally involved construction work: painting, mixing and applying mortar, putting up fencing, and preparing storage for the harvest. According to John Taylor’s Journals, many of his summer days were spent digging and weeding in the garden, cutting wood, or doing statute labour on the public roads. He also spent time driving back and forth to town, and hauling goods, largely for his own use. The summer was also a time for picnics, horse-racing, sports, and exhibitions. The Orangemen’s Parade on July 12 was a big event to which many turned out. The same was also true of the annual school picnic. In the 1890’s rail cars from Winnipeg brought sightseers and church picnickers to the Headingley area, often to conduct festivities on a farmer’s land.”¹

John Taylor of Headingley recorded the following in his journal during the summer months:

• “I was out and laid the culvert in front of the new hotel.” (June 20, 1888)
• “Jim hired for two months at $20.00 per month.” (July 25, 1883)
• “There was a picnic over at Farmer’s seven coaches of people came up from Winnipeg composed chiefly of the Sunday Scholars of the Presbyterian Church.” (July 26, 1883)
• “A fine day very hot. There was a great Pic-nic held over at James Tait’s ground adjoining the track. Two trains were up of seven coaches & a couple of open cars. The party were made of the Sunday Scholars of the Congregational and Baptists. There must have been something like a thousand people up. They had good Jim’s singing, footracing and baseball.” (August 16, 1883)
• “At the exhibition today Tuck won the farmers grain took $30.00 and Joe won the race in harness $20.00. I came up home at night and Rupert for the running race tomorrow.” (July 17, 1895)
• “D Williamson commenced laying the foundation of the byre Rupert helped him. Ben & William were out with two teams doing statute labor.” (June 30, 1898)

¹ B.G. Hunter-Eastwood, “Report on the William Brown Heritage House,” Prepared for the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia, Winnipeg, 1988, p. 65.