On this day, in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II became Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. after the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6.
The Yorkton Enterprise, for its part, had a special memorial edition of the paper arranged for the February 7, 1952 edition. The city of Yorkton also declared February 15 to be a day of mourning for the city, with all local businesses expected to close for the day. The special edition documented the life and reign of the late King George VI, including a visit to Melville in 1939. The Enterprise reported on the death of the British Monarch with the following words.
“All that is mortal of the tired and spent slim monarch of the British Commonwealth of Nations, who ruled his people well from 1936, rests tonight at his Norfolk estate at Sandringham. King George VI, the man who fervently wanted only peace and goodwill for all the world and never had a single day of total peace throughout his reign, passed quietly away in his sleep Wednesday morning. Late this afternoon Elizabeth II set foot on English soil for the first time as the Queen of England. Early this evening she took the oath of office at Buckingham Palace before the Privy Council. Tonight, around the world, subjects of the Commonwealth on which the sun never sets are on their knees praying for the soul of “a good man” who had served them faithfully and well, and petitioning for divine guidance for the first woman to rule the Commonwealth in more than half a century.
“Under the cloak of midnight darkness, Edward, Duke of Windsor, who renounced the throne for “the woman I love,” sets sail from New York for England, alone, to attend the funeral of his brother “Bertie” who carried on the difficult duties of England’s King when Edward VIII “laid down his burden.” Five thousand five hundred and thirty-three days before he left England at a similar hour aboard a British battleship, alone, for an uncertain future. Of those he left behind, was one who loved him dearly and is reported to have cried continuously at her uncle’s departure. That little girl is now Britain’s Queen.”
The week was a good one for Yorkton’s Legionaires hockey team, which beat the Regina Caps 7-2 in Yorkton and 6-3 in Regina. Vic Kreklewetz was the star of the Yorkton team, though the wins were not without dispute, as the “aroused manager” of the Regina Caps, Jim (Mickey) Boyle, accused the Yorkton squad of being the “dirtiest team” in the Saskatchewan Senior Hockey League.
It was also a week to buy pork, as the local Safeway advertised a pork sale. Pork loin was 53 cents a pound, while pork shoulder went for 43 cents a pound.
If one needed some potatoes to go with their meat, 100 lbs of potatoes could be purchased for $3.99.
