From “Aleck Sheret – by H.M. Parlby”
Aleck Sheret came to Alberta under a scheme initiated by George Hoadley (more inEric W. Cormack )when he was Minister of Agriculture in the U.F.A. Government in 1924,(Known as the British boys ) the idea being to bring out from Britain young men who might be interested in farming.more info:Among the schemes were several to prepare British workmen to become) Aleck came out with the first group to Olds Agricultural College in March, 1925.From the College they were sent out to farms in the area, and Aleck came to Walter Parlby in April. He worked there for about t years, and then went back to Calgary. While at Alix he met Jean Parlby, daughter of Edward and Anne Parlby and they were married …[in] 1929. Their one son Robert was born in 1932.
In the late 1930’s they returned to the Alix district and settled on the NE quarter of Sec 16-40-23-W4th….
Robin began his schooling at Hickling….
Aleck got seriously ill, and passed away passed away August 28th, 1944.
From Pioneers and Progress, Alix Clive Historical Club, 1974.
The “Hoadley Boys” or “British Boys”
Information from The Lakeland College Website https://www.lakelandcollege.ca/centennial/print/top100/top026.aspx, has more information on this system, which was planned before World War I but not adopted until afterwards.The plan was to provide these “boys” with free instruction. They were to pay $30 per month for room and board. See the article, “The British Boys aka the Hoadley Boys”.
