Many families with roots in Westlock returned for the homecoming weekend, but for two members of the Westgate family the trip had special significance.
After all, they put the ‘West’ in Westlock.
Lorne Westgate and his sister Penny Holmes first found out about centenary celebrations after a family relative connected with mayor Ralph Leriger at a 2013 municipal conference in Calgary.
Upon seeing ‘Westlock’ on the mayor’s lapel, he put the pair in touch and the rest is history, or at least a part of it.
“He jumped at it and told me the story,” Leriger said.
Though the pair weren’t born in Westlock, they grew up hearing stories about how their great-grandparents settled the town.
In fact, Penny first heard about the town’s founding in the 1950s from her Grade 3 teacher, a Lockhart herself.
“She told me about the connection, and when we were growing up we heard about it a lot,” Holmes said.
Westlock’s origins were shaped by the route of the Edmonton Dunvegan and British Columbia railroad, which was formed west of a competing railroad.
The name was taken from two area settlers — William Westgate and William Lockhart. The Village of Westlock was founded on March 16, 1916 and became a town on Jan. 7, 1947.
In 2011, Lorne traveled to the Westgate’s original homestead in Mille-Isles, Quebec but beyond a few photographs, much of William’s personal history remains shrouded in mystery.
“There isn’t too much, in fact, about William, himself,” Lorne said. “He was a pretty quiet individual.”
The Westgate family left town in 1936 to live in British Columbia, but the pair visited town in their youth. It’s been decades since their last visit, however.
Homecoming gave them the chance to re-connect with the youngest of a family friend, Madge McCready, a descendent of the Smith family for whom Smithfield Lodge is named.
“We visited the Smith family as youngsters and have good memories of all the friendships that were treasured,” Holmes said.
Westgate added that, although the pair are honoured their family had a part in the town’s founding, there were countless others, like the Smiths and their descendants, who had a hand in making Westlock the town it is today.
“It’s pretty exciting that the name is from our family, but there’s more to it,” Westgate said.
“The highlight has been just meeting the people that share the same history.”
Holmes added: “We’ve been able to put faces to people who we’ve talked to online and have heard about.”
