I must give thanks to Leola Macdonald for researching and writing a draft on Nora Hickson-Kelly. She did an excellent job and her work is much appreciated.
Nora Hickson was born in England. After the death of her husband, Nora's mother, a headmistress of an English boarding school, immigrated with her daughter to north central Saskatchewan. It was her intent to be closer to family and find opportunities for eight-year-old Nora. Life was not easy for Nora and her mother. They lived in poverty for the first three years. Nora's mother taught in a one-room rural school. A one-room sod-roofed log shack with only the barest necessities was home. Much of the furniture was made from packing crates and apple boxes. But despite their adverse living conditions with little extra money, Nora's mother was able to acquire a fine piano by taking over a homesteader's monthly payments of $5. In addition, she received the American publication, The Etude, replete with articles on music and the lyrics and notes for piano pieces.
After three years of deprivation, opportunity knocked. Nora and her mother were able to move to the bustling city of North Battleford. Mrs. Hickson was fortunate to secure a teaching position at King Street School. Nora's mother saw to it that she was immersed in music education. Her mother could now afford piano lessons for her daughter. In addition, Nora took dancing lessons on Saturday with her mother accompanying on the piano. They also attended St. Paul's Anglican Church and sang in the choir. As Nora grew older, she was an accompanist for many functions.
Nora was an honour student at King Street School and she graduated near the top of her class at the North Battleford Collegiate Institute. After graduation, Nora worked in the Woolworth store for a short time. She then enrolled in the Saskatoon Normal School to prepare for a teaching career. Nora was only 19 when she accepted her first teaching position in a one-room rural school. She taught in another rural school for a year. In September of 1933 she accepted a teaching position in the town of Lanigan. Nora enjoyed working with young people, particularly at the Lanigan School. In 1936, she was fortunate to be able to move back to North Battleford to be close to her mother and her many friends, and to begin teaching Grades 1 to 4 at the Saskatchewan Hospital School. Her pupils were affected very little by the Great Depression. The hospital was self-contained. There was plenty of water and the hospital farm produced all of the food required by the patients and their children. Children wore hand-me-downs. Children's mothers made overcoats by taking used coats, turning them inside-out and altering and sewing them to size. They did the same with pants. Mothers also made baby layettes that were donated to the needy.
Nora was a most diligent and accomplished young woman, virtues she no doubt inherited from her mother. She had studied music theory, harmony, counterpoint, history and pedagogy. She passed her music exams with high honours. Nora had also taken shorthand and touch typing, skills that would later serve her well as a reporter for the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. A number of Nora's articles were published in MacLean's Magazine.
Nora taught the children of the Saskatchewan Hospital employees in a one-room school (the "brick") located on the hospital grounds. She wore a three-quarter length smock cover up - fashionable for the time - with small red and white checks and big red and black pockets. She was certainly an attractive young woman. Nora was an exceptional teacher, competent, caring and kind. Her students loved her. They were fortunate their teacher was blessed with extraordinary musical talent. She wrote music and words based on the Grades 1, 2 and 3 readers. What fun her students had acting out and singing those songs. These music pieces were later made into a book, High Roads to Singing. Nora's concern for her students extended beyond teaching the curriculum and music. Like a good parent, she was also concerned with their physical health and wellbeing. It might seem a shade unconventional, but Nora always carried a vial of eucalyptus oil for medicinal purposes. She applied the oil liberally to students as she determined was necessary.
The brick school was closed in 1939. Pupils attended the Duke School that was also located on the grounds. Grades 5 to 8 were bussed to Battleford Central School.
At about this time, Bill Kelly, a young and handsome Welshman and a member of the local RCMP detachment came into Nora's life. Bill had a beautiful baritone singing voice. He was a member of the St. Paul's Anglican Church choir (as was Nora) and a soloist at the annual music festival in North Battleford. After the students were dismissed for the day, he would arrive at the school. Nora would accompany him on the piano as he practised his solos. It wasn't long before the good looking, intelligent and talented young couple became interested in each other beyond their mutual love of music.
Nora moved to Toronto to begin chiropractic treatments for her chronic back pain and difficulty walking. By October, Bill moved to Toronto from Hafford where he reported to the "O" Division and the Criminal Investigation Branch.
Nora and Bill were married on July 10, 1940. They continued to live in Toronto. Bill had a heavy workload, but he continued his singing lessons when he had time. In 1946, Bill was 35, one of the youngest officers to achieve the rank of sub-inspector. Nora continued writing. She wrote monthly articles for the Canadian Red Cross Junior, a series on Prime Minister McKenzie King, the Soviet Union dictator, Stalin, and other world leaders. She also researched and wrote articles on the history of the RCMP. In 1947, Nora and Bill moved to Ottawa. This was followed by a move to Halifax. It was here that Nora was able to finish her book, The Men of the Mounted. During the next few years there were more promotions, more moves, and more books. Nora's books provided handsome royalties that she donated to charity.
Nora began making donations to the Battlefords Interval House in North Battleford. She continued donating from March of 1992 to 2001. At this time, the Community Foundation of Ottawa began to administer the William and Nora Hickson Kelly Fund and forwarded money to the BIH on its behalf. In total, Nora and Bill donated $17,800 to the Battlefords Interval House. In addition, they have covered the cost of having a roof constructed over the outside deck. Nora's and Bill's interest in the physical integrity of the building was overshadowed by their concern for the children at the shelter so they instructed the staff to use the contributions for their benefit.
In 1998, Nora began collecting children's books from the library in Ottawa and neighbourhood bazaars and Chapters Stores and then shipping them to the BIH for the children. She also asked the staff to use money from the fund to purchase Benjamin Chee Chee pictures and hang them in the hallways, the purpose of which was to underscore the importance of family. Nora also donated her book, The Queen's Horse. In 1999, Nora indicated three new books would be published. Two were by her husband, one about his work and life as a young Mountie in charge of a 4,000 square mile area and the other about a Mountie in charge of the eastern Ontario black market squad during the Second World War. Nora's book described the life of a Mountie's wife.
In June, 2001, Nora was 91 years old. Bill was 90. Both were adamant that they were not ready to go to a residential care home. But the ravages of age inevitably weakened them. Sadly, in 2005, Nora passed from this life.
On the occasion of North Battleford's centennial, we pause to remember and thank an extraordinarily talented and selfless woman (and her husband) who put the needs of others before her own. Nora Hickson Kelly was one of our city's outstanding citizens.
(Source: Ann McArthur, executive director of the Battlefords Interval House, Elaine Poirier, music festival committee. Acknowledgement: since 1974, the Hickson Cup for music excellence has been presented annually at the North Battleford Music Festival.)
