Cecile M. Gannon sits at her display in the High Prairie Municipal Library. The cream can in the photo is the actual restored cream can the two lovers used to send secret messages.

Chris Clegg
South Peace News
Love will eventually find a way.

Even if it means sending messages at the bottom of a cream can.

Cecile M. Gannon shared stories from her book Cream Can Romance during a visit to the High Prairie Municipal Library June 12. Her story of how difficult pioneer life was in the early 1900s was fascinating; however, none matched the suspense generated by the story of her grandmother, and her love for her grandfather.

The problem was, his father was vehemently against the marriage, so much so that they had to run way.

Why was he opposed to the marriage?

You will have to read the book!

Gannon’s inspiration to write the book came during a visit to her grandmother, Olivine, in 2002. Gannon told the story of how she raised 13 children, and how her husband arrived in Canada from Argentina, then France, with the promise of owning their own land.

Upon arrival, the couple lived in a 20 x 24-foot sod hut.

“This is the promised land?” they asked themselves.

Life was difficult. They spread ashes from the stove in the chicken coop but one night it burned it to the ground.

Earlier, they lived near Vimy, Alta., and decided to move to Kathleen where more land was available. So they loaded everything onto a train for the move. The trip is a story in itself.

The story is heard how Olivine had to quit school at 14 to work on the farm, and how she rescued cows that broke through the ice. How did such a petite woman rescue cows from the water? You will have to read the book!

But nothing matches the romance the two endured despite the objection of her future husband’s father.

“Her father was very much opposed,” says Gannon.

After another proposal, Olivine said, “I’m not ready yet. My father will not agree.”

She gave her future husband the message that the marriage would not happen and that he could no longer visit the house.

But love found a way.

“They taped letters to the bottom of the cream cans,” said Gannon. “No one ever looked at the bottom of a cream can.”

In those days, farmers shipped cream to Westlock to supplement the farm income.

Eventually, he visits land where Olivine’s father is working to ask for her hand in marriage. He goes with a friend, and both are scared.

“He says, ‘No!’ and chases him off the property,” says Gannon.

Why? You will have to read the book!

Gannon was raised on a farm at Kathleen. She grew up enjoying the varied lifestyle of farm life, playing with her sisters and brother, chasing farm animals, picking berries, and helping around the house with chores on weekends and holidays.

After high school graduation, Gannon pursued her dream to become a teacher. She attended the University of Alberta and enjoyed teaching school, until she married and decided to stay home and raise their family of four.

After raising their family, Cecile and her husband, Neil, retired. After a visit with her mother in McLennan, and learning more about her parents’ fascinating runaway love story to get married, she decided to write their family history book. Cream Can Romance is the book’s name of the runaway story.