Origins: The Hope Princeton Highway

Subject: Origins: The Hope Princeton Highway
From: GUEST,Larry Saidman
Date: 13 May 10 - 01:51 AM

In the early 1970's I was involved in folk Edmonton, Alberta, and spearheaded the Edmonton Folk Club. One project I directed was a concert at Edmonton's Centennial Library called "The History of Western Canada through Folk Music", where I found certain songs and assign them to certain local performers to sing. One song was about the fatal Avalanche outside of Hope in 1965. I remember finding it in a book, but I can't remember what book. I've recently moved to Princeton and now I'm trying to trace the song, but I can't find hide nor hair of it in any google search. The chorus goes:

"Through sunshine and snow, or maybe just rain
The Hope-Princeton Highway will n'ere be the same"

Yes I know, it's not exactly inspired poetry.

Does anybody have the words and/or the book where I may have found it? Thanks.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Hope Princeton Highway
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 13 May 10 - 04:54 PM

The only song that comes to mind is James Keelaghan's 'The Hope Princeton Road' (on 'My Skies', 1993). It doesn't refer to the disaster, though, and there are no notes on its background.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Hope Princeton Highway
From: Susan of DT
Date: 13 May 10 - 06:33 PM

Look up Jon Bartlett in Princeton

Subject: RE: Origins: The Hope Princeton Highway
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 13 May 10 - 07:32 PM

Sorry, Larry, can't help here. Though I think I may be able to track it down, given time.

Jon

Subject: RE: Origins: The Hope Princeton Highway
From: Bob the Postman
Date: 13 May 10 - 09:04 PM

Brother Bartlett has modestly refrained from alluding to a song about the Hope Slide which he and Rika Ruebsaat included on their CD Now It's Called Princeton. The a capella ballad to the tune of "Tramps and Hawkers" tells the story and names the people involved. It's not the song you're looking for but it ought to be mentioned in this thread.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Hope Princeton Highway
From: GUEST,Larry Saidman
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 04:14 PM

Still haven't had any luck finding the song.

Chorus, again, goes

"Through sunshine and snow, or maybe just rain,
The Hope-Princeton Highway will ne'er be the same".

I may have got it from the Edmonton archives, probably sometime in the mid 1970's.

Anybody ever find a reference to it?

Subject: RE: Origins: The Hope Princeton Highway
From: Larry The Radio Guy
Date: 21 Jun 13 - 06:07 PM

It's 2 1/2 years later and I still haven't found any reference to this song. Nothing in google. I may have originally found it in the early 70's in a book or publication through the archives in Edmonton....but I can't remember.

Anybody familiar with it?

Subject: RE: Origins: The Hope Princeton Highway
From: Stewart
Date: 21 Jun 13 - 09:12 PM

This is not the song in question,
but it's another song about the Hope Princeton Slide
written and sung by Paddy Graber

Hope Princeton Slide

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Origins: The Hope Princeton Highway
From: Larry The Radio Guy
Date: 21 Jun 13 - 09:25 PM

Thanks Stewart. I have the "Now It's Called Princeton" cd where Jon and Rika recorded that.

But it's such a mystery that the other one has just disappeared. I wish I'd recorded it when Richard White sang it at the "History of Western Canada in FolkSongs" program that I put on so many years ago at the Edmonton Public Library.

Richard has no idea where it came from either (other than I gave it to him to sing), and, unfortunately, doesn't remember anything other than the chorus.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Hope Princeton Highway
From: Deckman
Date: 21 Jun 13 - 09:43 PM

Stew ... nicely done ... thank you! This is all about our local heritage. I drove this highway and the slide valley, about 1966. bob(deckman)nelson

Subject: RE: Origins: The Hope Princeton Highway
From: Larry The Radio Guy
Date: 29 Jul 13 - 12:45 PM

I'm still looking.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Hope Princeton Highway
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jul 13 - 11:20 PM

http://pnwfolklore.org/Hope-PrincetonSlide.html

Larry, see if that's it.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Hope Princeton Highway
From: Larry The Radio Guy
Date: 30 Jul 13 - 12:48 AM

Nope. That again is the one that Jon and Rika found from the singing of Paddy Graber.   It's probably a better song than the one I'm looking for.....but I'm haunted by that first one, as I remember the chorus so well.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Hope Princeton Highway
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jul 13 - 04:59 AM

Sorry, Larry. I hadn't seen it was mentioned because I was bouncing around three different screens.