Oil discovery in Turner Valley: press reactions.(Era overview)

On May 14, 1914, oil was discovered near Calgary, in the rural district of Turner Valley. The initial positive signs soon developed into a gusher, which in turn set the pace for the creation of Alberta's oil industry. This monumental event was well documented in the newspapers which reacted in different ways, depending upon their locations, their editorial policies, and often their self-interests. The discovery prompted feverish excitement locally, skepticism at both the provincial and regional levels, and a general indifference from newspapers across the nation and the world.

An evaluation of eight newspapers--Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Lethbridge Daily Herald, Winnipeg Free Press, Toronto Globe & Mail, Halifax Herald, New York Times, and London Times--Reflects these distinct and contrasting perspectives through their news coverage of the event at the time.

Both the Calgary Herald and the Morning Albertan first reported the oil strike on May 14th, 1914, very soon after the actual occurrence. Both accounts were short in length, with low-keyed headlines, yet appeared on the front page of the newspapers. Similarly, both articles stressed the potential financial gain that stood in both the discovery of oil and natural gas, stating that "Calgary would have a resource that will bring in millions of dollars in to the lucky holders of leases ..." (1) In the following days, press coverage increased exponentially, with both the Herald and Albertan not only printing huge headlines to accompany the numerous front-page articles, but also including photographs of the oil rigs and the Dingman discovery well. (2) Loudly proclaiming the strike to be "the finest oil ever to be extracted from the bosom of the earth," (3) the newspapers capitalized on and contributed to the excitement that swept Calgary. (4) The Albertan even used the event to promote itself, stating "the first sample of oil from what may well prove to be the best oil field in the world was brought to The Albertan ..." Not did it praise the oil discovery, but its own company as well. (5)

Large numbers of advertisements for oil stocks and shares began appearing in the Albertan on May 16th, just two days after the strike, and in the Herald on May 18th. Drawing on the predictions of British oil expert, Edward H. Cunningham-Craig, that oil supplies would be "practically inexhaustible," (6) many advertisements informed readers that "the best is yet to come!" (7) The Albertan's May 16th front page included the welcoming: "Good Morning! Have you purchased your oil shares yet?" (8) It appeared as though the newspaper itself was advertising the strike just as feverishly as the stock brokers themselves. The Albertan reported:

 
   Calgary went oil crazy yesterday. That is 
   the only way to express it ... It was oil, oil 
   everywhere. Young and old, rich and poor, 
   all sorts and condition of men, women and 
   children worked themselves up into a very 
   fever of delirium, all about oil. Business 
   was neglected and meals went uneaten. 
   The discussion of any other subject was 
   thrust aside with an almost angry impatience. (9) 

In addition, the newspapers stressed that it wasn't solely Calgary that was intrigued with the discovery. The Herald noted that both Canadian and American financiers had travelled to the oil fields with the interest of investing, and stated that Vancouver and the west coast had reportedly caught the "fever" as well. (10) Other headlines claimed that the oil craze had spread to Nanton and Macleod, where "every real estate office and several business houses had been turned into oil offices, and every tenth man is a curb broker of some description, selling either his own oil holdings or those of some company." (11) On May 19th, the Albertan stated that, "On the fourth day of the greatest little oil boom that ever occurred in the world the sun rose with unusual splendor, even for Alberta. It seemed to give promise of big things about to occur," and then proceeded to list the "big things," including the gasoline in the Dingman well gushing to a height of 2,500 feet. (12)

While neither the Herald nor the Albertan made any serious efforts to warn their readers of the dangers of improper or rash investing, the Herald did print a small article, reporting how the London Times was cautioning Calgarians. (13) This small article, however, did not compensate for the numerous articles predicting a long and successful future of the Calgary oil fields, or the ever-prevalent advertisements by various brokers. Not until the end of May did the Herald suggest that, "Unscrupulous brokers circulate rumors with idea of 'rigging' the market," noting that some brokers were falsely claiming oil was struck at specific wells. (14) Nowhere in the article, however, did the newspaper suggest readers ...