- Ath 18.23
- Person
- 1907 - 1997
Leslie Spence was born in 1907 and came west with his parents, Percy and Dorothea Spence, in 1909. Percy homesteaded SE 28-66-23 W4 and worked for the HBCo. transporting freight scows on the Athabasca River. Leslie had five brothers and three sisters. Leslie attended school at West Athabasca School after 1914 when it was opened. He helped his father freighting, including driving a freight team to Wabasca when he was 12 with brother Earl, Dave Wilson, Pete Jacobsen, Art Cullins and others. They freighted fish from Calling Lake for J. Macintosh in the 1920s. Leslie bought SW 25-66-22 W4 in 1950 and farmed hay and oats, and had cattle and horses. The 1975, Athabasca Legion Branch 103 honored Leslie by bestowing on him their Citizen of the Year Award.