Before becoming a province in 1905, Alberta was made up of Athabasca and Alberta with the Athabasca River being the border. Athabasca, on the north side was Indian Territory until 1899. No liquor was allowed into the District of Athabasca. The free flow of liquor was illegal in Soto Landing, Mirror Landing, Sawridge and Lesser Slave Lake.
As with just about any other place, there were always a few shady characters to sell to those wishing to imbibe in the forbidden liquid. Baldy Red was one of these. By all accounts he was a jovial looking fellow with a round face and a ring of bright red hair that encircled his bald spot, giving him the nickname, Baldy Red. He was sure to take any opportunity to make an extra dollar and bootlegging was one of them.
He found himself a prime opportunity when several nuns came north looking for funds to build their hospital. They were unable to arrange transportation and he was quick to offer them a ride if they did not mind riding on his crates. After their acceptance of his offer he quickly covered the chests with robes and blankets and set about on his way.
They visited each camp along the route and Baldy encouraged all of the men to give money to the Grey Nun’s. The weight of the wagon became lighter and lighter with each stop and I am sure that both the Nun’s and Baldy Red felt it was a profitable journey.
Baldy was also a bit of a horse trader. At one point he sold a brown horse with white spots to a fellow. The man who purchased the horse felt he received a fair deal until the horse disappeared.
Knowing Baldy’s reputation for trickery he went to find him. Baldy swore up & down he didn't have a brown horse with white spots. And he didn’t. What he did have though was a brown horse that had recently had a bath. It looked remarkably like the horse he had sold to the fellow other than the absence of white spots. Needless to say Baldy did not last long in the horse trading business.
Baldy even made his way into the book, Mrs. Mike, a fictional account of Katherine Flannigan and her husband, NWMP Officer Mike Flannigan. When they arrive at Grouard, Baldy was locked in the ’cage’. He was definitely more of the colorful characters that matched wits with the RNWMP in this area.