The Boyhood Adventures of Ernie Bill

Book excerpt: Ernest Boehnert (Baynert) was born on a farm near Carry the Kettle First Nation and grew up in the town of Wolseley, Saskatchewan. He arrived at the end of the Great Depression and the beginning of World War II. This was a turbulent time in world history. Ernie Bill’s childhood was during the 1940’s. The way of life was very different than modern times. People did not have the many technological things we take for granted today. Children often made their own entertainment because television, video games, cell phones, and electronic devices did not exist. Ernie Bill looks at this era through the eyes of a child. He provides a unique snapshot of his childhood that is descriptive, often humourous, reflective, and occasionally nostalgic. Ernie Bill captures the scene of being a boy on the prairies who had an imagination and ingenuity to meet any challenge.