ONE YEAR AGO
• Central Alberta farmers were in a desperate race with Jack Frost as they tried to make the best of a poor growing season. Many were swathing crops or spraying them with desiccating agents to accelerate the curing process, said Neil Whatley, a crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s Ag-Info Centre in Stettler. The result would be lower yields, but that would be better than the poor grades caused by frost damage.
• Schools weren’t just preparing to teach students about reading and writing, but also how to protect themselves from a flu pandemic. The emphasis at public schools in Red Deer would be on infection prevention, said Bruce Buruma, director of community relations with the Red Deer Public School District. Teachers would be going over coughing and sneezing etiquette and handwashing techniques.
FIVE YEARS AGO
• The Alberta government announced plans to spend $29 million to expand Red Deer College to meet a growing demand for skilled trades. Construction plans included the initial phase of the Healthy Community Complex, a sports and wellness facility.
• Bryce and Marie-Rose Scratch used a nine-metre poplar tree as a makeshift bridge after four floods submerged their land in a low-lying area downstream of the Garrington Bridge. Area residents had warned the province that a bridge and dike on the Red Deer River would eventually force the river through their properties.
10 YEARS AGO
• Red Deer College received an $11-million boost of provincial funding for expansion. The money was part of a $200-million package the government distributed to Alberta post-secondary institutions from oil and gas windfalls. Red Deer College’s disproportionate share was based on the fact it had the highest number of students per square foot in the province.
• Former Red Deer North MLA Stockwell Day began his tumultuous career as a federal MP with a landslide byelection win in the Okanagan-Coquihalla riding. At the same time, Conservative leader Joe Clark won a byelection in Nova Scotia, but two of his Quebec MPs defected to the Liberal party.
25 YEARS AGO
• A group of Highland Green residents who had gardens on public land were given two weeks by city council to prepare a brief stating why they should be able to till. About half a dozen of the feisty Hill Crescent gardeners showed up a city council to ask for the delay in order to ready their case. Mayor Bob McGhee recommended that council ask the gardeners to get off public property.
• The last few runs of the Via Rail Dayliner were heavy with nostalgia and irony. The runs marked the end of 94 years of passenger service between Calgary and Edmonton that began when the Canadian Pacific Railway completed the 300 km rail line in 1891. Many passengers aboard the last run to Calgary took the trip to share in a part of history. One of those was Cecil Swanson of Lacombe, who had been a railroad man for almost 40 years before his retirement.
50 YEARS AGO
• New radar equipment, purchased by the City of Red Deer for $2,100, was the first of its kind in the province. It would be used by the RCMP city detail in enforcing the city’s 30 m.p.h. speed limit and the school and playground zone 20 m.p.h. limits. Described as “most efficient” and “foolproof” by the RCMP officials, the radar equipment employs no tell-tale cords across the road as the electric timer used previously had.
• Red Deer Municipal Hospital, like every hospital in Canada, received a free emergency supply of Staphcillin, the new synthetic penicillin which combats “golden staph” bacteria infections that plagued many hospitals. Red Deer hospital matron Miss Kim McCalister, told the Advocate that the institution had not bee informed of the shipment of the medication but that the new penicillin would be a “wonderful” advance against hospital infection.
90 YEARS AGO
• Some Innisfail parties had been giving the police trouble for a few days and one night attempted to rough house at the Commercial Cafe using disgraceful language as the result of booze they had brought with them. Chief Anderson was soon on deck and arrested two of the group of four.
One broke away from him and three got away in their car while the Chief was landing the fourth man in the cells. The Chief followed them on his bicycle and came up to them while they were consulting as to their course. Becoming suspicious of his questions they broke away in the bush but the Chief patiently waited and got two of them; the other fellow Geo Steedman, getting to Innisfail and being arrested there. He was fined $20 for having liquor in his possession in a public place.
100 YEARS AGO
• Excavation work began on the new $30,000 Bank of Commerce block on Ross Avenue. The brick building was to have a 50-foot front and be about 40 feet high.
• The Red Deer Cricket Club fell to Pine Lake in a Labour Day contest. The Advocate noted Pine Lake had strengthened its team considerably with the addition of some key players and was expected to field a good team next season.