ONE YEAR AGO
• A youth received a maximum two-year sentence for stabbing another teen in the heart — but the victim, Tanner Chaboyer, will likely suffer for the rest of his life, Red Deer youth court heard. The 16-year-old male will spend another year in custody, followed by eight months of supervised open custody, Judge Monica Bast ruled during a sentence hearing. The maximum sentence is two years under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The sentence will be followed by a year of probation.
• A Somali journalist who was kidnapped along with Sylvan Lake freelance reporter Amanda Lindhout last August was released on Friday, but provided no information about the whereabouts or welfare of his Alberta-born colleague or her Australian photographer. Abdifatah Mohamed Elmi said clan elders negotiated his release and no ransom was paid.
FIVE YEARS AGO
• Rising natural gas and electricity costs sent chills through Central Alberta businesses, charities and community groups. Jumbo Car Wash co-owner Bernie Boisvert figured his monthly natural gas bill would be $9,000 or $10,000, up from $4,000 the year before.
• Jean Gillette, a Red Deer woman who broke the gender barrier when she briefly became Canada’s first female sheriff, died at the age of 77. After seven years of working her way up the career ladder, Gillette became one of the country’s first deputy sheriffs in 1957, with the ability to serve court warrants.
10 YEARS AGO
• The full moon went dark as Red Deer residents were treated to a total lunar eclipse.
• After two weeks of photo radar operation, police were shocked at the 1,423 photos taken — double the amount expected.
25 YEARS AGO
• Alpha Milk was considering printing pictures of lost children on milk cartons. Alpha general manager Alvin Johnstone said the industry is “sympathetic” to the idea which could help find abducted children. But “whatever we do, if we do it, will be co-ordinated with other dairies.” Mr. Johnstone said.
• Squatting on a downtown corner a stone’s throw from the railroad tracks, the Windsor Hotel had a reputation as being one of the roughest places to have a drink in Red Deer. The area near the hotel was not a favorite parking spot for motorists said city planners in a report on parking problems in the city. In the summertime, the hotel was transformed into a backdrop for bikers. But, as manager Bernie Hoffman said of the reputation the hotel had earned, “I guess when you’re No. 1, you’d better get used to it
50 YEARS AGO
• Although most snow-clearing and sanding crews had been going all-out since the first of the year and hundreds of tons of snow had been removed from the streets, the city’s snow-clearing and sanding budget was still well below the previous year’s at the same time, City Engineer Nelson Deck reported. The city was spending about $2,300 a week or $550 a day for the complete operation of winrowing the snow, loading the trucks and carrying it to the dumping areas.
• The Red Deer Jaycees agreed to turn over the operation of the local tourist booth to the Canadian Rocky Tourist association and would continue studying the feasibility of constructing larger accommodations within two years.
90 YEARS AGO
• The first divorce case in the Red Deer judicial district according to the Court records, was entered this week viz. Bell v. Bell. The plaintiff lived at Caroline and the defendant was believed to be living at Vancouver. The husband applied for dissolution of marriage on the usual statutory grounds. Mr. Quigg was acting for the plaintiff.
• Mr. F. Weaver was granted permission to install a gasoline pumping outfit opposite the old bakeshop and store on Gaetz Avenue North next to Mr. John McVicar’s on the usual terms, the tank not to be placed under the sidewalk
100 YEARS AGO
• There was talk in Edmonton and Calgary of erecting a monument to honour Albertans who had served in the Boer War in South Africa. Three Red Deer men had done so: Angus Jenkins, Chas Cruickshank and Archibald McNichol. Red Deer’s Memorial Hospital had previously been dedicated to them.
• “Improved” farmland in the area was advertised for sale at $8 to $23.50 per acre.