ONE YEAR AGO
• It’s still uncertain when Sylvan Lake freelance journalist Amanda Lindhout would return to Canada.The former Advocate columnist and an Australian photographer Nigel Brennan were freed after 15 months in captivity in Somalia. The two made their way by chartered plane to Nairobi, Kenya, to reunite with family and to receive medical treatment.
• The motorcycle seat bar stools seemed like the perfect way to jazz up his garage. But Jody Topley had no idea one of the stools was a ticking time bomb. While on the phone, he was shocked when one of the stools exploded less than a metre away. “There was pretty big fireball, like probably about the size of a fitness ball, three feet in diameter,” he said. “There was just a huge percussion, like a giant bang. It blew stuff off the walls in my garage.” The blast scorched his wrist, partially melted his shirt and burned his pants. Tiny chunks of plastic were also shot into his leg.
FIVE YEARS AGO
• A violent theft sent shock waves through the business community. Sharon Fisher, president of the Downtown Business Association, was severely beaten while working alone in her lingerie shop on the main floor of the Town Centre Mall. Her door was closed. People in neighbouring stores did not hear her screams.
10 YEARS AGO
• Night surgeries were cancelled, some clinics closed and the Red Deer hospital emergency room filled up as doctors started job action in Central Alberta to pressure the province into raising fees and improving working conditions. Doctor’s offices in Ponoka, Trochu, Innisfail, Rocky Mountain House, Sylvan Lake and Lacombe were to close for one or two days on a rotating schedule, while Red Deer clinics followed suit.
• A Red Deer family was saved by a trip to a fast-food restaurant, when their Riverside Meadows home was literally blown apart by a natural gas explosion as they ate supper.
25 YEARS AGO
• Twelve midwives representing 110 across the province banded together in Red Deer in an attempt to have midwifery legalized in Alberta. The Alberta Association of Midwives was formally established at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre, during a meeting of the Alberta Midwifery Task Force. “We’re working towards the legislation of midwifery as an independent profession,” said Mary Houston, professor at the School of Nursing in Lethbridge.
• And you thought Cabbage Patch Kids were the rage. ‘The hottest item in Alberta was the Oil Patch Kid, brainchild of a 40 year old Edmonton women who designed the doll with oil companies in mind — at least at first anyway. She sold 12,000 in 88 days and orders for more were backed-up for two months. Locally Oil Patch Kids were sold at Avenue Gallery of Teak, The Balloon Hut and Williams Stationary.
50 YEARS AGO
• A campaign for at least 500 charter memberships in the Red Deer Family “Y” was launched as appeals for strong public and company support of the community project were made to the local Rotary and Lions clubs at their regular meetings by officials of the provisional “Y” board and several YMCA officials from Calgary.
• Red Deer’s first night shopping experience went off in reasonable fashion according to merchants. A steady stream of customers visited most establishments with food stores doing the bulk of the business. Store spokesmen agreed that the night shopping would probably be well patronized at least until Christmas, but there were doubts of its acceptance in the usually “slow” months after the first of the year. However, customers were unanimous in their appreciation of the evening hours, enabling families to do their shopping together, leaving the weekend clear for other activities.
90 YEARS AGO
• On Thursday afternoon, Mr. H. G. Stone was charged with infraction of a provision of section 238 of the Criminal Code which gives as one definition of a loose, idle, or disorderly person or vagrant one who makes a disturbance in a public place by swearing. The incident which led up to the charge was the presence of Mr. Stone and Mr. Jacques, undertakers at the C.P.R. station at Red Deer on Tuesday afternoon to meet the remains of Mr. Field coming in by that train. An encounter took place on the platform and the circumstances of which the charge was based. Mr. Stone pleaded Not guilty. Mr. Russell K.C., appeared for the complainant. Mr. Jacques and Mr. Payce for the accused, Mr. Stone.
• The chicken supper held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Heywood last Friday evening under the auspices of the Crossroads U.F.A. and U.F.W.A. Was highly successful. There was a large attendance of town and district people well over one hundred being present. The ladies did themselves proud in the splendid supper they put up and the service was excellent. A dance followed at which the young people had a big time. The proceeds will be about $100.
100 YEARS AGO
• The caretaker for the skating rink put in a new gas-powered, 3,000-candle power lighting outfit for night skating.
• Town council considered a street numbering system, with street names on each corner. The cost of the system was estimated at $225.