SIXTY YEARS AGO

A provincial grant totalling $81,348 has been approved for payment in support of a new elderly persons housing project under construction at Virden.

FLQ terrorists struck again with time bombs placed in mailboxes. Explosions caused critical injury to an army explosive expert, shattered six mailboxes and damaged property.

FIFTY YEARS AGO

The Brandon transit system had a whopping deficit last year of $187,958 — the highest in its history.

Radio Southern Manitoba announced today it has received clearance for the call letters CJRB for its new station under construction at Boissevain.

FORTY YEARS AGO

Lorne Gregorash, the Brandon city police constable closely associated with safety birds Safety Sal and Cautious Cal, has flown the coop. The constable has resigned from the force to take a permanent position in community relations with the Manitoba Police Commission.

The city has begun construction of a new facility for track and field directly west of the Sportsplex.

THIRTY YEARS AGO

Brandon Fire Department rescue personnel, Brandon RCMP and Cornwallis police worked for two hours to free the operator of a backhoe, owned by C & C Construction, which toppled off a low-bed carrier. The accident occurred a mile east of the Chater-Douglas road near the CPR tracks.

Federal Liberal Leader Jean Chrétien was in Virden at a barbecue in Victoria Park as part of his whirlwind tour to try to heighten the party’s profile and gain ground before the next federal election. He continues tomorrow in Neepawa and Dauphin.

More than 33,000 fans of the television series “Cheers” crowded the SkyDome to watch the show’s final episode last night. “Cheers” was a staple on Thursday nights for 11 seasons.

TWENTY YEARS AGO

The United States has temporarily banned beef imports from Canada after the first Canadian case of mad cow disease was detected in Alberta. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has now quarantined a northern Alberta farm as a result of the investigation into a single cow, after tests revealed the presence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the cow. The herd will be slaughtered, as well as any additional herds found to be at risk.

Friends and family will gather in Hamiota this weekend to mourn and celebrate the life of the renowned family physician known to everyone in town as “Doctor Ed.” John Edward Hudson began practising medicine in Hamiota when he returned from serving in the Second World War in 1946. Over his half-decade of doctoring, he delivered more than 2,000 babies. Doctor Ed died of cancer May 19 in the Hamiota District Health Centre. He was 86 years old.

TEN YEARS AGO

Brandon’s two locally owned private medical laboratories have been sold to one of Canada’s largest lab service companies, resulting in five layoffs. Brampton, Ont.-based Gamma Dynacare Medical Laboratories has acquired the labs at the Brandon Medical Clinic and the Western Medical Clinic beginning Aug. 1. As a result, all local testing will be eliminated and will be centralized to Gamma Dynacare’s new medical lab in Winnipeg, which began operations a month ago.