Looking Back — Jan. 27, 2024

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/01/2024 (600 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SIXTY YEARS AGO

Brentwood Village, the latest in Brandon’s restaurant facilities, is now open and it includes “The Living Room,” Brandon’s only steak house. It is located half a mile south of Richmond Avenue on Highway 10 and employs one of Canada’s best chefs, Jack Thompson, who operates the business with two other Brandon businessmen, Peter Kardash and Dennis Steere.

Victor Airley was recently re-elected to the board of trustees of Bradwardine consolidated elementary school. Jack Jones was elected vice-chairman. Trustees are Alex Veitch, Mrs. T. Gerrard and Allan Ross. J.E. Ramsey was named secretary- treasurer.

FIFTY YEARS AGO

Elementary school athletes got their first opportunity to run on the Keystone Centre banked track this morning in a three-hour track meet. It was a preliminary meet leading up to the Knights of Columbus inaugural indoor games, which started this afternoon featuring 20 western Manitoba high schools and about 300 athletes.

It became official tonight: Ron Chipperfield, star centre with the Brandon Wheat Kings, is Manitoba’s male athlete of the year. Joining him in provincial limelight is speed skater Sylvia Burka, as female athlete of the year.

FORTY YEARS AGO

A provincial government report recommends delaying construction of Brandon’s eagerly awaited eastern access route until at least 1996.

An Air Canada jetliner made an emergency landing at Winnipeg International Airport yesterday after a cigarette fell out of an ashtray and filled the cockpit with smoke.

Three security guards kept watch over Premier Howard Pawley last night as an outraged crowd of about 800 people descended on the legislature, angry over the NDP government’s plan to go ahead over widespread opposition with a bill and resolution expanding French- language services.

THIRTY YEARS AGO

A 16-team field has been assembled for the Manitoba Scott Tournament of Hearts, which began in Virden today. No fewer than six former champions are skipping rinks. Those include Valour Road’s Chris Moore, Fort Rouge’s Connie Laliberte, Deer Lodge’s Darcy Robertson, Fort Garry’s Cathy Overton, Gimli’s Patti Vande and the Brandon Club’s Maureen Bonar.

Creating larger school divisions will undermine the quality of education and way of life in many rural centres, a commission studying Manitoba boundaries was told. The Manitoba School Divisions/Districts Boundaries Review Commission, formed last fall, was in Brandon yesterday. It is the first comprehensive review of the province’s 56 divisions and districts since 1959.

TWENTY YEARS AGO

Employee sick leave is costing the Brandon Regional Health Authority more and more money. According to the RHA’s most recent corporate indicators report, sick leave cost the health authority $256,694 in November 2003. That’s up from $224,952 in October, and sick leave costs this fiscal year have been consistently higher than in the last fiscal year. Projections are that each full-time employee will likely use an average of 9.5 sick days this year.

TEN YEARS AGO

It may be an understatement to say Manitoba’s NDP government is likely to get trounced in two byelections on Tuesday. Political observers are expecting thorough drubbings in Morris and Arthur-Virden — two constituencies that were already Progressive Conservative strongholds — as voters get their first chance to weigh in on the government’s increase to the provincial sales tax.

Almost a year after it was revealed water in some Brandon homes contained high amounts of lead, no homeowners have taken the city up on its pipe replacement program.