Looking back — March 11, 2024

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/03/2024 (916 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SIXTY YEARS AGO

Some 170 voters went to the polls in the Oak River First Nation today and elected a 60-year-old father of 10 as chief of the reserve. Jim Blacksmith, a former councillor of the reserve, was elected over the six other candidates for the post which involves guiding the seven-man council.

Britain broke out her flags and fired 21- and 41-gun salutes today to celebrate the birth of a son to Queen Elizabeth. This is the fourth child and the third son for the Royal couple.

FIFTY YEARS AGO

No foul play is suspected in the fire that gutted the IGA, Codville warehouse and Bottomley furniture building on the North Hill yesterday that caused more than $300,000 damage, Jack Carey, assistant provincial fire commissioner said today. A total of 18 full-time and two part-time employees are out of work today because of the fire.

A language laboratory, built with a $50,000 grant from the federal-provincial bilingual support program has been installed at Brandon University and was scheduled to open today.

FORTY YEARS AGO

Six new members have been elected to the board of directors of Westman Media Co-operative Ltd. Larry Clark and Doug Wotton of Brandon, John Maskell and Gerry Wachsmann of Dauphin, Garry Boyce of Swan River and Tony Maunder of Killarney were elected by shareholders in a mail-in ballot.

About 125 angry producers came to the defence of a Reston-area farmer whose land went on the auction block yesterday. The auction was later called off and the farm was not sold.

THIRTY YEARS AGO

Brandon General Hospital executive director Larry Todd said the province recently agreed to provide $55,000 in interim funding so the hospital can extend the operating hours of its mammography unit. Beginning March 28, and for the following 26 weeks, the unit will be open for five additional hours.

Prominent Manitoba native judge Murray Sinclair spoke to about 200 students in the closing ceremonies of the Brandon Aboriginal Youth Conference this weekend.

TWENTY YEARS AGO

Canad Inns could clear its final hurdle March 24 when the Keystone Centre board votes to approve or reject the final plans for the hotel chain’s 13-storey skyscraper on 18th Street. Officials from Canad visited Brandon this week and brought board members up to speed on the conceptual plans for the new hotel, expected to be built after the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair ends April 3 and attach to the existing Keystone structure.

When staff members of the Brandon Regional Health Authority gather at the Royal Oak Inn tonight, it will be to honour 244 employees who have racked up 4,460 years of service. More than 70 of the people to be honoured at the long service reception, including doctors, nurses, support staff and administrators, have worked with or for the RHA for more than 25 years.

TEN YEARS AGO

The buzz in the Meadows School gym was palpable as students erupted when Olympic curler Kaitlyn Lawes walked through the door. The pint-sized powerhouse curler could have passed as a student when she walked in, if not for one important distinction — the shiny gold medal dangling from her neck. “It’s been a whirlwind pretty much since we won the Olympic trials in December,” Lawes said. From talk shows to NHL games, Lawes — who plays third with skip Jennifer Jones, second Jill Officer, formerly of Brandon, and lead Dawn McEwen — has zig-zagged the country sharing her Olympic story.