Looking back — July 17, 2023

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/07/2023 (1151 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SIXTY YEARS AGO

N. Whitby Kerr, veteran Brandon lawyer and businessman, died today at the age of 74. Kerr, senior partner in the law firm Kerr, Meighen and Haddad and chairman of the board of Anglo Canadian Oil Co., had been ailing for the past two years.

Premier Duff Roblin, the down-east music of Don Messer and his orchestra, provincial water ski championships and harness racing are just a few of the attractions at the Minnedosa’s Farmers’ Festival which opened today with the staging of the Minnedosa Agricultural Society Fair.

FIFTY YEARS AGO

Plans for the expansion of facilities at the Red Oak Inn in Brandon were announced today by Robert A. Clement, QC legal representation of the owners of the CP Hotel.

The Brandon branch of the Royal Canadian Legion has not been granted permission to hold bingo games at the Provincial Exhibition this year.

FORTY YEARS AGO

An Ontario woman who was struck by lightning while riding a motorcycle on the Trans-Canada Highway last night is in critical condition at Brandon General Hospital.

Six Canadian communications experts working in Saudi Arabia have been warned they will be publicly flogged if they are found working again during daily Islamic prayer hours, an MTS official said.

THIRTY YEARS AGO

The Brandon school board is putting its foot down on sharing the division’s programs with private schools. Trustees voted last night against a request to provide Bethel Christian Academy access to the band program at Harrison Junior High School this fall.

Brandon General Hospital will be expanding its dialysis service next month to help relieve its congested patient load. Manitoba Health has provided the hospital with $181,000 to extend the service which now operates six days a week plus three nights a week.

Brandon’s Resby Coutts has been appointed executive director of Brandon World ’95 — the organizing committee of the 1995 world men’s and women’s curling championships.

TWENTY YEARS AGO

Brandon’s big growth spurt could induce a sharp pain this fall when contractors start looking for people to build or expand city businesses. More than $100 million will be spent on construction starting this autumn, with the first parts of Shindico’s $85-million big-box store development on the North Hill scheduled to start going up. Expansions are also planned for Nexen Chemicals and Maple Leaf Pork and next spring, Canad Inns starts building its $16-million hotel at the Keystone Centre. Tack this on top of a $58-million expansion to the Brandon Regional Health Centre as well as numerous housing construction starts and Canad CEO Leo Ledohowski fears there could be an acute shortage of skilled labour in the next year.

TEN YEARS AGO

The 400 block of Fifth Street is getting a complete overhaul. Everything from the sewer system and the water main to the sidewalks and pavement will be replaced. “We’re going to replace the sewer main first … it’s in pretty bad shape,” said Bernie Everett, charge hand with the city’s engineering department. “Then we’ll do the water main and do all the services … it’s a complete job.”

Recently published historical research says hungry Indigenous children and adults were once used as unwitting subjects in nutritional experiments by Canadian government bureaucrats.