Looking Back — April 2, 2024

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/04/2024 (891 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SIXTY YEARS AGO

Preliminary work is underway today on a 22-unit addition to the North Hill Motel, owner Ron Relf has announced. The units are being constructed just south of the west wing of the existing motel and will cost an estimated $85,000 for construction alone.

Beverley McDonald, 13, handled a steer almost nine times as heavy as she is to win a Winter Fair award won by her father 30 years ago. Bev, who’s from Brookdale, won the boys’ and girls’ calf feeding competition handling an 850-pound steer named Prince. Her father, W.L. McDonald, won the same award three times in the 1930s. At the 1934 Manitoba Winter Fair, he was reserve champion — but his father, E.S. MacDonald, showed the grand champion steer at the 1934 Toronto Royal show.

FIFTY YEARS AGO

The Gilbert brothers of Brandon have done well at the light horse show in Regina. To date, they have picked up five placings.

Mike Hofer of Hillside Hutterite Colony in Justice swept the top awards at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair egg show again this year.

Three western Manitobans have been elected to the executive of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society — Roger Anton of Wawanesa, Doug Baylis of Killarney and John Collins of Russell.

FORTY YEARS AGO

Mayor Ken Burgess cut the ribbon to officially open the Centennial Library-Arts Centre of Western Manitoba yesterday. The opening was a culmination of two years of planning and $3 million in renovations to a vacant building on the corner of Sixth Street and Princess Avenue. The centre’s new tenants also include the Brandon Allied Arts Council and the West-man Multicultural Council.

A group of Manitoba motorcyclists opposed to mandatory helmet laws plans to challenge the legislation in court, says a founder of the group leading the fight.

THIRTY YEARS AGO

Hugh Graham, the king of the Light Horse Show’s open jumper class a year ago, retained his crown in grand fashion before a jam-packed Keystone Centre crowd last night. Graham capped off another brilliant stint by winning the first-, third- and fifth-place ribbons in the prestigious Canadian Pacific Rail Grand Prix championships.

Many rural residents are delighted to discover that aerial photographs of their farms, taken in the 1950s, are still available. Homestead Aerial Farm Photos, a company from Calgary, purchased the negatives of all farms in rural Manitoba and did a brisk business this week at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair selling these photos.

TWENTY YEARS AGO

Improving job opportunities in his community is topping the to-do list of Sioux Valley Dakota Nation’s new leader, Vince Tacan. Tacan won the recent election with 185 votes, followed by Frank H. McKay (113 votes), Vince Ironman (93 votes) and Ken McKay (83 votes). The election was Tacan’s fourth run for leadership of the band.

TEN YEARS AGO

For Amanda Stott, performing at the 107th Royal Manitoba Winter Fair is like a big family reunion. “It’s wonderful to be home,” the blonde singer told a large crowd from the main stage inside the Keystone Centre’s Convention Hall Tuesday afternoon. “It’s already been 18 years since I last performed here.”

Eight people face charges following a seven-month investigation into drug trafficking in Dauphin. RCMP announced Tuesday that Project Debrief concluded with searches and the arrests of eight Dauphin residents between Friday and Monday. Police seized about 450 grams of marijuana and 15 grams of cocaine.