LOOKBACK: Mills left out of shadow cabinet

ONE YEAR AGO

• Help was on the way to deal with Alberta’s gasoline shortage. Power outages at some refineries in the province, caused by a severe storm on July 18, temporarily halted production. At the same time, some refineries were down for planned maintenance or upgrades. But Suncore was doing what it could to fill the demand as the gasoline supply is restocked, she said.

• Hail as large as golf balls and winds of up to 120 km/h were reported in Central Alberta during a thunderstorm that ripped through the province early Saturday evening. In Red Deer, Rock’n Red Deer participants had to run to the parking lot to put up windows and convertible tops and to quickly tear down tents in the midst of the storm.

FIVE YEARS AGO

• An electronics recycling plant in Rimbey that once held out the prospect of 100 jobs announced it was relocating to Airdire. Officials pulled the plug in Rimbey because the bulk of the company’s old computers and televisions came from Calgary and Southern Alberta.

• Frustration and confusion surrounded Jackpot Casino’s expansion plans. The Parkvale Community Association Association feared it would not have enough time to gather input from local residents before the deadline calling for public comment.

10 YEARS AGO

• Just in time for the long weekend, Pine Lake reopened for swimming, fishing and boating for the first time following the July 14 tornado. A flotilla decorated with lights circling the lake after dark was intended to kick start a weekend of activity.

• Red Deer MP Bob Mills, who had held a senior critic’s position ever since being elected to parliament, was shocked to be left out of the shadow cabinet under new Alliance leader and former Red Deer North MLA Stockwell Day. Mills had supported Preston Manning over Day in the leadership race.

25 YEARS AGO

• There was a possibility Red Deer could see a nursing home and senior citizen’s lodge on the old Ex grounds within two years. Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre board chairman Merv Hewson sent city council a letter requesting it to landbank three acres of city land for a 100-bed nursing home.

• A gravel truck that was abandoned for a year at the Red Deer industrial airport was finally going to be removed. Abandoned beside Hangar 3, the three-ton truck had been sitting there unclaimed and unwanted ever since, said Hector Bessette, manager of industrial airport.

50 YEARS AGO

• Red Deer got a high rating for business vitality in a new national survey released by Sales Management. Family earnings locally in 1959 were high, it found, resulting in good retail. The figures bearing this out were contained in its annual, copyrighted “Survey of Buying Power,” which analyzed markets in every section of Canada and the United States. Residents of Red Deer had net earnings during the year after deduction of personal taxes, of $25,605.600, exceeding the previous year’s $19,795.00

• The Canadian Forestry Association’s tree planting rail car, in its fourth year of operation through the prairie provinces, was in Red Deer. Films were shown and discussion held on tree planting. In charge of the car was Ralph, H. Dunlop, on loan from the Forest Nursery Service at Indian Head. The purpose of the tree planting car was to give information on the right type of trees to plant for the purpose required, in the right soil and in the right place, in the agricultural areas throughout the prairie.

90 YEARS AGO

• Otto Fankhanel stole a new Chevrolet car from J.C. Leslie station agent at New Norway, took off the number plate from the engine and removed the serial number and took the car to Donalda, where he was arrested by Constable Doherty of the Bashaw detachment of the A.P.P. Fankhanel was tried before Police Magistrate Jackson and sentenced to two years.

• The 1920 Sylvan Lake Regatta held under the auspices of the Sylvan Lake Publicity Association, which came to a successful conclusion on Wednesday evening, was most elaborate and carefully planned event which has taken place at the popular summer resort in many years and the committee in charge, under the able direction of Mr. H. W. Willson, the President, and the people of Sylvan Lake generally, had every reason to be proud of the success of their efforts.

100 YEARS AGO

• Despite windstorms and rainstorms that forced the cancellation of some events, Canadian Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier received a “great welcome’’ during a two-day visit to Red Deer. “The resources of the town were taxed pretty well to the limit and they responded nobly,’’ reported the Alberta Advocate. While here, Laurier drove the first spike for the Alberta Central Railway.