Looking back - 1966: Drive Inn fire leaves three families homeless
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- Published on Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Neepawa Press Archives. 50 years ago: Tuesday, Feb. 22, 1966: Evan’s Drive Inn Restaurant demolished by the worst fire in years.
By Cecil Pittman
The Neepawa Press
80 years ago Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1936
Charles Martin has received recognition for his efforts in connection with his cattle. He is now the possessor of a fully accredited herd, Dr. Faskins, of the Dominion Livestock Branch, having been here last week to take the final test. To win this certificate, the herd must be tested twice, a year between each test, with no reaction both times.
70 years ago Thursday, Feb. 28, 1946
The new $10,000 pasteurization plant of C. W. Martin was expected to be in operation early this week. Last Friday, Mr. Martin awaited a new stoker before beginning operation. With the operation of this plant, the sale of raw milk in Neepawa will be prohibited and Mr. Martin will supply every one in Neepawa if the milk supply permits. The plant is capable of handling 1,000 quarts of milk a day.
60 years ago Thursday, Feb. 28, 1956
Six persons were left homeless at Eden and a hardware store was destroyed as a result of a fire which broke out at about 11 o’clock Tuesday morning at Eden. Neither the cause of the fire nor amount of damage was determined at Press time. Insurance was carried on the building. Mrs. and Mervin Chorneyko and four children ranging from eight years to four months lost their home and complete contents when the store, owned by Fred Chorneyko and son, were burned to the ground.
Courtesy of Cecil Pittman archives. Evan’s Drive Inn before and after being demolished by the fire.
50 years ago Tuesday, Feb. 22, 1966
Drive Inn fire worst in years: two storey building reduced to rubble in minutes. Explosion and fire ripped through Evan’s Drive Inn Friday, completely destroying the two-storey concrete building and leaving three families homeless. Cause of the blast was still under investigation this week.
Twelve people who were in the building at the time managed to escape the flames; only one person was seriously injured. Firemen and police describe this escape as “miraculous”.
The explosion occurred at 6:10 pm.
40 years ago Thursday, Feb. 26, 1967
Kem retires as reporter: small towns across the prairies are all pretty much the same. A grain elevator or two, a coffee row where businessmen congregate to discuss local happenings and local farmers drop in to catch up on the news. Every town has a special character that everybody knows and instantly recognizes. Neepawa too boasts such a character. Kemmi Frampton, as sports reporter for the Neepawa Press, will retire Friday, Feb. 27, after almost 28 years on the job.
Short, stub, garrulous Kemmi is known to everyone who ever attended a Neepawa hockey or baseball game. He has literally thousands of friends and acquaintances throughout Manitoba. His scanning sports column contains a potpourri of information on the latest sport happening and his amazing memory often brings to life events that happened decades ago.
30 years ago Thursday, Feb. 27, 1986
Neepawa’s hog processing plant has been given the green light by Ottawa to complete construction, says the plant’s general manager.
“Agriculture Canada stamped the blue prints last Thursday and has given us conditional approval upon acceptance of environment, “ said Jack Irish. Construction on the Spring Hill Farm processing industry east of Neepawa slowed down last week while the Provincial water services board MUMA Engineering Limited and the Town of Neepawa studied various sewage proposals.
20 years ago Monday, Feb. 27, 1996
Marie Wisnoski took shelter under an umbrella during last Thursday’s pouring rain.
After above normal highs last week, temperatures this week are expected to remain well below normal.
10 years ago Monday, Feb. 27, 2006
When she recently watched a television program about a little girl with cancer, six-year-old Kennedy Baker of Neepawa wanted to help.
Initially, the first grader wasn’t too sure what she could do. But then, it came to her. That little girl with no hair could use a wig made out of Kennedy’s hair – which, prior to Wednesday, tumbled down to the middle of her back. “This was all her idea,” Kennedy’s mother Jodi Baker said as Kennedy sat in the chair at Venus Hair and Body Care, waiting for stylist Lori McIntosh to make the big cut Wednesday afternoon.
“This isn’t going to hurt a bit,” McIntosh assured Kennedy. While Kennedy handled the big change well, quietly pronouncing it “okay”, mom Jodi admitted to mixed feelings.
“This is her first major haircut in years,” Jodi said. “It’s all we talked about for the past three weeks, I wanted her to be sure.”
McIntosh cut off one foot of Kennedy’s hair. That’s the minimum length the Mississauga-based Child’s Voice Foundation requires to make wigs for children with cancer.
