Looking back - 1976: “The Golden Jet” visits Big Valley Ranch
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- Published on Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Photo courtesy of Larry Evans. 40 years ago; Thursday, July 22, 1976: Bobby Hull, Winnipeg Jets captain, attended the official ceremonies for Big Valley Guest Ranch.
By Cecil Pittman
The Neepawa Press
80 years ago Friday, July 24, 1936
Keith Ralph, who was the only one of a group of Neepawa young people who wrote the civil service examinations here recently to pass them, received a telegram this week to report for duty in Ottawa next Monday. He will be employed in the department engaged in census recording.
70 years ago Thursday, July 25, 1946
F. C. McConnell has tendered his resignation as local agent for the Pool elevator at Kelwood and has been succeeded by Eric Dennison, of Broomhill, MB. The elevator, formerly operated by the Western Canada Flour Mills, was started at this point in 1910. The late William McConnell acted as first agent. He retired in 1924 and was succeeded by his son F. C. McConnell, who has served the public since then. Mr. McConnell has purchased the property from the CNR on the east side of town and is building on the site. He will operate a fur farm. Mr. Dennison will occupy the former McConnell residence and will be joined by his wife and two children shortly.
60 years ago Thursday, July 27, 1956
Edgar E. Smee, president of the Neepawa Home and School Association, was guest speaker at the monthly dinner meeting of the Neepawa District Junior Chamber of Commerce, which was held recently in the Moonlight Banquet Room. He was introduced to the meeting by the vice-president of the Jaycees, Jack Huxley, and spoke on the Larger School Area Organization.
Mr. Smee’s topic aroused the interest and close attention of the meeting when he explained the stages of organization in the Larger School Area system. He pointed out how such a system would operate to the advantage of this district and stated that it would be a more efficient system administratively, give greater educational opportunities to the larger area and make a higher standard of teaching possible for the whole area.
50 years ago Friday, July 22, 1966
Congratulations: The storm, which hit Neepawa last weekend, had many undesirable results, but it did show that our public service workers can be relied on in an emergency.
Immediately after the storm struck, hydro, telephone and town crews were out repairing damage and restoring services.
Numerous hydro and telephone services were knocked out, but were quickly restored. Streets which were rendered impassable were quickly cleared up.
While there is still a lot of work to be done in the damaged area, we would like to express our appreciation, and that of the affected citizens, for the prompt action taken by these men.
40 years ago Thursday, July 22, 1976
Grant Kennedy’s dream of a year-round recreational resort came one step closer to reality Saturday, as the Big Valley Guest Ranch officially opened its gates to the public, with dignitaries Premier Ed Schreyer, Reeve Gordon Stewart and Winnipeg Jet captain Bobby Hull attending the ceremonies.
The ranch, located 12 miles north of Neepawa, has been billed by its promoters as “one of the undiscovered wonders of Manitoba,” and within a few years, should be “one of the best resorts in Manitoba since the Cypress Hills,” which brings us to the reason of why such an official opening is only the early stages of the valley’s development.
30 years ago Thursday, July 24, 1986
A committee has made a formal offer to purchase the former childhood home of the noted author Margaret Laurence.
Simpson Home Committee chairman Ivan Traill explained the province has agreed the home at 312 1st Avenue will be declared a historic site once the committee takes ownership.
“We have made an offer of purchase of $40,000, and we expect that the reply will be the affirmative,” he said.
Once the committee has bought the home, it will apply to the Department of Cultural, Heritage and Recreation to have the home declared a historic site, said Traill.
“With that object in mind, we have agreed to incorporate and form a committee that will be responsible for the house. “
20 years ago Monday, July 23, 1996
The sale of the Neepawa Natives to a group of three local investors was approved in principle at an emergency meeting of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League team’s shareholders last Wednesday.
Terms of the sale will not be announced and the principals of the ownership group said they did not want their names made public until the sale is completed this Thursday.
“Until the sale is final, there really isn’t a sale,” said the group’s spokesman.
The Natives shareholders considered two purchase offers at last week’s meeting before accepting the one presented by the group that includes two shareholders from the team’s current ownership structure.
10 years ago Monday, July 24, 2006
HEAT KILLING CROPS: Two weeks of hot, dry weather with no rain forecast has wilted crops and turned June and July of 2006 into the driest on record.
Manitoba Agriculture Crops branch manager Rob Park said early seeded crops are likely to survive the hot spell. But crops already flowering, such as flax, canola and cereals, may not fair as well, Park said.
“You start to see a pretty rapid decrease in yield potential,” said Park. “It’s losing percentage day by day.” Park said many regions of the province have received half the normal amount of precipitation for this time of year – a stark contrast to one year ago, when many crops were drowned out by too much rain.
