Looking back - 1987: Interest free loan proposal gets cool response from ag minister

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Cecil Pittman
The Neepawa Press

80 years ago Friday, July 30,1937
The CNR has decided to discontinue the use of its horse drawn express wagon in the local service and the truck provided for this purpose will be put into operation next month.

70 years ago Thursday, July 31, 1947
After breaking the high jump record in Brandon, Bob Baker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Milton Baker, of Neepawa, went on to win the junior “A” high jump at the Canadian track and field championships in Edmonton, Alberta. To bring home the title, Bob leapt a height of 5’ 7 1/8” (1.74 m). Another Manitoban, Winnipeg’s Miss. Betty Mitchelle won the 100 meter women’s dash.

60 years ago Thursday, July 25, 1957
Reverend Wm Earl McDonald will assume charge of Neepawa United Church on Sunday, August 4. Mr. McDonald comes to Neepawa from St.John’s United Church, Winnipeg, where he has served as a minister for the past thirteen years.

50 years ago Tuesday, July 25, 1967
Consisting of one major “ball” (about one and a half inches in diameter) and several fragments which appear to have flaked off the main piece, the unknown object was found close to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Trevor Wilson in Kelwood. Mrs. Wilson discovered the fragments Friday afternoon, only about three feet away from her house. Her attention was drawn by the burned appearance of the pieces, since there was nothing in the Wilson home to produce such coals. Best guess locally is that the fragments are part of a meteorite. There is a bit of a sulphur like odour from the burned pieces.

40 years ago Thursday, July 28, 1977
Training facilities in building construction will be erected as part of the Neepawa Collegiate, pending approval by the vocational branch of the Department of Education; it was announced at the Beautiful Plains School board meeting on Tuesday. The facilities, with a projected minimum of 5,000 to 6,000 square feet, would be financed by the government.

30 years ago Wednesday, July 22, 1987
Neepawa’s self-proclaimed Farmer’s Advocate says provincial government adoption of his suggested interest-free loans to Manitoba farmers would be a “bold step”. But Ken Waddell harbors no illusions that his  proposition will be readily accepted by the province. In fact, during a recent telephone press conference between reporters and Agriculture Minister Bill Uruski, Uruski hung up when asked his opinion on the proposal. Waddell, who goes to bat for farmers experiencing financial difficulty as a consultant, said the plan would be financed through general government revenues and an agricultural bond. Besides the minister’s rather cool response to the idea, Waddell said he also presented the proposal to the Manitoba Agriculture Credit Corporation board, whose members have shown a lukewarm response.

20 years ago Monday, July 28, 1997
Manitoba had the highest drowning rate for children under the age of five last year. The Manitoba branch of the lifesaving society said children and teens are twice as likely to drown than any other Manitobans. Most drownings take place in lakes and rivers in the North and Interlake.

10 years ago Monday, July 23, 2007
The owner of TAC Ventures says he has already taken measures to prevent a workplace accident similar to the one that injured a worker earlier this month. Jack Falk said new workers will be given more training before being asked to complete some tasks. “I don’t need anybody hurt,” Falk said, adding the accident that pinned a worker between two bins was a first for him after 27 years in the waste disposal business.