Looking Back - 1947: Canadian Pacific freight train derailed
- Details
- Published on Friday, November 10, 2017
Cecil Pittman
The Neepawa Banner & Press
80 years ago
Tuesday, November 9, 1937
The Salvation Army hall was filled to capacity on Friday night for the annual fowl supper which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Army’s activities in Neepawa. George Dinsdale, of Brandon, was the chairman for the program which included selections by the band, readings by Mrs. M. Ross and Mrs. Jas. Martin, vocal solos by Chas. Bate and Mrs. R. Lowe and duets by Misses Eileen Williams and Joyce Lowe, and Ruth and Joyce Lowe.
70 years ago
Tuesday, November 13, 1947
On Wednesday afternoon last, a Canadian Pacific freight train proceeding east struck the derail at the crossing of the C.P.R. and C.N.R. northwest of town and piled into the ditch. The eastbound train was coming down a heavy grade. The locomotive and ten cars of grain went off the tracks. The locomotive turned over and the grain cars splintered into matchwood with their contents spread far and wide, littered the right of way. Trucks were soon on the job removing the grain to local elevators and there would be little grain lost. Official investigation as to the cause of the accident has not yet been completed. Fortunately, no one was injured.
60 years ago
Thursday, November 13, 1957
The presentation of the 1957 awards was the highlight of the 48th annual dinner of the Manitoba Good Roads Association held Tuesday evening in the dining room of the Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg. H. G. Langrell of Woodlands, president of the association, was chairman for the banquet attended by Manitoba government and municipal leaders of all parts of the province. Neepawa Town Council delegation brought home the Shea-Drewry trophy for the second time. Mayor William Whitmore received the trophy which is awarded annually for the beautification of towns. Neepawa and Dauphin are the only towns in the province to win the trophy twice. The trophy last came to Neepawa in 1954.
50 years ago
Tuesday, November 7, 1967
Braving brisk breezes and 20 degree fahrenheit temperatures, “March for Million” participants earned a total of more than $4,000 for charity in an eight hour period of walking on Saturday. About two-thirds of those entered in the march from Neepawa to Eden and back, managed to complete the 20 mile route in times varying from three to eight hours, which was well above the expected percentage. A total of 303 left the starting point - 19 of them participating only in the “official mile” set aside for dignitaries. Of the 284 marchers, 187 went all the way in their march for charity.
40 years ago
Thursday, November 10, 1977
The Red Cross blood donor clinic held last Thursday, Nov. 3, broke all previous records for the Neepawa area. The clinic collected 425 pints and even more willing donors had been turned away at the door because time and equipment had run out. Mrs. Berna Boyle, head of the local volunteers who organized the clinic for the Red Cross, said the committee was understandably pleased with the turnout. She said that Neepawa’s clinic is annually one of the three best rural clinics in the province and that this clinic’s record attendance is really something to be proud of.
30 years ago
Wednesday, November 11, 1987
The construction of four lanes of highway in Neepawa east of Broadway Avenue to the Springhill Farms hog processing plant might be some years off in the future, according to new highways minister John Bucklaschuk. The town put in a request to the highways department earlier in the year for some road work that would have made about one and a half miles of highway 16, east of Neepawa, into four lanes. Bucklaschuk said the extra lanes couldn’t be built at this time because that stretch of highway was already slated for improvements under the Yellowhead improvements federal-provincial cost-sharing plan. Neepawa can still apply to have that stretch of road widened after work in the 1988 and 1989 budget is completed.
20 years ago
Monday, November 10, 1997
Graffiti artists painted the town red on Halloween night, but otherwise Neepawa RCMP said there was little vandalism. “Other than the spray painting it was wonderful,” said Sergeant Wayne Jacobson. While there wasn’t much vandalism, vandals did leave their mark, spray painting the sides of Hazel M. Kellington school, Meyers Norris Penny and Canada Safeway. Jacobson said most of the graffiti can be painted over, or cleaned with solvents. No damage estimates for the clean-up job were available.
10 years ago
Monday, November 12, 2007
An 80 year old man died Thursday evening in a three vehicle accident seven miles north of Neepawa at the junction of highway 5 and PTH 471. The man’s north-bound half ton truck entered the south-bound lane and struck a Purolator truck at about 9:11 pm. The Purolator truck went off the road, but the half ton remained in the south-bound lane where it was struck by a three ton truck. The driver of the half ton was transported to Neepawa hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Purolator driver was treated and released. Two occupants from the three ton truck were uninjured. Spruce Plains RCMP are continuing to investigate, but they said alcohol and road conditions were not factors in the accident.
