Looking back - 1966: 110 members show up for Co-op AGM

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Photo courtesy of Cecil Pittman Archives. Radio Oil Service Station rests on the corner of Commerce St. and Mountain Ave. Photo taken from the Salt Well smoke stack by Morrish Studio.

By Cecil Pittman

The Neepawa Press

80 years ago Friday, Apr. 17, 1936

This issue starts a series of Imperial Oil advertising in which the company is more fully acquainting the public of what it is and trying to do. This campaign of words and pictures will present important facts relating to Imperial Oil’s method of operation, aims and policies and will provide interesting reading.

70 years ago Thursday, Apr. 18, 1946

Veteran opens cabinet and woodworking shop: The latest addition to Neepawa enterprises is the cabinet making and woodwork shop of Jack Thomas, recently discharged from the service with the RCAF in Canada and Newfoundland. The introduction of this shop in Neepawa will supply the local demand for occasional furniture and other installations in the home. 

Situated on Ellen Street, back of Atkin’s garage, the building, 46 by 16, will house the most modern equipment suited to the work, including lathe, multiplex universal saw, planers, shavers and bandsaw. Jack will contract for cabinet making and general carpentry and, in addition, will make small furniture for retail sale.  Serving with the air force since 1941, he was employed as an airframe mechanic, rebuilding Anson wings, and has been active in woodworking since leaving school. He received his discharge last June. 

60 years ago Thursday, Apr. 19, 1956

Gary O’Brien tops class at Winnipeg festival: Gary O’Brien, 10-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest O’Brien of Franklin, Monday of this week received 87 marks in the Grade 4 piano class in Winnipeg Festival. His excellent performance placed him first in his class, which included 52 competitors. Gary is a music pupil of Gerald Death of Neepawa. 

According to reports, the young musician will be required to compete again Friday night. He is also competing in the Dauphin festival this week, reports on which will be contained in the next edition of the Neepawa Press. 

50 years ago Friday, Apr. 15, 1966

Co-op members in attendance of the annual meeting Wednesday heard a report on the activities for the past year, noting that sales were slightly up from 1965.

Total sales registered came to $768,652; net income was $38,855 or 5.05 per cent of total sales. 

There are now 1,293 members of the local Co-op. Manager F. C. Wilcox in his annual report stressed the need for more active participation in the Co-op’s affairs by the members. He mentioned that he was slightly disappointed with the turnout of 110 at the meeting. 

President Lloyd Sirett gave his annual report in review of the organization’s activities for 1965. 

40 years ago Thursday, Apr. 15, 1976

Sherrie Kruzer of Neepawa recently won the Manitoba High School Girls Bowling Championship held in Winnipeg. Sherrie’s scores were compared provincially and she came out second highest in Canada. 

30 years ago Thursday, Apr. 17, 1986

The town will be taking a serious look at the development of its parks over the next few years. 

Parks board chairman Pat Traill said a new committee has been formed that will study long range planning for the parks over the next five years. 

“I had been really interested in seeing this happen, there has been very little done to develop plans for our parks,” explained Traill. 

Over the last couple of years, the only plans carried out for parks have been extension of the cemetery. 

Traill said she has received phone calls on a number of different occasions asking why more isn’t done for the parks. 

20 years ago Monday, Apr. 16, 1996

Neepawa RCMP sergeant Wayne Jacobsen said “divine intervention” saved a Neepawa man from drowning after the car he was driving careened off highway 16 into Stony Creek east of town. 

The accident took place around 4 pm last Thursday, when the late model four-door Pontiac sedan turned east onto highway 16 from Walker Ave. The car was rammed from behind by a five-ton truck hauling manure. 

Police say the driver of the truck was unable to slow down before pushing the car over the south embankment into the creek bed. 

Ambulance and fire crews rescued the driver from his partially submerged vehicle. He was taken to Neepawa Hospital, treated and released. The driver of the truck was unharmed. 

10 years ago Monday, Apr. 17, 2006

The number of Canadian households relying on cell phones rather than landlines has more than doubled in two years. 

According to Statistics Canada, nearly nine per cent of Canadians – 615,000 households – have only a cell phone. 

The trend is most prominent in BC and Alberta, where seven per cent use only a cell phone.  Nearly one out of every 10 households in Vancouver has only a cell phone, the highest proportion in metropolitan areas. 

Around 3.7 million households have both a cell phone and landline.