Looking back - 1986: Landmark destroyed by twister

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Neepawa Press Archives. Thursday Aug. 28, 1986; A violent wind storm flattened the former Airline Drive-in theatre screen.

By Cecil Pittman

The Neepawa Press

80 years ago Friday, August 28, 1936

Someone has advanced the opinion that the letter “e” is a most unfortunate letter in the English alphabet, because it is always out of cash, forever in debt, never out of danger and in hell all the time.

For some reason, he overlooked the fortunates of the letter, and we call his attention to the fact that “e” is never in war and always in peace. It is the beginning of existence, commencement of ease and the end of trouble. Without it, there would be no meat, no life and no heaven. It is the centre of honesty, makes love perfect and without, it there would be no editors, devils or news.

70 years ago Thursday, August 29, 1946

Marsh Corbell, formerly with the American Army Air Corps, was in town this week purchasing airworthy aircraft at the local fort for sale in South America. Mr. Corbell will fly any planes purchased here down to the States. At the first of the week, only one serviceable craft had been purchased. 

60 years ago Thursday, August 30, 1956

Ten applications for the position of police constable on the Neepawa Police Force were read by secretary-treasurer George Bates, at the regular meeting of Neepawa Town Council Monday night. The applications were replies to advertisements appearing in the Neepawa Press and in the two Winnipeg newspapers, necessitated when W. Banyleyako, who had been employed by the town for 10 months as police constable, obtained a position in Ontario.

50 years ago Tuesday, August 30, 1966

The future of baseball in Neepawa could be radically altered by the result of a meeting to be held Wednesday evening with the objective of organizing a Neepawa Minor Baseball Association. 

The association would attempt to rectify the situation by organizing more teams at the pony and colt levels. It would also provide more coaches and training for the youngsters than is presently available. 

40 years ago Thursday, August 26, 1976

The eternal flame of the 1976 Manitoba Summer Games burst to life Saturday night, July 21, and the first Manitoba Games were underway. 

It was a thrilling moment for the more than 1,000 officials, spectators and athletes, who attended the opening ceremonies. Neepawa’s Rick Fraser, in true Olympic style, ran the torch around the track and held it high in salute before touching off the flame.

Lieutenant-Governor F. L. Jobin won the heart of the crowd when he officially declared the games open. He announced that rather than sprinting around the track or cutting a ribbon, he would officially open the games by bestowing a kiss on Miss Summer Games – “and it wouldn’t be upon the brow,” he said. 

30 years ago Thursday, August 28, 1986

The Neepawa Airline Drive-in Screen is no longer on its pedestal. The screen was one of the first casualties of the twister, which struck Neepawa last Sunday evening. The landmark won’t be re-erected, since Esso Petroleum Canada, owners of the theatre closed last fall, intend to build a bulk station on the site. Thousands of dollars in damage to buildings, equipment and crops in the area was revealed in the aftermath of the storm. 

20 years ago Monday, August 27, 1996

The desire to preserve valuable local history has prompted the Beautiful Plains Museum board, notably Jim Hunt as organizer, painter and carpenter, to devote space in the museum dedicated to pictures, insignia and a history of the Neepawa Masonic Lodge and the Order of the Eastern Star. 

The pictures date from the institution of the Masonic Lodge in 1883 when the first meeting was held in a log and frame building occupied by M. H. Fieldhouse. 

The temple, built in 1925, is closing this year. The building will be moved to Stonewall.

10 years ago Monday, August 28, 2006

One may be the loneliest number, but 17 is rapidly becoming one of the saddest. That’s how many Northern Spotted Owls are left in Canada, and a recent decision by the Federal Environment Minister all but guarantees that they will be the last of their kind in our country. 

Logging has pushed the spotted owls into a few pockets of old-growth rainforest in southwestern British Columbia – and even these last vestiges of their homeland are on the chopping block. 

Earlier this year, environmental groups petitioned Rona Ambrose to intervene under the Federal Species at Risk pact to protect Canada’s remaining owls. Last week, she declined.