Looking back at the headlines from Alberta’s Centennial year
from Elk Point Review By Vicki Brooker Review Staff
It’s time to look back at the news that made the headlines in 2005 - a year of many celebrations and outstanding triumphs, mixed with economic concerns and moments of profound sadness.
January
The year began with pleas of help for the victims of the South East Asian tsunami...
Alberta mourned the passing of Lieutenant Governor, the Hon. Lois Hole...
Danielle Schnurer was named as one of Alberta’s 100 Centennial ambassadors...
Elk Point Ukrainian Dance Club kept traditions alive and strong with their well-attended Malanka celebration...
Chamber of Commerce attendance doubled when RCMP Sgt. Brian Quist, FCSS director Deanna Easthope, F.G. Miller High School principal Jim Hawkins and School Board trustee Darrell Younghans visited the meeting to discuss rumours of drug use by Elk Point’s young people.
February
Leonard Gadowski skipped his way to a second consecutive Oilmen’s Bonspiel win...
Al Pankiw was named Elk Point Oilmen’s Association Oilman of the Year...
F. G. Miller students hosted a tremendously successful tsunami aid concert...
Unfortunately, the Chamber didn’t have similar luck, and canceled the dinner portion of their “From the Heart” tsunami fundraiser, with a very small crowd attending the jamboree...
Students from St. Charles Ecole Secondaire in Pont-Rouge, Quebec came to FGM on the first portion of their exchange...
The editor marked 25 years of Elk Point news coverage...
A newly established joint Town and County committee had a $20,000 budget to assist community recreation groups...
Sandy Smith was eventually persuaded to take the position of Chamber president, after five nominees declined the honour.
March
A long lineup of oldies but goodies took to the Iron Horse Trail for a vintage snowmobile run to Lindbergh after they were displayed with pride at the staging area...
Chelsea Schnurer, Robyn Ockerman and Kayla Gibson were the winners at Elk Point 4-H Multi Club’s annual public speaking competition...
Staging area partners brought along their shopping lists to work on a joint vision for development...
The Chamber was enthused over a decision to purchase the former Myrnam train station and refurbish it as the cornerstone of the staging area...
Elk Point Community Choir presented a Canadian classic to packed audiences, as they presented “Anne of Green Gables” at their annual dinner theatre...
Community support was offered to the local RCMP when four officers were shot at Mayerthorpe...
Construction of gazebos at Elk Point and Ashmont staging areas was approved by County council...
Elk Point Skating Club had a beach party on ice at their annual ice carnival...
Elk Point and District Lions received Town approval for a large lighted sign with advertising, time, temperature and community events...
Tori Becker won the Alex Kurash Memorial award at the Minor Hockey windup...
The 1994-95 provincial champion Bantam Lightning team was reunited for an afternoon and evening of fun both on and off the ice.
April
Canadian Salt’s Lindbergh works was awarded the Salt Institute’s coveted Outstanding Safety Achievement award for 700,000 worker-hours without a lost-time accident...
Willie Lesyk skipped the winners at the windup funspiel as Elk Point Curling Club wound down their operation for another year...
Thomas Kondla told the Chamber that if they were successful in bringing the 1927 vintage Mymam station to Elk Point, it would be the only one of that plan to be preserved in Alberta...
The Town continued its efforts toward becoming a good, clean and fun community, with infrastructure improvements, recycling and a skateboard park on their monthly meeting agenda...
The Review was named one of eight Canadian weekly newspapers in the ‘Circulation up to 1249’ bracket to win a blue-ribbon award for general excellence from the Canadian Community Newspapers Association...
Northern Lights Library System offered seldom-used space in their headquarters building for development of a cultural performance and activity venue...
Elk Point’s countless volunteers were recognized in their special week...
Singer, songwriter and musician Corbin Poitras placed first in the Talent Explosion.
Elk Point Volunteer Fire Department announced that they had raised $5,500 with their gala Firefighters’ Ball...
County council passed a good-news 2005 budget featuring a small surplus, debt reduction and reduction of residential mill rates...
The Chamber agreed to add a flea market to their Community Garage Sale lineup...
A week of progress for the staging area saw an access bridge installed, footings and pilings installed for the Elk Point Trailriders’ cabin, a concrete wood bin installed and the site excavated for the gazebo...
The Lions Journey for Sight netted $1,404.10...
4-H members made a clean sweep of Moosehills Road on the annual highway cleanup day...
Town Council gave all three readings to a bylaw prohibiting the use of jake brakes within Town limits...
Oilpatch rumours were addressed at a special Chamber meeting after new oilfield contracts were seen as having the potential to make a tremendous economic impact on the community...
Tax rates dropped for all Elk Point ratepayers...
RCMP Cst. Justin Tremblay visited the Chamber for a special presentation on prevention of credit card fraud...
“Your mountain is waiting’ was the theme for the four-member graduating class at Heinsburg Community School...
The entire student body of Elk Point Elementary School was part of a National Physical Activity Day effort to set a new Guinness world record for the most people walking at the same time...
REACH Corporation approved a $2,000 donation toward the Elk Point Chamber's month -long Shop Locally campaign.
June
Cousins Jared Vallee and Brittany Houle showed the Grand and Reserve Champion steers at Elk Point 4-H Club’s beef achievement day, with Shaun Robinson taking home the Supreme and Reserve champion female trophies...
The sixth annual Elk Point Emergency Services golf tournament was a sellout, with 135 golfers on hand...
The first ever helicopter was added to the lineup at Elk Point Auto Club Show and Shine...
Thirteen graduates and 18 Grade 9 promees celebrated the promise of tomorrow at Frog Lake Napewaew Comprehensive School...
Elk Point Trailriders achieved a long term goal when their cabin was moved onto the staging area site...
F, G. Miller Crusaders saluted a combined 75 years of service at farewell ceremonies for principal Jim Hawkins, teacher Lawrence Pidluzny and custodian Alex Yarmuch...
FGM’s first-ever sports banquet saw the best of the best in six sports honoured for athletic prowess and sportsmanship...
Elk Point 4-H celebrated 40 years of “learning to do by doing” at their year-end windup barbecue...
There was thunder. without and moonlight within FGM’'s castle at Prom 2005, with 29 knights and ladies honoured at the end of their high school careers...
Well over 300 awards went home with Elk Point Elementary’s top students as they headed home for summer vacation,
July
New features, including a Strong Man competition, fur trade games, Tug of the Century and farm survival race highlighted the 2005 Canada Day celebration...
Elk Point, and later Heinsburg, were stops on the Trans Canada Trail Centennial Relay...
Weather plagued not only the Trail relay, but the Girls’ Bantam D, Peewee and Midget Boys baseball provincial tournaments and the Frog Lake Powwow...
The Alberta Centennial Antique Auto Tour, however, enjoyed sunny skies as they rolled into Elk Point for a brief stop...
More campsites, walking trails and benches were suggested as priorities of the Town's Sponsorship 2005 funding...
Elk Point Chamber punctuated their summer recess with a series of special meetings regarding the train station project, with all progress put on hold in a wait for environmental tests of the two potential sites.
August
Not only fine arts, but other arts from martial arts to quilting were part of the concept for the new Allied Arts Society as they met to make plans for development of the Northern Lights Library’s excess space into a facility which would serve all forms of art...
A total of 94 full sized quilts and quilted items were on display at the quilt show which accompanied the Elk Point Fair, where the grand aggregate award went to Christina Brown for a second consecutive year...
Almost a decade after wagon trains ambled along the back roads and tree-shaded trails north and east of Elk Point, the Happy Trails Reunion brought participants together for a bittersweet reunion...
Oilmen’s Golf Tournament pioneer Marshall Kachmar was honoured at the 22nd annual tourney, where Shawn Franklin won the championship flight...
Rain plagued the Métis Nation of Alberta Centennial Journey 2005 wagon trek as it made its slow and soggy way through the Heinsburg and Elk Point areas en route to a grand celebration at Métis Crossing, near Fort Victoria...
A “huge improvement” in attendance over the previous year was noted as the weather brightened up for Forts Des Prairies Jamboree...
Burgundy mortarboards sailed ceilingward as 25 graduates of FG. Miller High School celebrated the successful end of their high school careers.
September
A huge — celebration marked Alberta’s Centennial, with a Town-sponsored barbecue followed by a stage show, awards for preservers of history and for babies born in Centennial year, and a spectacular fireworks display...
Area grandparents were celebrated on their own special day...
The new rescue van was ordered as a $75,000 provincial grant and $5,00 from CCS Energy Services boosted the fundraising efforts...
The future of Heinsburg School was in question as Frog Lake Band council considered an end to busing of students from the First Nations to Heinsburg...
The Chamber's dream turned onto another track as quotes for restoration of the Myrnam station s were received, and were much higher than those for building a replica of the original Elk Point station...
The community enjoyed one-stop information shopping at the FCSS Information Night...
Students from Heinsburg and Elk Point held on to Terry Fox’s dream as they took part in fundraising runs...
The Review editor accepted a Silver Quill award from the Canadian Community Newspapers Association for 25 years of weekly news coverage...
Deborah Grey, who made history as the first Reform Party MP in Ottawa, was the guest speaker at the largest-ever Northern Lights Library System conference.
October
A total of 287 award recipients were honoured at F. G. Miller High School for the past school year, with Marguerite Friesen picking up the Premier's Citizenship Award for daughter Valerie...
Elk Point Elementary students, staff and parents were part of a world-wide Walk to School Day aimed at raising awareness of the benefits of physical fitness...
Changes were on the way for Christmas Extravaganza, as planning got underway for the December 2 event...
Town Council took the first steps towards Elk Point’s community centennial celebrations in 2007 as they discussed potential centennial projects...
The County urged the Allied Arts Society to move forward with a feasibility study on their potential facility...
Elk Point's first physician, Dr. F. G. Miller, was named one of Alberta’s 100 Physicians of the Century.
November
The community took up the torch and hosted the first Remembrance Day celebrations without the now-closed Royal Canadian Legion branch, commemorating the memory of the branch itself as well as of those who served in the military...
MLA Ray Danyluk presented the most steadfast member of Branch #151 with a framed Alberta Centennial medallion in acknowledgement of the branch’s service in the past...
Both schools also held Remembrance Day observances...
Elk Point Elks and members of five other area lodges enjoyed a visit from Grand Exalted Ruler Mark Montgomery...
A committee of the Chamber went looking for financial pledges to fund an economic development officer position...
Approval was given by Council for subdivision of a parcel of land for residential development at their November meeting...
A Disneyland trip draw and entertainment including rising star Tiffany Dowhan were added to the Extravaganza lineup...
A dozen area residents received Alberta Centennial medals, but only one, Margaret Modin, was nominated provincially, federally and by a group for the honour...
Sixteen staff members were honoured for a total of 190 years of service at Elk Point Health Centre...
Jim and Winnie Shepherd celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. December
Snow flurries and biting winds were ignored as Elk Point enjoyed the Winter Wonderland Parade, horse-drawn wagon rides, stage entertainment and other Christmas Extravaganza activities...
Meanwhile, east of town, 4 massive manhunt was underway for a parole violator wanted on a Canada-wide warrant, with the man captured the next morning at Frog Lake...
Heinsburg Community School dedicated their craft sale to longtime community member and valued craft show vendor, the late Jim Vinge...
Nine Heinsburg students received computers at the year’s first celebration of attendance and achievements...
Town Council voted to support the Northern Lights Library System’s levy increase...
Concerts, beautifully decorated homes and an interfaith cantata brought the Christmas spirit alive, despite the lack of snow and cold weather for the festive season, as the Chamber hung up an EDO-sized Christmas stocking and Tara Cameron was announced as the winner of the family trip to
You can get to any of the Elk Point Review Issues for 2005 by clicking on the following link:
https://archive.org/search?query=subject%3A%22Elk+Point+Review%22&sort=…
