Looking back
from Elk Point Review By Vicki Brooker Review Staff
Another year has passed into history, with its joys and sorrows, its triumphs and tribulations. Here on the doorstep of a brand new year, let us take one last, fond look at the twelve months just passed.
JANUARY
Elk Point’s 1986 New Year’s baby arrived in the early hours of January 9, with delighted parents Pam and Randy Ballas naming their wee daughter Kristyn Pamela.
The Elk Point Lions Club celebrated fifteen years of service to the community with a well attended Charter Night on January 15. John Williams and Lawrence Modin are the only two charter members who still belong to the club.
Pan Canadian Petroleum Limited representatives visited Town Council at their first meeting of the year to present the scope of their proposed project in the Lindbergh oilfield.
The Elk Point Chamber of Commerce (remember them?) studied a lengthy list of goals for 1986 at their first meeting of the year, with 27 members and guests present.
Six new Cubs were enrolled in the Elk Point pack, with many parents on hand for the program, which included some very imaginative skits.
Jimmy Yarmuch, Gary Lesyk and Vincent Lawrence had the three top hands in the Spring Park Poker Rally, while the RCMP Scarlettes won their very first Ringette trophy at a tournament in Irma.
Seventeen members of Elk Point’s business community packed the Town Council chambers for the second regular meeting of the month, to protest the Town’s decision to sign a contract for non-residential garbage collection with Laidlaw Waste Systems, and peppered Council with questions for one and one half hours.
St. Paul’s peewee hockey team won the Westmin Cup, in a tournament which highlighted Minor Hockey Week 1986. The Elk Point Bantams, meanwhile, kicked off a fundraising campaign aimed at paying the team’s way to a 60 team multi-national tournament in Port Coquitlam, B.C., later in the year.
The Molson Canadian Oldtimers hockey team visited Elk Point for a highly entertaining game against the Frog Lake T-Birds, proving that the younger set are not the only stars who get but a good crowd for hockey games.
Pan Canadian Petroleum ended the month on an upbeat note, as they unveiled plans for their proposed development and huge office complex at an open house which was well attended by local residents.
FEBRUARY:
The Elk Point and District Lions Club took advantage of warm weather and plenty of snow to host a mammoth Poker Rally at Stoney Lake, which attracted 208 registrants and was won by Rodger Raeduck, Randy Hegedus and Jack Lorenson with the three top hands.
The Lindbergh Mixed Bonspiel, also held on the first weekend of the month, ground to a premature halt when a lengthy power failure plunged the Windsor Club into darkness. The Murray Babcock rink took the Grand Challenge game over the Mitch Maksymuik rink of Edmonton in the only final completed before the lights went out. The rinks in the blacked-out games amicably declared ties and split up the prizes.
A two-hundred-foot span of the old Elk Point bridge drew lots of attention from local residents as it set off on a journey to a new location north of LaCorey.
A bumper crop of new Brownies, Guides and Pathfinders were enrolled, giving the Brownies a total of fourteen members, the Guides six and Pathfinders four.
Council was still deep in the garbage issue at their first meeting of the month, while the Chamber continued to discuss new goals.
Attendance at the 1986 Heinsburg Snowmobile Poker Rally nearly doubled that for the previous year, with 171 enthusiasts registered, and Gordon Hallman, Tom Johre and Darcy Semeniuk were declared winners of the major prizes.
The Porta Construction trophy went to Wainwright Kinsmen Bantams in an eight team tournament in Elk Point.
Murray Babcock skipped his mixed curling foursome to another championship on the Valentines Day weekend, as the Elk Point Mixed Bonspiel hit the ice. The Jim Fell rink claimed Second Event honors, while Reo Van Maarion skipped the Third Event winners.
Dark clouds loomed on the horizon for oil companies in the Lindbergh field, as world oil prices began to drop, with many taking careful looks at the situation and beginning to apply the brakes on their projects. Oil service companies were severely effected, with their work loads cut drastically, forcing layoffs of employees.
Council tied up the garbage issue, to their own satisfaction, at least, by the passage of three bylaws authorizing the Town to sign agreements for both residential and non-residential garbage collection, and to levy a fee for non-residential use of the sanitary landfill site.
Traffic problems in Elk Point were the prime topic of discussion for the Chamber, with the new goals pushed to the back burner.
Lindbergh Ladies Bonspiel Grand Challenge was won by an Elk Point rink skipped by Audrey Smith, while the second and third events were won by the Nellie Hillebrand rink and the Debbie Ballas rink, respectively.
The Lloydminster Allstars topped the 13th Annual Elk Point Pacers Basketball tournament, with seven teams taking part.
The St. Paul Midgets won the Dave's Pizza trophy in the Elk Point Midget Hockey tournament, which saw the host team defeated by Mallaig in the ““B”’ side final.
Elk Point’s new General Municipal Plan was presented to the public at an open house in the Elk Point Municipal Library, with plans for tripling the town’s area, adding a curved collector road through residential areas and circling the south and west boundaries with an arterial road. An annexation hearing on 240 acres east of Highway 41 which was part of the expanded land base in the new GMP, was held earlier that same day.
Alban Bugej was returned as president of the Elk Point Surface Rights Association at that group’s annual meeting, with traffic and road problems, air and water monitoring studies discussed, and guest speakers from the Energy Information Centre, Alberta Energy and Natural Resources, and a Lloydminster law firm specializing in surface rights.
Elk Point Skating Club took a good crowd of spectators “Around The World -- on Ice’’ at their 10th annual ice carnival on February 28.
MARCH:
Talented performers from a wide area converged on Elk Point for the ACT Search for Talent, with 22 acts and two guest performances.
Visiting rinks swept up the honors in the Men’s Open Bonspiel, won by the Noel Looy rink of St. Paul. An Edmonton rink skipped by Dan Holowaychuk took the second event trophies, while Jim Rupp’s Bonnyville rink won the third event.
Bulk food shopping came to Elk Point, with the opening of Country Bulk Food, the brainchild of longtime Elk Point business owners Roy and Doreen Watson.
Town Council voted to forego an 1986 Annual Meeting for the Town, and instead to publish the Municipal Inspector’s report, as is permissible under the Municipal Government Act. Council also spent much time in discussion of plans for the development of Phase I of the recreation land and also discussed input from the Chamber regarding proposed traffic control measures.
An open house and school and science fairs were part of the Education Week activities in Elk Point. Suzanne Rae was the School Fair aggregate winner, while entries created by Matthew Veer, Cody Lawrence and Jason Morris topped the Science Fair.
Cliff Martin’s St. Paul foursome took home the Grand Challenge trophies in the ever-popular Town and Country Bonspiel, with second event winners skipped by Lynall Slywka and third event going to the Gary Kozicky rink.
The Elk Point Scarlettes hosted a four team Ringette tourney, which won by the Paradise Valley squad.
The Chamber hosted a special Agriculture Week dinner meeting, with Assistant Deputy Minister of Agriculture Bill Dent as guest speaker. About forty people attended the meeting, which was also addressed by District Agriculturalist Kirsty Piquette and District Home Economist Becky Lore.
Amoco Canada Ltd. was the first oil company with interests in the Elk Point area to take drastic measures in the light of the world oil price slump, announcing in mid-March that all Amoco wells in the Lindbergh field had been shut in, for an indefinite period of time.
A Nova Scotia man lost his life in a vehicle accident just outside the town limits on Highway 41 south of Elk Point, while a local resident was rushed to Edmonton with massive injuries.
The Last Hurrah, at least as far as no-hit hockey was concerned, went to the St. Paul Western Inn Bruins in a 16-team tournament in Elk Point.
The Elk Point Curling Club raised $1500 in pledges at their first “Curlarama”’ fundraising funspiel, although only four rinks took part.
Lois Yaremkevich was named the regional cribbage champion, and was presented with the Chemical Workers Union trophy.
Wayne Smith skipped the winning rink in the Texaco farmers’ bonspiel, and, along with the second place rink skipped by Barrie Young, went on to provincial competition in Red Deer.
The Homco rink, skipped by Reo Van Maarion, took the Heavy Oil Grand Challenge in the Third Annual Oilmen’s Bonspiel, with 48 rinks tak - ing part. The Spears Well Service rink won the Oil Sands event, the CEDA rink topped the Huff and Puff event, and the Guilberson rink won the Thermal Flood event.
Town Council turned its thoughts to the details of tenders for upgrading the water treatment plant, while the Chamber made plans for the official opening of the new Elk Point bridge.
The Dewberry Colts were the proud winners of the Atom “B”’ Provincial playoffs, while Elk Point’s peewees advanced to the provincial ‘C” playoffs, taking good wishes from the entire town with them.
One of Elk Point's favorite coffeetime haunts was back in business, with a gala grand opening for an all new, much larger Elk Point Burger Bar, owned and operated by the ever friendly Roland and Jean Gascon and family.
The Elk Point Outlaws wound up the broomball season, with a fourth place finish in the Northeast Alberta Winter Games, and a “‘B”’ side win in the Marwayne tournament.
St. Paul and Bonnyville teams were declared the winners in a six team Atom hockey tournament hosted by the Elk Point Atoms, who were the “A” side runners-up.
APRIL
Elk Point Curling Club presented the year-end awards with the Murray Babcock winning the Men's League, the Van Maarion and Penz rinks winning the mixed leagues and the Orr and Shankowski rinks winning the ladies.
The Chamber of Commerce discovered its handsome parade banner Was missing, which was of special concern since plans for Canada Day were already well underway.
Elk Point Co-op Peewees brought home the silver medals in the “C"’ Provincial Finals, a very proud and happy bunch of boys who well deserved the honor.
Mid-April saw a group of Elk Point area farmers climb aboard their tractors, and led by a vintage John Deere “D" driven by Albert Naber, head for Edmonton and the Alberta Legislature. The five-day trek ended in & meeting with Provincial Treasurer Lou Hyndman when Premier Getty “didn’t show up to face the music”.
An Elk Point chapter of the worldwide Canadian Save The Children Fund was formed, under the chairmanship of Marnie McCowan, and immediately set to work raising funds to aid children in third-world and underdeveloped nations, as well as needy children in Canada.
Frank Brown of Elk Point was killed and three other persons injured in a three-vehicle pileup on Secondary Highway 646.
Elk Point Municipal Hospital received its two-year accreditation, passing its lengthy tests with flying colors.
The sod was turned for the new Elk Point Baptist Church, with the enthusiastic and fast-growing congregation on hand as Pastor John MeGregor and the church deacons officiated at turning the still-frozen sod.
Elk Point Elks and OORP lodges installed their officers for the coming year, with Exalted Ruler Wayne Hanson and Honored Royal Lady Erica Bender returned to their offices for another term.
MLA John Drobot announced the plans for a 30-bed nursing home in Elk Point and received government approval, with an expected cost of $2.6 million.
Elk Point RCMP honored Rev. John McGregor and Mrs. McGregor, Gordon McCuaig and Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Ockerman with the presentation of plaques for their contributions to the community, at the annual Regimental Ball.
Recreational matters were high on Town Council agenda, with the Recreation Board asked to pare down their 1986 budget, and Recreation Director Linda Simpson handing in her resignation. Council also moved to apply for development funding for the recreation land. Council was informed that the Highway 41 upgrading had been placed on the government's tenders list.
Result of an air and water study in the Lindbergh oilfield were released, along with results of dust studies and noise monitoring.
Elk Point Ukrainian Dance Club celebrated their colorful heritage at their seventh annual spring concert.
A Frog Lake man was killed near Elk Point when his vehicle went out of control and crashed into a motorhome parked in a farmyard along Highway 41.
Elk Point and District Regional Recreation and Cultural Board voted unanimously to disband at their April 29 meeting, calling an uneasy halt to the funding problems plaguing the group. The Board’s 1986 budget was not approved by either the Town of Elk Point or the County of St. Paul and the group felt they could not operate effectively without the necessary funds.
Tourism Minister Horst Schmid visited Elk Point and urged Elk Point to develop a special tourist attraction. He was not hopeful regarding full restoration of the fur trading posts in the near future.
MAY
Public speaking was underway at both F.G. Miller High and Elk Point Elementary, with talented young speakers expressing their yiews on a variely of subjects.
Heinsburg School hosted the 1986 County Music Showcase, with many excellent performances.
F.G. Miller High hosted the County Jr.-Sr. High Public Speaking Showcase later in the month.
An oil storage tank explosion at Murphy Oil killed one construction worker and sent another to the University Hospital with multiple injuries.
Elk Point Chamber voted to support the Elk Point RCMP’s Safe Grad program again this year, and also to support the Canada Day celebrations both financially and with the presentation of plaques to two junior citizens of the year.
Plans for the bridge opening were well underway.
The first residents moved into the just-completed Heritage Lodge, following a celebration dinner attended by Town and County councils, Town of St. Paul council members, MLA John Drobot and other guests.
MLA John Drobot was re-elected by a very large majority in the Provincial election held May 8.
An old-fashioned May blizzard closed Heinsburg and Elk Point schools and halted spring fieldwork.
Town Council discussed paving and sidewalk reconstruction at their May 12 meeting, and approved the purchase of two lots of raw land for expansion of the Public Works yard.
It was a “Once In A Lifetime” experience for the 41 members of F.G. Miller's Class of ‘86 on Saturday, May 24, as they took part in their Graduation ceremonies. Glenna Grykuliak was valedictorian, while former teacher Donna Norman was guest speaker.
Four lovely young ladies from the Elk Point area, Connie Ahern, Christie Boulter, Kathy Mistol and Michelle Whitlock, took part in the Miss Lakeland beauty pageant, with Kathy Mistol winning the honored role of Miss Lakeland.
Elk Point Lions Club raised over $2300 with their annual Journey for Sight walk-a-thon, which was postponed from earlier in the month due to inclement weather.
A quarter century of service to their community was celebrated by the Elks and Royal Purple Lodges, with 25 years pins presented to those who have been members of the lodges continuously since they were formed.
JUNE
A huge crowd ignored threatening skies to attend the official opening of the new Elk Point bridge. Minister of Public Works Erne Isley and MLA John Drobot manned the over-sized scissors, and a variety of guest speakers and entertainers were part of the program.
Town Council okayed the 1986 budget, which had a decrease in mill rate for the second consecutive year.
seven graduates took part in the celebrations for Heinsburg High school’s Class of '86, with Tracy Bettcher as their valedictorian.
Elk Point 4-H Beef and Multi Clubs held their Achievement Day, with Leanne Drobot showing the Grand Champion steer, Megan McCuaig the Reserve Champion, Lyle Yuschyshyn the Grand Champion heifer and Brian Ference the Reserve. Multi Club awards went to Jodi Vogel in the Photography project, Mary Gaugler in the Self-Determined project, and Jeff Orr in the Woodworking project.
Clandonald 4H also held their Achievement Day, with Branda Polowy showing the Grand Champion and Arlene Cook the reserve Champion.
Considerable discussion about moving the Tourist Booth was the subject of a special meeting of the Elk Point Chamber, but it was finally decided to leave the building on its original site. Billie Friesen was appointed as the new Tourism Committee chairperson, following the resignation of Ron Barwick. Glen Hays of the Lakeland Tourist Association was at the meeting, and presented Barwick with a plaque and a unique hat for his many years on the committee,
Town Council raised the ire of the business committee by declaring a holiday for Farmer’s Day. It seems no one wanted a day off.
All three high schools involved in the Safe Grad program were successful. F.G. Miller High School and Heinsburg High School donated their pledges to Ronald McDonald House, while Frog Lake's pledge went to the Red Cross.
The Stoney Lake Stampede drew food crowds to see over 200 cowboys and cowgirls compete in two days of rip-roaring action. Ted Hehr of St. Paul and Dion Roscoe of Elk Point were among the trophy winners.
Dewberry School hosted a giant reunion, with 513 former students and 57 former teachers in attendance for a weekend of nostalgia which included a parade. Thirteen members of the Class of 1930, the first students to attend the school were among those present.
JULY
Elk Point was honored by the presence of the brand new Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, Don Mazankowski, on Canada Day. Mazankowski turned down offers from Vancouver and Ottawa to be on hand to officially open the Elk Point celebrations. The day included a pancake breakfast, hilarious bed races, a long and colorful parade, and an afternoon packed with activities and entertainment. This year for the first time, the afternoon events were held at a new site, north of the arena, which gave much more room for the growing program.
Blair Capjack and Rhonda Pinder were named Elk Point's Youths of the Year at the Canada Day festivities.
Work got underway on a 3860 square foot expansion to the Elk Point Co-Op store, with Langevin Builders of St. Paul awarded the contract on the $400,000 project.
Four generations of the O'Kane family came from as far away as Minnesota and Missouri to attend a reunion on the homestead filed by Henry James O'Kane in 1912, five miles northeast of Elk Point.
The North Saskatchewan River came too close for comfort to those living near its banks, when heavy rains which caused much flooding in the Edmonton and Athabasca areas came within three feet of road level at Heinsburg, and put Heinsburg School and teacherages in immediate danger of flooding. Farms in low lying areas west of Elk Point were also preparing to evacuate if the waters had gotten any higher.
Alberta Energy and Natural Resources held an open house to present the terms of reference on the Cold Lake-Elk Point Integrated Resource Plan which will guide the management of public land in the area.
The UFA Golden Bears brought home silver medals from the Midget “C" Provincials, an impressive end to their first year of organized ball.
Marwayne held a homecoming and huge celebration honoring that community’s 60th anniversary, with a twelve-unit wagon train winding up a week-long trek through the Hazeldine, Lindbergh, Muriel Lake, Frog Lake and Lea Park districts just in time to be part of their parade.
Mayor Ed Buck wound up the month by signing the agreement for the multimillion-dollar Highway 41 widening project. Council voted to retain the services of Stanley Associates Ltd. to provide construction Management services the project.
AUGUST
The Town of Elk Point received approval of annexation of 240 acres of land, effective January 1, 1987, which will expand the town’s area by one third.
Clandonald held a very successful fair, complete with a breakfast, parade, exhibits, pet show, horseshoe tournament, fiddling contest, tug of war and ball game -- a very full day of activities!
Brad Buck of St. Paul was named champion of the Men's Open Golf Tournament with a scorching four under par on 18 holes. Some weeks earlier, Pearl Bespalko, Frank Molyneux and David Hellquist were named the champions in the Ladies, Senior Men's and Juniors tournament.
Rusylvia Northmen brought home the silver from the Provincial “C” Fastball championships in Calgary.
Norma Berg gathered up a bumper crop of prize ribbons and three sections aggregate awards to win the Elk Point Fair's Grand Aggregate award, after a very close race with Pat Bekker and Rose Doucet.
Multiple Sclerosis marathoner Linda Cohen steered her wheelchair into Elk Point on her Alberta-wide tour, and was presented with donations by the Elk Point Lions Club and several individuals.
Byron Mann announced that he would be throwing his hat into the ring in the fall municipal election, with his eye on the mayor's chair.
Dewberry Mini-Fair was a success, with many fine bench exhibits and a pet show.
Ed Soldan was named champion of the Third Annual Elk Point Oilmen’s Golf Tourney, with the 1985 champion Jim Baylis placing second. A huge array of trophies and prizes went to the winners of the sixteen flights, however the prize of a 1986 Mustang for a hole-in-one on the sixth hole went unclaimed.
Pan Canadian Petroleum received ERCEB approval for the first phase of a three phase commercial oil sands project, however the oil industry slump may cause the project to wait some time before getting underway.
Work was well underway on a massive building project at Heinsburg School, but completion was not expected until well into the school year.
Town Council studied water supply upgrading at their final meeting of the month, with increasing pressure for residents in the north part of town a priority.
A second name was announced for the fall election, with Allan Frankiw making a bid for a Town Council seat,
The Town of Elk Point presented a brief to the Northern Alberta Development Council meeting in Bonnyville, regarding the needs of northern Alberta communities severely affected by resource industry cutbacks.
Elk Point Hospital welcomed a new physiotherapist, Moyra Holliday to their staff.
Our Dewberry reporter, Cliff Cunningham and his lovely wife Marge celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, along with their 80th and 73th birthdays, at a well attended gathering in the Dewberry Hall.
