There’s been success with my debut history column — courtesy Mayor Nolan Crouse, the Gazette has retrieved copies of the paper from 1965 and 1966. Again, if there is anyone else out there with old editions collecting dust, specifically from 1961 to 1964, please get in touch with us and we’d be happy to take them off your hands.
The year 1971 brings a new flag for the Gazette and the creation of the Sturgeon Gazette inside. The new section includes information of interest from the county, as well as what can loosely be called news from Morinville, Gibbons, Bon Accord, Vimy, Alcomdale and more. Most of that news includes items such as who went on a trip, who had visitors and who had a birthday.
But in St. Albert, the new arena finally opened, with a prohibition against smoking at ice level. Just one week later, the Bruin Inn caught fire (much to the dismay of Gazette employees who worked across the street), damaging the upstairs suite and cafĂ©. Two years after getting its “power toboggan,” the RCMP also rolled out a Zenith phone system which meant, by using a special code, residents could get hold of a police officer at any time. Also of note was the 50th anniversary celebration of Lorne Akins and his wife at the community hall. Neil Ross spoke at the reception and telegrams streamed in from the prime minister, lieutenant governor, premier and federal leader of the official opposition.
The news flows in dribs and drabs for the next few years. A touring Polish team hammers the Edmonton Central Hockey League’s St. Albert Comets 9-3. One day later the players fire the coach. By 1975 Richard Plain was a year into his first term as mayor and his proposed salary of $13,332 lead to a small citizens’ revolt. But in a familiar series of events, town residents headed to the polls in 1976 to vote on two plebiscite questions — one authorizing the city to borrow $2.855 million to build … wait for it … a multi-purpose recreational-cultural facility, this time in Mission. The second questions sought permission to annex land. Residents voted down the rec centre but give a thumbs-up to the annexation.
In 1977 St. Albert is now a city, and with that comes a new look for the Gazette. The paper added an Entertainment section and a page Concerning Women. Within a year the page would be changed to Concerning Women of Today’s World and feature articles on making bread, sewing and how to use microwaves.
By January 1979, the spectre of annexation by Edmonton was again rearing its head as the Capital city starts making the rounds with its Horizon 21 plans for its boundaries. St. Albert’s land acquisitions were also causing problems — Lois Hole resigned from the Sturgeon school board after her land officially becomes part of St. Albert. The Bay bought all of Abacus Cities’ 50 per cent ownership share in St. Albert Centre the next year. Another Abacus property — Rivercrest Apartments — was purchased out of receivership by Edmonton Oilers’ owner Peter Pocklington. Across town, a revitalization plan for Grandin Shopper’s Park began with the mall now christened Grandin Park Plaza and massive renovations under way (sound familiar?). The renovations eventually forced long-time tenant and small-town staple Macleod’s to close up shop.
By the turn of the decade, both the Gazette and city started to adopt some new changes. While the Gazette started incorporating the colour red and blue into ads, it also featured photos from other stories above its flag. City administration presented council with four designs for St. Albert Place, with the fourth choice, a whole new building incorporating all requirements on the banks of the Sturgeon, criticized for causing “too much construction on the river.”
By the following January, it might all end up being a moot point. The Local Authorities Board (LAB) had reviewed Edmonton’s Horizon 21 plan and recommended the annexation of St. Albert by Edmonton. The response is immediate — Mayor Richard Fowler and council established a steering committee to oppose the ruling while former mayor Plain organized a citizens’ anti-annexation committee. An annexation information and action centre even opened in Grandin mall.
Buried under this was a notable crime story. Las Vegas police weren’t too sure what to think in 1981 when Willie Harter tried to turn himself in, saying he was from St. Albert and had stolen the money he used to fly to Vegas from a St. Albert camera shop. The Las Vegas police told Harter they would inform the RCMP, who met and arrested him when he returned to Edmonton. Harter pleaded guilty at his first court appearance and was sentenced to three months in jail, and had to pay back the $3,179 in cash and $1,700 in products he stole.
In 1983 CKST, St. Albert’s only radio station, was put up for sale after three years of financial losses. It also complained Edmonton Transit trolleys were interfering with its 1070-kHz signal. The following year, despite numerous objections from local churches, the development appeal board gave permission for the construction of a casino in Campbell Business Park. Across the city, the Kinsmen also received permission to build, but in their case a 6,400-sq.-ft. clubhouse that would become the first permanent building on the reclaimed dump in Riel.
In 1985 the Gazette introduced Homestyle, devoted to things from design to decorating. CKST had disappeared from the airwaves in December before triumphantly reappearing after new owners quickly snap it up.
But in 1986 it was time to celebrate. On Jan. 14, the great grandnephews of Bishop Taché and Father Lacombe came to the city to re-enact the moment the city was first founded for its 125th birthday.
Peter Boer is an editor at the St. Albert Gazette.
