The Gazette plugged along in March 1962 as it pushed for construction of an indoor swimming pool. The results of an informal survey were released, stating a “vast majority” favoured the pool. The paper even went so far as to include a hand-drawn map of where the pool should go (between Grandin Road and St. Albert Trail) and a cartoon that depicted happy families picnicking outside a pool with the caption: “It will be a wonderful place where the family can enjoy a summer day.”
But there was more in the news. Posthumous awards and accolades continued to flow in for Leo Nickerson, whose widow was presented with the Bronze Cross, the highest award in scouting, and the gold medal of the Royal Canadian Humane Society. In a sign of the global times, a large full-page ad calls for the formation of the Sturgeon Civil Defence Unit. “The sole purpose of this organization is to save lives and ease suffering should our country come under nuclear attack,” the ad stated. Attendees were reimbursed eight cents a mile for joining.
While March 1963 saw Mayor William Veness inform the public he had asked the provincial department of municipal affairs to investigate management of the town’s finances, 1964 featured the use of a $22,000 recreation grant to renovate the community hall, but it was March 1965 that proved politically turbulent. Judge Cormach, after being approached by the St. Albert Voters’ Rights Association, declared the results of the October 1964 municipal election invalid. The judge also removed from office Veness and councillors Dick McGee, John Bakker and Dick Kehling, leaving the town with only three councillors and no mayor. Within days former minister of municipal affairs Alfred Hooke appointed a municipal inspector — Mr. Edgar — to sit on council to give it quorum. John deBruijn was appointed mayor and Richard Fowler deputy mayor. A special election for the remaining councillor seats was to be held within eight weeks, but no election for mayor could be held until the next October under provincial law. The reason Cormach invalidated the election was because of voter problems at the Grandin Park polling station, one of only three used in the election. With more electors in its district than the other two polls combined and only one deputy returning officer (DRO) working, voters were waiting up to two hours to vote. A total of 294 voters didn’t even bother because it was so busy. The poll also stayed open two hours longer than allowed, to try and accommodate everyone. According to the judge, the DRO would have had to process one voter every 15 to 20 seconds to accommodate everyone. “Was the congestion therefore foreseeable and if so, was it due to the stupidity of those charged with the conduct of the election or to some deeper, more sinister motive?” Cormach wrote. He also noted a lack of curtains to ensure privacy in voting booths and testimony from voters who said they were lined up and could see how others were marking their ballots. At other times, the DRO was so busy voters simply put their ballots on a table and left instead of waiting to be properly processed.
In March 1966 the Kinsmen donated $20,000 to add a cement floor to the curling rink so it could also host roller skating, while in 1967 the local Kinettes received an official charter, St. Albert High School officially opened and admission prices for Grosvenor pool were announced — a family season pass was $20 while daily admission ranged from 25 cents for children to 65 cents for adults. The city noted the prices were higher than in Edmonton because the town paid more for water.
Besides the continuing success of the St. Albert Comets in the Sturgeon River Senior Hockey League, who repeated as champions, there was little of note until March 1971 when a snowmobiler who tried to cross the sewage lagoon behind Lions Park crashed through the ice and died, his body recovered by divers. Council briefly deliberated installing snow or chain-link fencing around the lagoon, then referred the matter to budget discussions.
The legion launched its project for an 8,000-sq.-ft.-building worth $100,000 in March 1972. That same month, the Gazette included a quirky item in which a “leading Canadian food scientist” declared that, within 20 years, all meat products will be replaced by soy versions. He also declared the move was necessary because the meat industry was so uneconomical, the world would have to stop eating animals or half the world’s population would starve.
The town plowed ahead with more garbage solutions, getting permission from the Local Authorities Board in March 1973 to set up a sanitary station southwest of town on land in Sturgeon County. But the following March, Hec Gervais was the toast of the town as his rink won the Brier in London, Ont. over Quebec with a 4-2 win. The game broke records for highest attendance (5,939), most ends blanked (seven) and fewest points scored. While fans cheered on Gervais, residents howled at town council, which rezoned eight acres of land just of north Hebert Road to allow Syncrude to build a prefabricating plant. Some 3,000 residents signed a petition, which was sent to the province.
Bertha Kennedy was honoured in March 1975 with the opening of a new school in her name. That same year, council voted to integrate fire and ambulance services, a model that would continue for 34 years.
The following March, Gazette publisher Ernie Jamison was re-elected as an MLA and Ronald Harvey found out a school would be named in his honour. One year later, the RCMP unveiled the biggest drug seizure in St. Albert’s history — 15 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $100,000.
