2000 – 10 YEARS AGO
• Kevin Sorenson of the Canadian Alliance Party win the Crowfoot riding with 70 per cent of the vote in the federal election on Nov. 27.
• Rev. Donald Axford, minister of St. George’s Anglican Church in Stettler for 24 years, was honoured as Stettler Citizen of the Year by Stettler Chamber of Commerce
1990 – 20 YEARS AGO
• Lorne and Kathy Thurston – a husband-and-wife team – claimed Stettler 1990 male and female citizens of the year awards at the Stettler Chamber of Commerce banquet. The winners were described as “volunteers in every sense of the word”.
• Organizers of a mammoth country and western music festival planned for the Big Valley area are pleased by the $45,000 in funding offered by the federal government. “The proposed Big Valley Jamboree has the potential of making a significant economic impact that will continue for many years,” said MP Arnold Malone.
1980 – 30 YEARS AGO
• Using the good services of Les Lovell Santa Claus Agencies Ltd. the Stettler Chamber of Commerce will bring Santa Claus to Stettler Memorial Hall to take Christmas orders from girls and boys of the community.
• Talent West, Stettler Co-op’s first annual search-for-talent show was won by young Stettler singer Jennifer Pfeiffer. Sharing second place was the trio of Monica Kirtley, Bruce Hennel and Keith Lunevich of the Linda District.
1970 – 40 YEARS AGO
• Robert Nielson of Stettler Centennial Swim Club has proven to be the fastest in the province for boys’ 10-and-under when he swam five events in the Pentathlon in Calgary.
• John Ross of Gadsby, a strong supporter and long-time official of the old Farmers’ Union of Alberta, was elected chairman of Unifarm’s zone 8 at the annual meeting in Stettler and succeeds retiring chairman Erwin Repp.
1960- 50 YEARS AGO
• A large number of people from the Donalda district enjoyed the Hobby Night in the (unnamed) United Church basement. Many fine examples of work were on display such as woodcarving, copper tooling, textile painting, petit point and more.
• Some 20 Boys Scouts and Girl Guides has received first-aid certificates after successfully completing a course and examination in St. John’s Ambulance Junior First-Aid. W. Crombie, W. Kenny and Ted Pascoe were the lecturers for this class.
1950 – 60 YEARS AGO
• Big Valley is the latest Alberta town to develop growing pains as the result of the discovery of oil. A new briquette plant is also being established there which will employ 30 to 40 men the year around.
1940 – 70 YEARS AGO
• A father-and-son banquet was held in the basement of the Masonic Hall with 90 Scouts attending. Patrol leaders and Scoutmasters were present from Big Valley, Gadsby, Alix and Bashaw.
• Byemoor boys attending the 30 days of military training in Red Deer this month are George Larson, Joe Pearson, Clifford Myers and Richard Derwantz.
1930 – 80 YEARS AGO
• The contest to choose a name for the cemetery at Botha closed Nov. 15 with 24 names submitted as Woodland Cemetery was chosen from the name by Mr. Prudden.
• The 25th anniversary of the Bank of Montreal will be celebrated by local staff as the Merchants Bank, which is now merged with the Bank of Montreal, commenced business in Stettler on Nov. 28, 1906. The population at that time consisted of 50 inhabitants living in temporary shacks.
1920 – 90 YEARS AGO
• The Stettler branch of the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows (IOOF) has bought a set of carpet balls and a team is in the process of formation. Captain Fraser has already arranged a game between married and unmarried men.
• A farmer who cuts down his bluffs of trees, except only when absolutely necessary, is making the farm a feeding place for worms, grasshoppers and weeds.
1910 – 100 YEARS AGO
• Three new school districts have recently been erected the area: Knudson at Dowling Lake, Fox Coulee at Munson and Grand Ridge at Garden Plains,
• The Botha train station agent is still a myth. We hear of him often, but he does not materialize. We certainly deserve an agent after fighting for cars with the train crews for a full year.