Skip to content

Unity-Wilkie Press-Herald Blast to the past

A little jump back in to 50 years and 20 years ago in the Unity-Wilkie Press-Herald readership area

50 years ago

The front page headline in The Northwest Herald was: “Communities saddened over sudden passing of Father Francis Wandler.” Fr. Wandler, former parish priest in Unity and a native son of the Denzil district, died suddenly at Prelate, at the age of 49.

Mrs. Larraine Wood was the guest speaker at the Unity CGIT annual Mother and Daughter Banquet. Susan Sirrs, CGIT president introduced the head table guests.

Grocery specials included one-pound packages of sliced bacon for only 89¢ and five cucumbers for $1.

20 years ago

The Town of Wilkie entered into an agreement with West Yellowhead Resource Authority for garbage disposal, while the Town of Unity stated their landfill site had a life expectancy of two to five years. Federal and provincial rules required all plastics, rubber tires, the ink on newspapers, disposable diapers, all paint and thus also painted wood, used oil, asphalt shingles, antifreeze and batteries to be compacted and buried in a specially prepared site.

Unity Western Days queen contestants were Candace Beriault, Chelice Fendelet, Shelly Lauinger, Deanna Tarasoff and Jennifer Winterhalt.

Wilkie students winning badminton medals in Kindersley were Mark Lorenz and Tera Glessing (gold) and Derek and Jared Keller and Brittany Bachman and Kim Cey (silver).

Unity Composite High School held their junior track meet. Winning the Hi-Point medals were Stephanie Van De Meutter and Jeff Schatz, Grade 7; Garrett Neil and Darelle Pool, Grade 8; and Chelsey Tuchscherer and Scott Brownlee, Grade 9.