July 29, 1975
The front page included a reprint of an article from the weekly magazine St. John’s Edmonton Report. This was a precursor to the Alberta Report, which closed in 2003.
In the article, the Department of Regional Economic Expansion (DREE), drug store owner and former Lesser Slave Lake MLA Dennis Barton, and Sawridge Chief Walter Twinn responded to allegations that economic development in Slave Lake had been undermined by “blunders, calamities, mismanagement, and fraud.”
The development included lumber mills, two public schools, roads, water and sewer treatment, by-pass, and upgrades to the airport.
The recession had hit the town, but mayor William Thomas said, “stories that the town is (was) going broke aren’t (weren’t) true.”
The critics were a Bruce Thomas, publisher of the Slave Lake Scope, and two other men.
A note on the front page says Pickerel Furnishings donated a fan to Slave Lake Day Care Centre. Pickerel is another name for walleye, which is the goal of many anglers who try their luck on Lesser Slave Lake or the surrounding rivers.
Sawridge Chief Walter Twinn was the boxing manager for Allan Ford, who was a contender for the Canadian Championship. His opponent on the next Sunday was a boxer from Seattle. The match in Slave Lake was to be a 10-round lightweight (Ford), middleweight, heavyweight, and little people (not the word used) wrestling.
In other sports news, a tennis club was recently founded in Slave Lake. There were also public hours on for the tennis court. (As of 2020, the tennis court is in the southeast in Hilda Eben Park. At the time, it was over by E.G. Wahlstrom School).
A water ski clinic was set for August. It was sponsored by the Canadian Water Ski Association and Slave Lake Rec. Department.
Harry Bartlett (who is currently busy selling Rotary NHL pool tickets) was appointed vice-principal at Roland Michener High School. Allan Wahlstrom was appointed vice-principal of E.G. Wahlstrom School, which was named after his father.
People from across Alberta, B.C., and Northwest Territories met to discuss how grant programs affect northern communities. Gordon Auger, who represented several isolated First Nation communities in the Lesser Slave Lake area, said that the communities wanted year-round employment, not just summer.
The council sent recommendations to local MPs and Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau.
Riverboat Daze was to be on the upcoming weekend. Events were to include a Riverboat Daze Costume Ball.
