100 Years Ago, 1926 — Manitoba Free Press garden editor regards Carman as the most beautifully treed town; Cochran’s Ltd. sells a cut-glass water set for $3; 150 attend Carman Tennis Club’s fundraising dance, raising $90; Nesco oil stoves are $27.50 at W.S. Hallett’s Carman Hardware; Jean McInnes wins the RM of Grey Spelling Bee; the Order of Odd Fellows of Manitoba holds its annual meeting in Carman; P & B Cash Stores sells a 50-lb. block of salt for 70 cents.
75 Years Ago, 1951 — J.A. Peterson retires after 38 years as school inspector; large newspaper promotions encourage oil heat; John Murta heads to Nebraska to pick up his first-of-its-kind two-row forage harvester; Walter Derksen, formerly of Roland, is named a Kellogg Co. representative for southern Manitoba; Dorfman’s oatmeal cookies are $1 for three pounds; showing at the Boyne Theatre is Harvey, starring James Stewart; the school board increases insurance on the new school by an additional $48,000, bringing coverage to $118,000; the Cards sit fourth in a five-team loop.
50 Years Ago, 1976 — Clarice Oldcorn heads the Ladies Curling Classic committee; popular TV shows include Kojak, Maude, Sanford and Son and Little House on the Prairie; official opening of the Friendship Centre/Station House; triticale seeded locally after four years of U.S. trials; minimum wage to increase from $2.60 to $2.95 by September; Bill North, 71, beats brother Bruce, 76, at the Winkler Open; Carman Collegiate’s track and field team tops Zone 4 at Pan Am Stadium; Fred Salter invites residents to compare DCU’s 8.5 per cent savings rate.
25 Years Ago, 2001 — Sperling prepares for its centennial reunion; grand opening of Toews Printing & Office Supply on Centre Avenue; $820,000 expansion underway at Carman United Church; bylaw passes making Memorial Hall a smoke-free building; Elm Creek School changes to a semester system; Communities in Bloom competition comes to Carman; the Carman Blues girls soccer team improves to 7-0; Jake Chenier entertains at Fun & Value Daze; Boyne River Sports offers a 26-inch Bonelli bicycle for $339.99, a savings of $110; Cosmo, also known as Bob Kowalchuk, reviews movies for the Leader; grand opening held for the $213,170 Boyne Regional Library expansion.
