THE 19605 There are so many interesting news items printed in The Daily Graphic for this period of time that the writer is having difficulty in determining the ones which may be of the most interest to you. Picture, if you can, the number of papers that make the total! How we Wish we could include all the stories about our clever young people who have gone forth from Portage la Prairie, and are a credit to their parents and our city! However, that is impossible as it would make a sizeable volume in itself! We hope that the brief accounts, which follow, will have historic meaning for you, as well as for others in years to come. In 1962, La Verendrye Elementary School was officially opened. with Gordon Palmer, first ViceePresident of La Verendrye Literary Society cutting the ribbon. The same year, West Ward School, that had served as a seat of learning for over 60 years, was demolished. October, 1962, saw the first reading to a by—law calling for a paving program which meant 44 blocks of city streets, requiring 10,700 tons of asphalt. This was also the year that Portage la Prairie won a safety award. During the first month of 1963, the city received a new civil defence rescue truck, loaded with a huge quantity of rescue equip ment. The Daily Graphic, Ian. 16, 1963, said of it, “The best and most modern CD. unit in Canada.” It was the same month of the same year that Command and Regimental Headquarters of 26th Field Artillery, Regiment (SR) R.C.A. was officially transferred from Portage la Prairie to Brandon. A. I. Harding and Mrs. Harding visited here in fuly of 1963. Mr. Harding, UK. member of Council, Kingston on Thames {near London), attended a Council meeting while in our city and “was impressed with lack of red tape”. (Mrs. Harding is the former Marion Finnegan of Portage la Prairie.) Also in Iuly, the annual Fair was opened by Mr. C. B. Heggith, who made his first official visit from Ottawa for that purpose. Speaking of “openings”, Mrs. H. L. Henderson officially opened the Eaton’s store, 149 Saskatchewan Avenue E. by cutting the ribbon in Sept. of 1963. That was also the year that the T upper St. N. overpass was 73% approved. Mayor H. L. Henderson said, at a Council meeting, that it had been advocated 18 years before that date! 117