Forty years ago:
In 1984, Alberta’s Department of Natural Resources invited representatives from Finland’s lumber industry to explore the prospects of a pulp mill in northern Alberta. The Athabasca area’s proximity to timber stands and the steady supply of water provided by the river made it a clear candidate for this project. At a county council meeting in August of 1984, a proposal was made to survey the region's timber and natural resources to determine the suitability of the potential enterprise.
Thirty years ago:
In the fall of 1994 Athabasca Golf and Country Club were given exclusive access to test out the new back nine holes at the Athabasca Golf Course. The annual Members Mixed Fun Tournament would be pushed back nearly a month so the attendees could also try out the new course. After a few finishing touches, the course would later be opened to the rest of the public in the following spring. This was not the club’s only big step for the near future, as they also hoped to begin work on a new club house during the winter of 1994-1995.
Twenty years ago:
In 2004, Athabasca was divided over the development of the Whispering Valley Golf Course project. Developer of the project, Ken Suitor, had previously proposed to develop residential buildings on the Tawatinaw River Valley that would complement the golf course. Discourse on the matter only erupted near the end of August when new reports showing the instability of the valley were presented to the town council. Suitor reassured the council any instability risks could be overcome, but no longer expected the council to remain supportive of his project. However, a large portion of the public sided with Suitor, believing that the project would be especially beneficial to a rural community. At their next meeting, the town council unanimously voted to prohibit the development of the residential area.
Ten years ago:
The new school year in 2014 was kicked off with the grand opening of the new LTIS playground equipment. It had not only been the students who had long awaited this event; the upgraded park had been a work in progress since 2011, and many hard-working volunteers were relieved to finally see their success put into action. One column in the Advocate from this week pointed out nine quality playgrounds is a great achievement for a rural town, observing that Athabasca could be more popularly known for its playgrounds than it is for the River Rats Festival.
