From decade to decade, Athabasca is constantly evolving and adapting to new circumstances. This becomes most apparent after reviewing the last 40 years of the Athabasca Advocate’s archives.
10 Years Ago
In 2014, the Athabasca Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee claimed nine doctors in Athabasca was enough. From 2009 to 2014, the committee brought five new doctors to the area. Mabel Dick, a member of the committee, recognized this success as a result of the community’s hard work as well as the committee's. Since many Athabascans remained on waiting lists, Dick expressed she was not sure if the public would also feel content with the number of doctors in town.
20 Years Ago
In 2004, Alberta Learning responded to many Albertans’ demand for smaller class sizes by increasing funding for hiring new teachers. News of a three-year, $149 million Alberta-wide funding infusion was well received by Aspen View school board members. Aspen View would receive an estimated $450 000, which would account for the wages of six new teachers. Alberta’s Learning Commission set out to decrease Alberta’s class sizes to around 17 kids for kindergarten, 23 students for Grades 4-6 and 25-27 for Grades 7-12 by 2007.
30 Years Ago
On a lighter note, remember the $2 bill? In 1994, some Athabascans couldn’t imagine life without it. Words like “inconvenient” and “nuisance” were used to describe the proposed $2 coin. A common belief was that the government would never be able to approve the coin as it would make carrying money too bulky.
“The loonie is bad enough in your pocket because when you get several of them in your pocket, it looks like you have a brick in it,” said Cazimier Kosinski Sr. To the disappointment of many, the toonie was officially introduced less than two years later.
40 Years Ago
In 1984, Athabasca’s MP, Jack Shields, announced an outline of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada’s position on women’s issues. The party laid out six steps they hoped to implement so that women would have an equal say in the decisions made about their lives. These goals focused on equal pay in the workforce, employee retraining, and supplementing on-the-job training with skill-development leave. The party also encouraged women in public service to compete for higher-paying executive positions. Additionally, the plan emphasized a re-examination of the tax system to promote better child-care deduction, and taking action to bring domestic violence to a halt.
