Today in High Prairie: February 5, 2025

Today in High Prairie! See what’s happening today in town, celebrity birthdays, local history, world history and your daily horoscope. Please send your birthdays and community events to southpeacenews@hotmail.com and/or spneditor@outlook.com.

What’s Happening Today – February 5, 2025

9 a.m. – HP Interagency meeting at HP Provincial Building (CANCELLED).

10 – 11 a.m. – Story Time at HP Municipal Library (Ages 2-5 years).

Noon – Grouard Seniors Lunch at Northland School.

1:30 p.m. – Play Floor Curling at HP Golden Age Club.

5:30 p.m. – Bingo at Kinuso Ag Hall. Pre-Call 6:30 p.m., early bird 6:45 p.m., regular games 7 p.m.

6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Creative Writing (Drop-in Sessions) at HP Municipal Library. (Ages 12+).

7 p.m. – AA meeting at Grouard in Brown Building behind Kapawe’no Hall.

7:30 p.m. – Play cards at Joussard Homesteaders Hall. $3 per person.

Today’s Celebrity Birthdays – February 5, 2025

1784 – Christian Neefe, Tutor of Beethoven

1788 – Robert Peel, UK PM, founder of Bobbies

1848 – Belle Starr, US female outlaw

1919 – George Papandreou, PM of Greece

1919 – Red Buttons, American comedian, actor

1923 – Claude King, Wolverton Mountain singer

1934 – Hank Aaron, Baseball Home Run King

1934 – Don Cherry, Hockey commentator

1942 – Cory Wells, 3 Dog Night vocalist

1943 – Nolan Bushnell, Atari founder, created Pong

1968 – Roberto Alomar, Toronto Blue Jay

1971 – Marcus Redman, Doogie Howser actor

1985 – Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese footballer

1992 – Neymar, Brazilian footballer

This Day in Local History – February 5, 2025

Feb. 5, 1914: Frank Pottage arrives in Grouard with news he is confident the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia railroad will pass through town.

Feb. 5, 1962: Bernice and Jim Gibson reopen the Driftpile General Store. A fire had destroyed the building the previous October.

Feb. 5, 1968: William G. Clark dies after a short illness at the age of 55 years. The former Department of Highways employee helped build the little log St. John’s Anglican Church at Tall Pines at Little Smoky.

Feb. 5, 1969: High Prairie town council unanimously agree to doubles fees for honouraria for attending meetings to $20 from $10.

Feb. 5, 1970: High Prairie Museum president Leon Hamson resigns to take up a job as curator. Mrs. Lawrence Cowell is elected president.

Feb. 5, 1973: Bernard Fevang is elected new High Prairie and District Chamber of Commerce president.

Feb. 5, 1977: The High Prairie Day Care opens in a new log building in High Prairie’s west end.

Feb. 5, 1978: High Prairie rinks sweep the Mixed Zone Districts as Brian Bliss wins the A Event and Bernie Poloz the B Event.

Feb. 5, 1979: A sawmill in Whitefish called the Atikameg Construction Ltd. opens creating 24 jobs.

Feb. 5, 1984: Elmer Ford wins the A Event and Laurie Savill the B Event at the Senior Men’s District Playdowns held in High Prairie.

Feb. 5, 1986: South Peace News, citing unnamed sources, reports the Shybunia property beside the West Prairie River will be the new site of the Provincial Building.

Feb. 5, 1989: Pearl Calahasen, 36, wins a spirited PC nomination meeting in Kinuso.

Feb. 5, 1992: I.D. No. 17 agrees to sell the Wagner property at Enilda to the High Prairie Native Friendship Centre for $30,000. Eventually, the Eagle’s Nest Hall is built there.

Feb. 5, 1993: Aero Aviation ceases flights into High Prairie and Slave Lake without warning.

Feb. 5-6, 1994: Gunnar Odegaard organizes the first High Prairie Sled Dog Races.

Feb. 5, 1995: The High Prairie Chamber of Commerce begins a letter campaign asking the Alberta government to complete Highway 750 paving.

Feb. 5, 1999: UGG decides to rebuild a grain facility in town to replace the elevator destroyed by fire in November.

Feb. 5, 2011: Inga Marquardt passes away at the age of 80 years. She was a member of United Farms Women and worked on the High Prairie history book.

Feb. 5, 2012: David Marx’s rink qualifies for the Alberta Master’s Men’s Provincial Curling Championships after going undefeated at Zones. Other members of the rink are third Bernie Poloz, second Brian Bliss and lead John Chapman.

Feb. 5, 2014: Sucker Creek singer/songwriter Nathan Cunningham is nominated for a Juno Award for Aboriginal Album of the Year.

Feb. 5, 2018: Willy and Kristie Gordon open Shady Orchard Winery east of High Prairie at their farm.

This Day in World History – February 1, 2025

1644 – First US livestock branding law passed, by Connecticut.

1783 – Sweden recognizes US independence.

1825 – Hannah Lord Montague of NY creates first detachable shirt collar.

1850 – Adding machine employing depressible keys patented.

1869 – World’s largest alluvial gold nugget founded: weighs 97.14 kg.

1870 – First motion picture shown to a theater audience at Philadelphia.

1879 – Joseph Swan demonstrates light bulb using carbon glow.

1900 – United States and the United Kingdom sign treaty for Panama Canal.

1901 – Loop-the-loop [roller coaster] patented by Ed Prescot.

1918 – First US pilot to down an enemy airplane, Stephen W. Thompson.

1918 – Separation of church and state begins in USSR.

1921 – Yankees purchase 20 acres in Bronx to build Yankee Stadium.

1922 – Reader’s Digest magazine is first published.

1924 – Royal Greenwich Observatory begins broadcast, Greenwich Time Signal.

1953 – “Peter Pan” by Walt Disney opens at Roxy Theater, NYC.

1958 – Gamel Abdel Nasser nominated 1st President of United Arab Republic.

1962 – Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn all within 16 degrees.

1969 – US population reaches 200 million.

1972 – US airlines begin mandatory inspection of passengers & baggage.

1973 – Comic strip “Hagar The Horrible” by Dik Browne debuts.

1973 – Funeral for LC William Nolde, last US soldier killed in Vietnam War.

1974 – Mats Wermelin, Sweden, scores all points in 272-0 basketball win.

1974 – US Mariner 10 returns 1st close-up photos of Venus’ cloud structure.

1978 – Fred Newman makes 88 consecutive basketball free throws blindfolded.

1981 – Largest Jell-O made [9,246 gallons of watermelon-flavour].

1983 – Former Nazi Gestapo official Klaus Barbie brought to trial.

1989 – Kareem Abdul-Jabar becomes first NBA player to score 38,000 points.

1991 – A Michigan court bars Dr. Jack Kevorkian from assisting in suicides.

1997 – O.J. Simpson found liable in deaths of Ron Goldman, Nicole Simpson.

1997 – Three Swiss banks create $70 million Holocaust fund.

2013 – UK House of Commons votes in favour of same-sex marriage.

Today’s Horoscopes – February 5, 2025

Aries [March 21 – April 20] – You might be planning or leaving on a much-needed vacation now, and feeling very excited about it! Plans should go smoothly, so you are apt to get everything together with few glitches! Friends in distant places might ask you to visit or be planning visits of their own! The focus today is on expansion of your physical and mental horizons! Go for it, have fun, and take notes!

Taurus [April 21 – May 21] – Ambitious plans for your future could necessitate your giving a lot of attention to practical matters, such as finances! This could be a drag, but if you are serious about your ideas, it needs to be done! A friend, probably a man, could pitch in and help you make sense of everything! Do not try to get it all done today! Your mind could get overloaded, which might discourage you! Take it slowly!

Gemini [May 22 – June 21] – The coming days promise a busy social time! You might host a party at your home! You may feel terribly rushed and wonder if you will be able to get everything done! Do not worry! It will all come out all right! Friends or family members could prove invaluable in lending assistance! At some point, you might attend or take part in a sports event!

Cancer [June 22 – July 22] – Your energy level should be high today, so you are going to feel restless and spend most of your time out and about! There might be some chores you need to get done at home, but family members should help and you are apt to finish them all quickly! Paperwork might need to be completed, which could be the slowest of all your tasks! Do not get frustrated! Handle it and then have fun this evening!

Leo [July 23 – Aug. 23] – You may be looking forward to an evening with close friends, probably including a romantic partner! Occasions such as sporting events, movies, or concerts could be on your agenda! Activities involving children are also possible! Do not be surprised if you are inclined to sit quietly and let others do the talking! You might have a lot on your mind and need to let it stew for a while!

Virgo [Aug. 24 – Sept. 22] – Members of your household may feel a bit restless today, and therefore might spend most of their time out and about! You might take advantage of everyone’s absence to catch up on work you need to do alone! This is going to be a busy day with lots of outside contact! Visitors might drop by and the phone could ring constantly! Do not be surprised if you do not get much done!

Libra [Sept. 23 – Oct. 23] – Your neighbourhood is likely buzzing with activity today! New neighbours could move in, improvements could be made, and new businesses could open their doors! Expect a lot of visitors and calls! A man with a child could play a big role in these events! At some point you might decide to walk down the street and check out what is happening! What you hear from others may not be accurate!

Scorpio [Oct. 24 – Nov. 22] – The promise of possible financial advancement could cause you to plunge into a lot of paperwork today! This could be related to a job, or it might involve a personal project you have been working on! You might get so caught up in what you are doing that you lose your ability to focus and get too frazzled to finish! Remember to pace yourself and take breaks when you feel the need!

Sagittarius [Nov. 23 – Dec. 21] – Your physical energy is likely to be very high today, and you might want to spend most of your time out and about, probably in the company of others! You may attend a concert this evening or some other kind of entertainment you really enjoy! There might be a slight delay in getting there, but do not panic! You should arrive eventually!

Capricorn [Dec. 22 – Jan. 20] – This is a good day to spend some time alone! You may have projects you want to finish, and you have the energy to get a lot done! You could feel restless, but socializing might not be a good idea! Tempers may be short and frustrations high among those in your social circle! Quarrels might break out! Get out on your own, then work on whatever you want! This way you will enjoy your day!

Aquarius [Jan. 21 – Feb. 18] – Discussions in a group you are affiliated with could get heated as disagreements escalate! A goal you have been working toward might finally near fulfillment, and tempers are short! You may avoid arguments, but the situation could still make you uncomfortable! You might decide to leave early and go for a workout or walk! This is a good idea! You will want to work off the frustration!

Pisces [Feb. 19 – March 20] – Today you could put a lot of energy into mundane chores and tasks, as you will not want them hanging over your head and interfering with your evening plans! As a result, you might feel very stressed and your temper could be a bit short! Try to control it and avoid taking your frustrations out on others! Remember, you will have to face these people again!