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 – August 21, 2026

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Sunshine Explorers Summer Camp children 6 years and older. (Day 3 of 3).

1 – 3 p.m. – Armor Quest at HP Bethel Baptist Church (Day 5 of 5).

1:30 p.m. – Enjoy whist games at the HP Golden Age Centre, 4824-53 Ave. $1 coffee charge.

7:30 p.m. – High Prairie AA chapter meets at HP Church of the Nazarene.

Today’s Celebrity Birthdays – August 21, 2026

1660 – Hubert Gautier, Wrote First Book on Bridge Building

1811 – William Kelly, Invented Steelmaking Process

1891 – Emiliano M. del Toro, World’s Oldest Man from 2004-07

1891 – Bugs Moran, American Gangster

1896 – Edith MacDonald, Addams Family Actress

1905 – Friz Freleng, Warner Bros. Cartoon Animator

1912 – Toe Blake, Montreal Canadiens Coach

1923 – Arthur Janov, Created Primal Therapy

1924 – Jack Buck, US Sports Broadcaster

1924 – Jack Weston, Dirty Dancing Actor

1936 – Wilt Chamberlain, NBA Hall of Famer

1938 – Kenny Rogers, The Gambler Singer

1939 – Ernie Maresca, Runaround Sue Songwriter

1939 – Harold W. Reid, Statler Bros. Singer

1945 – Patty McCormack, The Ropers Actress

1945 – Basil Poledouris, Hunt For Red October Composer

1947 – Carl Giammarese, Buckinghams Guitarist

1951 – Margo Kane, Canadian Playwright

1952 – Joe Strummer, Rock the Casbah Singer

1952 – Keith Hart, Stampede Wrestling Wrestler

1952 – Glenn Hughes, Deep Purple Bassist/Vocalist

1954 – Steve Smith, Journey Drummer

1956 – Kim Cattrall, Star Trek VI Actress

1957 – Kim Sledge, We Are Family Singer

1959 – Richard Zokol, Canadian Pro Golfer

1961 – Stephen Hillenburg, SpongeBob Cartoonist

1967 – Carrie-Anne Moss, The Matrix Trilogy Actress

1969 – Josee Chouinard, Canadian Figure Skater

1973 – Sergey Brin, Google Co-Founder

1986 – Usain Bolt, Jamaican Sprinter

1989 – Hayden Panettiere, One Life to Live Actress

This Day in Local History – August 21, 2026

Aug. 21, 1912: Six settlers arrive at the Grouard Land Office at 4 p.m. and wait until 9 a.m. the next day to purchase land to file on one of nine choice quarter sections.

Aug. 21, 1912: Paul G. Jung, president of the Peace River Realty Company, says he has received positive assurances that the Pacific and Hudson Bay Railroad will be built from Bella Coola, B.C. to Fort Churchill, Man. with a branch through Grouard.

Aug. 21, 1914: The infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Yeaman drinks fly poison but is expected to recover.

Aug. 21, 1963: The High Prairie Booster reports the High Prairie Optimist Midget baseball team goes undefeated in the playoffs to win the league championship.

Aug. 21, 1976: The two-day Kinuso Agricultural Fair is held for the first time beginning this day.

Aug. 21, 1970: Rhonda Gordon, 7, suffers two broken ribs, a broken leg and multiple bruises and cuts after being hit by a car driven by Roby E. Wurtz.

Aug. 21, 1974: Mike Redlak installs 30 new washing machines at High Prairie Speedwash.

Aug. 21, 1974: High Prairie town council is divided over proposed airport development. Site and costs are concerns.

Aug. 21, 1983: The regional swim meet is held in Grande Prairie and 22 High Prairie Dolphins swimmers qualify for provincials.

Aug. 21, 1985: South Peace News reports it will cost $338,000 for renovations to Boyt’s Department Store to prepare it for provincial government employees offices.

Aug. 21, 1985: South Peace News reports a proposed $2.8 million marina for Joussard is being re-evaluated.

Aug. 21, 1985: High Prairie postmaster Laurie Savill says no new post office is approved for High Prairie despite promises from MP Jack Shields. Lack of money is cited.

Aug. 21, 1986: Harry Garbett, 66, of High Prairie, is killed when hit by a car while walking on the grass by the Grouard highway.

Aug. 21, 1988: Five High Prairie Dolphins return from provincials in Calgary with 11 medals. Ryan MacDonald wins a gold in the boy’s 15-16 100-metre breaststroke and smashes the provincial record in doing so. He also wins a silver medal in the 200-metre breaststroke. Byron MacDonald wins a silver in the boy’s 17 and over 100-metre breaststroke. The boy’s relay team of Ryan MacDonald, Gus MacDonald, Gordon Read and Ryan Erasmus wins bronze in two relay races.

Aug. 21, 1989: The Sports Palace roof must be fixed or the High Prairie Recreation Board will look like a bunch of yahoos, says member Bernie LeBlanc. He was concerned about water leaking through the roof if it rained during the Golden Walleye Classic banquet.

Aug. 21, 1989: Sixteen High Prairie Dolphins swimmers return home with 52 medals, including 19 gold, from the regional swim meet in Peace River.

Aug. 21, 1989: Northern Bottling approaches the High Prairie Recreation Board with an offer to place a clock in the Sports Palace arena. As part of the agreement, the board agrees to sell only Coca-Cola products in the concession booth for five years.

Aug. 21, 1989: Aerobics enthusiasts present a list of 10 demands to the High Prairie Recreation Board. Chairman Guy L’Heureux breaks a tie vote and defeats the requests. He invites them to the next meeting to explain their case.

Aug. 21, 1994: Manitoba’s Rick Shpiruk and Laurie Taylor win the Golden Walleye Classic with a catch of 46.95 pounds.

Aug. 21, 1995: Kim Boisson opens the Clothing Cellar in the High Prairie Dental Centre Building.

Aug. 21, 1996: Beung Ho Kim of Gift Lake wins $100,000 in the Lotto 6/49 Plus draw.

Aug. 21, 1997: Roy William Rogers, 21, of High Prairie is killed after being thrown from his vehicle six kilometres south of town.

Aug. 21, 1999: Bridge Crew member Michael Ernest Tallman is killed after being run over by a train.

This Day in World History – August 21, 2026

1264 – Kublai Khan accepts surrender of younger brother ending civil war.

1841 – John Hampton patents venetian blind.

1852 – Tlingit Indians destroy Fort Selkirk, Yukon.

1888 – William Seward Burroughs patents the adding machine.

1897 – Oldsmobile begins operation as a GM corporation division.

1911 – “Mona Lisa” stolen from the Louvre; recovered in 1913.

1942 – Walt Disney’s animated movie “Bambi” is released.

1942 – World War II: Germans plant Nazi flag on Mount Elbrus [Russia].

1943 – Japan leaves Aleutian Islands.

1959 – Hawaii becomes the 50th US state.

1967 – Ken Harrelson becomes baseball’s first free agent.

1968 – After 5 years Soviet Union once again jams Voice of America radio.

1972 – First hot air balloon flight over Alps.

1977 – Donna Patterson Brice sets high speed water skiing record: 111 mph.

1987 – “Dirty Dancing” starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey opens.

1989 – Voyager 2 begins a flyby of planet Neptune.

1991 – Latvia declares its independence from USSR.

1996 – Netscape Browser 3.0 is released.

2012 – 20 people in Congo die from the Ebola virus.

2015 – After 108 years a “message in a bottle” found on German beach.

2017 – Total solar eclipse visible from North America.

2017 – London’s clock Big Ben chimes for the last time before restoration.

2018 – Water-ice is first detected on the moon by India’s spacecraft.

Today’s Horoscopes – August 21, 2026

Aries [March 21 – April 20] – Today is your day, so live it up! If it seems like things have been rather intense lately, do not worry, they are apt to lighten up quite a bit today! Feel free to be your usual jolly self, the one who adds humour to the group! Your laughter will be appreciated! Come into the forefront! Bring things up to your level and you will find others willingly join you there!

Taurus [April 21 – May 21] – Be careful you are not acting in a way that you dislike in others! You could find you are slowly taking on the traits of the people you despise! Lighten up a bit and put a smile on your face! If you continue to see the negative side of everything, it is likely other people will only see the negative side of you!

Gemini [May 22 – June 21] – The day’s general mood should fit quite well with your agenda! There is no need to fixate on the negative! Keep things light and upbeat and worry about the consequences later! This is the time to be adventurous and explore! Do not let anyone else tell you how to run your show! You have a strong will and strong opinions, so do not be afraid to express either!

Cancer [June 22 – July 22] – You may need a translator to get through to people today! It could be hard to make decisions, but not impossible! Today’s tip is to err on the side of adventure! Trust that good luck will pull you through if you take risks! You may feel unappreciated! Ask for help when you need it, but do not rely on others to heal you! Most of this work needs to come from within!

Leo [July 23 – Aug. 23] – Use your power resources today, as you have a great deal of dynamic energy at your disposal! You have the ability to transform and conquer anything now! Note your spirit of adventure is apt to be more acute than normal, and you may be feeling quite anxious to get things rolling in a new direction! Do not hold back! Now is the time to do things full force!

Virgo [Aug. 24 – Sept. 22] – You could be asked to make some spontaneous decisions today that you might not feel entirely comfortable making! You could feel you do not have enough facts to make an educated decision about what to do next! Realize sometimes it is necessary to bite the bullet and make the best choice based on the knowledge you have! Be adventurous and trust your judgment!

Libra [Sept. 23 – Oct. 23] – Emotionally, you may feel as if you are running up against a brick wall! It could be your first reaction is to drown your sorrows in drink! Escapism is only a temporary remedy! If things slam in your face today, use this as an indication you need to take necessary action! Do not keep bouncing around from one thing to the next in order to avoid the obvious! Face the music!

Scorpio [Oct. 24 – Nov. 22] – Your emotions could be extra powerful today, although something may not feel as if it is sitting right! It could be a feeling of manipulation! Perhaps you have misjudged someone else’s sensitivity and now they are working to get back at you in a subtle yet harmful way! Attend to your feelings and spend time alone if it helps you get more in tune with your emotions!

Sagittarius [Nov. 23 – Dec. 21] – Take hold of this day as if it is your own and use it to grow your dreams! You will find a great deal of power and dynamism in the air urging you to take the adventurous route! There is no need to hold back! The door is open and waiting for you to take the leap of faith to the other side! Do not even worry about consequences now! Your good luck will pull you safely through!

Capricorn [Dec. 22 – Jan. 20] – There is a fiery tone to the day that can not be ignored! You may find adjustments need to be made in your own plan of attack in order to get on the same page with other people! Do not worry if things do not go according to your plans! In fact, the best route to take is the one that was not even planned! Do something you have never done before!

Aquarius [Jan. 21 – Feb. 18] – There is an extra spark in your eye that people will not be able to ignore! Today’s a good day to get your point across, because you will find people more open and receptive to new things than usual! Speak with confidence and you will go far! It is important for you to say what you feel! If you do not, others will find reasons to walk all over you!

Pisces [Feb. 19 – March 20] – Take yourself on a mental adventure today in which you explore new aspects of your world! Discuss philosophy and religion! Get to the core of a matter that seriously interests you! Now is a good time to consider taking classes or engaging in some form of higher learning! Your emotions come from a point of great power and you should use this energy wisely!