Week of June 27, 2024

1979-80 Computer (SC.2020.024.001.a-b)

40 years ago (June 27, 1984)

“Computer Camp will teach family the basics”

40 years ago, family summer computer camps were being offered for the first time at the Fort Saskatchewan High School. For $30, families would get the use of a computer for five three-hour sessions. There was a demand for parents wanting to learn about computers along with their children at the time, as it was a rare family who had a computer in their own home. The courses would be offered throughout the summer and cover basics like entering commands and using computers for accounting and word processing. With computers in 1984 costing anywhere from $1300 for a Commodore-64 to $2500 for an Apple Macintosh, these classes were a very affordable alternative for families who wanted to increase their computer literacy!

30 years ago (June 30, 1994)

“Highway 21 to Get Upgrade”

30 years ago, long-term planning was initiated for the busy stretch of Highway 21 between Highways 14 and 16. With high traffic counts and a collision rate higher than the Provincial average, Alberta Transportation and Utilities was holding a series of open houses and focus groups to get feedback from the local community on how to improve the highway’s safety. Ideas being considered included widening Highway 21 to a four-lane divided highway, closing access points to make the road safer, and installing interchanges at major intersections. Those of us who travel that section of Highway 21 today can see which of those plans came to fruition, and if you’d like to learn more about transportation in our area, past and present, come by the Strathcona County Museum to enjoy our new permanent Trails, Railways, and Highways exhibit!