On August 16, 1979, John Diefenbaker died. The thirteenth Prime Minister, and the only Prime Minister from Saskatchewan thus far, died of a heart attack.
In its eulogy, Yorkton This Week remembered him as the last of the old-type politicians, and praised his belief in his convictions even if those convictions were not always what people wanted or what was best for the country, saying “sometimes he was on the wrong side but he was never on the side of wrong.” Still, the piece praised him for his emphasis on the unity of Canada, the establishment of the Bill of Rights and his focus on improving the economy of the country’s far north, while criticizing his decisions on the Avro Arrow project, the James Coyne affair and the nuclear missile dispute.
“Mr. Diefenbaker may well be remembered in history more as a visionary than as an administrator of the nation’s assets,” said Yorkton This Week.
Diefenbaker’s body travelled back to its final resting place in Saskatoon by train, making stops in towns on the way so mourners could pay their respects. The Melville stop, which drew out a crowd of about 70, saw the end of another life. Charles Bennett, 67, collapsed soon after the car carrying Diefenbaker’s remains was opened, and later died on the way to the hospital. RCMP present at the event administered CPR for 20 minutes to the retired taxi operator, and the departure of the train was delayed a half hour due to the incident.
In the arts, film producer James Shavick was in town trying to get a Yorkton connection to his upcoming film The Final Assignment. Starring Burgiss Meredith and Brooke Adams, the film was a cold war thriller about a young reporter travelling to Russia with a Canadian Prime Minister. It was also in need of money, and Shavick was trying to find investors in Yorkton to raise the $2 million needed for filming.
Shavick was also looking for an actor. He needed a young woman, fluent in Russian or Ukrainian, to take on the role of Tasha, the daughter of a Russian scientist in the film. The girl would receive $100 a week for two or three weeks of shooting in Montreal and one in Vienna, while her chaperone – “probably her mother,” according to the article – would receive $45 a week.
The girl eventually cast as Tasha was Michelle Mostovoy, and the film was her only acting credit.
Production on the film didn’t go especially smoothly, as original director Silvio Narizzano was fired after one week of filming and replaced by Paul Almond.
John Good, representing investment brokerage firm Houston Willoughby, said that there was little risk in the investment, and while the greatest returns were expected in 1981 and 1982, there would be a chance to make money so long as the film was in circulation. It is not currently in print, though it was issued on DVD in 2006.
Neill’s Jewellers in Yorkton meanwhile had a musical prize for their customers. Nine customers who bought Neill’s diamonds or gold would get a gold Neil Diamond album, with 20 Golden Greats to go with their great gold. There were also additional Neil Diamond albums for customers looking for diamonds at Neill’s, though those albums were not literal gold, even if, being 20 Golden Greats, they might have been figurative gold.
