Both the Hardisty and Lougheed ATB Agencies celebrated a milestone 85 years serving the community last Wednesday, March 6.
Battle River Agencies, under the James Insurance Group, runs the ATB Agency both in Hardisty in Lougheed, and held celebrations with ATB staff from the Killam Branch at both locations.
The Hardisty ATB has always been located on Main Street, but has moved around, says Bud James, co-owner of James Insurance Group. He says Wes Pedlar Sr. was the first ATB agent in Hardisty, operating the agency in a building on the east side of the street, north of the hotel.
That building was destroyed by fire, and the business moved across the street. It moved back to the east side of the street several years later, and Wes Pedlar Jr. and his wife Bev moved from Calgary to operate the ATB along with Pedlar Agencies for the next 25 years.
Pedlar’s sold to Baughn Agencies, who also ran the ATB for a short time before it moved to the drugstore.
In 2017, Marcy Lazarick and Bud James, owners of the James Insurance Group, became the ATB Agents in Hardisty.
James says that during the anniversary open house, they were surprised to find out that their current location once housed a Chinese restaurant in the town, with one of the day’s visitors showing them photos from what he thinks were the late 1940s.
The party moved to Lougheed in the afternoon.
In Lougheed, Burt Hill operated the ATB in the tiny brick building located just south of the hotel on Main Street, along with an insurance office and even the Village office, back in 1939. James says Frank LeGrange was also a previous owner. He’s heard stories where the business rented one of the building’s offices to a doctor, who held office hours one day a week in Lougheed.
In 1950 Harry Glieser bought that building and continued to operate the business until 1963, when Herb Losness operated the agency until 1983 along with Losness Insurance. It was during this time that the agency moved to its present location a little further south on Main Street. Eunice Losness was the ATB Agent from 1984 to 1993, and Denise Bratland operated both Losness Insurance and the ATB agency from 1993 to 2023. Lazarick and James became the Lougheed ATB Agents in 2023.
James says there was cake to commemorate the 85th year at both locations, along with draws and giveaways.
“It’s nice to celebrate milestones, 85 years is nothing to sneeze at. We also had a good turnout from the community at both celebrations.”
Leslie Cholowsky
Editor