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ST. PAUL (CP) — It has been there for over a century (perhaps), has the head of either a unicorn or a horse, runs somewhere between one and 69 metres in length, is either deadly or harmless — and the Alberta government has agreed to try and find it.In a bid to calm concerned residents, the government has agreed to fly a helicopter over Saddle Lake lake in northeastern Alberta to see if it can find a monster.Residents of the Saddle Lake Indian Reserve, 175 kilometre northeast of Edmonton, say the monster has been in the lake for generations and has been sighted repeatedly.The creature has seldom been clearly described and has no name.Some say it is a hairy, serpentine monster ranging in length to 69 metres. Somesay it has a horse-like head and another claims it has a horn on its forehead.The fish and wildlife branch plans to send a helicopter over the lake in October, when the water is clearer.“We are willing to do that to appease them somewhat/’ said Ray Makowecki, branch director for northeastern Alberta. “They obviously must be seeing something.“The question is: What is it?”Willie Brertton, a member of the Saddle Lake band council, said the monster has been sighted about 100 times over the years.There are those who say the creature has never harmed anyone, but others recall a legend of a girl, about three years old, who was somehow enticed into the water by the monster about 100 years ago.They claim her screams can still be heard at times.Saddle Lake Chief Henry Quinney isskeptical.“It’s been going on for years,” Quinney said. “I don’t know what to say. I have to see it to believe it.”Three University of Alberta specialists visited the lake July 31 and Aug. 1 but found nothing. Two of them may investigate further.The third expert, Wayne Roberts, curator of the university’s zoology museum, believes the sightings were probably nothing more than animals such as moose and beaver.“That’s too bad, because I like to think there are things out there we haven’t seen.”
Newspaper Details
Medicine Hat News
Medicine Hat, Alberta, CA
Sat, Sep 01, 1984
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Kevin S.
CA 28 Nov 2020
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