40 YEARS AGO
Joe and Hazel Wadlegger were jointly awarded citizen of the year honours at the Chamber of Commerce banquet. Nominated by a number of local organizations including CNT Lions, the Clearwater Ski Club and Clearwater Secondary School, the Wadleggers were chosen over four other distinguished members of the community.
Executive Elks members from 100 Mile House, Lillooet, Kamloops and North Kamloops visited Clearwater to witness the installation of officers in the local Elks Lodge number 499. Karl Wichmann was designated the new exalted ruler during the ceremonies at the Elks Hall, replacing past exalted ruler Howard Bucknell.
Operations at Dimac Resource Corporation’s tungsten mine at Silence Lake, about 50 kilometres north of Clearwater, were scheduled to begin in one week. The $2.5-million facility was Canada’s second tungsten mine and will extract about 30 pounds of tungsten per ton of ore, according to Dimac’s vice president, Bob Mountford.
35 YEARS AGO
Winner at guessing the weight of the giant block of cheese in the recent contest at Safety Mart was Millie Rempel. Her guess of 163 pounds was close enough to win her a $100 prize. Runners-up in guessing the big cheese were Mrs. Labelle and Mike Toma. Weight of the cheese was 162 pounds.
First priority of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District Area A Parks, Cemeteries and Television Committee was to complete the television problems in the area, finalizing the long promised good reception for the residents.
30 YEARS AGO
Barriere RCMP announced that Constable Robert Curdy, presently of Kelowna, has been appointed to replace Corporal Dale Ledding as non-commissioned officer in charge of the local detachment.
Response from the Ministry of Human Resources to establishing a day program for handicapped adults in Clearwater has so far been quite positive, School District 26 secretary-treasurer Donna Fitzsimmons told the District board. A letter on the proposal was recently sent by Leslie Groulx of the Citizens for Clearwater’s Future committee to the Ministry’s district supervisor. In the letter, she said she felt there was a potential of eight to 12 people who would take part in such a program.
Members of North Thompson Indian Band used a fish-trap and spears to capture a number of salmon near Dunn Lake. Although only a few dozen were taken, the band plans on harvesting about 1,000 fish which are not needed to maintain the run. All the salmon collected originated from the native-run hatchery at Dunn Lake. They were marked by removal of the small adipose fin on their back before being released three years ago.
25 YEARS AGO
A deadly-looking 9mm handgun was seized by RCMP from a Kamloops youth in the Clearwater Secondary School parking lot, who had it hidden in his coat. The weapon was a realistic-looking Crossman air pistol loaded with 19 BBs.
Evergreen Acres resident Gordon Bennett took out a 400-pound bear with two well-placed shots of his 30.30 ending in the animal’s last meal in mid-gulp. The oversized black bear wandered into the Evergreen Acres seniors’ housing complex around 10 p.m. and started checking out the freezers kept on the patios outside the apartments. All were locked but one, which the bear tipped over and started munching on a loaf of bread.
Forest workers who go out in the woods should be prepared for the worst, and if the worst happens, their supervisors should not hesitate to call Search and Rescue to ensure the crew is at least on standby, Provincial Emergency Program Regional Manager Rod Salem told those who came out to the debriefing session held five days after the search for Integrated Woods Services employee Neil McEwan, who failed to return after the day’s work south of Avola. He wasn’t located until almost 24 hours later.
20 YEARS AGO
Carol Robertson was Clearwater’s Citizen of the Year for 2001. Described by one of her nominees as “a kind and caring person,” Robertson was an active member of the Legion, Community Health Advisory Council, Alexandra Themis Society, Evergreen Acres and Skills Centre.
The Clearwater Centre community plan was to be unveiled for public comment at an open house. Karen Montgomery noted it would give a boost to tourism and “our spirits.” The plan also proposed a number of ways to improve the appearance of Clearwater, ones that would accomplish a lot without a high price tag, she added.
Clearwater Volunteer Fire Department was to hold their annual fireworks display again on Halloween.
Two public meetings were scheduled to discuss incorporation for Clearwater. The first was a presentation and the second an open house and presentation, both at the Elks Hall.
15 YEARS AGO
The African Children’s Choir made a stop in Clearwater when they toured the North Thompson Valley. Compiled of children who have lost one or both parents due to AIDS or war, everyone in the audience learned of the choir members’ plight even as they witnessed their boundless, positive energy.
A project to re-align Clearwater Valley Road had a price tag of $2 million, but would create smoother traffic flow for tourists and residents visiting Wells Gray Provincial Park, said Kamloops-North Thomspon MLA Kevin Krueger.
10 YEARS AGO
Wells Gray Community Forest gave away it’s first-ever allotment of grants totalling $99,500. The applications totalled about $150,000, said Richard Christenson, chair of the society that holds the community forest corporation’s shares and selects the recipients.
Valley pioneer Ernie Graffunder celebrated his 85th birthday on Oct. 18. He was born in 1926.
Nathaneal Toscano was named Vavenby Volunteer Fire Department’s Fire Chief for a Day. In the evening he was picked up at home in one of the fire trucks and brought to the hall, to check out the equipment. He also experienced was it was like to be in the truck with the sirens going.
5 YEARS AGO
Clearwater town council voted during its meeting to amend an earlier decision to impost a 30 km/h speed limit next to Dutch Lake beach. The speed-zone would only be in place from May to September.
Five small parks inherited at incorporation were created as a result of a policy that required developers to set aside a certain percentage of land for park during the subdivision of property, but now council wondered what to do with them. Several of the parks were steep or otherwise hard to access. One thought was to proceed with selling off the properties.
The section of the Clearwater-100 Mile Forest Service Road (also known as Road 2) from the end of the pavement on Camp Two Road to the eco depot needs, at the least, to be built up with crush to help prevent potholes, or better yet, should be paved. These were the thoughts brought forward to council by John Meyers, owner of Moose Camp fishing resort.
newsroom@clearwatertimes.com
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