40 YEARS AGO:
The Marg Lehto rink completed the annual Wells Gray Curling Club Easter Bonspiel in top spot after an exciting final game during the weekend event, defeating the R. Rutten rink of Barriere. Third place in the wrap-up “spiel of the year” went to Vavenby’s Ron Cederholm while fourth was K. Clark.
In addition to first place trophies and some tremendous prizes the Lehto rink will also have their names engraved on the giant perpetual McFee Memorial trophy.
Art Marcyniuk and his foursome beat out a rink made up of two Nanaimo visitors and club president Frank Voysey in the B event. The winners will hold the B event Clearwater Timber Products trophy. The Miller rink took third and Armstrong fourth.
35 YEARS AGO:
About 35 frustrated taxpayers attended the School District 26 meeting evening to protest any additional increase in their taxes for education.
Considerable concern was expressed that members of the teaching staff in the district could receive salary increases when negotiations are completed between the board and North Thompson Teachers’ Association bargainers.
Members of the audience felt such a move was contrary to recent practice in the valley which has seen many workers faced wit reduced salaries but increases in their personal costs.
30 YEARS AGO:
Trustees of School District 26 (North Thompson) have approved a 3.2 per cent increase in total budget for the district for 1991-92 over the previous year.
Overall expenses for the year are expected to be nearly $8 million ($7,983,541).
The decision was made at the board’s regular meeting in Clearwater.
Impact on local taxpayers will not be known until the provincial government sets its taxation formulas and sharing ratios, which will be done mid-May.
Operating budget increased 6.2 per cent over 1990-91. Since the block funding increase was only 3.8 per cent, the difference is being made up using locally-generated revenues and a portion of the district’s surplus revenues.
25 YEARS AGO:
Unusual ice build up on the North Thompson River in December may be the cause of a current erosion problem just north of the Birch Island bridge.
“I’ve lost probably eight feet in the last week,” said Jeff Ruttan of the land that’s been swept away from his property by the rushing water of the river.
Ruttan estimates “60 to 80 feet” of his riverfront property is “all chewed away and undermined.”
When the river claimed a popular tree of approximately 18 inches in diameter from the edge of Ruttan’s property, the tree fell into the river with the roots facing upstream, he explained, “and the river’s going between the tree and the bank and just blowing it out.”
20 YEARS AGO:
Thompson Health Region wants another $687,000 from the provincial government to build Clearwater’s long-awaited multi-level health care center, says Geoff Blackburn, executive director for support services.
A letter asking for the additional funding was sent to the Ministry of Health.
Health region officials held extensive discussions with the project contractor and others before sending the letter. About $142,000 was shaved off the contractor’s bid.
“Most of the cost reductions are to do with reducing the fixtures, fittings and finishers, such as the type of flooring and so on,” said Blackburn.
15 YEARS AGO:
Co-chairpersons of the North Thompson Valley-Spirit of BC (SOBC) Community Committee, Carol and Gord Radcliff of Clearwater were recognized as one of the top four our of 90 SOBC communities in the province. They were rewarded for their efforts with the nomination and received an Honourable Mention award April 24 at the 19th Annual Volunteer Vancouver Awards Banquet.
“We’re thrilled to be nominated,” said the Radcliffs. “We are very proud to be among the calibre of people up for these awards.”
10 YEARS AGO:
Thompson-Nicola Regional District board of directors has passed a resolution in support of an application by Telus to the Ministry of Natural Resource Operations to collocate a cellular tower, building and equipment on the TNRD’s Vavenby television rebroadcasting repeater site property.
“I actually brokered the deal,” said Tim Pennell, director for Wells Gray Country (Area A). “It was just a chance conversation with the right guy. I met a Telus rep last June during the North Kamloops Library opening. We’ve been trying to get cellphone service for years and I told him we had the site with power connected and gazetted with B.C. Lands. He liked the idea.”
The resolution was passed during a board meeting in Kamloops. It follows on a recommendation made in March to Industry Canada that it waive the public input process before approving a Telus application to construct the tower near Vavenby, as well as other towers planned for the North Thompson Valley near Wire Cache and Blue River.
5 YEARS AGO:
Property owners in Upper Clearwater have indicated by a narrow majority that they would like the question of a grant-in-aid being collected to support the Upper Clearwater Hall to be taken to a public assent process.
According to a media release from Thompson-Nicola Regional District, the results from a survey distributed in Upper Clearwater earlier this year show that a majority of property owners would like the TNRD to conduct a public assent process that could see the elimination of the grant-in-aid service that provides $5,000 per year to the Upper Clearwater Farmers Institute for the Operation of the Upper Clearwater Community Hall.
A total of 77 surveys were sent out and 57 were returned before the April 15 deadline, making a response rate of 74 per cent.