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35 YEARS AGO: Fire departments choose their “Fire Chief for a Day.”

Back in time: A snapshot of history
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Fire Chief of the Day Welson McKenzie with Dutch Lake School Principal White. On the left is Blackpool Fire Chief Hans Krauseneck. This photo first appeared in the Oct. 16, 1985 issue of The Times. (File photo)

40 YEARS AGO:

A committee of five was chosen to investigate the possibility of incorporation for the Blackpool area.

A meeting had been called by TNRD rep. Hans Krauseneck and resulted from a workshop he had attended conducted by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. The purpose was to look into the possibility of becoming a district municipality.

Mr. Krauseneck said the area may be missing out on something by not investigating incorporation.

35 YEARS AGO:

Fire departments chose their “Fire Chief for a Day.”

Eight-year-old Weldon McKenzie was the winner of the draw at the Blackpool Fire Dept.

The draw was held at the regular fire department practice and following the “plan to get out alive” campaign organized by all North Thompson Departments.

McKenzie was driven to Dutch Lake School and home again on Friday by Fire Chief Hans Krauseneck, and was allowed to use the new Fire Chief’s helmet for his journey.

30 YEARS AGO:

Quick action by two Clearwater Secondary School students, plus some good luck, helped prevent further damage and possible injury when a prankster lit a fire-bomb in a locker at the school.

Some people were yelling, “Fire! Fire!” said Grade 11 student Craig Coburn. He and Matt Sakals, Grade 10, investigated and found smoke coming out of a locker in the junior hallway.

Flames burst into their faces when they opened the locker. Inside, they found a piece of two-by-four used to brace the locker’s door on fire, plus some paper and a “molotov cocktail.”

The pair took the flaming wood outside and Coburn put it out by stomping on it while Sakals advised teacher Ken Ladd.

25 YEARS AGO:

In this year, CSS Grads had the option of a “dry grad.”

Two community groups, identified at the grad/parent meeting who found they were both working towards the identical goal of providing a dry, drug-free celebration will join forces and pool their talents and resources.

“People in the community are concerned about the misuse of various substances among children in the high school and support a dry grad,” said Alcohol Counsellor Shawna Smith-Tomlinson.

Members of the RCMP Community Consultative Group came to the grad/parent meeting with a suggested dry grad plan in hand. The plan was to be centered around Vegas-type activities that would occur simultaneously throughout the night, winding up with a grand prize draw for a car. The real thing.

20 YEARS AGO:

Only one job was created by the provincial government’s 1997 Jobs and Timber Accord, according to Kevin Krueger, MLA for Kamloops-North Thompson.

More than 20,000 direct jobs were promised under the accord, and nearly as many indirect jobs.

Now that single job, for Job and Timber advocate Garry Wouters, is to end Nov. 1.

“I never ran to be in the Opposition, and I hate being so negative,” said Krueger. “But the whole thing was a lie and a sham.”

He estimated that nearly $1 million has been spent on Wouters’ salary and whatever his severence package will be.

15 YEARS AGO:

Clearwater PeeWee/Bantam/Midget blend teams played their season opener.

Four PeeWee players joined local Bantams and Midgets to make two teams for a Clearwater vs. Clearwater game. Solid (mostly clean) hockey was played by all. Due to the nature of the combined teams, some players played for both sides, with no apparent difference in effort.

The kids played well and hard. Final score was 8-1 for the Home squad.

10 YEARS AGO:

A proposed copper mine that would be located about 20 km southeast of Clearwater is still at least several years away but it could have a large economic impact if and when it goes ahead.

That was the message heard by the District of Clearwater and Wells Gray Country officials when they met with senior executives from Yellowhead Mining Inc.

According to notes about the meeting presented to Clearwater council, the proposed Harper Creek mine has about four billion pounds of copper and would have a life expectancy of at least 18 years.

Actual construction would begin by June, 2012, and take 18 months.

5 YEARS AGO:

Visitors at the Wells Gray Infocentre who want to walk around the roundabout to get to the Buy-Low shopping centre had to cross a ditch to get to the sidewalk.

Once they got to the other side, the had to climb an unplanned dirt track up a hill before reaching their objective.

During their meeting, town councillors approved a plan that would see Borrow Enterprises construct a multi-use trail from near the Dairy Queen along Highway 5 passed the Infocentre to the roundabout.



newsroom@clearwatertimes.com

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