40 YEARS AGO
Three inmates of the Bear Creek Camp who escaped were recaptured in the Blackpool area after one night on the lam. According to police, the inmates walked out during a disturbance at the prison camp and were later spotted in the Blackpool area by some residents.
Clearwater athletes Lesley Floen and Tom Chudley both emerged with respectable sixth-place finishes at the B.C. Summer Games track and field competitions. Floen won her sixth place in the shot put while Chudley took sixth in the discus.
Vavenby residents were set to go to the polls to vote on a proposed $150,000 loan to upgrade and finish off their community hall. The money would go towards renovations on the hall including upgrading the kitchen and washroom facilities.
35 YEARS AGO
Nearly half a million vehicles went through the Coquihalla toll booth since the highway opened three months ago. Transportation and Highways Minister Alex Fraser said a total of $4,283,220 was collected in tolls on a highway that has had overwhelming endorsement from the travelling public.
A meeting held by the North Thompson Homemaker Service brought 65 people from all over the Interior, including the Okanagan and Cariboo. According to local Homemaker supervisor Alice Turner, the speeches during the two-day event were excellent and were well-received by the delegates. They said in an evaluation that the meeting had revived their faith in their capabilities, they had a feeling of usefulness while assisting elderly residents with their needs.
30 YEARS AGO
A trail was held for attempted murder and using a firearm in the commission of an indictable offense of a Clearwater man. The charges arose out of an incident in which another Clearwater man was shot in the face on Feb. 20 in town. The plaintiff said he was eating a snack at his home when the other entered the house and fired his weapon.
A referendum was to be held on mosquito control in the area. One of the organizers of the referendum, Brenda Vogels, estimates about 60 per cent of those who signed a mosquito control petition the year prior would vote in favour of the proposal.
Clearwater RCMP report that stray dogs have attacked more livestock in Greer subdivision, as they received reports that a number of rabbits, chickens and pheasants were killed. The identity of the dogs was unknown. Other animals, including llamas, sheep, geese and turkeys had also been killed in previous weeks by the marauding canines.
25 YEARS AGO
Raft River ran red with a record number of returning spawning sockeye salmon. Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans officers were concerned with people harassing the fish, noting it’s illegal to chase, throw rocks at, snag or net the fish. Some 25,000 sockeye were determined to be in the stretch of water from the confluence to the Raft River falls upstream.
Clean up in Wells Gray Park was underway a week after a freak windstorm took out trees and from Helmcken Falls to Dawson Falls to the Pyramid Trail. Several spots from Helmcken Falls to Clearwater Lake were also affected by the windstorm. A total of 1,586 downed trees were counted.
A final public meeting is to be held for Barriere residents regarding incorporation. The meeting was an important one as it was the one that leads to a referendum being held later in the month. It is also the first time representatives from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs would be available to answer questions.
20 YEARS AGO
Clearwater will go to referendum on whether or not to become a municipality, according to the committee looking into the pros and cons on incorporation. The decision came after nearly 200 local residents turned out for a meeting on the topic held at the Elk’s Hall. Many supported incorporation, while others opposed, but the meeting remained fairly civil.
The North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo hit records numbers, estimating 9,000 to 10,000 people visited the events, up 25 per cent from previous years. An improvement, however, was needed with their parade. They need more floats and entries — a bigger parade.
15 YEARS AGO
Despite not having a midway due to a scheduling conflict, the North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo was a success. The NTFFR Association turned the fairgrounds into a decorated display of agriculture and fun, and they turned the empty spaces left by the vanished midway into first-class entertainment for children and adults during the three-day event.
Activists from Valhalla Wilderness Watch protested at Wells Gray Provincial Park over the Labour Day long weekend to inform visitors about the Liberal government’s plans to lease parts of B.C. parks for private commercial lodges. The government had invited bids for a 20-bed lodge, helipad and boat dock at Stevens Lakes in the backcountry of Wells Gray Park, to be accessed by helicopters claimed WWW.
10 YEARS AGO
Canfor officially reopened its Vavenby sawmill after a two-year shutdown. Former Clearwater mayor John Harwood said it was exciting to see the sawmill reopen and that it was a good thing for Clearwater and the Valley. The restart followed a $24 million capital investment in the mill. The improvements include a new canter line, which cuts the logs into square-shaped cants and then into lumber.
Leslie Groulx was appointed chief administrative officer by the District of Clearwater. She took the place of former CAO Isabell Hadford who stepped down to take early retirement.
A delegation of residents told the District of Clearwater the community’s sewer system should be extended. A septic system is expensive, noted Doug Richardson, and floodplain restrictions exacerbate that concern. He said the residents of the area should be canvassed to find out if there is support for extending the sewer system. The matter was referred to staff to make recommendations to council on how to proceed.