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5 YEARS AGO: SAR members perform ‘dramatic rescue’ of injured snowmobiler

Back in time: A snapshot of history
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40 YEARS AGO: A new 72 passenger, propane-fuelled bus borrowed from the Salmon Arm school district by the local school board proved to be “very efficient.” The bus was on loan free-of-charge to allow School District 26 to test the propane-fuelled system under winter conditions, and it performed well, even in -30 C weather. The bus was first used on the Vavenby run. Two new buses costing $38,000 and $40,000 to be ordered for the district in the spring would also be fuelled by propane, should the testing with the borrowed bus prove successful.

35 YEARS AGO: The Thompson-Nicola Regional District rejected a request for a neighbourhood pub in Blue River at their regular meeting. It was felt the application should have received rubber stamp approval, however Area B rep. Ronaye Havisto refused to okay the pub. Her reason for objecting was that the property had no parking area and was located across the road from a public school. Director of planning Herb Virdi said it was up to the public to object to the pub through the liquor board. Zoning was not a problem. With the exception of Clearwater rep. Paul Caissie, all directors voted against the proposal.

25 YEARS AGO: The economy of the Upper North Thompson Valley received a couple of major hits as a result of the Liberal government’s “Black Thursday” cuts. Both Bear Creek Correction Centre and the Human Resources office in Clearwater were set to close the following October. About 21 government employees worked at the camp. The move to close the BCCC was part of a plan to shut down eight minimum security/open prisons across the province. BCCC was operating at 39 per cent capacity.

10 YEARS AGO: Many Clearwater and area residents were shocked to hear that Staff Sergeant Stu Seib had been arrested and charged with theft of cocaine from a drug exhibit. Seib had been NCO-in-charge of the Clearwater RCMP detachment for more than eight years. He left the year prior to take charge of the Merritt detachment and was promoted to staff sergeant at the time. The former Clearwater detachment commander was suspended without pay and his privileges and access to RCMP facilities revoked. His badge and firearm were seized.

5 YEARS AGO: In what was described as a “dramatic rescue,” members of Wells Gray Search and Rescue, Kamloops Search and Rescue and others evacuated an injured snowmobiler from the mountains near Avola. The Wells Gray SAR received a report that the snowmobiler had gone off about a five-meter cliff and broken his leg. The incident occurred while sledding in the mountains near Avola between the Finn and Foam Creek drainages. The snowmobiler was eventually rescued by a helicopter winch crew who flew in from Vernon. Because of the terrain, the crew used the helicopter’s winch to raise the victim into the helicopter.



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