"Did you know at the time that you were a part of history?"
During an interview for Valley Voices, this question is often posed.
"No, I was just doing what I was doing and didn't think anything of it," is the usual response.
Birth. Death. Marriage. Divorce. People move in. People move away. New businesses open. Old businesses close. Technology, communication and transportation are always changing. Politics, religion and alliances motivate decisions. Discoveries and up-dated information redirect actions. Education achievements and sports awards are recorded. Laws and crimes impact family dynamics. Fire, flood, accidents and weather interrupt plans.
All of these shape our history. All of us participate.
The unique features of the North Thompson Valley, it's difficult terrain, limited resources, small population and lengthy transportation corridor, meant that it was developed later than other areas of the country.
While Queen Victoria and King Edward reigned the vast British Empire, no reliable roadway had yet been surveyed from Jasper to Kamloops.
In Europe and North America, the development of airplanes brought information, transportation, mail, weapons and photography observations, while the right-of-way for Canadian Northern Railway was nearing completion.
World War II brought rapid world-wide advancement to all kinds of technology, while families here lived without running water, electricity, telephones. The bare essentials such as groceries, mail, school supplies, library books and catalogue shopping were delivered by train and many children living in the North Thompson did not have a way to travel to a secondary school.
The year of the moon landing saw the completion of the paved highway.
Because it has only been 100 years since the railroad went through, knowledge of local history is available from people who have lived it.
Several individuals and groups have made an effort to collect and preserve this information.
Muriel Dunford's 380 page book, "North River," is thoroughly researched, full of photographs, footnotes, bibliography, index and clear facts. Published in 2000, it is available to borrow from the library and for purchase at the Dutch Lake Community Centre.
North Thompson Reflections is a 500 page hard cover book, beautifully bound, complied by a committee for publication in 1996. Families submitted short biographies. The beginnings of community groups, businesses and services such as RCMP, churches, schools and the hospital are explained.
"The Rich History of the North Thompson and Beyond" is a new Facebook page with nearly 2000 members. Photos and memories, conversations, names and dates, community celebrations, newspaper clippings, "how-to" and snapshots of old time machinery are shared with new entries by participants daily.
In Barriere another history book prepared by residents and the Barriere Museum preserves the story of development at the southern end of the valley, while the Valemount Museum boasts displays, booklets and collections preserving the story of the northern end.
The Aboriginal Friendship Centre in Clearwater hosts a Metis display. Other private collections wait in hopes of a "real" museum.
The Times has copies of newspapers dating back to 1964 and the more recent bi-monthly feature "Valley Voices" is an attempt to interview old timers who are willing to share their stories.
The Clearwater Public Library has a large chest full of archival material available for researchers.
Video and audio interviews are recorded at Clearwater Secondary School through an on-going student project.
Each community hall, church, school, non-profit society, volunteer group and political organization has archives tracing the progress they have made over the decades.
On-line research can be done through the University of Northern British Columbia archives, Kamloops Museum and BC Archives.
So many pieces, like patchwork, each valued, but how can they all be linked together? Where is the continuity of the historical narrative while the kaleidoscope of daily life keeps shifting? Will interested amateur historians come together while first hand accounts as told by eye witnesses, their children and grandchildren are still available to us? Could an "umbrella" organization begin to compile what others have begun?
Upstream Community and Heritage Society
Upstream Community and Heritage Society is a fledgling group incorporated on July 31, 2014. At present the directors are: president Fay Lutz, vice-president Lisa Leger, secretary Eleanor Deckert, treasurer Carroll Price, mentor Melody Formanski (Kamloops Heritage Society president).
The purposes of the society are: a) to enhance community heritage awareness upstream from Kamloops along the North Thompson River watershed, b) to seek and distribute funding to support projects in these upstream communities which provide opportunities for social networking, on-going gatherings, annual events, holiday celebrations, and other community social functions, c) to generate public awareness in history/heritage of the area by gathering information, cooperating with other individuals and groups, to preserve historical stories, photos and facts in this area, d) to seek and distribute funding to identify, preserve, restore historic/heritage objects, buildings, sites in the area and provide interpretive information such as DVD, print, signage and recordings, e) to develop uses for heritage sites and data which generate income to further the purposes of this constitution, f) to distribute a Society newsletter.
On Nov. 18, 2014, an Open House, brainstorming session, annual general meeting and membership drive was held at the president's residence in Avola. Two important results of the afternoon were ten new members and a unanimous decision to enter into an agreement with the Thompson Headwaters Services Committee for the use of the Avola School House by the community for the whole day and evening every Tuesday for one year.
It is hoped that, by providing time to meet weekly, the Upstream Community and Heritage Society will be able to address its two objectives: to support community social gatherings and to collect historic information.
Family fun, social gathering, holiday celebrations are part of our small town heritage. Learning new and old skills, recording and preserving family names, facts, tall tales and community progress is worth the effort. Encouraging participation, input, ideas and taking action to bring the past forward into the present to pass on to the future is giant goal. Each person has a valuable part of the story to tell.