55 YEARS AGO:
School Board Number 26 had requested district superintendent Middleton to report on the various aspects of the education problems affecting Blue River. Already there were at least 99 pupils registered at the Blue River School with 35 of them in Grade 1. The board was investigating just what would be needed in Blue River in the way of school buildings and staff.
50 YEARS AGO:
The Clearwater CNT Lions Club held its installations of officers for the 1970-71 term on the second anniversary of the club. President for the new term was Al Bowes and vice-president, Max Miller. Secretary-treasurer was Frank Tonge.
Directors of the club were Bill Mattenley and Hoagy Carmichael each with one year remaining in their terms. New directors were Stan Arksey and Roy Sallows. Lion tamer was Lloyd Romeo, while Win Rothwell was appointed tail twister.
New officers were inducted by zone chairman Mead Sutherland. Awards for perfect attendance were received by Stan Arksey, Bill Mattenley, Al Millhouse, Win Rothwell and Roy Sallows, each receiving two-year awards.
Vice-president Max Miller presented outgoing president Ed Loewen with his perfect attendance two-year pin.
45 YEARS AGO:
Aerial spraying by the B.C. Forest Service of the hatching Douglas fir Tussock Moth was well underway. The objectives of the spraying were to reduce the resource losses taking place, reduce the fire hazard which would result from the dying Douglas fir forests, and maintain the present aesthetics.
Infested areas in the North Thompson Valley and south of Kamloops Lake would be the first treated.
Those would be followed with sprays on false hemlock looper infestation east of Vernon and on both sides of the South Thompson Valley near Chase.
Small aircraft capable of spraying 400 acres per load were being used.
40 YEARS AGO:
The Clearwater and Blue River RCMP joined forces to apprehend three Edmonton youths who took $30 worth of gasoline from a Blue River gas station and tried to outrun the squad car pursuing them.
Arrested were the driver, a runaway already on probation in Edmonton, and his two passengers.
The driver had taken his father’s truck without consent and the Blue River RCMP were called in when he and his companions failed to pay for their gas at the service station.
The three refused to stop when the constable signaled them to pull over on Highway 5 westbound, and a chase ensued with the truck reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph.
35 YEARS AGO:
The entire North Thompson Valley was to be included in a 10 minute audio/visual slide show being prepared with the help of the TNRD, the provincial government and Inland Natural Gas, according to regional district economic development officer Rino Elverhoy.
The presentation was part of a larger project called venture inland B.C. The project involved creating 16 slightly different versions of the presentation for use by communities from Prince George to the U.S. border in promoting tourism and other industries.
30 YEARS AGO:
Clearwater Forest District public advisory committee’s subcommittee on herbicide use recently submitted some recommendations relating to the proposed experimental herbicide spraying project planned for near Graffunder Lake east of Vavenby to district manager Mel Montieth.
The experimental trial was to be the only herbicide use by the Forest Service in the Clearwater area for this year, though Interfor (Adams Lake lumber) had applied for some permits of its own.
The sub-committee made three recommendations of alternatives that should be tried to compare with the herbicide. First would be to uproot all the competing alder into piles, and burn if they interfere with planting.
25 YEARS AGO:
The suspect in two Break, Enter, and Theft incidents in the Agate Bay Road area was picked up by the Clearwater RCMP Highway Patrol at Little Fort in a hastily organized roadblock.
The man of no fixed address appeared in Provincial Court in Kamloops charged with two counts of break, enter and theft, impaired driving and driving with more than .08 mg of alcohol in his bloodstream.
Barriere RCMP reported they were advised a residence had been broken into and the suspects were being followed by an occupant who had been home at the time of the break in. Subsequent investigation revealed a second residence in the same area had also been broken into and property stolen. After committing the first crime, it is believed the suspect entered the second home only to find someone there. The suspect fled, but was pursued by the homeowner who alerted the Barriere RCMP to the situation when they reached the community.
20 YEARS AGO:
“If I were capable, I’d do a jig,” said Mavis Parker. “I am so thrilled. It’s absolutely wonderful.”
The longtime local resident was commenting in an announcement that Clearwater’s long-awaited multi-level health care centre was finally to go ahead.
Kamloops MLA Cathy McGregor made the announcement at a meeting of the Thompson-Nicola Regional Hospital District in Kamloops. The project had a total budget of $5.55 million.
“When I was on the Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital board years and years ago, it was something we pushed for,” said Parker.
15 YEARS AGO:
Dwight Love, spokesperson for the Society of Citizens Against Risked Environments (SOCARE), told a meeting of 80 people at a town hall style meeting at Barriere’s North Thompson Fall Fair Hall his group’s sole purpose was to stop a planned recreation trail system planned for the valley.
SOCARE, held the first of four meetings planned in the valley to give residents an opportunity to voice their concerns and express opposition to the proposed motorized recreation trail.
The trail system was intended to connect Sun Peaks resort with the Blue River ski resort through the backcountry between those two destinations recreation sites.
10 YEARS AGO:
Help wanted: Person required to find new physicians for Clearwater plus act as business manager for Clearwater and District Chamber of Commerce.
District of Clearwater’s doctor recruitment committee and the Chamber of Commerce were going to look for ways to jointly hire someone to collectively work for them both,
That, plus a possible scholarship program and the exchange of a large volume on information, seemed to be the main outcomes of a meeting held by the Chamber of Commerce and the district regarding the health care situation in the community.
5 YEARS AGO:
The weather might have been warm and mild in the valley but those conditions likely don’t persist at higher elevations. Two hikers discovered the truth of that statement when they found themselves unprepared for the two-to-three inches of fresh snow that fell while they were hiking near Sheila Lake on Trophy Mountain.
Wells Gray Search and Rescue learned of their plight at 10:45 a.m. Quick work by two WGSAR members and Yellowhead Helicopters meant the two stranded hikers were rescued within a few hours.
1 YEAR AGO:
A local restaurant went up against 20 other culinary establishments from Kamloops and the surrounding area to take home the People’s Choice Awards at the annual Chef’s in the City event, which was hosted by the Kamloops Rotary Club.
Hop ‘N’ Hog, owned and managed by William Robinson and Teneille McGill, was a first-time participant at the event and Robinson said it felt fantastic to win the award.
