37 Years Ago (1982): In face of a lumber market which showed no sign of improvements, Ainsworth Lumber Company’s over 200 workers at the 1— Mile House and Chasm stud mills voted 86 per cent in favour to carry on with the wage rollback they first agreed to in November of 1981. The company had been able to keep those two mills running and employees there on the job. Company president at the time David Ainsworth told the Free Press that “the good news is that we have survived this far thanks to the good co-operation of everybody involved.”
28 Years Ago (1991): Reluctant to spend about $120,000 for a new street sweeper, the village council was hoping to find a private contractor willing to take on the job during the summer of 1991. More than one alderman expressed concerns during a meeting about spending that sum of money, although no one questioned the need of a sweeper. “I’d be happy to err on the conservative side for a year if we can and explore the possibility of a contractual arrangement with a private contractor,” said Ralph Fossum, an alderman at the time.
23 Years Ago (1996): The Ministry of Education undertook a mammoth project – that of amalgamating the school districts by July 1 and reducing the provincial deficit by $210 million over three years. According to the ministry, $30 million would be saved annually through the restructuring process. The amalgamation meant a reduction in the number of school boards, staff and funding to the existing and newly formed school districts. The plan was to reduce the number of school districts from 75 to 37, aligned with the existing 20 health regions.
16 Years Ago (2003): After seizing over 900 marijuana plants from three operations on Jan. 17, the RCMP detachment discovered a 1,500 plant operation at a rental property on Lower Houseman Rd. on Jan. 22. “The RCMP executed a warrant in regard to hydro diversion that BC Hydro had informed us of,” said Const. Diana Racine. During the execution of the electricity-based warrant, the officers found evidence of a grow operation and went for a second warrant related to it. The end result was the seizure of 1, 588 plants at various stages of maturity.
10 Years Ago (2009): Unemployed Cariboo residents gained the opportunity to obtain skills through an employment program for B.C. residents funded by the federal government. The Return to Work Employability Program had a budget of $1 million for 2008/09 and was offered in eight communities, designed to provide individual and group-based training for smaller, rural areas to gain the job skills needed to be successful. With 15 people enrolled form the three Cariboo communities involved the program had total funding of $123, 000 awarded.
