28 Years Ago (1991): A heavy turn out was projected for South Cariboo voters who took to the advance polls. While the municipal government office remained open throughout the Thanksgiving Day long weekend, periodic lineups were still reported. “In the ’89 byelection, about 70 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot,” said South Cariboo NDP area co-ordinator Jeannine Martel. “That was a high-interest byelection. We think we might improve by five per cent this time.”
21 Years Ago (1998): School enrollment predictions were spot on in the south end of School District 27, which meant little change to the numbers in staffing. Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School’s enrolment was almost exactly what the school predicted at 681 full-time equivalents, up from the 635 registered in the previous year. Across the district, enrollment of regular k-12 students was down 170 compared to the previous year.
18 Years Ago (2001): An English tradition made its way to 100 Mile House. Riders, their horses and hounds from the area as well as Quesnel and Kelowna gathered in the fields around Watson Lake for a fox hunt. The two-hour event consisted of several runs with about 20 spectators who joined the day’s event. The hunt not only allowed participants to take part in an equestrian tradition but also a chance to venture out in what organizers described as nearly ideal conditions.
16 Years Ago (2003): Changes in licensing for new drivers acted as fuel for local outrage. Local resident, Gregg McKay called on rural youth to attend a protest at the Cariboo Mall to voice their objections to what was considered a law to solve urban problems. The learner phase for a driver increased from six months to a year and the supervising driver had to be at least 25 years old. The novice phase increased from 18 months to 24.
9 Years Ago (2010): When the Horse Lake Road intersection at Highway 97 project was underway, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s plan was to increase the speed limit. That increase would have made the speed limit into 100 Mile House 70 km/h and going through town would have been 60 km/h. Mayor Mitch Campsall spoke out against the increased speed limits leading into town.
