45 YEARS AGO:
Booze was finally available in Clearwater as the new liquor store opened its doors. It had taken seven years of briefs and petitions to persuade the government.
Elks Lodge members decided to build their own home. A special bank account had been opened for donations, but only $67 had been collected.
40 YEARS AGO:
A new four-room school was to be built next to the gravel pit in Vavenby, and the present school phased out. It would feature a library and gym.
A second bus run, to be added the following year, would relieve overcrowding on the Blue River bus.
35 YEARS AGO:
Jean Pearce was awarded the Good Citizen of the Year by Chamber of Commerce president Ken Kjenstad.
Forty persons attended the first of four classes in Clearwater on welfare rights and the GAIN Act.
30 YEARS AGO:
RCMP charged former Clearwater resident David William Shearing with the murder of Edith Bentley. She was one of a family of six persons found dead in the burned out remains of their car near Wells Gray Park the previous year. Shearing, age 24, had been arrested in Dawson Creek.
25 YEARS AGO:
Clearwater and District Highway Rescue personnel, Clearwater Improvement District and CID trustees themselves could all be sued, said an inspector from the Fire Commissioner’s office. The highway rescue truck had been operated by the Clearwater Fire Department, even though such a function was not included in the CID’s Letters patent.
TNRD voters overwhelming approved borrowing up to $3.3 million to upgrade the library system.
M.P. Nelson Riis was re-elected in a federal election that saw Brian Mulroney returned as prime minister again.
20 YEARS AGO:
Ed Shook topped the polls in school board elections. Another incumbent, Hazel Wadlegger, came second. Also elected were Charlene Holtby and Pearl Broswick. Carol Schaffer was re-elected as TNRD director for Area A.
15 YEARS AGO:
Clearwater Secondary School Grade 10 students ranked above the provincial average in reading and writing in Provincial Learning Assessment Program testing, said principal Rick Nykorak. Three years earlier the CSS Grade 10 class ranked second across B.C. in a Social Studies test.
Local resident John Ronacher approached Clearwater Chamber of Commerce for help in creating a park at the Ferry Road boat launch.
10 YEARS AGO:
Bert Walker was re-elected as TNRD director of Area A (Clearwater-Vavenby), defeating challenger Lawrence Giesbrecht. Following his victory, Walker proposed setting up a “super-committee” to help provide regional district services in Area A.
Steve Quinn was re-elected by acclamation to another term at TNRD director for Area B (Blue River-Avola). His top priority was getting the road to Murtle Lake fixed.
B.C. Parks informed Clearwater Chamber of Commerce that it was not interested in selling the Wells Gray Infocentre, reported chamber president Richard Rutley.
5 YEARS AGO:
A total of 106 young girls took over the North Thompson Sportsplex for the third annual Girls Hockey Jamboree. Girls came from McBride, Lillooet, Kamloops, Chase, Merritt and Clearwater.
Lack of bathrooms, disrepair of the tennis courts, lack of lighting, and safety were issues identified during a meeting held to start developing park site plans for Rotary Sport Park and Dutch Lake Park.
1 YEAR AGO:
Clearwater council awarded a $14,000 contract to Urban Systems to develop a road strategy. The new municipality was to take over road maintenance in September, 2013.
Pauline Gregory and Muriel Dunford were presented with Queen’s Jubilee medals by MP Cathy McLeod during a special ceremony in Clearwater.
Approximately 20 local girls participated in the fifth annual Girls Hockey Jamboree, joining youngsters from across the southern Interior.
