Every Friday we feature Valley history taken from our back issues.
Five years ago this week in the Comox Valley Record:
School District 71 adopted a single transition model for Valley schools, which were to be reconfigured to option F: kindergarten to Grade 8 and Grades 9 to 12. The reconfiguration followed months of public discussion, committee feedback and debate.
Cumberland trustee Rick Grinham said Option F allows rural students to stay home a few extra years.
Ten years ago this week in the Comox Valley Record:
More than 6,500 people said they would use the E&N Railway more often if the schedule improved, according to Bryan Webster, who devoted months trying to save the train. He said people continue to sign a petition, and that a wave of support was growing among local governments.
RailAmerica, which contracted to Via Rail, announced in December, 2001 plans to cancel passenger service in March. The E&N Railway Steering Committee, a result of Webster’s efforts, found enough money to sustain the train until April 13.
Fifteen years ago this week in the Comox Valley Record:
Charges against local environmentalist Ruth Masters and members of Bearwatch were stayed in Port Hardy provincial court. The charges of interfering with a lawful hunt stemmed from a 1995 protest where Masters and company tried to prevent hunters from killing black bears in the North Island.
Twenty years ago this week in the Comox Valley Record:
Construction of the Inland Island Highway slowed after project spending was slashed in a $17.98-billion budget delivered by Finance Minister Glen Clark. Highway funding fell to $26 million in 1992, down from $64 million the previous fiscal year.
“I was disappointed but there are other priorities,” Comox MLA Margaret Lord said. “We can wait a year for blacktop.”
Twenty five years ago this week in the Comox Valley Record:
North Island College was in danger of blowing a gasket through the combined pressure of increasing enrolment and scarce funds.
Enrolment had grown 27 per cent but the province had not recognized increasing demand for service in North Island’s financing. At the time, enrolment was 5,728 students.
