50 YEARS AGO:
Two North Thompson Valley sawmill operations received awards at the 11th annual Central Interior Industrial Safety Clinic in Kamloops.
Winning the award for the most improvement in safety was Frank Capostinsky of Birch Island Lumber Co.
The award for most days without an accident went to Al Cranswick, K.P. Wood Avola Logging Division.
45 YEARS AGO:
With the return of warm weather, southern British Columbia again had a critical forest fire situation.
There was a travel and recreational ban in the Kamloops and Nelson Forest Districts. Hunting seasons were automatically closed in the closure areas.
Royal Bank invited residents to the grand opening of the new Royal Bank in the Brookfield Shopping Plaza.
40 YEARS AGO:
A number of suggestions were made at a Clearwater Recreation meeting – more ball diamonds, more soccer fields, more tennis courts, lights for the tennis courts, improved facilities on the ski hill, instructors for various sports and activities, cross-country ski trails, a community hall for dances and improvements to the Dutch Lake beach.
35 YEARS AGO:
School Superintendent Bill Jory noted that schools in the district had reopened with a minimum of confusion.
Predictions from June, 1983, were accurate, with 443 pupils in Clearwater Secondary, 15 in Avola, 34 in Birch Island, Blue River 38, Dutch Lake 199, Raft River 314, Star Lake 90 and 117 in Vavenby, for a total of 1,250.
30 YEARS AGO:
Approximately 60 people attended a public meeting at Raft River School to discuss incorporation for Clearwater.
Approximately 120 people from Barriere to Blue River were off work as part of a province-wide BCGEU strike.
25 YEARS AGO:
There was no indication of what would happen to Clearwater Hatchery when a contract held by the North Thompson Indian Band with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans ran out.
Built to enhance fish stocks in the North Thompson River during the early 1980s, DFO deemed the facility a failure.
Hatchery operations had been kept alive for two years by NTIB under contract to DFO.
20 YEARS AGO:
It was time for Clearwater to take another look at incorporation.
The last study into the advantages and disadvantages had been made 10 years earlier. The biggest stumbling block in the past had been the cost of road maintenance.
The Elevator fire near Avola had about 20 people working on it, with help from water trucks and a light helicopter.
Clearwater was put on a strict no sprinkling and no irrigation diet as of Sept. 11.
The ban was to remain in effect until the improvement district’s reservoir behind the ski hill was full.
CID staff removed 70 to 80 truckloads of gravel and logging debris from the reservoir, restoring its capacity by about 120,000 to 150,000 gallons, or 50 per cent above what it was.
15 YEARS AGO:
Kamloops Forest District was asking the province’s chief forester to boost the area’s annual allowable cut to permit logging fire-damaged trees.
An estimated 45,000 hectares had been scorched in the district by five fires, the largest being the McLure and McGillivray fires, which continued to burn.
10 YEARS AGO:
After a lengthy careen of service on the TNRD board of directors, Stephen Quinn of Blue River decided to retire and would not be running in the upcoming election.
Unofficial figures showed the number of students at Clearwater Secondary School was up by 25 students, reported councillor Brent Buck.
5 YEARS AGO:
A roundabout being constructed at the junction of Highway 5 and the road to Wells Gray Park switched to a circular traffic pattern for the first time.
Teri and Joe Pelton were the first to go through. “It’s easy,” said Teri. “People just have to get used to it.”
The second of a two-part series by Ellen Ferguson outlined the history of Upper Clearwater Hall.
Heavy equipment belonging to area residents had moved it away from the road in the summer of 2009.
1 YEAR AGO:
There were plenty of questions asked but not a lot of opposition heard during a meeting held to explain why District of Clearwater wanted to borrow $315,000 to upgrade its water system. The money would help pay for a third well plus other improvements, said engineer Terry Underwood.
Erica Massey used research on the volcanoes of Wells Gray Park to help complete her master’s thesis at UBC.
She looked at the mineral palagonite, which is primarily found in Iceland, British Columbia and, possibly, the planet Mars.
Sgt. Grant Simpson took over as NCO-in-charge at Clearwater RCMP detachment. He took the place of Sgt. Kevin Podbisky, who had transferred to Prince George.
