55 YEARS AGO:
An American mining company took up an option on molybdenum claims of prospector Jack Foote. The claims were located about six miles north along the recently built logging road on the west side of the Clearwater River.
50 YEARS AGO:
A delegation to a special meeting of the Regional Hospital District returned to Clearwater in triumph with an announcement that the community was to receive $250,000 towards a promised 20-bed hospital. The delegation consisted of Howie Mjolsness, Al Forsyth, John Harwood, and Bill Mattenley. A referendum was planned for Dec. 6.
45 YEARS AGO:
A show of hands at a meeting of the Clearwater Improvement District gave the go-ahead for extension of the water system to the Brookfield Creek area. The system would be adequate to handle 5,000 people, with a reservoir on a hill above Camp Two. Jack Foote advised people to act, as materials would never be cheaper.
Residents were still hoping to skate in the Sportsplex that fall. The project had been delayed by strikes, unavailable materials, slow deliveries and problems connecting to the water and sewer systems.
40 YEARS AGO:
Mel Monteith was appointed district manager for the Clearwater Forest District. He had been a ranger at Clearwater since 1969.
35 YEARS AGO:
Clearwater woodcarver Les Toth won three first-place prizes and one second at Penticton’s annual Harvest and Grape Fiesta.
30 YEARS AGO:
Clearwater may have to construct a $150,000 to $200,000 water reservoir if new demands were made on the system, according to a consultant’s report presented at a CID meeting. Water pressure dropped to zero or less when a hydrant was opened, suggesting it would be impossible to fight fires in Archibald Subdivision and the Flats at the same time.
Between 50 and 60 people turned up for a surprise party to celebrate the retirement of Elsie Hunsbedt after 24 years as Vavenby’s postmistress.
https://www.clearwatertimes.com/news/back-in-time-101/
25 YEARS AGO:
Clearwater Taxi’s Gordie Baker said the survival of Clearwater’s taxi company was threatened by a bus subsidized by the government to carry seniors and the disabled. He said the Clearwater Mobility Club’s bus was taking one-third to one-half of his daytime taxi business. The taxi company was seeking a rate increase from the Motor Carrier Commission. There had been no change for 10 years, said Baker.
20 YEARS AGO:
School District 73 stopped all construction at Raft River Elementary during school hours. Cold and fumes associated with renovations had closed the school for four days.
Despite nine years on the job, and seeing his odometer trip pass the 350,000 km mark from his frequent trips to Kamloops, Steve Quinn announced that he would seek another term as TNRD director for Area B (Blue River-Avola). Bert Walker, director for Area A (Clearwater-Vavenby) announced he would seek seats on both the TNRD and the School District 73 boards.
15 YEARS AGO:
About 150 took part in Clearwater Rivers Day activities. The provincial event has been ongoing for 25 years.
Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing and North Thompson Indian Band opened a new luxury lodge near Albreda.
A man visiting the Wells Gray Park from Germany walked out after spending five nights in the bush. He had been camping at Clearwater Lake and got lost while hiking.
Biologists were putting radio-collars on some grizzly bears in the Wells Gray Park area. The program could be a prelude to relocating some of them to the Coquihalla Highway area.
10 YEARS AGO:
Kevin Van Damme was named the Outstanding Conservation Officer of the Year. The award is awarded to a CO, on the recognition by his or her peers, to have gone above and beyond the normal call of duty to exemplify the values of the Conservation Office Service: integrity, public service and protection of the environment. Van Damme joined the Conservation Officer Service in 1992 and was initially posted to the Lower Mainland and later transferred to the office in Clearwater.
Clearwater Rotary Club president Hazel Wadlegger presented cheques ($600 to Clearwater, $400 to Barriere) for local hospice societies.
A room full of enthusiastic people turned out for the first general meeting of the North Thompson Arts Council at the meeting room in the Ridge at Barriere.
5 YEARS AGO:
“Little Moccasins” a film by Clearwater’s Ken Matheson, made it to the shortlist of seven finalists at the Canberra Short Film Festival. The film was about a First Nations residential school near Calgary.
Upper Clearwater got a new riding ring and a new roof on its community hall.
Candidates seeking local government seats included incumbent Thompson Headwaters (Area B) TNRD director Willow MacDonald, who was being challenged by former director Max Lentz. Two new challengers, Dennis Greffard and Melanie Harwood, were seeking seats at the Clearwater town council table.
The TNRD board approved $20,000 from federal Gas Tax funding to pay for upgrades to Vavenby Community Hall.
The project also had $54,000 from Vavenby’s share of property taxes collected by the District of Clearwater on the industrial land in the community.
1 YEAR AGO:
Evergreen Acres Senior Housing Society had been approved for a grant funding of $1,050,000 from the Wells Gray Community Forest Society and roughly $80,000 from the District of Clearwater for in-kind donations and development fees. The proposed expansion plans on adding 16 one-bedroom and four two-bedroom units, all single story with ground floor entry.
