55 YEARS AGO:
A 33-year-old man, Wally Girardi, was missing and presumed drowned following a boating accident on the Clearwater River. His boat had been found at Whitehorse Bluffs. A similar accident two years earlier had resulted in the deaths of three well-known local men.
A total of 118 turned out for the largest ever Central North Thompson Chamber of Commerce banquet. Good Citizen of the Year was Doug McTaggart, who came from his new home in Edson, Alberta, to be present.
50 YEARS AGO:
Winsome Pye was Good Citizen of the Year. Born in England, she and her family arrived in Vavenby in 1952. She was best known for the weekly shows she put on at the community hall.
Retiring chamber of commerce president Bill Mattenley presented a list of items completed.
A first-class tug-of-war was underway between Kamloops and Prince George over possession of the Yellowhead Highway name.
45 YEARS AGO:
School District 26 superintendent John Denley asked the resource center head Fred Braun to explain progress in buying educational TV equipment. The school board set a budget of $15,000.
A feature article told the story of the Fairbrothers, residents of East Blackpool since 1949. Ina Fairbrother ran the post office there until it was moved to Clearwater. Henry Fairbrother ran the ferry from 1950 until it closed in 1970.
https://www.clearwatertimes.com/news/back-in-time-109/
40 YEARS AGO:
The new Bear Creek Correctional Center was close to completion. Designed to house up to 64 inmates, the facility had six buildings.
Hans Krauseneck and Jack Phillips were confronting each other to represent Area A in the TNRD. Herb George was unopposed in his bid for re-election in Area B.
In elections for School District 26, incumbent Ronaye Havisto was being challenged by Jean Nelson to represent Area B.
Construction of toilet facilities at Dutch Lake Park was proceeding rapidly.
35 YEARS AGO:
B.C. Forest Service was downgrading the field station in Blue River to a summer station. The three employees would be relocated to Clearwater. The facility had been in operation for about 30 years.
An Avola eight-year-old, Justin Dallas Bowker, died in an early morning mobile home fire. The boy’s parents and one child escaped through a bedroom window. His father and a neighbor made repeated attempts to enter the structure to locate the child, but were forced out by dense smoke.
30 YEARS AGO:
George Marcyniuk was chosen as Citizen of the Year.
The business that he co-owned, Wells Gray Inn, was Business of the Year.
About 43 members of the Rocky Mountain Rangers militia from Kamloops spent a night in the Raft River valley without fires or tents. Armed with FN rifles, M-72 anti-armor weapons, and one machine gun, they set up a mock ambush.
Organizer Bob Brace reported that Little Fort had hosted its largest-ever Christmas craft fair, with 55 tables in the community hall loaded with crafts.
25 YEARS AGO:
Citizen of the Year for 1994 was Garry Ruston, chief of the Blackpool Fire Department as well as Clearwater and District Highway Rescue, local assistant for the Fire Commissioner’s Office, and Chaplain of Elks Lodge #499.
Randy Esau, former sergeant in charge of the Clearwater RCMP, was sentenced to nine months to be served at home. He had pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 17-year-old boy.
North Thompson Indian Band, Grizzly Anglers, Clearwater Improvement District and possibly School District 26 were to work together to develop a proposal for the future of the Clearwater hatchery.
20 YEARS AGO:
About 80 people attended the banquet and awards ceremony to see Jeanette Moreau honored as Citizen of the Year. The chair of Christmas Amalgamated was described as: “For those who cannot help themselves, she is there to give them a hand.”
Summit Lodge, a historic building located near the top of the switchbacks on Dunn Lake Road, burned to the ground. The house was believed to have been more than 70 years old. Although no one was home at the time, a family was in the process of moving in at the time, and lost everything.
15 YEARS AGO:
Clearwater and District Chamber of Commerce picked Rich Willan to be Citizen of the Year. Willan had taken a leadership role in the beautification project that was a big success.
Connor Borsa, formerly of Clearwater and at the time a Simon Fraser University student, was the top woman competitor at the B.C. Karate Championships.
10 YEARS AGO:
Fireweed Forestry Services Ltd., a Clearwater-based company, was to cater to about 300 – 600 support staff at two different locations during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure found funding for four more bus shelters. The four, plus the three the District of Clearwater had committed to build, meant there would be seven shelters for the local transit system.
Clearwater RCMP executed a search warrant and seized 600 plants at a residence on Old North Thompson Highway in Blackpool. In addition to the grow, police also located a hydro bypass and seized a large amount of grow equipment along with an unsecured firearm.
5 YEARS AGO:
Clearwater employees of Interior Savings Credit Union were at work developing a trail behind Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital as part of Day of Difference.
Raft River Elementary School students took part in an official opening of the Courtney and Skye Buck Memorial Playground at the school. “This playground is a reflection of two people we lost,” said Sabine Cooperman, president of the school’s PAC.
Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo M.P. Cathy McLeod and Senator Nancy Greene Raine of Sun Peaks were safe after a gunman invaded the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa.
One soldier and the gunman were killed.
1 Year Ago:
Remembrance Day 2018 marked the first year those in Clearwater will pay respects to Canada’s fallen around the District’s brand new cenotaph.
The dedication ceremony for the new cenotaph took place on Nov. 3rd at Reg Small Park with special guest speaker John Harwood.
