55 YEARS AGO:
The Honourable P.A. Gaglardi, Minister of Highways, had just come from the Hope Slide and gave an eye-witness account of the avalanche which had occurred.
He said the debris was 400 feet deep over the road and that mere shreds of metal were being found as remains of the truck and car caught by the slide.
He spoke on happier subjects like the tremendous development which has begun in the yellowhead area, saying that a total of $45 million will have been spent on the Yellowhead Highway after paving.
50 YEARS AGO:
Earnst Salle celebrated his 98th birthday at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Ulrike Schilling, and grandsons Bruno and Ulrich Schilling on Jan. 4. Mr. Salle was born in Braunschweig, Germany in 1872 and emigrated to Canada with his wife and four children in 1912.
45 YEARS AGO:
The Clearwater Improvement District meeting was held in the Clearwater Community Hall with 10 persons present.
The hall presented a much more attractive appearance newly painted in pale lime green with dark brown trim.
There was a discussion on the Clearwater Dump. Numerous complaints were expressed that the refuse area was hard to reach with a vehicle, and Bert Sedor stated that it is practically impossible to unload his garbage truck, turn the truck around and get out.
40 YEARS AGO:
Minister of Health, Rafe Mair, announced a $21,171.67 grant for relocating a building in Vavenby Centennial Park and converting it into a community hall.
35 YEARS AGO:
Many donations came in to assist Clearwater Guidance Centre. A very special thank you went out to the students of the Dutch Lake School. They raised more than $550 for the food bank. Their efforts were greatly appreciated.
In December there was a great deal of help getting the Guidance Centre-Food Bank into operation.
30 YEARS AGO:
Two local residents were being sued by lawyers representing the Clearwater Improvement District’s Insurance company as the result of an injury to a woman at a baseball game at which they were acting as umpires.
The game at which the injury took place was held at the Clearwater Ball Park during a women’s fastball tournament. The woman alleged she injured ligaments in her left leg when she was sliding into second base. Apparently, she felt ruts or holes in the field contributed to the accident.
She was suing for pain and suffering, loss of strength and flexibility, disfigurement, among others.
25 YEARS AGO:
No one was injured when eight CN rail cars left the track on the eastern approach to the North Thompson River bridge just north of Birch Island and tumbled down the river embankment.
CN crews were on the scene by midnight assessing the damage.
20 YEARS AGO:
A no-smoking rule ignited a firestorm. Worker’s Compensation Board no-smoking rules, which came into effect Jan. 1, appeared to have had different impacts on different North Thompson businesses. Hardest hit seems to have been local bars and pubs.
15 YEARS AGO:
New Year’s Day 2005 dawned clear and cold. At high noon the thermometer read -15 degrees: enough to make anyone shiver in their winter boots, but there were 11 truly courageous people, ready to throw themselves into the frigid waters of the North Thompson River.
It was the 10th Annual Polar Bear Dip at the ferry slip in Little fort; a bone-chilling challenge, just for the fun of it.
10 YEARS AGO:
Three more forest fuel management contracts got the go-ahead from the clearwater council. Council ratified the awarding of a $63,000 contract to Cascade Forest Management Ltd. for work near the Vavenby water tower.
Four to six jobs are involved and work began that day, said corporate administrator Leslie Groulx. A $90,000 contract to reduce forest fuels around the Vavenby transfer station with KDC Forestry consulting was ratified as well.
5 YEARS AGO:
E-Comm, the province’s largest 9-1-1 call centre, had released the 2014 top 10 reasons NOT to call the emergency line, based on actual calls received the year previous: 1) Wi-Fi at the coffee shop isn’t working. 2) What’s the fine for Jaywalking? 3) Pizza is not fresh; wants a replacement slice. 4) What’s the number for my travel agency? 5) Caller phoned 9-1-1 for a taxi referral. 6) Is today a stat holiday? 7) My food I ordered is cold. 8) Caller wanted help finding glasses. 9) Caller’s home internet is not working properly. 10) What’s the date today?
1 YEAR AGO:
District of Clearwater Mayor, Merlin Blackwell, had a few things to say about the upcoming year and what he hoped to see happen around town.
Blackwell said road improvement and addressing the Wells Gray corner were both on the top of the agenda for 2019.
One of the key road issues involved was Dunn Lake Road, where many incidents have occurred, and that is only a portion of the roads in question; with Clearwater having 70 km of roads to take care of in total.
