55 YEARS AGO:
A toboggan party was enjoyed by the Teen Town Club on Sunday. The group, sponsored by the Recreation Commission had twenty young people in attendance. Following the toboggan party outside Barriere, the Teen Club’s annual meet and an election of officers was held at Louis Creek Community Hall.
Slingshot jumpers in a multiplicity of colours predominated at the first fashion show presented by the Barriere Secondary School Home Economics Department. Fashions were shown in the gymnasium of the school on Monday afternoon. All garments worn by the girls were handmade in home economics classes.
50 YEARS AGO:
A small European car owned by Sipke DeJong, Barriere, left the highway and landed in the river 40 to 50 feet below. The driver, travelling south of Clearwater, lost control on a curve and the auto spun around and rolled backwards into the river. The car drifted out about 50 feet from the shore before floating downstream a distance of about 100 feet and sinking. Both occupants climbed out of the vehicle into the waist-high water and were then helped to shore by a passing truck driver and a travelling salesman. No injuries occurred and no damage estimate on the vehicle was given.
45 YEARS AGO:
The wooden bridge spanning the Clearwater River in Clearwater was demolished on an early Wednesday morning as a fully loaded southbound flatbed trailer truck belonging to Cheyenne Transport of Calgary struck the centre span dropping the bridge structure and truck into the icy river. Driver Jake Fleenstra of Calgary was believed instantly killed. The one-way bridge, about 200 feet long and build in about 1948, had been the indirect cause of several deaths during the past few years.
40 YEARS AGO:
A team of four Clearwater youngsters comprising the Clearwater Ski Club racing team took part in the BC Winter Games time trials held for ‘C’ class competitions. The four slalom racers in the Zone 2 trails were Sue Foster, Tammy Bourelle, Kevin Kershaw and Laurie Koblun with their coach Gerald Bryant. Coach Bryant who lives in Barriere had been coaching in Clearwater for the previous three years and also helped out at Todd Mountain.
At their regular dinner meeting, the Clearwater CNT Lions Club donated 500 vials of life to the Clearwater Ambulance Association. The vial of life program set to cover from Little Fort to the north of Vavenby was being carried out throughout the province by ambulance personnel and service clubs. The kit consisted of a small vial into which a form was inserted which should contain the medial history of the household members. When completed the container was to be taped to the inside of the refrigerator and a label attached outside. In the event of a fire, accident or other disasters the medical history is readily available to rescue workers.
35 YEARS AGO:
Numerous calls had been received by Clearwater RCMP of children tobogganing down Steeg’s Hill. Not only was the practice unsafe but kids were warned traffic may not be able to stop in time and police were afraid someone may be hit.
Numerous rumours circulated the area concerning the future of Clearwater Timber Products Camp 2 operation which was presently closed. According to Bob Brown, there was definitely nothing to report at that point. The company engaged in feasibility studies into different alternatives and processing submitted proposals. They were searching for a source of financing. He felt that although conditions in the trade were improving, it would be a while before the operation became viable.
30 YEARS AGO:
Draft copies of a tourism study commissioned by the Wells Gray Tourism Consortium for the Clearwater area would be available for interested members of the public within two weeks, reported consortium member George Marcyniuk. The report addressed such ideas as the heritage village and Friends of Wells Gray Park research and education centre, and how to use them to attract tourists to the area within a general coordinated strategy.
The Clearwater chamber of commerce would be voting at their next monthly meeting whether or not to go ahead with obtaining the former planer mill yard on the “Flats” as a site for a proposed heritage village. Heritage committee chairman Frank Ritcey delivered a notice of motion regarding obtaining the site to the chamber at it’s January regular meeting.
25 YEARS AGO:
A small herd of elk in the Tum Tum area reaped the benefits of a fundraising banquet and auction to be held in Clearwater in four months. About a dozen interested persons turned out for the first local meeting of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation held at Blackpool Hall. Under the direction of Doug Braaten and local chapter chairman Cliff Heppner of Kamloops, a committee was set up at the Blackpool meeting to put on the fundraiser banquet in May.
20 YEARS AGO:
Raft River Elementary School held a snow carving contest where Kevin Smith, Riel MacBoudreau, Bryn Thomas and Lucas Allen won first prize. The boys won in the Grade 4/5 category for their snow seal sculpture. Other winners were Grades 6/7 – James Cameron for “Stone City”, Kindergarten/ Grade 3 winners were Jordan Romeo, Ali MacBoudreau and Becca Davison for “Silly Man”.
A Timber swap between Weyerhaeuser and Tolko became official. The swap saw Weyerhaeuser gain cutting rights for 55,000 cubic meters per year that Tolko had in the North Thompson headwaters west of Albreda. In return, Weyerhaeuser gave up equivalent cutting rights it had near Lumby.
15 YEARS AGO:
Barriere Search and Rescue, Barriere ambulance and BC Coroners Service went to a single-vehicle motor vehicle incident on Highway 5 at the Badger Creek passing lanes in McLure. Investigation revealed a blue Ford Explorer pulled out at the south end of the passing lanes but went out of control in the slush. The vehicle went off the road, into the ditch and ended on its side. The drive was pronounced dead at the scene.
Highway 5 was closed north of Blue River due to the icy road conditions. The closure was not lifted until Thursday evening. Trucks were lined up along Highway 5 from a flagperson located near the Mike Wiegele Heli-Ski Village at the north end of town to the bridge 10 kilometres south of Blue River. All the parking lots and frontage roads along the highway were full. The problem was caused by an extended period of cold weather being followed by rain.
10 YEARS AGO:
M.P. Cathy McLeod was in Clearwater to deliver nearly $190,000 in federal funding for Rotary Sports Park. The proposed upgrades would include re-surfacing the four tennis courts and the basketball court, plus the construction of a fieldhouse and a skateboard park.
Clearwater Rotary Club was asking for donations to help pay for shelter boxes for victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti.
5 YEARS AGO:
The Clearwater ski hill opened for the season. Favourable snow conditions and new prices brought out nearly 300 people over the weekend.
The Midget Ice Hawks placed third in their home tournament in the Sportsplex. West Kelowna won the event.
1 YEAR AGO:
The Moose Hide campaign was coming back to Clearwater for its second run as a means for both Aboriginal and non-Ab- original men to stand against violence toward women and children.
Events would be taking place at the Dutch Lake Community Centre, which included an open house that gave people a chance to see displays, short videos and gather information on the campaign’s topic.
