28 YEARS AGO (1991): Members of the Cariboo Elders Building and Recreation Society were still waiting for a reply for funds from GO BC. The society asked for $100,000 – one-third of the cost of a proposed seniors complex, said spokesperson Molly Robinson. An application was sent earlier but GO BC requested more information on how the land would be purchased and if there was community support for the project. After an open house, the 100 Mile Rotary Club made a commitment to purchase a three-and-a-half acre piece of property at $75,000 for the society.
26 YEARS AGO (1993): Five candidates for Parliament faced Interlakes voters in a forum sponsored by the Deka Lake Ratepayers Association. About eighty went to hear the hopefuls introduce themselves, outline some party policy and answer questions. Questions ranged from gun control, crime and punishment and parliamentary perks to medicare and alternative approaches to wellness. Association director Jim Robinson acted as moderator.
22 YEARS AGO (1997): Workers at Pacific Logs Homes headed back to their yard on Oct. 14, 1997, after voting to end a week-long strike. The back-to-work vote came after the workers’ association and management agreed to extend the workers’ existing contract until the summer of 1998. “Basically all we’ve done is flipped the contract for another year,” said worker John Skoda, who sat on the negotiating committee. “There were no wage increases but there were none of the other changes the company wanted either.”
17 YEARS AGO (2002): South Cariboo representatives stood on different sides of the fence when it came to the 2010 Olympics bid. “It is with regret that I inform you that the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) Board of Directors has voted unanimously in opposition to supporting B.C.’s Olympic bid at this time,” CRD Chair Greg Sehn wrote to Premier Gordon Campbell on Sept. 12. Cariboo South MLA Walt Cobb supported the bid and was looking for ways on how his riding could benefit. “I think the Olympic bid can be a plus for B.C.”
10 YEARS AGO (2009): Groups around the province, such as BC School Sports, weren’t receiving gaming grants in 2009, but Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett hadn’t heard of any cuts in the South Cariboo. She said there would still be a lot of money granted to groups. “We’re not really taking it out; we’re just redirecting the funds and there’ll be money going to different groups.” In 2008, the South Cariboo received more than $600,000 in grants.
