50 YEARS AGO (1970): The Seismology Division of the Department of Energy, Mines and Mineral Resources, Earth Physics Branch, is undertaking a series of tests at Bird Lake, south of Juskatla to determine the thickness of the Earth’s crust. The tests were handled here by Wolfgang Jacoby PhD. The effects of explosives were monitored by five stations in a radius of 300 miles of the site. At the time of publication, five blasts had been set off at 12:05 a.m. The data gathered by crews at the recording stations, including several on the Alaska coastline, were to be analyzed by the University of B.C. and various government branches.

40 YEARS AGO (1980): There was no word of any delay in the implementation of the B.C. Ferry service to the islands. “No” said BCFC General Manager Charles Gallagher. “The two factors to the service are still firm. Dock construction at Skidegate is on schedule, the Queen of Prince Rupert is due back to us ready for the October start up there and, unless she’s not up to our standards when we get her back,” he said, laughing, “she’ll be ready by the planned date.”

30 YEARS AGO (1990): The largest forest fire on the islands in more than 15 years raged over 175 hectares of MacMillan Bloedel’s tree farm licence for three days, before being brought under control on August 1, 1990. Jim Connor, MB’s Queen Charlotte Division Manager, said costs to date were running in the vicinity of $200,000. The timber loss had not yet been assessed. “We managed to save some timber standing within the opening, but haven’t evaluated the felled and bucked timber,” he said.

20 YEARS AGO (2000): B.C.’s system of tree farm licences were attacked in provincial court in Masset as judge Douglas Halfyard listened to a petition from the Council of the Haida Nation demanding that the renewal of the biggest licence on the islands be declared invalid. Lawyers Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson and Louise Mandell, representing the CHN, said the provincial government had no right to renew MacMillan Bloedel’s huge tree farm licence because it did not have the exclusive right to the land and resources on the islands.

ALSO READ: From the archives of the Haida Gwaii Observer

Do you have something to add to this story or something else we should report on? Email:karissa.gall@blackpress.ca.

Like us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/haidagwaiiobserver/

” target=”_blank”>Twitter.

Haida Gwaii Observer