25 YEARS AGO (1995): The Cariboo Clean Air Committee was calling for a complete municipal ban for smoking in indoor public places. The petition was run by public health nurse Shirley Carter and local anti-smoking activist Margaret Wiens. Mayor Carlson said the council needed 100 per cent of all local businesses to co-operate in the petition before the bylaw is considered. “The restaurants are going to hate this and Ray Carlson isn’t going to like it, but it has to be done,” said Wiens.
20 YEARS AGO (2000): Natural gas prices had gone up a third time due to a greater demand for the fuel. The average customer was paying about $47 more a year. BC Gas was charging residential customers 6.9 per cent more for natural gas a year. Gas prices were set at $3.484 per gigajoule during September of the previous year and went up to $3.83. The average customer used 101.3 gigajoules a year, which resulted in an average increased cost of $35 per customer for the gas.
13 YEARS AGO (2007): Real estate sales in Northern B.C. hit an all-time high in 2006 and 100 Mile buyers and sellers played a role. The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) of the B.C. Northern Relestate board released numbers for 2006. A total of 7,055 properties worth $1.085 billion changed hands, breaking 2005’s record-breaking year by 11 per cent. In 100 Mile and its surrounding areas, 888 properties worth $128.2 million were sold, up from 816 properties in 2005 worth $93 million.
12 YEARS AGO (2008): Former NHL players made a scheduled stop in 100 Mile House for a game against members of the Society of BC Conservation Officers. The society’s team, the Rams played against the Vancouver Canucks Alumni squad at the South Cariboo Rec Centre. The game was to raise money for charity. According to local conservation officer, Darcy MacPhee, former stars such as Kirk McLean, Eddie Hatoum, Todd Harkins, Randy Heath and more were apart of the visiting team.
9 YEARS AGO (2011): A federally funded RCMP task force busted 27 grow operations and confiscated more than 54,000 marijuana plants from 100 Mile House to Prince George. RCMP Federal Drug Enforcement Branch spokesperson Const. Michael McLaughlin made the announcement in early December, explaining the raid resulted in 24 arrests and seizure of half a dozen unregistered firearms. “We want to get important players in jail. These are not mom and pop organizations.”