Welcome to Lake Flashback. Reporter Lexi Bainas has been combing through oldnewspaperswiththeassistance of the Kaatza Station Museum and Archives so we can jog yourmemory, giveyouthat nostalgicfeeling, or just a chuckle, as we take a look at what was makingheadlines thisweekaround Cowichan Lake in years gone by.
This week around the Cowichan Lake area…
10 years ago:
In the Sept. 12, 2007 edition of the Lake Cowichan Gazette, we learned that “Construction of 2,200 residential units, a resort and commercial buildings on the old Youbou millsite will definitely increase the amount of traffic in the Cowichan Lake area, especially on Youbou Road, but the infrastucture will handle it. “
That’s what Michael Skena of Boulevard Transportation Group told a public meeting about a proposed development for the huge site, empty since the sawmill closed in early 2001. He was meeting with residents; many voiced concerns.
“I think it’s important to say that we’ re looking at the worst-case scenerio,” said Skena, who added that original traffic estimates were for 2,500 residential units, while the plan is now for 2,200 residential units.
Skena said Youbou Road had “a current capacity to handle about 2,000 vehicles an hour. At the peak of development [in 20 years], there would be about 700 vehicles an hour.”
Residents had argued about that, saying probably the biggest traffic issue along Youbou Road will be the poor sight lines from intersecting roads and driveways.
“On a walk through with [Area I director] Brooke [Hodson] we saw many driveways that I’m surprised were approved by highways,” said the development’s main spokesman, Mike Achtem. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about that. That’s a highways responsibility.”
There is an opportunity, though, to improve the curb along Youbou Road and deal with the sight line issue. “We hope to see improvements to sight areas,” said Skena.
He assured the meeting that any road improvements would be paid for by the developer.
Remediation of the contamination at the old mill site was scheduled to begin Sept. 24 [2007] and “should take about three years to complete,” said David Kneale, the remediation consultant.
25 years ago:
There were stories about a pot seizure and health care concerns in the Sept. 9 issue of The Lake News but something else caught my eye.
The headline said: “Their concrete boots got ‘ho hum’ from police”. Whazzup?
“Protesters in the Carmanah trying to stop logging, poured concrete around their feet and stood in the roadway so that when the concrete hardened they would be difficult to move and so would stop the logging trucks.
”They may have expected police to get hammers and remove the concrete for them. If so, they were disappointed. The preotesters were picked up, concrete and all, and moved out of the way of the trucks. And there they were left to get their own concrete boots off. Sgt. Ron Merchant, of Lake Cowichan detachment, RCMP, was in charge of police.
“It was reported that protesters who chained themselves to a wood barrier also failed to stop the trucks. Loggers chainsawed the barrier on either side of the protesters and lifted them, still chained to the wood, to the side of the road and left them.”
40 years ago:
On Sept. 14, 1977, The Lake News reported the sad news: “No hockey for Lakers this year”.
Yes, the Intermediate A Lakers were going to be sitting out the 1977/78 season.
“Interim team manager Buck Hollingdrake told The Lake News the decision to take a leave of absence from the South Island Big Six Hockey League was made at a team meeting [the previous] Friday. Hollingdrake said a lack of participation by local players was the reason for the decision not to form a team this year…Only eight players made it to the team’s last practice…A team like the Lakers needs to maintain a minimum of 20 players to make it work.”
He thanked those who supported the Lakers in the past. While the arena commission supplied free practice time for the Lakers, the team is independent and relies on gate receipts and local donations to cover operating costs.
Hollingdrake said he could “see the writing on the wall” in regards to the lack of interest in forming a team this year.