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Flashback: An award of merit, an interesting donation and a crosswalk debate

A look back at the history of the Cowichan Lake area
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“Marian Bates poses with her Honeymoon Bay Community Society Citizenship Award outside of the Coffee Mill Cafe in Honeymoon Bay.” (Lake Cowichan Gazette, July 25, 2012)

Welcome to Lake Flashback. Reporter Sarah Simpson has been combing through old newspapers with the assistance of the Kaatza Station Museum and Archives so we can jog your memory, give you that nostalgic feeling, or just a chuckle, as we take a look at what was making headlines this week around Cowichan Lake in years gone by.

This week around the Cowichan Lake area…

10 years ago

Three cheers for Marian Bates and “Thanks for the memories”!

A good news story was featured in the July 25, 2012 Lake Cowichan Gazette.

“Marian Bates, who has lived in Honeymoon Bay since 1981 and in the Cowichan Lake area for the past 50 years, received the 2012 Honeymoon Bay Community Society Citizenship Award as part of the Canada Day celebrations in Honeymoon Bay.

The timing was good as Bates and her husband Roger Wall were moving to Sidney to be closer to family.

“As for receiving the Citizenship Award, Bates says she was extremely pleased and happy. ‘It’s nice to be remembered for all the things I’ve done in the community. I didn’t do them to get a reward for them, I did them because I’ve always enjoyed working in the community. Plus, recognition is always nice.’”

Also in the same edition, “Fundraiser a success for local woman with cancer”.

“On a cloudy and slightly cool Saturday, July 21 morning, friends and family of Cindy Kruk were at Saywell Park getting ready for their long trek to Duncan. At 9:15 a.m., pumped and ready to go, these 15 people set off after only a couple of weeks of fundraising.

“Kruk was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer in March and has since undergone surgery and is in the process of receiving treatment to try and eradicate any remaining cancerous cells. The surgery and the treatment mean that she will not be able to work for at least six months and will be facing extra medical expenses. The walk to Duncan is about 20 kilometers less than the Great Lake Walk coming up in September and participants commented that though they were a little daunted by the distance, they knew they had to see it through.”

25 years ago

Keepsakes were donated to the Kaatza Station Museum this time two and a half decades ago, according to the July 30, 1997 Lake News.

The items were from the 1930s.

“One of the items donated is an old bucket (of the period), one that Jean Clarke (donor) of Vancouver, filled many times for her mom when the family lived in Lake Cowichan. Another item is a ‘belly button holder’, a strip of cloth with ties that was once fastened around the tummies of newborn babies. Mrs. Clarke’s father-in-law was station-master at Lake Cowichan in the 1930s.”

In other news, “A new Community Services building may be a reality sooner than most people expect. By the terms of government grants, planning has to be underway by August, with tendering taking place next year, say officials at Community Services. So far, some $214,000 had been raised for the $500,000 building. Applications for grants have been made for enough to cover the costs, including $124,000 from Infrastructure Works, which is a grant from the federal government. Approval is expected.”

40 years ago

“‘You’ll get homes,’ new H.B. owner promises townsite” was the top headline of the July 28, 1982 edition of the Lake News.

“The residents of Honeymoon Bay will be able to purchase the houses they occupy even if Western Forest Products reneges on a promise to let them buy in at a ‘cheap’ price, the holder of an agreement to purchase promised Tuesday.

“John White, spokesman for T.A. L. Developments Inc. of Victoria and a director-investor in the company formed specifically to purchase and develop the site of the former Western Forest Industries Mill, made that promise in a telephone interview from Victoria. However, the beleaguered residents of the townsite may have a battle to get the homes at a price they feel is fair.”

T.A.L. wanted an average of $20,000 and the residents felt $14,000 was more reasonable.

Another story in the pages of the July 28, 1982 edition of the Lake News was headed “Olson Manor crosswalk doesn’t appeal to council”.

You can guess what that’s about. But I’ll tell you anyway:

“Lake Cowichan village council will investigate the possibility of adding another sidewalk to South Shore Road to allow senior citizens to cross the street at Olson Manor. The idea didn’t get whole-hearted support from the aldermen when it was discussed at a recent council meeting.

“Ald. Ted Forrest said he saw no purpose in adding another crosswalk since there were quite a few already.”

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”Taking it easy on the banks of Cowichan Lake, spectators take in weekend waterskiing activities at waterski club. Novices in this water sport has a chance to show how well they can do their stuff.” (Lake News, July 28, 1982)


Sarah Simpson

About the Author: Sarah Simpson

I started my time with Black Press Media as an intern, before joining the Citizen in the summer of 2004.
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