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
Palsson’s quest for a new playground had some good news this time a decade ago, according to the Lake Cowichan Gazette of Dec. 18, 2013.
“Palsson School’s campaign to win a huge cash grant for a new playground has crossed the last big hurdle and is now in the home stretch. It’s all over but the waiting as Aviva Canada announced last week that Palsson made it as one of the top 10 finalists in its grant competition.
“’Thank you! Thank you! Thank you is all I can say,’ said Palsson PAC chair, Karen Hoskins. “The whole community came out to help us and people should be really, really proud of what we all did.” After the Dec. 11 closing date for voting in the semi-finals, Aviva announced that Palsson had made the cut in the Aviva Community Fund competition. As a finalist, the team is already guaranteed a $5,000 grant and remains in contention for the coveted $50,000 first prize, subject to review by a team of judges.”
In another news story, a major discovery was found near Mesachie Lake.
“A World War II military plane has been found in a mountain area southwest of Lake Cowichan. The plane, over 70 years-old, was found by local loggers working out of the Mesachie Lake area for forestry company Teal-Jones last week. Capt. Matt Zalot, public affairs officer with the National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces in Ottawa, confirmed the plane to be an Avro Anson that was flown and crashed during the Second World War.
“’We’re still conducting the investigation to see if anything is found such as human remains and that will be a major determination in what happens next,’ said Zalot who said the discovery is exciting nonetheless.
“Matt Carter, from the Teal-Jones Group, said the plane was found ‘in the vicinity of Port Renfrew.’”
25 years ago
Here’s a disappointing story from the Lake News of Dec. 23, 1998: “12 picnic table tops stolen from park.”
“RCMP are looking for large cedar planks stolen from picnic tables from the Stoltz Pool Provincial Park between Dec. 15 and 19. Police said that culprits dismantled and removed cedar table tops from 12 picnic tables. The loss is estimated at $5,000.”
In the same edition, “the Lake News caught Santa shopping locally and visiting the businesses recently in his preparation for his big night this coming Thursday.”
I wonder if he was in town to see the 1998 Santa Claus parade?
“Winners in the parade for floats were: First prize, Village Market; second place Firemen, and third place went to the RCMP.
Meanwhile much like last week, “Drunk drivers top priority for police” was also a main story.
“Lake Cowichan RCMP detachment will be placing drinking and driving offences at the top of their priority list for the holiday season, said Sgt. Gerry Poitras. It is their intent, he said, not to allow anyone from the Cowichan Lake area suffer the loss or injury of a loved one and thus ruin their holiday season this year and for years to come.”
40 years ago
It was the Lake News of Dec. 20, 1983’s last paper of the year because the entire staff closed up shop and took a whole week off! Wouldn’t it be nice!?
A big story of the week was titled “Tax hike urged to help community” and it was about the Village of Lake Cowichan, Area F and Area I attempting to get the province to allow a quarter-mill increase in taxes to provide $12,500 for Lake Cowichan Community Services.
“The three areas have asked that the necessary letters of consent be drawn up which would allow the increase to be collected.
“The $12,5000 raised by the quarter mill of taxes would take care of a projected deficit for 1983 and allow Community Services to expand its work by allowing support staff more time to work on various projects.”
Times must have been tight back then as another top story in the week’s paper was “Council battles bankruptcy woes, layoffs ‘needed’.
“Lake Cowichan alderman Hazel Beech saying that she refused to stand by and let the village ‘go down the tube,’ spoke strongly Dec. 13 in support of $100,000 worth of budget cuts proposed by village clerk Pat Akerley.
“In a prepared statement, Beech urged other councillors during budget discussions to support a suggestion by Akerly that two village workers be laid off Jan. 1 1984.
“We must make these cuts or we’re going to face bankruptcy within a year,” Beech said, adding that she though the village could also cut $30,000 from its parks budget.”