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
It was a big deal a decade ago when, as the Jan. 15, 2014 Lake Cowichan Gazette headline said, “Lake Cowichan dives into the Duncan pool”.
It was one more step forward on the path to a unified regional recreation system in the CVRD.
“Town of Lake Cowichan residents no longer have to pay double the price compared to some surrounding areas to use the swimming pool in Duncan, at least for the time being. Council announced Tuesday an agreement with the City of Duncan and the Municipality of North Cowichan to end the two-tier fee structure previously in place for use of the Cowichan Aquatic Centre.
“Under the old two-tier system, the town’s residents would pay $12 for use of the pool, whereas Duncan or Shawnigan Lake residents for example would only pay $6. That has now been waived.
“’I’m pretty happy as it makes the great facilities at the Cowichan Aquatic Centre more affordable for Lake Cowichan residents and people here enrolling their kids in swimming programs,’ said Mayor Ross Forrest. ‘We’ve been having discussions for a couple of years. It’s been a long time coming.’”
In other news of the day, area politicians showed their federal colours when Prime Minister Stephen Harper came to the region.
“Despite the feelings of some, Forrest said it was a thrill to meet the prime minister. ‘It was a good opportunity to speak with him for a couple of minutes without a protest sign in my hand,’ he laughed. ‘Not that I wanted one in my hands because I don’t like to get involved in any of that stuff. I know there’s a lot of disgruntled people who don’t like him or his party, and that’s fine because people are entitled to their opinions on that and I respect that, but I was there as a representative of my community which I’m thrilled to do when I get the opportunity’.
Meanwhile area director Ian Morrison did have a sign in his hand.
“’Our environment is just not for sale.’ That, said Area F Director Ian Morrison, was the reason he was one of about 100 people who gathered at the gates of Brentwood College School in Mill Bay last week to let Prime Minister Stephen Harper know their feelings on some of the decisions he has made for Canada.”
25 years ago
“CVRD gives up search for landfill” was the front page story of the Lake News of Jan. 20, 1999.
“For years CVRD has insisted that garbage should be disposed of by landfill, not incineration. Even when a proposed landfill site on Hill 60 had to be abandoned at a loss of nearly $500,000, CVRD announced its choice was still landfill and it would just seek another site. Lake Cowichan was just as adamant in asking that a new incinerator be built and was willing, if necessary, to build a new incinerator on its own.
“Last Wednesday night, as Councillor Jack Peake stood before the CVRD board, ready to present Lake Cowichan Council’s case in favour of incineration, CVRD threw in the towel. Rob Hutchins, CVRD chairman, announced that the Board, meeting in camera, had decided ‘not to look for…a landfill site at this time and instead to pursue other options.’”
On page 2 of the same edition: “Provisional budget announced”.
“Council gave third reading to its 1999 budget last week, a budget that will raise $3,169,364, mostly from taxpayers. The budget is provisional and can be changed by Council up to April. Of the total, the Town will tax only $804,540. It will have to collect $1,069,779 for other governments such as CVRD.”
40 years ago
And finally, looking at the Jan. 18, 1984 Lake News, rumors were being squashed.
“Cowichan-Malahat MLA Barbara Wallace dismissed as “facetious” last week speculation by a Vancouver columnist that she has made plans to step down in support of NDP leadership hopeful David Vickers. “‘There’s been a lot of speculation about that,’ she told a group of supporters at a meeting in Duncan Jan. 11, referring to suggestions that the deal had been made, adding, ‘I just wanted to clear that point up.’ Wallace called the suggestion ‘not worth the paper it’s written on.’”
And finally, “Furniture manufacturer forced to wait and see” was a front page story as well.
“A Mesachie Lake cabinetmaker who has moved his furniture manufacturing business into Lake Cowichan will have to wait to see if he can get a zoning change that would allow him to operate the enterprise. Lake Cowichan village council said Jan. 10 that it will wait until more is known about progress on the Meade Creek industrial park before it comments on a request by Woodlands Manufacturing.
“Mayor Ted Forrest said he had spoken to Willson and had been told that Willson wanted eventually to move into the Meade Creek industrial park. The difficulty is that, while he has been waiting for the industrial park to get under way, Willson’s business has outgrown his home at Mesachie Lake.”