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
The Lake said goodbye to its U-Haul franchise a decade ago this week, according to the March 12, 2012 Lake Cowichan Gazette.
The story was: “U-Haul- Lake Cowichan hits the road for good” by Diana Hutton. “After six years, the local U-Haul depot saw the last few trucks heading out of town for the last time, bound for Duncan and Sooke. No more will families moving to the area be able to drop their trucks and trailers in Lake Cowichan.
“’We’re pretty sad to see this service leave Lake Cowichan,’ said Lake Cowichan Furniture and Appliances manager Lorna Vomacka, who ran the depot out of their location on the corner of South Shore Road and West Cowichan Avenue. ‘I had two calls this week from people wanting to rent trucks and I had to tell them, no sorry, the U-Haul is gone,’ said Vomacka. The problems for U-Haul first began some time ago, when repeated episodes of vandalism on the vehicles forced the operators to move them from their regular storage area.”
After that bylaw officers said the vehicles couldn’t be parked at a separate location without an additional business licence, and the operation closed up shop for good.
Also a decade ago was a senseless act of vandalism at the community’s prized golf course.
“Lake Cowichan RCMP report that sometime overnight between March 4 and March 5 a suspect on an ATV drove onto the March Meadows Golf Course in Honeymoon Bay. The suspect proceeded to do donuts causing significant damage to the fairways and third green.” How rude.
25 years ago
Along with a photo of RCMP Sgt. Ron Merchant at his retirement party, “An airport planned for Cowichan Lake” was the top story on the front of March 12, 1997 edition of the Lake News.
“Although Hollywood is not negotiating a lease with the owners of the old Telesat site, the idea of a private airport for Lake Cowichan is being looked at closely.
“Contrary to an article published in the March issue of the Business Examiner, which reports that the owners of the site are negotiating a deal with MGM studios in Hollywood, Ed Hauck and Tony Green, who own the site say there are no negotiations happening with MGM or anyone else for that matter, but they said they do want to create a private airport.
“‘We’ve already cleared the land for it,’ Hauck told the Lake News.
“Both Green and Hauck were angry over the story in the Business Examiner saying that no one from the publication contacted either of them for confirmation.
“Green and Hauck both believe an airport would be beneficial, making the Cowichan Lake area even more accessible.”
Whatever happened to that idea?
Also 25 years ago in the same paper, “New floor plans for arena to cost $400,000” was the headline. The subhead reported there’d be a five-month closure in 1998.
“The Lake Cowichan Sports Arena will have a new floor next year, Bruce Tilbury, manager of the arena has announced. The floor is estimated to cost $400,000. $155,000 will be used from the reserve fund, $150,000 will be added to the tax requisition in 97/98 bringing the total to $455,000 in 1998, which will leave a reserve balance for repairs and upgrading of $55,800.
“The floor under the ice is the same floor installed when the arena was first built, according to Tilbury and there are places where you can see the ice cracking. ‘We’re afraid there is nothing underneath in some of those areas, that’s why this has to be done.’”
40 years ago
It was a sad time at the Lake for many this week 40 years ago as “Bob Wallace, husband of Cowichan-Malahat MLA Barbara Wallace, died Friday, March 5. He was 68.
“Wallace had been in Lake Cowichan as recently as Feb. 21, when he accompanied his wife to the Bob Strachan NDP Club annual potluck supper. The couple had been returning from a short holiday up the coast last week when Wallace died.”
This, reported in the March 10, 1982 Lake News.
In other news of the day, according to the paper, “School District 66 must trim $88,515 from its 1982 budget to meet the recently-announced restraint guidelines.
“Vice-chairman Bill Routley, who chaired the meeting, said he thought the board should voice its protests.
“‘I’m concerned that the government not think we’ve developed a ‘live with it’ approach,’ he said. ‘The education ministry shouldn’t just dump their problems in our laps.’”
And finally, gas prices were once again the talk of the town.
“Prices went up at Lake Cowichan gas pumps last week and it is now impossible to buy a litre of gasoline here for less than 41.4 cents.”
Can you imagine!?