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.
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This week around the Cowichan Lake area…
10 years ago
"Music in the Lake: Summer Nights changing tempo" was the only big headline on the front of the Lake Cowichan Gazette of May 6, 2015.
"After facing concerns over losing funding and a lack of volunteers, organizers of Music in the Lake, Lake Cowichan’s annual outdoor summer concert series, announced this week that the event would be continuing this year, albeit with a few changes. Among those changes will be a new format, switching the weekly concert schedule to a bi-weekly one. Organizer Elvin Hedden explained that the change was necessary, due to him and the few other organizers of the event not being able to commit as much time this year.
“'We’re getting older, and we’re getting tired of putting all this time in,' he said.
"While there will be fewer concerts this year, five in total, Hedden said the group is hoping to add to the remaining performances. Additions include a 'family-oriented' hour of entertainment prior to the main event, consisting of activities such as face painting and open mic sets. He also said that bands and other performers may be booked specifically for the family hour. The group also plans to have food vendors, such as barbecue and ice cream, present at Central Park."
Deeper into the paper, the headline "Calling all curators: Organizers looking for more residents to showcase their treasures" could be found.
"The Honeymoon Bay Community Hall will become a museum for a day as the Honeymoon Bay Community Society gets ready for their Heritage Day celebration, set for May 24. The annual event sees residents and former residents of Honeymoon Bay bring their old treasures to the community hall to be displayed. The relics paint a picture of the history of Honeymoon Bay, as well as some more personal stories. The Honeymoon Bay Community Society is always looking for more residents to add to that tableau.
'“[The criteria] is pretty wide open, it's an opportunity for people to bring in their treasures,' Guy Patten, who has organized Heritage Day in previous years, said.
'We like to call it "old relics bringing in their old relics," and that’s pretty much what it is.'”
25 years ago
"Fate of Youbou mill to be known mid-May" was a pressing heading above the fold of the May 3, 2000 Lake Cowichan Gazette.
"An announcement on the sale of TimberWest's Youbou to JS Jones Timber Ltd. is expected to be made sometime in mid-May. TimberWest's CEO Scott Folk announced last Wednesday that the period of exclusive negotiations over the sale of the mill and TFL 46 was being extended. Folk said the extension was necessary due to the complexity of the sale and the need to provide additional time for Jones to complete their due diligence process."
A secondary headline, also above the fold read "Mill closure would affect tax rates."
"While the prolonged negotiations over the sale of the Youbou mill and TFL 46 has workers worried, any deal could also have a big impact on the taxpayers of the community. A rumour about the deal suggests the mill will close once a sale is complete. Tara Daly, director for the regional district area that includes Youbou, says if the mill shuts down taxes in the community will go up."
A troubling headline was also below the fold that week. "As much as 50 tonnes of trash dumped in bush" was big enough to catch the eye.
"It used to be that, from anywhere in town, you could drive five minutes and be in pristine wilderness. However, lazy litter bugs are ruining the view as they use the proximity of the outdoors to dump their household trash. Everything from fridges and stoves to deep freezes, batteries, tires and gyprock can be found alongside local logging roads. Another concern is that illegally dumped household waste is bringing bears closer to residential areas."
Some things haven't changed in that regard...
40 years ago
The Wednesday, May 8, 1985 edition of the Lake News featured a headline of "School Board won't rap B.C. Government" as one of a few front-page stories.
"School board chairman Mike Wasney cast the deciding vote Monday against the idea of sending a letter to Education Minister Jack Heinrich condemning his firing of the Vancouver school board. Heinrich had announced Monday morning in Vancouver that he was firing the entire board and replacing it with a government appointee.
"In Lake Cowichan, the minister's move split the board, with trustees Bill Routley and Wilma Rowbottom urging a protest of the action, and trustees Pat Foster and Buck Hollingdrake in favor of Heinrich's stance, Board chairman Mike Wasney had to break the deadlock; he voted with Hollingdrake and Foster. Routley asked for the letter of protest. 'We're seeing the demise of democracy,' he said, adding that he thought Heinrich was 'taking away the right to vote.' School trustees and B.C. residents in general should be 'very vocal' in protesting the minister's action in removing duly-elected officials, Routley said."
A secondary story reported that the board did comply with budget requirements for the year.
