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
“Too many straws break the Kaatza Child Care Centre’s back” was the headline atop the Sept. 28, 2011 edition of the Lake Cowichan Gazette.
“The Kaatza Child Care and Early Learning Centre has been forced to call it quits, after 37 years of operating in Lake Cowichan. ‘It’s just low enrollment. We don’t have the children to necessitate the program,’ the centre’s head supervisor Wendy Fetchko said. To remain open, the centre would have to incur a $4,000 per month loss. Currently, only 14 children are enrolled at the centre full and part-time; five to six children short of breaking even. One of the potential straws that broke the centre’s back has been a recent announcement that eligibility for child care subsidies will change, with those eligible for a subsidy being bumped down to households earning $21,480 or less per year, from the current $33,000. ‘That’s a huge part of it,’ Kaatza board chair Jennifer Pelton said, of reasons for the centre’s closure.”
The story shared the page with “Tour de Rock cancer fund-raiser rolling into Lake Cowichan on Tuesday”.
“The Tour de Rock cancer fundraiser is rolling into Lake Cowichan, Tuesday, Oct. 4. The group of police officers on bicycles is set to arrive in town at about 11:30 a.m. The group will make a lunch stop at Lake Cowichan Secondary School, during which time they’ll make speeches and drum up excitement.
“’It’s very important work, and we’re willing to spend time to show our support,’ principal Peter Jory said, at last year’s event. As always, the public will be invited out to hear the officers’ stories and to greet them as the cops bike down South Shore Road. The cyclists will then make an appearance at Palsson Elementary School before making their way back to Duncan.”
25 years ago
Terry Fox fundraising led the way on the front of the Sept. 25, 1996 edition of the Lake News.
“Approximately $1,200 was raised here for the Terry Fox Run during the community’s fundraiser last Sunday with 57 runners taking part. It’s believed that nearly 35 local people went to Duncan to take part in the run so Community Services says 91 took part. The Chamber of Commerce took the plaque sponsored by The Lake News for the group who raises the most money. Running for the Chamber was Donna Clarke with her son Michael. Donna and her son raised $135. The individual who raised the most money was Ruby Pilcher who surpassed the total raised by the group. Pilcher raised $209. The area schools also put on their own runs but the amounts were not tabulated by press time.”
Also 25 years ago was: “Allan wants change in FRBC policy”.
The story got right to it.
“He wants to change FRBC policy, he wants $300,000 in funding. Jan Pullinger, Cowichan/Ladysmith MLA says ‘no way’, but chairman of FRBC board, Roger Stanyer is listening.
“He is Joe Allan, director of Area F (Skutz Falls) and the $300,000 would increase and improve Honeymoon Bay’s water system. Allan attended last week’s Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) convention in Penticton, armed with a letter of support from the CVRD, and got a meeting with chairman of the FRBC board, Roger Stanyer. Allan is expected to hear a decision in a few weeks.
“‘This would change FRBC policy’ Allan said explaining that presently FRBC won’t fund projects on private land; that funding is only available for those projects on Crown land.”
40 years ago
Here’s a happy little story from the Sept. 23, 1981 Lake News:
“Lake News proclaimed best in the west among small newspapers.”
Well, it makes us proud anyway…
“The Lake News has been awarded a first prize in the Better Newspapers Competition, held every year for members of the B.C. and Yukon Community Newspapers Association. Announcement of the winners took place at the BCYCNA convention in Vancouver, Friday, Sept. 18. This newspaper was honored earlier this year by the Canadian Community Newspapers Association, when the Lake News placed third in an all-Canada competition.”
How about that!
Onto some not happy news from the same front page of four decades ago: “Cowichan Lake crime ranks among worst on lower island”. Now that’s a headline we’d prefer not to have exist.
“Lake Cowichan is one of the most crime-ridden communities in lower Vancouver Island, the Cowichan Lake District Chamber of Commerce was told last Wednesday. Sgt. Don Douglas, officer in charge of the Lake Cowichan RCMP detachment, said that next to Nanaimo, this area ranked with other more densely-populated communities for dubious second place honors in crime creation.
“Douglas, who said he ‘invited himself’ to the regular bi-monthly chamber dinner meeting Sept. 16, also defended his police force which, he suggested, was getting an unduly harsh assessment of their effectiveness from complaining members of the public.”
sarah.simpson@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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