Welcome to Lake Flashback. Reporter Lexi Bainas has been combing through oldnewspaperswiththeassistance 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:
Still raging in the Lake Cowichan Gazette Aug. 6, 2008, was the question “Regarding diesel spill: Where’s environment minister?”
The story of diesel leaking down from a gas station on Cowichan Lake Road and getting into soil on Don and Luanne Palmer’s property as well as nearby Oliver Creek just went on and on that year.
Where’s Environment Minister Barry Penner?
Don Palmer, whose residential yard is a mess from the five-month clean-up effort, has tried to get a hold of Penner. MLA Doug Routley has tried to get a hold of him for a meeting over the environmental disaster. The Gazette has tried to get some comments from Penner, but was basically told that this isn’t an interview that would be directed to the minister.
“We tried one day in the MLA’s office to get a teleconference with Penner, but all we got was his assistant,” said Palmer. “I think the minister should come here and see what’s been happening. This is serious enough that he should be involved.”
Routley admitted Wednesday afternoon that a lot of his focus has been on [the possible closure of ] Cowichan Lodge, but he still hopes to get a meeting with Penner. He said that based on the teleconference with the ministry on June 20, which Palmer and local environmentalist Joe Saysell attended, the Ministry of Environment seems to be satisfied as long as some kind of work is being done.
“It seems that as long as he (gas station owner Phil Keshwani) appears to be doing something, there’s nothing they can do to intervene,” said Routley. The MLA also said that the ministry wasn’t prepared to order the removal of the contaminated dirt because it would cost Keshwani an extra $15,000. He’s been allowed to leave the contaminated dirt on his property to naturally break down.
25 years ago:
On the front page of The Lake News of Aug. 4, 1993, we learn that “Residents say: Please, no gravel pit here”.
Honeymoon Bay residents were up in arms at last week’s Cowichan Valley Regional District meeting. They were speaking against opening a gravel pit by developer Colin Wall, who appeared before the CVRD’s Development Services Committee.
He [Wall] applied to the ministry of energy, mines, and resources to open the gravel pit after the CVRD refused to approve a plan for a residential development on his property. The district wanted changes in the plan.
The Development Services Committee received a notice from energy, mines, and resources dated June 30 to the effect that the gravel pit application was scheduled to be granted in 15 days.
It heard John Kirkendale who presented a petition with 208 names objecting to the pit.
Wall applied for permission to remove 20,000 metric tonnes of gravel a year for 10 years from the top three feet of his land. Top soil would be saved and stored, he said, and returned to the land.
40 years ago:
“Lake’s Dawn Coe B.C. golf champ” was the boast on the front page of The Lake News on Aug. 2, 1978.
Everyone was thrilled but no one yet knew this would be the beginning of a great career as a touring professional golfer.
Here’s the scoop:
“Lake Cowichan’s Dawn Coe is the B.C. junior girls golf champion.
“Coe, 17, led a field of 27 players from across the province at Delta’s Beach Grove Golf and Country Club in a two-day tournament last week. She shot 81 on the first day, and 83 on the second day on the par 76 course.
“Two weeks ago, Coe placed eighth overall in the Alberta Cup Championships for junior girls in Edmonton.
“Coe now gets a shot at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship in Fredericton, NB Aug. 14-18. She will join a team of three from B.C. for the national event for girls under 18.
“Coe has left her summer job to practise for the upcoming tournament. She is a member of the March Meadows Golf Club at Honeymoon Bay and the Cowichan Golf and Country Club at Duncan.”
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In another sign of those times, The Lake News told readers: “The Lake News will not publish next week (Aug. 9) so that our staff can enjoy a brief summer break.”
It’s been a long time since we last saw businesses closing down completely so everyone could take their holidays together.