Welcome to Lake Flashback. Reporter James Goldie 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…
10 years ago:
A convenience store in Lake Cowichan was the scene of a head-on collision this week.
The incident took place at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Grab Bag on Cottonwood Street, and resulted in injury to one employee. A van crashed into the store before getting hung up on a concrete barrier outside. The collision’s impact knocked a small counter forward which hit the employee causing whiplash and “other injuries.”
The store’s owner described the situation as “just awful” and said that staff are on edge as a result.
The police are still investigating the situation and no charges have been laid yet.
A similar incident took place at the liquor store, in which a neighbour heard the crash of a vehicle and came down to find a car trying to break through the front window of the liquor store.
“I shouted to them and they backed up their car and took a run at me,” he said. “They then tore out of the parking lot and headed towards Duncan.”
The man copied the perpetrator’s licence plate number and phoned police, who are investigating.
25 years ago:
The Town of Lake Cowichan owns property it could consider turning over to a community forest, according to Jean Brown, chairman of the Community Forest Forum in Duncan. Brown said that while community forests do exist, proceeding would require changes to the province’s Forest Act.
Brown was among speakers at the forum’s evening presentation who provided an overview of the benefits that would accrue from a community forest operation in the area.
The group also heard from Ken Allen, the director of forest management with the Mission Forest Reserve, who told the forum that revenue from logs there were $250,000 a year.
“It contributes to community stability, local employment, and tourism under a controlled harvesting program,” Allen said.
The forum will be followed by a round table discussion at the Cowichan Community Centre to consider the region’s options.
40 years ago:
Local industry has come to a standstill thanks to a protest organized by the Canadian Labour Congress in opposition to the federal government’s wage and price controls.
The Lake News said it was “almost as if the village of Lake Cowichan couldn’t make up its mind what kind of a day it was.” Most shops around town were open but mill workers and loggers — all International Woodworkers of America members — took the day off.
Almost all of Local 1-80’s 4,500 members were off the job except for emergency personnel. Ice-makers at the arena were the only union members who remained on the job.
School bus drivers and maintenance staff were also off the job and consequently most students did not come to school.
“At the United Church Hall, a dozen teachers — mostly from the high school — soaked up the sun and played cards while they waited to discuss educational problems with parents who didn’t show up,” noted the Lake News.
Compiled by James Goldie, Gazette