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
"Lake Town gets Area I approval" again made the front page of the Lake Cowichan Gazette. This time, the Oct. 7, 2015 edition.
The rezoning application by Sunfest for the Lake Town Ranch project has progressed a little further through the regional district process. The Area I advisory planning commission has approved the Lake Town Ranch proposal in principle, says town representative on the Cowichan Valley Regional District board, councillor Bob Day.
While the rezoning application wends its way through the governmental process, the Lake Cowichan community is starting to organize in preparation for the possibility of Sunfest coming to Lake Cowichan, says Mayor Ross Forrest.
In other news of the day, "River open for fishing" pleased a lot of fishermen at the time.
"More water in the rivers, means fly fishing for trout has returned. The Cowichan River opened Oct. 1.
"'The conservation measures that were put in place due to low flows and high water temperatures, in the Cowichan River, have been rescinded,' said a notice from Fisheries Canada.
"The Cowichan River is open to fly fishing only from the weir in Cowichan Lake downstream to the Mile 66 Trestle (CNR Trestle). As a conservation measure for migrating salmon, the Cowichan River remains closed to all species of salmon fishing. But for those who love fly fishing for trout, it is time to pull out the waders and check your flies. Brown trout as large as 10 pounds have been pulled from the river in the past."
25 years ago
"Youbou sawmill offer turned down" made headlines on the front of the Oct. 11, 2000 Lake Cowichan Gazette.
"The latest offer to purchase the Youbou sawmill has been turned down by Timber West.
"An internal memo from Timber West CEO Scott Folk told employees that the offer from Mill & Timber was well below market value for the mill and tree farm licence.
"'We now want to take some time to make sure we have considered all of the options that exist in terms of a future for Cowichan Lumbermill and TFL 46,' wrote Folk. 'We do not want to make a hasty decision, especially given the complexity of factors affecting the forest product industry, particularly coastal producers.'
"Bill Routley, president of IWA Local 1-80, believes the announcement means a continuation of the mill in the short term.
"'I hope they rethink it in the long term,' he said Saturday.
"Routley, who represents about 200 workers at the Youbou mill, said a new, improved Softwood Lumber Agreement with the U.S. could change things for the Youbou mill."
A secondary, and unfortunate headline was "Lake Cowichan man dead after vehicle rolls."
"A 33-year-old Lake Cowichan man was killed Friday night when the vehicle he was driving rolled on Youbou Road.
"Robert Prost was driving toward Youbou at about 9:20 p.m. when the vehicle rolled and landed in the ditch on its roof near Meades Creek Road. Lake Cowichan RCMP report Prost was thrown from the vehicle and suffered serious injuries. He was rushed to the hospital in Duncan, then flown via air ambulance to Vancouver, where he died a short time later.
"Prost was the only occupant of the vehicle."
40 years ago
"Rod and Ginger back at Riverside" was a mid-page headline on the front of the Lake News of Oct. 9, 1985.
"Rod and Ginger O'Driscoll are back at Lake Cowichan's Riverside Inn as of Oct. 1. Earlier, it had been announced that the hotel had been sold to a family consortium, the new manager being Doug Butterfield.
"Rumors flew around the village and O'Driscoll put a sign outside the hotel saying: 'Everybody knows what's going on but me.'
"O'Driscoll and Doug Butterfield say they couldn't negotiate terms related to the sale of the historical hotel."
In other front page news, "May install new curbs and gutters" was somewhat of an incomplete headline but the story explained, "The village public works committee will investigate spending some $45,000 on renovating South Shore Road from Neva Road to the Smith Block, in connection with a highways department job slated for 1986.
"Ray Miller, village works foreman, has estimated that the local highways department would spend about $76,000 on the project which would involve paving the street and 50 per cent of the cost of installing curbs and gutters. The village would pay half the cost of the curbs and gutters and would provide sidewalks and install storm drains and make any changes in the water line that were necessary at the same time."
