125 YEARS AGO: DEC. 2, 1899
Bad Behaviour: There is a bad habit among the boys of throwing sticks, stones, etc. at the electric light wires to knock down their nobbles which lodge over the wires. While it is natural for boys to play and right they should, they should do it so that no one else is annoyed or damaged. The practise of lodging these playthings over the wires is done sometimes purposely by one boy to amuse another. They look bad hanging over the wires and should not be allowed.
Bricks: Ashcroft is talking about brick blocks for next season and we hope to see some of them materialize.
Moved: The cougar, which has so long adorned the sitting room of the Ashcroft Hotel, has been removed to make room for other improvements.
Moved On: The “Scotch Doctor,” D.B. Grant, who entertained an audience in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening, left for Kamloops Thursday afternoon. It was rumoured that, had he remained here, the medical fraternity intended instituting proceedings against him for practising without registration.
Found: The bunch of keys mentioned in last week’s Journal belonging to Mr. C.M. Seeley were sent to this office through the kindness of Mr. James Gannon, as was also a pocket knife. The articles were left in Mr. Seeley’s room at the Dominion Hotel, Clinton.
100 YEARS AGO: NOV. 29, 1924
Fraser Canyon Is Public Park; 500 Square Miles Along Highway Preserved By Dominion Government: The B.C. Automobile Club received official assurances from Ottawa that the government has consented to the setting aside of a reserve in the Fraser River Canyon for a new national park through which the Trans-provincial automobile highway will run. “It will mean another national park like Banff, and it will be even more popular,” said F.G.T. Lucas, president of the Automobile Club. The reserve will be 50 miles in length, from Yale to Lytton, and will embrace an area five miles in width on both sides of the river, making in all a park with an area of 500 square miles. The executive of the Automobile Club took action towards having the reserve set aside, their purpose being to prevent the beauty spots being exploited for private profit. That they were none too soon is already apparent, as they have learned of several attempts by caterers and others to secure locations in some of the most interesting parts of the canyon. All danger of any such desecration of one of the greatest natural beauty spots of America have now been removed, they believe.
Ashcroft Community Hall: The old school building is being converted into a community hall. The work that is being done includes conditioning the upper floor for dancing purposes, the lower room for community purposes, and the building of an outside stairway leading from the dance hall as an emergency exit in case of fire. The third room in the rear will be devoted for gymnasium purposes as at present.
Walhachin: The school flag has got badly torn and has knotted itself around the top of the pole, but we understand there is no truth in the report that the lady secretary will climb the pole to get it down and that fifty cents admission will be charged spectators.
Skating Rink: Work is going on at the Ashcroft rink, and as soon as the weather would get a little more favourable, a sheet of ice will be made for skating. Weather in Ashcroft, although frosty, has been exceptionally fine for the season of the year. There is no snow and not enough frost to make ice for skating.
75 YEARS AGO: DEC. 1, 1949
Will Survey Road: Provincial government survey crews are preparing to work on the section of the Cariboo Road from the foot of 20 Mile hill to Cache Creek. We understand the route will follow the west side of the Bonaparte river to the 16 Mile, where it will cross to the present highway.
Busy Station: The Radio Range at Ashcroft Manor had the time of its life contacting airplanes passing over on their way to Kamloops with “marooned” passengers from the flooded areas at the coast.
First Snow: Our first snow of the year covered the countryside this morning, Friday, for the first time this year. About an inch fell, but is melting fast.
Christmas: Stores and windows in Ashcroft are very attractive with Christmas decorations, and the shelves are loaded with gifts for every member of the family. Do your Christmas shopping in Ashcroft, where you can get complete satisfaction.
Big Japanese Orange Shipment: Importers said Canadians can expect 85,000,000 Japanese oranges for the Christmas season this year. The $1,000,000 shipment, largest in post-war trade with Japan, will be aboard the SS Island Mail. Despite the abundance, however, the oranges are expected to sell at $1.30 a box, 20 per cent more than last year’s prices of $1 and $1.10. It’s a decrease, though from the 1947 peg of $1.59.
50 YEARS AGO: NOV. 27, 1974
Ashcroft Chamber To Sponsor Ice Car Racing: The Ashcroft Chamber of Commerce will sponsor ice car racing at Barnes Lake in the New Year. Dates have been tentatively set for the first weekends of January, February, and March. The Vancouver Motor Sports Club held their rally here last year, but a sudden thaw had made the Barnes Lake Road a sheet of ice, and many spectators found themselves in trouble after leaving the main Highland Valley road. Members of the chamber have arranged for gas at the lake through local agents, and social functions are being planned. Barnes Lake is an ideal location for this fast-moving sport. The Public Works have been contacted with regard to sanding and grading of the road.
Letter To The Editor: Dear Sir: The idea of a one-way street in Ashcroft is ridiculous. If council wants to make decisions to improve safety conditions within the town, let’s consider the only two exits from town leading up to Bethlehem Copper. Both of these exits have railroad tracks crossing them, and on occasion both exits have been blocked by a train at the same time. Just suppose an emergency arises and the doctor and/or ambulance can’t get to the scene because of this aforementioned problem. The logical solution is to have an underpass or overpass at at least one of these exits. However, as an alternative, council could perhaps enforce a law that at no time shall a train block both exits at the same time. Safety and safety conditions on our streets does not depend on whether they are one-way, two-way, or a dozen-way. It depends on the enforcement of traffic laws and everyone obeying posted signs. Yours Truly, D.G. Wood.
