125 YEARS AGO: APRIL 7, 1900
Public Building: Ottawa, March 26, 1900: Permit me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd instant enclosing a petition of Messrs. W.B. Bailey and other business firms of Ashcroft, pointing out the needs for a public building at that point. I am glad to observe the growing importance of Ashcroft and hope it may be possible, in the near future, to meet the wishes of the people. But I hardly think it would be possible, during the present session, to make provision in the direction desired. But I hope that next session, it may be possible to deal favourably with the application. Yours faithfully, Mulock, Acting Minister of Public Works.
Ashcroft Stores: Ashcroft merchants carry good assortments of dry goods and clothing at fair prices. Their goods are new and up to date, as they are direct importers both from English, American, and eastern Canadian wholesale houses. A short time ago the coast papers strongly urged everyone to patronize their retail stores and condemned the practice of sending away for goods. This week a representative of a retail dry goods and shoe house from a coast city spent a day here exhibiting samples of goods and taking retail orders. We are informed by a person well acquainted with both the retail trade in Ashcroft and on the coast that the samples shown here by this traveller on his first visit were of out-of-date goods and such as it would be hard to sell anywhere. It is decidedly to the benefit of all in this community that Ashcroft be not made a dumping place for shopworn goods from the coast.
New Items: F.W. Foster’s opening of spring millinery this week was well attended by many of the ladies in town and those from the outside. The display of hats and trimmings in the latest Toronto and New York styles were certainly very pretty, and we suppose in the height of fashion. They certainly looked it.
CP Station: Credit is due to C.P.R. Roadmaster Monroe for efforts to beautify the station grounds. He takes great interest in keeping fences and buildings in order.
100 YEARS AGO: APRIL 4, 1925
Vaccination: (From the Provincial Board of Health to all school boards in the province): British Columbia is threatened with an epidemic of Smallpox. In 1922 there were 64 cases reported in the province; in 1923 there were 232; in 1924 there were 660; in 1925 to date, over 325, which if continued at the same rate for the balance of the year will mean from 1,200 to 1,500 cases, and the above are only those cases which have been reported. The United States has placed an embargo on everyone going into the United States from Vancouver, where the greatest number of cases are, and nobody can leave there without being vaccinated. We are enclosing a copy of the Smallpox Regulations, and would advise that you see that all children are vaccinated, unless the parents are conscientious objectors to vaccination being done. Should such objection be raised, then the parent will have to sign an affidavit sworn to before a Notary Public or Justice of the Peace. But if a child of a conscientious objector has been exposed to Smallpox, while we do not enforce vaccination, the child must be excluded from school for 14 days. The Provincial Board of Health will furnish vaccines free.
Cannery: W.J. West and family arrived in Ashcroft on Wednesday. Mr. West is working on preliminaries in connection with the proposed B.C.X. tomato cannery.
Fraser Canyon Highway: Boston Bar citizens are opposing the proposed detour of the Fraser Canyon highway to pass through North Bend. We think this is just a “kick,” but why not compromise by crossing the Fraser at those places?
Hazelton-Dawson Telegraph Line Is Abandoned; Wireless Transmission Puts Famous Obsolete Wire Out Of Business: The famous old telegraph line, which for several years past has connected the Yukon with the outside world, went out of business today, as the result of orders issued from Ottawa. An advance in the means of transmission has put the famous old telegraph line out of commission. Tomorrow the tickers along the line from Hazelton north will be silent save for the condolences which the operators will be sending through to each other. Wireless transmission is to be tested out between the government stations at Edmonton and Dawson, which will mean less in the way of operation and maintenance. Commencing today, all business for points in the Yukon, and between Hazelton and Telegraph Creek, will be routed by way of Edmonton and sent north by wireless.
The Radio: A radio message, whether it be a song, the notes of a musical instrument, or a human voice “waiving” itself across the continent or over the sea is not the almost unbelievable thing that it may appear to the limited scope of our human field of observation. We may not be aware of the manner in which the atmosphere conveys sound; some of us are not interested in this phenomenon, and simply enjoy the results that are brought so mysteriously to our private homes, but to the great majority there is a certain speechless awe in connection with the transmission of a human voice or note of music through the air for thousands of miles. And it is said that radio is yet in its infancy. We are to see the speaker or the musician; we are to converse at long distances even as we do now in the same room; we are to have moving pictures in our own homes through the air. So much has been accomplished that we dare not doubt almost any possibility. Science has accomplished so much that no suggestion seems impossible.
75 YEARS AGO: APRIL 6, 1950
Lytton School Burns Down: Fire which broke out in Lytton High School at 6:35 a.m. on Thursday, March 30 burned the old building to the ground in an hour. The fire bell was rung by Mrs. Sylvia Rebagliati, who rushed down in night attire to ring it. Mr. Johnny Rebagliati, village fire marshal, was on the job at once with his truck and the new fire hose. Water supply, thanks to the new water system, was good, and two hoses plied the building with water. A slight drizzle of rain, and the fact that the school was in an isolated position, saved the fire from spreading. Loss in equipment is estimated at $2,500. The building, which was insured, was valued at $10,000. The Lytton high school was a landmark of long standing. It was built in 1911 or 1912 by Mr. Mills, who also built the spiral staircase in the Hotel Vancouver. The old school house had been previously moved from the school ground down to the site of the present government buildings across from the post office. Greatest loss to the teachers were their records and invaluable reference books; to the students it was their notes for the Easter exams.
A.W.E. & I. Building New Dam: The Ashcroft Water Electric and Improvement Company is doing extensive work above the present dam on the Bonaparte, putting in a new dam to increase the power capacity of their electric light and power service. Mr. G. Foster’s bulldozer has been busy putting a new road down and levelling off the site near the Bonaparte. The new dam is about 300 yards or so up the river from the present dam. The company, during the past several months, has been putting in new power lines across the river on the Holgate residential subdivision [now North Ashcroft], which is servicing about five houses over there now. The electric and power service provided by the A.W.E. and I. now extends to the Ashcroft Manor and the red beam lights high atop the hill about six or seven miles to the west; up to the Semlin Ranch about 10 miles to the east; and services Boston Flats, along the Cariboo Highway to Cache Creek and to Arthur Parke’s place about nine miles to the north. These extensions have taken place in recent years, which became necessary in keeping with the steady progress that is taking place around Ashcroft.
Central Hotel Will Re-Open: The Central Hotel, Ashcroft, which has been closed for the past two or three years, will re-open under new management on April 7. The former operator, Chow Hock, like everyone else wanted a holiday, so went to China, but upon his return took up employment elsewhere in the Interior. The Central Hotel will operate under the name of Central Hotel and Café. The new operators are having the interior entirely redecorated in a streamlined effect, and new chromium furniture and tables are being installed. There will be meals, ice cream, pop, and other things that the public may require, such as tobacco, cigarettes, and candy.
Canyon Road Closed: The Fraser Canyon Highway, unofficially opened a week ago for the first time since Nov. 26, was closed again Sunday midnight for re-decking of the Hope bridge. The bridge will be concrete surfaced, which will be a great improvement over the present planks. The closure is a bitter disappointment to residents of the Fraser Canyon and Thompson Valley from Yale to Ashcroft, who have been cut off via that route from Vancouver for the past four months. Provincial government officials have promised to have the road open by May 1. Having to wait another month for the highway to open is a serious setback to businessmen who have experienced their toughest winter in 35 years. Residents received a lift when the Canyon road was chosen as the route for the Trans-Canada Highway.
Around Your Hi-School (By L. Louie): Were any of you disturbed last Thursday afternoon by a racket which sounded like “all Hades had broken loose?” Well, it was only orchestra practice. For the first practice, we were quite pleased with the results. Anyways, we had a lot of fun out of it. Further practices will continue, so we advise you to invest in an ear-saver: some absorbent cotton!!
Clinton: One swallow does not make a summer, so we are told, but anyway, the one lone swallow seen around here this morning is a very welcome sign!
50 YEARS AGO: APRIL 2, 1975
Walhachin: The Department of Highways have spent the past week gravelling and grading the road into Walhachin. It is the best country road you will drive on anywhere; drive out and see for yourself.
Loon Lake: Saturday finds us with the snow in the area rapidly melting, mud everywhere, including Loon Creek, and many species of migrating birds arriving.
Blanking The Air Waves at 16 Mile: Our friend with the two-way receiving set must have stayed home last weekend. We were plagued with the venetian shade pattern [on our TV set] Thursday till about 10:30 p.m., when he must have given up and gone to bed. All day Friday we were subject to it again, except for “Edge of Night.” We concluded someone in the same house must watch that program, because it was no sooner over than the shades were back again and remained until about 4:30 p.m. He must have given up again about then or gone to work, as the set was clear with good colour for the rest of the evening, and we did enjoy the Tommy Hunter Easter show with Pat Boone. On Sunday evening, when we have early dinner and then watch TV beginning with Reach for the Top, the blasted things were on again, and had been pretty well all afternoon, we were told later by a neighbour. There are eliminators for these contraptions that are not that costly. Why should a whole community have to put up with this type of interference to satisfy one person?
Ranchers: Ranchers in the outlying districts where snow still covers the ground are having problems with newborn calves. They are working in three shifts around the clock watching the cattle. It is so cold (anywhere from 0 to 10 above [Fahrenheit]) that the calves have to be moved into a barn, or in some cases even into the house to be sure they are fed and on their feet for a few hours following birth.
