"A totem pole acknowledging the small First Nation that calls the Cowichan Lake area home is raised in Ts'uu-baa-asatx Square is raised in the heart of Lake Cowichan Saturday." (Lake Cowichan Gazette/Nov. 18, 2015)
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.
Written by Lexi Bainas, "Totem takes place of honour in square" was the lead story on the front of the Lake Cowichan Gazette of Nov. 18.
"It was a celebration unique in Lake Cowichan's history. The town's Ts'uu-baa-asatx Square was packed with hundreds of residents and visitors who had come to see the culmination of a special journey as a stunning totem pole was raised Saturday morning, Nov. 14.
"The beautiful pole, a gift to the townspeople from the 20-member Lake Cowichan First Nation (Ts'uu-baa-asatx), had been carved outdoors near the square during the summer by Chuuch-kamalthnii (Ron Hamilton) and two assistants.
"Wearing colourful regalia, he led the ceremony that raised the pole from its bed of cedar boughs, first scattering feathers over it with Kristen Hamilton and then calling on various groups for assistance in erecting the tall sculpture. In that way the area's forest industry workers, community safety folks, children and women all got to lay a hand on the rope and pull together."
In other news of the day, "Lack of communication mars Catalyst open house."
"They came, they had a coffee and went home.
"Close to 100 Cowichan Lake area residents turned out at Centennial Hall Thursday, Nov. 5 hoping to learn more about Catalyst's plans for pumping water from the lake during the next couple of years. The pulp and paper company has sent in a Notice of Application to the provincial government for short term water use under the Water Act (Section 8).
"Catalyst had announced it was holding an 'open house' and organizers had prepared for it by setting out a few round tables and chairs and putting up a series of information boards around the big hall.
"The crowd was clearly expecting an informative question and answer session as entrants to the hall looked wonderingly around at the lack of chairs and the overall set-up. However, people continued to arrive and by 6:20 p.m. there were about 100 people there, drinking coffee, talking to their friends often about a stormy meeting held the night before at the nearby arena or about Catalyst's Lake Cowichan weir in general or historic terms and waiting for something to happen."
"There is more to education than the three Rs, says the president of the local teachers' federation.
"David Halme, president of the Lake Cowichan Teachers' Federation, says the Foundation Skills Assessment exams written in reading, writing and math by students in Grades 4, 7 and 10 don't show the entire picture. He said the results only show a narrow portion of student performance and ignore other important aspects of what students have learned.
"The majority of students from Grade 4, 7 and 10 in the Cowichan Valley School District passed the foundation skills exams written last school year, but quite a few were also below the provincial average. The tests in reading, writing and math show fewer students exceeded expectations than met them, especially in Grade 7 and Grade 10 math.
"'Certainly those subjects are important, but it's also your sports and your drama and the whole education package that develops students,' Halme said Monday. 'I would say, overall, there were no surprises. The distribution was about what I expected. I am disappointed there aren't more students who exceeded expectations.'
"Halme believes the results of the exams would be more useful if the provincial government followed with a remedial process. He suggested that, for example, smaller classroom sizes would help. In the end, he noted, it comes down to more funding for better programs."
In other news, "Highway workers seek security," was another headline.
"Highway maintenance workers on south Vancouver Island who are on strike say contracting out is a bigger issue than more pay. The union local, which represents about 90 workers, is seeking a three-year contract. A 99 per cent mandate was given to go on strike after talks broke down three weeks ago.
Five members of the B.C. Government Employees Union set up an information picket in Lake Cowichan Friday to explain their side of the strike and hand cut 'fact sheets.'
"'Contracting out is the key issue, not money,' said Steve Braithwaite of Victoria, 'but they don't even want to talk about it. Of course we want a pay increase in a three-year-contract, but there are bigger issues here.'"
A logger from B.C. Forest Products Renfrew division was killed at work Thursday. Donale Arthur Baker, 57, of Duncan, was falling a 60-80 foot hemlock snag (dead tree) about 43 inches in diameter about 11:15 p.m. November 14.
"According to the 'serious incident report' written after investigation of the accident by officials from the Workers' Compensation Board, B.C. Forest Products and the safety committee from the International Woodworkers of America, Baker was found with his saw about 13 or 14 feet from the stump.
"'As the snag was falling, it broke off about 20 feet up, kicking the lower butt section backwards over the stump. The stump folded on the high side, causing the lower section to change direction striking the faller,' the report said. 'The accident scene suggests faller was not expecting the snag to collapse and was using a getaway trail when struck from behind.'"
And finally, "Don Gordon elected mayor" was a story from four decades ago.
"Don Gordon swept to victory as Lake Cowichan's new mayor Saturday night in an election that at first seemed in doubt when returning officer Pat Akerley began reading out the ballots to the seven tabulators.
"But as the counting went on Gordon's name was heard more often and mayor Ted Forrest, who had been keeping his own tabulation, suddenly rose to his feet, strode around the table and congratulated Gordon on his win.
"'He's way ahead,' said the mayor. Minutes later, Akerley confirmed Gordon as the winner."