"Cowichan Lake's teen theatre presents three shows this weekend of the play 'Class Action and More'. Here director Dena McPhee, left, leads the cast through a rehearsal of the play's animated finale." (Lake Cowichan Gazette/Nov. 29, 2000)
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.
Star reporter Lexi Bainas wrote "Mould, asbestos a wrench in centre plans" on the front of the Lake Cowichan Gazette of Nov. 25, 2015.
"No one is going to be able to use Lake Cowichan's newly christened Kasapi Centre (otherwise known as "the old Logger Hut") for a while yet, town council discovered Tuesday, Nov. 3.
"Several groups, including the Lake Cowichan Food Bank, were hopeful that they could get space for programs in the main street location just up the street from the municipal hall. Councillors, too, were looking forward to discussing the future of this new town asset at their parks and recreation committee meeting when Lake Cowichan CAO Joe Fernandez dropped a bombshell.
"A 15-foot stretch of mould as well as asbestos had been discovered in a cursory inspection of the building, Fernandez told the meeting, adding that even that bit of news meant the building was plainly not ready for use."
"Wood adds $40,000 to new municipal hall plans," wrote Bainas as well.
"When Lake Cowichan gets the final design for its new municipal hall, there will be some significant use of wood in the building's plans. Mayor Ross Forrest brought an idea to the town's economic and sustainable development committee Nov. 17.
"'The administrator [CAO Joe Fernandez) and myself had a conference call yesterday with the architects for the new town hall,' said Forrest. 'Also on the line was a representative of the Wood Council of B.C. Because we are a Wood First community, they would like to see us use wood instead of drywall for the ceiling for the new council chamber and entrance part of the hall.'
"But the change means more money has to be spent.
"'The additional cost would probably be about $40,000 but he knows he can get donations of wood and what not through the Wood Council so they can't give us an exact figure.'"
25 years ago
Forty years ago the front of the Lake News featured a story titled "Elley cruises" and it was about the federal election.
"Canadian Alliance candidate Reed Elley cruised to an easy victory in Monday's federal election, capturing more than 46 per cent of the vote (23,548) with 244 of 247 polls reporting.
"Although pleased with his successful re-election in Nanaimo-Cowichan and the Alliance's strong showing on Vancouver Island with five of six seats, and in B.C., Elley said he is disappointed they couldn't win more seats east of Manitoba.
"Liberal Marshall Cooper was a distant second with 10,797 votes, or 21 per cent.
"It was one of the worst showings ever for the New Democrats, with Garth Mirau getting 8,580 votes for 17 per cent of the pie. Poll-by-poll results were not available at press time."
"IWA to protest in Vancouver" was another headline in the same newspaper.
"Darreld Rayner of Lake Cowichan, a drop sorter at the Cowichan Sawmill at Youbou for close to 29 years, knew there were a lot of raw logs leaving the Cowichan Valley, but he didn't realize just how many until he and his co-workers did a count near Crofton last week. Over two days, workers say they saw close to 500 truck loads of raw logs heading toward Crofton.
"Rayner worked the counting post Thursday. 'It kind of surprised me,' he said Sunday. 'It's just wrong that so many should be shipped out of here while our mill is closing.'
"He said a lot of passing motorists honked their horns in support, which has given the millworkers some hope that something can be done.
"'The feeling is, we're going to go for it,' Rayner said about the protest. 'I've got a lot of resumes ready to go out, but I want to focus on keeping the mill open.'
"Rayner recalls that not that long ago, when Fletcher Challenge bought the Youbou mill, how they were told the mill was going to be a leader in the industry. So much for that prediction, he said."
Susan Kenyon wrote: "The Board of Trustees for the school board aired disapproval at last week's Buildings and grounds committee meeting about reports they received from a roof inspection company which had inspected leaks in two district schools.
"Lawrence White, secretary/treasurer for the Board said an investigation of the Palsson School roof and the one at A.B. Greenwell had been done and he was not pleased with the suggestions.
"'They do not think the roof at A.B. Greenwell needs replacing though the leaks are an ongoing problem,' said White. 'Immediate repairs have been taken care of but it means spending dollars here and there if the roof is not replaced. It's an ongoing problem with new leaks starting,' said White.
"With respect to the A.B. Greenwell roof, the company said in a letter to School District 66 that 'the roof system appears in good condition at this time, although leaking has occurred. The roof leaks are in the area of the roof's mounted heating units. The unit design causes them to vibrate when operating and this has allowed joints to open up and water to flow through the ducts and into the building'".
Finally, "Funding for hall is now approved," was another front page story.
"The continuing operation of the Honeymoon Bay Community Hall was assured by passage of a referendum November 16. Residents inside a proposed 'specific area' in Honeymoon Bay approved the imposition of a tax that would raise 57,500 annually for the hall's operating budget.
"The tax will not show on the present tax bills, however, because the B.C. Assessment Authority closed the assessment roll for the year before the referendum could be held. according to Bob Symes, treasurer for the Cowichan Valley Regional District.
"The money for the 1986 budget will come as it has in the past, from grants-in-aid and from the parks budget of the Cowichan Valley Regional District. After the tax rolls can be changed, the budget will come from properties located within the specified area."