125 YEARS AGO: OCT. 15, 1898
Lighting Up The Town: The current was turned on to the system Wednesday night and for the first time Ashcroft enjoyed thoroughly the novel sight of having the streets in part, and such of the houses as were ready, lighted by electricity. The light was thoroughly satisfactory, and to say Ashcroft is pleased with its system is putting the case very mildly.
Soda Works: J. Barnett McLaren, of Vancouver, and George Powell left Ashcroft yesterday to visit and inspect the soda deposit near the 59 Mile House. If satisfied with the quantity of the deposit, of which there seems to be no question, a plant for putting up the preparation will be at once established at Ashcroft. If this is done it will be a source of congratulation to all interested in this section, for considerable help will be employed and the town will benefit thereby.
Bucking Bronco: A thorough exhibition of riding a bucking bronco was seen in the streets of Ashcroft Thursday, Master Charlie Leighton staying with his horse despite circles, curves, arches and jumps. A fall would have been a bad thing on the hard ground, but it did not take place, as the rider declined getting off despite the earnest and repeated invitations of the horse.
Music Class: Miss Thorn is desirous of forming a music class in Ashcroft. Miss Thorn comes well recommended and will give a piano recital on Monday evening, the 17th. A good house should be assured her, and her efforts to secure a class in music should be encouraged by all.
Millinery Exhibit: A fine exhibit of millinery articles and lots of things we do not know the name of, but some kind of ladies’ goods, was made last Saturday at F.W. Foster’s store. Many ladies were in attendance and all pleased to see Miss Abernethy again in charge of a department in the store.
100 YEARS AGO: OCT. 13, 1923
Innocents Abroad; Two Men Hiking From The Prairies Held Up And “Arrested” At Spences Bridge: Two men hiking from the harvest fields on the prairies were held up and “arrested” at Spences Bridge one day last week while standing on the C.P.R. station platform waiting for the arrival of transportation. They were arrested by two slick gents who introduced themselves as C.P.R. detectives or “spotters”. “We must arrest you, boys,” said the big fellow of the two. “You may not be the men we are after but it will only take a few minutes to find out.” The two men were taken for “identification” to the Spences Bridge jail, in the corridor of which they were instructed to give up their money, $50 and $25, to the “detectives” for safe keeping until such time as they were set free. The holdup men locked their victims in the corridor with a promise to return in twenty minutes with the police, who would identify them and set them free if they could prove an alibi. In the morning their cries attracted attention and the crime was discovered. Constable Greenwood of Lytton was notified, and a few days later the thugs were located at Port Mann by their victims and in due course arrested.
Inter-Provincial Highway To Be Discussed: November 15 will see a full muster of representatives from all the Boards of Trade of British Columbia in Vancouver at the annual convention of the associated boards. The discussion to take place on the relative claims of the Hope-Princeton and Fraser Canyon routes for the inter-provincial highway is the magnet of attraction.
Opportunity: The reason most people do not recognize an opportunity when they meet it is because it usually goes around wearing overalls and looking like Hard Work.
75 YEARS AGO: OCT. 14, 1948
Board Of Trade: A list of improvements to Ashcroft and district was drawn up, and will be submitted to the Public Works Department, if possible to be included in next year’s estimates. These consisted of eliminating the sharp hairpin curves at the top of the hill on the Highland Valley Road, sidewalks for Ashcroft, improving the Hat Creek road by taking out sharp turns, and gravelling the upper end of Upper Hat Creek Road, etc. The department will be asked to put a slow sign at the dangerous curve and dip near the junction of Highway 1 and Back Valley Road. The Board felt that a letter should be written to the department commending them on the speedy way in which they are reconstructing the washed out bridge at the old mill highway crossing over the Bonaparte.
Sunday Busy Day At Swimming Pool; Large Crowd Turns Out To Finish Pouring Walls: We know now how interested the people of Ashcroft are in getting their swimming pool finished. On Sunday a very large crowd turned out to pour the cement. The women of the town brought over hot coffee in the morning which was greatly enjoyed by the workers, and in the afternoon also they supplied coffee, sandwiches, crackers, and cheese. Johnny Nordstrom and Dan Leith handled the cement mixing machine, and if there are any sore arms, backs, etc., it can be blamed on those two for the way they really kept the machine going.
Clinton: On a flight from Terrace to Kamloops, and fearing he was running short of gas, Pilot T.C. Sheen of Terrace landed his four-passenger Sea-Bee plane on the hay fields of the Trelydan Ranch (the former Boyd Ranch), two miles from Clinton on Sunday afternoon. There were no passengers in the plane. A supply of gasoline was flown from Kamloops. Air travel in these parts is becoming quite a usual occurrence. On Tuesday Professor LeRoux and Professor Young of U.B.C. Vancouver landed in a B.C. Air Lines plane at the Gang Ranch.
Do We Need Younger Men: At a Progressive Conservative convention held in Ottawa, Mr. George Drew, former premier of Ontario, was chosen by a large majority to be leader of the party to succeed John Bracken. There were others in the running, Mr. John Diefenbaker of Saskatchewan and Donald Fleming of Ontario. Mr. E.D. Fulton, M.P. for Kamloops, was mentioned, but wisely declined, perhaps out of respect for his older competitors. Mr. Fulton, of course, is a mere boy compared to the other nominees [he was 32 in 1948; Drew was 54, Diefenbaker was 53, and Fleming was 43], and it has been said on many occasions we should have men younger in years to represent us, not only in parliament, but in the chair of the Prime Minister and his cabinet as well. It has been argued that the future belongs to the young men and women of the world and it should be shaped politically and socially to conform with their ideals. Older people can have little or no interest in a future in which they can not share; at least they should no longer have leadership. It must be agreed that the world should be controlled by those who are coming up rather than those going down. Mr. Fulton and others of his age, experience and understanding might do better work at the head of Canadian political affairs than the older generation might give them credit for. At least the trend should be in that direction instead of the one that should be out of date and a thing of the past.
50 YEARS AGO: OCT. 11, 1973
Approval Given At Regional Meeting: A recommendation affecting our area made at the Thompson-Nicola Regional District meeting on Friday was approval given to include Dist. Lot 378, including most of the Mesa Vista designated subdivision and that part of Circle 7 Ranch for subdivision within the Village of Ashcroft. Approval was also given to the Dupont Lands [now Ashcroft Terminal].
Voters’ Lists Increase: Voters’ Lists in Ashcroft and Cache Creek have both increased over last year’s figures. Ashcroft has 650, while Cache Creek has 263. Fifteen new declarations as resident tenant electors were sworn in at the recent Court of Revision at Cache Creek. It will be interesting to note what percentage of these taxpayers will turn to vote at the forthcoming election in November. [During the 2022 municipal elections, there were 1,399 eligible voters in Ashcroft, and 800 eligible voters in Cache Creek.]
Ashcroft Secondary School News (by Terry Crawford and Susan Lynnes): Our first dance sponsored by the Grads of ’74 was held Sept. 27. We had a very good turnout and everyone had a good time. We are pleased to be in a new school this year as the other one was a little small. Students from Loon Lake and Clinton are now here this year bringing up the student population quite a bit. Soccer and Field Hockey teams have started up. Field Hockey is the new fall sport for the girls and proves to be pretty exciting. Newspaper, yearbook, sports and cheerleaders clubs have already been formed and more clubs are getting started.
Walhachin: A carload of onions, rotten because of being delayed in the rail strike, is offered to CP Rail, for once again blocking the only crossing we have to reach our water line and necessitating the crew reaching the site of the new installation by way of a logging road from Savona! The height of convenience and consideration.
