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In 1972, Premier ‘Wacky’ Bennett pays a visit to Cache Creek

Premier presented a plaque honouring former premier, and Cache Creek rancher, Charles Semlin

125 YEARS AGO: JUNE 5, 1897

Dominion Express Robbed: The sum of $200 is offered as a reward by the Dominion Express Company for the arrest and conviction, or information that will lead thereto, of the party or parties who between the hours of midnight Saturday, May 29th, and 9 a.m., Monday, May 31st stole from the Dominion Express office at Kamloops, B.C., a package of $2,000 in bank notes. It appears that the package containing $2,000 for the Bank of British Columbia was received at Kamloops on Saturday night by the Pacific express, and placed by the night man at the station in a drawer in the office, and some time between the hours mentioned it was stolen. The railway and express company officials are very reticent about the matter, but it is probable that there will be some development in connection with it shortly. F.A. Kelly, chief of police at Kamloops, has the matter in hand.

Stolen Horse: A telegram was received here last week from Nicola to look out for a man on his way to Ashcroft on horseback, as the horse did not belong to him. A man arriving from that section has been arrested on suspicion.

Serious Situation: What might have proved very serious was the heap of refuse which is dumped over the bank near the bridge catching on fire last Saturday night. Had the wind been blowing in the opposite direction the town would not have lasted any length of time but fate was with us. All night and next day men were kept watching the fire and did all that was possible to extinguish the burning debris and succeeded after considerable effort. Great credit is due to the men who took the matter in hand and those who worked so faithfully. It is evident that the people of town depend on divine providence to assist and protect them from all harm in their daily routine of business. If a small fire was to start in any house in town, it would be burned to the ground before a ladder or bucket of water could be found to put it out. This is a matter that needs attending to. Of course the water supply is limited but a bucket brigade could easily be organized and if a fire was to start some chances of extinguishing it would be at hand.

Lytton: Work is being prosecuted on the Lytton-Lillooet wagon road under the superintendence of R. Trodden. Work will last for about three months, and is expected to get as far as Foster’s Bar [a little over halfway between Lytton and Lillooet on the Fraser River].

100 YEARS AGO: JUNE 2, 1922

Forest Fires: Forest fires are reported in the Deadman and Copper creek districts, and also at Cache Creek. Fire ranger E. Skrifvars is a very busy man just now and has gone to Kamloops to get some fire fighting machinery. Smoke is hanging over Ashcroft like a thick fog.

Clinton Locals: About twenty forest fires have been started in the vicinity of Clinton in the last few days. Some one is going to get badly burnt, if they are not careful.

House Fire: On Sunday afternoon fire broke out in the kitchen of the J.A. Sutherland home [in Ashcroft] which might have proved more disastrous than it did but for the quick work of the volunteer fire brigade. The damage is estimated to be in the neighbourhood of $1,000 to the roof, ceiling, and walls.

Notice Re: Superior School: In view of a number of individual representations urging the opening of a Superior School in Ashcroft, it is the intention of the School Board to apply to the Department of Education for the establishment of such a school here to begin at the close of the coming summer vacation. Before a move can be made in this direction, however, it is necessary for the board to submit the names of at least eight prospective pupils. [Superior Schools were for students in Grade 8 or above; successful graduates of a Superior School were eligible to enter university or college with the same qualifications as any student from a city school.]

75 YEARS AGO: JUNE 5, 1947

Spences Bridge: Despite a cloudless sky and a blistering temperature of 96° Spences Bridge held a very successful May Day celebration on May 24th. This being the 1st annual May Day ever to greet the populace of Spences Bridge and surrounding community, a great deal of credit is due the workers of the Community Club, responsible for making it such a grand success. Carol Minnabarriet, 12 year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Pete Minnabarriet, was crowned Queen of the May by Mr. Angus MacIsaac at an appropriate ceremony at the Recreation grounds. A special feature of the parade from the school to the grounds was a Wolseley car, driven by the President of the Community Club, Ernie Empey. This car was purchased by Archie Clemes and brought around Cape Horn in the year 1900. We are proud to announce this car can still keep up to the modern car — at least in the parade! [The 1900 date is incorrect; Wolseley Motors was not formed until March 1901, and issued its first catalogue in May 1901. A picture from 1903 shows Clemes in his car in front of the Spences Bridge Hotel.]

Ashcroft Theatre Changes Hands: Mr. J.R. Cameron, who has owned and operated the Ashcroft movie show for the past twenty years, has sold out to Mr. and Mrs. R. Rogers and T. Belshaw. The Ashcroft movie theatre, in the present building, had its beginning after the big fire that destroyed half of Ashcroft in July 1916, when Mr. J. Russell who operated a tent show about where the W.T. Louie home now stands [at 3rd and Brink], was burned out and moved into what was then known as the town hall [now the Opera House]. In competition with Russell before the fire, the late H. Koelkenbeck operated a movie [theatre] in a building, also burned down, which occupied the site about where the M. Dumond show room is now located [about where Community Futures Sun Country now is].

3,800 Sheep Go North: A consignment of 3,800 sheep made up of ewes and lambs, on their way north, passed Cache Creek yesterday and are making their way along the Cariboo road toward Clinton and summer pasture. The herd is the property of Mr. W.R. Haywood of Kamloops and they are bound for ranges 100 miles west of the Fraser river beyond the Gang Ranch and Chimney Creek bridge. The difficulties attached to driving that many sheep along roads, trails, and across bridges nearly 300 miles can only be imagined by those who have met them enroute. Road traffic is by no means the least of those difficulties. Mr. Haywood drove his sheep to Cache Creek by way of Deadman Creek and Back Valley in view of the grazing problem, there being more feed that way than by the direct route. The migration is a yearly event and they will no doubt come back in the fall.

B of M Low-Cost Loans For Medical Expenses: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” — so runs the proverb. And sometimes that ounce of prevention can be interpreted to mean early medical treatment before serious trouble develops. In such cases, borrowing to pay necessary medical expenses can be good business. [Prior to 1947, Canadians were responsible for paying for their own health care. In 1947, Saskatchewan introduced a province-wide, universal hospital care plan; by 1950, both British Columbia and Alberta had similar plans.]

50 YEARS AGO: JUNE 1, 1972

Premier Presents Semlin Plaque To C.C. Mayor: Premier W.A.C. Bennett, his cabinet, Mayor Art MacLean and his Aldermen, and other guests enjoyed one of the most sensible and enjoyable 15 minutes yesterday afternoon, in the Cache Creek Community Hall, on the occasion of a visit by the Premier and his Cabinet. The Premier spoke of the importance of Cache Creek with its three cross roads. He then presented Art with a box containing a pair of gold cufflinks with the British Columbia insignia on each face. He then presented the mayor with a plaque with a picture of C.A. Semlin [a Cache Creek rancher who was premier from 1898 to 1900] and brief history of his Premiership of British Columbia, “to be placed in a prominent place where all could see.”

Hospital Moving House This Weekend: The hospital is planning to move to the new Ashcroft and District General Hospital on June 2 and 3, Friday and Saturday, 1972. Facilities will be available to handle emergencies at the old hospital (Lady Minto) on Bancroft Street until 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 3rd. From 8 a.m. on, patients and emergencies should report to the new hospital on the Ashcroft-Cache Creek highway. [Some 30 years later, the former Lady Minto hospital was a “hospital” once more, when it stood in as one during the filming of the 2003 movie An Unfinished Life.]

Dairy Queen Open: The doors are swinging open on a new “Dairy Queen/Brazier” restaurant! June 2 and 3, come join the Grand Opening of the Cache Creek Dairy Queen, and get a free milk shake, plus a Big Brazier DeLuxe and fries for 95 cents. Eat, drink and be merry!



editorial@accjournal.ca

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