5 years ago (2008): Motorists on Highway 93/95 were forced to detour for one month as Copper Point Resort added an underground connection between The Ridge and Copper Point golf courses. Roundabout alternatives were provided at the Athalmer intersection and the Copper Road intersection.
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The first Earth Hour publicly promoted in B.C. was a success – 125 megawatts of electricity was saved in one hour on a Saturday night.
10 years ago (2003): After “inadequately representing the views of her constituents,” an online petition was launched to recall Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Wendy McMahon. The goal for signatures on the petition was to surpass the amount of electoral support McMahon received – 8,067 votes.
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Windermere Fire Department Chief Jim Miller replaced the team’s aging ambulance with a rescue vehicle which was new to the department.
“I really feel we stretched the tax dollars as far as we could have. We didn’t spend any dollars that didn’t need to be spent,” Miller said.
20 years ago (1993): B.C.’s NDP Finance Minister Glen Clark passed the 1993-1994 provincial budget without objection. Municipalities were to receive the same amount in basic grants, and individual benefits were to see a modest increase, but Provincial Sales Tax was to see a one per cent rise, while gasoline was to have a penny per litre tacked on, and cigarette costs were set to increase.
30 years ago (1983): Valley resident Yvonne Norrington was honoured for her weaving at the International Jury of the Third Montreal Tapestry Bienniel. From an extensive assortment of fibre art submissions, Norrington was chosen among 26 other Canadian fibre artists to complete the project in one year. From there, it would be shown at the Montreal Exhibition, and then toured throughout Canada, the US, and Europe.
40 years ago (1973): A complete renovation at a rest home the previous year left residents noticing its greatest fault: not enough space. With that, a big addition was slated for the Pynelogs Rest Home. A new foyer was to be built on the east side of the building, which would have enough space to accommodate a new office and a 264 square foot dining room. MLA James Chabot and Norman Levi, the Minster of Rehabilitation and Social Improvement, interviewed Pynelogs operators, who expressed adequate concern for renovations, and estimated the cost to come between $25,000 and $30,000.
45 years ago (1968): While busy casting away, a fisherman saw his dog Sandy curiously gazing into a 25-foot deep well. Sandy then fell into the well and was forced to cling on to a log. The owner ran home to grab an extension cord, he returned to the well and lassoed Sandy to safety. The Echo reminded readers, “it could have been a child.”
50 years ago (1963): Const. Robert Kropinak relocated from Crescent Valley to join Invermere’s RCMP police force. Kropinak’s addition brought the local squad up to three full-time members. In a weekly police report, a Windermere man was fined $50 for supplying liquor to minors.