50 years ago: The annual Canal Flats Hunters Ball was held at the Canal Flats Civic Centre, where an orchestra performed. Winter travel restrictions were instituted on the Banff-Jasper highway, limiting travel to the hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
45 years ago: Mining interests in the Purcell Mountains remained strong. Optimistic reports from Columbia Rivers Mines Ltd.’s lead-silver property was expected to lead to an enormous growth of exploration.
40 years ago: The Regional District of East Kootenay granted the Windermere Valley Ambulance Society $2,000 with the understanding that the society would proceed immediately to buy a new ambulance, which they had said was, “critically necessary.”
35 years ago: The ground was broken for a new senior citizens’ low cost housing project, sponsored by the Windermere District Lion’s Club. When completed, the 24-unit two-storey building was to have a variety of bachelor and one-bedroom suites.
32 years ago: The first annual Canal Flats Oldtimer’s Hockey Tournament was set to take place. Eight teams were set to participate, with trophies donated from local businesses serving as the motivation for the three-day tournament.
25 years ago: The annual K.R.S. fashion show was set to get underway at Raffle’s Bar in the Invermere Inn. The show was to be entitled “Magic Kingdom of Colour,” and a storyteller was due to perform while beautiful models sporting fashion sportswear and ski clothing paraded down the runway.
20 years ago: The Radium fire department was in need of more firefighters. There was a decided lack of volunteers for the position, as Radium had only five firefighters and needed around 20 to provide round-the-clock safety.
15 years ago: An agreement had been reached in principle to sell the former site of David Thompson Secondary School to the District of Invermere. The building, which had a, “marginal” heating system, was to be renovated and turned into a new multi-use community facility.
10 years ago: A valley-based biologist was continuing to try and garner support for the endangered badger. A badger conservation program spearheaded by Nancy Newhouse had led to a provincial red-listing of the East Kootenay badger population with only an estimated 60 breeding adults between Golden and the U.S. border.
5 years ago: A proposed road exchange program with Cardel Resorts was raising a few hackles. Local business owner Tony Wood believed that he would be negatively impacted by the move, but was unable to comment as he was seeking legal advice at the time.