50 years ago: Daily mail service was set to begin throughout the Columbia Valley. Pressure from the Windermere District Board of Trade was instrumental in expanding the service.

45 years ago: Davis Thompson Secondary School students took part in an international art show in Singapore. The exhibit was opened by the president of Singapore, and included students artwork from over a dozen countries. The only Canadian contributions all came from Invermere schools.

40 years ago: The Kingdom Hall, a meeting place for Jehovah’s Witnesses, was set to officially open. Many visitors were expected to attend the open house.

35 years ago: The Trustees of the Windermere Improvement District meeting was well attended. Recommendations from district engineers said the district was going to need to find a new water source other than the Windermere Creek.

32 years ago: Three mature bighorn sheep rams were “victims of wanton destruction” at the hands of a person or persons wielding a bow and arrow. Three rams were killed over a three week period. Each animal had been shot with an arrow and left to die, prompting an investigation by park wardens and the RCMP.

25 years ago: Invermere was set for pre-midnight madness, as merchants prepared to open their doors from 7 to 10 p.m. on a Friday night. Adventurous souls who turned up in their PJs could take advantage of special deals and prizes.

20 years ago:  The Elkhorn Ranch golf resort might have received a fatal blow from the new NDP government. Minister Bill Barlee announced that responsibility for land-use decisions on golf courses within agricultural land reserves (ALR) were to be returned to another commission, contrary to an earlier policy that automatically allowed ALR lands to be converted into golf courses.

15 years ago: the District avoided a lawsuit with local developers by agreeing to an out-of-court settlement that saw the district pay L.A. Fischer Enterprises $59,184 for damages associated with delays in the development of Westridge Estates. The settlement followed two years of negotiations, and was agreed upon in order to avoid a lengthy and costly court battle.

“We’re definitely not admitting that we were wrong,” remarked District administrator Richard Harding.

10 years ago: Local area teachers began pressure tactics by holding a strike and participating in a demonstration outside of Rocky Mountain School District offices.

5 years ago: A decision on Lot 48 was postponed yet again. The new owners of Fairmont Hot Springs Resort announced their decision to no longer pursue any development on the lot. Instead, the owners were to seek compensation in the form of a land trade, likely with the province.