Glimpses of the Past: March 13, 2025
Compiled by Jaimie Reynolds, Collections Manager
Lloyd Bennison, Kaare Lien, John McInnes, Howard MacDonald. John and Kaare were leaving for the World Ski Jumping Championships in Zakopane, Poland, 1962. Revelstoke Museum and Archives Collection, P-6917.
130 years ago: The Kootenay Mail, March 9, 1895
Two Revelstoke trappers, E. McBean and A. Hamilton, who had been trapping for the winter at the head of Downie Creek, returned to Revelstoke, with a selection of fine furs in hand. They had a total of 51 marten, 27 beaver, and 5 wolverine furs, which they hoped would turn them quite a profit.
120 years ago: Revelstoke Herald, March 9, 1905
It was said that the Revelstoke City Council were to be congratulated on taking prompt and active steps to improve the electric light plant so that the citizens in future would be assured of a much better service.
110 years ago: Revelstoke Mail-Herald, March 13, 1915
The Revelstoke High School club held a debate on the subject “Resolved, that Revelstoke is a more enjoyable place to live in than Kamloops”. The affirmative was upheld by Florence Lawrence, Margaret Matz and William Smith; while the negative was presented by Lucy Brock, Enid Bradshaw, and Oscar Lundell. After hearing arguments from both sides, it was decided that the affirmative was the winner.
100 years ago: Revelstoke Review, March 11, 1925
There was exciting news for radio lovers in Revelstoke. To complete the chain of radio broadcasting stations across the Dominion, the Canadian National Railways intended to erect a new and very powerful station in Vancouver. The radio station would be broadcast towards Revelstoke as well.
90 years ago: The Revelstoke Review, March 15, 1935
The expression “A lucky dog” could be applied to a local Revelstoke pup. The dog, belonging to Mr. Bert Duck, was on his way home from the power house, walking along the railway track with one of the operators, when a passenger train suddenly appeared. The plow of the train struck the pup, sending him under the train. The whole train passed over, and miraculously, when the last car had passed, the dog got up and shook himself without the slightest display of concern.
80 years ago: The Revelstoke Review, March 8, 1945
Revelstoke officially joined with the whole Dominion in launching the annual Red Cross drive. The local quota of $3500 was set to be exceeded if “people were as generous in supporting this great humanitarian cause as they were on previous occasions”. The Red Cross was seeking to help on all of the war fronts, bring relief and comfort to prisoners of war, wounded and sick on the field and in hospital, and to assist all refugees and victims of the war, at home and abroad.
70 years ago: Revelstoke Review, March 10, 1955
One of the biggest highway blasts on record was going to be set off on the Mara Lake highway. The blast followed the drilling of 700 holes to shatter a sharp rock curve on the highway. The work was part of an intensive highway improvement program on the Mara Lake highway under the direction of D.C. Westaway, Revelstoke superintendent.
60 years ago: Revelstoke Review, March 11, 1965
John McInnes of the Revelstoke Ski Club soared his way to the national crown in the Canadian Jumping Championships held in Midland, Ontario. He succeeded Kaare Lien, another member of the Revelstoke Club, who had held the title of Canadian Champion for the previous 2 years. Both McInnes and Lien were Canada’s representatives in the Olympic competitions in Innsbruck the year prior.
50 years ago: Revelstoke Review, March 13, 1975
A fire that broke out at the Health Centre on Mackenzie Avenue and Victoria Road did damage of about $10,000, according to the Revelstoke Fire Chief. The fire started in the basement where the bulk of the damage occurred. There was also smoke damage throughout the rest of the building. At the time, no cause for the fire had been determined, and the health office was to be located in the Court House until the damage to the Centre was repaired.
40 years ago: Revelstoke Review, March 13, 1985
Moberly Manor celebrated its 15th Anniversary with a tea and potluck dinner. 400 Revelstoke citizens attended to view the new expansion of the facility, touring its many new and improved rooms, including the nursing station, enlarged kitchen, haircare room, and library. Tea was prepared by members of the Moberly Manor Auxiliary, and a special dinner was enjoyed in the banquet room that evening. Honorary life member Lilian Edwards gave a performance of “Bless this House.”
30 years ago: Revelstoke Times Review, March 10, 1995
An Okanagan company was looking to bring an internet computer link to Revelstoke. Okanagan Internet Junction, based in Vernon, stated that it would market its Revelstoke link as the Revelstoke Internet Junction. The article mentioned that “Use of the internet, also known as ‘the Net’ had increased so much during the last decade that some businesses advertised their goods and services on the Net”. Preliminary arrangements for the internet access had already finished.
20 years ago: Revelstoke Times Review, March 9, 2005
The Streels, a Celtic-Atlantic band, were set to bring their best tunes to the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre. Many of the songs from the band’s album, A Night on the Marge were dramatic and owed as much to the art of creative story-telling as they did to skillful song-writing. Their music had a traditional Celtic-Maritime feel, bringing about that “particular love of life, drama and energy that characterized the best sound from Atlantic Canada”.