Glimpses of the Past: June 26, 2025
Compiled by Adam Carter, Collections Assistant, Revelstoke Museum and Archives
The old Grandstand in Queen Elizabeth Park collapsed in the windstorm of June 1955. Revelstoke Museum and Archives P-1044
130 years ago: The Kootenay Mail, June 22, 1895
Tragedy struck when Mrs. F. E. Matlaw unexpectedly died at the Senate Hotel where she had been working as a cook. A post mortem was held by Dr. McLean who found that the cause of death was a hemorrhage. Mrs. Matlaw left behind two children who were placed in the care of family friends until their relatives could be contacted.
120 years ago: Revelstoke Herald, June 22, 1905
A warrant was issued for the arrest of Gabriel Serianni after a kerfuffle broke out between him and a man named Hutton at the residence of a man named Shardlow. Allegedly, a fight broke out during a drinking party at Shardlow’s when somebody hit Serianni over the head with a club. Serianni responded by shooting Hutton. Both Serianni and Hutton were placed under the care of a doctor after the incident.
110 years ago: Revelstoke Mail-Herald, June 23, 1915
The board of trade held a meeting where it was decided to request the government to employ interned “aliens” to work on the automobile road up Mount Revelstoke. The interned men were primarily Ukrainian-Canadians that were being held in internment camps in Yoho and Banff National Parks. The board felt Revelstoke was entitled to their labour because of the amount of men and funds the town had contributed to the war effort.
100 years ago: Revelstoke Review, June 24, 1925
Marjorie Northway, a seven year old girl, broke her leg after falling from the rear doorway of the second story of the building next to C. B. Hume’s store. Apparently, she had been playing with a ball and it rolled out of the door to the ground. As she was looking for it, she lost her balance and fell a distance of about eighteen feet, suffering a double fracture of the right leg.
90 years ago: The Revelstoke Review, June 28, 1935
The Al G. Barnes Circus came to town, attracting upwards of two thousand people to Revelstoke. Some of the notable attractions were Hawaiian dancers, magicians, Pop-Eye the sailor, a snake charmer, the man with the balloon stomach, a floating woman, a tattooed woman, a travelling zoo, a contingent of clowns, and little Ian Inkster who was a local boy that played several bagpipe selections.
80 years ago: The Revelstoke Review, June 28, 1945
Revelstoke prepared for its second annual Golden Spike Carnival where the town would celebrate the 60th anniversary of the driving of the last spike at Cragellachie. This year’s celebrations would span three days and include performances by the West Vancouver Boys’ Band, a parade, a baseball tournament and dances.
70 years ago: Revelstoke Review, June 23, 1955
One of the worst windstorms to ever hit Revelstoke came through, causing destruction and chaos. The fifty mile an hour gale began late in the night and continued until the early hours of the morning and it reduced the grandstand to a pile of rubble, blew in the south wall of the arena, and uprooted numerous trees all over town. It also damaged powerlines which crews had to spend all night restoring.
60 years ago: Revelstoke Review, June 24, 1965
Revelstoke was visited by Japanese judo expert and fourth degree black belt holder, Nagashi Urgu. Urgu, who during his six months in Canada had entered seven tournaments and won them all, spent much of his week in town with the Revelstoke Seidokan Judo Club where he taught them the latest Kodokan methods of instruction.
50 years ago: Revelstoke Review, June 26, 1975
Ed Gerloff got more than he signed up for when the billboard for his business, the Schnitzel Inn Restaurant, was taken down unexpectedly. The city told him that all signs on the highway have to come down within a certain number of years but Gerloff explained that he was not told that he could ask for an appeal for the sign to stay up. He felt that taking down the sign with no notice was a deliberate act of spite by the city.
40 years ago: Revelstoke Review, June 26, 1985
Kids at Centennial Park were given quite a fright when the bleachers collapsed. The incident occurred during a swim meet and four boys—all aged thirteen—were hurt. Two were from Merritt, one was from Salmon Arm, and one was from Revelstoke. They were all taken to hospital where they were treated for minor injuries.
30 years ago: Revelstoke Times Review, June 24, 1995
A group calling itself the Earth Liberation Army claimed responsibility for a fire-bomb attack on a outfitting camp on Lake Revelstoke, about 55 kilometres from town. The group confessed in a letter written to the Times Review, where they explained that the reasoning for the attack was to protest trophy hunting. A similar attack occurred earlier that month which the group did not claim responsibility for.
20 years ago: Revelstoke Times Review, June 22, 2005
Police were investigating a disturbing case at Revelstoke Secondary School of an assault caught on video. The incident occurred when two boys, one fifteen and other sixteen, got in a fight. The fight was broken up by the teacher but it was unknowingly recorded and police suspected that the video was intended to be shared on the World Wide Web. Six students were suspended in connection with the incident.