Glimpses of the Past: August 14, 2025
Compiled by Suri Stewardson, Collections Assistant, Revelstoke Museum and Archives
Inside Nakimu Caves in Glacier National Park, circa 1920. W.J. Oliver photographer. Revelstoke Museum and Archives, P-970.
August 10th, 1895
Developers in the Big Bend wanted to further navigation and exploration along the river by using steamboat communication. Doing this could greatly help the accessibility for mining in the area and reduce the cost of supply transfer tremendously. The number of mines shipping ore from the region was increasing. However, the government lacked the resources to add steamboat traffic in the Big Bend.
August 10th, 1905
Two women from America were the first women to hike to the newly discovered caves in Glacier National Park, going with a group of men and a guide. They advised anyone else wanting to attempt it to bring proper footwear and no skirts, only trousers. They claimed that they were looking for the supposed ‘hard trail’ that never came but in the two days they spent up there, they described seeing absolutely beautiful sights while venturing into the caves. (Later known as Nakimu Caves.)
August 11th, 1915
The Big Bend was found to be very rich in minerals and timber by placer miners, attracting investors from out of the country who are interested in starting developments. There was a sawmill driven by water power, a mine, and a hydraulic machine working to get the most resources out of the area. There were also ranches in the Big Bend for growing crops.
August 12th, 1925
While working in Vancouver with the railway, a young Revelstoke local saved two children aged between 10 and 12 from drowning while out for a swim. He heard screams and jumped to action right away, finding it a struggle to separate the two boys from each other due to their fear. He managed to tow them back to shore together. People praised him for heroism but he humbly declared that his training at Revelstoke’s YMCA was really what helped.
August 9th, 1935
Colonel Edward Mallandaine and his wife were recent visitors to Revelstoke. Mallandaine had come to the town of Farwell in 1885, at the age of 17, during construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. He carried mail and parcels from Revelstoke to Sicamous over the rough tote road. He stayed in the area long enough to become the “boy at the Last Spike” in the famous picture, and eventually went on to found the town of Creston, BC.
August 9th, 1945
The Revelstoke Lumber and Shingle Mill on Front Street was destroyed completely after a fire broke out early one morning. The piled lumber and office buildings were saved thanks to the work of the fire brigade. Manager Archie McInnes said that the mill would be rebuilt.
August 11th, 1955
A Calgary man expressed his great concerns for a controversial proposal to divert the Columbia River into the Fraser River and install dams as it would completely disturb the salmon run and the BC fisheries that bring in $30 million worth of salmon would be destroyed. The proposal was meant to keep control of the Columbia River in Canada, but it was not seriously considered.
August 12th, 1965
The hospital administrator spoke up at the city council meeting about a problem regarding issues in the ambulance call system. He felt that there should be quicker response times to the calls and wanted to see radio systems equipped in the ambulances.
August 14th, 1975
At the city pool, a small local boy was pulled out from the water unconscious. It was assumed that he hit his head on the wall doing laps and was left for under a minute until he was spotted. Fortunately he had a full recovery thanks to the quick action of the lifeguards.
August 14th, 1985
Young bike racer from Revelstoke, Jackie Schmidt was only 6 when he placed 6th overall in the BMX World Championships and 7th in the Canadian Cup held in Whistler, which saw 1200 competitors from 18 countries. An unfortunate wipe-out dropped him from 3rd to 6th in the end, but he was proud of his World Cup ranking. There were 3 other Revelstoke youths competing in the World cup, both over the age of 12.
August 11th, 1995
The question of reincarnation was explored by local author Jewelle Lewis. After the death of former Beatle John Lennon, she found herself immersed in grief. Through spiritual research, she could recall her old life in the late 1600’s England where she fell in love with John Baron who she claims John Lennon previously was. Her book “Just Imagine” covers her story.
August 10th, 2005
People were concerned that Arts and Culture wasn’t getting the support that it needed to stay vibrant. They felt that more performances could greatly impact tourism in Revelstoke and that visual art showcases may bring a whole new crowd into town. At the time the Theatre Company was unable to find rehearsal space and their future was uncertain. If there’s one thing we know about Revelstoke now, it’s that we love art and will do everything to support it.
August 12th, 2015
Concerns were expressed at a meeting held to discuss a new ski lodge near Mount Mackenzie. The developers wanted to include a heli-pad for visitors to use, but neighbours were concerned about the disruption and noise in the residential neighbourhood. The consultant of the lodge tried to reassure people by saying that helicopters weren’t the purpose of the lodge, only to have heli-skiing as an option for the visitors but the people were not buying into it.