Glimpses of the Past: October 16, 2025

Compiled by Benjamin Smith, Collection Manager, Revelstoke Museum and Archives

130 years ago: Kootenay Mail - October 19, 1895

An unexpected visit was paid to Revelstoke by the Governor General; The Earl and Lady Aberdeen earlier in the week. Locals were disappointed that they were not able to prepare an appropriate reception, but once word got around that they would return again in a few days’ time, locals began constructing beautiful street decor for their second opportunity.

120 years ago: The Kootenay Mail - October 14, 1905

Revelstoke’s band travelled to New Westminster as representatives of this great city in the 1905 Dominion Exhibition; a travelling national fair hosted by different cities in Canada. Musical Director of the Dominion Exhibit, J.W Trendell, offered Conductor R.H Sawyer and the rest of the band considerable praise.

110 years ago: The Mail Herald, October 16, 1915

Last week a man by the name F.G. Holbrook bounced out of Enderby after passing several worthless checks that bounced too. Constable Bailey notified police of surrounding towns, and sure enough, Holbook was found harboring himself here. Shortly after Holbrook was handed over to Enderby PD, it was revealed that he was wanted in several towns for the same crime.

100 years ago: The Revelstoke Review - October 14, 1925

Driver E. Flickinger of Ford Motors Co. arrived in Revelstoke in the first 1926 Ford Model T, as part of a publicity event to celebrate the car’s 21st anniversary in Canada. Flickinger drove from Halifax to the West Coast, covering a total 4,268 miles. A silent film titled “Across Canada with Ford” followed soon after. For the portion of the trip between Golden and Revelstoke, the car would have been shipped by rail, as there was no road between the two cities at that time.

90 years ago: The Revelstoke Review - October 18, 1935

Milk funded! A card party was held at the Orange Hall on the 15th in aid of the School’s Milk fund. Milk was recognized as an integral source of nutrition but ensuring that there was enough on the premises to provide for all the kids was easier said than done. Initiatives like this helped the schools support the kids.

80 years ago: The Revelstoke Review - October 18, 1945

Interior lakes were deemed best in the world by 3-time world traveller, and author, Dorothy Pilley. Pilley briefly visited Revelstoke as she was travelling eastward to join her husband in Massachusetts, and she insisted that Slocan, Windermere, Kootenay, and Arrow Lakes are second to none and deserving of far more recognition. Quite a compliment from someone who’s seen some of the world’s wonders firsthand.

70 years ago: The Revelstoke Review - October 13, 1955

Alderman J.A. Abrahamson, chairman of the board of trustees of the Queen Victoria Hospital, was elected president of the provincial hospital association. Nothing like some Revelstoke representation.

60 years ago: The Revelstoke Review - October 21, 1965

It was a quiet week in Revelstoke, so here’s a filler from that week’s paper. At birth a calf moose may weigh anywhere from 13 to 35 pounds. During the first month after birth it may gain a pound or even two pounds per day. In summer months, as many as 5 pounds can be gained daily.

50 years ago: The Revelstoke Review - October 16, 1975

B.C Hydro came under fire from members of the Revelstoke City Council this week. The construction of the Mica Dam served as a source of concern in the minds of many, there was a lack of confidence that it would prove beneficial to local communities, and a lack of transparency that only gave reason for more concern.

40 years ago: The Revelstoke Review - October 17, 1985

The Regional Manager of Fish and Wild-life broke the news to the Snowmobile Club that Frisby Ridge would be closed for the next 2 years, amid concern for a declining Caribou population. He added, as justification for his decision, that snowmobilers and caribou are “not mutually-compatible”. The club did not take the news well, and they countered with a proposal for a  snow-mobile task force.

30 years ago: The Revelstoke Review - October 17, 1995

Bell Pole Co. Ltd’s president Ken Steward was ecstatic over a milestone he was able to share with his crew: 2,000 accident-free days. Ken took his entire crew out for lunch in celebration of their success.

20 years ago: The Revelstoke Review - October 19, 2005

A local hockey legend in the making; Aaron Volpatti, a 20-year old Revelstoke product, committed to the U.S. Ivy-league school, Brown’s University, on a generous scholarship. This came as a tremendous relief for Volpatti, as he had recently been under the care of the Vancouver General Hospital burn unit, after being seriously burned at a team barbeque. Throughout his BCHL career, Volpatti put up 9 goals, 30 pts, and 246 penalty minutes in 120 games.

Photo:

Revelstoke Band, performing at the Nakusp Fruit Fair, 1911. Revelstoke Museum and Archives Photo 4976