Glimpses of the Past: October 8th, 2026
By James Janzen, Museum Assistant, Revelstoke Museum & Archives
Robert Tapping’s home on CPR Hill. Revelstoke Museum & Archives Collection, P-2013.
130 years ago: Kootenay Mail, October 10, 1896
All Canadian Pacific Railway telegraphers and operators were back to work after the strike last week, succeeding in their demands for recognition of their organization, increased minimum wage, and overtime pay. The strike lasted three days and the loss to the company during that time was estimated to be $600,000. No disturbances of public peace occurred in the interior due to the strike, although some coast newspapers reported otherwise.
$600,000 in 1896 is the equivalent of approximately $22,000,000 in 2026.
120 years ago: Revelstoke Mail-Herald, October 10, 1906
The Revelstoke lacrosse team played a home game against the Strathcona team this week, which ended in a 4-4 tie. The newspaper editor attributes this result to the short notice of the game, leading to Revelstoke being down a player and Strathcona laying off one man to even up the teams. Nevertheless, the Revelstoke lacrosse team maintained their “can’t be beat” status.
110 years ago: Revelstoke Review, October 5, 1916
A twelve-foot-tall sunflower from Mr. R. Tapping’s garden was on display on the corner of MacKenzie Avenue and First Street. Flowers in his garden were still in bloom at this time and the splendid crop of vegetables there were seen by hundreds of tourists each day, making for a great advertisement for the district. The newspaper reported that this was the 25th year of successful crops in Mr. Tapping’s gardens.
100 years ago: Revelstoke Review, October 6, 1926
The Women’s Auxiliary to the Great War Veterans’ Association of Canada was formally disbanded this week, after the Great War Veterans’ Association merged with other veterans’ associations to form the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League. The formation of a Ladies Auxiliary to the Revelstoke Legion was being considered.
90 years ago: Revelstoke Review, October 9, 1936
An agreement between the Dominion and Provincial governments was signed two days prior, stating that the Big Bend Highway from Golden to Revelstoke was to be completed by March 31, 1940. The Dominion government agreed to do the work of building the road, which would then be turned over to the province for maintenance as each section was completed.
80 years ago: Revelstoke Review, October 10, 1946
The vice-president of the Rotary Club, who also served as the chairman of the Revelstoke Library Board, gave an address to the group about the importance of supporting the recently formed Revelstoke Library. During the address, he stressed the importance of libraries as an aid in national thinking, and the benefits of reading. The speaker also reminded the Rotary Club that library membership is free for children and emphasized the interest of the already existing 265 young library members.
70 years ago: Revelstoke Review, October 4, 1956
Sophie Atkinson, a well-known Revelstoke artist, was slated to have an exhibition in the Kelowna library this week. The paintings exhibited there included her latest landscapes from the Cariboo and Chilcotin, as well as Mount Revelstoke National Park. A small collection of pen-and-wash illustrations of heritage buildings along the old Cariboo trail were also to be displayed during the show.
60 years ago: Revelstoke Review, October 5, 1966
Last Sunday, a crowd of almost 3500 people gathered at Revelstoke Airport and surrounding area to watch Revelstoke’s first annual air show. The show was put on by the Revelstoke Flying Club in conjunction with Morris Aviation’s official opening. Flying demonstrations, competitive flying, parachute jumps, and even vintage automobiles were all on display during this year’s aero-rama. The newspaper editor identified the “Little Old Lady” flight as one of the most entertaining events of the afternoon.
50 years ago: Revelstoke Mail-Herald, October 6, 1976
The Fish and Wildlife Branch was asking for the cooperation of local fisherman who had been fishing the waters between Revelstoke and Mica in returning any tags they found on rainbow and Dolly Varden caught. The tags, which were colour-coded to the year they had been put on the fish, were to be sent back to the Fish and Wildlife Branch, where they would determine where and when the fish was originally tagged.
In other fish news, the first major conviction of the season was a man in Malakwa who was charged with possession of Kokanee and Spring Salmon from the Eagle River, as well as snagging salmon and the sale of the fish.
40 years ago: Revelstoke Review, October 8, 1986
NDP candidate Gordon Priestman issued a press release calling for the establishment of a railway museum in Revelstoke, citing the idea as having tremendous potential for year-round tourism. He suggested the formation of a railway club headed by retired railroaders to spearhead the development of such a museum.
The Revelstoke Heritage Railway Society would be established two years later and began construction of the Revelstoke Railway Museum in 1992.
30 years ago: Revelstoke Times Review, October 9, 1996
The Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA reported that British Columbia’s Ministry of Environment may give the city a temporary reprieve of their order to stop dumping snow cleared off city streets into the Columbia River. The ministry created the order to prevent contaminating the river with the salt and exhaust gases within the collected snow. Revelstoke’s mayor and the MLA wanted the ministry to do tests over the winter to confirm the presence of those contaminants before the order was to continue.
20 years ago: Revelstoke Times Review, October 4, 2006
The Revelstoke Teachers Association had planned to host an open house at Minto Manor to celebrate World Teachers Day. The association’s president said in a statement to the newspaper that World Teachers Day was “an opportunity to draw public attention to the role teachers play within society.” He pointed out the importance of remembering the teachers that are striving to teach through violent times, and in places where teachers have become targets because of their dedication to education.