Glimpses of the Past: April 2, 2026
By Laura VanZant, Assistant Curator, Revelstoke Museum & Archives
Wing Chung. Revelstoke Museum & Archives, P-1796.
130 years ago: Kootenay Mail, April 4th, 1896
A B.C. girl says there is no necessity to import wives, for there are excellent options in the province already! This was in response to a column published previously, where men in Salmon Arm had written to Montreal in their quest to find a suitable life partner. The girl in question stated that, “I could tell ‘B.C. Farmer’ of at least a dozen girls, with whom I am well acquainted, who would make excellent wives for B.C. farmers, or any other men.” She goes on to mildly roast said B.C. Farmer for his terrible lot in life, offering him her deepest sympathies.
120 years ago: Revelstoke Mail-Herald, April 4th, 1906
Wing Chung’s store on Front Street was advertising newly imported stock of both useful and ornamental Chinese and Japanese goods, including tea services, umbrella stands, smoking jackets, and goldfish, along with the finest stock of candies and fruits in town.
110 years ago: Revelstoke Mail-Herald, April 1st, 1916
The girls of the Revelstoke High School Patriotic Society were recognized in the newspaper for their good work knitting socks for soldiers. Altogether, the 9 girls knit 20 pairs of socks. Hila Tomlinson led the pack of nimble-fingered teens with 5 completed pairs of socks.
100 years ago: Revelstoke Review, March 31st, 1926
The provincial government declared war on the province’s crows. This effort to fight the ever-growing population of the “black feathered enemy of the song and game bird” awarded a ten-cent bounty for every crow shot between April 1 and the end of May in an attempt to bring down the population to normal numbers.
90 years ago: Revelstoke Review, April 3rd, 1936
A young boy was flying his kite near the Illecillewaet bridge when the string crossed the high voltage wires from the hydro plant. A piece of fine wire was being used to fly the kite, but in a fateful coincidence the wire was too long and had been supplemented with a length of cord that the boy held! He was fine, though the kite wire did blow out a circuit breaker at the powerhouse.
From the Revelstoke Review. April 4, 1946.
80 years ago: Revelstoke Review, April 4th, 1946
The Glacier Ski Club held their first tournament for juniors (ages 8 to 14) and juveniles (ages 3 to 7), and it was a great success! The cross-country juniors race on day 1 started near the station and spanned “two difficult miles” while the juveniles had a much shorter race from the same spot. Snow conditions on day 2 made for less distance in the ski jumping, and difficult handling of skis in the slalom, but the contestants pushed through despite the challenges.
70 years ago: Revelstoke Review, April 5th, 1956
The Canadian Forestry Association’s ‘conservation car’ visited Revelstoke this week. The car was donated to the CFA by Canadian National Railways in 1954, and travelled across Canada to educate people on forest and wildlife conservation. The car was crowded to capacity during its time in Revelstoke, and it was predicted to return again in the near future.
60 years ago: Revelstoke Review, March 30th, 1966
Canvass dates were announced in the paper for the new Senior Citizens Home that was to be built in Revelstoke. The Moberly Park Manor Society’s drive for funds was taking place throughout the month of April in the hopes that a ‘home for Revelstoke’s pioneers’ could be built in 1967.
50 years ago: Revelstoke Review, March 31st, 1976
Former Revelstoke resident Yasutaro (George) Sakamoto passed away at Kootenay Lake District Hospital recently. The Sakamoto family was forcibly removed from their home in Langley, and was initially relocated to Sandon before moving to Revelstoke in 1943. Mr. Sakamoto worked in the lumber industry in Revelstoke, retiring in 1968. Upon his passing, he left behind a large family, including 14 grandchildren and 1 great-granddaughter.
Mr. Sakamoto’s obituary does not note that his journey to the Interior was forced due to the Total Removal Policy enacted by the government during World War II. You can learn more about this and the Sakamoto family in our online exhibit, “Japanese Canadian Legacies.”
40 years ago: Revelstoke Review, April 2nd, 1986
Talented Revelstokians were selected to perform at Expo ’86 in Vancouver! Acts included the band “Jimmy Goes to Malakwa”; breakdancer Sue Prcevich; mime artists Tricia Baird and Erica Seiber; and highland dancers Tracey Ruttan and Carol Fitchett. Sue Prcevich, age 17, was the only solo act chosen from the area and stated she planned to do her routine to the St. Elmo’s Fire soundtrack. All of the performers were guaranteed 2 performances per day from July 12th to 19th, with more performances added if the weather permitted.
30 years ago: Revelstoke Times Review, April 3rd, 1996
The Shriners were forced to move their weekly bingo games from the Community Centre to the Legion after the Centre’s no smoking policy made their attendance drop. According to the Shrine Club’s bingo chairman, games used to attract 120 people on average, but since the new policy came into effect the attendance was closer to 45.
20 years ago: Revelstoke Times Review, March 29th, 2006
The Revelstoke Francophone Society held a sugaring-off party on Mount Revelstoke National Park. An important part of Francophone culture, the party brought together local French-speaking families and provided a sweet treat and community connection for all!