THE CASTLEGAR HOTEL, 1914

‘also shown is the first car in C

District Businesses Have Grown and Prospered

1903 — W. J. Farmer built
the first store in Castlegar about
where the Legion Hall now
stands. He sold it to R. A. D,
West in 1930, who moved to his
present premises in 1940,

1910 — William Waldie and
Sons sawmill established, It was
purchased by Celgar Limited in

52,

1925 — F. Eremenko built a
general store, dance pavillion,
garage, tourist cabins and slaugh-
ter house. The store was destroy-
ed by fire in 1928 and rebuilt
a year later. The present A.
Eremenko and Co, building was
in 1949,

Robsou, Boats

(continued from page three)

vision of the homes and orchards
they would some day possess an
work went steadily on,
Application was made
through the Farmers’ Institute}
for a road. The old railroad bed
* was utilized and the road gradu-
ally extended toward . Syringa
Creek. Settlers were often glad
to work their teams on the road
and earn some extra dollars,
As the Iand -was cleared the
scented smell of wood fires
filled the air, and as the years’
passed, this smell gave way to
the smell of apple blossoms.
With the apples came the
need ,for a packing house and
about 1920 one was built. For
a time this served as an opera
house and dance hall, as well as
for apple packing.

and Progress

In February 1922 an oper-

jetta “May Day Dream” was pro-
qlduced with 30 performers, It

was said at the time that every
home in the valley had in some
form or another contributed to
the production,

A problem arose: There
were no curtains. This was solv-
ed by some of the ladies who
dyed a number of sacks red and
sewed them together. Music was
provided by a local orchestra
and the production was a suc-
cess.

About 1920 irrigation became

a serious ir-| ci

Early Twenties — Peter
Fomenoff built a general store.
George Cheveldave purchased it
in 1945 and still operates it,

1936 — Noah Defoc starts
Defoe’s Transfer.

1937 — Castlegar smelter

It was enlarged in’ 1924. But be-
fore the addition was built, fear
was expressed that in a short
while it’ would become unnec-
essary owing to a falling off of
school population—the addition
is still in use,

In the winter of 1946 a meet-
ing was held to consider what
form a war memorial should
take and after. considerable dis-
cussion it was decided to make
the little church between the
river and the mountain, Robson

and an
rigation district was formed to
bring water from Pass Creek.
This proved to be a great help
to the valley,
A. school had to be built
in 1914 with government help.

ureh,
the Baptist denomination who
held the title was agreeable.
To this they kindly agreed.
Since then about $3,000 has
been raised and spent on the
building. From a way back in

men ‘began pooling their trans-
portation resources and
Castlegar Cooperative Transpor-
tation Society was born.

939 — Mrs, Zuckerberg
starts her hairdressing business,

191 — Nick Oswald starts
Oswald Motors.

1942 —= Ed Lewis cstablithed
the Castlegar

.. Some Have Even Failed

ed the Anderson Feed Co.

me tin and Gus' Roy Tipping...
iat Be ee Wear established.

Leitaas opened clothing stores
ere .. Archie Ferguson be-
Be the Castlegar Hardware...

a) Fred takes. over the

two-day a week basis, When | he
built the Lewis block in 1946
he remained open full time,

1945 — Co-op minded men
formed .2 buyer's club which be-
came the Castlegar Retail So-
ciety, On the first executive were
S. C, Muirhead, Pat Romaine,
K. Knoblauch, N. Bystrom, J.
Penner, R. Harding and G, At-
kinson,

1946 — The Bank of Mon-
treal opened a two-day a week
branch in Castlegar. The office
became full time in December
1947,

— Ralph Kerr opened Kerr's
Store for business,

— J. Derzy purchased the
garage business ef Mr. Shields
and founded the Arrow Motors
Co. Lid

Castlegar Pool Hall and in 1950
opened Fred’s Billiard Parlor.
— Herb Pitts

Stefontuk took over Rigby's.
Carl Rolph started the Elec-

tronic Service and Sammy Muir-

head opened Muirhead Agencies

chased the Modern Dairy from] in Kinnaird,

Janet's dadies. 1952 — This was the year

Celgar made its big announce-

— Kinnaird Service bunenad: ment and business rushed. to

ed by Mr. and Mrs, E, Fink. . .| Castlegar

and District. Leo.

R. Fenner starts Bob's Pay N’|Bosse opened his jewelry shop”

Takit,

1951 — Mr.

and Earl Greep. started Greep's

and Mrs, F. (continued on page five)

Pitts’ Drug and L, V. Campbell
opened the doors of the Castle
Theatre, The theatre was taken
over by the present manager
George Vianich, in 1957.

— L. V. Campbell started
the mimeographed Castle News
which has grown into the Cast-
legar News of today.

1948 — N. T. Oglow estab-
lished the Castlegar Dry Clean-
ers ,.. Chuck's Transfer tool
over from Les Atkinson,

— Wright's Auto Service be-
gan in Kinnaird . . . Fletcher
and Patmore, plumbing contrac-
tors, began service in Castlegar.

|The business later’ became Cast-

legar and Heating

—. A. And

1908, Baptist, Anglican or Unit-
ed ministers have taken the
services — which ever was
available.
Today the church stands
‘as a memorial not only to those
who served in the wars, but also
to those early settlers who have
passed on.
The memory of the ploneer
days is fading, but the early
settlers laid good foundations and

their ean still be felt,

KOOTENAY

BUILDERS & SUPPLIERS

Bill and Alex Plotnikoff

PHONE 5155 — CASTLEGAR, B.C., — P.O. BOX 68

“WE HAVE SERVED THE DISTRICT

FOR 18 YEARS”

Building Supplies

Sash, Boor and Cabinet Work

Floer Coverings

Eremenko Bik.
Twin Rivers Hall

Contracting

WE HAD THE CONTRACTS ON THE: FOLLOWING
DISTRICT BUILDINGS:

@ Couch Building
@ Robson School

@ = Kinnaird Act. Room

“SEE US FOR ALL YOUR BUILGING NEEDS”

owned by Ralph Fletcher.

— George Rilkoff and Bill
‘Hoodicoff started Columbia Buil-
ers,

1949 —.. Three businesses
started this year. “Chuck” Tris-
chuck started Trischuck’s Foods

in Kinnaird and the Credit Union:

and Barrie's Barber Shop opened
in Castlegar, Bert Donnan and
Mrs. Donnan took over the Lake-
view Store and Auto Camp this
year.

. 1950 — Ken Sharples pur-

CINDYS

OF CASTLEGAR

i)
CHILDREN’S CLOTHING FOR ALL AGES

LADIES HATS and PURSES
EXCLUSIVE STYLES OF TODAY

“WE SALUTE THE PROVINCE:
ON ITS 100TH BIRTHDAY”

CASTLEGAR’S OLD WATER TOWER

‘The first issue of the Castle-
war News (then the Castle News),
‘hit the streets — or more truth-
fully, was put in your mailbox —
11 years ago, on August 7, 1947.

Local merchants were glad
to.see “Castlegar’s advertising
medium, published every THUR-
SDAY and distributed from Kin-
naird to Brilliant,” and supported.
it from the start,

In the first issue A. Eremen-
ko was “At your service for
fresh meats, dry goods — shoes,
ete.” and urged the District to
“Pay us a visit!”

Rigby's advertised their cof-
fee shop and soda fountain and
wlayed-up their books and mag-
wzines, Ozeroff Jewelry asked
(people to “Drop in and see our
selection of Gifts’ and adver-
tised their Gruen and Rolex
rwatches, *

The Castle Theatre took a
quarter-page ad on the front
page to advertise “I've Always
Loved you,” “Hello Moscow” and
“Mr, Ace,” Castle News publish-
er L, V. Campbell owned the
theatre and published the paper
‘at night in his office during the
second show,

Page two, of that first four-
‘page issue was just about full of
ads and W. R. Nelems, notary

+|public, asked the public to “Get

Your Conveyancing Done’ By”
him,

To all the Pioneers
who came from many
lands fo seffle in this

_ part of British
Columbia --- a

tribute fo their vision,
foil and courage.

CASTLEGAR
BUILDING SUPPLY

Phone 2161 —- Castlegar, B.C., — 335 Front St.

We have served the area in the con-
tracting business for 28 years and
have had a Building Supply Depart-
ment for the past 18 years....

May we be of Service
To You!

‘Pve Aiways Loved You’
‘Get Your Conveyancing Done by Nelems’
‘It Pays to Look Well’

The Castlegar Pool Halt ur-
ged people to “Drop In!” and
the Castlegar Barber Shop with
Ed Lewis, Prop, told Castle
News readers that “It pays
to look well.”

“9 ACRES SOME CULTI-
‘VATED, GOOD HOME SITE
‘CLOSE IN."’ was advertised by
‘Petties Real Estate. They also of-
fe

iden — Close In $600.00”

The “Castlegar Hardware
wish to weleome you to inspect
The New Store” in the first is-
sue of the Castle News and Mar-

tized itself as “The store where
your dollar buys dollar value!”

The Rose Cafe, (now Seto’s
‘Cafe,) was “not just another

‘place to eat, but the place to eat

another” and Kerr's Store (which
sold out and became Johnnie's
Meat Market and the government
liquor store,) took a large ad to

fered “Two rooms, nice lot, gar-

tize their home
whoto studio and jewelry.

The Castlegar Electric ad-
vertized Vactric vacuum clean-
ers at $69.50 and the Anderson
Feed Co, stocked cats

CASTLEGAR NEWS, Thursday, Sept. 11,

1958

fully equipped Drug Store bring-
ing to the citizens of Castlegar,
‘Kinnaird, Robson and Distric
all the services of a city store
with city prices prevailing.”

“For a grease job that’s right,
leave your car with us.” was
the admonition of the Hi-Way
Service which has since been
xonverted into the Bank of Com-
merce building.,

The Sportsmans Shop was Io-
cated where Eaton’s is now, and
here jovial Freddy Fomenoff sold
“A complete line of sporting

Ads from the First Issue of the Castlegar News

[tin’s Clothing and Shoes adver-

goods, sportswear, toys, bicycles
and motorcycles.”

“For the finest of tailoring,”
then, as now, it was Leituer’s
Clothes who offered a complete
selection of ‘men's shorts,
shiris, ties, socks, hats, ete.”

A‘clossified ad in the first

dssue of the Castel News proved
the selling power of those small
ads when the Lion’s Head Store
in Robson offered for sale +
1946 Mercury sedan, like new,
radio, heater and spare tire. Cash

(continued on page six)

eterla and ful-o-pep poultry.
mashes, é
The Castlegar Hotel had!
“clean, comfortable rooms, licen-
sed premises,” and Pitts Drug
Store advertised “a modern and

(continued from page four)

Electric . . . The Skyline Auto
Service opened its’ garage doors,
— The Castlegar Drug and
Maddocks Shoe Store opened in|
the Lewis block. The bank of
Commerce opened in part of
West's Store.

— Eaton’s opened its order|
office and Oglow Brothers Buil-
ding Supply and Kootenay
Builders opened for business,
— Hob Hunter started his
Cedar Crest Motel and Frank
Richardson, at the request of
the RCMP, started the Castlegar
Ambulance.
1953 — Jimmy Lamont open-
ed this Castle Motors and Remi
Assia opened Remi’s Craft Shop. |
— Helen's Flower Shop was
started by Mrs. Frank Richard- |
son.and her husband started the!

The District's Businesses

Castlegar Funeral Home.

-~ Mitchell Supply took over
from Anderson Feed and Lloyd
Ackney came to Castlegar to
manage the business.

1954 — Mr. and Mrs. Ed
Herman take over. the Twin
Rivers Motel ,. . Karnies Ladies
‘Wear and Castlegar Shoe Repair
open. in Castlegar.

1855 — Anderson Agencies
takes over from Cyril Bell...
In Kinnaird, Kootenay Nurseries
and Dan Gilroy real estate esta-
blished,

1956 — Cindy's and Smith’s

*| Plumbing and ‘Heating start up.
Bt

957 — Now one year old

are the Castle Tire Shop, Inland
Natural Gas office and the Blue
‘Top Burger... P. Mojelski tak-
es over the Castlegar Dry Clean-
ers,

Ri b
Has been in the centre of ac-
tivity for mony years and we
join with all our friends in pay-
ing tribute to the pioneers of

this District in this, B.C.’s hun-

dredth anniversary. .

NEL and FRED STEFONIUK

two tons of lead...

heavy reader...

You've probably never considered yourself a
or thought today’s "welghty”
editorial was actually hard to lift. Last night, it :
when It spun rapidly as a cast metal plate
in a glant press, An average
Newspaper is printed from close to two tons of
‘uch plates — and that's where we come in,

America.

JUST DROPPED ON YOUR DOORSTEP!

chines in newspaper press rooms all over North

Linotypes use Cominco antimony as

they spall out the day’s news and specially pre-
pared zinc — Tadanac zine fram Cominco —

dally

feeds

and to the

printed page. Metals — mined, smelted and re-
fined by Cominco — bring you the news... part

to better living for you.

7. Lead from Comii

COMPANY

tesa -

Head Office and Sales Offices:
TADANAC BRAND METALS «

Ingma- of our

OF CANADA LIMITED

COMINGCO SALUTES BRITISH COLUMBIA ON

THE CONSOLIDATED MINING AND SMELTING

216 St. James Streat, West. Montreal, Quebec: General Office: Trail, British Columbia
ELEPHANT BRAND FERTILIZERS

tT8 CENTENARY

-1986