CASTLEGAR NEWS, Thursday, Sept. 11,

1958

By. MRS. DUNCAN CARTER
Sixty-one years ago, in 1897
the world’s first women’s insti.
tute was organized in Ontario
Sixteen years later, on May 13,
1913, 20 ladiés organized the
Robson Women's Institute,
Mrs. A,-F. Mitchell was elect-

Aled the first president and Mrs.

PORTION OF THE ROBSON ROAD, 1911, TAKEN FROM A
WINDOW OF THE C. S. SQUIRES HOME SITUATED ACROSS

FROM THE CELGAR SITE

This is the Town!’

Heskelli’s Now Live in ‘the Nicest House in

Town’

The Forests Gave Way to Fruit Farming
Schoo! Enrafment (5 in 1913
‘Hillsides Scored by Skidding Paths For

imo”?
Logging
(continued from page four)

across the rivez.

To go to Brilliant or Thrums
you crossed the foot walk on the
CPR bridge. It was a great help
do Castlegar when in 1917 or
thereabouts, the traffic ‘bridge
was built. The first ferry was
installed soon after.

The first ferryman was
genial Jimmie Davidson who
stayed with the job until his
retirement in 1951. ~

I think I have lingered
along the road long enough, so

and the Castlegar Co-op Garage
and village office now stands in’
its place,

The growth of Castlegar was
very slow for many years until
the land comprising the tewn
site, which was held by a com-
pany, was made

Cc. S. Squires the first secretary.
For many years this was the|
only women's organization in
Robson and now after 45 years|
and with a number of other or-
ganizations functioning, it still)
takes an important part in com-|
munity affairs.

In the second year of or-|
ganization the First World War|
broke out and all efforts wero!
concentrated on Red Cross
work and war charities. Fol-

Robson Women’s Insfitute

Works For Many Causes
@® 20 Members Organized it in (S13

lowing the war the institute
worked: for a District nurse
In 1920-21 money was raised,
to buy a piano which is still’
in use in the Robson Recrea
tion Hall.

In 1921 the institute began

working for a superior. school #

and for a dental clinic, Physical
culture courses were sponsored
and various musical plays in
eluding a Japanese operetta
were produced.

e first contribution was
made to the Athea Scott tuna|
and this worthy cause has been
aided through the years, At a
public meeting in 1926 the care
of the cemetery was put in the
hands of the institute.

A tourist park was opened
in 1924 and a library started in!

¥

us

“ROBSON wi REGULAR MEETING IN 1914 AT MISS IRWIN'S

1929. Annual banquets and pic-
nics are held in co-operation with
the Farmer's Institute.

There were many demon-
strations, special speakers, social

By STEVE JANKOLA

A special meeting to organize
a Kinnaird fire department was
held March 20, 1846 in the Kin-
naird Improvement Society Hall
with A. Creighton as chairman.

Approximately 20 residents|
attended the, meeting and the
following officers were appoint
ed: W. J. Evans fire chief; S.
J, Jankola, secretary; and G,

to
the public about 1934 or ‘35.
After this the town began to
grow. -

Other factors in the almost
phenomenal growth that came
later was the installing of a
good and adequate water supply
nd the imp! of roar

now will return to C:

The social life here was
naturally somewhat limited, but
improved as more people came
in and Farmer's hall, as the
spacious room above ithe store
was called, became a sort of
civic centre where all important
meetings and social events took
place.

Farmer's hall was used until
the building of the first com-
munity hall by volunteer labor,
‘This was afterwards burned down
and replaced by ‘the Coronation
hall. This has since come down

which induced so many of ‘the
CM & S smelter workers to
make their homes in Castlegar.

My husband, Joseph Harper
Killough, always had great faith
in this area and said “the time
will come when you will sec
houses from Castlegar to Trail.”

The Castlegar of the past
has always been noted fer its
friendliness to those who have
visited us or came to settle here.
Let us See that as we grow and
progress this friendly attitude
will always be retained.

Leitner,
The first volunteers were
G. I. Scott, V. Mattlazzi, A,
Swihart and J. Wisted. Equip-
ment turned over tothe or-
. ganization consisted of a port-
able pump (which always quit
when there was a fire,) and
3,000 feet of hose.

Money to erect a small gar-
age at the foot of Milestone road
to house the equipment was
raised by assessing every pro-'
perty owner in Kinnaird $5, A
fire siren was obtained from
‘Vancouver.

W, J. Evans resigned as fire
chief in 1950. His position was
ably filled by S. McKenzie who
resigned as chief in 1951 to be-
come chief instructor, A position
he still holds. S. C. Watson was
then’ appointed fire chief.

In 1951 Kinnaird residents

Volunteer Labor Builds Kinnaird Fire Hall

@ First Pump ‘Always Quit’ for Fires
© Assess Property Owners $5 for Equipment
@ 30 Volunisers Now in the Fire Department

saw a new fire hall erected at
the present site. The firemen
purchased the building from the
CM & S Co, at the Brilliant dam.
‘They dismantled the building and
took the lumber to the present
site where the new hall was
built with volunteer Jabor.
Fire chief Watson retired,

in February 1952 due to the
Pressure of other: work. G. I.
Scott was then made chief.
February 1953 the depart-
ment joined the National Fire
Protection Association of which
it is still an active member.
G. IL. Scott resigned as chief

in July 1955 and R, J. Archam-
bault was appointed to this posi-
tion. At present the department
consists of 30 volunteers.
Chief Archabault is assisted

by assistant fire chief R. B.
Heagy and captains R. J. Warner,
S. J. Jankola, F, Watkins, W. Le-
duc and J, Kennedy.
‘The department has an cut-!
standing record in fire fighting

TO LIVE IN SUCH A RICH PROVINCE AS
BRITISH COLUMBIA WHERE OPPORTUNITY
{S THERE FOR THE TAKING AND RETURNS
ARE MEASURED BY ONE’S WILL TO WORK

“WE ARE PLEASED TO HAVE SERVED YOU FOR THE PAST FOUR

YEARS AND HOPE TO EXPAND WITH THIS FAST DEVELOPING

YES IT IS

DISTRICT”

CUT - RATE GROCETERIA

Fred Bonderoff

i

Kinnaird, B.C.

and holds practices every Mon-
day evening throughout the
year, It has u “no-loss” fire
record since July 2, 1956.
The Kinnaird Volunteer Fire
Department has taken an active
part not only in fire

events, with countless donations
of money to worthy causes and
always, where possible, help
given to ‘the needy in the com-
munity.

The Silver Jubilee and Cor-
onation In 193% of thelr mnajes-
tles King George VI and Queen
Elizabeth wore suitably cele-
brated, By 1940 all activities
were again directed toward the
war effort. |

Red Cross and jam. for
Britain committees worked tire-|
lessly, During this period other
projects were not neglected and
in 1942 payments on the Insti-
tute Park owned jointly with
the Farmer’s Institute were!
completed,

In 1943 the deeds for the
cemetery were cleared and life’
memberships in the institute
were presented to five charter

but ‘also in community affairs.

ment was for’

and ‘children’s Christmas parties)

were continued,
In 1945, with grateful hearts;

VE Day was celebrated. Twa
| major projects marked

19468
First, the organization and oper.
ation of a Well Baby Clinic un-
der Mrs, C, E. Tutt, a nurse and!

an institute member, and second-@

ly, a substantial amount was!
raised and donated to the Rob-!
son Community Memorial churel
fund,
In 1947 the Red Cross driveaa
was organized and this is no
an annual project. Cl

BUS-RIDING DAYS AREN'T ALWAYS FUN

garden contests. were held fn)
1948 and sponsorship of the
Brownies began, - followed ©
1951 by sponsorship of the
Scout troop which continued
for five years. <

The year 1948 also saw the

origin of the Strawberry Festi
|

on page seven)

Robson WI 45 Years Old

(continued from page six)
al which was held for six con-
ecutive years. The KRC welfare
‘und for Robson is administered

155 MAIN ST.,

AND ALSO

CASTLEGAR, 8.C.,

IN THIS YEAR OF 1958
BRITISH COLUMBIA IS CELEBRATING
ITS HUNDREDTH BIRTHDAY.
AND WE.JOIN WITH ALL THE
HAPPY RESIDENTS IN THIS GRAND
CELEBRATION

EXTEND BEST WISHES TO
THE CASTLEGAR AND DISTRICT
‘12th ANNUAL FALL FAIR

SASH & DOOR WORKS

ELMER KRAFT

PHONE 3211

com-

ittees the institute has con-
tinued its active Interest in many
elds of education and in’ 1952

Mmoffered a $25. scholarship at
SSHHS, which is still continued.

That year thé institute also
Bssociated itself with the Koo-
lenay Society for Handicapped
Phildren. Much work has been
Hone for the Castiegar and Dis-

trict Fall Fair and this year for
the first time the Robson Wo-
men’s Institute is donating a
memento cup.

With the start of the local
hospital the institute was one of
the first organizations to pledge
financial support and a Women’s
Institute ward in the ew hospl-
tal has been

“CASTLEGAR

NEWS, Thursuay, Sept. 11,

1958

Life Here From 1902 To 1930

@ West’ Robson ‘Shacks’ Were Dismantled|
“and Moved by Fiatcar to Start the Village of
Castlegar ... and No One Knew Whose

. House He Had!
©
‘Southwood’

By MRS. fT. L. BLOOMER
We came to the Kr

The Gastle Bar Ranch Was Once Called

| at the weekends.
held the

in 1901—living in Trail for one!
year before moving to West!
Robson where we lived for a
year. During this time the Cast-
legar CPR railway station and
bridge were completed.

All the shacks at West Rob-
yon were torn down and moved
on flat cars to Castlegar. where
they were re-assembled on the
land owned by A.

services during the summer
months, When the school was
built, Rev, S. G, Smythe of Trail
held services every second week
on a weekend,

An organ was bought on
which I played the hymns for
the services for the next 3%
years,

After living in Nelson for

and Noah DeFoe, or in that
vicinity,

No one knew if they had
thelr own home or sonieone:
else’s when they were re-built,

Mr, Bloomer built the first
real house in Castlegar, which
is now owned by Harold Hesketh.
We lived there for seven years,
my husband helping ‘to organize
the school and being the first
chairman of the board of trustees,

Miss Clara Barclay, later be-
coming Mrs. Graham and the
author of Fur And Gold in tre
Kootenays was the first teacher.

* ‘The Misses Alice and Jessie
Clyde of East Robson were among
the teachers who followed Miss
Barclay in the little school house

built where Eremenko’s atore
now stands,

The school house was de-
molished in the late 1940's after:
housing a shoe-maker’s business
for some years

Before the school. was built
church services were held in
@ passenger coach tied up here

ed with the pee of other Tooal
institutes, © -

~ And now in 1958, B's
Centennial year, after 45 years
of Service to their community,
members ‘of the Robson Women’s

enue can feel suatly oon

13 years and for seven
years, my husband retired from
the CRR where he was employ-
ed as a locomotive engineer.

farm, now the Castle Bar Ranch

owned by George Anderson, We

had staked this 80-acre farm

while living in Castlegar pre-

viously, called it “Southwood.”
sat up all one night In orde,'
to get their Iand staked. Mr.
Hirst bad the farm next to
ours which is now owned by
Fred Horcoff.

This was the Hienzie proper-
ty on which a narrow gauge rail-
way to Trail existed. This was
later bought by the CPR and

which was how we got our
farm.

When we returned here in
1930 the orchards was rented,
but we kept our garden where
my husband spent many happy|
hours caring for his.plants and
grounds.

Two of our children were
bora .while we were. living in
Miss Clara Bloomer

smiatton and can ‘oek po
ward to many more years of ser-
vice in carrying out their motto
“For Home and Country.”

and Mrs. R, A. D. West live here
now, Mrs. George Craft at South
Slocan, and our son,. Percy
Bloomer at Trail

Mr, Hirst and my husband] &

thrown: open for homesteading,| #

NLT. Oglow's
Centennial
Message

This once in our lifetime
celebration of the 100th birthday
of our province will find its place
in history, and it is very fitting
that our local press should re-
cognize this occasion with a
special issue.

It is difficult fo visualize

what Castlegar and District will
looks like at the end of the next

We returned to live on our) #3:

100. years, butrit.is. safe to say
that if our short past history is
any indication, then those. that
come after us wiJl find this town
and District a much bigger and
much better place in which to
live,

Our town is not the biggest|
nor the wealthiest in B.C., but;
some of the achievements that
result from the vigor, enthusiasm,
civic pride and progress of its
citizens may well be the envy of
many, .

Asan example, in the last

OLD ROBSON HOTEL AND ROBSON GENERAL STORE, 1913

provincial election four of our
District men, representing three
political parties, actively cam-
paigned for seats in the ‘legisla-
tive assembly. That to me is
evidence that we recognize the
citizen's responsibility to. take a’
vital interest in our government
at all levels.

Our school graduates are do-
ing ‘better. than the

KRe Eliminates
Need For Drives
By Many Groups

‘The history of the Kinnaird-
Robson-Castlegar Welfare and
Recreation Society dates back to
May 30, 1948 when a group af

average and our churches are
keeping ‘pace with our growth
with new structures and... im-
provements, and, we’ hope, in
attendance. Our service clubs,
too, are making a splendid con-
tribution to our well being.

All this should be a source
of pride to the people of this
area and leads me to believe
that although we are born equal
we make considerable progress
by working just a little bit hard-
er to become better citizens of
our community, our province
and our country.

Let us pray for peace in the
world so that we may work for
prosperity in the next century of
British Columbia's existence.

N, T. Oglow,

Chairman of the Council,

District toe
gether at a meeting in the Com-
munity Hall in Castlegar.

They were to discuss forma-
tion of an organization that
would eliminate the multiplicity
of drives and canvasses thraugh-
out the District for welfare and
recreational endeavors.

At this meeting the Kin-
nalrd-Robson-Castlegar Welfare
and Recreation Society was
formed, and later, was duiy
incorporated under the B.C.
societies act on March 17, 1947.

The objects of the society
are “to co-ordinate and assist in
every way possible, ali welfare
and recreational endeavors in
the Districts covered by the soc-
jety and in particular, te cen-
tralize the raising of funds for
the support of welfare and re-

Village of C:

on page eight)

TO HAVE REACHED OUR TENTH YEAR OF INCORPORATION -AND HAPPIER .

STILL THAT IT COINCIDES WITH THE , 100th BIRTHDAY OF OUR PROVINCE.

Many, of us are inclined to look back at the past as the good old days, but at the same time

few would like to ae back to horses or open cars. British Columbia’ has had hard times, set-

\

backs, and calamities of one kind aed another but through it all there has been steady -and

substantial progress and Kinnaird has progressed with it over the past 10 years.

We Salute B.C. and The Fair

The Corporation: of the Vill

“CARL. LOEBLICH, Chairman

1

Ves 4