This ad effective Monday through. Saturday. February 22nd-27th, 1982 in all B.C. Canada » Safeway Stores except Cranbrook, Dawson Creek and Fort St.- John. Today’ s ‘Sateway where you get. a little: bit. more ‘with ee coupon like this you would | SAVE sew ro naen (First of two aire) 1.*You'd be surprised atthe number of trails and old tunnels built by hand all through the montains around these ‘Arrow and Slocan Lakes — and some mysteries too,” >.’ And Dick Fowler of Robson knows whereof hie speaks — for as a prospector, miner, outdoorsman, towboat' man, lumberjack, roadbuilder, miltworker, forester, . veteran‘ insurance agent and local pioneer for most of his 76 years, he has a great store of experience and tories, to‘draw on of a; life-style which is all: but: gone now. He was born in the town of; Trout Lake, northwest of population of 8,000 at the time. Twenty-five years ago there were trees ‘18 inches in‘ diameter growing ‘by the’ fire hydrants, The town had a brief renaissance a. little later, when the Newmont and Esso compenies. stared) operating and dug a long tunnel to get at what Dick describes as the largest deposit of molybdrnum’ in. the ‘ molybdenum market fell, the mine closed at the end of 1981. His father, a: prospector and ‘carpenter, moved from where he built a hotel. Unfortunately, he didn’t belong to the right political party at the time and couldn't get a liquor. leence. The family. then moved to near Nakusp and bought acreage where they built a log cabin, cleared the land with a team of horses, powder and a atump-puller, planted an crcuard and supplemented their income by, logging with a bayres were very. few roads: in’ the early days, ‘so everyone for 200 miles along the Arrow. Lake travelled by boat. Many of these were powered by a little one-cylinder St. ~ Laurence engine and a propellor the size ofa man’s hand, but .they worked ‘well. ‘In the ‘winter when snow drifts piled four to ‘five feet high, his father would plough the two-mile path to the school - . using a team and a V-shaped plough made of three logs. When the lake became a 20-mile long, three-foot deep sheet of ice, the students skated to school. On one occasion °- the 189.6-foot-long 8.S. “Kootenay” became frozen in the ice for a month while teams hauled coal across the ice to keep steam in her. bolters. ». Dick took: his high school in Port ‘Angeles on Howe Sound ‘where they were still cutting the huge coast Douglas Fir and three-masted sailing’ ships were carrying the great 2-inch timbers to: Japan. While attending school he also worked iny these: mills to‘earn his tuition and keep. Even as. amall boy he had enjoyed working’and had helped his father operate the small towboat “Smuggler” for his grandfather's shingle bolt and tie out ‘of Nakusp, which cut shingles as well 'as 100,000 railroad ties for the CPR. “When I was 14 years old,” he said, “my dad took me up the Big Ledge mine located on Pingston Creek — opposite Mount Halycon’— a rich but remote sand difficult’ zinc : property. Eventually he, too, filed several claims there, but today Cominco is the major owner with 120 claims. “It is a sinc ore mountain,” he said, “with an ore body going + 2,500-7) 000 feet or more in depth and 100 miles long.” Mark Zurek might be unique in Canada. He's the youngest District. Commissioner of the Boy Scouts -in B.C. and Probably in the country. How did he getinto this position? “Tt was a case of being in: the tight place at the right time,” then he added with a grin, “or the wrong place at the wrong time, depends on how. you look at it.” pein esas ule of the | Despite the fact that it was the roughest of country — eight miles up and so buried in snow in winter that they had « to stick long poles in the cabin chimneys:in.order to locate them — Dick Fowler fell in love with it and‘as he says “I spent all the time I could'in the hills and every. summer of a lifetime I was out prospecting either with friends like Curly Cook ‘or later’ with wife, ‘Jean. As a consequence, I have’ explored and prospectcd cvery mountain from Edgewood to Slocan Lake, New, Denver,to Kaslo, Nakusp, to Trout Lake, Arrow Lake’ to Buigar Lake, Beaton,’ wreuson and, the Cherry Creek area.” fix) “White miners,” he said, “rnany from across the border, (. placer-tnined the Cherry Creek, between 1870 and 1875 and took a reported $18,000,000 in gold and' who knows how much more.”' They-were followed by the’ tient: Chinese who built, miles and- miles of beautiful vertical rock walls (which are, "still there) along the Cherry aud its tributaries, ‘from the creek boulders. They then placer-mined the gravel beneath. Early in his career, Dick. became an Assistant Forest Ranger and his biggest fire came in 1926 and a dry spring’ when the entire Arrow Lakes area was on fire and hundreds) of men’ were on the fire lines, In 1998 (49 years ago) he became an insurance: agen?! “This was in the Great Depression and there:wasn't: much money about,” he said, “so I'd accept meat and vegetables in _ Heu of premiums from my. clients, then take them into Nelson and sell them for cash at the ‘Bay’. I wasn’t alone; the hardware store: owner, did the, ssine:thing —— we used his truck for the hauling. - : “For the next 40 years I travelled 40,000 miles per y ear: covering the Okanagan and West Kootenays. Oh, I had the chance to become manager — ordered to, as a matter of fact — but I refused; couldn't bear the thought of being confined toan office. Tnvon my 20th car and my 49th aa an agent —-T'd like to make it 60 and then.T'll quit. :. “When I was.a kid there were only'a few ‘wagon roads 4 CASTLEGAR NEWS;-February 21, 1981 _ JOHN CHARTERS’ Reflections & Recollections Rial sare and some back trails and most traffic went by water in the: . : lakes and riyers. There were two big boats'a day between Arrow Head and Robson in those days. Some of them — the 8.8. ‘Kootenay’, the 8.8. ‘Minto’, and the 8.8. ‘Rossland’ — sometimes went down. Fiver as far as.'the smelter tat Northport. They were also-the lifeline’ of many people along the; . lake so if anyone had trouble they. would go.down.to. th shore and light two fires — that was a signal —and.the ship s would pull into the bank. “Later the railway. came in'—Broadwater Road (the . Robson road) is an old railroad bed, you know — and. all of this was changed. The old East Robson railway station was about where the wharf was changed. Then the roads came in’ — dirt roads at first, full of mud, potholes. and ruts. They would ‘tear the bottom ‘out of modern cars — too low. “I had helped build the Needles to “Vernon, road. We ‘used ploughs and:hand scoops pulled by a team, and Picks; and shovels. Things have changed al As District Commissioner, Mark oversees the entire’ : Scouting program in Castlegar, all 210 boys and 45 leaders. He is the chairman of the six-member. Service Team which, as'its name implies, services the various'facets of the Boy’ Scouts from the financial end: to the Planning of special events and campouts. I sat with Mark in his comfortable Robson trailer ona snowy, icy night and heard him talk of camping trips, ' _ campfires and backpacking. Meetings and conferences are the norm for someone in Mark's position. “This week I had two meetings. Last week I "had three meetings and in September and October (the busiest months) I average four to five meetings a week.” His ‘calendar is filled with meetings, dinners that‘he must speak at, invitational .Pack, meetings, Plus the annual jamborees:- and campouts, Mark also does a lot of travelling to conferences, adult training sessions and boys’ campouts and get-togethers, and admits that a lot of his time is “spent on the phone.” For three years Mark was.a Cub Master, then he was appointed to the position of Assistant District Commission- er.,.This is the Heat one thas Ma te heen with len-Powell, the founder ofthe Scouting program, ‘and his ame Girl: Guides. The, week always includes:a The culmination of the ‘year will be a World Jamboree i in * Alberta. I learned that Scouts from all 144 countries who - participate in Scouting will be meeting for a gigantic campout. Close to 20,000 boys will be gathered near Banff. Pe Although Mark is. not sure he will be able to attend the festivities of this:coming summer, he reminisced on the Canada-wide Jamboree of last summe: ’s hard to imagine 20,000 kids in one place. It was like a mini-city out in the middle ‘of nowhere with the wind blowing all the, time Mark is sold on Scouting. “It offers programs that kids wouldn’t ordinarily do like cross-country skiing, iee-fishing and camping.” Mark handed me the small manual and I read the Scouting aims: “to help boys, youth and young adults to deyelop character to become resourceful arid responsible: members of the community by providing opportunities for guidance for. their mental, physical, social : and spiritual development, Castlegar -has Scouting groups for boys of practically every age. Beavers are beg aged 6-7; Subs, 8-10;: Scouts, el ‘are naturally more competitive, but \we ys at that. ‘don't make a.big deal about the team that won or the team |, crtat esti 7 (tech thom how tobe good miniors losers.” Boys learn about nature, about life and about skills as they work.through'a series of badges’ and awards. The more energetic can'go on to earn the Queen's Venture Award ‘or the, eae Scout, Award. “That's for the boy sho: does.a bit m ‘Mark.: » Boys int the Venturers and Rovers group have the option of : continuing with the structured Scouting program or making 2 ‘up.one of thelr Own. The emphasis ‘by this time is community: 4 Leaders too, work:to receive awards. The Gilwell Award ' + is “recognised throughout the world,” says Mark, abd only; 8 those: leaders who have! worked bard will receive it. : College in Nelson in-the pre-apprentice program and is now’ , employed at: Cominco-as a millwright apprentice. ° ans “Float enn SonFest 8 5 We're. ‘always jacking in leaders,” Mark stated. “We can’ ays use more.” The older the group the more difficult it Mark nga tess age eight. ‘and has “never missed a: year.” He stayed in Scouts simply because he enjoyed: it. “I. : - got to go camping and to places that I wouldn't bave gotten |; to otherwise. Mark was born in Prince Rupert but has lived in Castlegar: since he! was‘“about four or five.” He attended Selkirk He is involvéd in the Robeon Recreation ‘and has been on board of directors. In July he will be married to Darlene - Sawatzky, who herself, has been a Beaver leader. I asked’ him,' “when ‘you're not backpacking, fishing or camping ‘with the Scouts, how do you like.to spend your time?*,, He’ answered, (“I like’ back’ packing, fishing and : ‘camping. I guess that’s. why I like Scouting.” , '. Twas tempted at this point ggest that the changes | are only relative — that the Ro: 2,000 years built thousands of miles of roads across Europe and Britain which still in use today — and so'well engineered that the ‘people in Scotland say “if it goes straight to the horizon it’s Roman. if its crooked, it’s Ria oF: “DICK and JEAN FOWLER However, before I ‘could muster ‘arguments for the “little change debate” Dick was back up in his beloved hills again —-with Bill Fraser in the Cherry Creek country; or Roy. Crane.in fruitless pursuit of a 14-foot vein between Arrow Lake and Shuswap —“I think my hammer is still up . there”; or.up. Glacier Park with the late Curly Cook, his - partner ‘in- — “that trail had 54 : mining _ property ». Bwitchbacks and was over 10,000 feet high”; or packing up e.didn't care much ; -100-pound packs .up.s, After, 1035" ("July 2, °198 Brown of Trail, .a-stenogtapher ‘his most constant hiking companion. Her only complaint of her_ hiking partner was the fact that once he started + climbing he never stopped, so she carried “extra energy” in the form of prunes and rolled oats.to eat on the trail. Since : she hiked from Arrow Lakes to Sugar Lakes with him — a ” distance of 100 miles and over two mountain ranges — she obviously needed these “Extras”. And after a lifetime in the mountains, has he ever been «_— in-serious difficulties from dangerous animals — grizzly bears, for example? He had, he said, seen hundreds of grizzlies, but only once was he in real danger — when he and the bear met suddenly at a corner high onan ‘alpine trail.’ The bear advanced with obviously unfriendly intentions. He drew his * Colt-45: automatic’ and: fired: twice at almost point-blank range. The bear. went down momentarily, then started towards him again. He fired six more shots, knocking it off _ the: cliff edge.’.“That bear ‘was “still rolling down the mountainside’ while Iwas far away: down the trail,” he grinned, “but'that pistol saved my life.” :° The.Fowlers with the children Barbara and Richard, built a home in Robson in 1949 and Dick gradually reduced his involvement in: public activities,“though ‘he is a past president ‘of the: Gyros, the | West Kootenay’ : Liberal ‘Association and worked actively in the Robson: Recreation Society. With ‘this and all his: ‘travelling for the North America Life Insurance Company, he ‘admits that Jean has - in these areas, However, he ‘also admits that real estate speculation was not his strong suit, : “Do yéa know.” he sald, “I was offered a fifth share of Kinnaird by Omar Lightle, Cec Watso and Dr. Goresky for a Boys learn about ature: life and develop skills nes