Wednesday, November 25, 1992 ™ Wednesday, November 25, 1992 CommunityFOCUS Saving our Heritage Community comes together to save a piece of its history — Castlegar’s jailhouse John A. Charters To have prisoners go missing from jails is a com- mon and not newsworthy event. To have a jail go missing from its long-established site is almost un- heard of, it is news, and it happened recently in Castlegar just before Halloween. The abrupt disappearance of Castlegar’s first jailhouse from its almost 60-year location on Columbia Avenue on the new bridge approach and almost immediate reappearance next to the Rail Station Museum is an eight-month-long saga of incredible tenacity to purpose, broad-based com- munity spirit and cooperation. It is told by Castlegar and district Heritage So- ciety President John Coyle, who wishes all con- cerned to have their due. “The project began in April,” said Coyle, “when we heard through Mayor Audrey Moore and the Larry Armstrongs (owners of the property) that the former provincial police house and jail would be razed to make way for the approach to the new bridge. “After a brief telephone conversation with the Department of Highways and a follow-up letter confirming our intent,” he continued, “we were giv- en the long disused, green-colored frame building but had to move it by Sept. 30. “We immediately met on the property with Adri- an Niderost, vice-president of Kamyr Construc- tion, Wilson Murray, John Weston, also of Kamyr Construction and myself. “We decided that Bernie Wearmouth, engineer- ing consultant for Kamyr, should be consulted first so a further meeting was held on the site. Along with the previously-named people, Mr. Wear- mouth and Jim Morrice of Smith Brothers and Wilson assessed the feasibility of moving the old building, how and when it could be done. “Jim Morrice looked very skeptical at the suc- céss of our mission but committed himself to the project with the others. The prospects did not look too bright at the time but we had not figured on the energy and determination of Jim Morrice and the dedication of Bernie Wearmouth and the Kamyr crew. After all, it is one of Castlegar’s few heritage buildings. “Our next problem was how to do it. We ap- proached Tom Brown, District Superintendent for CP Rail with a request for assistance in the form of a flat car and engine. I think he was taken aback a little but he agreed,” said Coyle with a chuckle. “Our group then entered into extensive talks with Phil Markin, building inspector and Gary Williams, administrator, for the City of Castlegar and got the property and permission to build a foundation next to the Rail Station. By this time it is August, some of us are working 12-hour shifts at the Celgar reconstruction project and we haven't got a project manager for the jail move. “Therefore, in desperation, an emergency meet- _ ing was held at the museum with Society secre- tary Carolee Fitz-Gerald, society superintendent Debbie McIntosh and Ray Ward of Argo Industries (builders of the Zuckerberg Island causeway re- construction) as well as Wilson Murray and Bernie Wearmouth of Kamyr, and made Jim Morrice pro- | ject manager for the jail move.” : vethe next Sunday, Coyle and Wearmouth, as- re eee News file photo It was mission accomplished for Smith Brothers’ Jim Morrice (left) and Castlegar and District Heritage Society President John Coyle as the city’s original jailhouse finds a new home thanks to the support of a caring community. sisted by volunteers Fred Makeiff, Dave Coxford, Denis Traxler stripped the lath and plaster from the interior of the old building in order to take it apart and to reduce its weight for moving. When they saw, however, how sturdily built it was, they decided to move it intact. Under Morrice’s direction and active participa- tion, Frank Doucette’s Argo crew excavated the new site, volunteers Raymond Jube, Bert Wilcott, Maurice Lajeunesse, Victor Martinho and Louie Sherstibitoff set up the forms (donated by Smith Brothers and Wilson), poured the concrete (donat- ed by Korpack Cement Products) and built the sub floor with joists donated by Pope and Talbot's sawmill. Even the Korpac driver donated his time. “Meanwhile Jim Morrice was completely devot- ed to the project,” Coyle continued, “and night af- ter night could be found after work engaged in the risky business of jacking up the jailhouse and in- stalling the steel support beams (donated by Steb- bins Construction). “It was a job rendered considerably more pre- carious,” he said, “by the presence of a family of skunks found underneath the building. “We were now going into October and Fred Gienger of Gienger Construction, the company re- sponsible for clearing the bridge approaches, ex- tended the deadline to the end of October and pledged the use of a tractor.” Late in October it was decided to move the building by road using a low-bed trailer donated by Thunderbird Freight and to lift it with a 50-ton crane loaned by V and G Cranes. This plan came to an abrupt halt, however, when it was discovered that the load would not clear the overhead lines at the light on Third Street and a rapid,‘now or never’ reversal was made to the original rail move plan. With no time to spare, CP Rail roadmaster Greg Huestis and Denis Evans, deputy roadmaster Narinder Mondair, always good friends of the Her- itage Society and their crew Carmen Richichi and Mike Henrich, on briefest notice swung into im- mediate-action, made the necessary rail arrange- ments for an Oct. 29, 4 p.m. move. Please see LOCAL HERITAGE SOCIETY, page 19 Win or lose, it’s in The News. Jonathan Green 365-7266 ON THE ICE The Castlegar No. 4 team continues to be the one to beat in local Atom hockey action. With five wins in five games, they sit just a point back of Nelson No. 2 with two games in hand. Castlegar No. 2 sits tied for third with five points, while No. 1 has four and No. 3 has three. O SAY CAN U SKI Rossland’s Red Mountain has a deal for you and your co-workers. On Dec. 13, Jan. 6 and 25, you and your fellow employees can ski at Red for just $10, which will get you a lift ticket and rental equipment among other things. Call 362- 7115 for more details. COMPLEX SITUATION The Castlegar Rebels play a rare mid-week game at home tomorrow when the defending champion Nelson Maple Leafs pay a visit to the Community Complex. Game time is 8 p.m. LocaSPORTS Rebels nip Nelson, spear Spokane to move up Wi Locals continue to dominate KIJHL West Division opponents Jonathan Green SPORTS REPORTER With some pretty good hockey weather happening outside, it was only fitting that the Castlegar Rebels play some pretty good hockey in- side last weekend. Squaring off with division rivals Nelson Maple Leafs Friday and Spokane Braves Saturday, the Rebels came out with two wins, sur- passing their point total from all of last season in the process. Friday, the Rebels headed north for their first visit of the year to the Queen City and returned home with a 3-2 victory. Jesse Oldham led the way for the locals, assisting on Nino Da Cos- ta’s go-ahead goal at 4:29 of the second period then scoring the even- tual game-winner at 2:35. Although it wasn’t one of the Rebels’ better nights on offence, coach Gordie Walker was happy with the win. “Three goals is not too bad,” he said. “If you can score three goals KOOTENAY INTERNATIONAL 2nd keep them to two, that’s perfect.” JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE The Rebels opened the scoring with (As of Nov. 22) the only goal of the first period when EAST DIVISION Kevin Leiman converted a nice pass WLT F : . Columbia Val. 6 12-0 83 from linemate Mark Graff to make it Golden 6 13 0 92 1-0... ; ; Elk Valley 6130 94 Staying even with the defending WEST DIVISION champs for the first half of the game, Grand Forks 16 2 0 132 the Rebels saw the Leafs tie things up air ia 88 tee at 7:15 of the second when Rene Troz- stlegar 12 31 94 > ‘ es . Spokane 12 7 0138 zo’s shot from just inside the blueline Beaver Valley 7 13 0.121 136 surprised Vaughn Welychko to make it | Rossland 4160 97189 8 j]1-1. Regrouping, the Rebels got their one-goal lead back just under three minutes later, when Da Costa took Oldham’s pass from the corner and slipped it through Nelson goalie Pat Gris’s legs to go up 2-1. Controlling the play for a few minutes, the visitors went five-hole again shortly after when Oldham tipped Steve Gropp’s point shot through Gris’s legs to make it 3-1, and the hosts were on the ropes. Realizing this, the Leafs went on the attack in the dying seconds of the period and narrowed the gap to one at the 59-second mark when Dale Bonderud’s shot from the corner hit Welychko in the back of the leg and trickled in to make it 3-2. But as muchas they tried, Nelson would score no more on the night, even throwing everything but the kitchen sink with an extra attack- er at Welychko in the game’s final minute, but the Rebel netminder would not be beaten. “Vaughn Welychko played superb,” Walker said. Saturday, the Rebels hosted the Braves, a team they found them- selves a point behind at game time. But when the final whistle blew, it was Spokane who was a point be- hind, as the Rebels climbed into third in the KIJHL West with a less- than-textbook 8-4 win. Breaking out of a five-game scoring slump, Todd Doyle got the home team on the board before the game was a minute old, taking Bill Brew- er’s pass in the slot, stuffing it past Braves’ goalie Peter Matson to make it 1-0 at 19:01. Building on that, the Rebels scored four straight goals before the end of the period to make it look like the Braves had come out for a rousing game of croquet. Walker said the fact that Spokane arrived minutes before game time didn’t help the visitors. “They came off a four-hour bus trip in the snow,” he said. “The hard- est thing is hopping off the bus and hopping on the ice.” Darren Pottle at 12:51, last season returnee Jarrod Beck at 10:41, Jesse Oldham at 7:36 and Corey Flodell with his first of two at 1:54 sent the hosts on their way to what looked to be an easy win. But like they’ve done too often this season, the Rebels refused to kick the opponent when it was down, and it cost them when Spokane News photo by Jonathan Green Rebel Todd Doyle moves up ice in action against Spokane Saturday. Doyle broke out of a five-game scoring slump in a 8-4 Rebel victory. scored four of the next five goals to make it interesting. Greg Kampman made it 5-1 when he got the Braves on the score- board 14:20, a lead that Ryan Tansy reduced to three at 12:36 when he waltzed in and tucked the puck under Rebels goalie Johnny Ray. Flodell turned things around temporarily when he scored from Pot- tle at 10:20 to make it 6-2, but Spokane was back with goals at 10:01 and 7:55 to close the gap to 6-4. Walker said with most of the team returning from last year’s ane- mic squad, having a lead is a new expe- KIJHL SCORING LEADERS rience. (As of Nov. 22) “Fifteen of the 22 guys haven't really EAST DIVISION . ” . GPG A PPIM played on a winner before,” he said.| 00 Golden 19 17 24 4 “They don’t know how to beat a team} Koole, EV 19 11 27 20 when they’re down. Brar, E.V 19 12 20 18 But with little opposition after the|Kinnig, C.V. 1711 16 22 fourth goal, the Rebels hopped back into] Pont, Golden 18 13 12 aa Smith E.V. 19 12 10 the driver’s seat when defenceman| ¢, ; : ilbert, E.V. 1515 6 Steve Gropp made it 7-4 at 6:31. ,,|Veselic, Golden 16 9 11 “Gropp’s goal kind of killed them, WEST DIVISION Walker said. “That was the key. Pang Ross. 1922 19 “It’s hard to come back when you’ve| Bird: 16 18 21 . Maryschak, G.F. 1818 20 already battled back from being five} + alotti, Spok. 17.21 17 goals down. ; . : Tansy, Spok 15 24 14 Walker said with Nelson still looking | Hass, Spok 1717 19 for their first win against the Rebels this | Loeffler, G.F 16 17 18 season, he expects things to be a lot like eer ‘isa rescue Friday’s encounter when the Leafs roll GP GA Avg. into town for a rare week-night game to-| Gris, Nelson 7 2.14 morrow. Bousfield, Grand Forks 10 2.30 “I would expect a good game again,” | Scherck, Grand Forks 8 2.62 he said. Welychko, Castlegar 8 3.87 = 3 Koh Vv 8 7 Game time is 8 p.m. at the Complex. ermal $8 Need a Christmas loan? We'll make it happen. KS Kootenay Savings Where You Belong