Editorially speaking…
There’s so much happening historically in the news lately that I can hardly keep up...
Shannon Panko’s petition (to be presented to the Legislature) to keep the No. 1077 in operation at Fort Steele Heritage Town continues. Originally a logging train on Vancouver Island, it has been lovingly restored and cared for since it was donated to the province.
It’s feared that last month’s decision to mothball her will result in the 101-year-old and fully operational locomotive being allowed to deteriorate to the point of permanent retirement.
It also could mean the loss of her dedicated crew, all of them experienced railroaders.
We can all help by signing and sharing the petition to keep Old 1077 up and running!
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Another ‘endangered species’ is the last surviving water tower from the steam days of the E&N Railway. It’s been a landmark since 1910 but now it needs serious—read expensive—repairs and Parksville Council is trying to decide upon restoration or demolition.
—www.waymarking.com
Previously, Council, which had planned to demolish the icon at a cost of $35,000, had donated that amount to a railway heritage group which offered to undertake the tower’s preservation. But, thinned ranks of volunteers because of aging and distance, and the loss of the offer of a free crane and operator, have stalled the project.
Which, alas, brings Parksville Council back to having to decide between preservation (on-site or elsewhere) or demolition. As Mayor Doug O’Brien noted, Parksville has few historical buildings left and he’d prefer that the tower be saved.
Maybe they need Shannon Panko and her petitioning skills?
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Also speaking of railways, the Island Corridor Foundation, successor to the E&N Railway, has a new CEO, its third since it assumed responsibility for the Island railway from VIA.
As we all know, the E&N has been down for a decade now and its possible return to service is looking ever more like a dream. Loss of right-of-way to First Nations, continued deterioration of tracks and trestles... But maintenance work, people keep telling me, continues although I haven’t seen it. Mind you, I don’t walk the E&N these days—still have 20-odd miles to go to complete both the mainline and the Alberni spur.
But I haven’t given up hope. May miracles never cease...
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There’s been an interesting twist to heritage preservation for the historic Hat Creek Ranch, north of Cache Creek. It just opened a new season under new management—the Bonaparte First Nation.
Something that the Band has wanted to do for six years, according to the report in the Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal.
The historic site features several historic buildings built during the Cariboo gold rush in the 1860s and is located on one of the few surviving stretches of the legendary Cariboo Wagon Road. “Those who visit the ranch can explore these buildings and interact with guides dressed in period clothing.” They also offer campground and cabins for rent for those who wish to stay overnight.
The ranch offers easy access to the nearby McAbee Fossil Beds, a 50-million-year-old bed of fossils from the Eocene epoch.
Bonaparte First Nation Chief Frank Antoine pointed out that his people’s connection to the site goes back before the gold rush era—as far back as when the Shuswap Nation first occupied this area.
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From new Chronicles subscriber Maureen Hebert this kind email: “I have lived in BC for most of my life and have never heard of Ripple Rock [last week’s feature story] or the explosion that removed the threat for shipping. While reading it through, I thought, ‘Oh, it was blown to smithereens!’ (Another example of history being passed down through speech.
“I look forward to reading your latest edition and always find it all so fascinating. Also enjoyed the first hand accounting of the sinking of the USS Saranac. What a treasure to have in the Campbell River Museum.
“Last but not least, the re-imaging of the hotel Quamichan. So much more impressive than black and white. Thanks again.”
Thank you, too, Maureen.
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Finally—for today—not one but two colourized photos from the past. First up, Bill Irvine’s re-rendering of the BC Archives photo of Indigenous prospectors.
—Courtesy Bill Irvine’s
And a wonderful comparison of Duncan’s Station Street. That’s the Bank of Montreal in the right foreground. The bank’s still there but it’s now a concrete box. (You know, progress...)
—Courtesy Nigel Robertson