July 22, 1920
What was happening a century ago this week from the front page of the Cowichan Leader.
July 22, 1920
Of the 10 articles on today’s front page the one that catches the eye is, “Land Army: British Women Seek Opportunities on Farms in B.C.”
Mrs. N. Eyphyns was in town while investigating the possibility of farm jobs for British ex-servicewomen, members of the Old Country’s famous wartime Land Army, who wanted to work the land but lacked opportunities at home. Hers was the second such visit on behalf of the British government.
Upon being approved, the prospective immigrants would be given free passage to Canada. Valley farmers who were interested in hiring them were to contact W. Paterson at the Cowichan Creamery.
Jeanie W. Blair scored the highest marks of Duncan students in her high school exams.
Sockeye salmon attempting to ascend the Cowichan River to spawn were about to have an assist from the Dominion Dept. of Fisheries. A protruding rock abutment at Skutz Falls that had long impeded the salmons’ upstream journey was to be blasted away.
Shooting the Cowichan River rapids" by boaters was one thing; having to swim upstream to spawn was another. To aid the salmon, the Dominion Dept. of Fisheries was blasting away a rocky abutment at Skutz Falls.
Part of the dam owned by the City of Duncan Waterworks didn’t need any blasting to give way.
Drainage of Somenos Creek was a topic of discussion at a meeting in the Odd Fellows Hall. Problems arose when the Cowichan River backed up during high tides and caused flooding. Because the creek required seasonal attention the lack of available manpower was also a problem.
A small turnout of the Sir Clive Phillips Wolley chapter of the IODE discussed mother’s pensions. (Everyone it seems was on vacation.)
The Hon. J.D. Reid, federal minister of railways and canals, was on his way to examine the 60 miles of steel laid down through the Valley by the defunct Canadian Northern Pacific Railway, now absorbed by the nationally-owned Canadian National Railways. The Duncan Board of Trade saw his visit as an opportunity to press him for a spur line to Duncan.
North Cowichan was said to be dogged by misfortune at every step thanks to Clr. Paitson’s chosen role as the outspoken critic of Municipal roads and finances. When he predicted a year-end deficit of $3000 the rest of Council joined him in ordering roads superintendent Lemon to clear up all jobs on hand by the end of July and accept a demotion to foreman. Lemon offered to surrender use of his official car but wanted to be reimbursed the $300 he’d put into it of his own money.
Chemainus War Memorial Committee chairman R. Jarrett showed plans of the proposed monument his group wanted to erect at the corner of Albert Street and Wharf Road. A granite shaft on a grey granite base would be inscribed with the names of the 10 local men who perished in the recent Great War.
Only Clr. Smith objected to the Municipality taking over the Maple Bay wharf from the provincial government. Let those who wanted to repair the structure pay for it themselves, he said.
The latest development in the ongoing imbroglio of the Swallowfield Road was Swallowfield Farm owner Gore Langton’s padlocked gate that barred Mainguy Island owner James from accessing his property. He’d hired eight workers, six of them ex-servicemen, James told Council, to work on his property but couldn’t use the road. Gore Langton said the gate would remain locked until he was formally notified by the Municipality that it was going to expropriate the road allowance. Meaning he wanted compensation.
When a Chemainus driver demanded compensation for damage sustained by his car because of the state of Chapman Road, Reeve Herd replied that the road superintendent had laid the blame on the driver not the road.
Thanks to the urging of Clr. Paitson, Council agreed to address the matter of Canadian thistles throughout the Municipality. It was crucial they be eradicated over the next two weeks before they seeded.
Lake Cowichan was eagerly awaiting a visit by American multi-millionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr., who was honeymooning with his bride and entourage. His visit came on the heels of that by fellow American tycoon John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who, before descending the Cowichan River by canoe, had complimented local milk shake makers by saying their products were superior to those available in New York.
Also passing through were the annual spring salmon, including numerous albinos that were thought to be the progeny of the defunct fish hatchery at Lake Cowichan.
“Better babies” was to be the theme of an exhibition at the Fall Fair and two newly graduated nurses from the Royal Jubilee Hospital’s nursing school were to join the staff of the King’s Daughters Hospital. Because no used rail car was available for use as a nurses’ summer rest room it was decided that a used army tent would serve the purpose.
A meeting at the Health Centre discussed the urgent need of a full time nurse for school medical inspections. Missing to date was a means of following up when a child was diagnosed as having medical issues. Fourteen local schools would come under the program.
The Genoa Bay mill was busy, having just shipped a barge containing 150,000 feet of lumber for “eastern points” and the American barkentine Alga had loaded 1.2 million feet for South Africa. Chemainus beat the Genoa Bay team at baseball and the Duncan Colts did the same.
The Cameron sawmill at Genoa Bay was busy, having just shipped 1.2 million feet of lumber to South Africa and 150,000 feet to "eastern points".
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