November 11, 1920
What was happening a century ago this week from the front page of the Cowichan Leader.
November 11, 1920
What we know as Remembrance Day began a century ago as Armistice Day.
In November 1920 the City of Duncan and North Cowichan Municipality proclaimed a half-holiday in recognition of the second anniversary of the end of the Great War.
Teachers were to explain the significance of the day to their students at noon before dismissing them for the rest of the day and there was a special ceremony at St. John’s the Divine Church, conducted by the Rev. Arthur Bischlager who would lose his own son in the Second World War. A “patriotic service” for boys and girls would also be held in the church hall that evening.
(Elsewhere throughout the British Empire, a two-minute silence was observed, meaning that the Cowichan Valley was well ahead of most in iniating what became the full-day ‘holiday’ that we have today.)
In other, regular, news the Board of Trade tried something new at its quarterly meeting; instead of just the usual dry business reports, a slide and lantern show was a hit with the 80-odd members and guests (many of them women) in attendance. W.W. Barr of Victoria showed scenes of the PGE and Kettle Valley railways (in black and white, of course). His slides, according to The Leader, “conveyed an excellent impression of portions of the province which are not as widely known as they might be, considering their importance as topics of discussion politically and otherwise”.
All accompanied by brief descriptions and humorous references. Barr ended his presentation with more slides of Victoria and the Island Highway.
One item of note in the agenda was a reference to $500 having been subscribed to the erection of a war memorial which was expected to cost $2000. (This would ultimately be the Duncan Cenotaph.)
Overall, the lumber industry was experiencing a downturn because of increased freight rates and weather conditions, and the manganese mine on Hill 60 had suspended operations. On a more positive note, explorations for silver continued at Shawnigan and the E&N had almost completed its new roundhouse in Duncan.
With the close of nominations it was to be a two-way race between Independent (and incumbent) candidate Kenneth Duncan and the Conservatives’ George Cheeke in the forthcoming provincial election.
Provincial president of the Great War Veterans Assoc. Drinnan was in town. Col. Ross Napier who’d gone overseas in August 1914 and had just returned a month ago, expressed his dissatisfaction with the way returned servicemen were being treated. Nobody was “more misunderstood or misrepresented then returned soldiers,” he said. He believed that veterans, with their war and worldly experience, were “the greatest asset Canada could have at this time”.
Surely, he said, if Canadians could trust their men to fight for the right in war, they could trust them even in peace”. He reminded his listeners that many returned veterans were “still enduring pain and suffering,” and they needed assistance and understanding. (He was speaking 100 years ago, remember—long, long before the psychological and medical ‘discovery’ of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.)
Mrs. Dennis Harris of Victoria gave a demonstration of spinning and weaving with the catchy come-on, “Why send your children to school shabbily dressed? Why be so yourself or pay fabulous prices for clothing of poor materials?”
She was in town to address the Women’s Institute to promote a scheme to create a spinning and weaving industry in B.C., beginning with the regional chapters of the WI. She pointed out that most locally raised wool was sent to Vancouver for processing then to the U.S. for wholesale manufacture into clothing. All this could be done here, she said, with obvious economic benefits.
Throughout her address Miss Effie McPherson was at work with a spinning wheel and there was a colourful display of wool in various states of manufacture and colours. Both ladies received a “hearty vote of thanks” from those attending.
The Rev. Father Francis was given a farewell reception upon his leaving St. Edwards, Duncan, after nine years for a new parish in Saanich. Among the tributes paid him was a compliment from Major Hodding for his having so successfully coached the church basketball team.
The Leader reminded its readers that, as of October 15th, licenses for all firearms other than shotguns were mandatory—despite the fact that no licenses were available locally.
The two new public nurses reported having made 124 nursing calls and four instructional visits in October.
Game wardens had busted four men for serious hunting and firearms infractions with fines as high as $50 (a lot of money in 1930).
In Chemainus police court George Weeks, “about 30,” from Ontario and thought to be a returned serviceman, was remanded on a charge of theft over $20—goods he’d taken from the J.J. Dry farm, Westholme. JP Rivett-Carnac thought there must be more to the story behind Weeks’ allegedly having entered the Dry house and eating the breakfast cooking on the stove while Mr. And Mrs. Dry were milking their cows.
He’d then shaved himself (poorly, it was said), with Dry’s razor, exchanged clothing and underwear—Mr. Dry’s outer garments and Mrs. Dry’s underwear. When the Drys discovered him he was on his way out, wearing her bedroom slippers. But he hadn’t touched any valuables in the house.
He caught a ride to town where Const. Daykin, alerted by telephone, arrested him as he slept in a thicket. At first he was suspected in the theft of a bicycle in Cobble Hill but as there was no hard evidence this idea was discarded.
Finally: the Cowichan Creamery was talking of building a new weather-proof building for storing and packing fruits and produce.
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