October 13, 1921
What was happening a century ago this week from the front page of the Cowichan Leader.
October 13, 1921
The front page of the Leader in 1921 looks nothing like the front page of a contemporary newspaper. Today, you have maybe three headline stories with teasers for those within. The October 13, 1921 Leader has no less than 12 stories of varying sizes spread over six columns.
And, as yet not a common feature, a photograph showing the newly-laid concrete ‘paving’ of Station Street opposite the train station.
First up is another item on the downtown war memorial that we recognize as the Duncan Cenotaph despite a short-lived campaign of recent years to call it the Cross of Remembrance. It was situated in the middle of Station Street at Canada Avenue (then Front Street), a traffic hazard in the making.
(Which explains its present position in Charles Hoey VC Park.)
With the newly-laid concrete the Cenotaph was to be unveiled on Armistice Day 1921. (I wonder how many people realize that it will be 100 years old on November 11th?)
As part of the unveiling it had been decided to ask “a local resident, who has lost much in the war, to perform the ceremony”.
As grim testament of the Valley’s immense sacrifice to the Empire, the cross would bear the names of the 162 men and one woman (St. John’s Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse) Dorothy May Twist. “Every effort has been made during the last two years to have this list complete.”
It was also announced that, after considerable negotiation, the Cowichan Valley War Memorial. Society had come to terms with the E&N Land Department to convey five acres atop Mount Prevost to the municipality of North Cowichan for a memorial cairn, “to be held in perpetuity as a war memorial site”.
The five acres comprised Prevost’s entire southeastern summit. North Cowichan had already arranged with R.G. Mellin to clear the trail to the selected site of the memorial which would be built in the form of a lighthouse and so positioned as to be seen by ships at sea from three directions.
As yet there was a slight shortfall in funding, the estimated cost ($2350) lacking $248.19. It was hoped that any Valley residents who hadn’t already donated or wished to help cover the outstanding cost would “come forward without further delay”.
City Councillor Charles H. Dickie had won the nomination as the federal candidate for the National Liberal-Conservative party and, in another report, the NLCs under the leadership of Arthur Meighen would fight a Liberal government proposal to increase tariffs on almost all goods imported from without the Commonwealth by 50 per cent.
It was hunting season for pheasants, ducks and quail again but a dry summer, despite heavy September rains, meant that there fewer wetlands would likely yield a smaller harvest of ducks.
A legal trespass case filed by Westholme’s Capt. R.E. Barkley in the spring was finally settled, North Cowichan agreeing to pay him $10 damages and his legal costs of $53.35.
The much more expensive legal suit between the Municipality and Capt. Gore-Langton over the Mainguy Island road had also been put to rest, monies paid, in the plaintiff’s favour. Now all North Cowichan had to pay for was building the road and fencing it from Gore-Langton’s pastures.
Two other debts, each of $10, were also paid, C.S. Crane, Municipal Clerk, had agreed to keep the books for the Duncan Consolidated School board, with Council’s blessing, and roads supervisor Punnett reported that the ‘scarifier’ was doing a great job.
Dr. Norman Black, principal of the Duncan high school, gave a talk to the Women’s Institute at their regular meeting and the ladies had requested that a Mrs. Carter from the provincial agricultural department speak to them next month. Dr. Black, by the way, had prophesied that “...The people and their government must in future pay considerably more than in the past for the maintenance of education if the true principles of economy are to be observed.”
Independent MLA Kenneth Duncan agreed with questioners that construction of the West Coast Road, (Port Renfrew via Lake Cowichan), was at a standstill because, he said, people living along the west coast of the Island wanted the road to follow the shoreline.
The Cowichan Lake Hatchery was preparing to fish for spring salmon in the lake and work on improving fish passage through Skutz Falls had been completed by fisheries employees.
Volunteer weather recorder Brig. Gen. C.W. Gartside-Spraight had reported that September weather included three times the average rainfall with a mean temperature of 55.0F. Total rainfall to the end of September was 28.44 inches as opposed to the average of rainfall of 21.41 inches.
Efforts to revive football in the Valley had faltered because basketball had taken its place in the hearts of local athletes. “Where are the English public school boys and men who used to play for their schools?” asked the Leader.
The Cowichan Amateur Orchestral Society had elected new officers and held their first practice of the season in the Oddfellows Hall.
The Genoa Bay sawmill was busy at Crofton thanks to increased demand for cedar: “Some splendid specimens of B.C. timber have been loaded up during the past week.”
The rains of September having been followed by a dry October, farmers were busy harvesting and “the noise of the threshing machine has been heard for days in the district”.
The Crofton basketball team was gearing up for a new season, the Rev. R.D. Porter was home again, R. Syme, Jr., had shot a deer and Mrs. C.W. Dunne was making a good recovery from injuries suffered when she fell on a wooden walkway leading to the beach.
J. Hyde Parker, “who has been in indifferent health for many months,” had left to visit relatives in Saskatchewan; his friends and neighbours expressed the hope that he’d soon return, “much benefited in health” by the prairie climate and social surroundings.
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