60 YEARS AGO (1962): Premier W.A.C. Bennett and members of the provincial Cabinet were about to become acutely aware of the dire need for a hospital in the 100 Mile area when they came to visit the Cariboo. Plans were made to greet a cavalcade of cars with roadside signs to remind them that a proposed 30-bed institution had been held up because the government had not yet approved heating arrangements. It had hoped to start construction on the building in summer so the cement foundation could be poured before the frost.
41 YEARS AGO (1981): In 1980, the Rev. T. Neil Vant, the last resident vicar of Barkerville, returned to the famous mining town to conduct the funeral of Wilfred Thomson, the last year-round resident of the old Barkerville townsite. There were still some who occupied the residences on a seasonal basis. Thomson, born in Mission Junction in 1890, came to Barkerville in 1921, pursuing his interest in gold mining. His cabin would be preserved to help tourists realize that Barkerville wasn’t a ghost town until the late 1970s. This was well over 110 years after Barkerville first started.
21 YEARS AGO (2001): The 100 Mile RCMP investigated a vandalism spree in the Telqua Drive area of 108 Mile Ranch. The damage had appeared to be done overnight - the worst of it at Mile 108 Elementary School, where trunks of newly planted trees had been snapped. The parent group had spent $888 on the seven cherry trees that encircled a gravel pit with picnic tables and a wooden border. Students had paid for the trees by selling chocolates over three years. A picnic table top from the play area was moved to the covered sports area, There was also graffiti vandalism and minor damage to the 108 Golf Resort course.
10 YEARS AGO (2012): The twin falls that lie between Canim and Mahood lakes, - Canim Falls or Canim-Mahood falls - were a spectacular sight and the newest mural produced by the 100 Mile House Mural Society. Painted by Williams Lake artist Dwayne Davis, the large mural was four by 11 metres, and it captured the power and beauty of the popular landmark. The mural is located on the west side of Birch Avenue, near Fourth Street, and is around the corner from the other mural scenes that reflect the Canim Lake community.
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