Dear Canimites,
Clear mornings, mist rising from the lake, birds foraging southward through the aspen and mountain ash, such is the scene here at Canim.
Stars burn brightly in the night sky above, Orion the hunter and his faithful follower Sirius now sneaking over the eastern horizon in the hours before dawn.
Fiftieth anniversary
Peter and Heather Thomson of Hawkins Lake celebrated their 50th anniversary Aug. 31, by throwing a barbecue for some 40 friends and neighbours.
With the late afternoon sun flooding the scene and the lake lapping at their feet, people sat under the birches enjoying each other’s company and sharing Peter’s barbecued pork loin and the many other dishes brought by the guests.
When all were sated, storytellers regaled the group with accounts of the past, while Harvey Ostroff sang a song he had written for the occasion. Ask Peter about The Saga of the Bears, the Flares, and the Freezer.
The couple was married in the West Point Grey United Church in Vancouver. Heather was a nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital at the time, and Peter an educator, a profession he practised until his retirement in 1997. They have two children and two grandchildren. Hawkins Lake has been a part of the family’s life for more than 40 years. Peter says it is "a wonderful community; people look out for each other."
Other milestones at Hawkins Lake include Wayne and Louise Traill’s 50th this past summer, and this fall, Ray and Sharon Mattick's 50th and Ray and Marion Dixon's 63rd will be celebrated.
Celebration for Al Bradshaw
You are all invited to a Celebration of Life to remember Al’s passing.
Ron Lister is organizing the event on behalf of Joyce.
It will be held Sept. 21 at 11 a.m. at the Forest Grove Community Hall. The gathering will feature a video presentation, a chance for people to speak, and refreshments. Joyce will be there with some of the family.
Bits and Bites
• Helen Kellington won first place in the People’s Choice awards for her painting, Neil Davidson in his Tiger Moth, at the recent Cariboo Artists' Guild Art Show and Sale.
The vibrant and intriguing picture is on now display at the Showcase Gallery.
• Joe Lauzon celebrated his 80th birthday in August. Seventeen members of the family gathered for dinner at his Hawkins Lake home. It seems Joe and Robert Young have been dubbed the "Hawkins Lake Haulers" for their habit of going out with their chainsaws to cut up a storm then deliver wood to whoever might need it.
• Kelly Powell of West Fraser says that Pioneer Logging is doing the current haul on the Canim Hendrix Road, about 15 loads a day of spruce out the McNeil Lake (6300) Rd. near Hendrix Lake. After freeze-up in mid-November, both McNeil and Henderson Logging will be hauling spruce out the 620 Road from the foot of Big Timothy. Kelly expects this will add about 40 loads a day.
• Our fire department had a busy summer with medical calls. The air ambulance was called in from Kamloops for a serious injury at a seasonal residence on the north side of Canim. It was the first time the department has participated in an emergency helicopter evacuation.
• The new entrance directions at the Forest Grove landfill are creating a fair bit of humour, a few close calls, and a great deal of vehicle jockeying. What used to be the "In" is now the "Out."
The vast majority of folks still come in the old way, meaning their vehicles are not angled to do business in a speedy and effective manner.
That’s all for now. Until next time here’s wishing you many blessings.