The Mahood Falls Community Society had its annual spring meeting recently at Bob and Carol MacKenzie’s Mahood Valley Ranch home.
The 33-member society represents families living between the McNeil Ranch and Mahood Lake. It is a well-organized group, keeping everyone up-to-date on what is happening and advocating local interests to government agencies and the forestry industry.
The 21 members attending sat outside on the lawn of the ranch house, with a beautiful view across level green hay fields to the hills that surround the ranch. Bob pointed out a notch where the old Hudson’s Bay Company trail to Kamloops passed through the property.
The group has two committees, one dealing with road matters headed by Jim Booth, and the other with forestry issues headed by John Janzen.
The society values good relations with industry and government in these two critical areas, and works hard to maintain a full flow of communication. This has led to a co-operative relationship that has benefitted the community.
The society’s executive includes president Carol MacKenzie, secretary Carol Preston and treasurer Sharron Simms. Directors are Dave Bolton, Hans Gossen, Bob Hinkurri, Gunther Rosenstock and Phil Simms.
Discussions ranged widely from graders and gravel to logging and watersheds. Cariboo Regional District Area H Director Margo Wagner talked about the Emergency Preparedness Plan, and left reading material. She also agreed to conduct a CPR course in the future.
The future of the old Canim Lake East School teacherage, which is owned by the society, was discussed. The building has fallen into disrepair and the society is considering demolishing it for liability reasons.
Lynne Baker (nee McNeil) and B. MacKenzie provided information about the history of the area’s first school and teacherage.
The first school was built in 1951 by local residents. At that time, the provincial government funded a teacher provided there were eight students. The Higgins and McNeil families could provide only seven, so Benjie McNeil, Lynne’s dad, hired an additional man with two children to make up the required number.
The first teacher was Verna Hopkins, a young woman who had just completed her training. She boarded with Rube Roberts who lived just east of the Red Creek Bridge.
Verna stayed one year and was replaced by Patti Law who was in her 60s and refused to board, so in 1952, the community built a teacherage. She stayed for about four years before retiring.
Because no replacement teacher could be found, Lynne’s sister, Donna McNeil, took over, even though she was fresh out of high school with a Grade 12 education. Patti stayed a few months to help Donna learn how to handle eight grades in one room.
To Donna’s credit, Lynne notes her students went on through high school and to further studies.
The original school was demolished in the 1960s, to be replaced by a “portable,” complete with inside plumbing. It served until 1989 when it was moved to 100 Mile House, marking the end of the Canim Lake East School that had served the pioneer families of the area for a generation.