It's Monday morning the last day of February and it's cold.
Looks like old man winter is going to hold the winter up a bit longer. It was just about minus 30 early this morning. One thing it's making good ice.
It seems that every day we hear that there has been another avalanche accident. This time it was a bit closer to home in Smithers we hear. Every year there seems to be more accidents and most of these are deadly. No doubt there is the thrill of climbing the mountains with their snow machines seeing just how high they can go, I wonder if it's worth it in the long run.
I also wonder if they realize the danger the search and rescue have to put themselves in to rescue them? These avalanches are so unforgiving and unpredictable. Rumor has it that these big heavy high powered snow machines can trigger these deadly avalanches. Every year they get bigger and more powerful.
A far cry from the older models. What a terrible death to get buried alive under tons of heavy snow. I have just heard that some skiers had been lost in an avalanche in the Smithers area.
Mark and Laurie Neave have just returned from attending the memorial service for the late Paul Chicoine. The service was held in the Calvary Community Church in Kamloops Feb. 19, 2011.
Paul spent many years in the Lakes District. They made their family home on the Brown Rd. As well as ranching Paul had a repair shop. He was an excellent mechanic with all vehicles both large and small. The family was really missed when they moved to Kamloops.
He leaves behind a family that has wonderful memories and are very proud of him for his lifetime of accomplishments. He treasured his 10 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. They filled his life with fun and love. He will be missed but the family are so grateful for the time that they had and what he taught them all. Paul was a very great personal friend of mine and I will miss him a great deal.
Last week we lost another one of our very dear friends, Vern Harms, a long time resident of the Lakes District. Vern was so well known throughout. He spent many years as captain of our ferries.
He was always very careful and considerate to everyone. Vern was a gentleman in every sense of the word.
In the last paper on page 13 there is something that caught my eye. Downtown core revitalization. Great idea, but what about the Trans-Canada going through the middle of town? The main heavy duty truck traffic must be rerouted somehow.
It will be a bill of expense but it will pay off in the long run. While in the A&W yesterday I just took note of all the big trucks going through town. A number of loads of logs. A "B" train of lumber, a big oil tanker no doubt loaded with gasoline.
If there would be some kind of an accident on the main street Burns Lake would be history. Then there were three big transport trucks. The traffic went through as I was having a quick coffee. Imagine if the heavy duty traffic was counted in 24 hours it would no doubt stagger you. This heavy duty traffic does not enhance the main street one little bit. Something has to be done.
This happened many years ago in fact in the late 40's, when I could have blown up the front of the Royal Bank. There were no tanker trucks in those days and we had to haul our gasoline, naphtha gas line kerosene, in 50 gallon drums. We had a ford pickup with a wooden floor and steel stripping. I had four empty drums on board to get filled at the bulk plant. As I was in the bank I had parked the outfit close to the bank door. Some guy came running in and yelled your pickup is on fire. It was going pretty good. Some guy jumped into the truck and rolled off the four or five drums. As there was snow on the ground another fellow was throwing snow into the truck and box and got it out. It seemed the exhaust pipe where it went over the rear end had burnt through and caught the box on fire. As there was a shop across the street I got Ernie Carlson, who was working there, to repair it. It was a good thing that this was noticed in time or it would have blown things up, truck and all. Thank heavens to the great guys who managed to put out the fire around the gas drums, they sure saved my neck. The dangerous part was that the pickup box floor was soaked with oil etc. from hauling fuel so we were fortunate to get the fire out as we did.
I have at hand an old Observer paper dated July 1931 and in the ads there is a good one giving Burns Lake a really good boost. It goes like this, Come to the Lakes District, Burns Lake the centre. The Lakes District is situated in central B.C., it's on the C.N. Railway, shipping point Burns Lake 316 miles east of Prince Rupert. Latitude north of 54 longitude east of 126, altitude 2,300 feet. Tourists see the Lakes District next. Over 100 miles of beautiful lakes. Come and try the open air life. Maybe you could use this ad again. It's a good one.
A few more good ads. A 100 pound sack of Alberta No. 1 flour $2.90 a sack. Burns Lake garage had a good deal on cars, a Ford sedan for $924, top of the line. The Tuder sedan for only $790. These cars for safety, comfort, economy and good service. I just wonder how many of these old babies are museum pieces now. Not many I would guess.
A little story
A man was trying out a riding horse, as he had in mind of buying one for his wife. Noting the horse was quite spirited and required a firm hand. So he enquired of the owner "Do you think a woman could handle this horse?" "Well," replied the owner giving it some thought "Let's put it this way a woman could handle this horse all right, but I wouldn't want to be the husband of the woman who could do it."
Thought for the day. Live a good and honorable life, then when you get older and think back, you will enjoy it a second time and that's good advice from the old cowboy.
Drive with care especially with the flying snow, makes you blind for a moment or two. Remember accidents do happen regardless but don't let you be one of them.
God loves you a great deal and of course so do I.