50 years ago: Athalmer was concerned about potential flooding from the Columbia River. The community was taking pre-emptive action after the flood of 1961 that caused damage to the town’s infrastructure. However, the cost to dredge the river was quite high, ringing in at $450,000.
45 years ago: A new pulp mill in Skookumchuck was expected to begin operations in March of that year. The company in charge of the mill confirmed that they had received a telegram from Japan confirming the official approval of the Japanese government to the Japanese business firms involved in opening the mill.
25 years ago: Five Invermere residents joined the new drama group, the Kootenai Troupe to provide entertainment in the East Kootenay. The travelling theatre group planned to travel throughout the region to provide programs for schools and the general community.
20 years ago: The RDEK was continuing to lobby for a sewage system on the east side of Lake Windermere. The RDEK was continuing to meet with the province for ways to fund the $6 million project, for which grant money had first been applied for two years prior.
15 years ago: Radium council approved the purchase of a $185,812 fire truck and and an extra $17,000 for fire equipment. This would bring the total number of Radiums’ operational fire trucks to two.
13 years ago: A wildlife museum had been proposed for Invermere.
A letter to council at the time stated that “a museum would be an interesting attraction for the valley’s enhancing the desirability as a destination area.”
10 years ago: RCMP shut down a marijuana grow op in an Invermere residence. RCMP estimated that they seized between $25,000 to $35,000 worth of paraphernalia and in excess of 50 plants in various stages of growth from the sophisticated set up.
5 years ago: CV Arts and the Invermere library were teaming up to build a joint-use facility. The facility was expected to cost between $9.3 and $11.2 million to construct the proposed 16,7000 square foot facility. A the time, the Invermere library had the lowest per capita number of books in the province.